The Story of a Girl and a Water Dragon
Creative Staff
Story: Rei Toma
Art: Rei Toma
Translation: Abby Lehrke
What they say
In the blink of an eye, a modern-day girl named Asahi is whisked away from her warm and happy home and stranded in a strange and mysterious world where she meets a water dragon god!
After a ritual in the village leaves her hovering on the brink of death, Asahi is rescued by the power of the water dragon god! Has he awakened to feelings of compassion, or does Asahi need to flee this treacherous world before something even worse happens to her?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Water Dragon’s Bride is probably one of the hardest manga I’ve had to read, but not because I didn’t like it. I loved it. However, the amount of feelings this manga, and this volume in particular, made me feel was pretty rough. This manga is very much an emotional roller coaster.
In the last volume, not only did Asahi get sacrificed to the water dragon god, nearly drowning in the process, but upon returning to the village, she’s subjected to more torture when Subaru’s mother places her hand in boiling water. I’m going to be honest: I really hate Subaru’s mother. I hate most of the village in fact. The way they treat Asahi is deplorable. Of course, I hate the dragon god just as much. He’s an apathetic asshole who nearly let Asahi die from hunger in the last volume.
This isn’t a bad thing, though. If anything, the fact that I can feel so much emotion over a fictional story makes it impressive. I truly can’t stand these people. At the same time, I love Asahi and Subaru. In this world where people would gladly sacrifice a child for some misbegotten reason like appeasing a god, Subaru is the only person in the entire world who treats her well and wants to protect her. Likewise, Asahi is an adorable child that you can’t help but want to protect. I know these two are young right now, but when they grow up, I am really hoping they end up together in this series. I ship them completely.
Volume 2 does an excellent job of showing Asahi’s strength. After the water dragon god nearly destroys the village in a flood, Asahi cares for an unconscious Subaru, doing everything she can, even though she doesn’t know what to do. Watching her try her best brought out a trait in her that we haven’t seen yet: Determination. While she’s still young, cries a lot, and gets frightened, I feel like she possesses an inner strength that will be integral to her growth and ability to survive in this world.
Subaru eventually wakes up, and the two of them do their best to live away from the village. However, the villagers find them and try to take Subaru back. Asahi, who now fears the villagers because of how heartless they are, begins to cry—which is when we get a surprise. Asahi’s tears cause a storm. This makes the villagers fear and revere her. Apparently, they are under the assumption that she has been blessed with the divine protection of the water dragon god, which isn’t untrue. They go back to the village, and Asahi is treated as a revered priestess.
One of the greatest aspects of Rei Toma’s writing is how she shows the fickleness of humans. In the last volume, Asahi was sacrificed and the subject to having her hand shoved into a boiling pot of water, but now she’s being treated as a priestess. This sort of reversal is the kind of thing I have come to expect from humans, especially the superstitious ones. She does an amazing job of showcasing the inner darkness of humanity.
However, she also does a great job of showcasing their light. If the villagers are darkness, then Subaru is light. Throughout volumes 1 and 2, he has done his best to protect Asahi. Even though he’s just a child, he’s willing to even stand up to the water dragon god to protect her. It’s really sweet how far he goes for her. His determination and desire to protect her will be a great aspect for his continued growth in the future, I think.
In Summary
Volume 2 ends what I’ve taken to calling the childhood arc. At the end of volume 2, we see a small glimpse of Asahi and Subaru as they are older, about mid-teens I’d say. I have no idea where this story is going, though I have my hopes. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens next!
Content Grade: A
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Shojo Beat
Release Date: July 14, 2017
MSRP: $9.99
