Ragnarok

Ragnarok: Complete Series Box Set
$49.98
I saw this series box set around the time I had bought Those Who Hunt Elves Set and decided for the price and the interesting storyline I thought it had to go ahead and get, and I have somewhat regretted that choice. The series isn't bad for people who like RPG games style shows or anime like Rune Soldier(An Excellent Anime) but the story plots for the reasons of why the characters are doing what their doing has been played over so many times it's a little monotonous. The series two primary characters Roan(A young wannabe swordsman who was giving the task of protecting his childhood friend by her brother) and Yufa(Roan's childhood friend who's brother was supposedly killed tries to make her living as a priestess and help her common man) after a few misunderstandings become adventurers on the road and along the way meet other wayward adventurers on their quests. The series will also have the love triangle and the usual unresolved romantic feelings between Roan and Yufa. The series big flaw for me was that like some other animes you just don't empathize with the characters to well, I mean there are some sad scenes in the anime and some of the background story-plots of some of the characters but it just doesn't really get you to care so much as for the characters as it does watching the scenes. The pro for me though was that this series will give a decent closure at the end without having to many unanswered questions, and the animation is decent as well pretty much what we see with anime series past these ten years or so. The audio is also pretty good for both the Japanese and English cast voices but the extras are pretty much nonexistent just the trailer for the Full Metal Alchemist series and a couple of trailers on the fourth dvd. The box set is pretty much what Funimation as been doing for the last few sets which is two slim dvd cases that hold two dvds in each and than put into a thin paper sleeve, but for what the price is going for with this set I can somewhat understand that. So if you like magical battles and sword fighting series or like Rpg like animes like Rune Soldier give this one a go but try not to have to high of an expectation of this series....

Ragnarok, Book 10
$9.99
Myung-Jin Lee is juggling quite a few storylines in this, the 10th and last volume of Ragnarok available here in the States (it's been on hiatus for about two years now). The sword possessed Skurai has taken Iris hostage to bring about a confrontation with Chaos. Even as they battle Iris' life is slipping away. Ignorant of their plight, Fenris continues battling in a magic-user tournament in order to secure passage out of the city of Geffen. Meanwhile, Loki, Lidia the thief, and a strange elven maiden have been sucked into the secret homeland of the elves, Alfheim, where they must confront not only the extememly powerful viceroy of the city, but his hired assassin, who is as powerful as Loki!

The nagging thought you have as you read this is that no matter how good this volume is, there will be no continuation of it for the forseeable future. Just focusing on this volume of Ragnarok, Lee's art is pretty much the usual, very good except in the action sequences where it is hard to make out what exactly is happening at times. The story, like Star Wars, seems like an amalgamation of fantasy archetypes instead of bursting with its own originality. But there's nothing wrong with that. For what it is, action-packed fantasy, it works decently.

I would recommend the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings films if you like this series. Also, the Scrapped Princess anime and manga.

RagNaRok
$13.98
Maybe not the best, but this is a solid Gwar album. The riffs, the humor, the meat, it's all here. I'd have to say the stand-outs are the title track, "Dirty, Filthy", and of course the classic opener "Meat Sandwich", which I saw them perform last week. The rest still is great though, right down to the last track. Studio albums are all good and fine, but you'll really never know Gwar until you see them live. And for godsakes, get up in the first few rows. It's a bloody good time.

Ragnarok: The Animation - Second Quest v.2
$29.98
Ragnarok (as I already mentioned in Ragnarok: The Animation - First Quest v.1) is not the best anime out there, but neither the worst. But besides focusing on the negative of this little anime series, I will focus more on the good qualities of this series. Its a real shame that a lot of people are very negative towards this series, the majority say that it is crappy, but they are far from wrong. Sure its no Fullmetal Alchemist, but neither it is Yugio GX either...
Anyway, enough of my pattering. Here continues the quest of the six adventurers who go out for fun adventures but soon find themselves battling against a Dark Lord and his evil minions. Roan, Yuffa, Takius, Maya, Iruga, and Judia are traveling together when they discover more of the Dark Lord's evil work. They than become wrapped up in a journey to save the world. But there quest are individual, such as Yuffa and Iruga who want their sister/friend back who was taken under the wing of the Dark Lord. Maya is a merchant who only joined at first to get out of danger and to collect and sell rare items, but soon finds herself coming along on the journey for reasons she doesn't entirely understand, but claims that she doesn't want to be left behind. Takius is on the quest for the ultimate truth. And finally Roan and Yudia are after love and a good adventure.
All the while the Dark Lord is convincing and drawing more mystical creatures under his wing, Keough randomly shows up during the series and Yuffa gets her heart broken every time he appears.
There quest takes them to all different places, discovering new dangers and facing old enemies. This series reminded me very much of Final Fantasy or Dragonlance. If you love fantasy and a cute, lighthearted series, than Ragnarok is what you probably enjoy watching. But if you dislike cheerful and cheesy fight scenes than don't bother. And don't allow those that hate the series to discourage/scare you away. Give this series a chance. I even went out and bought the first DVDs out of the three set.