We have always viewed dragons as proud and dangerous creatures. They breathe fire. They crush people underfoot. They lay waste to those around them. They hoard gold. They can fly. I mean, THEY CAN FLY!!! You do not want to mess with them. Even the bravest of the brave have second thoughts when they have to go up against dragons, even if it is a ‘little’ dragon. (Hahahaha! You said ‘little’ like it makes a difference! Hahahahahaha!). Well, what if the dragon was as big of a doofus as the rest of us? What if instead of soaring through the skies, blotting out the sun and inspiring fear and trembling, they are just as hapless as mere mortals? Thus is the idea behind “Dragon Goes House-Hunting” (“Dragon, Ie o Kau” or ”Dragon, Buy a House”.)
Up there is Letty, a red dragon, famed and feared for their viciousness. Except for Letty, who is timid, weak and unsure of himself. Through his bumbling, one of the family dragon eggs is stolen right out from under his nose. Father, completely disgusted by this, kicks him out of the house and now Letty must make his way in the world, cold, alone and unloved.
He is eventually directed to find the renowned elf architect, magician and real estate agent, Dearie. Together, they go on a quest to either find or build for Letty an abode suitable for his needs, wants and desires. The series details the multi-faceted adventures and struggles they both go through in planning for the future.
Kermit the Frog once told us it’s not easy being green. Well, being a red dragon ain’t no cakewalk, neither. Letty is overwhelmed as to what is needed and required of him to make it in the outside world and he is ill-prepared for this. Since dragons live a long time, he is a callow, sallow teen-ager who knows next to nothing. Dearie tries to do his best to help him, but there is so much that is unknown to Letty, he is paralyzed by indecision, uncertainty and genuine immaturity. And the houses he sees!
They are fabulous dwellings, but they are too extravagant for Letty’s simple tastes. And if this wasn’t bad enough, he is dogged (dragoned?) by four heroes who want nothing more than to complete THEIR quest and slay our young neophyte. And dragon scales fetch a nice price.
If you have ever gone house hunting or searching for an apartment, you know the feeling of being shown great places that you could not afford, or affordable places that are located in a war zone of a neighborhood. Dearie, to his credit, is fully committed to helping Letty, but with Letty having to grow up fast, it can get wearisome. Still, with the level of dedication they have to get the job done, they forge on.
The real champions of the series are the locations they check out. They are absolutely hysterical in their presentation. Care for an abandoned castle loaded with booby traps? No? A gladiator dungeon where you will have to fight all the time, but they have big rooms? No? A cave inhabited by friendly witches? No? Build a house from scratch? No? A tremendous igloo? No?
But it’s not all The House of the Week approach. Letty is challenged numerous times to go beyond what he thinks he can do, to really care for others. You do see a caliber of emotional growth throughout the arduous travails. There is a very intriguing closing arc, but the hunt goes on, as we await a second season.
Binge? Yes and no. It can take it, but I do not feel it needs to be shoved out in a day. I would take the 3-4-5 approach and break it down that way, viewing it over three days, as that is how the arcs break down. You get a good sense of the show and not feel like you are blitzing through it, missing a lot of what Letty is going through.
On a scale of 1 to 10:
Artwork 8 (Good artistic decisions were made)
Plot 8 (The side story is of a greater interest)
Pacing 7 (Moves along hysterically)
Effectiveness 8 (Good use of flashbacks)
Conclusion 7 (It reaches a ‘coupler point’, but hasn’t ended)
Fan Service 0 (A similar show would be “Honey and Clover”)
Bingeability 8 (It can take it, but you want to savor Letty’s distress)
Overall 8 (Life is a workout)
And remember, it’s first run until you’ve seen it. How can I afford this?