Seven Little Sons of the Dragon by Ryoko Kui

Sometimes, it can take a great life event to make us reevaluate how we see ourselves. Relationships are fragile, especially with our parents, but we always find ways to work things out. The strength of the story is the humanity which is explored. He wants to regain control over his wolf condition and try his best to curb his feral instincts – no matter how many times he fails. It’s further complicated when Keita realizes he was wrong about his mother and that the reason he pushed her away is that he doesn’t want to transform and hurt her again. He wants to use a special drug to suppress his wolf urges but argues with Yukari because she thinks he doesn’t need it. One important aspect of note is Keita’s relationship with his mother, who he accuses of using her experiences with him as publicity fodder. It also creates some problems in his personal life, as demonstrated by him having no close friends and causing friction with a girl he met. As a result, this makes it difficult for him to attend classes or hold a part-time job. Afterward, he has no memory of what he has done and is sapped of his energy. Every full moon, Keita becomes very lively and sociable. It follows his everyday struggles with WWS and maintaining his independence. Yukari’s point of view greatly contrasts with the second half of the story, which looks at Keita’s early adulthood. Although it features a fantastical premise, there’s potential for the story to connect with those who have similar real-life experiences. Her story takes a very grounded approach as it runs parallel to a parent’s reaction to their child having an illness or lifelong condition. Much of Yukari’s perspective is used to illustrate how she adapts to her son’s initial diagnosis and the everyday challenges of his wolf tendencies. It serves as a prologue to the real story and is done in the style of a casual autobiographical comic. The story is split into two parts, with the first half covering Yukari’s perspective of raising her young son with WWS. It follows a young mother named Yukari Umetani dealing with her son Keita’s WWS (Werewolf Syndrome) condition.

There are a lot of stories I could write about in this feature, but I’ll turn my attention to a tale called Wolves Don’t Lie. As its title suggests, the majority of the stories revolve around mythical dragons, but a good number also feature mermaids, drawings that come to life, and a superpowered family like The Incredibles. Each story has one of two recurring themes and is set in a variety of settings and time periods. Seven Little Sons of the Dragon is a manga collection of seven fantasy short stories by artist Ryoko Kui – creator of the hit series Delicious in Dungeon.

Seven Little Sons of the Dragon by Ryoko Kui