Dragon In Town

Long ago, dragons and humans stood side by side to defeat demons — and humans thanked them by locking the Dragon King in ice. That's the setup for this ONA based on a Chinese picture book, and it hits harder than you'd expect. The story follows Yuanbao, a young orphan raised by a street performer named Wang Jili, living alongside Jili's daughter Mingzhu and another orphan, Feicui, who's basically Yuanbao's closest companion. Things shift when Yuanbao accidentally frees a dragon princess, Shuilinglong, from an enchanted ball. She ends up possessing Feicui, completely transforming her appearance. Meanwhile, the crown prince Li Bin keeps sneaking out of the palace to hang with commoners, clearly at odds with his father — the same Emperor who imprisoned the dragons in the first place. You can already see where the threads are going to tangle. The mythical Chinese setting feels lived-in, with layers of history between humans, dragons, and demons that give everything weight. The character dynamics carry real tension — identity, loyalty, and old betrayals all simmering under the surface. It's the kind of fantasy where the world-building actually matters to the plot instead of just being set dressing. If you liked The Fairies of Liaozhai or Liaozhai New Compilation, this operates in a similar space — folklore-rooted Chinese fantasy with layered characters and supernatural entanglements. Worth your time if you're into that mythical Chinese aesthetic with some genuine narrative depth behind it.