REVIEW: ‘Ranking of Kings: Treasure Chest of Courage,’ Episode 3

Ranking of Kings: Season 2 (Treasure Chest of Courage) Episode 3 is a fantasy adventure anime based on the Japanese manga series, Ranking of Kings, written and illustrated by Sōsuke Tōka. The head director of the series Yosuke Hatta (Boogiepop) at WIT Studio, with series composition by Taku Kishimoto (Fruits Basket), character designs by Atsuko Nozaki, and music by MAYUKO (Cells at Work!). Treasure Chest of Courage is a special collection of short stories set during the first season of Ranking of Kings.

In episode 3, to save her son, Daida, Queen Hilling and her loyal personal guard Dorshe flee the Kingdom of Bosse following a warning from a resurrected Bosse, who has taken control of Daida’s body. Now Queen Hilling must rely on aid from an old friend if she wants to stand a chance of helping Daida. The latter half of the episode showed a different, more endearing side to Bojji and Daida’s sibling relationship when they were younger.

The art of Ranking of Kings continues to be one of the best things about this series. Episode 3 showcases the intricately designed background illustrations with richly detailed landscapes that transport viewers to a magical storybook world. The animation is fluid and dynamic, with action-packed and emotionally charged scenes.

The first part of Ranking of Kings: Season 2 Episode 3, shows off how fluid and dynamic the action scenes are in this series. Not only are the action sequences animated fluidly. They also capture how thrilling and emotionally charged the situations are for the characters. Particularly the fights featuring Queen Hilling’s friend Ann and guard Dorshe.

I was pleasantly surprised that episode 3 of Ranking of Kings: Treasure Chest of Courage does not primarily focus on Bojji. As a matter of fact, in this episode, Bojji is more of a supporting character, and instead, his mother and brother are the main focus. I love that Treasure Chest of Courage expands upon the secondary characters’ development, emotional depth, and different sides to their relationships with the main character, Bojji. 

For example, episode 3 shows that Daida and Bojji used to be closer when they were young, and at one point, Daida admired his big brother and risked his life to save him. This would be shocking to anyone that remembers how cruelly Daida treated his brother and looked down on him because of his disability. I wonder if Treasure Chest of Courage will show more moments like this and perhaps look deeper into why and how Daida came to dislike his brother. 

Additionally, I loved how this episode explored more of the complex character of Queen Hilling. I have always liked that Queen Hilling is such as complex character. Initially, Hilling appears to be a typical fairytale queen and wicked stepmother, regal, powerful, and harsh on her stepson Bojji. However, as the series progresses, it is revealed that she has a much more nuanced personality. She loves her son Bojji but struggles with her desire to keep him safe from all forms of danger and does not realize how it affects his confidence in himself. Not to mention Hilling also weighs her duties as queen, like maintaining the stability of her kingdom and the expectations placed upon her and her sons.

The art style of Ranking of Kings: Season 2 Episode 3, continues to be visually stunning and enhances the storytelling by immersing audiences into this beautiful fantasy world each episode. Episode 3 is a prime example of this series’ excellent character development and emotional depth. Moreover, the episode’s focus on the secondary characters, like Queen Hilling and her side quest to save her sons, adds a lot of nuance to the story and her personality. The exploration and backstory of Bojji and Daida’s relationship were also welcome. 

Ranking of Kings: Treasure Chest of Courage is available now, exclusively on Crunchyroll.