The Dragon Dentist Debuts February 2017: First TV Anime by Rebuild of Evangelion’s Studio Khara, Directed by Creator of FLCL

Studio Khara, the animation studio behind the Rebuild of Evangelion films, will be showing its first television anime in February of 2017. The Dragon Dentist is based on a short of the same name from the first Japan Animator Expo—a showcase of short animated works created by Studio Khara itself and Japanese telecommunications and media company DWANGO.

Like the original work, the TV anime is written by Japanese novelist Otaro Maijo and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, creator of the popular Gainax anime FLCL.

The short follows a young girl training to become a Dragon Dentist, a job that appears to imply a kind of symbiotic relationship between dragons and humans akin to the alligator and the Egyptian plover, a bird that cleans the alligator’s teeth. It is unknown if any details will change for the television version.

If the Animator Expo version is any indication, The Dragon Dentist should be exquisitely animated and present a unique captivating world that mixes technology and fantasy. The dragons themselves will look downright majestic. They will likely convey a strong sense of terror and wonder, along with both European and Asian aesthetics for the mythological creatures.

The Dragon Dentist TV anime is not a full-fledged television series, but rather two 45-minute specials. While I believe this premise could easily be extended into a longer work, this should mean both higher quality and more consistent animation compared to the mad rush of a 13-episode (or greater) television series.

Studio Khara was originally founded by Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno for the purpose of creating the new Evangelion films. I hope that The Dragon Dentist means that Khara and Anno will have a greater presence in television anime from this point forward.

Sources: Anime Anime!, 1st Japan Animator Expo