Spoilers ahead!
In a war scenario, the forces on the ground and the forces in the sky are competing for a victory that seems impossible to gain, as well as very distant in time. Modern equipment and weapons that, from the ground, engage in conflict with majestic dragons who protect those who live on their back through a millennial pact. Among these people: the dentists, who take care of the dragon's teeth, precious portals that connect the world of the living to that of the dead, attacked by more or less violent parasites that have something to do with the souls of the people dying in battle. Then, the military: camped on a modern base that allows them to take advantage of the view. Finally, the peaceful monks who honor the pact stipulated with the dragon, venerating it and praying in a temple/monastery that is detached from the dragon's back and rises up, reaching the sky, at the end of a long staircase that recalls the Chinese influence on Japanese architecture.
The OST is super good, an effective portrayal of the mixture of modernity, innovation and traditional elements that this amazing special miniseries tries to bring to the viewer.
The only negative aspect I could detect was a quite weak characterization, probably given the fact that there wasn't enough time to explore certain aspects in depht. Another thing that may should have been improved (but, here again: lack of time!) is that some passages of the story and the backgrounds of the characters were kinda left in the dark, as well as some "implied" things that the audience can't really grasp. I felt kinda empty at the end, and this lowered the score I wanted to give to this show, since the finale is not as eloquent and articulated as I thought it would have been. But here's the paradox: this show is good and captivating to the point I had to sit on my sofa for a while, in order to process the fact that I was not completely satisfied with the end of it, but couldn't find any other strong reason not to fall in love with the rest. I was in a state of total bliss. Is it okay not to tell everything to the viewer? I think so.
Ryuu no Haisha is a rare pearl of originality, something that suggests how many stories we could tell without falling in the same clichés again and again, a special that may not deserve a sequel just because, in its compactness, manages to maintain a strong aura of mystery and curiosity that welcomes and greets the viewer. The story is as absurd as brilliant, a successful attempt to establish a link between modernity, tradition and myth. I am also very satisfied with the animation, colors and palette. The creativity behind the ideas that brought to life this miniseries is overwhelming.
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