In 2021, the mangaka Negi Haruba (“The Quintessential Quintuplets”) initially published his work, “Sentai Daishikkaku,” on Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Manga. Fascinated by the chance to capture and adapt Haruba’s intricate and subtle world of anti-heroes for the screen, the director Keiichi Sato decides to direct the series “Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” serialized on TBS starting from 7th April 2024, and now Yostar Pictures is ready to produce the second series, which is expected to premiere in April 2025.
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A fortress floating at 10.000 meters over the first district of Amanogawa city is the symbol of a threat hanging over humanity for 13 years: a ferocious war against monsters. Sinister-looking soldiers known as Fighter Dusters populate the stronghold. Every Sunday, in front of a hostile audience, they enter the arena to battle the Dragon Keepers, by far the most powerful and well-known institution that defends the nation. Despite the fact that Dusters’ attempts to conquer the world are invariably and brutally driven back, the weekly shows hide a social order based on the supremacy of the Dragon Keepers, who, after killing the leaders of monsters and in line with the survived Dusters, preserve their power and role of protectors of justice through a use of social media able to please the audience.
However, Fighter D, driven by reckless ambition and imagining a new and more free future for him and his fellow Dusters, attempts to subvert the program established by the Dragon Keepers by infiltrating the rangers’ organization and going to the red squadron garrison to kill the popular Red Keeper.
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In a heroes-versus-monsters story, the natural inclination is to root for the heroes, but the wily and amoral Red Keeper is hardly the cleanest of heroes. Love him or hate him, he helps makes the series a gripping study of evil: from the issue of the perils of the misuse of social media, we move on to that of the fight against the immorality of power. Dragon keepers are charismatic leaders who rise as protectors of the world and maintain the structure of their organization by creating a public enemy, manipulate the masses through the media, exploit the discontent of the audience that feels threatened and react by justifying their actions and recognizing their authority.
If peaceful coexistence seems to convince the Dusters, Fighter D thinks differently and rebels, first openly and then by becoming part of the system he wants to destroy from within. However, contact with human bonds occurs here, dissolving his cynicism and enabling him to see both sides of the war, comprehend the motivations of those with different perspectives, and experience human emotions such as solidarity and empathy, all while remembering the need for revenge.
Scene each scene, Keiichi Sato ramps up the tension and suspense by using regular intense action sequences and a fast pace, drawing the audience fully into the story.
The breadth of characters calls for a strong, capable cast, with distinguished actors like Yusuke Kobayashi who voices Fighter D. The latter, while supremely confident in the success of his plan, is also an awkward loner who struggles with relationships. Kobayashi deepens the complexity of this character, conveying shades of resentment and darkness but also the impression of an anti-hero who, despite his attempts, is not able to act cool and seems not cut out to become a ranger.
Yumika Yano‘s acting is excellent in depicting the ambiguity of Yumeko Suzukiri: this character exudes an air of mystery in every scene she’s a part of, and in every line Yano says the audience can feel like Suzukiri’s true self is hidden somewhere else. Daishi Kajita dubs Hibiki Sakurama and expresses effectively the strong desire and passion of a character who wants to build a world where humans and monsters can live side-by-side. Furthermore, the interplay between Kobayashi and Kajita as Soldier D, who takes on Sakurama’s role, demonstrates the cast’s great teamwork and Kajita’s versatility.
The smooth and elegant style of Takayuki Chiba and Shinsaku Takeuchi‘s animation, enriched with scenes and choreographies in 3D, adds to Keiichi Sato and Taketo Gonpei‘s talent in nicely balancing drama, humor, and action into an entertaining mix.
Kahoko Koseki skillfully handles detailed character designs. Not only do the action scenes showcase a brilliant color palette and an abundance of nuances, but the interior design of the floating fortress is equally impressive. Furthermore, the fights appear gripping and well-choreographed.
“Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” is a series worth watching because, beyond the sophisticated handling of the action sequences and the excellent interplay of the cast, it is clear that the screenplay aims to make the audience reflect on interesting and divisive themes so that the dramatic progression of the series blurs the boundaries between good and evil, right and wrong.
