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Record of Ragnarok Season 1 Episode 1 Recap – Ragnarok
BY Harris
Published 3 years ago
End of Humankind
The history of mankind is about to end—not by nuclear war, invasion, or even an asteroid. Instead, it is from the hands of the gods themselves.
In the council of Valhalla, a meeting is in order, attended by many gods of the world. They will decide on the fate of mankind for the next 1000 years.
The question is whether to continue the existence of mankind or end them. Some gods aren’t in favor, arguing that humans have fought and bickered for years. On top of that, they keep on destroying the environment.
It seems the vote is unanimous, but the Valkyrie Brünnhilde steps forward before the verdict. She objects and argues that eliminating humans would be too crude and proposes a test for mankind’s fate—something different from before—a battle between gods and men: Ragnarok.
Ragnarok
She summons a book of laws and references the Law of the Final Battle, also known as Ragnarok. A tournament of one-on-one battles between 13 gods and mankind representatives. The first to seven wins will decide their fate.
It has never been done before; humankind can’t possibly go against the gods, so they laugh at her, saying it’s a waste of their time.
Brünnhilde challenges them and asks if they’d rather end them outright than fight them. Could it be that they’re afraid?
The council goes silent, but laughs start to emerge from the crowd. Zeus, who presides over them, thinks it’s interesting. The gavel drops, and the decision is final. Ragnarok begins.
Zeus assigns Brünnhilde to find the representatives for mankind. She is their sympathizer, after all. She must pick the best warriors of all human history.
The Beginning
The coliseum is set. The first fight is about to begin. Heimdall, Watchman of the Apocalypse, is eager to sound Gjallarhorn. He announces the rules: it will be a battle to the death.
For the first battle, we have Thor: God of Thunder. Brünnhilde isn’t the least worried. She has picked the most maniacal fighter representing mankind. The battle drums and gongs thrum with the warrior’s arrival. A man appears on horseback, seemingly mummified with seals covering his body.
The seals break, revealing the most powerful of Chinese heroes: Lü Bu.
A monk prays to Buddha; the Valkyrie asks him to stop as the gods are against them now.
The Fighters
The opening bout of Ragnarok begins. A fight between the berserker god and the strongest hero of the Three Kingdoms: Lü Bu, with his polearm.
Both groups have their fans. The other members of the Three Kingdoms bicker amongst themselves, but they agree Lü Bu is the strongest of all. One of Lü Bu’s men cries in anticipation.
Brünnhilde’s assistant Göll worries, but the Valkyrie is confident. She wants the humans to bash the smug faces of the gods once and for all.
Heimdall is overjoyed at sounding his horn. According to legend, once Gjallarhorn is blown, Ragnarok will begin.
The audience brims with anticipation. Odin wants it to be over with, while Göll is nervous.
As the fight starts, everyone wonders why the two combatants lowered their weapons. They slowly step forward with their guards down as the crowd cheers.
The two fighters are worlds apart, but they’ve beaten foes in a single strike before. Lü Bu attacks first; Thor blocks with his giant hammer. How will this battle end?
Our Thoughts
I’m a fan of the premise here. It’s an entertaining setup to pit the strongest warriors in human history against the gods of various cultures. I’m looking forward to an anime battle of epic proportions. My only worry: the animation isn’t the best, and there’s too much filler/exposition in the episode. I rate this 3/5.
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