Wait, is this really okay for an 11-year-old? The art looks so young.

The art style is a deliberate choice to contrast with the mature themes. While there is blood and some 'dark' imagery, it's generally comparable to a PG-13 fantasy movie. If they've seen The Hobbit or Avatar: The Last Airbender, they can handle this.

Does Bojji ever 'gain' a voice or hearing through magic?

Without spoiling too much: the show is very careful not to 'cure' his disability as a reward. His journey is about being a great king as he is, not by becoming 'normal.'

Where can I actually watch this?

It's primarily on Crunchyroll. If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can also add the Crunchyroll channel there.

Ranking of Kings – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Ranking of Kings

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2021

88%

WISE Score

8.4

IMDb

A deaf prince who can't wield a sword tries to climb the royal leaderboards in a show that looks like a children’s book but hits like a heavyweight drama.

8.4/10

89%

→

Ranking of Kings

show

TV-14, 2021

88%

WISE Score

8.4

IMDb

A deaf prince who can't wield a sword tries to climb the royal leaderboards in a show that looks like a children’s book but hits like a heavyweight drama.

8.4

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8.4/10

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Screenwise Verdict

Ranking of Kings is a masterclass in 'don't judge a book by its cover.' It uses a soft, nostalgic art style to tell a deeply sophisticated story about disability, political backstabbing, and the true meaning of courage. It’s one of the best things to come out of the 2020s anime scene, period.

For parents, the main hurdle is the 'bait-and-switch.' If you put this on for a toddler because it looks like a storybook, you’re going to have a bad time when the blood starts flowing. But for a pre-teen or teenager, it’s an incredible tool for discussing empathy and how we treat people who don't fit the 'standard' mold of success.

Age Fit

While it looks like a show for six-year-olds, the content is firmly for the middle school crowd and up. The political intrigue and occasional brutality make it a 'family watch' only if your kids are 11+ and can handle some dark fantasy elements.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Bojji is a paragon of kindness and resilience, and his friendship with Kage is genuinely moving. However, the world around them is often cruel, featuring complex betrayals and moral ambiguity that prevent it from being purely 'clean' content.

Imaginative

The storybook art style is a breath of fresh air in a medium often dominated by generic aesthetics. Its world-building—from the literal ranking system to the unique biology of the Shadow Clan—is incredibly creative.

Safe

The 'storybook' look is deceptive. The show features significant blood, intense emotional trauma, and scenes of torture or body horror that are far too heavy for the young children the art style might attract.

Enriching

Outstanding representation of disability. Bojji navigates the world with sign language and a unique fighting style that turns his perceived weaknesses into strengths. It's a masterclass in empathy and character depth.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Bojji is a phenomenal protagonist who uses sign language and tactical dodging to overcome his lack of physical strength and voice.
The subversion of tropes is top-tier; characters who look like classic villains often have deep, sympathetic motivations that challenge 'good vs evil' thinking.
The animation by WIT Studio is fluid and unique, opting for a hand-drawn fairy-tale aesthetic that stands out from modern CGI-heavy anime.

⚠

What to Watch For

The violence is surprisingly graphic for the art style, including blood-spattered fights, decapitations, and scenes of physical torture.
The emotional weight is heavy; themes of parental abandonment, sibling rivalry, and the burden of legacy can be intense for sensitive viewers.
The pacing in the second half gets a bit cluttered with new characters and lore, which might require some 'wait, who is that again?' recaps.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think the people in the kingdom assumed Bojji couldn't be a good king just because he's deaf?"
"Which character surprised you the most by being different than they first appeared?"
"Bojji doesn't fight by hitting hard; he fights by observing and moving. How does that change your idea of what 'strength' looks like?"
"If you had to rank the kings we've seen so far, what criteria would you use besides just power?"

Deep Dive

The Bojji Factor

It is rare to see a protagonist like Bojji. He is deaf, non-verbal, and physically weak in a world that equates worth with martial prowess. Watching him navigate his world—using sign language (which was supervised by the Tokyo Federation of the Deaf for accuracy)—is genuinely inspiring without ever feeling like 'educational' TV. He isn't a saint; he feels frustration and shame, which makes his eventual growth feel earned rather than gifted.

A Story of Moral Greyscale

What makes Ranking of Kings special is its refusal to let anyone stay a caricature. The 'Evil Stepmother' archetype is deconstructed in the first few episodes, revealing a woman struggling with the weight of a kingdom and a genuine, if complicated, love for her stepson. This happens repeatedly. It teaches kids that people are rarely just one thing, and that trauma often dictates the 'villainous' choices people make.

The Safety Warning

I cannot stress enough: this is not Winnie the Pooh. There are scenes involving the 'Mirror' and the underworld that lean into body horror. There is a specific plot point involving a character being melted down in a vat of lead. If your kid is sensitive to physical peril or dark magic, you’ll want to be in the room. That said, for the right age group, these stakes make the triumphs feel much more significant than your average Saturday morning cartoon.

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