The Kingdoms of Ruin (Episode 1) - And So, Our Story Begins

God created witches to help humanity grow, but they’ve grown beyond the need for witches and now see them as a reminder of their own fragility. The extermination of the witches was swift and brutal, but it’s far from over!

The Kingdoms of Ruin (Episode 1) – And So, Our Story Begins

What did you watch?

So, I hadn’t planned on covering any more shows than the original four I set myself. Then, I was bored one night and started scanning through the new releases and this series caught my eye. I had just the brief episode synopsis to go by and that seemed to do it. There was something about the hero witnessing the death of his mentor. It’s all very standard stuff… well, at least that’s what I thought… Let’s just dive in!

The Kingdoms of Ruin Episode 1 Adonis and Chloe

What happened?

Humanity had flourished thanks to the magic that the witches wielded. Then, they developed Gear Expansion which made both witches and magic obsolete. These tools of science had moved progress forward at a frightening pace. As a result, mankind became arrogant and believed that the witches saw them as nothing more than monkeys playing with sticks so they decided to eradicate the witches and stand on their own as the dominant force on the planet. After the extermination began, several witches attempted to flee for a country that wouldn’t persecute them. One of those witches was Chloe, the ice witch and her human apprentice, Adonis. They almost escaped when a strange Gear Expansion device was able to teleport them directly to the stage in front of the Emperor.

Chloe was furious and prepared her ice magic. However, another device nullified her powers, leaving her helpless. The Emperor struck her and then ripped open her shirt. The bloodthirsty masses pulled out their smartphones and began to take pictures and videos. The young apprentice, Adonis tried to fight back but was subdued by the guards. The Emperor ordered that he be killed but Chloe begged for him to be spared. The Emperor strode towards her as she apologised to Adonis. He shot her mid-sentence and then stepped back as his men tore her to pieces with machine guns. If that wasn’t enough, an executioner strode up with an axe and removed her head which the Emperor held up before the cheering crowd.

The Kingdoms of Ruin Episode 1 Emperor Goethe needs to die

What did you think?

I am stunned. I was expecting his mentor to die, but not like that. Ultimately, this is a revenge story about Adonis taking out his fury on humanity for what they did, and at this point, I’ve never been more on someone’s side. This was a brutal and sickening attack. Did it need to be so wicked? Probably not, but it set the tone and has made me angry for Chloe, especially as she was shaping up to be my favourite character, even knowing she would die. So, the story picks up ten years later when some slave girls escape from their cells and accidentally release Adonis from his maximum security confinement. I can’t wait to see him rip the Emperor and his empire to pieces.

The Kingdoms of Ruin Episode 1 Emperor Goethe shots Chloe

What was your favourite moment?

I wouldn’t say this was an enjoyable watch in the sense that I can pick a moment and definitively say that it was amazing. The scene where Chloe was murdered was horrendous but it was necessary. Adonis needed to see exactly what he was up against. And, when he was released, you could see the fury in his eyes. He is going to go full-on berserk and I am here for it. So, I didn’t enjoy the execution scene one bit, but it was powerful and amazingly done, especially as the point was for us to hate the Emperor and the people for behaving that way.

The Kingdoms of Ruin Episode 1 Chloe using magic

Who was the most impactful character?

Since the extermination of witches, humanity was thrown into a constant state of war. Our main point of view was of a girl who had been captured in the war and was now a slave for the empire. Her name is Doroka and she is kind and compassionate despite her circumstances. She’s also the one who released Adonis and the other slaves. Based on the cover image, she is obviously an important part of the story and may offer Adonis a chance to regain his humanity, even if the world around him has lost theirs.

The Kingdoms of Ruin Episode 1 Doroka released Adonis

What have you learned?

The worst thing about the execution scene was the crowd because it’s not that much of a stretch to see people reacting like that. It’s become all too common for someone to see something terrible happening and instead of helping they whip out their smartphone and start recording. I wonder if there’s a bigger message in this story about technology and how it’s taking away our ability to feel. It’s certainly a common comparison made in zombie movies. Anyhow, adding in a detail like a believable crowd that is filming and heckling Chloe as she was brutally killed grounds the series in reality. This helps with the suspension of disbelief which is something that’s quite important with a series like this. It’s been an incredibly dark start to the series and I feel like things are only just getting going.