Ranking of kings started off as one of the most promising shows I've ever watched. literally every episode was jam packed with character progression, intrigue, development and dynamic a dynamic shifting of story elements. every single second was a joy to watch. With amazing animation that seemed to almost skyrocket in some episodes (primarily episode 7, which also seemed to have the same director come back for episode 21). I always felt like this show had the potential to be an easy 8-9/10. even though the story isnt brand new, and the characters aren't entirely either, I still felt like the execution of these things was so spot on. Which is also why I don't like using "Cliché" or "basic" as terms to negatively describe a show. as a great writer can make use of any cliché or basic plot and turn it into something amazing.
However, the second half of the show saw a sharp decline in animation and direction quality, which was apparent right away. alongside this, the pacing of the episodes was now cut in half, and the amount we learned about characters and backstories was as well. which paralleled the first half with only reviling bits and pieces of characters and character elements, so you aren't given everything in a massive exposition dump. but instead understanding things and shifting your opinion of characters constantly. and of course the end of the show was just...odd. Miranjo, instead of being punished for her crimes that she committed, or even having the parallel of her character turning out exactly like the people who tormented her, she just gets resurrected and her sins abolished completely. Daida...marries her? for some reason? Ouken doesn't get his immortality reversed and just gets thrown in a lake. for no apparent reason besides the guy he "killed" wanted to get even with him. and then the very end where kage just leaves boji doesn't really make any sense either. like sure, its sweet and whatever but its just wierd overall. plus the fact that the dialogue kinda went down the drain. With characters acting exactly like the clichés they originally were straying from, as well as just directly stating their character progression points. Plus some other stuff that all just leaves a massive stain on this once phenomenal show.
I really wish ranking of kings carried out with its original direction, writing, animation, everything. but it hurts so bad to see it fall like this.
