Reviewer: Rowena Lim Lei (1.7.2002)
Synopsis:
Like most young men his age, Rike has always dreamed of becoming a Dragon Knight. But in order to do so, he must first find his very own dragon. As fate would have it, Rike meets a pretty girl named Karisu... who just happens to be descended from dragons. Karisu can take on several forms -- including that of a powerful red dragon. Thus Karisu ends up as Rike's dragon, but soon the two start developing feelings for each other. But there are several problems... first of all, Rike has a girlfriend named Lydia back home -- and Lydia is the princess of Rike's country! Karisu has a past that is unknown even to herself. To top it all off, there is a threat of a demonic invasion that could wipe out mankind!
Review:
Dragon Rider is the third hentai feature I've watched with the word "Dragon" in the title (the first two being "Dragon Pink" and "Dragon Knight"). But unlike the others, Dragon Rider's plot actually does have something to do with dragons.
A long time ago, the evil Dragon Devil Clan wreaked havoc in the world. They pillaged villages, raped women, and slaughtered hundreds of innocents... until they were defeated via a joint effort of the Dragon God Clan and the Dragon Knights. Now what does all that have to do with Rike and Karisu? Well... Rike is an aspiring Dragon Knight, and Karisu is part of the Dragon God Clan. Add that to the fact that somebody's trying to revive the fallen kings of the Dragon Devil Clan, and you'll get the picture.
Despite all that's happening, Dragon Rider is predominantly a love story. Rike already has a girlfriend, and yet he finds himself falling for another girl. Although this is the main conflict, there's much more to Dragon Rider than that. I was quite impressed by Dragon Rider's richly woven history, realistic characterizations, and lovely artwork. The character designs are attractive, although the animation could use more fluidity. *** is depicted explicitly, showing everything including the pumping lower extremities of everyone involved. There's conventional male-female intercourse, masturbation, and even some demon *** scenes. Dragon Rider is open-ended enough for the possibility of future installments, but it is has a satisfying ending nonetheless. This is undoubtedly the best "Dragon something" hentai title I've seen, with its mix of good visuals, steamy *** , and a noteworthy plot.