Have you heard of the currently popular fantasy work "Drifting Dragons"? In fact, it's a popular work that ranked 14th in "This Manga is Amazing! 2018". The original author is Taikaku Kuwabara. It quickly became a hot topic with its Ghibli-like worldview and depictions of delicious food. It has even been decided that it will be made into an anime in 2020. We can't wait to see how things develop from here. In this article, we'll introduce the characters (crew) that appear in "Drifting Dragons"! They're all unique and wonderful members. What kind of characters are they, exactly?
[Airborne Dragons] Member Introduction ① Mika
"Mika" is the protagonist of this work. He's a handsome man with a wild charm! His occupation is dragon hunting. He travels the skies aboard the dragon-hunting ship Queen Zaza. See his appearance here. He has shoulder-length black hair and a distinctive beard, giving him a wild, manly feel. Because he's constantly aboard the ship, the crew can't afford to take much care of their appearance. The women were seen applying oil to their hair, but due to their busy schedules, it seems difficult. Mika doesn't grow his hair long for fashion reasons, and he probably just lets it grow and never has the time to cut it. But don't you think he has a wild, mysterious charm and is cool?
Mika absolutely loves dragons (orochi)?
Mika is a man who has a thing for dragons. When it comes to dragons, his eyes sparkle and he sets out to capture them with all his might. Mika is the ace dragon hunter on the Queen Zaza. He gets so excited when he sees a dragon that he'll put aside everything else to go after it. And of course, his skills are top-notch. She seems to have a keen sense for dragons, and even if she says things that seem incomprehensible at first glance, people trust her enough to say, "We can leave it to Mika's judgment when it comes to dragons." When it comes to dragons, Mika knows exactly how to kill them. She's a bit of a genius, I guess. While she has some (maybe quite?) eccentric sides, she's an important protagonist.
I Love Living Here
Mika loves living here. And life here is all about dragons, right? Catching dragons, eating them, processing them, and selling them. She loves that lifestyle. People sometimes say there are other delicious things besides dragons, but Mika probably likes dragons because of the process of catching and eating them.
【Airborne Dragons】Member Introduction 2: Takita
Next up is the heroine of the story, "Takita." While she's wearing goggles in this photo, she's actually a very cute girl. She's the newest member of the crew, and while she's not used to it, she works hard every day to hunt dragons. Incidentally, it seems she owes the ship a considerable amount of money for preparations.
What's her personality like?
He has a cute, innocent look. He's also quite outspoken. When he was yawning, a senior colleague told him, "You're just a low-ranking employee, so don't yawn!" He cutely replied, "I hope I can at least yawn!" Also, when he was serving pickles to everyone, even though they said, "They're sour, I don't want them," he quickly responded, "They get so sour because no one else eats them!" Incidentally, he forced Mika, who was always eating Ryu, to eat them. His cute yet pushy personality is another charming quality. By the way, this image is of Takita in the anime. He's still cute even in anime form.
[Airborne Dragons] Member Introduction 3: Jiro
Next up is Jiro. He's a character who appears quite often. His striking bob hairstyle makes him look like a girl at first glance, but he's actually a boy. He's a young crew member. He often hangs out with Mika and interacts with Takita, so many people may recognize him. He was on the cover of Volume 2 of the manga! He has excellent eyesight, which is useful in combat. She also has a pure-hearted side, believing in the legend of the shining dragon that saved her during the storm. If you're curious about this shining dragon, be sure to read Volume 2 of the manga! Incidentally, Jiro cut his hair in Volume 4, so his hairstyle is slightly different now.
[Airborne Dragons] Member Introduction ④ Vanabel (Vanny)
Next up is Vanabel (Vanny). While everyone calls her by her nickname, "Vanny," only Mika calls her by her real name, "Vanabel." She's a charming woman with a charming, ennui-filled air! She looks great with a ponytail. By the way, she shares a room with Takita and is good friends with her. She has a different charm from Takita. She is also just as skilled at dragon catching and dismantling as Mika. She can also handle a lot of alcohol. She is on the cover of volume 4. She's beautiful, isn't she? By the way, it seems like she has some sort of romantic feelings for Mika... This is still a mystery. Will there be any depictions of romance in "Airborne Dragons"? If there is, it would seem like a mature romance between these two! We await further news.
[Airborne Dragons] The crew members are full of unique personalities!
There are many other crew members. Each one is unique, with their own life story. Each one likely had their own story before boarding the ship. Another unique aspect of "Airborne Dragons" is that, despite the large number of characters featured, there's not a single character introduction. While you often see blank pages in manga that feature "character introductions" with profiles of each character, this is completely absent in "Airborne Dragons." As a result, at first, it's difficult to match the characters' faces with their names. Some characters even appear in the first volume of the manga, but their names are only revealed much later.
The Innovative Absence of Monologues
But this is also the intention of original author Kuwabara-sensei. Kuwabara-sensei said he wanted "Airborne Dragons" to be an ensemble drama. For this reason, he chose to forgo monologues and instead created a structure that allows readers to get a sense of the characters through detailed descriptions. Isn't that fascinating? Indeed, as you follow the story and become acquainted with the characters, you begin to feel like you're part of the crew. There's a good reason for deliberately omitting character introductions.
The crew is like family
Capturing a dragon (orochi) is extremely dangerous. While the rewards are substantial when successful, it also puts your life at risk. This naturally leads the crew to bond and form a family-like bond. Watching this manga makes you feel excited and want to join the adventure!
[Airborne Dragons] Member Introduction Summary!
That concludes our introduction to the members of "Drifting Dragons"! There are so many unique and wonderful crew members. From Mika and Takita to the unique characters surrounding them, to the fantastical dragons and delicious food... it's a fascinating work in every respect. If it's adapted into an anime, it's sure to become even more popular! What will the story unfold like? How will Takita, the newest member, grow from here? I'm really looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it and eagerly awaiting further news. If you haven't read the original yet, check it out now! Thank you for reading this far.
