Story & Enjoyment - There's a definite hook to the overall story of Ousama Ranking. I think part of the reason why I was able to enjoy it is that it does have a solid plotline and very interesting plot arcs in its 23 episode run. I would've given it a perfect score if it wasn't for moments that felt flimsy and or cheesy. It's your typical shounen fare, just done in a very decent manner. The last 5 episodes for me was sort of like a decline in my overall view of the story but otherwise I was still glued to the experience.
Art & Sound - appreciated the art style for sure. If you look at season per season of anime, there's an influx and even an ongoing array of kids TV shows and the art served not just nostalgia but a very fitting vibe to the whole historical fantasy setting. WIT didn't do anything crazy but I gave it an 8 because it is clean & it didn't distract me from anything I would've called it out for. It's not revolutionary in any way but it was refreshing nonetheless.
Character- the strongest aspect of Ousama Ranking for me is the characters. The story may have dipped in progression for me but my love for the characters and their development throughout was such an exciting thing to watch. Bojji may seem like the typical shounen archetype character and they just gave him a disability just so he wouldn't seem too OP but his disability proved to be one of the strongest aspects of his character & personality. I loved plenty more of the characters & i love how each of the relationships kept me on my toes. Bosse and Miranjo's relationship is twisted and complicated enough tho that felt unusual. Not in a weird way. But just that I wish that the depth of their relationship was explained more as the "affection" Bosse talks about for Miranjo didn't seem so well established as it presented more as guilt on his part. Either way, the complexities of it, made me engaged so I guess that's a win
Overall - I said I'd keep it short but lol. Anyway, there's things to laud about this series and the love and affection eveyone has for it is fair in many ways and I definitely feel the same way. It's only in the technicalities of it that caused me to criticize it and give it a lower score than I expected. I was really gunning for a 10 in the earlier episodes. Anyway, 8 is a perfectly good score. The series IS very good and I highly highly recommend it. Just, expect certain things in the end. Although perhaps my own preferences are diff from others so I can't say that the dip in story will affect everyone else's experience or that's just my observation.
