Record of Ragnarok S2: Worth a Watch?

Criticized for its slow pacing and fight scenes that felt like a big-budget powerpoint presentation, season 1 of RoR holds a not-so-stellar 6.2 rating on IMDb- and you’d think they’d fix that issue in the second season. For a show centered around a brawl between humanity and Gods, the lion’s share of any given episode is filled with shots of gawking figures in the crowd and backstories that feel more like a documentary gone awry than a fresh take on each historical character. RoR sets up an interesting premise before each fight but consistently manages to sap the tension out of its own story through its poorly paced narration. Single panels in the manga of little importance are blown up to 8 second stills while action scenes are condensed into bursts of fighting interrupted by more dialogue, gawking and flashbacks, making for a rather frustrating experience at times. Abandon all hope for fluid animation & storytelling as you venture into the second season; aside from some sequences in the second fight, you’re still in for a flipbook-style experience.

While the pacing of RoR may feel off (and the anime does it no favors either), there are times when the anime truly shines above the manga: good music can salvage a poorly paced story and RoR deserves credit for a beautifully composed score, far surpassing that of its first season. “London Bridge is Broken Down” and “Treasure of the Indian Pantheon” are musical productions that feel like anime remixes of culturally-acclaimed musical pieces, an innovative blend that’s sure to get your heart pumping.

Pair that up with well-designed characters and you’ll find that the experience is more than just tolerable; God forbid you start to enjoy it. It’s not possible for us to elaborate much more on character design without giving spoilers but we will say this much: there’s more than meets the eye to some of the characters in the show and we’re all for it! With the amount of time RoR dedicates to non-fight scenes, it’s rewarding to see some plot and character progression take place outside and around the arena, because let’s face it- you’re spending two-thirds of most episodes there.

If the manga is to be used as an indication of what to expect, season two of RoR introduces most of the fan-favorite characters in the cast, essentially acting as the make or break point in the show’s run. This is the time when most viewers will start to feel connected to the characters as their traits outside of battle are put on display as side plots start to gain traction and change the story from its linear path into something more multidimensional; season 1 felt like a shounen, didn’t it? Although Netflix has yet to release the remainder of season 2, it is safe to assume that as of its current 22 episode run, RoR has cemented its attributes as a show and doesn’t intend on changing its vision regardless of what the fans or critics say. Perhaps this is for the best; the show treats its source material as its Bible- detrimentally so- but the animation quality has been consistent across seasons, the soundtracks deserve applause and the characters hold much promise. All of this is to say that season 2 is the perfect litmus test for the show: if you don’t like it by now, it’s time to drop the series. For all its faults and merits, Record of Ragnarok stays true to itself- and that earns it our respect.

Overall, Season 2 of Record of Ragnarok gets a modest score of 7/10 from Adilsons. The show continues to expand its potential but needs a patient audience to look past its obvious flaws in pacing. Yes, it's Worth a Watch!