WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 1 of Tower of God, "Ball," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Based on the incredibly popular manhwa by SUI (Lee Jong-hui), Tower of God, a co-production between WEBTOON and Crunchyroll, begins with a debut episode packed full of intrigue; eclectic characters and rife with religious symbolism. And, to top things off, there's a healthy helping of The Hunger Games at the end -- the first of two tests protagonist, Baam, must endure.
Like its online source material, the anime starts by asking its viewers what they "desire," and promises that whatever it is -- wealth, revenge, power, glory, pride, honor, or "something that transcends them all" -- they will find it in the Tower of God.
In the case of Baam, our young hero, that something is the golden-haired Rachel, who decides to ascend the Tower to "see the stars." As she approaches its gates, Baam attempts to stop her but it's too late. Her last words to him are apologetic -- she asks him to pray that she'll be "born again." Another voice tells a sobbing Baam that the answer he's after can be found at the top of the Tower.
Whatever force ushered Rachel through the Tower's gates seems to allow Baam passage, too, to embark on the first deadly test. Inside, he's greeted by Headon, the Tower's caretaker, a large white rabbit with a magic staff that can only be a nod to Alice in Wonderland, the common ancestor for every portal fantasy story. Headon asks Baam if he will take the test required to enter the Tower.
This first ordeal involves Baam entering a cage where a giant, white eel guards a large, black orb. If he can break the orb while avoiding the eel, he'll pass and be allowed to continue on. Headon warns the boy that the Tower is dangerous and offers him the opportunity to back out of the challenge while he still can. But a determined Baam is already running toward the cage. He's suddenly stopped, however, by the arrival of Yuri, a Princess of Jahad (as in King Jahad, who lords over the Tower) and her Navigator, Evan.
Despite Yuri's brusqueness, she takes a shine to Baam: stemming from her curiosity at him being a Non-Regular (Irregular, in the manhwa) -- as well as one from the outside who snuck into the Tower by himself, at that -- and also because of his "cute face." She scolds Headon for giving her new crush what she describes as an unfair test and orders that he drops the difficulty level. When Baam insists on doing the test as is, Headon suggests Yuri lends him her Black March. "Depending on who wields it, the legendary sword of Jahad can be a lump of lead or a blade that can cut through anything." Evan is appalled by the idea of anyone without royal hands touching the weapon but Yuri overrules him.
After promising to return the Black March when he completes the test, Baam runs headfirst into the cage... Only to allow himself to swallowed up by the eel. Yuri is horrified but Evan, who'd already figured out the solution, explains that what Baam did was actually what the test required: "Overcoming the fear of death is the answer to this test." Cutting his way through the eel's mouth buys Baam a clear shot at the black orb as the creature writhes around behind him in pain. But, try as he might, the Black March -- in the form of a black katana -- can't penetrate the ball.
A hint from Evan inspires Baam to call on the weapon in his hands for help and, suddenly, a ghostly woman with long blonde hair floats above him. "Since you have a cute face, I shall lend you my strength, just this once." It seems that Baam's quite the ladies' man. As Yuri complains that the Black March, who'd never answered any of her own calls, clearly prefers men, the weapon dispatches the sea creature, breaks the orb and Baam ascends to the next level.
Test Two awaits him and it looks as though it'll be far, far harder. The testing ground, this time, is a field of wheat under a picturesque, blue sky. Baam is one of 400 other competitors here -- all described as Regulars -- who will have to whittle down their number by half within a time limit in order to progress. Having approached the first test with confidence, Baam, legendary weapon or no, stumbles his way around the field of combat, dodging sniper fire and sword blows from the other, more bloodthirsty participants in this battle royale.
Bringing down a giant eel is one thing, but slaughtering humanoid foes his own size -- even ones that look like dinosaurs in 300 costumes -- seems like a test too far for our hero right now. But as the episode ends with Baam completely surrounded, he'll either have to recover the will to fight or make friends fast if he wants to ever get the answer from the Tower he seeks.