Reviewer: Kaze Shadow
Storyline: 5/10
Character development: 4/10
Character design: 7/10
Animation: 6/10
Audience Engagement: 6/10
Rating Score: 2.8/5
Anime Review: The Kingdoms of Ruin is "Okay"
Reviewer suggestion: "Could you watch it? Yeah. Would I recommend it... probably not?"- Kaze Shadow
The Kingdom of Ruins, animated by Yokohama Animation Laboratory and an adaptation of the manga by Yoruhashi, is an anime about a human apprentice of a witch who witnesses his master die mercilessly. After years of containment, he breaks free and embarks on a journey of revenge against humanity, while a random pink-haired witch with an innocent-like personality who escaped with him stays by his side during his journey.
Storyline: 5/10
It was there! The storyline started engaging and promising. They captured many of their audience with their first episode like it was magic, and everyone was under the spell. A guy who witnesses the cruel death of his master and embarks on a journey to kill all of humanity seems fascinating. It left the audience to wonder how he was going to do it, who he would face, and what would happen as he embarked on this mission.
After the first episode, it just went downhill. Countless comments on Crunchyroll expressed frustration as they commented, "What am I watching now?" The anime's potential was essentially lost.
Many of the audience expected a man on a path of revenge, going against his kind, which he deemed unforgivable. However, the story had a different goal. To take him through a path of redemption, which is safe to assume as to why his innocent companion is actively trying to turn him good, and as he visits places, he meets humans whom he would not want or attempt to kill. This turned the excitement of the audience into a dead river.
Furthermore, the storyline was utterly lost in the first season's episodes. Many audience members don't know what to expect because the initial storyline is lost as the episodes progress. While it is noticeable that the creator attempted to reveal human sins through the exposure of towns and events, this is poorly exaggerated and not as impactful. Sadly, instead of watching an anime with a goal in mind, it's like watching an anime of pure fillers—poorly made fillers.
I am unaware of what the anime plans to do in season 2, but I hope that it will be much better than the previous season. There is room for improvement; the story can be better, and I hope it will be with the next season.
Character development: 4/10
The character development is just poor. For an anime with a redemption story, there's not much redeeming in the characters. The only change in the main character, Adonis, is that he wants to kill everyone, but not precisely everyone, versus just humans. Have I made sense? Yeah, exactly. Throughout the season, there is barely any improvement or changes to any characters. Their abilities are about the same throughout the show, and the goal is static. No change in any of the characters is worth noting. Doroka, the witch who takes Adonis's side, doesn't even change after witnessing the bloodiest massacre she could experience... she is still a goodie two shoes. The reflection isn't even efficient enough to justify why. The characters need more change and improvement after each event; that's the major criticism that I am suggesting. It can be a change in magic or personality, but some change is needed. Evidence that the characters are learning lessons and change is relatable to the audience. I hope for that in the second season.
Character Design: 7/10
The high score on the character design is mainly because of the character's physical designs and their initial appearance. Adonis looks fantastic, but that can not be taken away from the creators. He gives off the energy he is expected to: ruthless and scary. Doroka's beautiful look and bright eyes give off an innocent look, promote safety in the audience, and give a bit of hope. She is designed nicely for what she is meant for. Chloe, Adonis's master, is similar in her bright look and appearance that, based on her element, also provides a sign of hope (which, when murdered in the first episode, shows how Adonis lost his hope for Humanity).
All of the villains are flashy and a threat to our protagonist. Their voices are strong, and they dress in a way that would make the audience uncomfortable (would you want a guy in a striped suit and hat to chase you across the desert with a menacing smile and hands that could kill? No? Exactly).
The characters were created with great imagination, which is something we praise. There is just one issue with the characters...
Their personality is poor.
Adonis is bland, Doroka is annoying, and the villains are all blunt with no depth. While the attempt to make the villains comedic can be seen, it is done poorly, and it gives the feeling of watching a dance show in a serious drama: it doesn't make sense. With more work on all the characters' personalities, the show can definitely get a higher rating and make the audience more satisfied.
Animation: 6/10
Is the animation beautiful? Yes, at moments, it is. Animation is no easy task, so we are pretty lenient when it comes to rating animation. The anime can get a decent score if it gets the story across and expresses what it is meant to convey. Animation is more of a symbolic form of art than a realistic form. The audience can appreciate it in a time of story or peace.
Why is it not higher? The fight animation is poor. This is an anime that consists of battles and makes battles a significant part of the story. Watching the fights is dreadful. The animation is slow and doesn't hype the audience. It can also be repetitive and lack impact. The scenes of combat can definitely use improvement.
In a way, it feels as if the studio wasn't putting all its efforts into all the scenes. While understandable since animes are long projects that require spreading resources and time, something as important as fight scenes, which engage and excite the audience, shouldn't be ignored. I hope this flaw is recognized in season 2, and they redirect their focus. Until then, a 6/10 is a fair rating in terms of animation.
Audience Engagement: 6/10
It is respectable but not great. The previous ratings strongly impact the audience engagement. With poor character development and personality in design, relatability to the audience is weak, influencing engagement. The anime isn't funny enough to make the audience laugh, sad enough to make the audience cry (except for the jail scene), scary enough to make the audience afraid, or romantic enough to make the audience fall in love. It is enough to make the audience aware of an emotion but not enough to immerse them in it. Changes in music, animation lighting, and scenes, as well as more in-depth character design and an increase in suspense, are needed in this anime. So far, the audience has been engaging with the anime negatively, as seen in Crunchyroll's comments.
It also doesn't impact the audience at all. The audience doesn't feel any need to change (human sins) or reflect on themselves. The anime feels irrelevant to the audience, which ruins the purpose of the path to redemption.
With improvements to the previous ratings, season 2 can be more engaging to the audience. Episode 1 was excellent and captured the attention of many in the audience at first, so the potential is there. It's just not yet used.
Overall: 2.8/5
The anime is okay. It's not the worst, but it's nothing to be excited about. After episode 1, the anime tended to disappoint the audience and confuse everyone. The anime also isn't a lost cause. Season 2 can still be promising, and I would suggest that anyone who has already watched season 1 give season 2 a chance if it is released. When season 2 is released, we will watch it and provide a change in rating if anything changes.
If you have nothing to do, you could watch the anime but I wouldn't recommend it unless I recommend just watching the beginning.
We respect the studio that created the anime. It is a decent one, just in need of many improvements. We hope to see it in season 2.
This is our anime review: The Kingdoms of Ruin. Thank you for reading our review! If you have any thoughts, questions, or criticisms of our review that you would like to share, please leave them below in the comment section!
We wish everyone a productive week! - Survival Wolves Official Team
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