Special available soon digitally, home video to follow

Sentai Filmworks announced on Friday that it has licensed The Dragon Dentist, the feature-length version of the first short from the Japan Anima(tor)'s Exhibition (Japan Animator Expo) project. The company will soon release the two-part television special digitally, and a home video release will follow.

Sentai Filmworks describes the story:

Even mighty dragons can get cavities, and Nonoko has been newly assigned to protect the teeth of the guardian dragon of her country. One day, she discovers an enemy soldier resurrected from the inside of a dragon's tooth, a phenomenon which legend says foretells disaster. In a land ravaged by war, what does fate have in store for the dragon dentist Nonoko and her new “apprentice”?

The theme of the story is "facing a life with an end, or death." The story is set in a country of dragons, where a dragon is the land's guardian deity. Nonoko is entrusted with being the dentist for the dragon, and while performing her duties, she encounters a boy named Bell from an enemy country in a state of war.

An English dub of the anime premiered on NHK World in March. The first part of the special originally premiered in Japanese on February 18, while the second part aired on February 25. Crunchyroll collaborated with Anime Limited to stream the special in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. The two-part special marks the first time Khara, the studio behind the new Evangelion films, is producing an anime for television.

Hideaki Anno (Shin Godzilla, new Evangelion films) served as executive producer and sound director, and Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL, Aim for the Top 2!, new Evangelion films) returned from the short as the director. Otaro Maijo is credited with the original work and the script, and Yoji Enokido wrote the script. Shuichi Iseki acted as the character designer. Nobuo Kawakami (Ronja the Robber's Daughter) was also an executive producer.