Let's get this out of the way right now: Record of Ragnarok isn't a stupid manga, exactly, but it's definitely a very specific kind of series.
And while basically all shonen draws on the simple, primeval storytelling tropes of professional wrestling, Record of Ragnarok takes it a step further by evoking all the tropes of professional wrestling. Every male character rocks a ridiculously perfect, protein powder and steroids bodybuilder physique, every female character has what would be described as "plastic surgery curves" on a non-inked woman. The story literally revolves around a fight card with a variety of stipulations, and the vast majority of participants are people who, in various ways and to varying degrees, absolutely live for fighting with every particle of their beings. Every match opens with an over-the-top entrance by the fighters involved that helps show off their personality, involves the two participants gradually escalating their offense and ends with (setting aside a major exception or two) a show of respect for the defeated opponent. Even the basic setup structure is designed like "faction warfare" between stables of fighters, with the gods acting as de-facto heels and the humans as babyfaces, but shows off some nuance within that basic structure, with Heracles (who in a nice touch literally has children waving his merchandise and cheering in the stands) acting as a babyface in the divine faction while Jack the Ripper, who's booed on his way in and out of the ring, fights on the human side.
This also works to the story's benefit in terms of story structure; just as a good professional wrestling card will use its predetermined nature to mix up different match types, results, and stipulations so the audience doesn't get bored, so too does Record of Ragnarok do a good job of divvying up different sorts of fights. The gritty technical brawls between Zeus and Adam or Shiva and Raiden, for example, are broken up by a very different sort of encounter between Heracles and Jack the Ripper, with some of the most creative combat spots of the entire manga. Babyface and heel wins are expertly intertwined to keep the audience on the edge of their seats looking at the overall scorecard.
And like any good professional wrestling match, the match's technical spots are only as good as the storytelling therein, with Record doing a good job of slowly characterizing the fighters via flashbacks and call backs before, during, and after matches, so the audience is invested in them as people rather than "just" any flashy moves they do or don't pull out. In some ways, I'd argue that this character-focused approach to the "tournament arc" does much to elevate merely good action.
Unfortunately, just like professional wrestling, some of the series' greatest strengths are also some of its greatest weaknesses. Creator Provincialism rears its ugly head; did Japan really need four fighters when entire continents are going unrepresented? Okita Souji is the most obnoxious example here (he has no business being on the card when there's literally nothing he could possibly offer we didn't already get better from Sasaki Koujirou), but Raiden is the only character who's so obscure I'd never heard of him before the story. Nearly half the gods' roster being Greek gods is only less odious because at least they're all iconic characters, but would it have killed the creator to replace at least one of them with someone from Egypt or the New World?
If this sort of testosterone-laden bullshit isn't your thing, I absolutely understand. And while I appreciate the ways in which the story is clearly going for "alternative" takes on or reimaginings of many of the historical and mythological figures it's using, if fealty to the source material is something you're after you won't usually find it here. But even with my complaints (and even though Buddha's characterization is testing my patience as I muddle through his fight in manga form), I'm having a blast.
Manga The Ethos of Professional Wrestling As Applied to Shonen, Moreso Than Usual
Let's get this out of the way right now: Record of Ragnarok isn't a stupid manga, exactly, but it's definitely a very specific kind of series.
And while basically all shonen draws on the simple, primeval storytelling tropes of professional wrestling, Record of Ragnarok takes it a step further by evoking all the tropes of professional wrestling. Every male character rocks a ridiculously perfect, protein powder and steroids bodybuilder physique, every female character has what would be described as "plastic surgery curves" on a non-inked woman. The story literally revolves around a fight card with a variety of stipulations, and the vast majority of participants are people who, in various ways and to varying degrees, absolutely live for fighting with every particle of their beings. Every match opens with an over-the-top entrance by the fighters involved that helps show off their personality, involves the two participants gradually escalating their offense and ends with (setting aside a major exception or two) a show of respect for the defeated opponent. Even the basic setup structure is designed like "faction warfare" between stables of fighters, with the gods acting as de-facto heels and the humans as babyfaces, but shows off some nuance within that basic structure, with Heracles (who in a nice touch literally has children waving his merchandise and cheering in the stands) acting as a babyface in the divine faction while Jack the Ripper, who's booed on his way in and out of the ring, fights on the human side.
This also works to the story's benefit in terms of story structure; just as a good professional wrestling card will use its predetermined nature to mix up different match types, results, and stipulations so the audience doesn't get bored, so too does Record of Ragnarok do a good job of divvying up different sorts of fights. The gritty technical brawls between Zeus and Adam or Shiva and Raiden, for example, are broken up by a very different sort of encounter between Heracles and Jack the Ripper, with some of the most creative combat spots of the entire manga. Babyface and heel wins are expertly intertwined to keep the audience on the edge of their seats looking at the overall scorecard.
And like any good professional wrestling match, the match's technical spots are only as good as the storytelling therein, with Record doing a good job of slowly characterizing the fighters via flashbacks and call backs before, during, and after matches, so the audience is invested in them as people rather than "just" any flashy moves they do or don't pull out. In some ways, I'd argue that this character-focused approach to the "tournament arc" does much to elevate merely good action.
Unfortunately, just like professional wrestling, some of the series' greatest strengths are also some of its greatest weaknesses. Creator Provincialism rears its ugly head; did Japan really need four fighters when entire continents are going unrepresented? Okita Souji is the most obnoxious example here (he has no business being on the card when there's literally nothing he could possibly offer we didn't already get better from Sasaki Koujirou), but Raiden is the only character who's so obscure I'd never heard of him before the story. Nearly half the gods' roster being Greek gods is only less odious because at least they're all iconic characters, but would it have killed the creator to replace at least one of them with someone from Egypt or the New World?
If this sort of testosterone-laden bullshit isn't your thing, I absolutely understand. And while I appreciate the ways in which the story is clearly going for "alternative" takes on or reimaginings of many of the historical and mythological figures it's using, if fealty to the source material is something you're after you won't usually find it here. But even with my complaints (and even though Buddha's characterization is testing my patience as I muddle through his fight in manga form), I'm having a blast.