Ragna Crimson

Episode 11

Episode 11 of Ragna Crimson is divided into three slivers and the enjoyment varies considerably based on your preferences.

For myself, the episode started very strong and got weaker over time as it continually moved away from my interests. My favorite section was the first portion with Ragna, Slime, and the Argentum Corps twins. Ragna being so self-deprecating about himself while clearly not understanding the situation was a fun bit. Slime's big moth getting him into trouble was also hilarious and evoked memories of how kids I knew used to put Stretch Armstrong toys through their paces in often gruesome ways (yes, I'm that old).

The middle section focused on the magical side of the Argentum Corps plan. I like the setup and the conceptual world-building going on in this sequence. The idea that an entire team of mages is trying to program a big ritual spell and get the efficiency just right is a good setup. Furthermore, I like that this style of magic naturally lends itself to mimicking dragon cardiovascular systems - a very evocative but understandable metaphor for condensing a complex fictional topic. The only catch is that I don't think the science team is engaging, and while I don't think the time is entirely wasted or anything - certainly having Crimson show up helps the scene tremendously - I can't help but feel this should have been alluded to in passing rather than shown in detail.

The final section focuses on the dragon bloodline once again. I hate to keep harping on the same topic over and over but these scenes simply do not hook me. The essential premise is that there has been a shift in the dragons' approach; Lady Ultimatia's prior desire for peaceful and painless ends for humans is being cast aside because the conflict has escalated. The gloves are off and it's time to go full violence mode. The problem is… it's hard to square this with the opening scenes of the series. We've already had wanton dragon violence established as part of the opening bits of the story, and this horrifying and monstrous violence is the entire reason everyone is fleeing to the capital to begin with. Maybe there's a minor modulation in the violence I suppose, but I think the takeaway is supposed to be that the audience is recognizing the friction between the dragons' leaders. In that sense, I suppose it does its job, but it all feels like there's a bunch of drama and grandstanding that I should care about and I just don't.

If nothing else, I know the battle(s) coming up are exciting so I'm looking forward to where the rest of the season lands.

Rating:

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

Ragna Crimson is currently streaming on HIDIVE.