Drama series
"Rankings of Kings": How "reality" fairy tales poke the hearts of adults
Recently, a fairy tale caused 4 million people to chase after station B, and the Douban score was as high as 9.6.
The story of this Japanese anime drama called "Kings Ranking" is not new and bizarre: the deaf and mute little prince Poggi, with a soft and cute appearance, dreams of becoming the greatest king in the world under the expectation of his mother.
However, he was too weak to wield a wooden sword. He was ridiculed by his retainers and the public as "not for being a king." The throne was also taken away by his half-brother.
It wasn't until the prince met Kak, the first friend in his life, that the two embarked on an adventure together, and the great changes in life began.
The plot looks a bit "old-fashioned", it seems that the ending can be seen at a glance, but the audience exclaimed "breaking defense", "tears" and "unstretched" on the barrage several times.
How can this picture book-style anime with fairy tale tones, simple and rough lines, and a slightly low-fashioned style be able to pierce the hearts of adults?
"Ranking of Kings" is adapted from the work of the same name by cartoonist Tokasuke Tokasuke. The animation is produced by Wit Studio "Hegemony Society", which has produced popular anime such as "Attack on Giant" and "Leng Toru of Ghost Lamp".
The setting of the background of the story is not complicated. In this animated world full of magical power, the country’s abundance, the number of brave men under his command, and how the king himself is as powerful as a brave, combined into a comprehensive ranking of elements in the title, “King Ranking".
The kings of various countries are sorted according to the above conditions. The king who ranks first can choose a treasure from the treasure house of the gods.
The traditional fairy tale world has always been dreamy. The bad guys should be heinous, the good guys want to live happily, and the protagonist should have outstanding appearance and strength. In this "ranking test" among the strong, he "opens up" and climbs to the top.
But "Ranking of Kings", which has a fairy tale color, is obviously not a sweet fairy tale for children, but a more cruel reality with metaphors: Poggigui is the seventh-ranked giant and the prince of King Perth. , But as short and thin as the “Prince Thumb Pogy pushed into the abyss.
But the adult world is not black and white. The "Ranking of Kings" presents more complex human "polyhedrons."
The stepmother Shireen seems to be fierce, like a stepmother in a fairy tale, preventing the protagonist from ascending to the throne.
But she really has a tofu heart. She didn't want Poggie to be a king because she didn't want him to be under too much pressure. She was willing to spend magic to heal Poggie who was injured after the contest, and even jumped down high buildings to save Poggi.
These plots are like another bright color in the cruel reality, and they are especially warm and moving in the bloody pain.
Different from the simple "healing direction", "Ranking of Kings" peels off the outer shell of reality layer by layer, revealing the inner not very beautiful, but the fairy tale-style telling creates a kind of hedge between cruelty and beauty.
Between the strong contrasts, the gentle painting style and narrative, the beauty mixed in human nature, have the power to soothe the hearts of the people.
In addition to realistic resonance, sincere friendship and company are also powerful tools to hit people's hearts.
At the beginning of the story, because Kak could understand himself without using sign language, Porgy excitedly handed over all his clothes to the “robber” in front of him without reservation. He also obeyed the agreement to wear expensive clothes every day. The other party, even if he could only wear a pair of pants, ridiculed and returned to the castle.
Witnessing Porgy's bruises after his duel with the second prince, Kak, as the "Shadow Clan", recalls the childhood experience of escaping from the extermination under the protection of his mother, but was forced to taste the hardships of his childhood. The feeling of sympathy made Kak. He didn't hesitate to choose to follow Poggi for life.
In the latest episode, Kark sneaked into Poggy's small satchel and rescued Poggy when he was pushed into the gate of hell and was almost swallowed by flames.
When they met again, the two looked at each other with tears in their eyes for a long time: "No matter what happens from now on, I want to be your companion."
A giant prince who was deprived of power, an orphan of the "Shadow Clan" who was disgusted by the gods and changed their form, found each other in the vast sea of people and redeemed each other. This kind of innocence and sincerity among children may be on the rise." "Atomization" is difficult to reproduce in the adult world, and can only be missed through animation.
"Human sorrows and joys are not interlinked", and people are most easily moved when they think of themselves.
The quality of a work is not only measured by "whether it is tearing or not".
But everyone still "breaks the defense" for Poggie and Kark time and time again. Perhaps it is in this realistic fairy tale that we have seen our shadow: it turns out that we are all like Poggi, living hard in a complex and cruel world. Facing the cynicism and pretending to be inaudible on the surface, when faced with a difficult situation, he can only steal tears behind his back, but keep smiling in front of others.
But Porgy always insists on love, dreams and courage, knowing that the reality is gloomy, he still chooses kindness and warmth.
The animation is updated to the fifth episode. The journey of Porgy and Kaque continues, the signs of darkness and conspiracy are gradually revealed, and the story line is slowly unfolding.
Perhaps it is adults who need fairy tales most. They are the mirror of life and the warm light retained in real life.
Yu Bingyue Source: China Youth Daily