Jin Kamishina and his family are departing for the Moon. His father is the pilot of the shuttle. Right after take off, the shuttle explodes and Jin is the only survivor. His depression is deep and he is becoming more isolated from everyone around him. He is out wandering around town one night and he comes across a monster eating a fresh victim. A chase ensues and he finds himself being saved by a beautiful girl. This turns his world upside down because the girl is also an original Dragon that everyone wants. He is introduced to the Dragonauts and even offered a spot with them, but his entire existence is now all about finding Toa, the girl or dragon or who ever knows what she really is. There is also the issue of Thanatos, the asteroid that destroyed Pluto and appears to be the home of these Dragons. But Earth has its Dragons too, and has found a way to bind them to humans, it is called the Resonance. Confused yet? Well, there is a lot to this series and also plenty of fan service too.

Highlights

Gonzo has done it again with this seemingly odd story where you cannot be sure who the good guys are and the women are over developed in so many ways.  When I first saw the previews for this show I was under the impression that it might be a light hearted fan service trip with some fancy dragon riders. I had no idea that it would be a complicated drama with plenty of fan service. There appears to be more than one plot at work and Dragonaut: The Resonance, Part 1 has only begun to give up some of the secrets. Each episode provides important elements to the story and I am surprised how some of the characters have developed so far. 

The relationship between Jin, Toa and another, Gio, is rather odd at times, but this adds to the drama and also helps create subtext in the main story line. There is also the relationship of one of the Dragonauts, Kazuki, and Jin. They were best friends before the tragic accident and it just so happens that Gio, a dragon, had gone through Resonance with Kazuki but, does not answer to him. Gio answers to Jin and this puts a strain on Kazuki that he just can't handle, making him rather unstable and a wild card throughout the episodes. This just adds more drama and tension to the series.

Overall

I am surprised at what this series brought me. I am not a huge fan of the light hearted fan service series and was almost dreading Dragonaut: The Resonance, Part 1. After getting into it I find that the fan service is mild and the dramatic writing is strong enough to keep me going. There are moments when it falls flat and it seems as though there are elements to the plot that could be brought out a little sooner to help retain more interest, but it is somewhat steady. The women's endowments do tend to get in the way from time to time, but it also provides some comic relief that is needed due to the heavy handed darkness of several of the main characters.

The art work and production is done well enough, but once again Gonzo seems to come up short when using CG to create the Dragons. They are a little choppy and rough edged. The rest of the art is of a high quality that one would expect from this well known studio.  

I have a felling that this show is aimed at the 15 to 25 male audiance and it just might hit the mark, but with some polish it could have gone further and been a hit among other adult segments. I think it has enough punch to be a welcome addition to many anime fans libraries.
 

ComicsOnline gives Dragonaut: The Resonance, Part 1 3.5 out of 5 big betties with attitude.