This review contains some spoilers for season 1 of Record Of Ragnarok
Netflix has a mixed track record for its original anime, and its new offering Record Of Ragnarok is no exception. Adapted from the hit manga, the series is a fascinating mess, full of bizarre choices, controversy, and some very fun moments.
Record Of Ragnarok is a fantasy action anime, based on the manga of the same name, which centers around a series of battles to the death between thirteen of history's greatest human beings and thirteen mighty deities of various pantheons. The anime is for better and for worse, a full series length exploration of one of the most time honored aspects of action anime; the tournament arc.
The series begins with the threat of humanity's destruction, a debate in a hall of the gods sees the deities firmly in agreement on the issue of rendering mankind extinct. One voice calls out to stop the apocalypse, the eldest of the Valkyries, Brunhilde. Through an ancient and obscure loophole, Brunhilde proclaims her intention to initiate Ragnarok, a tournament consisting of 13 one on one duels to the death in a massive stadium populated by all of humanity and every being that claims godhood. Brunhilde is a powerful woman, the de facto leader of the human team, tasked with selecting which of the billions of humans will face the gods in each single combat. If victorious, humanity will earn their continued existence, but if they fail, the gods will wipe them out.
This season covered three of the thirteen prophesized bouts, while the manga has depicted five and is currently embroiled in the sixth. The three that make it to screens follow similar formats, but represent wildly different experiences. The fights are clearly the main event of the series, and they take up the majority of the screen time.
Tragically, however, the animation often fails to sell the epic tenor of the combat between legends and gods. Animated sequences like attacks are often repeated over and over, tons of the characters' powerful techniques are brought across by them standing in place while speed-lines whoosh around them, and the art style occasionally shifts jarringly to a cheap-looking 3D with very little purpose. There are certainly moments when the animation delivers, and those moments feel fantastic, as well as moments in which the framing or dialogue is captivating enough to ignore the unimpressive visuals, but in an anime wholly built around multi-episode fight scenes, the look and feel of the fight is a huge deal.
The three fights depicted so far include Chinese general Lu Bu versus Thor, father of humanity Adam versus Zeus, and noted samurai Kojiro Sasaki versus Poseidon. The series choice of representatives for both sides is fascinating, as it is in-universe. Lu Bu versus Thor is the most straightforward of the matchups, a legendary warrior against a war god, and for that, it is likely the worst of the matches.
The series' first match may be the new poster child for a classic anime problem, taking forever to get anywhere, even in a high-octane action scene. The Lu Bu v Thor fight takes around an hour of screen time, during which the two exchange two or three mighty blows, often winding up for most of an episode. Hilariously, the fight concludes with a note on screen that informs the audience that the fight took around 16 minutes in-universe.
The Adam versus Zeus fight improves substantially, Adam is a bizarre choice for a fighting anime as he is not particularly known for violence, but he is granted a mystical ability to copy the powers of gods, leading to a thrilling battle. The final bout, Kojiro versus Poseidon, has some pretty solid story telling between its clashes, and really feels triumphant in its conclusion. The fights definitely improve, but one would be forgiven for checking out after episode 3 or 4.
Where Record Of Ragnarok really draws attention is in its character design, unfortunately, that attention cuts both ways. The series is reminiscent of the Japanese multi-media empire Fate, in that many of its major characters are anime-inspired reimaginings of legendary figures of myth or history and much of the draw comes from fans of those figures eager to see their new interpretations. History or mythology buffs will find much to geek out over when it comes to references, but also much to balk over when examining characters' new personalities.
One stand-out example might be the series take on Odin, a stern and cruel figure who barely ever speaks, but is accompanied by his two ravens, Huginn and Munin who talk constantly. Other characters, Kojiro Sasaki for example, have little in the way of real backstory, so enjoy the benefit of one made up for the plot. Overall, the characters are likely the best part of the series. Their personalities are not always terribly unique, many are stock-standard anime stereotypes, but most of them are well-realized and fun to watch.
The default aesthetic choice of Record Of Ragnarok is comical exaggeration, most of the crowd reaction shots are genuinely hilarious as random eldritch horrors or ancient Egyptian pharaohs make up the audience. Zeus is a withered husk until he's a grotesque muscle abomination, Lu Bu is so vicious his teeth are a row of razor-sharp fangs, and Aphrodite is so voluptuous she needs assistants to hold her curves for her, just to name a few. The approach makes some characters look unique and dramatic, while it makes some look outright silly.
The show has taken criticism for perceived sexism, no women have participated in combat thus far. The series' representation of women is lacking, Brunhilde organizes the conflict and picks the combatants, then is unfortunately stuck commentating for the rest of her screen time. Brunhilde's sisters, the other Valkyries transform into weapons, literal tools, wielded by the all-male combat roster to defeat the enemy. The series also teases the fourth matchup for next season, which features Jack The Ripper. While he is very much introduced as a villain, he is still in the role of defender of humanity in this match, a questionable choice for a man famous for murdering women. These complaints have merit: it would be nice for the series to have some women with agency in the upcoming seasons.
Record Of Ragnarok is a mixed bag, moments of epic action dragged down by some weak animation, divisive character design lifted up by unique choices, and a fun premise which only occasionally gets to play in its own ideas. The series certainly has its weak moments, and its treatment of women is disheartening, but fans and newcomers to anime will find some weird fun if they seek out this series, available now on Netflix.