MANGA REVIEW | "Record of Ragnarok" - Volume Nine
Now this is how I pictured Record of Ragnarok! For awhile, I had been a tad bothered by some of its storytelling structure. After all, when a badass fight between human and god is about to commence, you want to see them duke out right away. The flashbacks are important, but not right when the match is just getting good. Volume Nine of Record of Ragnarok seems to have solved this problem, with how it handles the fight between Shiva and Raiden.
Before it gets to that, there’s a bit of a standoff between gods and humans, with Buddha siding with the mortals. A fight far bloodier than the ones inside the stadium is about to commence, but then…ODIN!!! Yes, the god even Zeus would cower to arrives, makes his presence known. And if you weren’t any of these strong gods and humans, seeing Odin in the flesh would no doubt make you soil yourself.
This is one of the few times in any form of fiction that I’ve seen Odin be treated with this level of respect! The likes of Zeus, Loki, and Sasaki have no choice but to bow to him. However, Buddha is the only one here who doesn’t fear Odin, with their ideologies clashing deeply. Nevertheless, this bigger fight must be saved for another day. After all, we can’t have this upstaging Shiva and Raiden.
That’s when Record of Ragnarok pulls out what could be one of its most shocking moments: one of Shiva’s arms nearly torn in half. Raiden is no sucker when it comes to fighting, with his strength easily going toe-to-toe with any god. The fact that it’s Shiva, who should have one of the biggest advantages in battle, that’s losing to this human adds to the shock value of this moment. On top of that, the sight of the bloodied, dangling arm leaves very little to the imagination.
But in the stands, the power of 1100+ gods cheers Shiva on, with even his human followers praying that he succeeds. It’s here when we get a flashback that’s cued up nicely. The story of Shiva and his best friend Rudra is told, with a nice showcase of their personalities. Shiva is the more laid-back god, whereas Rudra is the one that always aims to better his strength. When they go into battle, the two are like peas in a pod as they defeat demons and other evils of the world.
However, it’s in the journey to the top of Pantheon when their friendship is tested. They do well, as Shiva and Rudra take on one Indian god after another. But then, at the top of Pantheon, the real battle begins…with each other. It’s a fight that Shiva doesn’t want to partake in, as the thought of hurting his best friend causes him great sorrow. And yet, it’s a fight for the ages, ending with something that would be more harrowing to a god than death: disappointment.
The battle between Shiva and Raiden continues onward, with Shiva picking up the pace in battle. But as the ninth volume of Record of Ragnarok ends, we’re left with no sign as to who the better fighter is in this bout. Could Shiva turn this around and give the gods a victory, or does Raiden have something bigger in store for this bout? As this pitch-perfect volume closes, we’re left with one singular feeling: hot anticipation!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
