Ranking of Kings Crew Details the Anime’s Most Important Message

Ranking of Kings introduced a colorful and vibrant world that followed a young prince attempting to navigate his way through the world without the ability to speak or hear. With Wit Studio recently finishing the first season of this exceptional anime series, a second season has yet to be confirmed though that didn’t stop the director and producer of the series from taking part at this year’s Anime Expo and sharing what they consider to be the most important message of the series.

Director Yousuke Hatta got the ball rolling during the Ranking of Kings panel at this year’s Anime Expo, where our own Megan Peters was in attendance, explaining how the series sends a message about overcoming adversity:

“I am not sure if it is a more recent trend or culture, but I get this sense that people feel if they lose even once, then that is the end, they are canceled, and everything is over. But in this story, a lot of people and characters take many, many detours, some fall from very high status, rank, or power, or what have you – but they all work towards rebuilding in some capacity. So I know it might sound very idealistic, but I think that that can apply to our real world. So it is okay, you can get back up, and give it another shot.”

The producer of Ranking of Kings, Maiko Okada, added to the director’s thoughts, detailing how the series has been able to send an important message to its viewers:

“It is also about the characters around those who either made a mistake or fell somehow, to be accepting and forgiving; this show has kind of shown me the proper attitude and posture of how you can support people who are going through tough times.”  

If you haven’t had the chance to dive into the world of Ranking of Kings, Crunchyroll has an official description for the series that reads as such:

“How prosperous your nation is, how many powerful warriors it boasts, and how heroic and strong its king is. These are the criteria that factor into the system known as the Ranking of Kings. The main character, Bojji, was born the first prince of the kingdom ruled by King Bossu, who is ranked number seven. But Bojji was born unable to hear and is so powerless that he can’t even swing a sword. In consequence, his own retainers and the public, look down upon him as completely unfit to be king. It is then that Bojji finds his first friend, Kage, and Bojji’s life takes a dramatic turn.”