There are many edgy anime series this season, and it doesn't have to be a bad thing.
Ragna Crimson, The Kingdoms of Ruin (Hametsu no Oukoku), and Berserk of Gluttony (Boushoku no Berserk) spoilers ahead!
Summary
- According to fans, Fall 2023 has at least half a dozen edgy anime.
- Urban Dictionary suggests that edgy is often cringe, but a season of edgy anime is not necessarily a bad thing.
- Fans who talk about a season of edgy anime admit that they watch such series.
- Ragna Crimson, The Kingdom of Ruins, and Berserk of Gluttony are all good examples of edgy anime series.
While discussing Ragna Crimson, fans on reddit suggested that the season of Fall 2023 has quite a few edgy anime series. They include Ragna Crimson, The Kingdom of Ruins, and Berserk of Gluttony, among others. We want to investigate and figure out what makes these anime edgy.
Urban Dictionary: What is Considered Edgy?
Edgy is a slang word, so it makes sense to use the Urban Dictionary. According to it, edgy usually means trying to be cool a little too much, while also trying to be provocative just for the sake of it. That means a close connection to being cringe. However, cringe is not an automatic result of being edgy.
After all, edgy is not exactly the thing you would enjoy being called. However, fans who discussed the topic admitted to liking the anime despite, or even because of, its edginess. In the end, being edgy is not a huge flaw, especially if an anime manages to be both edgy and entertaining.
Let’s take a look at a few edgy anime.
Ragna Crimson
Ragna Crimson is an anime about fighting dragons. In it, a human named Ragna and a dragon named Crimson team up to destroy all the dragons, including the Dragon God, but since they failed last time, they manipulate time to let Ragna return to his past self and start the dragon elimination earlier.
Crimson is such an absolute bastard that the anime could be edgy just because of him. He is a fan favorite, and he is very fun to watch despite (or because of) his despicable nature, so him being edgy is hardly a bug and probably is a feature. Ragna is a brooding type of edgy, tortured by his memories of things that will never happen, which seems to be overshadowed by Crimson’s edginess.
The two main characters are rather overpowered as well, which could be considered edgy. However, their enemies are so powerful that even they need to be careful in their attempts to end the dragon race. The fights, as a result, are fun to watch. In other words, there is plenty of edginess in Ragna Crimson, but it is fun, which is why fans still enjoy it.
The Kingdoms of Ruin
The Kingdom of Ruins is about a human named Adonis, who was an apprentice of a witch named Chloe. Early on the anime shows its edginess as Chloe is brutally murdered in front of Adonis, making him swear vengeance. Adonis is contained in a pod for 10 years, all while apparently being conscious, so it comes as no surprise that when he gets out, all he can think about is killing people.
The anime is ridiculously bloody, introducing characters only to kill them off minutes or seconds later, and that is absolutely an edgy feature. Adonis is very overpowered as well, which can also be considered edgy. The writing has some gaps, for example, Doroka’s behavior doesn’t make much sense, especially as she pleads for Adonis to stop fighting during a battle with people who want him dead. Still, The Kingdom of Ruins has its fans, and they enjoy the edginess of it, including the fact that in almost every episode, the animators hint at the main characters being dead.
Berserk of Gluttony
Berserk of Gluttony is an anime series that follows a man named Fate. Fate initially believes that he is not good for anything because his skill, Gluttony, is useless. You see, in his world, people have skills and stats just like in a video game.
When Fate kills a thief accidentally, he learns that he is not gluttonous for food. Rather, his skill breaks the natural laws of this world as it consumes the souls of those he kills, adding their characteristics and skills to his own without leveling him up. The skill soon becomes a curse as it keeps demanding more and greater quality souls. If he doesn't hunt, Fate might turn into a berserk who will kill indiscriminately until he is sated.
Fate quickly becomes overpowered, and he is yet to encounter a battle that he would not win. Sometimes his victory looks almost ridiculous, like in episode 6, when his scythe acts like a boomerang. There are some issues with writing, too, for example, fans feel that the anime doesn't have a lot of good villains. But the anime is edgy and entertaining, which is what fans say they enjoy about it.
In the end, edginess can be a feature or a bug, but there are more than enough people who are interested in that kind of entertainment. Fall 2023 being a season of edgy anime is not a bad thing; it is something to enjoy.