The Kingdoms of Ruin
“Deemed to be ruinous from the start”
Fall 2023 is one of the most stacked seasonal lineups we've had in the history of the anime industry. There were quite a lot of new titles making their debut this season. But one title that no one thought about blowing up at the very beginning was ‘The Kingdoms of Ruin.’ I'm pretty sure you've seen some clips of this show back in October on social media, given how edgy characters attract those platforms in a heartbeat.
However, even if those fluid edits make a show appear ten times more impressive than it is, you cannot maintain an audience if you are just an emo boy without a catchy title, correct? The Kingdoms of Ruin tells a tale of revenge in a fantasy setting that does seem to do well for the anime fandom since we sure love stuff like that now, don’t we?
But even when the recipe for success makes it seem like the anime is bound to do great things soon, it falls flat more quickly, kicking revenge out of the picture altogether. If you're done with all the better shows that the Fall 2023 lineup has to offer and want to look at something new, then ‘The Kingdoms of Ruin’ might be something you want to check out.
I can't recommend this enough to someone addicted to TikTok or shorts in general since, given how the show moves fast, it's a perfect fit for all the viewers who have the attention span of a lizard at this point. That’s most of us, so let’s not laugh and point fingers afterward. Let's dive into the story that this edgy protagonist brings to the table!
A story of betrayal and revenge
Betrayal and revenge are the two ingredients that are a must when it comes to executing a fantasy setting, especially one where magic pulls the strings behind the scenes. The humanity in this universe has come this far because of magic itself, and no one other than the witches is to be thanked for that.
But humans as a race are progressing every other day, and after making the scientific gear expansion, it's only a human thing to bite at the very hands that have fed them this entire time. In an attempt to slaughter and exterminate all the witches from the face of the planet, the Reida empire is hungry for the blood of witches and won’t stop until they’ve killed every other witch in existence. They assert that magic will cease to exist, although it has brought them to life.
Adonis, yes, that's his name, is someone who has learned under the apprenticeship of a witch and, over time, has developed a bond with her that words alone can't describe. Sadly, his beloved witch dies at the hands of the empire and thus starts the quest for revenge for Adonis, as he will not stop until he lets his foes taste the same grief and misery that he experienced that fateful day.
The whole setting is pretty simple: humans were created, witches were created to help them, humans became better, and they discovered and invented things independently. They then decided that the witches were no longer needed and decided to exterminate them. Unfortunately, the 'Adonis' on that YouTube channel is considerably less fashionable in person than he appears to be in those self-improvement videos.
What are we doing again?
See how the story started as a quest for revenge, and you got happy that finally, you'll get to see a dark fantasy setting where revenge following betrayal is the main course? Unfortunately, despite my intense aversion, the universe eventually forgets that detail, for whatever reason.
Our edgy protagonist is all about killing others who defy magic, sure. But after meeting Doroka, someone who is the polar opposite of our edge lord right here, things start to change soon enough. It's the typical scenario where the enraged main character meets a good-hearted, innocent soul, typically a female one, and begins to change for the better.
Some episodes show the two of them doing things other than fighting or getting things done. Though some could say that such details are essential for setting the scene and helping the characters connect, it is safe to say that they would make quite a memorable pair.
However, that lasts much longer, and the quest for revenge feels like it's just brushed off and out of the picture for some reason. I don't know what the series has in store for us, but these 12 episodes feel like the series ends up being somewhat incomplete at the end of the season.
The animation can surely use some magic.
Sure, we're exterminating witches and witchcraft from the universe. But this series might need that magic for more reasons than just one. The animation feels like the characters are being made to walk around on a PowerPoint slide. The action is nonexistent, and despite most of the fights lasting for a couple of seconds to some minutes at most, the animation makes the whole sequence feel really out of place.
For a dark fantasy setting that has vengeance, revenge, and betrayal as the core elements, the action should have been another one of them, but that just doesn't seem to be there, with the studio forgetting about the purpose altogether. All the budget went into animating our very Adonis right here since we had to make the character live up to the meaning behind that word.
So, if you're looking for some action, given that's what you'd expect from a series like this, there's little that you'll find in this series. It's a shame, but that's really how it is!
I can't believe the studio behind the PVs of Jujutsu Kaisen is behind this show. But after doing some research, I've just found out that the studio is behind a title named ‘Miru Tights,’ and that show made it all clear, to be honest. If the animation and action had been better, this show could've been much better than how it ended up.
Since 2019, the story has been serialized in Comic Garden, and the manga may be better because that is the case with all these different fantasy titles with poor animation. You go to the manga and read it, and it’s a different experience! I’ve seen that more than just a few times, so I'd recommend checking it out while you're at it.
Who-ya Extended!!!
I was shocked after hearing the ending theme, to be honest. After Who-ya Extended landed hits in Psycho-Pass 3 and Jujutsu Kaisen, they've been the subject of attention in anime music. After animating our Adonis, I can see where the rest of the budget went; it's all coming together right now! Take advantage of the ending theme, even if you don't check out the show, since it is excellent, just like the other songs they've put out in the past.
The Kingdoms of Ruin starts well, sure. But it loses its touch soon enough, making you question why the studio decided to build on a theme they wouldn't follow with everything they've got. The character duo is one of the most vital points of the series, and that might attract some viewers. But action and fantasy fans would find little to their liking regarding this title.
It’s sad since I had high expectations from the show after a YouTube short directed me to the title, and after being done with the 12 episodes now, I can genuinely say that I expected a lot more from the show, and it didn’t deliver much.
As for the rating, a 6.5 sums up my experience well. The ending, the character bonding, and the setting the show is based on seem significant, but the execution could be better. Check out the show if you want a new fantasy setting from this fall seasonal lineup. But again, I’d recommend checking out the manga in case you don’t want to watch the anime since, as I mentioned earlier, the source material is way better than the anime. That's all I have to say about the Kingdoms of Ruin! Until next time, goodbye!
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