Ousama Ranking

The people of the kingdom look down on the young Prince Bojji, who can neither hear nor speak. They call him "The Useless Prince" while jeering at his supposed foolishness.

However, while Bojji may not be physically strong, he is certainly not weak of heart. When a chance encounter with a shadow creature should have left him traumatized, it instead makes him believe that he has found a friend amidst those who only choose to notice his shortcomings. He starts meeting with Kage, the shadow, regularly, to the point where even the otherwise abrasive creature begins to warm up to him.

Kage and Bojji's unlikely friendship lays the budding foundations of the prince's journey, one where he intends to conquer his fears and insecurities. Despite the constant ridicule he faces, Bojji resolves to fulfill his desire of becoming the best king he can be.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Bojji Main

Hinata, Minami Japanese

Kage Main

Murase, Ayumu Japanese

Hiling Supporting

Satou, Rina Japanese

Despa Supporting

Sakurai, Takahiro Japanese

Desha Supporting

Shimoyama, Yoshimitsu Japanese

Ouken Supporting

Yusa, Kouji Japanese

Bebin Supporting

Ueda, Youji Japanese

Dorshe Supporting

Tadokoro, Hinata Japanese

Daida Supporting

Kaji, Yuuki Japanese

Miranjo Supporting

Sakamoto, Maaya Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Okada, Maiko Producer, Production Manager

Inoue, Megumi Producer

Herek, Samantha Assistant Producer

Reviews

May 9, 2025

Evans_Born

Recommended

Having finished Ousama ranking, it must be said there is little to object to, and there is much to praise this show in terms of it's narrative merits, and artistic qualities. On the surface it looks like a kid's show, taking many fairy tale tropes and combining them. It then takes them all and re-contextualizes them in a complex narrative frameworks. There is much kids would miss even though they have much to learn and enjoy within it. What is has to say overall is better understood by the mature and sensible. This anime in many respects is written for those who grew up with ... fairy tales, and as adults forgot all the lessons that were therein. Just like the fairy tales the lessons within make sense for adults and prepare children for some of the challenges of adulthood. Children already know dragons exist, what they need to learn is dragons can be defeated, so Chesterton reminds. The bulk of the artist merits of the work is in the thematic unity, in art, narrative, character and music.

Narratively, it takes time to show the various connections and storylines intersect, and everything is built towards that. Visually it looks like a kids show. The art style is cartoony. A decision that fits with the theme and works in tandem with the story being told. So those who share my sensibilities who love detail and realism should forgive this show, in that regard and give it a chance. The stylistic choice is part of the story. I think the decision makes sense as the story draws to a close. While I have misgivings for the aspects of it that count as "genre deconstruction" (fancy way of saying it breaks some of the unwritten rules and expectations we come to have from this style of story); this is not another brainless isekai looking to entertain with pop culture references and power fantasy. The story has much to say, and it does. Explaining the themes explored cannot be done without spoiling the show but the author manages to fit in everything that there is to say about "kings and heroes" in 20 episodes. This is is the kind of anime that can be used by a book club discussion. From my own notes, it can serve as a launch pad to discuss the 7 Cardinal virtues and how they related to family, politics, desire, responsibility and duty. The only thing it didn't or couldn't tackle was ultimate concern.

The music and animation is not exceptional. The music however is used well, and they are clever with how they use music and silence. The music is used to bolster the drama and to pull us into the mental states of the characters. The art is cartoony but it's all for a purpose. It is made to look like a kids show. This words because of the themes of the story and what the author is trying to help us see and understand. The narrative is well crafted and tackles big questions anime shy away from. Themes that made the "stories for boys" great in the centuries past following the Arthurian legends, and the adventure tales they inspired. The characters work well for the story, the setting is unique despite having many familiar elements. Which is something that can be said of every element of the story. There are many familiar elements given a unique twist. For this reason this is a good anime. Even better if you have a love for philosophy, theology or heroism as explored through story.

As an anime it's a 7.9 out of 10. As a story it gets a 9.5 out of 10. There is little like it. It takes time to get going, but it is worth it. The finale needs reflection and discussion to show how it fits, to help gift a sense as to why it went that way. Average art and music, epic narrative composition, praiseworthy characterization and a very unique entry into the anime tradition.

It is an anime worth watching, and such writers really do need to be rewarded. It does not feel derivative. It does not feel boring, and you will not predict everything perfectly. So this is why it is worth watching, even if it isn't your normal cup of tea. This story was written with love. For that I hope you would choose to watch it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jun 26, 2025

Gsarthotegga

Mixed Feelings

Ousama Ranking is well made, as is to be expected from Wit Studio, but the nice guyification of fantasy is becoming a tiresome trend. If it is not a pretense like "gray morality" that rules the day and reveling in vileness, then we are increasingly presented with (basic bitch) layered villains who have the most unbelievable redemption arcs of all time. This results in authors trying to inject a touching backstory into their villain's motivation and having the hero spare or forgive his arch-nemesis, even if what they have done is treacherous, resulting in the deaths of many and the ruination of the kingdom. The ... trend is a strange one because you'll often see the heroes ruthlessly dispatching their world's equivalent of personality-free stormtroopers or goombas without a thought, but for some reason the one giving orders is given a slap on the wrist, which smacks of social engineering, as if those in power are saying, "Yes, okay, we're responsible, but don't be too mean to us for having harmed you."

Probably more than half the cast goes through a totally fake process like this, from "good" to "bad" and back to "good," once they've been forgiven and redeemed, and the young heroes of the cast will forgive like no other, in contrast to the wrath of the mean giant father Big Bosse. That's one thing I appreciate about Kimetsu no Yaiba at least, no matter how soundly it is mocked. It wants you to cry like a baby, and it shows sympathy, or even empathy, but the only mercy granted to the villains is a blade striking them down. OR is the opposite of KnY, with the sob backstories being used to forgive. "Uwaah, young master, I see that your tears shine true, and now I am crying too; oh boohoo, let us all hug and be friends hitherto." To hell with this nice guyism. Forget forgiveness, crocodile tears, and trite moral preening seeping into fantasy. Let the heads roll and rivers turn crimson.

The post-modern heroes and villains of today are disgusting. Yes, let us give super powers to a hopelessly naive deaf-mute 5-year-old who talks like this: "UHFHFUU FHUBUFNJFNFJNF CUCUCNUNC," and he can be our moral better and spare everyone. Despite this communication issue having promise for a more dynamic story, most of the important characters understand him with ease or Kage acts as interpreter. When it comes to characters resolving their wicked ways, there are extenuating circumstances for a number of them, but it is not as easy to make the case for Miranjo and causing so much trouble just so she and Big Bosse can go on adventures again. In my estimation, the (spiritual boomer) duo's scheme is practically the equivalent of a man eloping with his mistress and killing off his family for insurance money, then burning the whole kingdom down for good measure, because why not?

The machinations and double crossing of various characters early on would lead one to believe the series will culminate in a grand tragedy, but this series has the same toddler-approved soft-pedaling as Disney applied to Brothers Grimm. The conflict can be emotional, there's a decent character dynamic between Bojii and Kage, and Daida acts as a good counterpoint as an initially more arrogant and confident character. Then Miranjo is introduced and goes on to muck everything up. It is believable that Daida would develop a bond with Miranjo in these circumstances of being trapped in darkness and vicariously experiencing what she went through, but the studio did not convey this transition well. The problem is that Daida disappears and becomes unimportant by this point, only to emerge briefly at the end, his mind changed without allowing us the opportunity of working through these changes with him; further undermining his contributions as a character is that he ends up possessed and functions as a different person in many scenes. The focus should have been more on Daida than Miranjo or at least divided between the two.

Additionally, it is unfortunate that what starts off as such a unique fantasy by anime standards rapidly devolves into a simple, linear shonen toward the end, starting when Bojii's training with Despa begins. Similar to the unseen developments of Daida, Bojii's transformation into a swordsman is not shown. He becomes a powerful fighter with an abrupt time skip, which is odd considering the slower pace of prior episodes, highlighting the grueling rise of an underdog so effectively. This lack of showing the refinement of Bojii's swordsmanship is a mistake, for it is difficult to believe that he can use a rapier so minimalist as to be a sewing needle for anything other than attempting to mend the copious number of holes and gaps in the badly stitched tapestry of plot and character motivations. Instead, he pacifies foes vastly larger and physically stronger than himself, redirecting their blows, dodging, and poking them until they concede that they have been naughty and beg for forgiveness, which Bojii immediately grants like the good boy that he is.

The most fearsome villain conveniently employs techniques that are meant to bleed his opponents out slowly rather than kill them, and you can guess this means a lot of "deaths" are going to be cop-outs or our characters will be revived, and this cheap trick becomes exasperating. Especially with everyone crying all the time, leading to desensitization due to the lack of tension and never-ending tears and snot, if not outright laughter for how absurd the whole arc is. The first half made me think this would be a solid anime if it had a great finale, but it is merely "OK" and leaves one with the impression of vain admiration for Wit's visual acuity to dazzle its audience toward undeserved generosity, much like the concept behind The Emperor's New Clothes, a fairy tale that OR clearly drew influence from, and it shows in the worst kind of way.

The other elephant in the room to address is a controversial one concerning colonialism. Is it confirmed that the author is basing the colonial segment on the Japanese colonizing the Koreans? There is no official confirmation from the author, but it makes sense for this historical event to be the influence for the colonization segment of the story. Yet it is also not a direct parallel, given this is a fantasy world, so the historical details are kind of irrelevant (and often distorted in the first place). Historically, colonization has simply been something distinct groups of humans do to other humans, and it is only in recent years that there has been moral hysteria about it. It happened, and every work needing to condemn colonialism or whichever idea is beyond tiresome. Not everything needs to conform to the status quo of the day, which is ever-changing. The thing is, this segment is not necessarily well written, and the way it is used to justify other parts of the script is hackneyed. The idea of a colonizing power benefiting the colonized nation but them being ungrateful or resentful and then retaliating is not even ahistorical. It probably happens in every instance on a small or large scale, and the brutality Miranjo was subjected to is quite realistic. Most people do not want to be colonized, but there are sometimes positives and negatives associated with the experience, and infrastructure and technological developments are often one of the (presumed) positives. Furthermore, we are focusing on the emotionalized perspective of a young girl and her family. As for everyone being forgiven in this series but not the "Korean stand-ins": This would probably be a product of the "older generation," seeing as these scenes were from the perspective of Big Bosse and Miranjo, who chose not to forgive, and there were not any obvious cues to soften the image of the "Korean stand-ins." It is Bojii and, eventually, Daida who become part of a new, more forgiving generation; even the thieving shadow puddle non-humanoid entities are forgiven, so I am willing to believe that anyone and everyone has the potential of being forgiven, no matter how villainous. The contrast in the generations is pretty obvious: big, strong, and mean versus small, weak, and nice. It is basically daddy complex, the anime. In conclusion, the oh-so-controversial "pro-colonization" segment will probably be subverted in the future, leaving egg on the face of those seething over reeeee colonialism, not that I care either way.

However, putting all of that aside, the whole point of this brutal scene was to provide a tragic backstory for Miranjo and prep us to feel sorry for her, so we can cry our eyes out for her redemption. Sorry, babe, I know what happened to you was rough, but that does not excuse what you did in the future, so there is a guillotine lined up for you. I mean... there should be, but "Miranjo OMG KAWAII UwU love wins all. She might have done many terrible things to my kingdom, but I am going to make her my waifu." Typical anime. I think this is some kind of fetish where a man wants to be horribly abused by a woman, then reforms her into his wife. When put that way, it bears a similarity to women sending letters to serial killers about how much they love them, except this is a fantastical and presumably more healthy depiction of fetishism. The fact that I have made this comparison numerous times and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the future is a good example of how deeply pussywhipped anime is.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Dec 5, 2023

douve_atomique

Not Recommended

What happened to Ousama Ranking's story? Did someone kidnap the author halfway in and force him to write a mediocre battle shounen with terrible pacing? This show is incredibly confusing.

In short, Ousama Ranking felt like watching two different shows. Its first half or so was actually very enjoyable, making use of complex and interesting characters in a context à la Game of Thrones topped with gorgeous art and symbolic writing - albeit as subtle as a brick through a window -, but then the fire nation attacked the mangaka or something must have happened because everything turned to trash. After the first half I just ... kept wondering what happened, what caused such a shift in quality, I was so focused on this that I could barely comprehend what I was watching anymore but maybe that's a good thing, in a way I got spared.

I don't want this to be a full review of the show, so I'll just briefly talk about the most important aspect of any show for me: its characters. Ousama Ranking's characters are surprinsingly good, or that's how they seem to be at the start of the show. They all have their backstory, allegiance and motivations and even those that appear shallow at first end up being interesting. Two characters have to be talked about: the two princes, Bojji and Daida. Daida is the second prince, he is gifted, strong-minded, ambitious and uncompromising. Even though he seems to be a complete asshole at first, it turns out that he has standards, morals that he's not willing to abandon. Bojji is the first prince, he is exactly the opposite of his brother. He is weak, cursed, and not fit to be a king. He is also deaf and mute.

This next paragraph contains spoilers
These two princes are interesting because of how drastically different they are and because they are basically competing for the crown after the death of their father. Even though Daida is most fit to become king, he's the second prince so Bojji should take the crown instead. This premise is very solid. It made me wonder how Bojji was going to deal with conflicts. Being deaf, he cannot hear what people are saying to him. Being mute, he cannot speak to them. Being extremely weak physically, he cannot resort to force to solve problems. How is he going to deal with his brother and everything else? What an interesting conundrum! Well, guess what... Everything that was established through the first half of the anime is simply thrown out the window. Daida is manipulated by a mirror and removed from the story because his father is reincarnated in his body and Bojji undergoes training which makes him the strongest character in the show (this is not a conjecture, it is stated in the anime). Daida's complex struggle to emulate his father's strength is gone. Bojji's physical handicap is gone; him being mute and deaf doesn't matter because he can read lips and people somehow understand him when he's 'speaking'. Thus, the anime turns into a battle shonen where there is absolutely no tension, people are gravely wounded but then healed, wounded again but healed again, and wounded one more time and left for dead just to be healed again because why not. Nothing seems to happen for the remainder of the show. We learn about the main antagonist's backstory which apparently is some sort of Japanese nationalistic memorandum. I was at first very confused by this backstory but it now unfortunately makes a lot of sense.

One last thing to mention is the series' main antagonists and one word to describe them is boring. The series goes into such great lengths to make them complex and misundertsood that it forgets to actually make them interesting.

If you really want to watch this series, just pretend it's 10 episodes long and has an ambiguous ending and call it quits, or turn your brain off and watch the whole thing.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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