10 Anime That Have No Right To Be This Good

If you want to talk about a true underdog, don't just look at this show's protagonist, but the series itself.

At first glance, Ranking of Kings looks fine, but nothing all too special. Well, beneath that underwhelming visual surface is a show so good it became a smash hit, skyrocketed to the top of every anime of the year list, and garnered a reputation for being one of the best fantasy anime of all time. So don't underestimate this little anime that could.

Ranking of Kings tells the story of the deaf/mute Prince Bojji - who is best described as painfully loveable. He's the heir to a mighty kingdom and has dreams of being the best king in the world; the only issue is that he's weak, can't speak and has no-one who understands him. He soon sets off on an adventure after encountering a rogue shadow assassin named Kage.

The first thing to notice about ROK is the minimalistic art style. It's deliberately simple, which would be a death knell for many animated shows, but it works in favour of the series as it shifts the focus from visuals to the story. Overall, the plot is a massive fantasy epic involving multiple kingdoms, plot twists, complex characters and more.

There's more than meets the eye with this powerful tale.