Ragnarok The Animation (or Ragnarok Online The Animation) is an anime produced based on the MMORPG Ragnarok Online.
Produced in Japan and Korea by Studio G&G Entertainment and Studio Gonzo. Directed by Seiji Kishi and Kim Jung Ryool, written by Hideki Mitsui and Lee Myung Jin with producers Seīchi Hori and Cheong Dae Sik. With an original run of 26 episodes on TV Tokyo in Japan and SBS in South Korea between April 6th, 2004 and September 28th, 2004.
The story initially follows the protagonist Roan in his quest to become a more powerful swordsman and protect his friend Yufa. The plot follows their misadventures as they recruit more friends and allies into their ranks, preform deeds for other and embark on great quests.
A number of in-game events were arranged in honor of the anime. These included players being able to speak to a NPC in Comodo then carry out quests paralleling the anime, while two characters modeled after Roan and Yufa roamed around Prontera. NPC characters with appearances similar to the anime's main characters, located in Alberta, gave questions during a weekly event right after the current anime episode ended based on what happened in the episode.
This anime provides examples of:
- A-Team Firing: Judia was once this prior to her meeting up with Iruga. She obviously improved since then.
- A Twinkle in the Sky: Done on the thieves from the first episode (well, two Rogues and a Blacksmith according to episode 13) and in the seventh by Maya's Cart Revolution.
- Ascended Meme: A powerful monster was summoned by a dropped Dead Branch in the middle of Prontera, a very common griefing tactic in the game.
- Baphomet: He's a huge, goat-headed monster. In a break from tradition, he's not really evil, and actually helps the main characters.
- Big Damn Heroes: In episode 18, Maya arrives with a few other Merchants in time to save Roan and the archers of Payon, entering with Cart Revolution attacks, then supplying arrows.
- Cassandra Truth: When Judia first reads her fortune cards before they head out to Prontera, she says that there'll be a calamity on the road, and that they should avoid going, at least for the time being. Naturally, they're forced to go, and then they run into Baphomet, who delivers a Curb-Stomp Battle to the group, only to suddenly leave when he sees Jiltus, another villain, in the distance.
- Darker and Edgier: The world of Ragnarok Online mostly kept the darker aspects of its world to quest dialogue and the monster designs, with occasional the major punch standing out among anything else. The anime gives every major cast member some sort of severe problem, especially poor Maya, and is downright cruel with what happens to some of them, including character death and angst. Nevermind that the protagonist Roan is far from the heroic sort of character one would imagine by the game.
- Dark and Troubled Past:
- Maya. She was the sole survivor of a shipwreck that drifted to Alberta. She lived on her own, with only Poi-poi her Poring as her companion. She once attempted to sell apples, but it was wrecked by some men because she wasn't officially a Merchant. And nobody made a move to help her as she was taken away and they did who-knows-what to her (if not just beat her up). This was what led to her negative outlook on humans and since then forced her to resort to Ninja Looting, ditching her teammates when the going gets tough, and stealing behind their backs.
- Jiltus also has one. As she had demon blood in her, the children not only picked at them, but also their parents and everyone else, even as her mother protected her.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: Events that happen in the anime a) have been nerfed since the time anime was made b) can't happen anymore in the game, or c) can't happen at all in the game.
- The female Rogue breaking a dead branch in town was before Gravity put in a patch to stop people from breaking them in towns.
- Various mobs being or not being where they were.
- Just about anything the heroes do that is way more effective than the game version. Here's looking at you Swordsman Roan soloing a Gold Thief Bug or somehow killing the Water element mobs with a Fire endowed sword or Priest!Yufa giving a One-Hit KO Magnus Exorcismus to Dark Lord.
- Zephyr dealt a One-Hit Kill Lord of Vermillion to Moonlight Flower. This is impossible in the games because Moonlight nullifies all wind/lightning-elemental damage.
- Gory Discretion Shot: In episode 7, Haze raises a Poporing with one hand, holding it up out of the camera's view before squishing it.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: The Cat 'o Nine Tails and Jiltus, both delivered by Zephyr.
- He's Not My Boyfriend: Suuure, Yuufa, we totally believe that you aren't involved with Roan.
- Imagine Spot: Roan imagines Takius, Judia and Yuufa in bathing suits, then deciding to go skinny-dipping.
- Lover Tug of War: Iruga is exposed to one between Judia and Yuufa in episode 5 when the latter clings to his arm and absolutely refuses to let go.
- Monster Town: Alberta. Well, it is a human town with plenty of (friendly) monsters that live with them. Then it gets worse when the enemy attacks.
- Monster Is a Mommy: Baphomet is revealed in episode 15 to be a father after Judia rescues his child.
- Moses in the Bulrushes: Maya was first found in a shipwreck that has drifted ashore of Alberta. There was a chest containing an orb with a marked stone in it with her.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: In the last episodes, when Takius and Iruga die (at different times) during their battles, Maya and Judia respectively utter their names, the former in wondering and the latter in anguish.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: In episode 18, a Kafra Girl hides from the zombies attacking Payon by wearing a paper over her face like they do.
- Revive Kills Zombie: Priest!Yuufa during Payon Arc owns everything, since the soul had been sent to heaven.
- Scissors Cuts Rock: Zephyr performs a One-Hit Kill on Moonlight Flower using Lord of Vermillion, a wind-element spell which Moonlight normally employs No-Sell on.
- Sneeze Cut: In the third episode, Roan mentions considering asking the Kafra Girl, but Yuufa and Maya have decided against it. A while later, we cut to one of those sneezing elsewhere.
- Stripperiffic: Takius's Magician outfit.
- Sexophone: Roan in the Payon arc, every time he talks or flirts.
- Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Swing in between.
- Spanner in the Works: Baphomet and the Legendary Witch.
- Stealth Mentor: The Legendary Witch to Roan. She gave him various bits of advice to him, the first being getting him to take up the promotion to a Crusader.
- Victorious Childhood Friend: Roan and Yuufa ultimately marry after growing up together.
- Villainous Rescue: Jiltus interrupts one of Roan's surprise attacks against Baphomet in episode 5. However, despite Roan being completely helpless, Baphomet instead walks off and leaves when he sees Jiltus in the distance.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Yufa and Iruga really don't like bugs. It doesn't hamper their ability to fight, though.
