DRAGON PILOT: Hisone and Masotan

Hisone Amakasu is a shy, recently enlisted member of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force whose life changes when a dragon hidden at Gifu Air Base literally chooses her to ride it. Instead of piloting jets, she is matched to an ancient, secretive creature that operates in ways the military does not fully explain, and she has to adjust to a new role that mixes routine base life with surreal missions. The series follows her awkward adjustments, the bonds she forms with other pilots and the dragon, and the slow reshaping of her sense of duty and self without revealing major twists or the ending.

Released in 2018, the show was created by Mari Okada and Shinji Higuchi and features voices like Misaki Kuno as Hisone and Tomoyo Kurosawa as Nao Kaizaki. Its original-story approach and notable creative team were part of the marketing when it debuted.

It wasn’t a major awards magnet on the international festival circuit, but it did surface in anime discussion lists and year-end writeups. The series has gotten steady attention from genre outlets and fan communities, even if it didn’t rack up headline trophies.

The show left a clear visual and tonal footprint with its oddball mix of military procedure and fantastical beasts, which inspired fan art and cosplay within anime circles. Certain images and the idea of a dragon functioning like an aircraft stuck with viewers, giving it a modest cult status among fans who like offbeat anime premises.

Critics and viewers who liked the show have praised its emotional focus and its quieter moments of character work, reflected in an average user score around 7.0 out of 10. Major themes include identity, belonging, and the tension between institutional rules and personal feeling. The pace is deliberate, leaning on mood and relationships rather than nonstop action, so it’s likely to appeal to viewers who appreciate thoughtful, slightly surreal animation rather than pure spectacle.