Ranking of Kings episode 2 doesn’t do anything all that unique or special, but it does effectively connect with the story of two outcasts. With the main focus being Kage’s backstory to go along with Bojji’s cruel beatdown, you can’t help but come away with a feeling of sympathy for the two. Maybe together they’ll be able to turn things around. This anime is quickly becoming one that you don’t want to miss!
Ranking of Kings Episode 1 Review
Where can I watch Ranking of Kings episode 2?
Funimation is the only legitimate place that I’ve found to watch this anime. New episodes are being released every Thursday at 1:25 PM EST. That means that you’ll have to have a subscription to Funimation’s site in order to be able to watch it. Either that or you can wait a week until free users get access. Just be prepared for some commercials.
That’s really your only good option if you want to watch Ranking of Kings. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t recommend going to one of the pirated sites. No anime is worth compromising your security for. If you frequent pirated anime sites then you’re just asking to get hit with a bunch of viruses or malware. Don’t do that to yourself.
Watch Ranking of Kings Episode 2 at Funimation
How was the story in Ranking of Kings episode 2?
If I was to describe the story in one word it would be “Effective.” Episode 2 did exactly what it set out to do, build sympathy for both Kage and Bojji. I list Kage first there because the main focus of the episode was on him. There are still a few big questions I have about him, but now we at least know how he got to this point. It’s a pretty sad story too.
Kage is a perfect candidate for a debate over nature vs. nurture. From what we’re shown, Kage would’ve been completely happy to not even get into the assassination business. He was a kind hearted child who was only looking for someone who would love him. Unfortunately for him, life’s circumstances wouldn’t allow that. His family is betrayed and slaughtered and Kage is forced to run for his life.
It’s a simple story but one that always seems to work when done well. Ranking of Kings episode 2 does it well by not having too much dialogue get in the way. Kage’s body language says it all. Even though he’s just a pair of eyes gliding across the ground you can still see that he’s perplexed as he tries to survive. By the end of Kage’s story you just want him to find someone who’ll take him in and show him some love.
What does that have to do with Bojji?
By showing us Kage’s backstory, Ranking of Kings helps us understand better why he took an interest in Bojji. In some ways Kage saw himself in the young prince. Due to circumstances beyond his control, Bojji is forced into tough situations. Even though he’s royalty Bojji is just as much an outcast as Kage. The beatdown he received from Daida should cement that.
This was probably the most shocking part of the story. After the way episode 1 ended I thought for sure that Bojji was going to leave his duel with Daida on a high note. Instead, it’s turned on its head when Domas tells Bojji that he’s not fighting like a king should. Domas comes off like a complete jackass. He even lets the fight continue until Bojji needs some serious medical attention.
Why was the duel allowed to go on this long?
Through all of this you’re left wondering what the ultimate goal of all those involved is. Is Domas wanting Daida to become king? Did he allow Bojji to get beaten down to get some sympathy? What about BeBin, the snake guy? He may be Daida’s instructor but he seems to have his own thoughts on the whole situation. I didn’t even get into the fact that his snakes were the ones that attacked Bojji in the flashback from Ranking of Kings episode 1. Did he try to assassinate Bojji back then?
I bring up all of these questions because it’s important to note that these are the questions that you should be asking. If you’re asking “Who’s on who’s side” rather than “Why am I supposed to believe that could actually happen” then a story is doing its job. That means you’re getting invested in what’s going on. Ranking of Kings is doing a good job of keeping the focus on what’s happening in the story rather than how the story is constructed.
How was the production quality?
If you’re like me, you don’t spend too much time listening to the opening theme music of an anime. I’d urge you to at least sit through the OP of Ranking of Kings at least once. Write down what type of anime you think you’re about to watch and then record what type of anime is presented. I can’t help but think that the opening doesn’t quite fit with the story on screen.
Ranking of Kings OP gives the impression that you’re about to watch an anime meant for kids. It’s light, upbeat and cheerful. You get images of Bojji and Kage running around being best friends. It’s all really nice and light. That’s completely different from what episode 2 just presented to us. I’m not exactly sure how an opening like this fits in with a story where we see Kage’s family brutally killed and Bojji hospitalized.
As far as the animation is concerned, I’ll stand by my assessment that Ranking of Kings has a retro feel to it. That doesn’t mean that the animation is bad, just that the character design is similar to anime from the 80’s and 90’s. Everything else seems to be well done. I didn’t notice anything in particular that was off or cut-rate.
What did Ranking of Kings episode 2 get right?
I think this episode did a good job of tying Kage’s backstory in with why he’s sympathetic to Bojji. It’s easy to understand how a hardened thief could show compassion to someone else who’s going through a hard time. Like I mentioned in the review of the story, Kage really is soft at heart. He may have become hardened due to his circumstances, but he’s still very much a sensitive person. That came through perfectly in episode 2.
Now that Kage’s thrown in his lot with Bojji, I wonder how long he’ll stay in the shadows. Kage was perfectly fine with showing himself in an attempt to try and stop the duel. If it hadn’t been for Apeas throwing his spear and stopping the fight in a much more dramatic way, Kage would’ve blow his cover. It’s probably more useful for the plot for Kage to stay relatively unknown. If he’s going to be Bojji’s ally he’s going to be more useful sneaking around in the shadows.
What did Ranking of Kings episode 2 get wrong?
I don’t understand why the duel between Bojji and Daida had to go the way that it did. Why was Bojji’s fighting style considered to be unsightly? Was it really necessary to allow Daida to beat his brother down that bad? Is Domas out to see Bojji die? Everything just seemed a little bit off.
Let’s start with Bojji’s fighting style. Bojji was easily avoiding all of Daida’s attacks. He had to offensive strength of his own, but at least he wasn’t getting pummeled by his brother’s superior strength. Daida was obviously getting flustered and embarrassed until Domas changed the rules of engagement with his comment to Bojji. Why did that have to happen? Bojji was just dodging and countering. Is the world of Ranking of Kings so basic that you’re not allowed to dodge? That doesn’t seem right.
It’s not like Bojji was using any type of dirty tactic. He wasn’t going for the eyes or hitting below the belt. Who says that you have to test your strength against your opponent? Bojji looked to be a master swordsman with the moves he was pulling off. Nothing there was out of place. I just don’t get it.
What about Domas?
This is the point I really don’t get. Domas allowed Bojji to get beaten within an inch of his life. While we were shown last episode that he would probably prefer to be training Daida, it’s not like he’s shown hatred of Bojji. I’m pretty sure that the rules of a duel prevent one of the combatants from getting treated like Bojji did. Daida was even about to hit his brother while he was facing the ground. Now THAT was the dirty fighting that Bojji was being accused of.
It might all come out that Domas was really trying to end Bojji’s aspirations right here. Perhaps Domas is thinking that by having Daida showing his superiority will shatter Bojji’s dreams. I don’t know. All I know is that Domas comes off like a complete jerk and there isn’t a good explanation as to why. That’s the part I really don’t like.
Any other thoughts on this episode?
Just one more thing to mention. If you were wondering if there was going to be magic introduced into this anime then you didn’t have to wait too long. Daida has access to a magic mirror. We’re not given too much detail about it besides the fact that the shadowy figure on the other side has said that Daida will become king. It’s an interesting little detail at the end. I can’t help but feel like there’s something dark about this magic mirror. Daida’s expectations might not be exactly what the mirror is predicting. That’s the vibe I’m getting.
Is Ranking of Kings episode 2 worth watching?
Yes, Ranking of Kings episode 2 is worth watching. The story is solid, the animation is pretty good and for the most part everything is logical. It’s not a perfect anime episode but the shortcomings aren’t that big of a deal. It’s easy to just sit back and enjoy this one. Ranking of Kings is quickly becoming one of my favorite anime of the fall season and I think you’ll enjoy it too. Let’s see if that sentiment can keep up after we get to the end. Here’s hoping that I don’t eat these words when it’s all said and done!
Now go watch some anime!
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