Ranking of Kings
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Screen for YOUR familyParent's Guide to 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.
Things to Consider
Violence
The 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
The 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.
Scary & Intense Content
Despite 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.
Disrespect & Rebellion
Disrespect 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.
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Additional Context
Best For Ages
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.
Good to Know
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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