Ranking of Kings
Ranking of Kings is a fantasy-comedy coming-of-age anime series that follows the adventures of Prince Bojji, a deaf and small-statured royal, and his shadow-clan friend Kage. Despite his physical shortcomings, Bojji dreams of becoming the greatest king, navigating a world filled with political intrigue, complex characters, and dark challenges. The series is lauded for its unique art style, which often masks surprisingly mature and intense themes. It delves into the nature of true strength, friendship, forgiveness, and the moral complexities of its characters, often subverting traditional fairy tale tropes. While appearing whimsical, the narrative explores heavy topics and features significant action.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe series features surprisingly graphic violence despite its art style, including depictions of serious injuries, dismemberment, and characters frequently on the brink of death. While often characters are healed, the intensity of the combat and resultant harm is high.
Characters endure severe physical harm, such as Domas cutting off his own right hand. Bebin is impaled by Apeas during a confrontation but is later healed. Many characters suffer grave injuries and are shown in life-threatening situations, only to be saved or healed by magic.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighThe narrative heavily incorporates magical elements, demons, and a supernatural hierarchy, including a literal Devil figure and a vivid depiction of hell. Characters engage in pacts with demons and utilize various forms of magic.
Miranjo makes a pact with a Demon, who grants King Bosse immense power at the cost of Miranjo's soul upon her death. The show depicts a 'hell where the souls of the damned are eaten, regurgitated, reformed, and then eaten again ad infinitum,' a horrific and explicit portrayal of an afterlife.
Scary & Intense Content
HighDespite its innocent appearance, the series contains consistently dark and intense themes, frightening character designs, and situations of high peril and despair, including graphic suffering and a terrifying depiction of hell.
The immortal character Ouken becomes a terrifying, grotesque, and unkillable foe due to a curse, relentlessly pursuing and harming others. The anime features graphic and prolonged scenes in the underworld, showing souls being consumed and reformed repeatedly, described as 'horrific'.
Disrespect & Rebellion
HighDisrespect and rebellion against authority are central to many plotlines. Characters openly defy royal decrees, engage in betrayal, and act with self-serving or misguided intentions against their superiors or the established order.
Queen Hiling, despite her love for Bojji, initially orchestrates a vote to bypass King Bosse's will and prevent Bojji from inheriting the throne, deeming him unfit due to his physical weaknesses. Domas, Bojji's loyal master, is ordered by Queen Hiling to kill Bojji and attempts to do so by pushing him into a pit, a profound act of betrayal from a trusted figure.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumExplicit sexual content is absent. However, there is a notably controversial and problematic 'romantic' development where a young prince declares marriage to a much older, villainous character to 'share her sins', which some viewers found unsettling due to the power dynamics and lack of genuine affection.
Prince Daida declares he will marry Miranjo, who is depicted as a spirit existing through a magical mirror and has been manipulating him and caused immense suffering, including the death of Bojji's mother. This proposal is not driven by mutual love but Daida's stated intent to 'share the burden of her sins' after her redemption, which has been criticized as 'gross' and lacking genuine romantic context.
Anti-Christian Themes
MediumThe series presents a fantasy world with a pantheon of 'gods' who rank kings and a distinct 'Devil' figure, which differs from Christian monotheistic beliefs. The depiction of hell also varies significantly from traditional Christian theology. While some Christian viewers find positive moral parallels, the core cosmology may conflict with Christian doctrine.
The world of 'Ranking of Kings' features 'powerful magical beings known as 'Gods'' who oversee a ranking system for kings and grant boons from a 'Divine Treasure Vault'. The 'Demon' or 'Devil' is a distinct character who makes pacts and consumes souls, operating within a different spiritual framework than the Christian understanding of Satan.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowNo explicit LGBTQ+ characters or themes are present within the 'Ranking of Kings' anime or manga based on extensive searching. Mentions of 'queer' or 'LGBTQ' content were either in reference to reviewers' identities or unrelated media.
Searches for 'Ranking of Kings' combined with 'lgbtq', 'gay', 'lesbian', 'transgender', 'queer representation', and 'LGBTQ characters' yielded no direct content within the anime or manga. Similarly, searches for the author/director's statements regarding LGBTQ+ themes in the series produced no relevant results.
Profanity
LowNo instances of explicit profanity or strong language were identified within the dialogue of the 'Ranking of Kings' anime.
Review outlets and fan discussions do not report profanity as a notable content warning within the series' dialogue. Searches specifically for 'Ranking of Kings curse words' or 'profanity' did not yield examples from the show itself.
Substance Use
LowNo significant instances of alcohol consumption, drug use, or smoking are depicted or central to the plot in 'Ranking of Kings'.
Parental reviews and content warnings do not list substance use as a concern. Specific searches for 'Ranking of Kings alcohol', 'drug', or 'smoking' found no relevant content within the series.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Ages 14+ recommended. The series features a deceptively childlike art style but contains intense violence with graphic injury detail, disturbing depictions of supernatural entities and a non-Christian afterlife, and complex moral dilemmas that may be unsettling for younger viewers. Older adolescents are better equipped to process the mature themes and frequent perilous situations.
Additional Notes
The art style of 'Ranking of Kings' is often cited as misleadingly childlike, causing some parents to underestimate the maturity of its content. While it champions themes of kindness, perseverance, and forgiveness, these are explored through a narrative that involves significant hardship, moral ambiguity, and graphic elements. The spin-off series, 'Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage,' maintains similar thematic and content intensity, often delving deeper into character backstories that can be equally dark.
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