If you haven't started singing "We are the Stars~!" then where were you in the 2000s?
By: Nicole S. Castro on September 8, 2022 at 22:35 PHT
🎶We are the Stars~! Sora o kaketeku
You are my Star~! Kakegae no nai ai
Sunabokori ni ukabiagaru ERUDORADO
We are journey to the Stars~!🎶
Okay, bursting into song done. That was We are the Stars by Maimi Yamasaki, also known as the opening theme song of 2004 anime Ragnarok the Animation. Below is the rest of the song, as well as the throwback article (if we can stop singing long enough to even read the throwback).
About
Ragnarok: The Animation is a Japanese-Korean anime television series based on the MMORPG Ragnarok Online. It aired in Japan from Apr. 7, 2004 to Sept. 29, 2004 with a total of 26 episodes.
The Philippine and Brazilian distributor of the game, Level Up! Games, Inc., cooperated with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation for local licensing and distribution rights of Ragnarok: The Animation. It premiered in the Philippines on ABS-CBN on Oct. 11, 2004, airing right before newscast TV Patrol.
Plot and Throwback (anime)
As with the game, the anime is set in the same world of Rune-Midgard. At the beginning of the series, we see Roan (CV: Daisuke Sakaguchi, Swordsman, Crusader) accompanying his childhood friend Yufa (CV: Nana Mizuki, Acolyte, Priest) at the cemetery where she is grieving the death of her older brother Keough (CV: Takehito Koyasu).
The bulk of the anime introduces viewers to the world of Rune-Midgard through the quests Roan and Yufa take on. They gradually meet Takius (CV: Aya Hisakawa, Mage, Sage), Maya (CV: Haruka Momoi, Merchant), Judia (CV: Minako Arakawa, Hunter), and Iruga Alam (CV: Kazuya Nakai, Assassin) who choose to accompany them.
How did the anime end?
The main conflict of the anime comes in the form of a corrupted Keough. It turns out he hadn't died after the tragic incident at Glast Heim. Despite being stabbed by the Abysmal Knight, he survives and is instead brainwashed and corrupted by the main antagonist, Dark Lord (CV: Yosuke Akimoto).
When Yufa and company find out Keough is still alive, Keough kidnaps Yufa and corrupts her by removing her soul crystal, something that seems to give her the ability to stay pure, and is also consequently one of the key items to revive the Dark Lord.
After a corrupted Yufa stabs Roan and poisons him with a cursed ruby, the real Keough appears to her in a vision and tells her that he must leave her, but also that Roan would protect her in his absence. This vision frees Yufa and allows her to save Roan with the kiss of true love that removes the cursed ruby. With the help of her friends and Roan, Yufa seals the Dark Lord away with a Magnus Exorcismus spell. At the end of the series, it is implied that Roan and Yufa married.
Summary
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) may be common now in the 2020s, but Ragnarok Online was one of the iconic pioneers in the 2000s, making this anime adaptation extra special and memorable in our hearts. In terms of nostalgia, this series appeals to us 100%.
In terms of plot, the anime is pretty simple. It serves to delight viewers by introducing them to the world of Ragnarok and the job classes, whether or not they actually play the MMORPG. While there are many more gaming anime now with more extensive plot, Ragnarök The Animation continues to occupy a unique place in most fans' hearts due to the level of mainstream exposure it got.
Honestly, we'll never forget Ragnarok.
Digest by AniradioPlus
NICOLE S. CASTRO
Author
Nicole is based in the Philippines and works as a freelance Japanese Translator/Interpreter and copywriter (English). She is a JLPT N2 passer who watches anime to "study" for N1. She has a long career history on LinkedIn (with primary focus on media and translation), but her anime watchlist is much, much longer.
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