Stream It Or Skip It: 'Record of Ragnarok' on Netflix Gives Humanity Another Chance to Prove Itself
By Brittany Vincent Twitter @MolotovCupcake Jul 6, 2021 at 1:36pm
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Humanity has proven itself time and time again to be fraught with terrible maladies, and that's especially true in Netflix's Record of Ragnarok. The evil of man can sometimes outweigh its penchant for good, and the gods have grown tired of dealing with the species as a whole. Before deciding to completely wipe them off of the map entirely, however, one valkyrie, Brunhilde (Laura Post), decides she would like to see humanity fight for the right to live on. In the battle of Ragnarok, 13 of humanity's greatest contenders must go head to head against the pantheon of gods to see if the human race has what it takes to continue existing — or perish.
RECORD OF RAGNAROK: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: We see the sun rising over the Earth as the gods discuss the extinction of mankind, images of the gods themselves overlaid over the planet. Then, Goll (Anairis Quinones), the youngest valkyrie, accompanies Brunhilde to the meeting of the gods, all assembled to discuss the fate of humanity.
The Gist: Once every thousand years, the gods meet to discuss the fate of humanity. During their latest gathering, they decide they're tired of dealing with humans, and opt instead of protecting and watching over them to eradicate them. Before their decision is made final, however, the valkyrie Brunhilde asks for a final chance for humanity: a chance to let them duke it out for supremacy in the battle of Ragnarok. They must face off against the gods themselves to prove they deserve to exist. With 13 on 13 battles, both sides have the chance to reach seven victories. The first to achieve this wins. This is humanity's final chance to succeed, as legendary humans from throughout the annals of history take up valkyries as their weapons and fight for their species. That includes Lu Bu, Adam, Thor, Zeus, and a variety of other familiar names from both the pantheon of gods and humanity's finest. Who will emerge victorious? You'll have to wait and see.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Record of Ragnarok will bring to mind the same kind of cinematic fights as seen in battle-centric shonen series like The Seven Deadly Sins, as teams clash in the battle to see if the gods or humanity will win out. It's heavily stylized, and its character portraits can even bring JoJo's Bizarre Adventure to mind at certain points.
Our Take: Record of Ragnarok has a fascinating premise: the fate of humanity rests in the hand of the species' finest. It's an epic brawl that finds combatants tearing each other to shreds for an all-important cause. It's these epic stakes that help it to stand out from the rest of the fighting series out there, which you can find for a dime a dozen alone on Netflix. It isn't just to find out who the strongest fighter is, but to figure out if humanity really does deserve more time on Earth, or if it should be eliminated entirely.
Watching the mythical Thor take on the Chinese warlord Lu Bu or Adam (of Adam and Eve fame) duke it out with Zeus is trippy enough to think about, let alone watch it play out in an arena while the gods cheer and jeer all around them. But the fights are dramatic, exciting, and a blast to watch as they unfold, even if you know very little about the historical figures that humanity has to bring to the table.
It's not rife with the smartest storytelling you'll find anywhere, but it doesn't need to be. It crafts an engaging tale through flashbacks, serves up an electric buzz throughout each and every encounter, and ensures by the end of the episode, you're fully invested in what's around the corner. This is shonen anime at its finest, and even the most jaded of fans will find something to like here.
Sex and Skin: Some of the gods' costumes, like Aphrodite, are a bit revealing. Her assets can be right in your face sometimes, as can other female gods, but there's nothing so overt that viewers sensitive to this kind of content would need to steer clear of,
Parting Shot: Thor and Lu Bu are locked in an epic showdown. Lu Bu lunges for Thor, weapon poised, as the two stare each other down. Lu Bu is about to rain evil down on Thor with his next move, but the episode ends before he can take another swing. It's been just as frenetic throughout the rest of the episode, and it closes in a similar fashion.
Sleeper Star: Thor (Jalen K. Cassell) steals the scene every time he appears, with his flaming red hair and massive weapon. You might think you know everything there is to know about the god, but this rendition is an especially interesting one. Cassell imbues him with a unique energy as well, so it's exciting to see what he'll do next, especially when he's duking it out with one of the most crafty, powerful humans who lived throughout history, Lu Bu.
Most Pilot-y Line: "I'll admit,It's true that the sins of man are indeed unforgivable. Despite that fact, for you to simply wipe them out — well, it just seems quite dull." Brunnhilde changes the very fate of humanity with her "little proposal," and it's clear then and there we've just set foot into the first episode of an anime that has big plans for its cast.
Our Call: STREAM IT. If you love detailed traditional animation, ridiculous and over the top brawls, and battles for the fate of all mankind, there's plenty to love about Record of Ragnarok. Plus, when you finish watching the series, which you'll no doubt power through lickety split, you'll want to dive into the manga. We all know humanity has to win out in the end, but this show really puts it all on the line — you might not know who to root for, but you'll have a hell of a lot of fun figuring it out.
Should you stream or skip the incredibly detailed anime #RecordOfRagnarok on @netflix? #SIOSI
— Decider (@decider) July 6, 2021
Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over a decade for publications like G4, Popular Science, Playboy, Variety, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, GameSpot, and more. When she's not writing or gaming, she's collecting retro consoles and tech. Follow her on Twitter: @MolotovCupcake.
Watch Record of Ragnarok on Netflix