You Should Check Out Ranking of Kings

You should really make some time to check out Ranking of Kings. There are a ton of new anime shows making their premiere over the course of this year, and not only is it tough for even the most dedicated fans to keep up with each new season but still make time for older anime series. It can be hard to jump into an older series especially when most of the conversation online is dominated with only the newest shows, but making that effort can result in finding some hidden gems that slipped through the cracks from the last year and then some.  

Based on Sosuke Toka’s original manga series of the same name, Ranking of Kings made its debut as part of the Fall 2021 anime schedule. The first slate of its episodes didn’t exactly set the world on fire at first, but more and more fans started to catch on as the initial run continued. Through each episode, fans began to see not only how much greatness is packed into each 22 minute segment and that’s already seeming to continue with the new slate of episodes airing this Winter. It’s time to jump in and join the ride. 

Helmed by One-Punch Man episode director and Boogiepop and Others assistant director Yousuke Hatta for WIT Studio (the studio behind Attack on Titan‘s first three seasons, Vinland Saga, Vivy: Flourite Eye’s Song and more), this adaptation boasts a pretty stacked staff that includes Fruits Basket reboot’s Taku Kishimoto as the script writer and Atsuko Nozaki as the character designer. One look at the show’s art style might have turned you off at first due to its “childlike” innocence vibe, but that’s also part of what makes it so deceptively great. 

Everything fans have come to expect from WIT Studio’s works is in full force here. The character designs move with an impressive fluidity, and it’s got some of the most impressive action scenes you’ll find today. This is all wrapped within a high concept fantasy adventure, that’s actually also very approachable. This innocent presentation is actually a sort of misdirection given how deep and dark some of the topics in the series are. This is especially true for the main hero, Prince Bojji, who was born without the ability to hear or speak.

He’s also much smaller than everyone else, and much smaller than his giant of a father. He’s ridiculed by his entire kingdom as a result, yet in the face of it remains as positive and strong willed as he could be. It’s the very definition of the “must protecc” meme as you’re very likely to fall in love with Bojji and want to see him succeed. This is just the main character too as the rest of the series is filled with a complex supporting cast with their own conflicting motivations that are still evolving with the newest episodes. 

It’s rare that we get such a great fantasy action series like this, and even rarer one of this kind of high caliber. In a slew of Isekai anime, same feeling kinds of protagonists and situations, and bland action, Ranking of Kings gets the right to wear the crown. It’s a show that you’ll pinch yourself for missing later because it checks off so many boxes, so it’s time to check it out! If you wanted to do just that, Ranking of Kings is now streaming with both Funimation and Crunchyroll! 

What do you think? Have you jumped into Ranking of Kings yet? Are you curious to check it out now that new episodes have returned for this Winter? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!