Netflix 'Record of Ragnarok' Review: Epic battles and history set up Season 2
If you've been waiting for the next big fantasy anime that has some seriously overpowered characters, magical girl transformations, epic battles, blood and oddly enough, history, then ''Record of Ragnarok' checks all those boxes. The newest anime on Netflix packs a solid punch when it comes to action, and we mean that quite literally.
If you're looking for more anime to check out, you should have a look at the following titles -- ' Yasuke', ' Castlevania' and 'Uzumaki'.
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The premise for the anime is clear cut, 'Record of Ragnarok' begins when the gods decide that after 7 million years, it's time to end all of humanity. Until a Valkyrie named Brunhilde, who has a deep hatred for the gods, suggests a death match between 13 gods and 13 humans of her choice. If the humans are to be victorious, they will be spared. Seeing that the gods are quick to anger, they take her up on her bizarre offer. As a Valkyrie, Brunhilde is meant to protect humanity, and she detests the gods; she is willing to go to any means to ensure their downfall.
The anime wastes no time getting down into the battles of the 13, which is termed 'Ragnarok'. While it builds upon the story and reveals plot lines parallel to the fights, the first thing that stands out would most certainly have to be the amount of mythology and history referenced to in the series.
Some of the gods featured in season 1 are Zeus, Ares, Hermes, Aphrodite and Poseidon, the Greek gods, Thor, Odin and Loki from Norse Mythology and Shiva from Hinduism.
While there is some artistic freedom regarding their personalities, each of their character designs is quite interesting to see, especially since this set of Gods are often depicted in pop culture.
The anime has quite a unique spin on them -- with Thor being seen as a somber redhead, as opposed to the image of a blond bearded man, to Zeus's resting form being a skinny old man, rather than a statuesque being.
When it comes to Brunhilde's human 'champions', get ready to flip through some history books because the references are galore. Season 1 sees the likes of Lu Bu, an ancient Chinese warlord, Adam, the first man ever created by God and Kojiro Sasaki, a legendary Japanese swordsman.
Keep in mind that the anime does twist their backstories a bit, but the essence of each character remains for the most part. Each of these characters also features significant people from their own past -- Lu Bu is cheered on by his army, Adam has his wife Eve and his sons, Cain and Abel, who support him and Sasaki has peers he has fought before cheering him on as well.
The fight scenes in this anime are rather impressive, with the story told in bursts in between. The animation is clean and aided by these over-the-top character designs that lend to each fight. You might even spot a bit of CGI in the mix, seeing that there is a particular scene prior to Zeus' battle with Adam, where Hermes is playing the violin, which is all CGI.
Season 1 builds up nicely for season 2, seeing that we've yet to see the next 10 gods and humans that battle it out, along with the 10 Valkyries that assist the humans as their weapons. It proves to be an exciting series, seeing that season 1 has you wanting for more.
'Record of Ragnarok' is now streaming on Netflix.