The Record of Ragnarok anime adaptation is one where you can tell it’s a work-in-progress and growing, especially looking from season 1 to season 2. There’s a very different contrast in quality, even though there’s a sense of the spirit attempting to uphold the spirit of the original manga at times. Even so, now that we have seen its second season, the Record of Ragnarok season 1 Blu-ray is handy for both catching up and its supplemental materials.
For those unfamiliar with it, Record of Ragnarok is the sort of series where the original purpose is to see these fights between iconic humans from across history against the gods themselves. The 13 Valkyrie allow themselves to become weapons for the humans to wield in matches. If they can win seven out of the thirteen fights, the tide turns in their favor. Season one features matches. We get to watch Lu Bu fight Thor, Adam face Zeus, and Kojiro Sasaki attack Poseidon.
Now, in general, the first season 1 of Record of Ragnarok isn’t always handled well. The animations isn’t always great, which can really get noticeable with fights stretching out over multiple episodes. The pacing is also a problem, given the level of information and how it’s doled out between these assaults. Essentially, this adaptation isn’t for everyone. However, season 2 does feel a bit stronger and slightly well animated, perhaps in part due to Yumeta Company’s involvement. (Graphinica handled the first season on its own.)
This essentially means the Record of Ragnarok season 1 Blu-ray is for people who really enjoyed the anime adaptation. And it handles things well for people who did. You have all 12 episodes available with it. You’re getting the additional features you expect, like the clean openings and endings. The audio quality is good.
Probably what I appreciated about this release is the additional features that do tie it back into the source material. While season 1 of Record of Ragnarok isn’t what I wanted it to be, the Blu-ray for the anime has these things you can cite to remind you of what things are like. The first chapter of the manga is on the disc, so you can make that comparison between the source and its adaptation. I also appreciated the art gallery. While the animation might have been an issue, the character designs are good in both the manga and anime. So that lets someone appreciate that.
If you’ve been having issues with the Record of Ragnarok anime adaptation, the season 1 Blu-ray isn’t going to blow you away and convince you it’s worth watching. But if you are enjoying it, it’s a good way to catch up without being tethered to a streaming service subscription. Also, the extra features there focus on the elements that might be attractive to a fan, like the opening and ending, gallery, and manga, so it’s efficiently executed.
The Record of Ragnarok season 1 Blu-ray is available via Viz Media now, and the anime is available to stream on Netflix. The manga is localized by Viz Media as well.
