Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan

If there was one anime that consider to be a sleep hit of year it would Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan. Despite being done by Studio Bones who are well known for My Hero Academia, Fullmetal Alchemist and Eureka Seven this beautifully crafted series unfortunately fell below under people radars as they all interested of watching My Hero Academia Season 3 as well some other hits like Megalo Box, Steins Gate 0 etc. Also this was the anime I was looking forward the most from the Spring 18 season because this show in my eyes had the potential to be truly great. Thankfully this seriesdidn’t disappoint me one bit because not only this show is a beautifully done character drama that puts Darling in the Franxx to shame but it also manages to be a wonderful fun series that I really liked. Now with that said Hello Everyone this is Shawn aka KurataLordStage and welcome to my review of Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan. Story. The story follows a rookie named Hisone Amakasu who is part of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, where she is situated at the Gifu air base. She decided to join the force to distance herself from people as, her whole life, she had found it difficult to interact with others due to her candid style of speaking and oftentimes hurtful words, despite that not being her intention. Hisone's decision leads to her life being changed when the concealed "OTF" – Organic Transformed Flyer, or dragon – inside the base chooses her to be his pilot, leading her to discover her destined role as a dragon pilot during their ascension in the skies together. According to legend, dragons are thought to possess a key to unlocking the future of the world. Despite this being the anime version of one of my favourite animated movies How To Train A Aragon I thought the story to be pretty good for the most part Right on the bat Dragon Pilot Hisone and Masotan does something that not a lot of anime like to do and that is actually start with a bang. Most series including anime originals feel comfortable taking it slow because they either want adapt the source material carefully as possible to avoid filler or slowly introducing its characters and setting. Dragon Pilot Hisone and Masotan doesn’t go any of this as it’s immediacy gets straight to the point by introducing its characters and setting in a way that is magical and interesting. By the end of the third episode, I got hooked. The character drama in this show is brilliant and well executed. Unlike Darling in the Franxx where the character drama was nothing but contrived bullshit the drama actually matters to the overall narrative where we see characters going thought mini character arcs and development. The show is well paced for the most part that keeps the audience interested with the shows events. Not only that the show does a great job of tacking themes and topics such as trust, loneliness, friendship, commutation, love etc. Plus the way the character developed with theses themes are great. The only issues that I have with this show is that it show is quite predictable as having too much foreshadowing and at times meh writing but don’t you worry they are not as that the other character drama show Darling in the Franxx. Besides thoeses minor issues I thought the story was pretty good for the most part. 8/10 Characters. The characters in Dragon Pilot Hisone and Masotan are all fantastic they own ways. Every single character in the show is likeable, relatable well written for the most part and they are all fun to watch from start to finish. Like with A place Future than the universe the show does a great job with character interactions where the anime how different and unique the characters just based from they character expressions from the aggressive Nao, the soft and subdued Liliko to the straightforward and innocent Hisone. Some people may find some of theses chararater annoying in the beginning but least they redeem themselves as they all go through chararter which is more than about any character from the Thireenth Planation from Darling in the Franxx where they don’t even any character development for shit. Overall the characters in Dragon Pilot Hisone and Masotan are all great and well thought out. 9/10 Visuals. Gorgeous is honestly the best way to describe the visuals Dragon Pilot Hisone and Mastoan. Studio Bones really did a wonderful job with the overall presentation from its great use contrasting heavy strokes on the character designs, the warm soft colour palette to the overall great shot composition and camerawork. The animation is fantastic. While it may not be in the same level as some other Studio Bones works My Hero Academia or Blood Blockade Battlefront the actually is still great enough to be one of the best looking of 2018 with it’s smooth movement, and well animated fights. 9.5/10 Sound. The soundtrack is amazing. Instead of having a generic music score that you have seen before from many anime this year the show’s mostly uses classical orchestral song pieces to give the show more life and atmosphere. There are however a couple of moe light-hearted tracks in this show but I thought it fitted well the show tone. The opening theme Soujo wa Ano Sora wo Wataru by Riko Fukumoto is fantastic opening theme that perfectly captures to tone and setting of the show. Plus the visuals for the opening was fantastic and well animated. The ending theme Le temps de la rentrée by D Pai is by far the most catchiest and ending theme of the year. I really adore that song with a passion. The voice acting is top notice. Every single Seiyuu did a fantastic job with the roles that they were given and it really made the anime more alive. Sadly this show hasn’t got an English Dub but I hope Netflix will dub it sometime soon. 10/10 Final Thoughts. Dragon Pilot Hisone and Mastoan is a wonderful anime that I really adored. It may not be as masterful as Hina Festival which was my favourite anime of the season it was still a great show that deserves to be loved. The story while mainly character driven was pretty. The character is all great and enjoyable the visuals are fantastic and the soundtrack is brilliant. The show may not be for everyone but if you want to a watch a great character drama that is filled with charm I would strongly recommend Dragon Pilot Hisone and Masotan. Final Score 8/10

"Never laugh at live dragons." -(screw off Tolkien) Hisone to Maso-tan, or, Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan as the gringos say may get a bit personal for me, but it wouldn’t be a genuine review otherwise. I consume anime like candy. It’s not so much for the sport of it, or for the sake of investing time in my hobby, or for a...primal need for self-flagellation. To me, watching anime has become my niche, obviously not to an unhealthy degree, although you could potentially say that subjecting yourself to 30+ seasonal anime in an average season with a strict no-drop policy is anything but healthy. It’sa fascination really, when something special comes out, no other entertainment medium can give you that high of a truly great anime. That’s what I got out of Hisomaso, a series that checked nearly every mark on my rubric for what could potentially be one of the best shows I’ve seen in years. Bones has been batting 500 since its inception as an animation studio. Paired with Shinji Higuchi and Hiroshi Kobayashi’s very unique visual direction, and Bones may have just struck what could be one of their most visually interesting and ambitious projects to date. Obviously since the average viewer has been tempered by standard character models, washed-out color-palettes, and layers upon layers of polish, the cartoony nature of this series may alienate some. However, I found almost every visual and technical aspect of this series to be incredibly refreshing when paired up against some of its peers. Not to suggest that Hisomaso has an average score, but it’s perhaps the most unassuming component of this series’ technical aspects. The soundtrack has a few standouts, namely the more emotional pieces, but overall I’d say that it did a fine job of conveying the absolute serenity of piloting a dragon and the loopy militaristic percussiveness of the daily JSDF grind. The opening sequence is serene and muted, but nothing that I’d go out of my way to listen to on its own. The cover of France Gall’s “Le Temps de la Rentree” was groovy as hell and paired nicely with hilariously dorky dancing from the main cast, this ending theme has become a fast personal favorite of mine. As far as voice performance goes, I think Misaki Kuno is the star (in a literal sense as well) and provides a sheepish yet infinitely personable portrayal as Hisone. No English dub as of yet, for you dub purists. Technicals aside, this show has no shortage of personable and deceptively interesting characters. When Hisone Amakasu is first introduced, my expectations were for the most part subverted when at first glance she appeared to be yet another milquetoast protagonist dealing with your run of the mill young-adult ennui. But quickly, that switch flipped when she proved to be an exceptionally cheeky and likable dork who was not afraid to run her mouth in situations that would typically leave her in hot water. The emotional centerpiece of this series is derived from Hisone’s relationship with the titular Masotan, which indeed paid off in the end. However, I was shocked at the thematic scope that this series experimented with, namely the concept of militaristic dedication. On the whole, Hisomaso is actually prone to surprising tonal shifts which might throw some viewers off-guard with just how cartoony of an impression it might seem at first glance. But it pays off with some pretty effective and earned character drama. This wouldn’t nearly be as possible if the cast wasn’t so damn great. Obviously I can go into the personal journeys of the rest of the pilots however in my opinion that should simply be left to experience with a viewing rather than some bum on the internet spoiling great character development. All of the cast members, even the seemingly innocuous ones who mostly inhabit more understated roles shared such excellent comedic chemistry with each other. On top of this, there is no shortage of hilariously cartoony visual gags to break tension. One of the only real grievances I’ve seen directed at this series is that it derives too many concepts and ideas from other sources. Shinji Higuchi for instance, who has previously worked on friggin Eva of all things and was clearly inspired by certain aesthetics and storylines. Does Hisomaso borrow concepts and ideas from other sources? Sure, and I could sit here and divulge those sources, but none of that really has any bearing on this show’s quality. Hisomaso is incredibly comfortable in it’s own skin and is stellar in its execution, which is what I look for most in shows that borrow things from other sources. Look at My Hero Academia for crying out loud, it’s incredibly derivative but fresh in its execution on top of being one of the most popular anime to come out in years. To me, Hisomaso was a beautiful balance of visuals, comedy, drama, and unfiltered vibrance. It is a series that for years to come I will defend with my life as both a personal favorite and one of the best anime to come out of the 2010’s. It’s shows like these that remind me why I come back to this site nearly every day to check those little marks on my watchlist. I loved this series, plain and simple, no fancy words required, and I recommend it to everyone.

Flash back to your childhood: a time where planes were sick, robots were epic, and dragons were the coolest thing in the fucking universe! The paper and the costumes were what let the imagination soar! Games were your blood, pop-culture was your life! Candy was a delicacy rivaled only by pizza! Saturday morning was your weekly holiday! Wasn't all that fun? Wasn't that cool?! Don't you wanna relive some of that childhood wonder?! In the cold hard world where nostalgia is ruled by cashgrabs and rewatches, finding an experience that earnestly harkens back to your glory days is in somewhat short supply. Thankfully, Hisone to Maso-tanseeks a new path to fulfill your childlike desires: combining planes, dragons, and giant robots to create a charming experience unparalleled in the industry!...at least at first. Let's start with our protagonist, Hisone Amakasu. She is one of the most adorkable, relatable, and endearing protagonists I’ve seen to date. Seeing this beleaguered dolt in a constant edge of having everything thrust upon her so fast as she tries to wriggle her way out of overbearing situations as no one listens to her is an absolute joy. Watching her try not to let her blunt brain do the talking for her, only for that to fail, is some of the most fun I have with the show. Seeing her and Nao snap is a riot given the chemistry they and other characters have -all this regardless of the crass humor that bad LN shows often tend to pull-. Their parallels with certain characters early on are also wonderous to display, due to this show’s marvelous presentation that is akin to an adult recapturing the whimsey and magic of an astounded child. This presentation also makes it easier to overlook the plethora of sci-fi jargon and how absurd the premise truly is, with dragons requiring airplane parts in order to somehow transform and blend in, and whatnot. However, it doesn’t let me dismiss inconsistencies, occasionally clumsy dialogue, or any aggravating twists and set-ups. Having a bunch of characters with hit and miss traits and quirks won’t change that, no matter how funny the good ones can be. It does lose that sense of wonder, much like children do. Soon after the rest of the main cast is introduced, Hisone to Maso-tan focuses more on its growing cast of characters and their problems. It does a decent job with that, but not one substantial enough to truly make up for that loss, especially with a few admittedly small errors in the script. Unfortunately, the concept is still too silly to work perfectly, and the humor’s highlights aren’t as high as they were before. The show also transforms into a calculated love map with some out-there twists, so take that as you will. Studio Bones is famous for their slick visuals, only adding this to their monumental catalog. Frequent bad plane & pilot CGI aside, the flying sequences are an absolute joy to witness, feeling extremely lifelike and kinetic with all sorts of turns, loops, and fast movements done by the OTFs. Speaking of which, the OTF designs are wonderful, most especially Masotan’s. The rest of the character designs are well-done and immensely varied, with a wonderful, almost child drawing-esque aesthetic that is tailor-made for bouncy character animation and uproarious facial expressions. It all culminates into a unique visual style that makes this show even more of a joy to watch, even when it transitions past its initial phase. While the music is less commendable, it holds up well enough. The background music is rather nice, fitting with the scenes and sometimes being an emotional listen in their own right. Nothing absurdly memorable stands out but it works well on the whole. The opening, "Soujo wa Ano Sora wo Wataru" by Riko Fukumoto, has multiple versions, with only the final one being one I enjoy. The ending, "Le temps de la rentrée", has multiple versions, sung by different people as well as an instrumental version. The song has grown more on me overall, to the point where not only is nearly every version enjoyable, but that it's preferable to the opening. Such a shame the show lost what made is so captivating. However, while it never rose to the heights of its early episodes, it does still offer a worthwhile viewing experience, even if that one is more awkward. It even loses some of the bad humor presented early on, even though it lost the better humor on top of that. Spring-boarding off such a wonderful start into something grander is difficult, even with a likable main cast and superb main lead. The show grew to what felt like a teenage -perhaps even adult phase, for better or worse. It grows more contemporary, less spectacular, and while it that's a pity, it didn’t lose heart or soul. It simply lost its whimsey, much like we all do. Alas, it’s time to return.

How to Train Your Dragon Plane starts off with a scene just about anyone can relate to. High schoolers ponder what to do with their lives. The amount of option is wide, maybe even too wide. There are so many different lines of studies and future careers to choose from, yet it all feels so limited and predetermined at the same time. It's saddening and shackling. Timeskip rolls and we find our main character, Hisone, working in a military facility where she seems to be no less and no more than just one more barely visible worker who is being dealt with the exact formalityand manner where she is exactly what she was hired to do. Small, replaceable fraction in the working class, a nobody to everybody. At this point, the series felt uncomfortable and almost depressing, but then, suddenly, Dragons. The core idea behind Dragon Pilot is well-known. Practically every mecha anime, but now with new approach. The mecha itself is an animal who interacts with humans like a dragon would instead of being some mysterious living entity who the author can freely control occasionally whenever they feel like it needs to have "its own will". And like the unofficial name states, the dragon needs some training and taming. This time, humanity is not in mortal peril nor will intergalactic nazis fight against each others in space war, no. The driving motion and Hisone's reasons to control Maso are not very simple. To understand any of them is to understand that this work is a) rather experimental b) clash of several different genres c) heavily character-centric d) flawed and nowhere near perfect. There are few problems with Dragon Caretakers writing that stand out. First one being how obviously everything in the series exists because Hisone exists. The series is clearly hers, and the very world seems to revolve around her as well. The second factor is our relatively weak plot which make the series seem rather slice of life with its lack of any clear objective or purpose. On top of that, the writing uses foreshadowing bit too much, making the series predictable when it comes to romantic subplots, for example. The third thing is tied to the slice of life factor as the series never makes it clear just how it should be viewed as. Is the series sol fraction, biography, comedy or less actionful version of Girls und Panzer, I cannot put it directly under any of these. We could go as far as calling Dragon Pilot so original that it can't be classified. Regardless how we label and honor it, the outcome is somewhat messy, confusing, and surely its creativity does not go hand in hand with its originality. Yet, these problems are not enough to make me think any less of the series because of several reasons. One of these is our main lead. Hisone's character is rather interesting choice. She is practically semi-autistic, and the funniest type for that matter: an internet autist. She tries to limit and censor herself around others, but it proves to be hard due to her being so honest and direct that she always ends up saying what she is thinking. Personality wise, she is real wife material (not to be confused with waifu material). She is the type of person who will casually call you a pedophile if you happen to watch an anime starred by little girls. The problem is that her humor and genuine openness was not appreciated by her insecure school buddies who were sensitive and offended by harmless words, and this somewhat scarred her. After this becomes clear, we are left with 11 episodes where she learns to cope with the world and herself, make friends and experience the adventure that this anime is. This is what typically gets called "development". The directorship is not very beginner-friendly. For starters, the pacing is ridiculous. Many viewers will drop out when the series does not give much time for world building and introductions. Instead, rushes from scene to another. Pros exist among this fast pace nevertheless. Especially during the beginning, there is not a single fraction of filler put in the series. Thanks to the art style (which we shall talk more later on), the atmosphere of the series does not need any extra work or time. Much is told with very little and simple tricks and manners. The first 15 minutes have given us a gasp of the series universe and its main plot line, as well as offered past story to Hisone and shown us what type of a person she is. Not only that, it also introduced 3 other important characters, 2 pop culture references and 3 jokes. The execution is rather impressive considering how much content is shown and how they were able to execute several jokes in between scenes. Much like the widely loved and hated comedy show from last season, Pop Team Epic, Dragon Pilot also relies on pop cultural references and internet memes with its relieving comedy narrative. The comedic resolve is the type of creative-stupidity were the word stupid equals brilliant -- mainly looking like the series is written and directed by Shane Black (The Nice Guys) or Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboars Outside Ebbing Missouri, Seven Psychopaths) or even Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, The World's End, Baby Driver). Most likely inspired by these gems from the western industry. Good example of this is 30 frames (around 1 second) long scene where character is on the phone and says "we are fucked." and nothing more. The way this comes out makes it seems like being fucked in this situation is self-explanatory and no futher detail is needed. This is really my type of comedy right here. Despite most of our characters existing solely for Hisone, one amazing side character is present in the series. Boss-bro (Ikushima), who has the skill of telling the hip, bust and waist size of any girl by simply hugging them from the butt (without being even 1 centimeters off) is a real man. Moreover, sick skills and talent. "But wait a minute, isn't this the usual fanservice trash I am supposed to hate or otherwise I have a bad taste?" No! The amazing thing about this is that boss-bro's job is to make suits, so knowing the dimensions of any pilot is part of his job. This is what I call well-thought. If only my school had given me this option for future career. The art and animation are worth a great deal. The first thing that needs to be said is the original style the series has. Practically, the cult manga series, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, would ideally have these production values if it was animated today. Those who have seen recent shows by Bones will be able to tell instantly that this is their art. Visually, Dragon Pilot is the simple type of beauty where less is more. Only those things that are relevant are there, and this way, viewers are directed to look only those things that matter. This is what we call aesthetics. For example, in one episode, several, old, manly army officers play in the background with toy planes. You don't see this type of greatness just any day. The animation detail --especially for comedy content-- in these simplistic scenes, is outstanding. In the history of anime, there has only ever been very few series that are so clearly valued and loved by the production team as Hisone to Misotan is (such as Koi wa Ameagari (from Wit Studios) and Concrete Revolutio (from the same Bones team that made this very anime)). Practically, every animated moment screams that it was made for a reason, but not just for you, the viewer, but for the reason that the team behind the series truly beliefs in it. From that part, How to Lick Your Dragon is a genuine work, created not by creed but passion. Those who can appreciate magic like this, will be able to forgive just about any flaw its weaker sides suffer from. From the sounds department, our OST is not very visible at first listen. The BGM varies from Legend of the Galactic Heroes tier more classical orchestra music to more generic wobs. Because of the fast scene transitions and pace, there can be 5 completely different music styles present during just about any one minute long fraction of the series. The more I started paying attention to this, the more this style started to fascinate me. This picked my interest so bad that I had to rewatch several episodes just in the purpose of listening how the series deals with its music. At the very least, it made me think how important role music plays in the series and how different it would be with different musical choices. To those who are interested in this subject, I highly recommend searching the following: The Marvel Symphonic Universe. Big names were hired for the seiyuu work. From Kotomine Kirei to every loli tsundere ever, Rie Kugumiya, we have several common and recognizable voices here. Unfortunately, also the guy who did Guilty Crown's mc is also here which gives me nightmares, but other than that, it's all acceptable, but sometimes can kill off the immersion and remind the viewer that this is indeed an anime, a product of this industry. The best part is that these biggest names were not granted main roles which automatically makes Dragon Pilot sound original and fresh.The main cast is voiced by less popular seiyuus who have the habit of changing their own voice and giving unique sounds to all new characters they cast - which makes the person behind the character less noticeable. Final verdict. Hisone's pros lie within the directing, art, comedy and Hisone's character. The weird pacing can ruin the fun for many. Same thing with the somewhat lacking, messy writing and problematic characterization for supporting characters that may or may not be factors that annoy some viewers to a point that this show won't seem very good -- bad even. I watched the series for its good sides, and they are indeed strong enough for me to see Dragon Pilot as a worthy series.