First Impressions Review: Ragna Crimson (Spoiler)

In the realm of dragons and dragon hunters, it’s not your typical day at the office. “Ragna Crimson Episodes 1-2″ from Silver Link introduces us to the world where the skies are filled with winged terrors, and only a few brave souls stand against them. With a dash of humor and a dose of action, this series is off to a promising start.

Episode 1 begins with our heroic duo, Leonica, a 12-year-old dragon hunter prodigy with enough strength to make Hercules jealous, and her trusty sidekick, Ragna. Despite the dragon-slaying day job, they seem to be living the good life. But here’s the kicker: Ragna is about as useful in a fight as a chocolate teapot. He’s more like Leonica’s cheerleader, except with a front-row seat to dragon beatdowns.

Of course, not everyone’s impressed by this dynamic duo. Sykes Charluke, the second-rated dragon hunter in town, isn’t shy about sharing his two cents. He thinks Ragna is just excess baggage for Leonica. Ragna’s not having any of it. When Leonica throws down the gauntlet to slay every last dragon, only Ragna steps up. The boy’s got devotion, and he’s not afraid to show it.

As the story unfolds, we catch glimpses of Ragna’s painful past. Losing his parents to dragons at a tender age left him with a truckload of guilt. He even believed he was a walking bad luck charm. Leonica was his ray of sunshine, saving him from despair and earning his everlasting gratitude.

However, the show stumbles a bit as it hints at an awkward situation. The idea that our young heroes might take a bath together ( I should be used to this anime trope by now) is, let’s say, questionable. The show does veer away from this potential awkwardness as it progresses.

Ragna’s nightmares soon become the heart of the story, filled with chilling scenes of Leonica’s gruesome death. He’s determined to become stronger and protect her, even if it means paying a hefty price. Just when they think it’s time to level up, a city is destroyed by a dragon horde, and things get messy. Leonica faces off against Grymwelte, a dragon of extraordinary power, and Ragna leaps into action.

This is where things get interesting. Ragna’s dreams come true when he encounters a figure from his nightmares, his future self. He’s all about imparting some wisdom. Apparently, Ragna’s fate involves dragon-slaying galore and powers to rival the gods. But here’s the twist: by the time he achieves this godlike strength, there’s nothing left to protect. Ragna decides he’s not having any of this bleak future and demands his future self make him superhuman right now.

Ragna gets a makeover, and might be the first time I’ve seen one done while doing an exposition dump. So far, visuals are on-point, even if they’re not as stylized as some other animes. Ragna uses his newfound powers and obliterates foes with ease. Even mighty Grymwelte becomes a mere footnote.

Of course, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Ragna’s powers come with a side of exhaustion, and he drops into a deep slumber. Just as he’s catching some Zs, the city faces a new threat, leaving us with a nail-biting cliffhanger.

Episode two picks up where it left off, with the city under attack. Ragna’s still snoozing, and Leonica takes charge. But when they reunite, it’s clear that their dynamic has shifted. Ragna wants to keep Leonica safe, while she’s itching for a good ol’ dragon smackdown, even though Ragna’s newfound powers make it nearly unnecessary.

As they battle hordes of monsters, the story unveils the mastermind behind the attacks, a grotesque and gluttonous dragon with an insatiable appetite for its own followers. Visually, it’s a nightmarish delight. Every time you think it can’t get worse, it does.

When Ragna and Leonica step up to the plate, the beast falls almost as easily as Grymwelte. But it’s not the dragon that’s the real deal. It’s one of the creature’s maids, Crimson, the god of dragons. She’s the one who sent Ragna’s future self to gift him these extraordinary powers.

Crimson’s motives are still shrouded in mystery, and why she’s hell-bent on eliminating her own kind is a puzzler. But she makes a deal with Ragna to obliterate every last dragon. There’s something more to her story, that’s for sure.

Before Ragna goes on his dragon-slaying spree, he sends Leonica and the city folks to safety. Unfortunately, Leonica feels a bit left in the dust by her friend. It’s clear that Ragna’s personality is changing, driven by a deep-seated hatred for dragons. Whether he realizes it or not, things are about to get messy.

“Ragna Crimson Episodes 1-2” kicks off an engaging tale, balancing brutality with loss. Ragna’s journey is just beginning, and as the first two episodes haven’t presented anything that I can call “revolutionary,” I still find myself interested in seeing where this series goes.