Behold, the patriarch of the wolf clan.
The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar (Hyakuren no Haō to Seiyaku no Varukyuria) is a series of Light Novels written by Seiichi Takayama and illustrated by Yukisan, which began in August 2013 and ended in March 2023 with 24 volumes in total. A manga adaptation began serialization in 2015, and a 12-episode anime adaptation aired in 2018. The novels are licensed in English by J-Novel Club, while the anime is licensed by Funimation.The story focuses on Yuuto Suou who finds himself dragged off into the world of Yggdrasil after a "test of courage" goes horribly wrong. He ignores the myth regarding the mirror in an ancient shrine which would whisk away people to another world, under the right conditions, and takes a selfie of himself with said mirror. This sets off (at least in part) the conditions to be sent to another world.
Provides examples of:
- Above the Influence: To the annoyance of the fanbase, in the anime, Yuuto pointedly ignores and side-steps his Yggdrasil harem's attempts to woo him, either in person, or by proxy, as he's explicitly holding out for Mitsuki. At episode 10, said harem stops taking "no" for an answer...
- Bathtub Bonding: Invoked. Yuuto seldom gets to bathe alone. His harem will barge in on him, on a moment's notice, or no notice at all, to his chagrin. Considering that said harem is staffed with women way, way stronger than himself, he has no choice but to let them, no matter how much it irks him.
- Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: In episode 10, it's revealed that Yuuto might be the source of Norse Mythology because Yuuto Suou translates to Sutr in Norse, among other things.
- Black Comedy Rape: In episode 10, Yuuto's entire Yggdrasil harem gets drunk, then (just off camera) strips naked, strips him naked, and constantly proclaims their desire to take his "seed," ignoring his protests. Meanwhile, the camera focuses on Mitsuki's Identical Stranger, who ignores the whole thing, instead fixated on eating her meal, and proclaiming how exotic the dishes are...
- Compressed Adaptation: The anime skips over and cuts out months of story-time to try and fit several volumes into a single season.
- Giving Radio to the Romans: A major part of the plot, Yuuto has his smart phone and is able to communicate back to earth. A big part of the wolf clan's rise in power is him rapidly introducing new technologies and military tactics.
- Hero's Slave Harem: Yuuto is summoned to another world/time and made the Patriarch of the Wolf Clan after the original Patriarch dies. As such, the members of the clan (as well as those of other clans whom the Wolf Clan conquers) take a "Chalice Oath" in which they swear fealty to him and claim to be his property. Many of these women also begin to call themselves his "daughters" or "little sisters", but nonetheless want to become his wife or one of his mistresses.
- I Choose to Stay: Or rather "I chose to go back." Yuuto returns to Yggdrasil, Mitsuki in tow as his wife, to rescue the Wolf clan from certain annihilation in episode 12.
- In Medias Res: Aside from a brief prologue in the light novel, and the OP in the anime, there is no mention as to how Yuuto wound up in Yggdrasil, outside of flashbacks and brief discussions. The story begins after Yuuto has been the patriarch of the wolf clan for several years.
- Left Hanging: Let's just say the anime leaves a lot unresolved in episode 12.
- Lighter and Softer: In the anime, while people are shown getting hit with arrows and stabbed with swords, the aftermath of battle is never revealed. In the original light novel, Yuuto would tour the aftermath, and it was described in gory detail.
- Moral Myopia: When Yuuto sees a young girl and her mom about to be sold off at a slave auction, Yuuto commits the noble act of... buying them himself and deciding to be a good owner. Apparently, this is a good thing as the girl ends up being a recurring character in Yuuto's harem.
- Realpolitik: Shown twice in the anime. In episode 2, when the hoof clan invades the then subservient horn clan, the wolf clan elders shrug and say "sucks to be them" because the wolf clan was still recovering from the Horn clan's invasion. Yuuto is furious because the wolf clan would be violating the chalice oath the same day it was made. In episode 12, the horn clan's matriarch is advised by her top aide when the panther and lightning clans were marching on the wolf clan, Yuuto missing, presumed lost in battle, that it is the perfect time to seize the reigns of the wolf clan and assimilate the territory. She is furious because that would mean the horn clan is rewarding kindness with treachery.
- Revenge Myopia: Both Steinsthor and Lopthir go out of their way to antagonize Yuuto, and then want revenge because he not only fought back and survived their unprovoked attacks, but they've paid a price for said attacks.
- Social Media Before Reason: The story begins because Yuuto had to take a selfie at a shrine with a mirror noted to whisk people to other worlds, despite being warned.
- Shown Their Work: The strategies, tactics, and battle formations Yuuto uses, as well as the generals who designed them, are all scarily accurate. What bits and pieces of the Norse Mythos is revealed is also spot on as well.
- Stock Light-Novel Hero: Invoked and justified. Yuuto, through foolish indifference, sets off a device that whisks him away to another world, and in the world of Yggdrasil, Might Makes Right is the law of the land, with conquered women being sold into slavery, if they're lucky. So for a very, very successful Patriach, who has won many battles, brought his clan to prosperity, and treats his female vassals with unflinching respect, whether from his own clan, or from other clans who sent them as spoils of conquest or to curry favor... of course, they're going to want to marry him, or at least sire his children, so that no one else can lay claim to them, if nothing else.
- Tempting Fate: Yuuto is informed, while on the Test of Courage in the prologue, that the mirror in the ancient shrine will whisk away anyone who holds up another mirror to it, on the night of a full moon. The test of courage occurs on the night of a full moon, Yuuto decides to take a selfie in front of the mirror, which meets the requirements. Poof, say hello to Yggdrasil.
- They Just Dont Get It: It's not until episode 10 that Mitsuki finally realizes Yuuto's in mortal peril back in Yggdrasil, though she does give Yuuto a great deal of lip-service regarding the war situation, she mainly treated it as a nuisance and personal affront.
- The audience of the anime gets it hard as well. Despite Yuuto saying it, in ways both subtle and gross, that his phone is recharged by sunlight, many keep coming to the comments section wondering how he's managed to keep his phone charged. Not to mention the fact that his phone only having reception in the temple next to the elven-copper mirror tends to fly over their heads too...
- Translation Convention: The dialogue is entirely in Japanese regardless if the action takes place on modern Earth or in Yggdrasil, which is supposed to be Norse.
- Trapped in Another World: Yuuto is trapped in Yggdrasil and struggles to find a way back to Japan and Mitsuki. Until it's forced upon him in episode 11.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: A sad side-effect of the Lighter and Softer tone combined with the Compressed Adaptation makes it seem that Yuuto spares both Steinsthor and Lopthir for nonsensical reasons, or no reason at all. In reality, there's very, very good reason why Steinsthor and Lopthir survived to see another day, after both of them attacked Yuuto, at the urging of the Imperial High priest. Steinsthor was washed far down-river, deep into Lightning clan territory, where Yuuto could not reach, and Lopthir not only had Yuuto surrounded by an army twice that of Yuuto's, all magicked into feeling no pain nor fear of death, but Yuuto's army had massive casualties, and letting Lopthir retreat was the only way he got out of it alive.
- In the next-to-last episode of the first season, it is revealed that instead of killing or causing a Cessation of Existence, Sigyn simply sends Yuuto home.
