Go, Go, Loser Ranger!
Entry updated 22 July 2024. Tagged: TV.
Japanese animated tv series (2024; original title Sentai Daishikkaku). Yostar Pictures. Based on the Manga by Negi Haruba. Directed by Keiichi Sato. Written by Keiichirō Ōchi. Voice cast includes Go Inoue, Daishi Kajita, Yuichi Nakamura, Yūsuke Kobayashi, M.A.O, Kensho Ono, Kohsuke Toriumi and Yumika Yano. Twelve 24 minute episodes. Colour.
We are told of "The gigantic floating fortress that appeared out of nowhere" which marked "the beginning of the neverending War between humans and Monsters". Earth is defended by five Superheroes known as the Dragon Keepers, also called the Divine Dragon Rangers: they are Blue Keeper (Inoue), Green Keeper (Toriumi), Pink Keeper (M.A.O), Yellow Keeper (Ono) and Red Keeper (Nakamura); each Keeper and their squad having a different area of expertise. We then learn they fight the monster army every Sunday in a large arena, and have been doing so for thirteen years.
The original Alien Invasion had been defeated by the end of the first year, with the entire monster leadership wiped out by Weapons called the "Divine Artefact": all that remained were the foot soldiers, Shapeshifters known as Dusters. Now every week they must come up with a new monster – and defiant speeches – then go down to the arena to be trounced by the Dragon Keepers in front of the crowds and television cameras – the former showering them with abuse, drink cans and other rubbish when they appear. The Keepers do not use the real Divine Artefacts in these battles, so the practically indestructible Dusters do not actually die; but not unsurprisingly they find this all deeply humiliating and most just go through the motions. The exception is Footsoldier D (Kobayashi), who does hope one day to defeat the Keepers and then complete the mission of world conquest; but he is not taken seriously by the others. However, D now decides to shapeshift into a human and manages to infiltrate the Keepers' organization.
Befriended against his will by two Ranger force staff, Junior First Class ranger Yumeko Suzukiri (Yano) and cadet Hibiki Sakurama (Kajita), D gets confirmation of what he always suspected, that aside from the highest ranks in the Keeper organization, most humans believe the fights are real. Later, Suzukiri reveals she knows he is a Duster and wants to help him destroy the Keepers (her motivation is, as yet, unknown); Sakurama is also aware, but more optimistically wants to build a society where humans and monsters work together harmoniously: D responds "I hate you ... never talk to me again", as it is reminiscent of the Rangers' duplicitous offer to the Dusters 12 years ago. Meanwhile, on discovering D has disappeared, the Dragon Keepers arrive at the Fortress and, after some fake camaraderie followed by bullying, demand this not happen again – whilst further reducing what little Duster autonomy remains.
There are five Divine Artefacts, one for each Keeper – and Suzukiri tells D how to obtain the Red Keeper's: he nearly dies in the attempt and it is Suzukiri who ends up with the Artefact. D is helped to recover by Sakurama, whom he imitates to gain access to the Keepers: but to get closer he needs to pass an examination, involving various combat scenarios. Learning his fellow cadets are a mixture of decent people and jerks, he also discovers Sakurama is harbouring XX, a slightly psychotic Duster who never surrendered twelve years ago ... and that one of the monster leaders is still alive. This is Lord Peltrola, who considers himself a god and can mass produce Clones of himself – thus his survival. A series of fights between Peltrola's clones and the trainees occur, with Blue Keeper eventually arriving. D resents Peltrola's abandonment of the Dusters, whilst he has developed a sense of kinship with his fellow cadets: as a result, though he still hates the Dragon Keepers, he has lost his loyalty towards his leaders and any passion for conquering Earth. He confronts Blue Keeper, whom he stabs, but it is a Ray from Peltrola that causes their death. D is unhappy that victory was taken from him and refuses to join Peltrola (though XX does); but he still wishes to defeat the remaining four Keepers. The season ends with the sighting of a new character, though whether they are protagonist or antagonist is not clear.
Go, Go, Loser Ranger! is partially an affectionate Satire of the Super Sentai Tokusatsu genre, from the perspective of the Villains' grunts. The opening half of the first season is an interesting and exciting Anime; unfortunately the closing half, dominated by the over-familiar trope of team members forging unity and respect through prolonged conflict (see Clichés), causes the series to lose much of its impetus; it does have its moments, but usually when the other cadets are off-screen. Though the premise relies on the world's population being implausibly credulous, having our sympathies directed towards the footsoldiers of an invading army, whilst the heroes who saved Earth are – at best – flawed, corrupt and charmless, and – at worst – psychopaths, makes for an intriguing story: there is also Humour. A second season has been announced for 2025. [SP]
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