Selah's Manga Mania: Dragon Goes House-Hunting Vol. 1 by Kawo Tanuki (author), Choco Aya (Illustrator)

Dragon Goes House-Hunting Vol. 1
Author: Kawo Tanuki
Illustrator: Choco Aya
September 11, 2018
182 pages
Volumes: 3
Publisher: Seven Seas
Genre: Young adult, fantasy, scifi, manga, humorous, 
Letty is not very good at being a dragon. Actually, he's so terrible at it that his dad went and kicked him out of the house! What's a skittish monster of myth to do in a world where everyone sees him as material for their next suit of armor? Why, find a safe place to call home, of course. With the help of a slightly evil elvish architect, Letty's quest for the ultimate draconic domicile begins!

We all have needs. Food, companionship, and a place to lay your head at night. But what about that age-old dilemma of being a dragon and getting kicked out of the house? What to do then?

Go house hunting!

Okay, that could have been a better segue, but this title is hilarious.

Letty is a dragon and not good at it. He isn't on his guard when eggs are stolen right under his nose, so his dad kicks him out. Like anyone, all he really wants is a quiet place of his own. After trusting the wrong beings and nearly getting himself killed a few times, he meets Dearia, elf lord and realtor. While Letty is a bit of a downer on his own, Dearia sets him up for all sorts of situations in the name of house-hunting. They explore haunted territory, build him a house that ends up being overrun by tenants who worship Letty as the Flame Dragon King, shop for furniture with some questionable crimes, and inadvertently get Letty involved in a gladiator fighting operation.

The good: it's hilarious. Dearia can be either hands-off or diabolical, but his antics push Letty out of his comfort zone. The different types of houses they check out and the drama they cause keeps things fun and interesting. Letty is a bit much at first, but over 2 volumes he grew on me.

He's kind and tries hard, but isn't the sharpest crayon in the box and is a bit too trusting. At times this made me feel protective or could be downright exasperating. It's a nice twist for a dragon story, though, and the pacing and plot are handled well. The gags are funny without being too out there, and plenty of fantasy tropes are subverted. There are hints of past history between Dearia and another dragon, so that's nice nuance, too.

The bad: Nothing, per say, it just depends on what your sense of humor is and if you want lots of plot or joke setups.

The ick: Not really much. There are a couple of buried innuendos and I caught a threesome joke when talking about bed size, but that's all I really remember. I was fine with it, ymmv.

Overall, this is a fun, light fantasy title that's a little something different.

4 house-hunting sheep

About the Reviewer
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Selah Janel is a writer who is trying to start doing that again instead of reading manga all the time.