Go! Go! Loser Ranger!

KANLen09★ 8

Go! Go! Loser Ranger! - It's Japan's version of Go! Go! Power Rangers!, but in a different POV that's WAY more interesting than you might think. To go from a Super Sentai of a harem rom-com, to a Super Sentai of an actual depiction of the usual Weekend Morning Cartoon style, I highly question mangaka Negi Haruba's thought process. But it really is in his ballpark to go from one extreme to another, and not feel like he's wasting any of his past experiences for the long run. And that's the result of Sentai Daishikkaku a.k.a Go! Go! Loser Ranger! (stupid localization name...should've gone for RangerReject, but the nod to Power Rangers is the sole reason why), an evolution from the last famous work of Gotoubun no Hanayome a.k.a The Quintessential Quintuplets, being Negi Haruba's newest work, this time starring a majority of men as opposed to all girls. To the people in the West, you might've seen a series called The Boys, and instantly thought that it was a great reference to the whole superhero schtick being a comedic satire of sorts. And for you people outside who don't know about this show (even me included), it is an irreverent take on what happens when superheroes, who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians, and as revered as gods, abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. It's the powerless against the superpowerful as The Boys embark on a heroic quest to expose the truth about "The Seven" and their formidable Vought backing. And that's what Sentai Daishikkaku truly is: it may look like your typical half-hour-long Saturday/Sunday Morning Cartoon where the quote-unquote Power Rangers figures in their iconic colours, face off against the evildoers, be it their minions or their bosses. But deep down, there's an even bigger price to pay for the behind-the-scenes connotations, and this one critical, yet important role, lies in the hands of Fighter D: a Duster under the Villainous Army of Evil organization, playing the part of the evildoer whilst keeping its audience and the Power Rangers equivalent of the Super Sentai squadron, the Divine Dragon Rangers a.k.a Dragon Keepers, armed with their weapons, the Divine Tools, company. Fighter D, like many of his fellow footsoldiers, are slaves to the Saturday/Sunday Morning Cartoon "show" where they're subjected to playing out the obvious heroes vs. villains' script where their transformative and regeneration abilities prove useful to the Dragon Keepers to keep on killing them for God knows how long. Since they also wiped all of their boss Executives in the process, leaving only the easy minions like D to their bidding to re-enact the same old Sunday showdown defeat, to the same old so-called Heroes and their target audience. And it's with this mindset that Fighter D wants to "reject all humanity" and decide to go against the stagnant flow, by infiltrating the Dragon Keepers from within and exacting the same circumstances as do their Executive bosses were dealt with. Are you tired of seeing the old Power Rangers schtick, and want to see a scenario where evil actually has a way to triumph over the good? If so, then Fighter D is your best representative to uncover what lies behind the Dragon Keepers, because the hero organization is not what you think it is. On the outset, the five iconic colours of the Keepers are the face of justice and its people, brandishing their sense of righteousness for all to see, but when the masks are removed, they're all but (in)sane people who don't hesitate to make their stances known to their subordinates in their own individual ways. And that is the pride and ego of the Dragon Keepers: serving the good externally, but not following up on that same guise from within. And this attracts the attention of two people: Yumeko Suzukiri and Hibiki Sakurama, who, like Fighter D, realize that the Dragon Keepers are not what they think they are and attempt to rebel and turn the organization back to good. Together, the trio does their own respective work with the positions that they have been given, with Yumeko being in the best seat possible thanks to her affiliation as a Junior 1st Rank Ranger of the Yellow Battalion; the Ranger Cadet-in-Training of Hibiki, who aspires to be a hero himself; and Fighter D...doing what his calling already deems him to do. Do not be fooled by the rather huge character cast here. Everybody is multi-layered, and with so much action going on, the suspense actually holds up well thanks to unexpected plot twists left and right. It makes sure that even when you know what's going on in the grand scheme of things, plot twists come and go, adding more layers to an already insane storyline of the ongoing fight against good and evil. For sure, this is not just your typical Power Rangers parody of a satire comedy where evil seeks to overthrow the good, but diving deep into the rabbit hole to witness a reality that's Darker Than Black, this show is a bona-fide classic for Super Sentai/Power Rangers fans who want to see not just the side that is shown to aspiring kids who want to be superheroes themselves, but also to the adults that getting there, is not a mere simple affair at all. For a show that touches on the outside base of its fundamental work, I would have to say that Yostar Pictures really has the prowess and ability to venture out of their comfort zone and produce more unique shows in the anime space. The same studio that brought you its own company's gacha anime adaptations like this season's Blue Archive, as well as both the Arknights and Azur Lane franchises, Sentai Daishikkaku has a sort of fluidity given its rather unique animation, and regardless of it being a blend of 2D and 3DCG, it still looks and feels good, and never has the sense where the production skimmed out on details and the like. I'm definitely looking forward to next year's original CGDCT golf show of Sorairo Utility if Yostar Pictures can keep its pristine quality to a good degree. Even better, is the music, and it's specially tailored for it. Once again, rising mega star Tatsuya Kitani just DOES NOT MISS, and "Jikai Yokoku" is the crowning example of a Super Sentai-inspired OP song that is a legit banger (along with the children singing segments), alongside one of the most unique OP visuals I've seen in quite some time, showing off the disparities of Fighter D running against the controlled reality of the Dragon Keepers in their iconic colours. And as impressive as Akari Nanawo's visuals are as a dancing showdown between good and evil, her ED song is just alright, though it's still very catchy. If you have one person to thank for Sentai Daishikkaku a.k.a Go! Go! Loser Ranger!'s adaptation, let it be Keiichi Sato, the director who brought you classic works like 2011's Tiger & Bunny, the Rage of Bahamut series with Fall 2014's Genesis and 2017's Virgin Soul, plus his very last work before a long hiatus: Fall 2017's Inuyashiki: Last Hero (that show is still awesome as heck even after all these years). This style of "loving all things nostalgic" is what makes the show such a delight to watch, being a paradox of all things righteous, questioning what truly justice and worth is fighting for, more than just a homage to the Power Rangers formula. For sure, it's a gosh darn entertaining show with a fresh and unique take on the Super Sentai genre, and even if you have or don't have the nostalgia for classic superhero shows, you ought not to miss out Sentai Daishikkaku, for its Ranger Reject feature, is what truly makes it special.

ST63LTH★ 6

Sentai Daishikkaku! follows Combatant D, a member of the Monster Army who now serves as entertainment after being defeated and captured by humanity's superhero faction, The Rangers. Determined to fight against the prejudice he faces, Combatant D embarks on a mission to gather information on his enemies and seek revenge. Story & Character: 5/10 Go Go! Loser Ranger! begins with an intriguing premise of victimized injustice, featuring a captured enemy who is humiliated for so long that he eventually decides to fight back. However, the story becomes stagnant after the initial arc, shifting focus to the next generation's coming-of-age ceremony. The pacing in this arc feels slow,with a lack of intensity in favor of action sequences between character factions, which dominate much of the series. The main character, Combatant D, is headstrong, leading to some questionable decisions, such as repeatedly infiltrating enemy territory despite being caught multiple times and using his abilities in ways that attract attention. Rivalry is a strong tool for character development, serving as an obstacle that characters must overcome to build stronger bonds. However, in Go Go! Loser Ranger!, this concept is taken too literally, with rivalries dragged out unnecessarily, making them feel overextended. The character dynamics are interesting, and the series executes character twist reveals well, adding substance. However, beyond a select few, many character personalities are unremarkable and lack depth. The large number of characters introduced in such a short series leads to many underdeveloped personas. Art & Sound: 5/10 The art is not the series' strength, with only the pilot episode featuring remotely appealing visuals. The art style is consistent in scenes with minimal conflict, but character designs become disproportionate during fast movement. The animation often feels like a slideshow, with limited movement beyond character mouths and limbs, but it remains bearable. The series does not make significant use of thematic sound design. Sound effects are average, lacking impact or showiness. The voice acting is also average, with few opportunities for Combatant D's voice actor to display expressive dialogue throughout the series. Overall & Enjoyment: 6/10 Despite the critical review, Go Go! Loser Ranger! shows potential, especially if given another cour to develop beyond its establishment phase. The main character could have been more competent; his continuous attempts with no results became tiresome. However, he demonstrates clever tricks toward the end of the series, particularly during the Ranger coming-of-age ceremony. While many characters are underdeveloped, they remain enjoyable due to the sense of uncertainty in their behaviors and backgrounds, which are slowly revealed with twists. The art is not impressive, but the pastel color scheme and light visual style are a welcoming appearance. Go Go! Loser Ranger! may have its flaws, but it holds promise if allowed further development, offering an entertaining, albeit imperfect, series.