- James Baldwin
Shuumatsu no Walküre, or Record of Ragnarok, is a truly interesting manga. As the synopsis declares, we have a lone valkyrie whom initiates what is the record of ragnarok. Yet there is a fascinating twist on the way this is done. Within this manga, we see the inevitable price humanity must pay, and the mindset of Gods in this world, each as result of the lives they lead.
Story: 7/10
The story is a very simple one. Simply put, essentially we follow one big tournament arc in which 13 Gods face off against 13 Humans, in separate One vs One battles, as the synopsis entails. However, while being an extremely simple premise, it is portrayed in a superbly interesting manner using intriguing undertones that embellish what it is we have. There is fantastic lore behind this story, one of which elucidates the high stakes, from Gods of mythology that we ourselves may be interested in to human beings within our timeline that we may have taken note of. I believe this manga takes the idea of a simple action, tournament arc, and stretches it to its greatest lengths. The only flaw I can give here is the simplicity, however this simplicity is also one of this work's greatest strengths.
Art: 10/10
There's not much I can say here. The art is truly outstanding. Each panel is so intricately drawn and, while this manga is one that updates monthly, the art that we receive in return makes it more than worth it. Truly some of the greatest art in manga I can say I think I've ever seen, and the attention to detail here is extraordinary.
Character: 9/10
So, we have our lone valkyrie, and a few other recurring characters. However, what I really like about the way the characters are set up in this manga is that it's very difficult to establish a "main" character. We have many different characters, all amazing in their own right. Each character is fleshed out very well, and yet there are so many interesting characters with such fascinating lore that it's honestly a wonder. So while I can't say something along the lines of "I'm a fan of the main character because of...", I can say that I really enjoy every single character in this manga for what they are, and how they are presented. However, this lack of a fundemental "main" character is the reason I cannot give this category a 10. Even so, I am very fond of the characterisation done within this work.
Enjoyment: 9/10
I've enjoyed every chapter so far to a very high extent. I believe anyone looking for a good seinen action will truly enjoy this read. It's one that is easy to get into due to the simplicity of story, amazing to look at due to the intricacy and quality of the art, and wholly enjoyable all the way through due to the lack of uninteresting characters and lore that we are presented with along the way.
Overall: 8/10
While this isn't necessarily a masterpiece, it is far from being bad. In fact, it is one of the best works I've had the pleasure of reading. However, I believe that the manga being far from over factors into the overall score here. Down the line, this work could become one of the greatest in the history of manga, or perhaps it could be the opposite in which it loses traction. With that said, I truly believe this is worth reading. It is very good for any fan of the action genre, and is undoubtedly a diamond in the rough within this scope.
