Now Streaming: DARA-SAN OF REIWA, Maybe Put Something On

Awkward comedy befits an awkward situation.

Dara-san of Reiwa S1
The first episode is now streaming on Crunchyroll. Subsequent episodes will debut every Thursday.

This is the eighth show of the current summer season that I watched. It's the first one, however, where I was so strongly reminded that I am watching through foreign eyes.

By which I mean, I can't believe that the serpent god displays her bare breasts to two children. Sure, she was a human who got her arms and legs chopped off and then absorbed a giant snake into her being and she is now a half-spirit creature who haunts a mountain which is under the protective care of the grandfather of the two children.

All that is true. And before the episode concludes, the so-called serpent god accepts a gift from the younger child: his deceased mother's bra. (Which is, er, odd.) Also, I should point out that the children do not leer at the serpent god's breasts, and they are the ones who tell her that she should cover herself, especially in front of children.

Still, it's not something I expected to see.

But what about the show? (Frankly, the topless serpent god is distracting, until she covers up.) The serpent god's convuluted origin story is explained, and we get some sense of how the nearby communities view her: They are terrified.

The children, however, have been hearing about her all their lives. So, their nonchalant viewpoint toward her is refreshing. They are not afraid of her, no, not one bit.

All of this is played for laughs. It's never LOL funny, but I smiled more than once at the ridiculous scenarios, and I could see myself revisiting the show to see how it develops, especially now that the serpent god's backstory has been revealed and her body is covered up. (Whew!)

Here's the official synopsis:

"After venturing into a restricted, treacherous mountain forest, siblings Hinata and Kaoru meet a terrifying serpent god and become besties! Despite her initially scary appearance, the self-named 'god of misfortune' is awkward, lonely, and surprisingly easy to talk to. This is the tale of an unexpected friendship, and the many comedic, heartfelt adventures that ensue."

Image ©Haruomi Tomotsuka/KADOKAWA/Darasan Project

Now Streaming celebrates independent and international genre films and television shows that are newly available on legal streaming services.