The Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3 anime TV series could continue the story of Tohru and the rest of the dragon girls (poor Fafnir being left out). But when will Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon Season 3 come out?
The third season will likely have a new sub-title. The second season used the S to stand for “Super Supreme Second life Starts.”
While fans are waiting for the third season, they should check out Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Volume S, which comes out on Blu-ray/DVD on January 19, 2021. Volume S is pretty much Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 2 Episode 13 since it’s an unaired episode titled “Japanese Hospitality (Attendance is a Dragon).” The story is about Kanna’s American friend Chloe coming to Japan.
The BD box set for Volume S will also include all 13 animated short episodes of the Mini Dora series, all three episodes of Mini Dora SP, and one bonus Mini Dora EX 5.
The studio and main staff creating Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3 hasn’t been announced yet.
The second season was helmed by new director Tatsuya Ishihara (Sound! Euphonium), replacing the late Yasuhiro Takemoto, who is credited as series director for his posthumous work. Writer Yuka Yamada (Samurai Warriors) returned for writing the series scripts.
Character designer Miku Kadowaki (Beyond the Boundary) returned, in addition to chief animation director (Nobuaki Maruki (Amagi Brilliant Park). Art Director Shouko Ochiai replaced the late Mikiko Watanabe. Composer Masumi Itou returned to create the music.
The Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3 OP (opening) and ED (ending) theme song music hasn’t been announced yet.
The Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S OP “Ai no Supreme” was performed by fhána, while the ED “Maid with Dragons” was performed by Super Chorogonzu.
The second season was streaming on Crunchyroll with English subtitles (Netflix only has the first season of Dragon Maid).
The total number of episodes for the second season hasn’t been confirmed yet. Presumably, the second season’s finale, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 2 Episode 12, will release on September 22, 2021. The episodes were released as four Blu-Ray/DVD box set volumes, with Volume 1 set for releasing on December 15, 2021.
- Updated October 20, 2021: Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S Episode 13 trailer.
This article provides everything that is known about
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3 (Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon Season 3) and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news, rumors, and analysis. Meanwhile, let’s delve down into what is known for certain.
FUNimation’s Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S English dub release date
FUNimation created the original Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid English dub. The English dub featured Sarah Wiedenheft as Tohru and Leah Clark as Miss Kobayashi.
Here is the full English dub cast:
- Kristi Rothrock as Ilulu
- Jad Saxton as Kanna
- Jamie Marchi as Lucoa
- Rachel Glass as Elma
- Macy Anne Johnson as Shouta
- Garret Storms as Fafnir
- Felecia Angelle as Georgie
- Sara Ragsdale as Riko
- Jeff Johnson as Takiya
The Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S dub release date was on August 4, 2021.
Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon Season 3 release date predictions
As of the last update, Studio Kyoto Animation or any company related to the production of the anime has not officially confirmed the Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3 release date. Nor has the production of a sequel been announced.
Once the news is officially confirmed, this article will be updated with the relevant information.
In the meantime, it’s possible to speculate about when, or if, the Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon Season 3 premiere date will occur in the future.
The elephant in the room is the deadly Kyoto Animation fire of 2019. The 2017 TV anime was helmed by Kyoto Animation director Yasuhiro Takemoto, who died in the KyoAni fire. The original director was honored by being credited in the second season. The arson attack also killed 27-year-old Shiho Morisaki, who worked on the Dragon Maid anime.
(For a complete list of the Kyoto Animation fire victims, please see this article by Crunchyroll.)
Thus, the number of anime projects the company works on per year should be reduced. Before the fatal fire, Kyoto Animation was known for releasing several projects a year. In recent times, they have focused on producing films and not as many TV series.
In 2021, KyoAni only has two major projects, Dragon Maid and Free! Movie: The Final Stroke. For 2022, Free! The Final Stroke Part 2 has been announced.
The announcement of the second season of Dragon Maid was a long wait. After the first season finished in April 2017, fans had to wait until February 2019, when the sequel was confirmed by a wraparound jacket band on manga Volume 8. It wasn’t until August 2020 that Kyoto Animation was confirmed to be returning for producing the anime sequel.
And if a Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid movie is made the wait for the third season will be even longer.
Given all these reasons, anime fans should expect a long wait before Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3 is announced.
Is the Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid manga ending any time soon?
The Dragon Maid manga series first began serializing in Futabasha’s Monthly Action magazine back in May 2013. The creator, Coolkyousinnjya, is mostly known for creating slice-of-life stories.
Including the Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid anime, some of Coolkyoushinja’s most famous published works, Peach Boy Riverside, I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying, and Komori-san Can’t Decline!, have received anime adaptations.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Volume 11 was released on June 11, 2021. By the time the second season aired, there were over 100 chapters in the manga series.
The adventures of the Kobayashi family continue to expand with multiple spinoff manga series.
The first, Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon: Kanna no Nichijou (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Kanna’s Daily Life), began in 2017, and it’s up to Volume 9 as of July 12, 2021.
Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon: Elma OL Nikki (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Elma’s Office Lady Diary) began serialization in 2016 and is up to Volume 5 as of August 11, 2021.
A third spinoff manga series called Kobayashi-san-chi no Maid Dragon: Lucoa wa Boku no xx Desu. (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Lucoa is my xx) launched on January 25, 2019. It’s up to Volume 3 as of August 11, 2021.
The fourth spinoff, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Fafnir the Recluse, has one volume as of July 12, 2021.
The English translation is licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment, and so far, the English version is caught up with Volume 10. The release date for the English Dragon Maid Volume 11 is December 14, 2021.
Seven Seas is also publishing the English translation of the Kanna and Elma spinoff manga series. They’re all caught up except for the most recent volumes.
In the December 2018 magazine issue, it was revealed that the manga’s story was nearing its “climax.” But that does not necessarily mean the Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid manga’s ending is coming up.
In Japanese narratives, there is a four-act structure known as Kishōtenketsu.
- Ki : Introduction
- Shō : Development
- Ten : Twist (complication)
- Ketsu : Conclusion (reconciliation)
During the Twist phase, the story turns toward an unexpected development, and it contains the yama, or climax, of the story. But longer manga series will sometimes have multiple climax plot points.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid manga compared to the anime
Kyoto Animation is back. Simply Tohru cooking allowed the powerhouse animators to flex their skills, never mind the fluid animation of the opening clash between dragons Tohru and Ilulu. Extra details like Ilulu’s chest glowing with fire only heightened the experience. And the training duel between Tohru and Elma was better than most action shonen series in recent years.
The action was amped up significantly by the anime’s second season. The manga mostly focused on slice-of-life shenanigans, while the anime added more cinematic elements. For example, the anime’s first season portrayed the appearance of the Emperor of Demise in a far more epic fashion, and the battle sequences went way beyond the manga.
From a storytelling perspective, Kyoto Animation has a history of rearranging source material to enhance the experience. The studio expanded greatly on the Violet Evergarden books, and the same could be said for the Dragon Maid manga.
The anime sometimes censored content, including the first Dragon Maid OVA that adapted Chapter 33, where Tohru and Lucoa are fully depicted unclothed in hot springs. Season 2 Episode 2 shocked fans when the mad lads at KyoAni actually adapted Chapter 37, which had Kobayashi being magically transformed into a man and struggling to control sexual urges. I guess S also stands for Sex change?
While naughty Tohru behaved the same, the anime toned down one scene in particular since the manga had a completely undressed Kanna crawling into bed with Kobayashi to sleep. It remains to be seen whether the anime also adapts Chapter 81, which has Ilulu going into heat.
Season 2 Episode 5 also only showed Ilulu from behind when she started changing in front of Taketo. In the manga, both readers and the boy got an eyeful of her nipples covered with band-aids.
Still, the studio writers expanded on the story significantly by using chapters from the Kanna manga spinoff and introducing entire episodes based on original stories. For example, Season 1 Episode 10 was an original story featuring the Little Match Girl play. What’s more, the school sport’s festival was changed from a parent’s day school event.
The anime’s first season also adapted many manga chapters completely out of order. For example, the flashback featuring Tohru and Miss Kobayashi’s first encounter on the mountain came from manga Volume 4.
This change was probably necessary for linear, chronological storytelling since the manga pretty much dropped readers into the action without much explanation. To heighten the first season’s finale, Episode 13 ended with a story about Tohru’s father from Chapters 19 and 20.
Similarly, the second season jumped around a lot between the mini-story arcs. Season 2 Episode 1 picked up the story in Chapters 30 and 31, where the new chaos dragon girl Ilulu first debuted but then began jumping around.
Notably, Ilulu’s backstory that was shown in quick flashbacks showed her receiving a doll from human children before her parents died. This detail wasn’t originally revealed until later in the manga.
Season 2 Episode 3 also changed Ilulu’s hobbies from Chapter 60. In the manga, Ilulu already had a part-time job by then (The Dragon is a Part-Timer), so her “hobby” was messing with her coworker Takeo rather than sleeping.
Ilulu originally wasn’t along for the ride in Season 2 Episode 4 when the whole family went to the amusement park. Speaking of not being around, Tohru literally had to drag Ilulu using a collar and chain to the candy shop to request the job, but the way Season 2 Episode 5 handled the job offer arc made for more wholesome characterization.
Manga fans were pleased that Season 2 Episode 10 adapted the Kanna in New York City story arc. For those who want to see more of Chloe, the Kanna spin-off has chapters where she visits Japan. Considering how Kanna-centric either a movie or Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3 will be it wouldn’t be surprising if the third season adapts more of the Kanna manga chapters.
Here’s a guide to the second season:
- Dragon Maid S Episode 1: Chapters 30, 31, 36, 47
- Dragon Maid S Episode 2: Chapters 37, 38, 39
- Dragon Maid S Episode 3: Chapters 45, 53, 60, Kanna Chapter 12
- Dragon Maid S Episode 4: Chapters 35, 43, 50
- Dragon Maid S Episode 5: Chapters 44, 51, 52, Elma Chapter 1 (partial)
- Dragon Maid S Episode 6: Chapters 46, 54, 59 (partial), anime original
- Dragon Maid S Episode 7: Chapters 41, 61, anime original
- Dragon Maid S Episode 8: Chapters 42, 63, anime original
- Dragon Maid S Episode 9: Chapters 55, 59, 64
- Dragon Maid S Episode 10: Chapters 62, anime original
- Dragon Maid S Episode 11: Chapters 49, 57, 58
- Dragon Maid S Episode 12: Chapters 48, 40 (both extended with anime original content)
- Dragon Maid S Episode 13 (OVA): Kanna Spin-off
All in all, the second season’s finale, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S Episode 12, found a stopping point corresponding to the ending of Volume 5: Chapter 48 by reordering the presentation of events so that a defining character moment could be the climax.
It’s the best stopping point since Season 2 Episode 11 was a callback to the first season’s adaptation of Tohru’s backstory as the ending. The difference is that Kobayashi’s feelings for Tohru are the main feature, plus the anime original “runaway bride” wedding scene at the end was a welcome surprise.
That means Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3 will adapt the so-called Dragon Ball story arc from Volume 8. It’s one of the longer self-contained story arcs in the manga containing a conflict, so it’s good that the second season didn’t attempt to rush it. The story arc would also make for a good Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid movie.
The good news is that by 2022 there should be enough new manga chapters for making Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3. English-only manga readers who want to read ahead of the anime can jump straight to Volume 7: Chapter 65.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid 3 anime spoilers (plot summary/synopsis)
The next time audiences watch these crazy dragons, Kobayashi, Tohru, Shouta, and Lucoa travel together to England so Shouta can attend a magic school for a day. Once there, Kobayashi somehow ends up taking the written magical exam and ends up ranking first even ahead of Shouta!
Things get even more interesting when Kobayashi and Shouta take the practical exam where they need to climb a mountain surrounded by a magical barrier and retrieve an item. Kobayashi wins again by riding Tohru in dragon form, but then a bully wants to duel with Shouta.
Later on, Tohru is singing a song about extermination and gets called out for it. Tohru didn’t think anything of it since she’s a chaos dragon, but then Kanna shocks Tohru by declaring that she wasn’t part of the Chaos faction.
Instead, Kanna desires to be independent and start her own faction, but Tohru convinces her that it’s not a good idea since this new faction would be immediately destroyed by the other dragons. Uncertain which dragon faction she should join, Kanna then questions Tohru, Elma, Ilulu, and Lucoa about the pros and cons of the Chaos, Harmony, and Spectator Factions.
Kanna just wants a place where she can belong. She also desires the attention of her father even if it comes in the form of scolding. But Lucoa tells Kanna that she should enjoy being just herself for as long as possible.
Speaking of which, Kanna’s father, Kimun Kamui, appears in the middle of a challenge where Kobayashi abstains from alcohol and remains sober for a week. Kobayashi runs into the old man when he’s drinking sake and it turns out they’re both heading home in the same direction.
Kimun says he’s here to see his daughter, but after Tohru recognizes him he declares that he intends on taking Kanna home! But Kimun is a great chaos dragon warrior and he’s only interested in his daughter’s military abilities… and her connection to the so-called Dragon Balls.
Kimun explains that the Dragon Balls have been accumulating power that’s needed to turn the tide in the balance of power. What’s more, the human wizard Azad is involved.
Kobayashi and Tohru are suspicious so they end up traveling together to investigate the situation. The race to prevent a war in the dragon world is on!
And this is where a bunch of stuff happens from manga Volume 8: Chapter 69 through 78 but I won’t ruin the plot twists and surprises…
After Kanna’s dramatic confrontation with her father, life in Miss Kobayashi’s household goes back to normal…or at least, what passes for normal in a house full of dragons.
Tohru freshens up her routine and suffers from scale molting, Lucoa reconsiders her chosen role as simply a bystander in the human world, and Ilulu’s biological clock goes wild as she goes into heat. Dragon boy Fafnir even goes computer shopping in Akiba while the girls go all Fast and Furious with their cars in the city.
Meanwhile, Kobayashi’s boss offers her a new opportunity to earn a promotion at Jigokumeguri Zaibatsu (Hell Tours Ltd.). Working hard, she gets the promotion to become Chief Kobayashi, which comes with the responsibility of keeping tabs on everyone from the dragon world as a regional Guardian.
As such, Kobayashi is put in phone contact with Kanna’s father and Tohru’s father, Damocles, the Emperor of Demise. Anime audiences will also be introduced to Elder Telne, the number two in the Harmony Faction.
During a celebratory night out drinking, it’s revealed that Kobayashi removed the Holy Sword from Tohru, but they don’t know where it ended up. Time passes and the stresses from work keep piling up.
It’s not long before Kobayashi is mentally questioning her new lifestyle. The problem comes when a mysterious voice starts interrupting her thoughts!
Kobayashi thinks it’s just her imagination, but all this thinking triggers the idea to go looking for the Holy Sword on the mountain where she met Tohru. It turns out that Tohru also comes out to the mountain to think, but there’s a mysterious shadowy figure watching them both…
Love is in the air in Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 2. Riko and Kanna try to help Ilulu and Taketo with their budding relationship. Things begin heating up in the kitchen when Elma compliments Tohru on her cooking… and then Elma implies during a bath together that she wants more from their relationship!
While Elma is beating around the bush, Tohru begins to insist to Kobayashi that they are, in fact, literally married based on the way they live and act together. While Kobayashi denies it, Tohru’s confession gets Kobayashi thinking at work about relationships and who she should want to marry. Arriving at home, she’s immediately deluged by Kanna and Ilulu listing off all the reasons Kobayashi should marry Tohru!
Things get serious when Kobayashi asks Tohru to transform into her dragon form so they can have a private talk. In response to Tohru declaring her love, Kobayashi responds, “I like you, too.”
Unfortunately, anime fans will have to wait until the Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 3 release date to watch what happens next. Stay tuned!