Record of Ragnarok Season 1 Episode 2 Recap – Worthy Opponent
BY Harris
Published 3 years ago
Lü Bu and Thor engage in battle. Two very different fighters from two distant lands. They’ve fought countless battles before, but it is the first time they’ve met an opponent standing a chance against the other.
Their strengths are equal, surprising even Zeus. But he knows there is more Thor can offer.
Thor moves back; sparks fly out from his hand. The ground trembles. He grips Mjölnir with both hands, bends back so low to the ground, it perplexes the audience. Lü Bu isn’t fazed, observing his worthy opponent sober-faced.
Giants Attack
We go back to Thor’s past in Asgard. The guardian angels tire with inactivity; there haven’t been any battles lately. But then the ground trembles. An enemy makes its way to the Tree of Life. Sixty-six giants attack the walls together, the first coordinated attack.
The angels are overpowered; they’ve never faced this many before. A larger than usual frost giant appears, breaching the wall.
The citizens panic as angels takes the sky to defend themselves. The giant bites one straight out of the air. Angel Knights reinforce them, but they are also thwarted. The guardians have never fought this many before. Asgard falls on the brink of destruction.
Back in the castle walls, people are panicking. A robed warrior walks to the door, carrying a giant hammer. Thor’s lightning passes through the nearest giants in a split second. Before the giants notice, their bodies disintegrate.
Thor stands there, looking bored. He winds up his weapon, charging it with lightning. And soon, he single-handedly defeats all the sixty-six giants.
Hammer Power
We return to the present; Thor uses the same technique. The gods see an inevitable victory as Thor’s hammer flies.
The coliseum explodes. Shiva thinks it’s over. Meanwhile, Göll is overwhelmed; she can’t look any longer. But Brünnhilde tells her to watch closely as the gods and humankind’s history transforms.
Thor’s hammer is parried. Lü Bu’s slash hits Thor across the chest, leaving him bleeding. The warrior laughs; even his blade can touch a god.
The gods can’t believe what they’re seeing.
Thor inspects his wound. The two fighters think the same thought: if only they were born at the same place and time, they would have been friends.
Reason to Live
We go back to the Mongolian Steppes. A young warrior is bloody; he just fought a massive creature. Unsatisfied, he travels the land in search of his most potent foe. He made his way across the expansive Eurasian continent; wrestling bears with his bare hands.
As he searched for the strongest opponent, Lü Bu’s name became known across China. He fought in wars and never lost. In turn, his followers multiplied. After 30 years of traveling, he realizes no one on earth could match him.
Years later, Lü Bu is executed by hanging. History says Lü Bu begged for his life, but that wasn’t what happened. The only reason he became captive was because of boredom. He had nothing else to live for.
The Secret
Now, Lü Bu is happy, fighting a battle with an equal match.
Zeus is perplexed. How can a human compete against a god? But no human can stand against Mjölnir.
He sees a smiling Brünnhilde on the other side of the coliseum. She knew beforehand humans are no match for gods, so she devised something to help them. She enlisted the other Valkyries to help her. What kind of grand plan does she have?
Our Thoughts
The story is interesting, but the animation seems lackluster—disappointing for a battle anime. On the other hand, the flashbacks are cool but nothing new. I rate this a 2.5/5.