KING’S RAID: Successors of the Will

Fionka Mar 28, 2021

5.5

At first I thought I'll really enjoy this anime. It took some time to get more interesting and it was fine but then, even before the middle of series, it got kind of boring. I'm not familiar with the game so maybe even this contributed a little bit to my rate being lower than other's. The fighting scenes were a bit cringy and not that good executed as they probably intended. I also prefered the Dark Elves' side of the story but even that...I don't want to spoil anything. Characters weren't that interesting to be, honestly a bit dull. Anime had some good moments that's why I didn't drop it because I always clinged to those moments and endured to the end. The ending was satisfiying and appropriate to the anime. But still nothing special overall. I think you get an idea if you're going to like it or not after a few episodes. But the music was always great - both opening and ending songs were great. That's the best thing from this anime for me.

StevenSAKUJO Dec 21, 2020

7

Story [7/10] As of writing the anime's rating is 2.6/5 and I would nearly always avoid an anime with such a low rating. Even anime rated around 3/5 tend to have serious flaws that most people can agree on. King's Raid is a dark medieval fantasy which follows a group of adventurers who set out to claim a divine power which a hundred years prior defeated the demons that are now returning to their world. They must journey to find those who hold the keys to this power. King's Raid strikes a balance between being dark and serious without being excessive, the story also focuses not just on the external threat of the demons but also the flaws of the kingdom politically and socially. There's poverty, racism, cutthroat politics, elitism and a lot that one might expect of a medieval kingdom. Overall, the story is engaging and compelling, handling emotionally charged elements in most cases with grace and maturity. King's Raid is deep and coherent in a way that I would not expect considering its rating, it is fun to follow the story of the heroes while the kingdom of Orvelia is more intriguing and thought-provoking.  Animation [6/10] I am not competent in terms of the techniques in animation but the quality of King's Raid is around what I expect from a not top tier anime made in 2020. Magic and combat are generic and at times underwhelming but the characters and the world fit their themes and meet the high standards I expect nowadays. Combat in King's Raid is often either too simple or at times requiring us to suspend our disbelief. If I rate all of these facets to other anime around a similar rating then overall it's really good, it just depends on what it should be compared to.  Sound [6/10]  Anime usually has great voice acting and a good soundtrack and King's Raid is the same, while nothing stands out, that is both a bad and good thing. I didn't find anything in this category that detracted from the overall, however, the OST is largely forgettable.  Characters [7.5/10] King's Raid's dealing with its heavy concepts mostly relied on having characters who could both participate in wrongdoing while also remaining sympathetic. This is how ambiguity is achieved, the kingdom of Orvelia contains a stratified society, there's the royals, nobles, citizens and then there are the dark elven mercenaries. Characters in each class are shown to be sympathetic and likeable in some areas but bear some responsibility for their role in the unkindness that goes on. With likeable characters on each side, seemingly destined to clash, there's no correct answer in who to root for. Few characters are so vilified that their positions can be disregarded, forcing us to consider some pretty heavy moral questions present throughout the story.  Kasel and his companions, who must journey to attain the power to defeat the demons are all allowed their moments in the spotlight. The characters are likeable, compelling, often with an unspoken depth which keeps them interesting. Most scenes in King's Raid can be enjoyable because there are so many likeable and compelling characters. Overall [7/10] As of writing, the anime is not complete, I am at episode 12 currently and the story is left unresolved, therefore, this review is not a complete picture but instead I hope it will help people to decide whether to watch it or not based on what's already happened. An anime rated 2.6/5 should be worse than this, I almost invariably skip anime rated so poorly but I'm glad I didn't skip on King's Raid. 

mistyxnguyen Dec 13, 2020

9.8

This anime is really good. You should definitely watch it if your into video game base and all.