Synopsis
There have been rumors as of late of monsters wreaking havoc. People’s hearts have been wavering as crime is on the rise. Earthquakes and tsunamis have disturbed the land. The world of Rune Midgard is crying out for a hero. And that hero…sure ain’t Roan that’s for sure.
Review
Not to be confused with Matantei Loki Ragnarok which is an astounding series, Ragnarok the Animation is adapted from the Korean massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) called Ragnarok Online by Myung-Jin Lee. It is not an animated version of the manga series about Chaos, Iris Irine, Fenris Fenrir, and Loki. The manga is a thousand times better and darker than the anime. Unfortunately, it was never completed. Myung-Jin Lee decided to focus all his attention on the game.
The anime aired originally back in 2004. So it is out of date with the current state of the video game. No expanded classes - Taekwons, Ninjas, Gunslingers, or Super Novices; No new towns - Rachel, Veins, Louyang, Hugel, Umbala, Lighthalzen, Nifflheim, Einbroch, Kunlun, Amatsu, or Ayothaya. They didn’t even ride the airship. No trans classes. No GMs. No homunculus. No War of Emperium (WoE). You used to be able to Dead Branch in towns but not anymore (bummer). 1st class characters could only defeat MVPs back in beta version of the game, 2001. Day/Night system was never put into place. The anime seems to be on a PVP (Player versus Player) server, meaning you can fighter other characters anytime and anywhere.
The US was among the last places for the anime to get localized. It has already been aired on Cartoon Network Brazil and was dubbed into Tagalog in the Philippines.
The official Japanese websites are:
http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/ragnarok/
http://www.ragnarokonline.jp/news/game/roanime/
The second website actually contains character in game sprites.
The official Funimation website is:
http://funimation.com/ragnarok/
which features a trailer teaser and avatars of the characters in .zip format. *WARNING* avatar file contains spoilers.
The Breakdown
For fans of the PC video game. I remember anxiously waiting every week for the next new episode. You have to watch Ragnarok the Animation at least once. Expect no second season though. There is a Maple Story anime. You can catch my super novice on the Loki server, Novice Reborn.
» The Pros
The Kafra girls! Baphomet is the coolest boss monster ever!
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» The Cons
There are times when I have the urge to just strangle Yuufa. There are a few scenes where it borders on being a hentai.
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» Animation
7.5 |
I liked how they used the character emotion icons. You have your 'Team Rocket' cast of minor villains. Spells from the game - Holy Light, Frost Diver, Magnum Break, Arrow Shower, etc. There's also Power Rangers parody. It does feature the Doomed Swords. Then you got class changes. |
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» Sound
7.5 |
I had hoped that they would have used the video game soundtrack for the background music. But that didn't end up being the case. The opening theme is "We are the Stars" by Maimi Yamasaki. The title of the song is appropriate for the game. You are in control of your character and decide your destiny. Yamasaki's 'Alive', the ending theme, is a softer melody. Merry go round. Japanese cast: Roan is played by Daisuke Sakaguchi, who went on to voice Shikimori in Maburaho soon after. You might recognize Yuufa as Hinata from Naruto (Nana Mizuki). Keough, knight, is the infamous Takehito Koyasu. |
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» Story
8.0 |
It's not like the .Hack//Sign series where the characters know it's all a game and log on to their respective accounts. In Ragnarok, the world is real to them. There's no return to last save point when you die. On the plus side, there's no lag, and no message telling you that the server is shutting down soon due to maintenance.
The Zealotus side story and communicating with Sohee were intriguing. The anime did predate Alice and Zealotus pet taming before they were implemented on kRO and iRO. I wish you could tame Moonlight. |
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» Recommend
7.0 |
I didn't find Ragnarok as dialogue heavy as Hack//Sign. It's more along the lines of Hack//Legend of the Twilight Bracelet and Star Ocean Ex. Slayers and Record of Lodoss War definitely define the fantasy genre. |
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» Other Information
Language: Japanese or English dialogue
Extras: Bonus one month free of iRO for new players
Package: Roan and Yuufa. Pink blob on his shoulder is a poring. |
Thursday, April 30, 2026
