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©永島ひろあき・アルファポリス/「さようなら竜生、こんにちは人生」製作委員会
After a brief greeting to the crowd, the first episode of Good Bye, Dragon Life began immediately. The story here follows a dragon whose long, almost eternal life is ended by human hands and is reborn in the body of a young man named Dolan. Dolan lives peacefully in his hometown, where he mostly trains and goes fishing. One day, he is sent to investigate the local swamps in search of giant lizards. Instead, he finds a young LaKaren girl named Celina and rescues her from a giant monster when he learns that she is on a journey to find a husband due to her race being entirely female. However, despite her slight interest in Dolan, she decides to continue her journey elsewhere and the premiere ends with the two parting ways.
It's hard to talk about this beyond a general summary because, for the most part, nothing really happens. I was hoping that the main character being a reincarnated dragon, rather than a maxed-out hero or an all-powerful demon lord, would make for something a little more interesting. However, nothing about Dolan stands out as a protagonist. If anything, I'm a little more interested in his life as a dragon since it's implied that he lived mostly alone before being attacked by humans for no other reason than fear, but we don't get much beyond a few vague hints, and it's not enough of a mystery that's strong enough to negate how slow everything else here feels.
Celina is probably the only standout here, as her awkward personality and failed attempts to charm Dolan with her magic are probably the most interesting details in the entire episode, so she could be a fun character whenever she returns. Sadly, like Dolan's mysterious past, it's not enough to make up for the rest of the episode's numbers. Since nothing really happens between her and Dolan, it doesn't really make for an interesting premiere. If nothing else, the show looks pretty good and seems like it'll be reasonably unsettling. However, it doesn't stand out from similar reincarnation stories, and even if this type of show is your thing, it seems like there are plenty of other options if you're looking for a good time. Maybe things will pick up where this launch left off, but I can't say it left much of an impression at this point.
Good Bye, Dragon Life will premiere in October 2024. Crunchyroll will stream the series in North America.
