Dances with the Dragons (not to be mistaken for A Dance with Dragons, that’s Game of Thrones stuff… still a great book though) is a light novel series written by Labo Asai. With the Anime adaptation this spring, i’ve seen a bit of controversy going around, mainly due to the original novel’s penchant for dark and gruesome content, and people wondering how much of it will get translated over into the Anime. I can gladly, and honestly say… quite a bit, actually.

While I haven’t read the LN series, the first few episodes of the anime have made me think that I kind of want to. With an interesting world setup and a pair of fun and intriguing leads to play with, the story is off to a great start. Combine that with the very dark setting and the awesome action scenes we get only a minute into the show, and you’ve got a very promising recipe.

The show looks great, with vibrant colors and smooth animation. The soundtrack is pretty good, but mostly remains in the background. As far as I can tell about the story, there are creatures like Dragons and stuff that constantly attack humanity. Practitioners of an art called Jushiki fight against these creatures to allow humans to survive and thrive in the world, and get paid bounties for their work. Gaius and Gigina are Jushikiists, as well as the main characters.

One of the things that really stood out was the dynamic between the two leads. With each of them playing off each other quite well, they were interesting to watch, and with the great fantasy setting in the mix, this seems like a show that can far surpass Grancrest from last season. Only one way to find out, though.

I’ll let this one stick on my watchlist for a while, and I might even try to snag the LN if I can find it anywhere. My interest is piqued, and I want to know what happens next. Has anyone else picked up this show this season? If so, what are your thoughts on it, and are you going to stick around for more?