Unable to hear, speak, or wield a sword, Prince Bojji doesn’t seem like a typical heir to the
throne—and his kingdom agrees. But his fateful encounter with Kage, a shadow on the ground, gives him
his first true friend. The two set off on a grand adventure and, together, form a bond that can
overcome any obstacle...even being king.
(Source: Funimation)
_Contains very minor spoilers. Anything relatively major has been tagged appropriately. As always though, this review isn’t suitable for those who want to go into this anime completely blind._
This show is a huge mixed bag of everything to me. We had a potential fight scene of the year candidate, we had characters that cried A LOT (which isn’t all bad), we had a pretty unique narrative overall, and not to mention a BEST BOY candidate for a lot of you for sure, Bojji! I won’t deny that the show was a bit of an up and down one for me, but I did enjoy this. The great thing about this show is that it hooks you in early, with no hesitation, so even though the show is still quite under-watched, when someone does make the effort to start it, they’ll likely stick with it all the way through, since it had such a good start. All in all, a nice high quality show that should be watched more. *Very minor spoilers below My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 18.6/25 Bojji’s adventures are indeed quite immersive and fun, and the show isn’t as simple as “Boy that can’t speak becomes a hero”, it’s that, but more. There’s a lot of emotion packed into it as Bojji realizes that actions do speak louder than words, and that people do care about him. His adventures in the small scope of the castle quickly evolve into a journey around the world, getting stronger with a teacher, and really making the most of his abilities. The first half is pretty great, with essentially the intro, and some incredible plot twists that got me really into the story. As I’m sure you have noticed, many people have said the second half kind of fell off, and I would agree. The pacing became incredibly slow, with entire episodes sometimes taking place in just one setting, and backstories being a little long-winded, but necessary in my opinion. As for the plot armour, it’s fine, doesn’t really help or hurt my immersion, so no complaints there. All in all, I’d say this is an above average story that just couldn’t keep its quality up for the entire series. ART: 9.4/10 Wit Studio doesn’t miss with their animation here. It looks like a kids show at first glance, with may have put some people off, but the action scenes are done spectacularly, very impressive. MUSIC: 9.4/10 Soundtrack is fitting, and solid, but the real stars of the music aspect have to be the two openings and two endings, because those four songs were just so incredible to listen to, again and again. CHARACTERS: 13.3/20 Now here is where the interesting takes start. Maybe you think I would bash on Bojji, but that’s it’s not him that’s problematic, that’s for sure. Let me just start by saying, the characters are written quite nicely, with very unique backstories and traits that are quite likeable. However, the problem here is that there are so many characters, but not much development on anyone except Bojji, Kage, and Miranjo, the latter being probably the most interesting character to watch. Everyone else, while I like most of them, are just… good, but they just do a couple cool things and then… exist. Some of them are integral to the story and its plot twists, but other than that one big twist or fight, that’s it. The score I gave the characters overall might not be that low considering all I’ve said, but don’t get me wrong, the characters are still unique and do a whole lot better than a lot of other action-themed shows in terms of their character writing. ENJOYMENT: 13.5/15 Most episodes were enjoyable to some extent, and I liked the series. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 17.3/20 The fantasy adventure theme is executed very nicely as the world building was done very well to make the narrative immersive. The combination of the music, art, and characters made for a well constructed atmosphere that’s fun to watch. OVERALL: 81.5/100 Definitely a high quality show that hooks you into its world early, and maintains a decent standard throughout the show. There are some moments that get a bit questionable, but in the end, it’s a good show that once again tells us, don’t judge a book by its cover.
"_Hate the sin, but not the sinner._" --- __Ousama Ranking__ is a positively anachronistic work. It draws its aesthetics and charm from adventure series of the 80-90s and repackages them in the form of a classic fairy tale, all while sidestepping the production issues that plague modern TV animation projects — a series of qualities that places it squarely outside of its own era. This mix of nostalgic elements makes it such a unique offering in the current landscape that everyone looking for a change of pace owes it to themselves to check it out. --- To be more precise, __Ousama Ranking__ is an animated fable: transparently moralistic and idealistic to the very end, but not lacking in nuance in its character writing despite an optimistic heart that can border on naïveté. Although it’s not particularly interested in detailing the mechanics of its world nor the societies within it, the magic of that fairy tale is completed by its enchanting setting—both its wildly original, very intricate writing and the visual depiction of that world by art director _Yuji Kaneko_ and studio _Aoshashin’s_ background artists. _Mayuko’s_ appropriately whimsical musical score complements a fantasy world that effortlessly invites exploration, making every step in Bojji’s quest as enjoyable and lively as the previous one. --- While its structure and focus shift in the second half of the show, becoming more stationary and narrowing that delightful sense of casual exploration, __Ousama Ranking__ remains remarkably consistent. Its core character dynamics never lose their charm, and its direction goes hand in hand with the themes of this work throughout every single episode; techniques like subjective framing are a smart way to underline its message of not judging a book by its cover, best embodied by its tiny protagonist and his journey to prove that strength comes in more ways than one. __Studio WIT__ also deserves major props for their management, which allowed them to maintain the animation’s appeal till the very end. Bojji and Kage move with loose joy anytime they’re on screen, and thanks to some smart corner cutting in the second half of the series, all the climactic action is a jaw-dropping mix of traditional and digital animation that needs to be seen to be believed. --- __Ousama Ranking__ is truly a pleasant treat for the eyes and soul, which can be seen as a challenge against the pessimistic and unforgiving nature many tales opt to encompass in this modern anime landscape. With its numerous twists and turns presenting latent grim and foreboding developments, a dull flame shimmers from the source of the strife, waiting for the roaring fire of life to be rekindled. Shortcomings are averted through the vibrant themes of kindness and sympathy. Understanding is a significant factor to solving the problems of the world, and our warm, patient, and heartfelt protagonist portrays that entirely.
Honestly, by the end of Ousama Ranking, I felt disappointment. What a wonderful first half, and yet what a downgrade in the second. The drop in the series made me stop caring about a lot of what it built up in the early episodes. The fights sometimes reached Claymore tier levels of animation of characters nonsensically swinging their weapons. Slideshow execution reared it's head eventually after it had been animated so consistently good before. It was tragic to see what this used to be and what it lowered itself to towards the end overall. Ousama Ranking set the bar too high for itself in the first half and just couldn't deliver the same quality near as much after. And it shows depending who worked on each episode. Kage had a great and emotional introduction just to be reduced to a cheerleader that felt as if he was being used by the staff to annoyingly and constantly tell me how to feel. I could not relate in the end to the way Miranjo's character played out considering it all and how sudden it felt in the end. King Bosse is a strange individual with a quest for strength he loved the chase of more than achieving, while having a weird obsession with said Miranjo. At the same time, Miranjo also had a weird obsession with wanting to help him achieve great strength, though her ways for him to achieve this were not as satisfying for him. Daida, Despa, and Desher became 3 of my 4 favorite characters, and yet most of them were barely there. Daida to me showed the most growth as a character and for that I built a lot of respect for him. Despa is usually a funny character that is amusing to watch. Desher is an underworld king who feels fed up with a lot and yet can entertain with his abilities and often apathetic personality. For me, Hiling was the shining light of the series for her strong dedication towards being a true mother despite her harsh treatment of a younger Bojji. The only issue is the healing, and fake out deaths that can be annoying and take away the stakes, making me unable to take them seriously anymore. Then there's Bojji. I felt confused when Crunchyroll announced their embarrassing anime of the year awards by including him as so called "best boy." He had done nothing at that point. He appears mostly as a blabbering fool going through a bottom dog story that really only paid off in the end. The blabbering was really unnecessary and the way communication between him and the characters went felt absurd. I don't see much of an appeal to him besides bringing out emotions from viewers that can relate to him who had or have their own issues similar to him. Despite that, I didn't find him appealing as a protagonist out of his simplicity and the constant use of mostly emotions to build his character that felt less and less meaningful as it went. Ouken isn't a character I was very fond of. Despite that, I enjoyed the way the series used him. His sadistic and horrifying view of killing sets the often executed dark tone of the series. This series can get very bloody and gruesome despite not appearing to look that way at first. Despite his powers, it's horrifying what can still happen to him. There were times early on where the animation and emotional build ups moved me. I just can't deny that this series went downhill and never really resurfaced besides one of the last episodes: The surreal looking one everyone seemed to praise. All it really had was to use emotional scenes that felt empty to me to try to end strong. Disappointing.
# __The only show that probably deserves a score higher than a 10/10__ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think it is safe to say that no one had heard of Ousama Ranking before the release of this show. But by all means this does not mean that it lacks the quality or even pedigree of other high-hitting anime like Demon Slayer. I personally love anime that honestly let you reflect on the real world. This show brings into light the struggles a deaf person may go through. However, this is not the main attachment I had to Bojji. This character struggles with good and evil, responsibility, social expectations, and self-belief which are all issues that people have to deal with in real life. Sure this anime does have its light hearted moments that act as a moment of respite, but the scenes where the issues I mentioned are brought up truly make this anime into a masterpiece. The show does look like it has an aesthetic that would accommodate for a younger audience, but definitely the hardships that Bojji goes through and the overall background stories of each character imo will only be grasped by a mature audience and add the needed depth to differentiate it from more timid shows such as Pokemon or Boruto. I confess that I am a Nezuko simp, but I never thought my heart had room for Bojji too. This show has left a great impression, and I feel like it may have ruined a lot of other anime for me. Ousama ranking raises the bar on the human aspect of character interactions and does not shy away from showcasing its nostalgic art style. Without going into any specific spoilers; since the beginning of the show a certain battle between characters has been hyped up. As you reach the end of the show, and the anticipation for the foretold battle reaches a maximum point, you will be shown one of the best battle scenes in any anime that at least I have ever shown. This battle uses symbolism, and offers you the direct perspective of Bojji, to elevate the meaning of this "final" battle. It honestly gave me the sense of a Kingdom Hearts boss battle as you feel it is a spectacle well deserving your attention. Overall, Ousama ranking's strong suit comes from the depth each character is given. There are typical side characters, but after seeing how much of the cast was given attention with regards to background stories, character development and redemption, I cannot wait to see how these side characters (and new ones in that fact) are brough into the story in the upcoming seasons. I truly hope that Ousama ranking continues past this season, but to be honest, with how satisfied I am with what they gave us so far I would not be mad if this was the end. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now remember to be kind to the shadowclanman, or else, KANCHOOOOOOOOOO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~~___Also for good luck please accept wonky crown___ img220(https://i.imgur.com/NS47yYK.png) ~~~
Out of the box. A simple term, yet vastly difficult thing to implement. Not to mention the fact that it is basically Gambling to an extent. Breaking free of the established structure is a terribly scary thought. And yet, some people are ambitious enough, or rather have enough courage, to break that well established cycle of the society. This courage is the main point of Ousama Ranking, trying to tell us a story of a kid who can’t speak, can’t hear, bears the extreme load of expectation, and yet has the courage to live life to the fullest. A show with a near-perfect plot, phenomenal and diverse characters, appropriate visuals and fantastic soundtrack. A show which isn’t as sparkly as the mainstream rulers of Anime universe such as Jujutsu Kaisen, AoT, Demon Slayer and many more – but still manages to be this great. And today, despite my lack of Anime Watching experience, I attempt to use my Music reviewing skills to give you an apt critique of this brilliant show. # __Characters.__ At its core, the show follows the primary protagonist, Prince Bojji. The first prince of Kingdom of Bosse, he was born deaf-mute with minimal physical strength. Just by that little information, one can predict how his life must be. And via the first two episodes, the kid’s tragic life is perfectly depicted. Naturally in an era where physical strength is considered to be the one and only technique of war, the kid is bullied, tormented, insulted, undermined and ignored. And as he grew up, people who were once close to him, also started to emotionally detach themselves from the poor boy. And this is where we get a first glance of Bojji’s greatness. Despite any friends, and despite anyone rarely showing any affection after the birth of the second prince Daida, he turned out to be a humble, loving boy, with an unbelievable amount of courage. And at the same time, we also have the secondary protagonist, Kage. The last surviving member of the Shadow Clan, and also comes from a dark, harsh background of torment, tragedy and betrayal – a kid who grew without experiencing any affection after his mother’s death. But unlike Bojji, he had turned into more of a self-centered character. And fate decided for them to meet, and that is how both of them obtained their first friends. And this is where the character design shines. Psychologically both of them have a lot of common traits, but they also possess some complementary traits. Bojji teaches Kage to be more courageous and brings out the warmth of his soul, and on the other hand Kage’s presence causes Bojji to use his full potential. But that isn’t where the depth of character ends for this show, and this is its brilliance. Nearly all of the characters have a very deep backstory; the brief flashbacks of the past for each character also provides us with more insight and depth, and helps us understand their actions and decisions. We have the caring, trustworthy Big four of Bosse’s Kingdom – Apeas, Bebin, Domas and Dorshe, and there’s Queen Hilling, each with a different personality and history. We also have the Underworld brothers – Desha, Despa and Ouken, each of whom have a dark yet solid backstory. And of course, there’s the extremely tragic backstory of Miranjo, which perfectly explains her dark actions. Heck, spinoffs on a lot of characters, including some minor characters such as Kingbo is also very possible, and would be very interesting. Before finishing this section, I would like to point out some incredible character developments, and not just amongst the main characters! We see Apeas being a soft-hearted, comparatively weak person transforming into “Spear of the King”, we see Hilling being portrayed as a typical evil stepmother at first, but then via flashbacks we also notice Hilling’s mother like affections towards Bojji, which also extends to everyone else around her. ~!We also see Miranjo’s complete backstory, which justifies nearly all of her actions – and also tells us a much deeper story about the victims of extreme hate crimes.!~ So, judging by the characters – there’s no doubt this show has achieved perfection. Every character is built perfectly (except a few minor characters), and I can see no way where they could’ve improved in this area. # __Plot.__ And as expected, thanks to the incredibly diverse list of characters, the show rarely has any moment where it feels boring. As suggested by the title, we’re in a medieval world, where Kings rule their respective Kingdoms, and there exists a ranking of the Kings, based on their respective powers and the prosperity of the Kingdom. But we soon divert from that idea, and the main subject becomes the resurgence of Bojji, from the deepest of human depths to the brightest possible positions. Either the episode follows a slightly humorous style in simple daily actions while not feeling over the top, or it goes into a full-on action mode, filled with several moments of psychological tension. The show generally follows several plotlines at the same time, which keeps it all the more interesting and engaging. But of course, the crown jewel of the plot is the evolution of Bojji. A heavy amount of emphasis is also placed upon the past recollection moments, creating more plotlines and solidifying the characters, which makes the story much more complete. The most impressive thing about the show’s plotline, is how engaging it is. Using the above said flashbacks, the current date plot complications, and the impressive character developments, there’s rarely any stale moment in the first 15 episodes, and judging by them alone is enough to call it perfect. However, as the score suggests, the plot is definitely not perfect, and to explain that I will be diving into spoilers for a moment. Let’s divide this into three categories. __Major spoilers ahead!__ ~!• __Minor Misstep__: An example of this is Domas’ betrayal. Yes, it might have been a result of internal conflict; as he wouldn’t want to lose the King’s trust (which he is very used to in receiving), and on the other hand Bojji clearly has a dear place in his heart. But there wasn’t a clear explanation to that event. • __Major Faultline__: Resurrected Bosse’s decision making, and his gameplan. On one hand, he was giving Dorshe and Domas instructions, which damaged Miranjo’s evil plans to a huge extent. But on the other hand, at the end Despa did reveal his doubts about Bosse’s plans, conjecturing he might have been the mastermind behind the entire disaster. There are moments where he is completely against the entire kingdom (although at those points, Bosse was under the threat that his soul might have to depart Daida’s physical body, ending his resurrected reign). But at the same time, we see Bosse healing the entire “good” crew, at the cost of his own energy. This does raise a huge amount of confusion, as we question Bosse’s character and his true intentions. • __Plot Blunder__: Daida’s proposal to Miranjo. Why? It would’ve been good enough, if Daida welcomed back Miranjo into the Kingdom. But propose to her? That seems extremely pointless, unnecessary and many other adjectives. Also, not to mention the fact, Miranjo pretty much played the role of a parent in Daida’s early life, making this event all the more uncomfortable! And like many other shows, this also falls victim to the First vs Second half comparison. So of course, the above said does knock off several points from the plot score. But regardless, it’s an extremely good and engaging plot. A story full of tragedy and betrayal, and is certainly one of the most inspiring plots I’ve experienced so far. I should also mention a certain thing here; in the 22nd episode - we see Bojji's intention to save Miranjo from the demon. I'm certain, that Bojji is aware of demon's powers of granting wishes. And yet, instead of asking the demon for a voice and hearing ability - he focuses completely on saving Miranjo. That right there, is the sign of a true king.!~ # __Visuals.__ Now of course, we have the legendary Wit studio – the same studio who gave us shows like first 3 seasons of AoT and Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song, so naturally good visuals are expected. But what we got here, isn’t as flashy as modern day shows. But that is exactly where it shines. The simplistic character design utilizes the diverse height range of different characters really well. On one hand, it does give the show a comedic edge, and on the other hand it does add on to Bojji’s powerlessness. Yes, the animations could’ve been smoother; but apart from that it’s good. There are some really “trippy” animation styles in certain scenes, and I would’ve preferred if they used that a bit more. Nonetheless, good style. Does boost the overall experience. # __Audio.__ Now this is where I can’t complain. The voice acting is very good, almost to perfection. Their respective characters are very well depicted by the respective voice actors and actresses. We also get a much deeper idea of their characteristic traits via this. And when it comes to the music score itself, it’s also incredibly well done. The medieval aspects of the environment, especially the fight scenes, is depicted really well here. The score feels like an Instrumental Folk suite, while using some Chamber and Gospel influences at times. The happier scenes also use some orchestral instrumentation, which makes it sound very beautiful and grand. And of course, we have the opening and ending tracks. The first 11 episodes and the next 12 episodes feature different sets of tracks. The former leans towards a much more fun and upbeat mood; while the latter leans towards a much more aggressive tone. Regardless, all of these are fantastic. I can’t think of any particular place where the music could’ve been used in a better way. # __Thoughts on the Future.__ As mentioned before, this anime holds a lot of possibilities for a second season; and spinoffs on minor characters are also possible. Of course, it may not be as amazing as this season as the key factor won’t be there. Bojji’s pain and growth is one of the primary reasons why this anime never let us down. But since it has already been explained, we won’t be as engaged as before. Also, if they are doing some spinoffs on certain characters ~!(e.g., Desha’s Kingdom after becoming 1st in the Ranking of Kings)!~, since their character histories have also been explained in this season, that would be another negative factor – since we already know how and why the events occurred, and why did the characters choose to make such decisions. Regardless, I am very much looking forward, and hopeful that this show will come back with a second season. # __Final Thoughts:__ In conclusion, I must say – this is certainly one of the most unique shows I’ve watched in a long time. There is comedy, there are some heartbreaking moments, and there are inspiring characters. We see Bojji grow from an apparently powerless kid to a worthy king, and we see everyone around him emotionally detaching themselves – and then coming back to him, all because of their love for Bojji. The latter is especially true for Queen Hilling. The moments where she reunited with Bojji are beautiful and heartwarming. Note that all of the above-mentioned plot negatives were very much rectifiable, which leaves the show in a near-perfect state. Phenomenal show, offers a diverse range of emotions, easily worth your time.
As with all my reviews I will be presenting a short backstory regarding my relationship with the series I am reviewing. With Ranking of Kings this backstory is extremely straightforward. I had been told by a handful of my friends that this anime was a must watch series. That being said, much like so many others I passed judgment on it prior to actually watching a second of this anime. I wrote off Ranking of Kings as "childish" due to its Sunday morning cartoon style of animation. The reality is that Ranking of Kings is many things, however, childish is certainly not one of those things. In this review I will be discussing Ranking of Kings' strengths and flaws along with why I believe it is a must watch anime! __As always I will be keeping my review completely spoiler free so be at ease knowing you can continue to read without being spoiled! __ __Animation/Art Style:__ I'm going to go ahead and address the elephant in the room when it comes to discussing Ranking of Kings right off the bat. __Ranking of Kings' absolutely has a childish art style but it in no way has poor animation. This is a necessary distinction to make because one of the most commonly used criticism of Ranking of Kings is that it is poorly animated due to its art style.__ This could not be further from the truth. As with almost all series that Wit studios produces, Ranking of Kings is beautifully animated. The animation is seamless despite it appearing a bit rough due to the art style. A perfect example of just how incredible animation of Ranking of Kings has is when [Bojji fights against enemies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTFfkSANIP0). It is important to differentiate that the animation is extremely well done but the art style is different from the norm in anime in order to truly appreciate the knockout job Wit studios has done in animating this story! __Now to address what is without a doubt the biggest detractor for Ranking of Kings, its art style.__ ~~~img220(https://www.fujitv.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/FHWvU5maUAobOAO.jpg)~~~ Much like many other people who criticize this series, I believe that Ranking of Kings' art style holds it back a tremendous amount. I say this with an extremely heavy heart because I truly love the story that Ranking of Kings tells (as I will get into later). The reality of the situation is that I actually really enjoy the art style of Ranking of Kings. You may ask, "If you enjoy the art style then why are you critiquing it and calling it Ranking of Kings' greatest flaw?" This is an extremely valid question to ask. I am criticizing the art style of Ranking of Kings not because I don't enjoy it but instead because it holds back this anime from being taken seriously by a wider audience. While Ranking of Kings absolutely nails the cartoon aesthetic, it in turn greatly hinders its story from being experienced by its intended audience. Ranking of Kings' art style has a very childlike vibe to it but at the same time the series attempts to tell a very mature and in depth coming of age and self realization story. The result is that Ranking of Kings' masterful depiction of a Sunday morning cartoon greatly deters a more mature audience who may enjoy this story a lot from even giving it a fair chance. __Characters:__ Ranking of Kings is a very interesting case of how to develop characters. I say this because it initially appears to have a very vanilla and generic cast of characters. However, as the story progresses, each character grows a great deal. We begin to understand not only the characters a bit better but also their motives and how their motives effect the characteristics and lives of other characters they interact with. In many ways the world, characters, and motives of each character in Ranking of Kings work together to paint a broader picture of who each character is in the grander scale of Ranking of Kings. This is true of nearly every major character of Ranking of Kings! One example of this is our main character, [Bojji](https://anilist.co/character/209532/Bojji). In the first couple of episodes we are supposed to be nothing more than a sob story character who has the bare minimum of character. While Bojji's character 100% pulls at your heartstrings throughout the duration of Ranking of Kings, it is his displays of strength, perseverance, and kindness that truly bring forth the most emotions in me! While Bojji is a fantastic underdog character, he is in reality the poorest example of what I am referring to in the previous paragraph describing the characters. Other characters such as [Hiling](https://anilist.co/character/231129/Hiling) and [Daida](https://anilist.co/character/231128/Daida) are examples of characters who appear cold and unlikable at the beginning of the story but as the story progresses so too does the viewer's understanding of them as humans. [Bosse](https://anilist.co/character/244198/Bosse) is yet another example of what I spoke about earlier regarding the characters in Ranking of Kings. He appears to be this incredible king but as more and more of the story unfolds the more we understand just how flawed of a human he truly is! These are just a handful of characters I wanted to address in order to emphasize how incredible of a job the story telling in Ranking of Kings does in creating characters who have substance far greater than initially believed. The same can be said for characters such as [Kage](https://anilist.co/character/209533/Kage), [Miranjo](https://anilist.co/character/264479/Miranjo-no-Haha), and so many other characters in the story of Ranking of Kings. As the story and the world of Ranking of King progresses so do the characters and the viewers understanding of each character. This is a large part of what makes Ranking of Kings such an unforgettable series for so many people! __Story:__ Now I will bring up what is without a doubt my favorite aspect of Ranking of Kings, its story! Ranking of Kings on the surface level looks like just another feel good, underdog story but the substance of the story reaches far beyond that. Sure it tells the underdog story of Bojji as he looks to achieve his goal of becoming the king of his father's kingdom but as the story continues the viewer begins to realize there is so much more to this story that just that! It is a story of politics, it is a story of betrayal, it is a story of fighting to justice, it is a story about what it truly takes to be a king, but most importantly it is a story that teaches the viewer the importance of trust, kindness, and love for those around you! I'd love to go into specific examples of what makes this story so unforgettable for me but that would involve going into spoilers. To put into perspective just how incredible I think the story of Ranking of Kings truly is, I would put it in the same league of story telling as stories such as [Attack on Titan](https://anilist.co/manga/53390/Attack-on-Titan/) and [Vinland Saga ](https://anilist.co/manga/30642/Vinland-Saga/), two series who are among my all time favorites. This intertwined with the impact the story has on the characters as the story progresses truly does make it a one of a kind experience. The primary reason I want to refrain from going into specifics, outside of spoiling, is that this story is a story you must experience for yourself in order to appreciate it to the full compacity! __Soundtrack:__ When it comes to soundtracks in anime I tend to not be too picky, as you can see in my previous reviews. I believe that in most anime the soundtrack is there simply to fulfill the role of building an atmosphere rather than to distract the viewer from the story. For this reason it takes a lot for an anime's soundtrack to blow me away. There have only been a couple of soundtracks that have truly gone above and beyond to the point of emphasizing their soundtracks as a major strong point, those series being [Cowboy Bebop](https://anilist.co/anime/1/Cowboy-Bebop/), [Fruits Basket 2019](https://anilist.co/anime/105334/Fruits-Basket-2019/), [Made in Abyss](https://anilist.co/anime/97986/Made-in-Abyss/), [Tower of God](https://anilist.co/anime/115230/Tower-of-God/), and [Your Lie in April](https://anilist.co/anime/20665/Your-Lie-in-April/). When looking at Ranking of Kings' soundtrack it does a very good job building the atmosphere of a medieval kingdom and adventure but does not go above and beyond. The main soundtracks I want to emphasize are the ones that play while emotional moments are depicted. The one thing Ranking of Kings' soundtrack does excel at is drawing out emotion from the viewer! The series also has two fantastic OPs, though I feel [the first OP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5SSAXK6bQE) is far more fitting than [the second OP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWZAH5w8jkQ) (even though I liked the second OP better as a song), and a fantastic [first ED](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JV6Yyn0NWY) as well! Overall, I found that the soundtrack of Ranking of Kings did a fantastic job building the overall feel of the series but didn't do anything that went above and beyond like the previously mentioned anime I felt did. __Final Verdict:__ I enjoyed Ranking of Kings a great deal. When first looking at the art style of this series I did not anticipate it delivering such a heartfelt and well done story and I believe that is where the true flaw of Ranking of Kings lies. It has an art style that appears a bit "childish" while it has a story that is fair more fitting for a mature audience that can truly appreciate the complexity of the story being told. It has a story that was extremely well thought out with great attention to detail throughout. Plot points connect and give the viewer additional perspective and greater appreciation for the story being told as the series goes on. It has a cast of characters who are surface level at first but then grow a lot in depth as the series progresses! The only reason I don't find it to be a masterpiece like so many other people do is because the art style, while very well done and enjoyable, does not feel befitting of a story as complex and mature as the one Ranking of Kings puts forth. __Outside of that, Ranking of Kings is absolutely a must watch for anyone who enjoys a complex story with a good cast of characters so long as they are willing to look past what to some is a "childish" art style.__
The ending of a story is very important as it can ruin everything that occurred before. A bad ending will linger in your mind when thinking about the story and its hard to even care about the good parts of the story when you know it all leads to disappointment ( e.g. Game of Thrones, AOT) This is the case for Ousama Ranking, although I wouldn't say the ending was super bad and did offer some hope. The hook of this show is the unique premise where the main character is deaf and cannot speak, this leads to a refreshing story. People talk about underdog main characters in many shounen anime but this is a true underdog, even his allies aren't fully supportive of him. As everything is pitted against him his journey to success is much more gratifying and cathartic. When you combine this with the vibrant art style, smooth animation, and clever direction you get an extremely entertaining and compelling story. What I also liked about this show was how the story didn't pull any punches, like in Kages backstory which was incredibly brutal and unforgiving. Unfortunately, this doesnt last long. Because there's powerful healing powers many characters who should die keep recovering and i really dislike the reversal of consequences in stories The whole Miranjo - Bosse - Daida relationship is where the anime falls short. I didnt really care for Miranjos relationship with bosse and thats important because the story wants me to care. I mean she commits mass murder for his sake, including killing his wife and we never really explore how bosse feels about it but clearly hes not that bothered as he still likes her. The main issue is the final two episodes where we get that really stupid daida marrying miranjo plot. Firstly its ridiculous because shes way older than him, at least mentally. Then there is the prior nature of their relationship where she was basically grooming him, and now they're getting married? She's known him since he was born that shit is stupid as hell no matter how you slice it. The redemption of Miranjo is so hastily and badly executed, shes a mass murderer who tried to destroy the kingdom on two occasions and 5 seconds later everyone is enjoying a happy moment with smiles as she going to marry the prince of the kingdom she tried to destroy. What about Bojji??? He couldnt forgive Domas after he tried to kill him but hes ok with Miranjo who killed his mother right in front of him?? Then you have the Ouken situation. Its crazy because Ouken was actually a good guy who became evil only because of his immortality, he didnt choose to be bad like Miranjo did. Then consider the fact that Despa has been waiting so long to save his brother whereas Daida has wanted to save miranjo for like 10 seconds and daida just steals despas moment. Its a shame the show ended on such a disappointing note.
__(I'm brazilian, so my english is rly bad. If you wanna know my review, copy and paste it on translator. tks)__ Ousama Ranking é incrível. Acredito que essa seja a palavra correta para definir esse anime. Diria até que ele seja subestimado devido o traço infantil, nos remetendo a um desenho que foi feito para crianças, mas surpreende no quesito da história. Para os leitores, aí vai uma sinopse: o protagonista Bojji, príncipe do próspero reino de Bosse (seu pai), é o sucessor do trono do pai. Entretanto, ele passa por dificuldades um tanto incomuns, que são o empecilho de ser surdo e mudo, além de não possuir as mesmas qualidades do pai, como a força física e coragem, para assumir o reino. Certo dia, ele conhece uma sombra (Kage) em condições o tanto quanto cotidianas, mas entram numa aventura para fazer Bojji o rei mais forte. Pode parecer um tanto clichê, mas a obra surpreende. O ponto mais crucial da história para mim foi o desenvolvimento dos personagens principais e uma visão diferente sobre o que nós, espectadores, vemos como __o certo e errado.__ Apesar das outras personagens não apresentarem um desenvolvimento tão completo, __também são peças-chave à trama.__ ______( ALERTA: SPOILERS A SEGUIR)______ ~~~~ Em relação a temática, ela é comum a outros animes com uma temática de idade medieval fantasiosa, como Nanatsu no Taizai. Por o mangá não estar finalizado, o autor deixou em aberto muitos elementos da trama, como o uso de magias e o próprio ranking dos reis, mas espero que tenha sido uma estratégia para dar continuidade à história. Agora, vamos falar da polêmica dentro da narrativa: __Miranjo.__ Ela se mostrou como um vilã durante o primeiro cour da temporada, mas o autor quis montar um arco para demonstrarmos compaixão à mesma. Sinceramente, eu achei um desenvolvimento limpo, mas que pode amadurecer ainda mais conforme mais temporadas surjam. Ademais, um elemento que o autor e a própria direção pecaram foi o arco de treinamento e invasão. Eles criaram tanta expectativa em cima de Desha (curiosidade: é um anagrama de Hades) e seu exército que achei o desfecho desse conflito muito raso. Por que ele não forçou uma negociação mais pesada e qual tesouro foi escolhido do cofre divino? Entendo o hype para uma nova temporada, mas será possível concluir todos os pontos em aberto? Mas chega de criticar construtivamente e vamos aos pontos positivos. Em primeiro plano, a direção de arte é excepcional. A WIT STUDIO não me decepciona quanto a qualidade dos traços e fluidez. Em segundo plano, há a questão da trilha sonora. Até uma pessoa exigente para músicas, como a mim mesmo, ela devia ser aplaudida de pé. Parece que você está inserido no anime com um timing de OSTs impecáveis. É claro, as openings e endings também são fenomenais. Agora, é possível comentar sobre um ponto de vista subjetivo à obra. Ela traz os mais diversos sentimentos que pude assistir em um anime. Melancolia, raiva, felicidade, angústia são algumas, mas a principal é o de leveza. Ver Bojji evoluindo me deixou bem, como se eu estivesse superando aquele problema. Essa temática da dificuldade de inserção do surdo-mudo me lembrou um tema que caiu no ENEM( Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio para os estrangeiros), na qual ela pedia soluções para incluir os desamparados no ambiente escolar. Junto de Kage, o nosso protagonista conseguiu superar os empecilhos da comunicação, além de se fortalecer para lutas empolgantes, desde seu próprio meio-irmão até um cavalheiro imortal. Em suma, acredito que esteja no meu top 5 animes que lançaram de 2016- 2022. Tem muito potencial para se tornar uma narrativa fantástica. Obrigado pela atenção, Kenzo, do Brasil.
# __Olá a todos Sou BigTost__: Estou no mundo dos animes a algum tempo, mais de meia década , então decidi expressar minha mais sincera opinião sobre os anime que assisto, então aqui vai a minha opinião sobre #~~~__Ousama Ranking__:~~~ Logo de cara história é um pouco confusa, nós os espectadores do anime somos joga de cara com um pequeno príncipe fraco, com um status, como posso dizer ,especai, devido a sua deficiência auditiva, vivendo em um mundo em constante mudança com um passado recheado de informação que vai sendo colocado aos poucos aos espectadores durante a obra. É quase com se estivéssemos diante de um tsunami que avança sem dó sobre uma pobre cidade costeira. Apos o termino dos 23 episódios da primeira temporada eu sinto que: alguns pontos ficaram por preencher em aberto: ~~~ _1.A quem é o demónio? existem mais?_~~~ ~~~_2.Quem são os deuses?_~~~ ~~~ _3.O que são os Ousama Ranking?_~~~ ~~~ _4.Quais são os outros para alem dos Reis Despa e Bosso?_~~~ ~~~ _5.O que tem no cofre que somente o Rei mais forte pode acessar?_~~~ mas de resto, a animação de combate é incrivelmente boa; Como já disse no começo, a construção de mundo é tão boa ou até melhor que a animação; e o que me estou extremamente curioso para saber um dos maiores pontos deixados em aberto na obra, os Rankings; ~!Fiquei meio chocado com a o status final da Miranjo onde ela acaba por ficar com o filho da pessoa que ela supostamente "amava", mas como é um anime para crianças, todos ficam felizes para sempre, isso inclui nosso querido protagonista que experimento por um tempinho a preção e os deveres de um Rei viu que não era para ele e foi embora, esse ponto eu achei muito engraçado !~ outra coisa que me chamou a atenção foi durante o ápice dos combates algo entre os episódios: 19-20, quando usaram 3 pontos de fuga ,e mais algumas regras de perspetiva, em alguns planos, o que me fez estranhar a composição em principio, mas, depois, com o decorrer das cenas me acostumei e passei a achar um conceito muito bem explorado. e assim encerramos a season, sinto que ainda teremos mais por fiz, sinto que o grande retrato que a obra passa é que: ~~~_"não importa o quanto riam de você, não importa o quanto ache que vc é incapaz, se você sobre suas capacidades até mesmo um imenso mundo sé torna pequeno perante a imensidão de um pequeno príncipe"_ ~~~ Mas bem, essa é basicamente a minha opinião sincera sobre está bela obra, desde já muito obrigado se leu até aqui, obrigado pela sua atenção e aqui vai a minha avaliação final sobre está season de Ousama Ranking: ~~~__Avaliação:__~~~ ~~~__Uma narrativa muito boa__~~~ ~~~__Animação e composições de cenas muito boas__~~~ ~~~__Construção de mundo incrivelmente boa__~~~ ~~~__nota: 9/10__~~~ ~~~img220(https://www.geekhere.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ousama-Ranking-01-61.jpg)~~~
This revew will only be about this one season because I have only had contact with the anime formart of it. This revew will be divided in 6 parts: Sinopse full of spoillers; character interaction and likeness; animation and the art style; music; critiques and an overall opinion over the anime. __~~~Sinopse~~~__ Ousama ranking its a wholesome manga created by Sousuke Touka the genious behind this comfy story, it got an adaptation to anime in 2021 of its first season. On this first season of an (I would want to believe) multiseasoned anime tell us a story about a small giant Boshi who is both deaf and mute, not just that but he is also the weekest person you will ever meet not beeing even able to hold a sowrd in this medieval world where stregth is the most inportant thing. In this world there are Ousama Ranking a sistem where they are able to list the current kings in a raking of theyre stregth. Boshi our protagonist is the oldest son of the number 1 ranked king Bosse, beiing for that reason the candidate for the throne. Becouse of his condition people underestimate speaking badly about him on his presence. Boshi ends up meeting Kage our main support character who at first uses him for his ritches stealing his expencive clothes and jewllries, but with the time beeing he starts simpatizing with boshi and they end up creating an indestructible bond. This simple life stops beeing like this with the death of his father and the start of an enourmous malicious plan orchestrated by the king itself and his lover/right arm Miranjo who identity stays a secret for some episodes. Theyre plan starts gojng as planned as they take Boshi´s brother Daida´s body with the help of a demon so Bosse can come back to life and once more rule the kingdome. Boshi who was suppose to be the next king gets betraied not being voted to be the king by the four stroggesta and his stepmom (Hilda). Daida now the new king makes Boshi go on a distant adventur to seek Hildas parents on wich getting betraied once more and sidetracked meets his now mentour that finaly teaches him with succes how to hold a weapon making him the stronggest being of the world. Going back home to this maddness Boshi has no other choise than to be the hero of them all and beat his one father and putting a stop to his and Miranjo's plan. After that Daida gets finaly back access to his stolen body giving the throne to his brother ending this season with him once again giving it back to Daida wanting to build his whone kiongdom nextside to Kage. __~~~Character Interaction~~~__ The realationship betwen Kage and Boshi its the one that got teh sporlight beeing full of wholesome and inocent moments. The interactions betwen this new best friends fill our hearts with this warming sensation that we mostly feel in romance genre animes and movies but this time its in an inocent friendly way insted of a romantic intent. U can easly get that boshi and kage are still children that really easly get attached to others, like Gigan a green giant that they breathly meet but fastly becomes theyre friend after a little fight ended by a single blow. On the other side the relationship betwen Bosse and Miranjo its also filled with its wholesome moments has we learn theyre story but mostly this sensation is canceled by the weirdness of this relationship and the meaning of it for the final plot. __~~~Animation/Art Style~~~__ We can get tow polar oposites from the art sryle and the animation chosen one (the south) the inocent simple and pretty style chosen for the moments where Boshi meats someone new and (North) where fights and dramatic/tense scenes take part. Both of the animation styles really gets the job done being the first one just warming and good to look at and the second one aways suprising us with unusual camera angles and framerates. Per exemple in the last fight betwen Boshi and Daida(Bosse) We firstly get to see the depiction of Boss fighting against Boshi this ending with the now weekend Daida crawling his way to miranjo at a suprisingly low framerate showing us at teh start the raw stregth and power of Bosse and then the now helplessness state that he finds himself in. __~~~Music~~~__ The music mostly shines at the 2 openings and ending of this series being both opening suitable for the arc we find ourselfs in at teh moment they are present the first one being more calm and relaxing and the second one more fast passed becouse of the continuous conflicts that we find ourselfs in at the second half of the anime. __~~~Critiques~~~__ Ousama Ranking leave us some questions to be asked mostly because this is just the first season of the searies but some of them i feel could have be4en explained to us more earlier. What and what is the porpouse of the ousama rankings? Thats one of the mostly asked questions by me. At the surface the ouasma rankigns just have the objective to list the kings from the weeker one to the stronghest one, but we all know there is a more important meaning that I feel we should already have a hint to. Another one of this question would be the story behind the demons race being only showed to us one member of this probably huge race. This question i feel will probably be answerd in next seasons so i cant actually be mad about it. __~~~Overall vew~~~__ Ousama Ranking is a short and great anime taht i would recomend to anyone to watch either alone or with someone like myself did, The animation its perfectly chosen and the music can keep up with it at the moments it is called for. The characters are easly likeble and the story is easly understandable making this anime an overall good anime. I would give it an 75 as a final score because it doesnt completly fill my taste in anime. Anyways I will be waiting for a next season where my questions will be answerd I hope and Im also waiting to see your opinion in my first revew so let me know how I could write it better so I can inprove as arevew writer. Anyways thanks you all for reading this and thanks you for being the weebs that get this thing I love to be possible!!
#~~~__About Me__ ~~~
Hey y'all, this is my second review on anilist, so it probably won't be all that good either, but I
really want to say some shit about this anime. I'll say some stuff about me first so feel free to just
skip this part if you're only interested in the actual review portion of this. I'm 17 years old and
started actually watching anime in 2020 with classic Naruto, even tho I have watched Death Note, Tokyo
Ghoul and One Punch Man before, Naruto is the first big anime that I finished and the show that got me
into anime. My favorite animanga are Dragon Ball (classic and Z) and Berserk. You probably might think
that I don't have the bag to talk about any anime since I started watching it so late, and you might
be right, but I'm here anyways. I also think it's important to share how I rate the shows that I
watch, which is by personal enjoyment, that's how a show like Nagatoro-san is the same rating as the
second season of Attack on Titan, that being said, if the story of the show is bad, the score will go
down, because I didn't like the story, same thing as if the animation is bad, it will affect how I
enjoy the show. Basically, if a show is below a 5, I didn't like it, and mostly wouldn't recommend it,
if a show above a 5, that means I liked it, and would recommend it. If you read my first review or saw
my profile at the time I wrote my first review you'll notice that some ratings have changed, and thats
cause I moved from a 10 point system to a 10 point decimal system, since I feel like decimal values
give more options when rating shows. I use the decimals by .4 each, meaning my ratings go like this:
0; 0.4; 0.8 [...] 9.2; 9.6; 10 (I hope y'all were able to understand it cause I suck at explaining
this stuff I'm sorry). I'm a bit late to the Ousama Ranking party aswell, but whatever, I just
finished it and need to talk about it. That's all! Let's go to the review!
~~~img400(https://c.tenor.com/gP7k0-XqIXEAAAAC/goku-thumbs-up.gif)~~~
___
__~~~WARNING!!!~~~
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS UNMARKED SPOILERS FROM OUSAMA RANKING__
___
#
~~~__Preface__~~~~~~img400(http://pa1.narvii.com/8135/cfba5e7217899e8e045fc5596d74863b55b87f40r1-540-304_00.gif)~~~
I'll start by saying that I had really high hopes for this show, the first 5 or so episodes made me
think that this anime was about to be one of the few 10/10s I would have on my profile. Unfortunately
the show fell off a bit midway through it, so let's talk about why I think that is the case.
___
# ~~~__Animation &
Direction__~~~~~~img400(https://64.media.tumblr.com/f99c458d4acabbf28181e50b288b4deb/b3cb6de1253c7f22-c9/s540x810/5700f97b6a5e6294bcda57ed3da9645382ce0bc7.gifv)~~~
At the beginning of the show, the animation was one of the highlights of the show for me, beautiful,
alive and colorful. Though as the show progresses the animation started to feel kinda lifeless and
bland, halfway thoughtout the show is where a feel like there was a drop in animation quality, and if
I'm not mistaken the animation director did change from the first one at the beginning, and you can
tell. Even with the overall quality dropping, it still wasn't bad animation, but compared to the one
that we saw at the start of the show it's for sure a dropoff. Fortunately, nearing the end of the show
the animation did get a upgrade once again, the final 2 fights were pretty well animated and directed,
especially Bojji vs Bosse. To close out this segment, the animation was overall good, with some really
good highlights, but also some moments where the animation was not engaging at all making the scenes
feel a lil bit stall.
___
# ~~~__Plot &
Script__~~~~~~img400(https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://64.media.tumblr.com/cd7ca1c50ba1c3ab979b90db07d9976a/a0a00cd4e8a479d4-9a/s400x600/acf18dea93ef2bba6f99152524d9cb9e4121e3f4.gifv)~~~
This is where this show really confuses me, because at the beginning of the show, the plot felt really
simple, deaf-mute prince meets a slick bandit that tries to take advantage of the prince, but ends up
becoming his friend and both of them go out to have adventures and build a kingdom themselves, right?
Wrong. For some reason the creator decided to introduce some big politics shit in the middle of this
kids anime, like I can understand mixing politics into Attack on Titan cause that is a more mature
show and the way that the plot is made calls for it, but for a show like Ousama Ranking? I don't
really think it needed that kinda of content, it's kinda trying to mix politics on classic Dragon
Ball, it doesn't really make sense, just make a wholesome kids show where kids have adventures. I also
think that the creator must love Game of Thrones, not only because the show has kinda of a Game of
Thrones feeling, with characters that felt important dying(or almost dying) and the politics, but also
the gigantic and enormous amount of plot twists. For what real reason this show needed that amount of
plot twists? Don't get me wrong I like a good plot twist, but it got to a point where you couldn't
tell wtf was going on because every character changed sides each episode. The snake guy went from
being a bad guy to a good guy to a bad guy to a good guy again, Bojji's sword coach dude was a good
guy that went bad and then went good again, the lancer went from good guy to bad to good guy at the
end, Hilling went from being bad to good to bad and then good again, you get the idea, these were only
a couple of examples but there are quite a few of other characters that are structured that way, even
Bosse has the same treatment. Why? Why does a show like this needs to try so hard to be complex, and
completely fails at that. If you want to put this amount of plot twists you gots to be an amazing
writer, because otherwise, the plot will feel messy and not planned at all, which is the feeling that
this show gives me, at some point it felt like the creator didn't want us to have any negative
feelings towards any character, what the creator doesn't realize though is that when you have that
many plot twists it's hard for you to grow attachment to the characters, since even if you like then
in one episode, they might change at very next, there are exceptions to that obviously, like Bojji and
Despa, but other than that what you gon get from the characters is like a box of chocolates.
___
# ~~~__Miranjo's
Character__~~~~~~img400(https://64.media.tumblr.com/e4fbb12b2691cca75b0013ebc62fdef8/21b4ab9315462021-28/s540x810/d7211eec2a5815caef39f59b313b6dd39f6f313d.gifv)~~~
Yes, she's getting a whole paragraph, because whole fuck this was a bad character. The first time we
get introduced to her character we didn't even know she had a name, she was just a talking mirror that
gave guidance to Daida, as the story progresses you realize that actually she is doing a lot of shit
under the table, and ordered MULTIPLE people to be murdered, matter fact, if it wasn't for Kage, Bojji
was going to be killed throught Miranjo orders, so the fact that the creator wanted to humanize and
make us feel bad for her is bizarre to me, cause if her plan had worked she would've killed: Bojji,
Hilling, Dorshe, Apeas and Daida (which would pretty much be forgotten since he would be stuck inside
Bosse's mind). Since I've mentioned Apeas let me talk about the plot hole that is their relationship,
because we see in a flashback that Apeas has big respect for Miranjo, and so does Miranjo for him, but
if that's the case why would Miranjo manipulate Daida into killing Apeas, it could be a intricate plan
where she kills him to make Daida a feared king but why him? I mean yea he did vote against Daida to
become king but also why woulnd't she talk with Apeas and say the she was stuck in the mirror if they
really were friends, idk I might've not understand this part but this whole thing feels like really
sloppy writing.
But by far the thing that I most hate about her character is the fact that literally EVERYBODY
forgives her at the end, and Daida MARRIES her, she's a criminal, a literal sociopath, and some of
those people know it, and they just say fuck it, idk if this was the message that the creator wanted
to give but to forgive this kind of people(by this kind of people I mean people that tried to KILL you
and your family) is not a sign of strength, I would say it's just foolish, I know that Bojji for
example has no ideia that Miranjo tried to kill him and actually killed his mother, but the fact that
the audience knows it and the creator tries clean her up is flatout disrespectful, it's like the
creator showed us that she killed and manipulated multiple people but hey, she's had a very difficult
childhood ok? She tried to kill herself ok? So please feel bad for her. No, fuck you. Talking about
the Daida and Miranjo marriage now, I still can't comprehend why would Daida do that, he says that
"she helped him in the darkness" or sum like that, but realistically wtf did she actually do?
Honestly? When he was trapped inside his own body she wasn't even there, he was just seeing her
memories, she didn't do shit to him, and you can tell because even her is surprised when Daida offers
to marry her, cause she knows it doesn't make sense, but why would she refuse it, I mean she should be
in prison but now she is marrying king? Fuck yea for her. And when you think about it his decision to
marry her might as well kill people, because originally Despa would ask to the demon to make his
brother mortal again, which in the middle of it Daida appeared outta nowhere to ressurect her, so the
fact that his Despa's brother is alive and now freed might cause the death of a lot of people, also it
forced Desha to take the number 1 spot on the ranking which will more likely than not make some people
die and the his kingdom to fall because as said at the beginning of the show, every king that takes
the number 1 spot becomes crazy. And they still try to make us feel bad for Miranjo. Despa should've
just slapped the shit out of Daida for getting in the middle of his wish, cause now a lotta of people
are going to suffer because Daida was horny. Also since Daida made a wish shouldn't he get a curse
too?
Miranjo's realtionship with Bosse also is pretty weird, and it's 100% the scripts fault, like the big
realization of Miranjo's character is the fact that Bosse might've not wanted to be invicible and
immortal in the first place, and I mean ok this can be a cool discussion, but we already had that with
Despa's and Desha's brother, about how being immortal is actually a bad thing that makes you go crazy,
so this plot point is already used and dead. Also wouldn't you think that Bosse would've at least
expressed to Miranjo that he didn't want any of that? LIke he didn't want to have to kill his children
to be immortal and shit like that? At least a little talk yk. And if Bosse is sorry of his actions
like he showed at the end when he was dying, why was he so cool with fighting people when he was on
Daida's body? It feels weird.
___
# ~~~__Positive
Stuff__~~~~~~img400(https://images.uncyc.org/pt/thumb/f/f8/Bojjiekage.gif/300px-Bojjiekage.gif)~~~
Ok, I know that it looks like I hate the show, but you know, it's only the human nature to focus more
on the bad stuff than the shit that is actually good, so let me say some good stuff about this show
because definately there are a lot of it. I would say that the initial concept of a deaf-mute prince
trying to become a king is such a great ideia, and I don't think I've ever seen or heard about
anything like it in any other animanga. Bojji's and Kage relationship is also pretty wholesome and
feels organic, especially in the beginning of the show. A lot of the discussions brought up in the
show were also really interesting and well done, Kage's backstory is a great social commentary on
racism/xenophobia, Bojji's character also has a handful of great discussions, the two most prominent
are the "you imperfections make you perfect" and the "make your strengths out of your weaknesses",
which are really wholesome and well done.
Even tho in a lot of moments the animation can be lacking overall it fits the show really well and
when the studio tried it's just amazing animation and direction, also loved the fights choreographies.
___
# ~~~__Additional Thoughts__~~~~~~img400(https://c.tenor.com/Q0SYsvoiK88AAAAC/ousama-ranking.gif)~~~
A friend of mine said it best when he said that this anime has a little bit of everything, it has
fights, romance, good animation, sad moments, wholesome moments, hype moments and an interesting plot,
and I would like to add that I think this is one of the best anime to recommend to people that are
getting into anime, because my friend is 100% right, this show has something for everyone. I think
that this anime also made me feel one of the most important things for a studio that's adapting a
manga: it made me want to read the original content. I don't know if Ousama Ranking is getting a
second season but I would love if it did, I really hope this isn't one of those anime that ends up
being only an ad to it's original content, because I feel like this season just ended where I was most
excited about the story: the adventure. This Dragon Ball feeling of just travelling through the world
with your friends and living a bunch of adventures, actually this is what I really wanted this whole
anime to be, ever since Bojji went on his adventure earlier in the show, unfortunately we are only
getting that in the next season if it does happen.
Since I haven't really talked about some characters earlier in the review, I would like to add that
overall I really enjoyed the character design and apart from the constant plot twists that made the
characters change sides all the time they were pretty decent. Matterfact I didn't really enjoyed how
Kage was treated later on the show, he went from a character full of personality to just a crybaby and
overall just a passive character to the story.
You probably noticed that I used the words "at the beginning of the show" a lot, and that's due to the
fact that I really don't think that the script was planned very well, I feel like a lot of ideas from
the beginning of the show ended up being dropped and in order to make the show more "complex", they
decided to expand a lot of smaller plots at the same time but it just came out really messy and
sloppy, as if the show was always trying to catch itself and putting the cart before the horse.
But, I still really enjoyed this show, and I look forward to the next seasons if they come to exist.
___
# ~~~__Conclusion/TL;DR__~~~
Ousama Ranking is a jack of all trades, master of none, except sloppy writing.
___
# ~~~__Notes From the Author__~~~
Hey! Thanks for reading my review, I put a lot of time into this(around 3 hours and around 2500
words). As my second review I feel like I was a lot more prepared writing the review, and I would say
it's a better product than my first one, I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. I would
appreciate a like(or a dislike) if you would be kind to leave one. Thank you so much.
-nadish
~~~img400(https://www.omelete.com.br/webstories/anime-awards-2021/assets/2.gif)~~~
“Look as hard as you can for the place where you can shine and stay there.” - Queen Hiling, Episode 23 Ousama Ranking borrows from fairytales to weave an engaging story about loyalty, trust and forgiveness. Its whimsical approach makes for an endearing series that has an exceptionally strong start; defying expectations for most of its run. Unfortunately, some of the later episodes stumble, but they don’t take away from the overall experience of watching this show. The main plot is deceptively simple; following the main character as he tries to grow into a strong leader. Over time, however, a complex story develops that weaves some darker themes that only make it more interesting. The audience is able to easily understand the core elements of the series which is important in fantasy settings where there isn’t as much exposition in its opening. This is something that becomes lost over the course of the series, with side characters being reduced to giving exposition. Ousama Ranking does handle its tone well; creating some surprisingly creepy moments that lure the audience in. This is done without disrupting the pacing of the episodes; allowing the plot to unravel a lot like a fairytale. The strong command over pacing does falter towards the end of the series with tonal shifts becoming more abrupt. This culminates in an ending that feels forced; trying to create harmony between the darker moments and a generally empathetic story. It can make the ending feel unsatisfying as the series has to take a couple of leaps in logic while struggling to develop some of the characters' actions and motivations. I found that the final episode took a more positive forward, reflecting the strong start. A number of fight scenes tend to follow similar choreography and plot beats which can make them a little dull to watch at times. While the fight scenes aren’t the main focus of the series, it would have been nice to see some more variation in the later episodes; especially in their length. This would have given the show more space to show how a character has developed throughout the narrative. This also leads to a lack of consistent tension which can make some of the episodes have a noticeable change in tone and quality. However, this is also because Ousama Ranking tackles most of its ideas really well; notably with how it subverts the audience’s expectations. Some of these are born from fairytales and others are from our own expectations, but they are challenged in interesting ways. It becomes a series that focuses on the idea of understanding others, whether it is the audience coming to understand the characters or characters coming to understand themselves. Unfortunately, at times the series becomes reliant on plot twists which causes some potentially impactful moments to fall flat. Perhaps one of Ousama Ranking’s biggest stumbling points is over its use of forgiveness. For most of the narrative, it is woven in well as the audience watches characters come to terms with what has happened to them and grow from these moments. This makes the forgiveness feel earned and the characters are consistent. This, however, is lost when concerning Daida and Miranjo. The conflict was resolved in a rather unsatisfying way that skipped over their conflict and brushed away any internal motivations. This risks leaving a sour taste in the audience’s mouth depending on how they relate to the characters. Despite this, the main characters do a really good job of holding the show together through the rougher moments; especially Bojji. His struggles have weight and the audience can watch him grow throughout the story. This compliments his journey while giving him more depth than what we might first assume. Bojji is also treated thoughtfully; especially with him being both deaf and mute. There is a balance struck between his internal and external struggles with his disabilities only being a natural part of this. They aren’t used as an excuse or to garner sympathy. There are, however, a couple of inconsistencies around Bojji’s ability to lip-read where we see some moments where he understands what people are saying despite not looking at them. This isn’t a major problem, but it can be a little odd to watch. His relationship with Kage is endearing and benefits both characters as the audience can watch them grow in different ways. They mirror each other in their struggles but they are given enough difference for their perspectives to be interesting and refreshing. They aren’t bundled together and are treated as separate entities for most of Ousama Ranking. Kage is unfortunately cast aside in the latter episodes, becoming reduced to simply being Bojji’s friend which is a shame because the characters played well off each other prior to this. The character’s backwards development is mostly reversed in the final episode, so if there is a sequel series it will hopefully progress his character more. The supporting characters are also, for the most part, well-written; often surprising the audience as they defy expectations. This does highlight an uneven pace of development for different characters in later episodes. This is a consequence of having so many plot twists centring around characters; they begin to feel like they have unstable foundations. In turn, this can make it feel like they don’t actually develop as it becomes difficult to understand who the characters actually are. Some of the relationships between the supporting characters are underdeveloped; often not given much definition or space to be explored. While this can create a sense of intrigue, it can also make some characters feel inconsistent. This means that a small handful of character resolutions don’t end up feeling fully satisfying; especially when considering their actions. It is clear that Ousama Ranking was trying to tackle a lot of concepts and ended up struggling with treating them all consistently. One area that this series shines is through its style which captures the fairytale tone while being pleasing to watch, especially with the settings. I can see its visual style could be off-putting for some, but it does add an extra layer to the story and allows it to stand out. It also isn’t afraid to experiment with its style and perspective to heighten certain moments. Ousama Ranking doesn’t overuse these and it makes the series feel more dynamic to watch. The colouring of the series, however, is a little strange in places. Initially, it starts off as vibrant and full of life but there is a period in the middle where it feels a little off; almost less vibrant, but this rectifies itself by the end of the series. The soundtrack is similarly interesting, fitting the almost medieval setting. There are a couple of moments where the music doesn’t really fit the scene it's in. This is most notable healing scenes during tense moments where it disrupts the flow of the scene due to its more joyful tone. Overall, Ousama Ranking is an interesting series that, despite having a small stumble towards its end, tells a very interesting story. It wraps up with a mostly satisfying conclusion that, while it leaves room for a sequel, can stand well on its own. It is definitely a show that is worth a watch, especially if you enjoy the fantasy genre.
# ~~~__Introduction__ ~~~ Ousama Ranking, or Ranking of Kings, is a show I did not expect would leave much of an impression on me. Like most who probably started watching it, I saw clips online of the show's cute art style, with positive word of mouth further reinforcing my interest to watch the show. Eventually, I bit the bullet and absolutely loved it. It took a couple rewatches of the first two episodes to really adjust to the absolute sense of sweetness and love the show exuded, but once I got to use to it, it really left quite the impression. By the 10th episode, I was bugging my friends to watch the remainder with me. We quickly caught up to where I was in the show, and continued forward. Everyone loved it. We thought it was heading towards a markedly unique and different place that other anime had yet to venture, or that was the case until we reached the second part of the season. For context, the show is about a Prince named Bojji, who is deaf, and by proxy, mute. The entire kingdom, family, and court think little of him, and much prefer his younger brother, Daida, to ascend the thone once King Bosse dies. I'm going to go into spoilers for the rest of the show going forward (so if you haven't watched the show yet, leave), but if you just want a quick yes or no to watch the show, yes. Go watch the show. The chances you'll like it is higher than the chances you'll dislike it. Anyways, ____major and minor spoilers ahead.____ ~~~__Background__ ~~~ Anyways, everyone appears to dislike Bojji at quick glance, but as the first part of the season goes on (and parts of the second season), the viewer quickly understands that everyone puts on a mean face against Bojji, but secretly deep down, love him for his kindness and innocence, and are only mean due to personal flaws or developmental reasons. The show does this part so wonderfully, and as someone who adores meaningful character development and introspection, I ate it up. I think the development of Queen Hilling and Domas serve as the best examples of this, as both characters seem incredibly cold to Bojji, but eventually are understood to be his biggest defenders. I went from hating them, to considering them to be the best characters in the show. Point is, the show does an excellent job in the first half of actually fleshing every character out, and I mean EVERY character. The show has a sizeable cast, of which, it does a fairly good job at juggling every character's personality, ambitions, and flaws. Every new character they introduce is unique in their own right, and it leaves me perfectly satisfied. My personal favorite character was Despa, the younger brother of the king of the Underworld. Funny, charming, and intelligent, he serves as the mentor for Bojji. By the time the show begins moving into the second half, the cards are pointing towards conflict. Bojji, who has assumably died to the Kingdom court, has been usurped by a reincarnated, King Bosse, possessing the body of his son, Daida, thanks to a mysterious mirror. The setting leaves much to the imagination. How will Bojji beat Bosse? How will Daida get his body back? Who is the lady in the mirror? What about the Big Four? Here is where my problems lie. The second half is what killed the show for me - it rushed the ending. __Hunter X Hunter's Chimera Ant Arc and Ranking of Kings __ Hunter X Hunter, a popular shounen anime, has an arc widely considered to be one of the best in anime called the Chimera Ant arc. The arc is long, and focuses on the threat of ants who evolve by eating intelligence lifeforms. __Minor to major spoilers for Hunter X Hunter__ At the end of the arc, the main cast tries to infiltrate into a castle, and this infiltration is incredibly well done, with minute by minute coverage of each character's action, both friendly and enemy. Each character has their own motivations to be apart of the operation, with fights breaking out between both sides throughout the castle. I bring up the Chimera Ant arc because there is alot common between HxH and Ousama Ranking's arcs here. Not in the copy-pasted way, but in spirit, there is a lot in common. Both shows see their main cast try to infiltrate a castle to stop a big bad, with different groups spread throughout the castle trying to achieve their own goals. Some of the subplot points are similar too, for example, like with Daida being trapped in his own body, and in HxH Gon trying to save [redacted] in somewhat similar position. The problem with Ousama Ranking's arc, is that it wastes a lot of time. Characters teleport around the castle, we don't fully understand the logic behind some characters (Which is fine to some degree, but Apeas literally had no clear established motives for most of the show), and there seems to be conflicting motives for some characters with established motives (cough cough Apeas). HxH was able to take care of some of this by fully establishing everyone's motives before the final showdown, but it also simply had more episodes to really take its time with a minute by minute view of the infiltration. Ousama Ranking did not have the opportunity to go minute by minute, so it had to do some teleporting and some weird vibe cut-cornering to get to the conclusion. The segment feels very disjointed. Bojji rides into the castle, saves his mom, makes friends with an ogre, goes down to the basement meets the underworld king, saves domas, goes back upstairs, sees Ouken, fights Ouken, sees Miranjo, etc. There is just alot going on, and that is not factoring the other cast members doing their own things in the background. More time to really flesh out a proper linear progression of events was what the show needed, but sadly could not get. __ J.J. Abrams and the Mystery Box __ J.J. Abrams is an American director known for his work on Star Wars and Star Trek. He created the idea of a "mystery box," in which, the writer would present the viewer a mystery, then keep in the box until the ending, in which it is revealed what is inside the box. Stringing the viewer along this trail is what ultimately is important though, as what is in the box does not matter so much as getting the viewer to be there. Ousama Ranking does the initial mystery quite well, with the biggest mystery by far being the mystery behind Bosse's revival. The mirror, and her motives for his revival, leave the viewer guessing on how things will play out, and is at the core of the story's drive. They keep the mystery in a box for most of the show, with the first crumbs being fairly small, first a figure of the character, then a name, and then eventually a face, nothing crazy. Eventually, they bring in more and more information, like how they are to marry and how she is a follower/believer in Bosse. Bosse, for his part, seems fairly indifferent and cold to the situation, serving as a largely passive force. This leaves much to the imagination. Is Bosse apart of this? Why does mirror girl want Bosse back? Who is she? The problems though, start to emerge with the trail to the unraveling of the mystery box. As mentioned before, there was some sloppiness with how the build-up to the finale was built. By the time the viewer reaches the end, at least for me, I was kinda miffed. When they started revealing information, slowly, that the mirror girl (Miranjo) was some sort of psuedo-daugher/wife thing with Bosse, it kind of irked me. Then they reveal, that more or less, the entire point of this conflict stemmed from a communication misunderstanding between Bosse and Miranjo, Bosse, who rescued Miranjo when she was a child after killing her father, said he was happy to spend the rest of his life taking care of her, he breifly mentioned at one point he once wanted to be the strongest in the world. Miranjo takes this as he still wants to be the strongest, despite him never saying that. He then plans with Miranjo to sacrifice his first son essentially, and then get a second son for revival purposes. But when Miranjo and Bosse both turn around and say they didn't want any of this, it just leaves me incredibly confused. Like, did you guys just not have a conversation at all after the initial plan drafting phase? The two just bumble into being the bad guys, with Ouken, their servent, posing to be a more dangerous threat than either Miranjo or Bosse. I can spend all day explaining why I don't like them, but it just seems like a poorly written mystery and an unfullfilling end (Not even going to mention Daida and Miranjo getting married). __Conclusion~~~~~~__ The show was so good for the first half, but quickly ended up becoming a rushed mess that left much to be desired in terms of writing. The bad guy's had poor and confusing motives, and a weird relationship that needed more time in the oven. I do not think motives and relationships need everything to be explained directly to the viewer, leaving some of it to the imagination is half the fun, but the state of Miranjo and Bosse's relation is atrocious. I see where the show is going with the wilderness king and Kingbo, but I earnestly hope it turns out better in the future. The Ouken/Densha/Despa story line was very good as well, and I hope they continue to expand that as well. I give the show a 79 out of 100. It used to be at a 90, but quickly tumbled to "ok" territory for me.
This show is kinda bad. First, the upsides: 1. Gorgeous visuals. The art and animation is a sight to behold. With each frame looking like it was right out of a children's storybook, it's hard to believe that this show is digitally animated. It's as if it's halfway between digital and cel animation. The line art is immaculate; you can just feel the **pencilness** of every frame. And with the watercolor-style flashbacks I felt like I was pausing every 5 seconds just to drink it all in. Like, Hiling's dress in episode 3 is simply to *die for.* And it's not just the art itself - the shot composition is awesome. As just one example, there is a scene in episode 7 where Bojji sees his father reflected in an axe on the wall, and it's just a great shot. Interesting shots like these are scattered throughout the whole series, making it never dull to look at. The visuals carry Ousama Ranking hard. 2. An amazing second OP, ranking among my top OPs ever. Hadaka no Yuusha is a banger of a song and it is accompanied by powerful imagery animated in the aforementioned gorgeous style, and edited immaculately. Seriously, it's amazing. Up there with other all-timers like the FMA:B openings. 3. An extremely promising first half. Ousama Ranking sets up a fantasy world that is somehow both whimsical and grounded, with mysteries to be solved and a unique pair of protagonists you want to root for. Now, the downsides, or, rather, the downside, singular: This show craps the bed in the second half. But not anywhere close to a funny, Charlotte-style trainwreck, it just fails to deliver on anything it has set up. It is boring, boring, boring, boring, boring. The majority of the second half is a castle raid that another review aptly compares to the Chimera Ant arc of Hunter x Hunter. But unlike the Chimera Ant arc, which makes sense for the most part, Ousama Ranking's raid is nonsensical, with unclear character motivations, party loyalties constantly changing at the drop of a hat, tedious backstory loredumps, everybody sobbing constantly, and boring-ass fights. The intrigue from the first half is followed up on, but in a very unsatisfying way. I stopped caring in the slightest what happened to any of the characters. Everything drags and drags and drags, and when it finally ends the ending is boring too. The second half (or so) of this show was so tedious to get through that it has completely eclipsed any positive feelings I had toward the first half. I would rather have read 10 cookie cutter isekai power fantasy manga back-to-back than engage with this. Jesus Christ. My recommendation: Avoid completely, because the first half will probably suck you in and make you feel obligated to finish, like I was. Not worth your valuable time.
Disclaimer: I am not deaf myself. If any deaf people have a different perspective on this show, I would love to be informed about it and am open to changing my opinions in that regard. __It’s important to have stories with disabled characters that aren’t ABOUT their disability, but you can’t just pretend the disability doesn’t exist.__ When I read the summary for this show, I was expecting it to be about Bojji proving to everyone else that his disabilities don't prevent him from being able to rule effectively. Instead, this show barely addresses that, and when it does, it's done so badly that I wish it wasn't. Bojji is shown to be physically weak and small. I think this was actually handled alright. We see that it's a setback for him, but he's able to work around it by learning a fighting strategy that requires precision rather tan pure strength. Where the show truly fails is in Bojji's deafness. Studies show that even in the best conditions, only a max of 40% of speech can be accurately lip-read. Bojji is somehow able to read lips with complete accuracy, even when the other characters aren't looking at him or when the lighting is sub-optimal. I could maybe excuse these things if magic was being used to enhance Bojji's lip-reading abilities, but it's not. He's just somehow able to do it perfectly with no assistance. It seems likely that Bojji is capable of hearing a little, as evidenced by his ability to speak (he's definitely trying to say real words), but this is never clarified. It's presented as if Bojji is relying completely on basic, non-magical lip-reading to understand those around him and that is simply not possible. This reveals to me that the writer did not do even a little bit of research on how to write deaf characters. Additionally, Kage is able to understand Bojji's speech perfectly for reasons that are never explained (Kage states he doesn't know why he can do that). Bojji's deafness doesn't effect the way he navigates the world at all. The show is written as if he isn't deaf. It honestly feels like he was made deaf and unable to speak because the writers thought it was childish/cute, not because they actually wanted to explore how that would effect a king's rise to power. It's perfectly fine if they wanted to write a story about a disabled character where the disability isn't a major setback or even a part of the plot at all. In fact, I'd love to see more stories like that. But don't make a character disabled if you're going to write them as if they're not disabled. At least give us an explanation for how Bojji is able to communicate despite his deafness. Without that, it comes across as if the writer wanted brownie points for writing a disabled character, but didn't want to put the work into actually doing it correctly. I haven't even gone in to the utter stupidity that is the plot and character motivations, especially in the second half, but there's plenty of other reviews that do go over that and I don't feel the need to repeat what they've already said. Overall, it's a typical shonen so if you like that type of show, you might enjoy this. But if you want even semi-competent character writing, skip this one.
I wish I could spend this whole review showering WIT Studio with praise for the gorgeous animation, outstanding sword fight choreography, consistently on-model character designs, and grand orchestral music, as many already have and will continue to. But unfortunately, while these features certainly made Ranking of Kings a spectacle and never boring to watch, the presentation isn't enough to make up for the disappointing writing. (Spoilers in a marked section of the review.) Underdog stories have always appealed to me, which drew me into Ranking of Kings premiere. The plot follows Boji, a young prince who is deaf, mute, and considerably weaker than most kids his age. He is first in line to inherit the throne after the untimely death of his giant father king Bosse; the problem is, no one takes him seriously. Citizens and knights consider him a weakling unable to carry the crown. Even his sympathetic stepmother Hiling views him as a hazard rather than a potential king. Upon meeting his only friend, a shadow creature named Kage, his journey to claim the throne begins. Boji is immediately likeable because he strives to achieve his dreams despite the odds stacked against him. It is satisfying to see other, stronger people judge him, then him beating them in a duel with his hidden skills. The artists so fluidly animated his graceful dodging and subtle rapier swipes that it's hard not to be amazed by him. Characters around Boji progress throughout the show as they learn to sympathize with him; they become better people when they regret their wrongdoings towards him and gain faith in his capabilities as king. Boji's cruel half-brother Daida is the main antagonist of the first arc—doing everything he can to prevent Boji from claiming the king's throne. Daida is guided by a dark spirit living within a mirror, not unlike the evil queen's Magic Mirror from Snow White. Ranking of Kings' tone is deceptively joyful at first, in part due to the colorful background art, smooth character designs, and bright lighting, but it quickly becomes dramatic. Every few minutes, a character is crying, usually Boji. The first and second episodes had me tearing up because of Kage's depressing backstory and seeing Boji get beat up for the first time. I was numb to it after the third time he got his ass whooped. Not to mention, any time a named character is in danger, you know for sure they'll be saved at the last minute or healed after a foe beats them half to death. There are only so many melodramatic speeches and surprise rescues I can take before calling out emotional manipulation. Boji is not an overpowered protagonist; however, he is wrapped tightly in plot armor, and tears aren't enough to distract from that glaring issue. A bloodthirsty enemy could chuck a dozen boulders at him and miss. What he lacks in physical strength he makes up for with nimbleness that allows him to evade damage. The times he gets bruised, you can count on someone to heal him. A director can weaponize crying in tandem with tension built up by the script. Overusing sentimentality lessens the effect over time because these scenes lack a long-term setup or a satisfying payoff—a problem many people had with To Your Eternity. One of the most egregious uses of emotional manipulation is showing last-minute flashbacks to redeem villains. After a character has betrayed the hero, saving them is a complex undertaking. Still, the author takes a shortcut to redemption by blending sentimental flashbacks, sobbing, and self-pitying monologues from the villain to manipulate us into forgiving them. Demon Slayer is another fantastically animated, awfully written, anime that attempts to redeem monsters moments before their death with a corny backstory. They don't do the work to make up for their faults—these sudden twists and turns make the story seem lazily written with minimal forethought. (Spoiler section) Boji is a very empathetic boy to a fault—even wanting to spare bloodthirsty killers, wolf beasts, and people who attempted to kill him. The furthest he goes is forgiving Miranjo, the evil spirit living in a mirror who convinces Daida to betray his family. Although Miranjo killed Boji's birth mother in front of him, he has no good reason to forgive her. Miranjo created a potion to turn Daida into an empty husk for King Bosse to reincarnate into—trapping his soul eternally alone in a void Essentially a fate worse than death. Miranjo is willing to kill anyone to stand by Bosse's side once again as she used to. When Boji nearly loses a fight, Miranjo advises the retreat, suggesting she feels empathy for him. Witnessing him fight an immortal knight futilely gives her flashbacks to her mother, a kind woman with a solid moral compass. Eventually, we learn she caused the deaths of tons of innocent people, carrying out the order herself. That the author would attempt to redeem her through pitiable flashbacks is appalling. There is no justice served. Instead, everyone lets Miranjo off with a slap on the wrist and a marriage proposal from Daida to keep her safe in the 22nd episode. The author desperately tries to make us love her, as all the other characters curiously do, and fails spectacularly. She is a floppy noodle of an antagonist and would have easily been a more significant threat by tweaking the flashbacks and reactions from characters. Bosse reincarnated as his son Daida is another limp antagonist. To call his, and everyone else's, motivations confusing would be an understatement. He switches between wanting to murder everyone and healing them just to fight again. The adaptation failed to convey that he is a psychopath who loves manipulating his enemies' expectations or that the author had no idea what direction to take each character. In other words, pick a lane and stay in it! Boji’s mentor tells him 'believing in yourself, and 'self-confidence' is what granted him power, which would contribute to the show’s themes if it were entirely true. Boji trains to fight with a sword, but his high skill level comes from his royal genes. Aptitude derived from luck at birth is similar to My Hero Academia's quirks. Due to these natural abilities the story is more about reclaiming is ‘rightfully his’ then rising up as an underdog. The obstacles he has to overcome are other people who stand in the way of his path to the throne. Many of his allies double-cross him for personal gain, usually out of loyalty to others or for money. However, when they witness his fiery passion in battle and unwavering empathy, they have no choice but to stand by his side! One or two betrayals-turned-allies are understandable. Unfortunately, the author doesn't stop at two and keeps going; it's predictable, obnoxious, and makes sense that someone with a victim complex writes the story. Thankfully the egotism of the author doesn't seep through into Boji's character—who is arguably the most respectful portrayal of a disabled person I've seen in anime. However, the author's biases do radically impact the series in episode 18 and onwards, causing one of the worst declines in writing quality I've seen in an anime since Wonder Egg Priority. In the 18th episode, King Bosse retells Miranjo's origin story in a lengthy exposition dump. (One of my favorite parts of the script is how lore was delivered naturally, NOT by a talking head reading off a script.) Miranjo lived with her mother in the Homura kingdom, a stand-in for Japan, and the Gyakuza Kingdom, a stand-in for Korea. The comparison is immediately apparent when you see how the Gyakuza houses are identical to those in pre-industrial era Korea. Bosse explains how Homura gave the Gyakuza all kinds of benefits, such as teaching them magic, but they took advantage of them by stealing, murdering, and deceiving. The author portrays Homura's colonization of Gyakuza as a net-positive and their rejection of their 'generosity' as ungratefulness. At the time, Bosse witnessed the merciless mutilation of Miranjo by Gyakuza civilians, which spurred him to murder all of them he could find—ethnic cleansing. Their motives are, as Bosse explains: "But different countries have different cultures." Blaming culture for socio-economic problems is a frequent tactic used by Japanese nationalists when criticizing Korea. Western viewers may miss this allegory, but all it takes is briefly seeing the Japanese audience's response to the series to understand how appalling this message is by portraying the Gyakuza as sadistic criminals who mutilate innocent children. There is no room to interpret them as anything but pure evil—making Miranjo their victim of theirs was a tactic to make us pity her, then eventually excuse her actions. There's no nuance to these villains; they're corrupt because they're a manifestation of the author's demonization of Korean people. These villains stand out mainly because, time and time again, the show redeems even the vilest of individuals. This is not to say redemption is necessary, but nuance is. (Spoilers end) The show’s central themes are self-confidence and forgiving those who wronged you—the latter was horribly executed for all the reasons I've said. Everyone, no matter how horrible, is forgiven except for one ethnic group. At the very least, Boji’s coming of age journey to gain self-confidence works. Labeling Ranking of Kings "Average" is generous at best. Without the artists' spectacular audiovisual heights, it would most certainly be an immediate skip. As the writing quality rapidly declines, the visuals become even more impressive as if to compensate for the flaws. For the ones with a brave heart and solid moral compass, watch on, but prepare yourself for disappointment.
Ranking of Kings is a masterpiece hidden in simplicity. (No untagged spoilers) ~~~img320(https://files.catbox.moe/she9su.png)~~~ [trick·sy](https://www.google.com/search?q=tricksy+meaning&rlz=1C1RXQR_enUS1065US1065&oq=trick&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggAEEUYOzIGCAAQRRg7MgYIARBFGDkyCQgCEAAYQxiKBTINCAMQABiDARixAxiABDINCAQQABiDARixAxiABDINCAUQABiDARixAxiKBTIGCAYQRRhBMgYIBxBFGD3SAQgxMDI4ajFqMagCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) /ˈtriksē/ adj: - clever in an ingenious or deceptive way. It gets right into the story, and my favorite thing about the show is that it *subverts your expectations* in many ways, and I'd say that's where the show shines. You can't just judge anything here at first sight. Here are some examples: --- ~~~The character designs.~~~ --- Ranking of Kings has a very unique art style that's the opposite of 'generic anime art style' ....and I mean the literal opposite. In pretty much all other animes, the main / semi-main characters have a certain design, that lets you know they're relevant characters, whereas the very minor characters are given less details or are drawn a little differently. This show doesn't follow that in the least. All the characters are either drawn as: very uniquely-designed, such as Bojji and Kage; or as completely plain; or as a cross of those two. By completely plain I mean plainer than you would think would be possible for any half-decent anime. And yet these characters have just as much depth as the rest, which I'll get to later. If this show had chosen a more common art style instead of what it is (maybe bishounen), it would be seen by alot more people, but it would also lose that aspect of surprising us. Whether or not that would have been better, what it is now fits it perfectly. ~~~img350(https://files.catbox.moe/brui2g.jpeg)~~~ --- ~~~The characters.~~~ --- The male and female characters are both done very well. This show has done the best job of any show I've seen so far at perspective. The show is largely shown from Bojji's or Kage's perspective, and from there it looks like alot of the side characters are the 'bad guys'.. Spoilers: ~! I mean the blame has to be placed somewhere, so why not place it on the girl who's plan is *literally* to destroy the kingdom? Or maybe on the demon? Or the guy trying to kill his own heir almost out of nowhere? ..the show isn't that simple. !~ But once their perspectives are shown, you learn that their motivations can be unbelievably complicated. So the characters have depth. "But is it that deep, after all? Any average show can have complex motivations, doesn't make it a masterpiece." True. This brings me to the next point. --- ~~~The story.~~~ --- It's dark. The *overall* story of this season is a masterpiece in its own right, but you aren't shown that at the beginning. The first few episodes aren't dark, but even when it gets to the dark ones, the show is still building upon itself and the bigger picture. Looking back on it, the foreshadowing is amazing, and very much on the level of One Piece. By dark I mean.. terrible violence isn't shown, but it's implied. Not a spoiler, just dark: ~! There are very many scenes with characters in mental states of agony. There are s**cide attemtps, sacrifices, etc. !~ Again, absolutely nothing repulsive or very violent is shown: the show does a very good job of keeping things 'pretty' while keeping the depth of what happened there. It doesn't make light of it either, at all. ~~~img300(https://files.catbox.moe/d11i2g.gif)~~~ But that's the main way depth is given to the characters: through, well.. deep things. Deep events, deep motivations, deep dreams, deep suffering. It's very simple, yet very effective. And that creates amazing characters. I can't say that all the characters are my favorites from anime in general, but I will say that they (all) have as much depth as some of the deepest anime characters out there. And the characters don't do what you'd always expect. In fact, they often do the opposite, forcing you to put the pieces of everything that happened before together in your mind, which then explains it perfectly, like it was right there all along. If you wanted to, you really could sum up the characters with the word 'realism'. Spoiler Example: ~! [Kage](https://anilist.co/character/209533/Kage), my personal favorite, is a great example of this. Just because he grows attached to Bojji and is a 'good' guy, doesn't mean he'll always act 'nice' to everyone once the quests are over: his actions are still completely influenced by his clan's backstory, as usual, and that has never changed. The only thing that changed is that his kind side was focused on instead, because of the circumstances. !~ If I didn't make it clear enough, there are no plot holes or plot armor, and if it seems like there are any, it will all make sense later, and soon too. --- ~~~The music & overall art style.~~~ --- Maybe a more minor point compared to the rest, but the music and scenery also betray what you might expect.. just because something takes place in a dungeon-style area doesn't mean that scenes there will be dark and gloomy, as compared to the areas with sunny fields. The general art is almost as tricksy as the character designs. And the OPs and EDs give off whatever vibes they want to, but just because, say, it gives off "cheerful, bouncy lightheartedness", doesn't mean that the current arc won't be the darkest. (The ost doesn't betray you as much from what I remember: it generally reflects the characters' mindsets.) Unrelated from how they surprise you, but most of the OPs and EDs are genuinely amazing. --- ~~~The animation.~~~ --- The animation is very deliberate in most of the fight scenes. It's not always over-the-top, as it can be very simple when e.g. characters are just sparring. But when things get serious, the fighting / movement animation will immediately step up. But it's not like what you get from Shounen anime.. it's much more deliberate, e.g. conveying the impact of the swords clashing, or the strength of the fighters, etc. Ok that's hard to explain so here're some examples (not really spoilers): ~~~ ~! img300(https://files.catbox.moe/3om81g.gif) img300(https://files.catbox.moe/0o9tw3.gif) img300(https://files.catbox.moe/b3aaty.gif) In the last gif, the background is dead simple, the arm is blurred, and frames of the weapon are skipped. This shows that he is probably not using much effort, and the main detail put in is the camera work, which makes it really good instead of mid. !~ ~~~ --- ~~~Side notes & Conclusion.~~~ --- Bojji can be very cute. I don't usually find these kinds of things cute, but some scenes, especially later on, calmly pull at your heart and make you smile. (I could make an argument that they are objectively cute.) The pacing is also flawless. None of the arcs feel too long or too short, even if the entire arc revolves around a fight, or training, which very much surprised me. This show has amazing balance. There are also lots of 'cool' elements, as shown in the anime's tags: sword fighting, magic, monsters, giants, etc. (it's a fairy tale). You don't have to like those to like the show at all, though (I don't really). ~~~img300(https://files.catbox.moe/v53nog.gif)~~~ So even if the art style doesn't appeal to you (it doesn't to me), if you don't mind dark shows, give this one a try. It doesn't disappoint.
_This review contains spoilers_ What happened to Ousama Ranking's story? Did someone kidnap the author halfway in and force him to write a mediocre battle shounen with terrible pacing? This show is incredibly confusing to say the least. Ousama Ranking felt like watching two different shows. Its first half or so was actually very enjoyable, making use of complex and interesting characters in a context à la Game of Thrones topped with gorgeous art and symbolic writing - albeit as subtle as a brick through a window -, but then the fire nation attacked the author or something must have happened because everything went to shit. After the first half I just kept wondering what happened, what caused such a shift in quality, I was so focused on this that I could barely comprehend what I was watching anymore but maybe that's a good thing, in a way I got spared. What makes or breaks a series is often its cast of characters. Ousama Ranking's characters are surprinsingly good, or atleast that's how they were at the start of the show. They all have their backstory, allegiance and motivations and even those that appear shallow at first end up being interesting. Two characters have to be talked about: the two princes, Bojji and Daida. Daida is the second prince, he is gifted, strong-minded, ambitious and uncompromising. Even though he seems to be a complete asshole at first, it turns out that he has standards, morals that he's not willing to abandon. Bojji is the first prince, he is exactly the opposite of his brother. He is weak, cursed, and not fit to be a king. He is also deaf and mute. These two princes are interesting because of how drastically different they are and because they are basically competing for the crown after the death of their father. Even though Daida is most fit to become king, he's the second prince so Bojji should take the crown instead. This premise is very solid. It made me wonder how Bojji was going to deal with conflicts. Being deaf, he cannot hear what people are saying to him. Being mute, he cannot speak to them. Being extremely weak physically, he cannot resort to force to solve problems. With all these physical handicaps in mind, without even mentioning the fact that he's extremely shy and childish, I couldn't wait to see what clever path the author was going to take me on. Unfortunately, it seems that making a character as 'flawed' as Bojji in such a setting ultimately couldn't work, or atleast the author couldn't come up with a satisfying twist in their narrative. Indeed, everything that was established through the first half of the anime is simply thrown out the window in the second half. Daida is manipulated by a mirror and completely removed from the story because his father is reincarnated in his body and Bojji undergoes training which makes him literally the strongest character in the show... Daida's complex struggle to emulate his father's strength is gone. Bojji's endeavour to overcome his physical handicap is gone; him being mute and deaf doesn't even matter because he can read lips and people somehow understand him when he's 'speaking'. The clash between the two brothers is dealt with in absentia. Thus, the anime turns into a battle shonen where tension is totally missing, people are gravely wounded but then healed, wounded again but healed again, and wounded one more time and left for dead just to be healed again because why not. Nothing seems to happen for the remainder of the show. We learn about the main antagonist's backstory which apparently is some sort of Japanese nationalistic manifesto which got me confused at first but it now unfortunately makes a lot of sense. One last thing to mention is the series' main antagonists and one word to describe them is boring. The series goes into such great lengths to make them complex and misundertsood that it forgets to actually make them interesting. I wanted a satisfying twist on the hero's journey, I wanted Bojji to find a smart and inspiring manner to deal with his shortcomings, but this is not it. Because to me that's where the potential of the series was: how do you overcome physical handicaps, or how do you live with them? Portraying a disabled character is definitely a tricky task, but making your main character absurdly op in the span of a few episodes is not the answer I was hoping for. Ousama Ranking's first half is very enjoyable, but its second half is utterly disappoiting. It doesn't capitalize on its strengths, it establishes 'rules' but completely forgets them, it doesn't respect its characters and ends up in mediocrity.
~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/0HVsDE1.png) Mute, deaf, and weak, characteristics that have diddly-squat with being a king. These are the traits given to our main protagonist Bojji-sama. Next to inherit the throne after the late Bosse-Sama. A world renown giant, famous for being the strongest entity to ever live. You can only imagine the torment our protagonist has to go through to fill in the giant shoes his father left for him, pun intended. And with that being said, I think this is one of the most unique premises to be conceptualized in a long time. Like most, I was initially thrown off by the artstyle and I had already had plenty of shows from that season on my plate so I wrote it off initially. Many of which disappointed me. But thread after thread on /a/ I kept seeing the damn thing being posted, usually with something along the lines of, “Why aren’t you watching me? The greatest show of the season?” I figured it was bait until the third episode rolled around, I gave in, watched it, and became absorbed. That begs the question, was this actually the greatest show of the season? Firstly, let's address the elephant in the room. DO NOT be deceived by this show’s artstyle, a common mistake among viewers. I thought the artstyle was unique from the start, but it did look like a “child’s” show initially so I brushed it off. However I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the aesthetic of the show even before watching it. Something about it, maybe it was the airiness of the style or the unique character designs, but something about it demanded my attention. Perhaps it was the show's high contrast and deliciously bright color palette The show’s greatest aspect is the amount of depth it gives to its characters. Each character is layered beyond belief, the way characters act and react to certain situations vary. And when I say a character has depth, I don’t mean that they look evil but are actually good. A more accurate simplified depiction would be to say that nothing in this show is black and white, and that everyone and everything resides in this gray area, even Bojji himself isn’t this perfect underdog of a woe is me archetype that you root for, for he too is flawed beyond his aforementioned shortcomings. This is another example of a show that benefits greatly from having almost no inner-dialogue, where we can hear characters' thoughts. The nuance and subtlety delivered sheerly through the facial expressions and body movements makes you understand the stakes of a given situation. Along with the depth this show gives its characters, this show also loves throwing curve balls at you. img220(https://i.imgur.com/pgsRWvL.gif) Now I’m a sucker for any sort of media that keeps you on your toes. Whether that be anime, music etc, but when it comes to anime specifically it’s a double edged sword. On one end you could get a brilliant show like Samurai Flamenco that will sweep the rug from under your feet the moment you think you’ve nailed down the kind of show it is. Also a show like Sonny Boy falls on this side of the sword as well, a series that you’re better off just letting it kick your ass the first time around before taking a breather to fully grasp all the themes it psyched you out with, for round 2. On the other side of the spectrum you get the multitude of atrocious anime that go a million miles an hour without giving a moment's reprieve to understand what’s going on due to the lack of coherent explanation the show does. Some notable examples of this include Garzey’s Wing and Cross Ange, both shows famed for their low quality. I’m happy to announce that Ousama Ranking is the former. For me at least. Though I'll say for me at least because this actually a point of contention for most fans, and nonfans alike. Because about halfway through the show's run, it becomes a battle shounen of sorts. With a name like “Ranking of the Kings” I half expected some form of battling to happen at some point, however many were displeased at the direction it decided to go when it did, because up to this point most thought that this was an adventure coming of age story, which it is. But after Bosse’s Kingdom(Bojji’s father) is invaded and overrun by evil doers, it shifts the focus from the world building onto the in-fighting at the palace over the throne. I did not mind this at all, though I will say there is one episode in particular where Bojji is almost not at all present and all we get are the royal guards fighting each other with not much else happening aside from the characters you root for getting jobbed. It doesn’t help that the animation quality also takes a dip during this part, almost as if they knew these few episodes were just filler for what’s to come. This null in quality lasted maybe an episode and a half before it picked itself back up again and absolutely decimated my expectations. Now the only gripe I have with this show lies with the ending (which the sequel series actually fixes so this point is rendered somewhat nulled but still exists in this season), which I’ve learnt to understand and appreciate more so overtime but initially was thrown off by it. Basically, the big bad of the series is essentially let off the hook. In fact, I’d go as far to say as they’re rewarded despite everything they’ve done up to that point. And no matter how much they bring up this bitch’s backstory, you don’t empathize with her. Anyways, that and the light animation dip for an episode or two are my only legitimate complaints. My only other nitpick is Kage being reduced to a cheerleader for bojji after such great development. So is this the AOTS of its season? Yes and no, for it was split across two seasons. And I consider both cours one complete season. However, during the season it aired, it was competing against both Sonny Boy and Odd Taxi and between those three I chose Sonny Boy as my AOTS. However, for the second cour this season was released, this is most definitely the AOTS and has quickly become one of my all time favorite series. Good job Ousama Ranking, I only wish the manga translations were up to date so I can continue this marvelous journey that has just begun. img220(https://i.imgur.com/bReFMDY.gif) Ps- Forgot to mention that the music during the show is great too, but the OPs and EDs for this show are incredible. img220(https://i.imgur.com/0hhfPbE.gif)~~~