Ryuu Seiki

I've seen far more worse and better anime OVAs in the 26 years that I've watched anime. Dragon century is for me quite in the middle and since this was like other OVAs a one-shot title it was '' bearable" but as well it seemed a bit unclear if you don't watch it several times to get it. First of all part 1: 1990 AD, I was surprised by the violent content and would have LOVED IT if I was like 12 years old or something :). Clearly there you can see how the human dominion comes to a crash course once dragons appearwith very bloody consequences (don't be a bitch by the amount of blood if you can't stomach it) and a girl gets involved by saving a dragon egg that hatched. But as the story progresses there is a meaning to the dragons appearance when a demon god fucks up the human world and needs to be stopped and in some way the girl and dragon do it, leaving some destroyed buildings around, and a timerift opens so dragons can enter the human world. Part 2 on the other hand, you will be confused the 1st time because it starts in a new era named R.C 272 ( Ryuu Seiki translated to Dragon Century) . It appears that the human world is changed in to a human/dragonworld where dragons that lives far longer than humans are used as pets, fighting in arenas for fame. The young hatched dragon from part 1 is now a few hundreds of years old and encounters a young girl that possibly is a grandchild in the future related to the girl in part 1, and for some reason the demon has be revived or whatsoever which is time for the dragons to stop and save their world, and it felt unfinished. The animation was 'respectable for its time', it was cheap but not THAT cheap, but hey what do you expect from one-shot 2 part ova. The characters themselves were quite good, I had hoped that a bit more attention was given to the dragons since they are the main part of the story, but I had no problems with the female character, she had an undaunted, non airheaded, strong believing and understandable personality that drops heavily in part 2. Part 2 had more dragon characters and human characters but was all about it. It was enjoyable on the basis that it's just a short popcorn OVA and was good to me but could have brought soo much more potential on the goddamn table, but after so long it is forgiven. So yeah in the end its up to you to make a opinion.

It's the present day, and suddenly dragons have been appearing in the skies! These giant creatures are soon feared and killed on sight, as they become more numerous and destructive. But a young student runs away with a dragon's egg, and raises the young dragon in an abandoned school. But this cannot last forever, and she is discovered - but at the same moment, we learn that the dragons may not be the enemies that we once thought, as another apocalyptic threat emerges. And that's just the first half. The second episode jumps hundreds of yearsinto the future, to a different society where humans and dragons fight in cage matches. But even as the times change, age-old threats still remain. This two-part story is nothing special, but it doesn't drag, either. In fact, if anything, it jumps from point A to point G pretty quickly, and probably could have benefited from a longer running time to flesh a few things out. The art is decent, the animation is a little bit weak in places. Be aware there is a decent helping of gore.

"Ryuu Seiki" has decent art, but the rest of the technical aspects, including animation and sound, feel flimsy. The characters are difficult to sympathize with and have contrived backstories and abilities. The plots for both episodes, which rely on these contrived backstories and abilities to progress, don't make much sense. Also, since this OVA is just two 30-minute episodes, which each tell separate stories that are only loosely tied together, events happen so quickly that it is difficult to comprehend what is going on at times. It ends on a cliched note. There are worse OVAs out there, but this one is not particularly good; it'smediocre at best.

It is not easy to find OVAs capable of blending science fiction, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic imagery in a truly effective way, yet Ryuu Seiki, despite being largely unknown and long forgotten, manages to do so surprisingly well. Released in 1988 as a two-episode OVA with a runtime of roughly 25 minutes per episode, the series is undeniably brief. Adding to its uniqueness, the two episodes feature markedly different visual styles for plot-related reasons that are best left unspoiled for newcomers. Within these tight constraints, the story proves genuinely engaging and built on a solid conceptual foundation. Director Kiyoshi Fukumoto, working alongside collaborators such as Hiroyuki Kitazume,delivers a narrative that flows naturally despite the limited runtime. The characters are purposeful and possess clear personalities, making the world feel more alive than one might expect from such a short production. Still, it is hard not to imagine how much stronger the result could have been with a full 12-episode run (even on a modest budget) which would have allowed the setting, themes, and character arcs to be properly expanded and fully realized. Animation quality is generally consistent, with the first episode standing out for its overall visual cohesion, while the second shines particularly during its combat sequences. The musical score is largely unremarkable, though Midori Karashima’s Sayonara no Kawari ni leaves a lasting impression. Like many late-1980s OVAs, Ryuu Seiki may not be a standout masterpiece, but it is far from mediocre and remains genuinely entertaining: a worthwhile rediscovery for fans of the era. Story: 1.5/2 Direction: 1/2 Animation: 1/2 Characters: 1/2 Music: 1/2 Bonus points: 1.5/2 Final score: 7/10

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