DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ActionOusama Ranking
MUSIC FantasyOz.
ANIME ActionOusama Ranking: Yuuki no Takarabako
MOVIE AdventureOusama Ranking Movie

REVIEWS

• 

  arzene

  100/100
  The masterpiece nobody expected

  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.

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  I don’t think I was the only one who’d never even heard the name “Ranking of Kings” until the day this show started. Even as an avid manga reader and someone who likes to keep up with new anime announcements, it just wasn’t something I’d ever even heard of in passing, let alone actually stumbled across.

  So why, as we’ve all started to wonder, has this anime suddenly become so huge? How did it manage to cement its place in so many people’s favourites before it’d even finished airing? How did it get me so invested in its characters and world within the first 15 minutes of its pilot’s runtime?

  It achieved some insane feats during its run, so I hope you'll join me as I go through them one by one.

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  Synopsis

  In this world, there’s a mysterious organisation that decides the global ranking of each kingdom’s king, and grants he who is ranked #1 one treasure of his choice from the Divine Treasure Vault. To date, every king who has entered has picked the same treasure, and then gone insane.

  We witness the story of Bojji, a deaf, mute, and almost completely powerless prince who is the first born son of Bosse, king of the Bosse Kingdom and #7 in the rankings. Bosse is widely acknowledged as the strongest man in the world, and Bojji dreams of becoming like him despite his weakness and disability.

  The whole kingdom openly ridicules Bojji for his ambition, but Bojji is always able to put up a smile through this and never fights back. One day, he meets a creature called Kage, the final remnant of the wiped-out shadow clan, and, after a few hiccups, the two become friends. Kage is touched by Bojji’s kindness, its genuineness reaching him because he himself had been exploited and abused for most of his life, and swears to become his loyal companion.

  Sounds interesting already, right?

  Ranking of Kings presents us with a setting and a premise that I dare say is almost impossible to not get invested in. Even in the first episode we’re given such an in-depth impression of the show’s world and how it’s built, even though we’re hardly given any specifics about its history or wider cast of characters off the bat. It builds this intrigue through its immaculate execution of this factor, and ropes us all in through its storytelling and quirky series composition.

  The plot, of course, only becomes more and more interesting as more of its mysteries are unravelled. I’d been following it since its pilot, and week on week it consistently had me at the edge of my seat, always disappointed when episodes ended and excited for what next week would bring. What truly made it so interesting to me personally was its unpredictability, as every single character has a different set of motivations and unseen sides to their personality that contribute to the wider narrative, and it slowly compiles all of these different threads of the story into one big plotline before we reach the series’ climax, which, by the way, has some of the most nut-worthy episode and animation direction I think I have ever seen.

  Without saying too much and wandering off into spoiler territory, the narrative of Ranking of Kings is one of my favourites possibly of all time just because of how well it handles its world and characters. I love stories that slowly reveal background information and the reasoning behind a greater conspiracy throughout the plot itself, and this anime did that absolutely perfectly. The way it loops back around to different plotlines right as you think they’ve been forgotten? Immaculate. The way it keeps world aspects such as the rankings relevant without constantly shoving them down our throats? Divine. Even the blatant tone shift we witness in the show’s second cour doesn’t feel unnatural because of the amount of build-up we’d gradually been fed throughout the first.

  Ranking of Kings was nothing like how I’d expected it to be after coming out of episode one, but I mean this in the absolute best way possible.

  I do have my complaints though, which I unfortunately have to add after watching episode 22.

  While I don’t dislike how the anime ended, I very much dislike part of the journey it took to complete several of the characters’ arcs at the end of the narrative. If you know me, you’ll know that the one thing I hate more than almost anything else is unfounded ships with no truly romantic buildup, and that is exactly what Daida’s proposal to Miranjo felt like. I don’t want to delve too deep into it because this is supposed to be a general review and not a “the anime’s over so let’s bash the final episodes” free-for-all, but I know for a fact I’m not the only one who reacted exactly as Hilling did when Daida dropped that bomb right after his release from gay baby jail. Poor Despa and Desha as well.
  
  I don’t particularly consider this to be the end of the world though, and since it’s only one complaint out of 23 episodes that’s based on a personal pet-peeve, it’s not major enough to truly affect my enjoyment of and overall score I gave to this anime. It’s just something I really, really hope we eventually receive clarity and more development around in a future season, because I honestly do want to learn to love Daida and Miranjo just as I have with every other character Ranking of Kings has flung at me. Perhaps it just won’t happen until a little further down the line.

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  Characters

  I’ve mentioned this a little already, but the characters are something that absolutely shone in Ranking of Kings for me. Its cast is actually bordering ensemble levels in size, but that’s just not something you notice because absolutely none of the relevant characters are lacking in development. All of them have a different character arc and a set of goals that we get to see them try to accomplish throughout the story, and it’s fascinating to watch how some of these motives change through their interactions with each other. It feels like we as an audience truly get to know all of them, all of their struggles and emotions, which is part of why Ranking of Kings is so stand-out compared to your average bog-standard fantasy kingdom anime that revolves around three or four mains with a group of underdeveloped side characters that come and go because of plot or, well, whatever excuse writers want to use for not bothering to at least try to develop their wider cast.

  I’m going to avoid individually reviewing any of the characters because really most of the fun comes from discovering them yourself through the show, but you can absolutely take my word that it’ll be very difficult to hate any of them by the time you finish episode 23. Even the most initially evil-seeming characters become understandable by the time you learn of their pasts or watch them walk in their futures ready to atone for their mistakes, and this is what makes them all feel so human despite the fact that a solid chunk of them aren’t even humans at all. They’re perfectly imperfect and their struggles are so relatable sometimes that you just want to reach in and hug them through the screen, and don’t even get me started on the bond we witness form between Bojji and Kage because I am never going to admit that I got emotionally invested in a fucking black blob so hard I was crying by the end of the second episode, nuh-uh.

  Ranking of Kings is ultimately a story about empowerment, but through its characters it also gives you this feeling of perpetual forgiveness and the sense that it’s not too late to become and live as a better person even if you can barely forgive yourself sometimes. And this, I think, is what makes it as beautiful as it is.

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  Art & Animation

  There’ll be at least a few people reading this who were initially put off Ranking of Kings because of its art style. And I’ll be the first to say it: I don’t blame you.

  Ranking of Kings is an example of an anime that really doesn’t look like an anime at all in a traditional sense, and is stylised to look far more simplistic and fairy tale-esque. It looks like it’s jumped right out of a story book you read in second grade, which might be off-putting to some, especially considering some of the substantially less story bookish themes it covers through its story.

  But honestly? It works for the kind of show Ranking of Kings wants to be.

  The simplicity of it almost accentuates the horror of some of its gorier scenes and serves to be a surprisingly good contrast to its darker narrative. As much as I adore more realistic and detailed art like Urasawa’s or Miura’s when it comes to series that deal with more serious themes, Ranking of Kings’ simplicity actually serves to contribute to how serious it can get at times, and, despite my initial tentativeness towards its visuals, I never once found myself thinking “this would look so much better if it was drawn in a more typically anime style” while I was watching. Mixing darker themes with what looks like a stereotypically childish art style actually works supremely well here, and it creates a lasting impression as well as a new kind of naive atmosphere around the show, which reflects its tone immaculately.

  The animation is also beautifully fluid, which is something we perhaps need to thank the simplistic style for, and some of the fight scenes the show pushes out are honestly on par with if not better than those you can find in mainstream shonen anime. It’s clear that a lot of care has been taken around composing the art and tonally allowing it to fit into the narrative, which is true in a visual sense as well, because the show has this certain aesthetic to it that holds true for its entire run. Something I adore specifically is the watercolour feel of the backgrounds, since it compliments the cartoonish animation and style and really does make Ranking of Kings feel like the tale of a young prince.

  I really can’t fault it, so I just want to say to any people here who are as tentative as I initially was about watching this anime because of its art that it’s worth it and is absolutely something you’ll grow to love.

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  Voice Acting

  I don’t have a lot to say here, but then again I never really do because the answer’s always the same: the voice acting is impeccable and I have absolutely no complaints.

  I remember going into Ranking of Kings wondering how they were going to go about handing the voice acting performance for a deaf character who can’t really speak—I’ve only seen this done once before and I don’t think I need to tell you what movie it was in—so newcomer Minami Hinata’s ability to encapsulate Bojji’s speech as she does came as a pleasant surprise to me, and once again showcases how much care and thought has been put into this anime from all angles. I have no idea if it’s particularly accurate to real life, but it still felt oxymoronically true to me and is an endearing contribution to Bojji’s overall realism and lovability as a character.

  The other character’s voices are equally amazing, emotional in all the right places and all perfectly fitting their respective characters in terms of pitch and tone, and I think it’s wonderful that such a diverse cast came together to bring all of these beloved characters to life and contribute to making them as beloved as they are.

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  Music

  Here’s a confession: music was the sole reason I actually started watching Ranking of Kings. I remember a friend of mine sending me a tweet that listed the first cour’s theme songs and me subsequently going apeshit when I saw that King Gnu was writing the opening. I’ve loved King Gnu even before I witnessed their work on Banana Fish, and naturally they lived up to my expectations.

  The first opening, King Gnu’s BOY, fits the initial character of Bojji absolutely perfectly. It’s a banger of a song, and it’s coupled with some beautifully-composed animation that allows us to explore the world through the eyes of Bojji and Kage. It’s a rare case of a song being so carefully constructed around a series without outright being about the series that it just feels genius, and I’m glad the band put so much into making it so for the sake of this anime. And, once again, it fucking slaps.

  The second opening, Vaundy’s Hadaka no Yusha (or “Hero Laid Bare” in English) is one that blew me completely away the second I first watched it. I remember saying to that same friend immediately after I’d watched it that it was going to be the best opening released in 2022, and so far I still stand by that. It is absolutely immaculate. The animation is Kaikai Kitan levels of pure, uncontrollable sexiness and at this point I think it’s impossible for me to ever skip it, I just have to watch it the whole way through every time it’s on so I can fawn over how pretty it is. It conveys the series’ tone shift onto its more dark narrative beautifully, and also represents the change in Bojji’s character as he’s wrapped up in all of these conspiracies. The song itself is also just the type you’d want to loop for hours to cry and/or headbang to because it’s Vaundy and Vaundy is incredible.

  I have substantially less to say about the ending themes and OST because I’m both a chronic ed skipper and a voice actor hyperfixator, but I really can’t find much flaw with either of them either. The softness of the endings in contrast to the action-packed openings is beautiful and encapsulates the anime’s gentler themes perfectly, and the OST is subtle enough to not intrude upon emotional, voice-heavy scenes while still being strong enough to build tension and poignance where it’s required to.

  On the whole? The music is utterly fantastic. All of it is very fitting for the type of series Ranking of Kings is, and the theme songs are some of the best I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing in a while. Full marks.

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  Conclusion

  I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to call Ranking of Kings a masterpiece. Sure, it can’t really compete with all-time classics like Fullmetal Alchemist and Steins;Gate yet, but that doesn’t mean it can’t join the two on the podium of “holy shit, this show absolutely fucks,” and I can say for sure it’s not something any of us will be forgetting in a hurry.

  There were a lot of shows that were released last year and very few of them stood out to me like Ranking of Kings did. It’s fresh and new and unafraid to deal with themes every other mediaeval kingdom fantasy anime tend to shy away from, and it’s this aspect of it that immediately makes it stand out in the best way, though of course this would mean nothing without its incredible narrative structure and cast of wonderfully-written characters. Not even a slip-up near the ending could ruin this show for me, and I’m a critic at heart if that puts into perspective how much that means from me.

  I would recommend Ranking of Kings to absolutely anyone (as many of my friends know because I have been incapable of shutting up about it to them for the past few months) solely on the basis of the messages it conveys, because I just think many of the themes it explores need to be touched upon more in anime and, honestly, media as a whole.

  

  Thank you for taking the time to read my review, I hope you were able to get something out of it!

  Continue on AniList
• 

  Mcsuper

  82/100
  An Adorable Boy in a Brutal World

  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.

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• 

  Theleux

  100/100
  "Hate the sin, but not the sinner."

  "Hate the sin, but not the sinner."

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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