Ranking of Kings
Life is an adventure with many unexpected twists and turns. While it may not always be the type of journey we desire, it certainly has its own platter of challenges, ups and downs. Maybe because of this, we love watching shows where the protagonist sets off on an adventure of their own, the type we wished we had too. Most with a clear goal in mind, they overcome one hardship after another, while persevering with nerves of steel. So what type of Adventure will really speak to your heart?
“Ranking of Kings”, also known as “Ousama Ranking” or “King Ranking” is a 23 episode TV Anime series that began airing on the 15th of October 2021 and is still ongoing premiering in Fall 2021. It was produced by Aniplex, Dentsu, Fuji TV, and Kadokawa, licensed by Funimation, and brought to life by Wit Studio. The main staff behind its creation include Okada Maiko as Producer, Fuchigami Makoto as Director, Hatta Yousuke as Director and Ebina Yasunori as Sound Director.
Ousama Ranking is based on the Web Manga of the same title. It began publication on the 12th of February 2019 and is still ongoing. It featured the additional genres Action and Comedy without any serialization. This is the work of Author and Artist Tooka Sousuke.
Starting as a webcomic released on Manga Hack on the 20th of May 2017, it was published in book form by Kadokawa after February 2019. On a special note, the sign language portrayed in the Anime is supervised by the Tokyo Foundation of the Deaf itself. It is set to release on Blu-ray and DVD from the 12th of January until the 20th of July, 2022.
The Story revolves around a kingdom where the people tend to look down on their young Prince Bojji, who cannot hear or talk. They have called him "The Useless Prince,” all while jeering away at his supposed foolishness and shortcomings. Regardless, Bojji retains the strength of his heart through all the negativity, albeit not being physically strong. One fateful chance encounter he has with a peculiar shadow creature changes his entire world. Instead of getting traumatized, it allows him to believe that he had finally found a friend amidst all those who only chose to see his weaknesses.
Thus, he regularly starts meeting up with the “Kage,” the shadow, so much so that the otherwise abrasive creature begins to warm up to him. This unorthodox friendship between Kage and Bojji lays the budding foundations of the prince's destined journey, where he is determined to conquer and overcome all his fears and insecurities. Despite the constant amount of ridicule he faces, Bojji’s unwavering resolve to fulfill his goal of becoming the best king he can ever be pushes him forward.
Ousama Ranking did not start off well in terms of its reception. It had a very poorly planned release date which got heavily delayed, leaving it overlooked by audiences. On the other hand, the very simple and childish Art made many perceive it as a mere children’s show. This is the tale of an underdog’s rise to success, and the Anime series itself is similar.
This underdog story is hard not to get invested in; it has a distinct magical feeling when the protagonist beats the prodigies against all odds, delivering a special kind of entertainment. The first episode established Bojji incredibly well, but the creators weren’t done yet. Bojji has unique strengths, is not necessarily weak, and was born and built differently. The finale is also retconned, leaving viewers with a truly refreshing ending.
Many would initially believe that Bojji stood no chance and the exciting twists along the way make the show all the more entertaining. While the emotional aspect is praiseworthy, the Story is on a scale of its own. Typical Anime tropes play out in broad daylight, adapting viewers to the character archetypes before ultimately shattering them all. At one point, it's nearly impossible to identify friend from foe, owing to their complexity and the absence of one-dimensional archetypes. There are no cliched “Good” and “Evil” in Ranking of Kings; there only exists humans.
The Story of Ousama Ranking is its strongest point. The plot starts simply: the Kings are ranked according to their ability level in multiple aspects, which highlights how hopeless things seem for Bojji. Regardless, as the tale progresses, it suddenly morphs brilliantly into a much more profound mystery that viewers simply must experience themselves if they wish to make the most of this show.
As stated earlier, the Characters start off as typical archetypes, although it is hinted that there is much more to them than what meets the eye. The astounding thing is, not even one character ends up unlikable. None of them can be classified as “Good” or “Evil,” They all do everything for a particular reason. There is plenty of deceit, betrayal, and redemption to be experienced here. The most vital point is that they all feel so human, so natural, and this is a refreshing difference. As for the cons, a few forced sad stories make a mockery of realism at some points, but it's not that big a downfall.
From the surface, the art and animation are not very strong points. The creators made a tough call, keeping the Art style a meager budget and probably inspired by old cartoons. But this decision worked so well because it does a superb job of initially creating preconceived character tropes and then crushing them all progressively in an epic way.
The Animation is fluid, well-choreographed, and orderly, even during action scenes. The swordplay is realistic, the sword and spear techniques used are easily recognizable and standard, and this is where viewers understand how “rich” the series is despite first impressions. The Animators clearly knew what they were doing, and the result was terrific.
The Sounds and Music of Ranking of Kings are well made as well. The Opening theme is "BOY" by King Gnu, a fantastic fit for this show, owing to its good music and well-polished art and animation. The best aspect of it is probably the lighting, which is unfortunately not as good in the episodes.
The ending theme is "Oz." by yama, a good song with lackluster art. As for Voice Acting, Bojji is both mute and deaf, but the expert use of sign language in this show is incredible and well-executed. The Voice Actors fulfill their parts rather well, conveying the characters’ emotions through their voices during all the tense and emotional scenes, adding great depth overall.
Overall, Ranking of Kings is a great Anime that can be easily recommended to almost anyone. As long as it retains its firm grasp on its Story and Characters like it has accomplished so far, it shows enough potential to become one of the most outstanding anime series out there.
The ratings speak for themselves, too, so do not hesitate on account of the initial Character archetypes and Art style. Fair warning, though, most episodes end in suspenseful cliffhangers, so if waiting isn't your strong point, it's highly advised that you wait for the whole series to be out before you binge it. Worth a watch!
