Elma returns in the third volume of Ayami Kazama’s Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid spin-off manga, Elma’s Office Lady Diary. The office is only one thing keeping her busy, as she continues to adjust to life in human society.
This volume of the manga contains chapters nineteen through to twenty-seven.
Front cover of the third volume of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Elma’s Office Lady Diary, featuring Elma and Tohru
A Taste for the OL Life
Working in the human world is full of unexpected new surprises! Elma plans her first office party, and does battle with makeup, pickup artists, and office drinking parties. Tohru, Kanna, Lucoa, and the rest of the usual suspects all make appearances as Elma devours her way through the life of a modern-day office lady!
It is probably pretty obvious after three volumes of Elma’s Office Lady Diary, but Elma’s main motivation for most things is food. You could probably count the number of chapters on one hand where Elma isn’t actively trying to fill her stomach. Not that I blame her; eating is good.
You might think that Elma’s drive for getting her next meal could become stale, but I think the stories are balanced well enough to keep things entertaining.
There’s definitely some great laughs to be found within this volume. They generally come from Elma’s misunderstandings of human society, though it is very much fun to observe them. Something I’m sure Miss Kobayashi can attest to when she watches a pickup artist approach Elma. Let’s just say it is probably for the best that someone stepped in when they did, but not for Elma’s sake.
The rest of the Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid cast are all present in some way or another, too. Apparently I’ve given off the impression that Ilulu is my nemesis, or something like that, but I guess it is more like I prefer her in small doses. She’s definitely tolerable in this volume.
Elma is the main star, of course, and I do enjoy the dynamic she has with Miss Kobayashi and Tohru. Her interactions with said characters are arguably the best thing to come from this spin-off manga.
Well, the best thing among many good things. Elma’s Office Lady Diary is just a fun read, much like Kanna’s Daily Life.
It isn’t unusual for the spin-offs to reference the main Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid manga, but we also get a nod to something from Kanna’s Daily Life in this volume, too. I like that all three works are being connected like that; perhaps one day we’ll see a nod to Elma’s Office Lady Diary in Kanna’s Daily Life.
I’m glad that Ayami Kazama decided to give Elma her time in the limelight, because she is just a fun character. Definitely pick up Elma’s Office Lady Diary if you want to expand upon the world of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. A super fun spin-off from a super-fun manga.
Rory Muses 