Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage continues the action-packed adventure with the spin-off outing. Created by Sōsuke Tōka, Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage features notable animation production by Wit Studio (Attack on Titan, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress). The series features theme song performances by PEOPLE 1  (opening) and Aimer (ending). Produced by Kazuki Ōshima (Hula Fulla Dance, The Promised Neverland), Maiko Okada (Attack on Titan, Great Pretender), and Megumi Inoue (Raven of the Inner Palace, Ranking of Kings), Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage features 10 episodes. The continuation of the series has been licensed and released by Crunchyroll on home media in North America.

Executive produced by Atsuhiro Iwakami (Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition, Blood-C: The Last Dark), George Wada (Spy×Family, The Empire of Corpses), Haruhisa Ōya (Synduality: Noir, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Visions of Coleus), Hisashi Ishiwata (Call of the Night, Urusei Yatsura – 2022), Masayuki Aoyagi (Bloom Into You, Hula Fulla Dance), and Yasushi Kuwata (Call of the Night, Muv-Luv Alternative), Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage continues the series journey with a second season that takes things in a new direction. Fans of the original will want to continue along with the new saga. The anthology spin-off season of Ranking of Kings brings together new tales of Kage (Ayumu Murase) and Bojji (Minami Hinata).

With new adventures awaiting around every corner of the anthology, the journey brings action-packed fun with both Kage and Bojji fighting incredible creatures. Things are intense as the characters use their strength to fight down enemies and emerge royal and true. A testament to the strength of the heroes, the journey includes new backstories for characters including Fren, Ouken, and Miranjo. Can the heroes defeat all of the enemies and rise to the occasion?

The characters are charming and add to the series sense of fun. The charming lead characters are an essential part of the adventure anime. Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage features character designs by Atsuko Nozaki (Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky). Character artwork is well-done and highlights the chibi-like style of the animation. These elements certainly contribute to the whole in regards to the designs.

The animation is one of the key highlights of Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage. The art direction by Yūji Kaneko (Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut, Trigun Stampede) is superb and it brings a lot to the table. The chief animation direction by Atsuko Nozaki (The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0) and Osamu Murata (Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, Pokémon Sun & Moon) shines. The animation is one of the strengths of the series and something that brings an extra element of quality to the production. The animators had fun with the production – from the background animation to the line artwork. The efforts add up to a well-produced series and there is something to appreciate about the vibrant style.

The cinematography by Noriyuki Ueda (Sirius the Jaeger, Flip Flappers) is one of the key highlights, too. The cinematography emphasizes the robust sheen of the animation – and the vibrancy brought to the forefront. The crisp and colorful animation is well highlighted through the cinematography and that is something that enhances the overall aesthetic of the series.

The score composed by MAYUKO (The Magical Girl and The Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies, Butareba: The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig) adds some solid background music to the series. A reasonable score and one that adds a decent backdrop, the music enhances the production. The compositions add to the series, too.

Written by Taku Kishimoto (Magi: Adventure of Sinbad, Prince of Stride: Alternative), Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage continues the series with a different take on the first season. With a somewhat different approach with the second season, the series finds more footing for fans of the original. Kishimoto provides more of the chibi-style cute-factor that audiences expect.

Directed by Yōsuke Hatta (One Punch Man, Death Parade), Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage is going to appeal to the core audience. Fans of the original who want more of the action-adventure odyssey will be pleased to go back to the well again. The adventures continue on and enthusiastic fans will appreciate the series sense of style and charm.

Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation is crisp, colorful, and engaging. The high-definition visuals are robust and pleasing. The color reproduction is one of the most impressive parts of the presentation. The background animation and line art are well reproduced, too. The series has a light animation style well preserved by the presentation.

The Blu-ray release provides excellent detail overall. One of the strengths of the format is the superior video encoding option. Streaming video services often have lower video bit-rates compared to their physical media counterparts. For enthusiasts wanting to eek out the absolute best in presentation quality, the physical media option can provide higher video bit-rates for home theater enthusiasts.

Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release also includes French Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Yasunori Ebina (Majestic Prince, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man) is well preserved on the release. The lossless audio is one of the impressive qualities of the release. Not only is the soundstage well preserved, but the clarity is well handled. Surrounds are active on the English language option – the 5.1 offering a somewhat more robust soundstage for the occasional sound effect and the score implementation into the rear channels. Despite the lack of a 5.1 mix for the Japanese language version, the Japanese audio sounds crisp, engaging, and pleasing. The English subtitles are well-done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes an o-card slipcover. The slipcover features the same key artwork as the art featured underneath the slipcover. It would have been preferable to see two different key artworks used for the package design – something to differentiate – but the quality of the slipcover is still decent and adds something notable to the package. Slipcover collectors will appreciate that the slipcover looks nice on the shelf.

On disc supplements:

Web Previews (HD, 4:56)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:31)

Unfortunately, the supplemental package is not as robust as it could be. The bonus features could have been more engaging with a selection of audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, making of documentaries, cast/crew interviews, production round-tables, convention panels, photo galleries, art galleries, and more. Alas, the supplements are so basic that is won't make any meaningful difference to consumers debating between a purchase or a stream. Some fans may opt to simply stream once and move on because the supplements aren't that enticing on the release. This is undeniable and one of the value-oriented aspects fans always need to consider when weighing the pros and cons of making a purchase.

Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage - Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ranking of Kings – The Treasure Chest of Courage is a decent action-adventure anime with plenty to offer to fans looking to continue the journey. The series features excellent animation – colorful and robust. The production aesthetics are worthwhile. The release also provides a nice o-card slipcover. Bonus features are a bit sparse. Fans looking to own a physical copy for their collection (and with the best possible video and audio) may wish to consider a purchase. Recommended.