The Kingdoms of Ruin

I don't like to be overly critical of anime that I watch. I like to have an open mind about these things but a bad story is a bad story.

This is a 12 episode series that feels like they mixed about 5 different plots into it. Sad thing is if they just stuck with one story it would probably be a good and decent anime but that's not the case.

At times the show explains very little and then When it does explain things they make little sense. There's characters introduced that you feel like you should know but they have had zero character development.

The story starts out well for the first few episodes and then becomes something else and then something else and then something else. At times it's just a strange blend of different anime plots and quirks that do t fit well.

Theres these cartoonish cutesy moments and then a few episodes later heads are getting cut off. It's just strange how the show goes from G to NC-17 in a heartbeat with no real smooth transition into it.

I would say the show is like a mix of Cowboy bebop, Claymore, Vash The Stampede and Konasuba. That's how random the plots to this anime is.

Characters wise I will say there are none to really like. They're all different variants of the word annoying.

The worst part about this anime seems that it doesn't know how to scale its power. It's like one piece in reverse. The main character comes out showing amazing skill and is unstoppable as destroys a whole city. Then After that he struggles to defeat everyone he meets. He's an apprentice of a high ranking which but only does a few mediocre spells to which do little to nothing. He also gets beat up a lot and loses very easily.

Mainly at the end of the series you're left wondering what happened to the guy from the first 3 episodes as you've now watched 9 episodes of the main character being a punching bag.

*Also to add he has the personality of a wedgie.

The other aspects of this anime aren't worth mentioning. There's too many plot holes and issues in the main story to go into. It overall is just not a good anime. At the end of it I was sitting there thinking to myself what was even the purpose of this anime? It's frustrating to watch and doesn't even seem to know what its own story is.

Well don't take my word for it. Watch it yourself and see.

The beginning is good, but not amazing. The more you get into the story, the worse it gets. For me 1 star is almost to much. I've seen some animes, I don't consider an expert, because I am not, but to have 10 episodes (so far) with almost 16-18 minutes per episode...this is straight up BS. For me, it means only one thing: "I am a writer, I have only a couple of ideas, let's see how much can I go with those episodes in order to increase my viewership, because I am lacking of more imagination." Fun fact, there are animes with 30min per episodes with Seasons, alright? And there are better at storytelling than most of the nowadays movies. Think about it.

To be fair, I don't know where the story wants to go. At this point its just a waste of time.

The storyline unfolds seamlessly, striking a perfect balance with a steady pace that never feels rushed. The characters, particularly Adonis (the protagonist) and his girlfriend, undergo substantial development in Season 1, laying a promising foundation for future growth. The anime's dark tone is captivating, offering a glimpse into a world filled with revenge, portraying Adonis as a kind-hearted soul tainted by darkness. The contrast between his inherent kindness and vengeful pursuits adds a compelling layer to his character. The narrative skillfully navigates the complexities of revenge, showcasing the misery of humans and influencing the perspectives of key characters. The story's depth is solid, hinting at a rich tapestry that promises further exploration in upcoming seasons. 'Kingdom of Ruin' excels in building anticipation for the witch queen's role and the various human empires yet to be fully unveiled. Season 1 serves as a captivating introduction, leaving viewers eager for the unfolding saga in the seasons to come.

I know this wasn't really well received but I think it was actually a good anime.

The visuals were solid, the action was solid, good character designs, the villains are unique and interesting.

The problems most people seem to have is how it diverges from where it's starting point and the pacing ( even though they don't seem to recognize this fact)

Pacing is crazy fast for a 12 ep anime. For example a typical anime burns though 3 vols maybe 4 of source material if rushed. This burned though 6.5 volumes of source, that's more than 1 volume for less than 2 episodes...

As you can imagine the result is a speed run. Where many things get cut and unexplored. Plot twist feel random because they have little to no build.

I still think it did a decent job given the circumstances. Probably be better if they covered less material but it is what it is.

As for the deviation from the start again, I think if Adonis (uhh I hate that name) character got more time to get fleshed out people would hate it so much.

You do see it a little at the end character development but it takes the whole series and just barely in last 5 mins.

Overall I liked it, but it's pretty different from anything else I've seen.

It's not your typical hero, nor anti hero story, nor even villain story.

I feel like it's going towards a redemption story for our MC Adonis (yuck hate that name).

So I say give it a try, even the haters admit they watched it til the end. Remember The worst amines aren't the ones people hate but the ones people can't finish or don't remember.

This is some excellent "so bad, it's good" material. It is tough to take seriously since it is so incredibly edgy. It's funny because the (many) tragic scenes are absurdly extravagant. It seems like the show was written by a child who was taken straight out of an Xbox voice chat for Call of Duty.

There aren't many characters in this that you will like. The protagonist assaults others for incredibly trivial motives. The empire, our adversarial force, is committing genocide because, well, they're nasty. If someone watched this and all they took away was that it's edgy and all the subtlety is lost, then it sounds a lot like a certain megahit series with a wicked protagonist seeking retribution on the world for genocide. Kingdoms of Ruin is a great comedy even if it has rapidly established itself as absolutely awful television.