Warning! Spoiler alert!
Story
The "man vs god" trope is among the most common in the fiction. Everything from comic books, movies and video games uses this trope to a certain extent and a work of fiction is bound to be labelled as generic or unoriginal unless it does something new and innovative with it and Record of Ragnarok tries ("tries" being the keyword here) to revitalize this trope by turning it into a tournament.
So, apparently, the gods are disappointed in mankind and want to destroy it but the Valkyrie Brunhilde proposes that tournament be held in order to give humanity a chance to fight for their survival. The competitors in each tournament are taken from ancient mythologies and classical literature and pitted to a battle to the death. Cool enough for a premise, right?
Well, it would be, if the show wasn't obsessed with the legends about these characters rather than the actual fights between them. Seriously, 80% of this show is character introductions, narrations about historical/mythological facts and exposition, and a measly 20% is dedicated to the fights themselves. I was actually bored for a good portion of the show because it was more interested in telling the already-known stories about these characters rather than focusing on the narrative it already has. (4/10)
Characters
The main problem I have with Record of Ragnarok is that it gives us no characters to root for. Seriously, no one in the show has enough of a personality or motivations worth sympathizing with or getting behind. Well, I guess Adam and Kojirou Sasaki do, but that's where my sympathy for the characters ends.
Why does Brunhilde want to take revenge against the gods? Why is she helping humanity? The show never explores this questions and instead forces us to accept the narrative presented to us. Other than the typical "genocide is bad" moral, why is saving the human race and defeating the gods a good thing? The gods are so high and mighty and the humans don't even get enough characterization to care for them. (3/10)
Art
If nothing else, you can like Record of Ragnarok for its visual aesthetics. Everything, from the character designs to the fight scenes, looks cleanly designed and animated. Unfortunately, much of that animation is reserved for flashbacks and exposition instead of, you know, advancing the story. Good visuals are supposed to enhance the anime experience, not make from scratch and that's a lesson Record of Ragnarok either forgot or refused to acknolwedge. (7/10)
Sounds
I feel sorry for Record of Ragnarok. It has good opening and closing songs and an excellent background soundtrack. The vocal performances (in the English version, at least) are among the best I've listened to in recent years, especially those of Jonah Scott (Adam) and Laura Post (Brunhilde), and I think this is the first time I've listened to a performance by Anairis Quinones (Goll). When I dislike a character, I do my best not to hold it against the actor but against the screenwriters because they are the ones with creative control over the story. It's such a shame that talent went to waste in this show. Record of Ragnarok is among the best-acted shows I've ever felt sorry for. (8/10)
Conclusion
Record of Ragnarok is less of an attempt to tell a compelling story with mythological characters and more as an attempt by the creators to show off their knowledge in classical literature and mythology. It's more interested in educating us about the characters rather than making us care about the characters in the situation they're currently in. I actually struggled to get through this show and when that happens, I don't exactly have a good opinion of it. When this show really tries, it can be good; but for the most part, it's just bland and forgettable. (6/10)
