English Dub Review: Ranking of Kings “The Swordsmanship of a King”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The threat of Ouken has been defeated thanks to King Bosse, but now there’s a new kind of threat as Bosse turns his attention to Bojji and the Big Four. Despite being a resurrected giant, Bosse gets outmatched by Bojji easily, and then he and Miranjo plead to be released from their earthly chains. But even in death, they’re fated to be separated thanks to a promise Miranjo made with a demon.

Our Take:

Ranking of Kings is slowly starting to revert to its original state in some ways for me. For the very first few episodes of the series, I felt like there was a lot of spectacle but not much going on underneath that let me connect to the characters, and I kind of felt the same way about the 21st episode, The Swordsmanship of a King. But even though I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy Ranking of Kings in the same way that some other viewers do, that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of cool moments this week.

I still think that the show hasn’t done the best job of developing Bojji as a person, not just as a warrior and prince, but I have to admit it was pretty touching to see all of the Big Four choosing to stand by his side instead of his father’s. They all have their reasons, ranging from Domas’s guilt to Dorshe’s affection, but that moment felt like a pivotal scene in Bojji’s arc as a ruler for sure.

But the best moment by far is the battle between Bojji and his father, the giant Bosse in Daida’s body. The show has had its fair share of stellar animation work, but this sequence is one of the best for sure, lovingly crafted shots of every hair and drop of sweat as Bojji twists and turns to avoid his father’s terrible blows. Unfortunately, even though the visuals show up this week, the underlying narrative is still somewhat lacking. Even in the battle itself, the high point of the runtime, I was expecting more, some secret trick or revelation that would allow Bojji to best his giant dad. But no, it’s just more of the same stuff he’s always done, running away and evading attacks while deftly working his sword. Apparently like two weeks of training with the ruler of the underworld’s brother is plenty to become unbeatable.

After Bojji has worn out his father’s fighting form, things take a slight turn toward more engaging territory, as we see Bosse and Miranjo as we haven’t seen them before: weak and ready to end things. This is where I still have questions about the motivations and all, because now it seems like Bosse never wanted to be brought back, despite his actions in earlier episodes. There’s also a weird undercurrent of romantic tension between the mirror and the man as they argue about who is more to blame and who deserves to rot in hell for their actions. Keep in mind that Miranjo was a literal toddler when Bosse met her. The show stops short of outright saying they’re in love, but it also makes it very easy to read things that way.

Overall, The Swordsmanship of a King is an impressive episode just in terms of animation itself. From Bojji’s battle with Bosse to Miranjo’s arrival in hell, it’s a good looking episode that might definitely leave an impression on viewers. I just wish that the narrative itself was a little more clear and the characters more well-defined. There’s not many eps left now, but hopefully Ranking of Kings can wrap up the first season with a bow.