Ragna Crimson

Episode 10

Ragna Crimson episode 10 falls a bit flat for me compared to last week's episode though it is by no means a bad time.

The core issue I have is that a lot of chatter was heard but not much is truly said. Most of the first half of the episode should be engaging as it focuses on the Silverine Princess planning for the upcoming battle. Unfortunately, the planning is not complex nor interesting, with pretty standard dialogue. The only interesting parts are where Ragna and Crimson interrupt, but those end up seeming more like distractions to plot progression than anything.

I mentioned last week that I do enjoy the comedic beats with the princess and Ragna, but not quite this much. It is a funny character moment to start with. However, there is one surefire way to turn comedy into frustration and that is to repeat the same joke over and over in rapid succession. Even some slight variation in the princess' reaction faces would have been welcome here, but it's mostly the same kind of reaction followed by a similar jokey reaction from her jealous subordinate. Maybe it worked for others, but this whole sequence seemed like we were simply spinning our wheels.

The back half of the episode focuses on Lady Ultimatia and Woltekamui. This section is the inverse of what came before. There's a lot of dynamic camera work and great expressions, fun visual motifs, and variety. However, I don't find the dragons all that interesting as characters. It's hard to sympathize with these monstrous nigh-alien beings who are currently wiping out the human species and keen to do it. Even within their context of ultra-powerful god-beings, they aren't substantially complex or nuanced, and the emotional beats don't move the needle for me.

Here's hoping next week picks up a bit more.

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

Ragna Crimson is currently streaming on HIDIVE.