Sentai Daishikkaku 1c2d2i

the good old days of watching Power Rangers, where heroes transformed to save the day? Buckle up, because there's a new show shaking up that classic formula in the most unexpected way!

In this series, the Power Rangers aren't fighting for justice; they're battling monsters for the thrill of entertainment! Picture this: monsters are the victims, and the rangers are the stars of a TV show where their battles are broadcasted for all people to see. It's a twist that adds depth and intrigue, making every episode a thrilling ride.

Visually stunning with eye-catching animations and quite good soundtracks, this series pays homage to its Power ... Rangers roots while carving out its own unique path. The characters are fresh, the storylines are unpredictable, and the action is intense.

In short, this series is a wild blend of action, suspense, and unexpected twists. If you're looking for a show that flips the script on the Power Rangers concept, this is it. While it's light on comedy, the thrill of the storyline more than makes up for it.

So, get ready to experience the Power Rangers reboot you never knew you needed. It's entertainment like you've never seen before, and trust me, you won't want to miss it!

In the end this is just my opinion, it may differ from other but you can try it yourself and judge it yourself.

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 Ranger ... Reject, 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.

Honestly, this series feels like the author just barely missed catching lightning in a bottle. There are so many aspects of it where I feel it has incredible potential, but it just falls short each time. I'm still enjoying watching it for what it's worth, but I feel a strong sense of loss and yearning for what it could've been every time I watch an episode. It somehow has dark undertones, but they're too muted and the series feels like it lacks seriousness overall. If I had to compare it to other series that successfully capture a distinct back-and-forth between serious/relaxed, I'd point to One ... Punch Man S1 or Madoka Magica. That's the level I felt this show could've reached, but I digress. It's still an enjoyable watch if you can overcome the thought of what it failed to achieve.

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.

A mix of The Boys and Power Rangers, it couldn't be bad! However, beneath the shiny surface, there is a darker reality. The leader of the Dragon Guardians, the Red Guardian, bears some striking similarities to Homelander from The Boys. Both present themselves as noble heroes loved by the public. But, in truth, they are narcissistic, violent, and cruel, committing horrible acts in secret when out of the spotlight. The Red Guardian looks down on the alien minions, derogatorily called "Dusters," just as Homelander views humans as inferior. The cruelty of the Guardians has earned them the enmity of Infantryman “D,” one of the minions ... seeking revenge against his oppressors, similar to Billy Butcher's personal vendetta against Homelander and Vought in The Boys. Although it superficially appears to be a light action comedy, it clearly aims to deconstruct the Super Sentai archetype, showing how power and fame can corrupt. The animation studio Yoar Pictures, despite being relatively new, delivered an impressive quality of animation that skillfully balances darker tones with colorful Sentai-style action and humor.

Go Go Loser Ranger (also known as Ranger Reject) is basically Super Sentai meets The Boys. It's very unique for its genre and the first 3 episodes have been very entertaining so far. Keep in mind I have not read the manga for this, so I have no idea what's to come.

Basically, the "monsters" started invading earth 13 years ago and the Divine Dragon Keepers need to put an end to them. Eventually, the monsters got handled and they were forced to bring out one per week so that the Dragon Keepers could defeat them in front of a large crowd. One monster (our MC) ... is sick and tired of putting up with this charade, so he decides that he will take down the Dragon Keepers from the inside. This is the premise.

I find this concept to be quite interesting as the audience has no idea what's going on, and as the monsters have had to put up with this farce for over a decade, it would make sense that some of them would be tired of it and would want to rebel against their opressors.

Characters: The cast of Go Go Loser Ranger is quite enjoyable. Seeing the perspective of the "bad guy" for once and actually rooting for the villain (MC) to win is a lot of fun, because before I watched the show, I thought the MCs would be the Dragon Keepers, however they are simply ing characters. Additionally, Yumeko Suzukiri and Hibiki Sakurama are enjoyable characters, even though we don't know much about them yet. Their dynamics and interactions with the MC are a lot of fun, and you call already tell they are multi-layered characters.

Score: 9/10

Sound: The sound in this anime is great, From the insert songs mid fight, to the sound effects and voice acting, Go Go Loser Ranger! has really gotten this right. The VA cast is quite stacked too. Yuusuke Kobayashi is voicing Fighter D, Yuuichi Nakamura voices Red Keeper, Kensho Ono voices Yellow Keeper, and Kousuke Toriumi voices Green Keeper.

Score: 9/10

Animation: The animation on this show is very good. Yostar pictures are a studio known for doing gacha-game adaptations, so when I saw them on a big project like this one, where the manga is very beloved and well known, I was a little skeptical. However, once I saw the trailer as well as ep 1, my concerns were immedietaly lifted. The animation is fluid and crisp. Character art is great. There is actually some cgi used here and there, but it's blended very well with 2D and is barely noticeable imo.

Score: 8/10

OP and ED:

Probably the weakest (and arguably least important) part of the show. The op is performed by Tatsuya Kitani, and while it certainly isn't his best work, it's not bad by any means. The visuals are fun and the song is upbeat. I'll probably start skipping it from this point on, but it fits the vibe of the show well.

The ED is pretty catchy, but not really my type of song. The visuals on it are fully cgi and it looks a little jank at times but nothing terrible.

OP score: 7/10
ED score: 5.5/10
Overall OP and ED Score: 6/10

Overall, Go Go Loser Ranger! is a very entertaining show with a unique and fresh take on the Super Sentai genre. It's also a very easy show to recommend to others as it appeals to a wider audience and anyone can have a fun time watching it.

As a loser myself “Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” is what happens when I get reincarnated into another world as a Power Ranger villain lvl 1 crook and I infiltrate the Power Ranger organization to take them down and take over earth or something ...

I’m a sucker for genre deconstructions. My favourite story of this type, and in general, is “Miracleman” by Alan Moore. Needless to say that when I read the synopsis for “Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” I was hyped. I thought it would be a Super Sentai deconstruction in a similar way that “The Watchmen” (also ... by Alan Moore) or “The Boys” were a deconstruction of Marvel and DC superheroes and… to a degree it is. It has some elements of a competent deconstruction but is held back by terrible comedy timing and the absurd world it takes place in. Does that make it a bad anime? I don’t think so. It does however make it less than competent deconstruction. I warn You to keep that in mind if You are also a fan of deconstructions. Thing is that episode 2 and 3 work as a solid prologue to an amazing deconstruction and are even played as such. Episode 1 is another beast but I’ll get to that.

Before we start I would like to explain something. I will be talking about “plot” and “story”. Many people use those interchangeably. I’m not one of those people, so to make sure everyone is on the same page…
I use the definitions for “plot” and “story” as Lisa Cron describes them:
“What happens in the story is the PLOT, the surface events.”
“STORY is about how the things that happen affect someone in pursuit of a difficult goal, and how that person changes internally as a result”.

I’m not gonna lie, I like the story. A story about a frustrated, basically slave, that decides to fuck over his tormentors. It’s a cool idea, not a very original one but a cool one. A bonus is that no one in this show has a moral high ground. Everyone is an asshole in one way or another, a sociopath or has less than righteous motives and plans. The MC (Fighter D) is literally a creature created to fight, kill and conquer humanity. He even has a goal to take over the world and be top dog. The drawback to this approach is that there isn’t really anyone to root for. On one side we have psycho rangers, on the other a power hungry idiot. I really couldn't care less about any of them if I tried. Maybe I would feel differently if Fighter D was a man with a plan but the truth is he doesn’t think things through (apart from 3 situations in later episodes) and wings it most of the time. He has a goal. Cool. But has no plan of achieving it.

When it comes to the plot… I’m not a fan of the first half. For the first 5 (and a lot of 6) episodes it’s like the plot can’t decide what it wants to be. There are even moments when Fighter D (I refuse to call him just D. D is an awesome and competent vampire hunter not a poorly written moron. He’s Fighter D of FD from now on) is relegated to the role of deuteragonist, something that should never happen in an anime that has only 12 episodes.
I will give credit where credit is due, there is a lot of “because of that” type of storytelling here. The problem is that the main beats that are the catalysts of this are mostly the effect of “and then that happened” type of storytelling. In this case it’s not as bad as in some other anime, apart from episode 2, that shit is just bullshit, but it still stands out.

It had so much potential as a hero deconstruction and yet it decided to squander that potential for cheap jokes that kill any sort of drama, inconsistent protagonist and a world full of idiots. Granted, if the world had more than a bunch of people with an IQ higher than room temperature this whole show wouldn’t have happened in the way it does. But that’s the curse of anime in the last 15 years… oh well, c'est la vie.

The first episode actually fulfills its function pretty well. It gives us a brief look at both sides of the greater conflict and does some lifting in worldbuilding without being a straight up exposition dump like some other anime do. Don’t get Your hopes up too much, there is still exposition.
It shows us that the Keepers are machiavellian assholes, the fighters are cowardly peons without any sort of long term plan or even a goal. It also shows us that the world is populated by idiots. It has been 13 years since the invaders came to conquer earth. 13 years. In this time the conflicts were transformed from actual war-like skirmishes into a weekly spectacle. It was also 12 years since the last human died due to a monster attack and no one asks questions about this? I may be autistic but I would assume that if something life threatening suddenly turners into entertainment for the masses there would be questions. After 13 years even “The Simpsons” lost some of its viewership. Everyone just accepts that a force that was hell bent on world domination just attacks now in regular intervals, always in the same place, always with just a small unit and a boss, and only attacks the Keepers. There are shit loads of civilians with only a mere squad of security. If there were more of them they could paint the damn stadium red. Yes they do have an arrangement with the keepers but it’s stated that most people don’t know about it. Yet they still come to a place that would have no business being as safe for them as it is, if this was still a real conflict. I can’t even feel sorry for them. If they die, that’s on them. Natural selection wins.
Listen, if I were to only look at its function I would probably give this episode something like 5 or maybe, MAYBE 6. But alas I’m the type of guy that cares more about the plot and story than just function. There is very little logic and believability in this world. How can I take the drama seriously if the whole world is packed full of nonsense and idiots?

Let’s talk about the moment of the enslave… I mean, the arrangement the Keepers made with dusters. The deal was made 12 years earlier. 12 years. Let that sink in. The Keepers look as if they were in their mid 20's. Let’s say they are 25 (I have no idea if their age is stated anywhere so I might be wrong). 13 years ago when the conflict started they would be around 12-13. So now we have a couple of ways of looking at it. Either this is a different team than the one who made the dead, which isn’t very probable since they look and sound the same. Red even has the same mannerisms as he does in the present. Second. The transformations aged them when they were kids. Which is dumb but was made in “Power Rangers Turbo” with Justin Stewart so I wouldn’t be that much surprised. There is also a third option. The Keepers are in their mid to late 30s. Which is even worse because it implies that grown-ass men (and one woman) in their 30s act like spoiled kids. Furthermore, being in their 30’s isn’t old (I’m gonna tell myself that since I’m at the tail end of my 30’s) but it’s past their prime. They have a whole production line of Keepers and yet, not one Ranger in their 20s was able to outdo someone with their 30s? I could believe this in the case of Red, he does seem to have some unnatural level of strength almost like he spends every Dark Souls game using Strength builds, but the rest? I find it hard to believe the Keepers don’t have early retirements if only to keep the illusion of them being all powerful alive. Also, in Your 30s You tend to change Your outlook on life and what You value in it. Yet all of the Keepers are still acting like spoiled children. Mostly Red but Blue is also cocky and pays for it.

Let’s get to the second part of the show. From around episode 7 (maybe 6 but that’s me being nice) the show changes. It becomes more focused. Almost like the writer took some writing classes when no one was looking. It gets better and worse at the same time. It becomes worse because it mostly loses its unique pitch. Yes we’re still in the universe where Power Rangers are psychos, yes most people are still morons and our MC still has a revenge boner but the show stops throwing garbage jokes anytime something serious happens (still does, but not so much so I count that as a win). The drawback is that it becomes just another tournament / exam regurgitated garbage You see in every school anime these days. It became so basic that I couldn’t even tell You why the exam was so dumb. Granted I’m not sure even the people writing this could tell You that but that’s beside the point.

The infiltration and fucking up an organization from the inside is a good idea. Not many anime and even movies do that. But there is a reason why. It’s really tough to write something like that in a way that doesn’t feel cheap. The best example I can think of, of this type of plot is “Infernal Affair” - an amazing movie that uses an undercover cop and an undercover mob member to create suspense and drama. It’s a masterpiece of writing. The thing is, there are 3 movies in the series and only the first one is amazing. It’s that hard to write this sort of plot. It would be hard enough in a realistic setting, adding a Super Sentai fantasy to it makes it even more so, and adding dumb jokes that don’t land ruins it almost entirely. Probably why, the jokes stop at some point and the show gets better because of it.

The exam arc also shows us another part of FD. His thinking and strategic part. Seriously, the second half of the show proves that he can think strategically and on the fly. Why isn’t this mofo the leader? The way he fools the opposing team to get the key, the way he takes charge of the situation when shit hits the fan and the way he plans the fight during the exam are really solid writing.. With few crappy moments but compared to the rest of the show it’s top notch. For 12 years he didn’t think of leading his own kind? With this kind of adaptability he could become a real threat to the world. So why just now? Oh, right… the plot demands it.
The only thing I would call bullshit is that at some point he reveals his identity to convince someone to his “cause”. It’s dumb and totally unnecessary. He could have convinced him in so many ways that I would spend a day and a half naming them. Ok, the reveal could have been the final method but the dumb ass barely tried anything else.

Ok… this is getting too long for any sane person to read and I’m not even ¾ of the way I wanted on a list of things I wanted to address so…

At the end of the day I don’t think this is a bad anime. The animation and art style are nice and OST is pretty solid as well. My main grype is that it is positioned as a deconstruction and I guess it does have elements of it, but it’s not a very good one. Shame because the idea has potential and I would lie if I told You I did not enjoy the second half of it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4

It's a fun little show, but not really one that invokes much thought. After all, the show is basically still a shounen show, except that it's the inverse of what usually happens. Our main character is a nameless "Fighter D," fighting for the evil organization versus the supposed righteous Super Sentai.

Well, at least the setting explains most of it. Our main character's not programmed to be very smart. He's just an expendable minion, so he kind of has an infantile worldview of things and can't be very scheming as a result. He's trying to infiltrate the super sentai organization, but he can't help but ... slip up and require assistance from others due to his simplemindedness. He has the mindset of a evil minion, which is world domination as an evil organization, and it shows in his mannerisms. He's not Light in Death Note or Vincent Freeman in Gattaca, where the main thrills of those shows is the tightrope between the main character and the organization he infiltrates. This show is definitely more shounen, more free-flowing, where Fighter D fights while also experiencing friendship, relationships, etc. He has his own righteous ideals, not wanting to kill innocent people despite being a "bad guy," and clearly deviates from the typical mindset of an evil minion. Still, it's just a normal action shounen type of show where people fight monsters with our Fighter D being in the midst, getting assistance from other boss monsters, fighters, and other spies that want to see the downfall of the Super Sentai monolith.

On the flip side, you have Red, whose painted as a psychopath despite being a hero of justice. While he does kill bad guys and doesn't mind violence at all, he cares more about his image rather than anything else. He definitely doesn't seem to be all that righteous when on screen, but the show doesn't really deign to give much characterization to Red anyhow, so you're going to have to strap on for the second season for that. You also kind of get to explore a lot of other Super Sentai rangers, going from the main cast of the Power Rangers, to the junior ranks that Fighter D intermingles with in his disguised form.

There are definite cringe characters, mainly Yumeko. It's pretty boring to see an OP woman that's flippant and can do basically what she wants under the scrutiny of the Super Sentai organization without much elaboration or reasoning. She's essential to the story, as she's enabling Fighter D to keep his disguise undetected, but it really does seem like the author just wants her to be a facetious OP mysterious female that's evil without much explanation. Overall an extremely shallow persona for such a critical character in the story. She always puts herself above everybody else with her goals never explored.

Overall, I don't mind the story at all, but you will have to understand that it's not a very intellectual one, as Fighter D gets plot armor like crazy to do whatever he wants to do without any trouble. It's a change of pace despite being an action oriented show, but I can't say it's anything special as well.

I really want to like this anime. Like many others the premise seems really interesting to me. Unfortunately the show does not appear to truly know what said premise should look like, nor how to handle many other aspects of itself.

The pacing is frequently awkward and jumpy, with flashbacks coupled with tiny flash forwards coupled with tiny flash forwards that then get explained in a flashback. Made doubly strange because it doesn't really come off as egregiously bad. Its not overly abundant, nor truly detractive most of the time, I just don't understand what the point of these moments are. From what I've heard the ... manga has the same issue, so likely the adaptation team staying too "true" to the source material.

Where these strange pacing issues DO cause issues however is when they are coupled with strange/unexplained scenes. Characters will occasionally do a 180 on their opinion, pull some random plan out of no where with no explanation, or accomplish/fail to accomplish something in an incredible manner with no explanation. The show is partially a comedy, and has over the top jokes which can be waved off, but these instances are not part of said comedy. Instead they painfully tend to accompany the previously mentioned flashbacks/flashforwards, seemingly as an "explanation."

Despite all this, I still honestly think the show is good. My main gripe is that I think it could have been really good. If you squint your eyes and fill in the blanks for these inconsistencies you could EASILY have a really good show. Its clear the characters and story have depth to them, its just sometimes rather than elaborating/displaying that depth the show chooses to skip forward 10 seconds.

Sentai Daishikkaku is one of the more peculiar anime to come out in recent years. Sporting some pretty good production values, it's definitely a fun spectacle, though the story and worldbuilding are full of weird plot holes and nonsensical events and characters.


Animation / Art / General Visuals - 8/10
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Basic art isn't noteworthy, but the animations and special effects are pretty good. If nothing else, the show is flashy and fun to watch.


Sound / Music / Voice Acting - 8/10
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Solid voice acting and a nice selection of original tracks makes for a very enjoyable experience.


Story - 4/10
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While one of the more unique stories in recent history, the execution is all over the place.

The story follows a weak monster called D, who is part of a remnant of monsters left after a monster invasion of Earth. After being defeated, the monsters were forced to become actors in weekly showdowns against heroes, to continue fooling the rest of humanity. Our protagonist D is fed up and decides to infiltrate the heroes' organization instead and defeat them from within.

Certainly sounds interesting, but the setup is completely nonsensical.

What possible purpose can there be to have a bunch of weak monsters fight in weekly fake matches like it's some American wrestling league? And how in the world does the rest of the world just take it at face value? There's a huge hovering monster fortress above Japan that never does anything except send down a batch of random monsters to fight in a damn arena that sells tickets like it's some weekly football game? The whole planet just believes that every Sunday at the same time, the monsters "invade" the local Japanese arena and casually wait for the heroes to show up so that they can lose and then repeat the event next Sunday? The hell is that?

The premise is so utterly ridiculous that it completely derails the rest of the story.

How can one take anything even halfway seriously when the entire planet is apparently inhabited by complete morons?


Characters - 5/10
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Despite there being some fairly interesting characters, most of the cast are just a different flavour of stupid.

Most of the cast are "heroes" whose whole goal is to fight monsters, and it is something all aspiring recruits aim to become, despite it being utterly obvious that the weekly fake monster matches are indeed just fake nonsense.

How can any of the characters be taken seriously when they spout stuff like "I've looked up to the heroes all my life, that's why I've dedicated my life to becoming a hero", when the only monsters that exist on the whole planet are as weak as children, and only show up for a weekly Sunday roast. It's just so ludicrous. It makes every member of the cast seem like a complete idiot.

The only likeable and interesting characters are the villains. Though in most part that's because their motivations and psychological profile are simply mysterious. Trying to figure out why they are the way they are and do the things they do is the only really fascinating part about the show. And it's unfortunately rather unexplored.

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Total - 6/10

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Sentai Daishikkaku is certainly a very unique anime. But I find it hard to stomach the utter absurdity of its plot and characters. Their stupidity doesn't even as decent comedy.

Still, the fight scenes are numerous and the animations quite good. There's definitely fun to be had, but it's hard to get overly invested.

So, I grew up on Power Rangers. Back in 1993 (yes, I’m old), I watched the Rangers on the regular. It was simple, but I loved everything about the show, from the garish Ranger uniforms to Zordon, and yes, I even loved the villains. Rita Repulsa, in particular, was just a joy to watch on screen, though all manner of boss monsters from Goldar to Lord Zedd to Ivan Ooze (obviously, I watched the movie in 1995) just exuded personality and absurdity that scratched an itch I otherwise never would have known I had.

You know who I paid the least mind out of everyone? The ... Putties. I hardly cared when these nameless, faceless goons got upgraded and effectively became invulnerable… except at the giant Z-logo on their chest. Yeah, I wasn’t impressed with the fodder and usually just found the Rangers’ fights with them frustrating.

Cut to 2024 and I see a show that’s clearly meant to ride my nostalgia for tokusatsu sentai series. This series would follow one of those Putties, who was clearly given at least some personality, and give us a world in which he and the other monsters have to fight a group of Dragon Keepers (essentially up-jumped Rangers) who wield special weapons in shows that aren’t all that different from my Saturday morning watches: new boss monster, bit of back and forth, Dragon Keepers unleash a final attack and it’s over. I thought this would be pretty kitschy, even after we find out that said Putties can alter their forms to look like humans, and that the Dragon Keepers are the antagonists of this show, essentially forcing the Putties to put on a show every week now that the real Boss Monsters are all dead and gone. Sure, that’s a nice twist, but how far could they take it?

Much further than I ever imagined.

To start, this series looks great. It has crisp animation and a lot of interesting ways to use it with the variety of transformations and attacks on display. It may not be the best-looking anime of the season, but it’s largely keeping up and maintains it throughout. IMO, this has the best OP and ED of the season, utilizing some strong thematic music and visuals with a variety of animation styles.

Where this series lives and thrives is in its narrative. I rarely had any idea what was coming next episode-to-episode, whether as a result of failed plans, successful ones, or the collision of multiple plans in unpredictable ways. Some of that I chalk up to certain characters not mentioning important details, but the plot rarely takes that tack, instead often diverging from expectations due to a previously unknown factor at play. To its credit, the show usually breadcrumbs those factors, even if a couple of them come out of nowhere. Just as importantly, the sudden shifts in the plot are often character driven. Sentouin D may not be a tactical genius, but he implements several very important plans that pay off over the series run and he’s surprisingly good at working off the cuff… albeit his subterfuge could use some work. There’s not a sense that the plot happens to him – he’s taken his position as protagonist rather than being relegated to some background extra.

The larger plot is the conflict between the Dragon Keepers and Sentouin D, representing the monsters. Effectively being enslaved to the Dragon Keepers whims under penalty of death via magic weapons is a pretty solid reason to want revenge, especially after years under their thumbs. The audience and some of the human characters in the show recognize it for what it is: a means to maintain their power and influence in the broader world at the expense of those monsters. By contrast, Sentouin D and the other monsters came to this planet to conquer it, enslaving the masses and killing a tremendous number of humans in the process. They’re not exactly paragons of virtue and the only reason they’re stuck in this situation is because they made a deal with the Dragon Keepers after the Boss Monsters were killed. So it’s effectively some villain vs. villain action, with the actual heroes – usually those training to be Dragon Keepers one day themselves – find themselves caught in the middle and sometimes even having to pick a side.

The characters are probably the weakest element of this series. They serve the narrative well enough and there are a wide variety of different character types and designs, but that huge range of characters leaves most of them feeling either like half-baked stereotypes or very superficial and obvious… which is honestly kind of on point for this genre, so I find it difficult to hold it against the series too much. There are several exceptions, including pretty much everyone who gets substantial screen time and even a little bit of backstory, though only a couple of them (particularly Yumeko Suzukiri, who I really wish had more screentime this season) show meaningful depth that really makes them stand apart.

We see a lot of Sentouin D over the course of the series and spend most of the time in his head. We understand where he’s coming from early, and though he largely sticks to his sentiments about humans and his own kind, he does change as the series progresses. What I really like about those changes is that they’re organic to his experiences without feeling like a dramatic about-face. Even as circumstances dramatically shift to favor his endgame, Sentouin D never seems ready to hand over the reins of power to anyone. So much like he can alter his form, he changes to suit the situation, but also the narrative he’s writing for himself.

All this is to say that, yeah, I kind of love this series. It reminds me a bit of my experience with Bang Brave Bang Bravern last season (though notably less humorous and homoerotic). It’s far from perfect, especially given a mid-season twist that really does feel like it comes out of nowhere, but even that ends up serving the broader narrative well enough. There is a long stretch where the series focuses on fights in a parking garage, and while it results in a number of interesting fights and scenarios, it does result in some weaker animation and backgrounds. Still, for a series that seemed like a gimmick meant to ride sentai nostalgia, this really does go above and beyond. Even the ending, which showcases some progress for Sentouin D towards his goal and simultaneously recognizes how far away he is from achieving it himself, feels like an appropriate capstone to this season.

“Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” is what happens when a pretty good idea is held down by a terrible mismatched mix of genres.

I’m a sucker for genre deconstructions. My favourite story of this type, and in general, is “Miracleman” by Alan Moore. Needless to say that when I read the synopsis for “Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” I was hyped. I thought it would be a Super Sentai deconstruction in a similar way that “The Watchmen” (also by Alan Moore) or “The Boys” were a deconstruction of Marvel and DC superheroes and… to a degree it is. It has some elements of a competent deconstruction but is ... held back by terrible comedy timing and the absurd world it takes place in. Does that make it a bad anime? I don’t think so. It does however make it less than competent deconstruction. I warn You to keep that in mind if You are also a fan of deconstructions. Thing is that episode 2 and 3 work as a solid prologue to an amazing deconstruction and are even played as such. Episode 1 is another beast but I’ll get to that.

Before we start I would like to explain something. I will be talking about “plot” and “story”. Many people use those interchangeably. I’m not one of those people, so to make sure everyone is on the same page…
I use the definitions for “plot” and “story” as Lisa Cron describes them:
“What happens in the story is the PLOT, the surface events.”
“STORY is about how the things that happen affect someone in pursuit of a difficult goal, and how that person changes internally as a result”.

I’m not gonna lie, I like the story. A story about a frustrated, basically slave, that decides to fuck over his tormentors. It’s a cool idea, not a very original one but a cool one. A bonus is that no one in this show has a moral high ground. Everyone is an asshole in one way or another, a sociopath or has less than righteous motives and plans. The MC (Fighter D) is literally a creature created to fight, kill and conquer humanity. He even has a goal to take over the world and be top dog. The drawback to this approach is that there isn’t really anyone to root for. On one side we have psycho rangers, on the other a power hungry idiot. I really couldn't care less about any of them if I tried. Maybe I would feel differently if Fighter D was a man with a plan but the truth is he doesn’t think things through (apart from 3 situations in later episodes) and wings it most of the time. He has a goal. Cool. But has no plan of achieving it.

When it comes to the plot… I’m not a fan of the first half. For the first 5 (and a lot of 6) episodes it’s like the plot can’t decide what it wants to be. There are even moments when Fighter D (I refuse to call him just D. D is an awesome and competent vampire hunter not a poorly written moron. He’s Fighter D of FD from now on) is relegated to the role of deuteragonist, something that should never happen in an anime that has only 12 episodes.
I will give credit where credit is due, there is a lot of “because of that” type of storytelling here. The problem is that the main beats that are the catalysts of this are mostly the effect of “and then that happened” type of storytelling. In this case it’s not as bad as in some other anime, apart from episode 2, that shit is just bullshit, but it still stands out.

It had so much potential as a hero deconstruction and yet it decided to squander that potential for cheap jokes that kill any sort of drama, inconsistent protagonist and a world full of idiots. Granted, if the world had more than a bunch of people with an IQ higher than room temperature this whole show wouldn’t have happened in the way it does. But that’s the curse of anime in the last 15 years… oh well, c'est la vie.

The first episode actually fulfills its function pretty well. It gives us a brief look at both sides of the greater conflict and does some lifting in worldbuilding without being a straight up exposition dump like some other anime do. Don’t get Your hopes up too much, there is still exposition.
It shows us that the Keepers are machiavellian assholes, the fighters are cowardly peons without any sort of long term plan or even a goal. It also shows us that the world is populated by idiots. It has been 13 years since the invaders came to conquer earth. 13 years. In this time the conflicts were transformed from actual war-like skirmishes into a weekly spectacle. It was also 12 years since the last human died due to a monster attack and no one asks questions about this? I may be autistic but I would assume that if something life threatening suddenly turners into entertainment for the masses there would be questions. After 13 years even “The Simpsons” lost some of its viewership. Everyone just accepts that a force that was hell bent on world domination just attacks now in regular intervals, always in the same place, always with just a small unit and a boss, and only attacks the Keepers. There are shit loads of civilians with only a mere squad of security. If there were more of them they could paint the damn stadium red. Yes they do have an arrangement with the keepers but it’s stated that most people don’t know about it. Yet they still come to a place that would have no business being as safe for them as it is, if this was still a real conflict. I can’t even feel sorry for them. If they die, that’s on them. Natural selection wins.
Listen, if I were to only look at its function I would probably give this episode something like 5 or maybe, MAYBE 6. But alas I’m the type of guy that cares more about the plot and story than just function. There is very little logic and believability in this world. How can I take the drama seriously if the whole world is packed full of nonsense and idiots?

Let’s talk about the moment of the enslave… I mean, the arrangement the Keepers made with dusters. The deal was made 12 years earlier. 12 years. Let that sink in. The Keepers look as if they were in their mid 20's. Let’s say they are 25 (I have no idea if their age is stated anywhere so I might be wrong). 13 years ago when the conflict started they would be around 12-13. So now we have a couple of ways of looking at it. Either this is a different team than the one who made the dead, which isn’t very probable since they look and sound the same. Red even has the same mannerisms as he does in the present. Second. The transformations aged them when they were kids. Which is dumb but was made in “Power Rangers Turbo” with Justin Stewart so I wouldn’t be that much surprised. There is also a third option. The Keepers are in their mid to late 30s. Which is even worse because it implies that grown-ass men (and one woman) in their 30s act like spoiled kids. Furthermore, being in their 30’s isn’t old (I’m gonna tell myself that since I’m at the tail end of my 30’s) but it’s past their prime. They have a whole production line of Keepers and yet, not one Ranger in their 20s was able to outdo someone with their 30s? I could believe this in the case of Red, he does seem to have some unnatural level of strength almost like he spends every Dark Souls game using Strength builds, but the rest? I find it hard to believe the Keepers don’t have early retirements if only to keep the illusion of them being all powerful alive. Also, in Your 30s You tend to change Your outlook on life and what You value in it. Yet all of the Keepers are still acting like spoiled children. Mostly Red but Blue is also cocky and pays for it.

Let’s get to the second part of the show. From around episode 7 (maybe 6 but that’s me being nice) the show changes. It becomes more focused. Almost like the writer took some writing classes when no one was looking. It gets better and worse at the same time. It becomes worse because it mostly loses its unique pitch. Yes we’re still in the universe where Power Rangers are psychos, yes most people are still morons and our MC still has a revenge boner but the show stops throwing garbage jokes anytime something serious happens (still does, but not so much so I count that as a win). The drawback is that it becomes just another tournament / exam regurgitated garbage You see in every school anime these days. It became so basic that I couldn’t even tell You why the exam was so dumb. Granted I’m not sure even the people writing this could tell You that but that’s beside the point.

The infiltration and fucking up an organization from the inside is a good idea. Not many anime and even movies do that. But there is a reason why. It’s really tough to write something like that in a way that doesn’t feel cheap. The best example I can think of, of this type of plot is “Infernal Affair” - an amazing movie that uses an undercover cop and an undercover mob member to create suspense and drama. It’s a masterpiece of writing. The thing is, there are 3 movies in the series and only the first one is amazing. It’s that hard to write this sort of plot. It would be hard enough in a realistic setting, adding a Super Sentai fantasy to it makes it even more so, and adding dumb jokes that don’t land ruins it almost entirely. Probably why, the jokes stop at some point and the show gets better because of it.

The exam arc also shows us another part of FD. His thinking and strategic part. Seriously, the second half of the show proves that he can think strategically and on the fly. Why isn’t this mofo the leader? The way he fools the opposing team to get the key, the way he takes charge of the situation when shit hits the fan and the way he plans the fight during the exam are really solid writing.. With few crappy moments but compared to the rest of the show it’s top notch. For 12 years he didn’t think of leading his own kind? With this kind of adaptability he could become a real threat to the world. So why just now? Oh, right… the plot demands it.
The only thing I would call bullshit is that at some point he reveals his identity to convince someone to his “cause”. It’s dumb and totally unnecessary. He could have convinced him in so many ways that I would spend a day and a half naming them. Ok, the reveal could have been the final method but the dumb ass barely tried anything else.

Ok… this is getting too long for any sane person to read and I’m not even ¾ of the way I wanted on a list of things I wanted to address so…

At the end of the day I don’t think this is a bad anime. The animation and art style are nice and OST is pretty solid as well. My main grype is that it is positioned as a deconstruction and I guess it does have elements of it, but it’s not a very good one. Shame because the idea has potential and I would lie if I told You I did not enjoy the second half of it.

STORY
This series took me by surprise. I started watching it on a recommendation, and I couldn't stop watching it once I started. Among all the isekais and shounen mainstream offerings each season, this is such a refreshing watch. The story is a nice mix of mystery, action, and comedy. I've heard the story compared to The Boys on Amazon. I haven't personally watched The Boys, but Sentai Daishikkaku's narrative of a duplicitous and dark superhero culture does make it seem comparable to The Boys.

The first few episodes introduces us to the characters and the world they live in, but once things got rolling, the ... story had me hooked. The battles actually have stakes and characters aren't winning them by purely overpowering their foes with strength or with arbitrary level-ups mid-battle, which are annoyingly common tropes.

This is definitely an underdog story. The protagonist has to resort to more creative measures to overcome obstacles and that makes for a substantially more compelling watch with more twists and turns. At 8 episodes in, I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story goes.

ART
The art style is refreshing and I quite like it. I also like the stylized animation. The studio did a pretty good job of blending 2D with CG animation. I've watched my share of CG and CG/2D hybrid animations, and this is actually quite good.

CHARACTER
The series has a fun eclectic cast of characters, which reminds me of my favorites like Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Golden Kamuy. The protagonist is so entertaining to watch, and I absolutely enjoy watching how he overcomes obstacles given his limitations.

ENJOYMENT
I couldn't stop watching once I started. 12 episodes in this season is too short, and I sincerely hope they continue this adaptation.

Clown show. Though it has a "The Boys" vibe at first, it disappears pretty quickly. There are a lot of assholes portrayed here, but it all sinks into the ocean of constant moralizing and "why what I do is justified, and your reasons are invalid". There is not much of internal logic or consistency to the plot after a while, and it quickly deteriorates into "anything goes" as long as the author wants it to happen no matter how detached from common sense it is. This is a clown show, so you are here to to watch how the characters compete to see who has ... the bigger red nose or the bigger shoes.

A unique spin on the Power Rangers formula that begins with an extremely interesting premise that gradually loses steam over time. The show juggled its serious undertone with comedic beats well and had a lot of ion put into maximizing production value. This was a genuinely fun watch that never stopped moving. However, the main issue with Go! Go! Loser Ranger! was exactly that. The weirdly fast-paced writing on top of odd plot points not fully fleshed out conveyed a lack of confidence in its narrative. The premise was good. However, it would have benefited from slowing down and exploring characters and concepts more thoroughly.

It's always fun when a show takes a standard genre and then flips it on its head or subverts the usual formula in some way. Konosuba parodying repetitive and stale isekais by looking like one itself, Oshi No Ko going beyond a standard idol anime and showing the dark underbelly of that industry and others. Sentai Daishikaku fits in with those, this one being a spin on the good old genre of power ra-I mean, super sentai. And it does so in a very interesting fashion.

I find that to be the first strong point of this show, being its world and story. The general public ... sees the rangers, or Dragon Keepers as the show calls them, as these heroes that saved the world and regularly combat the monster forces every week...except it's not. In reality, they've been defeated for the past 13 years and are just used to build the ranger's popularity easily without any real risk. Already I love that, especially with how it plays on the monster of the week trope by making it a grand public event where the monsters can never win, like how these kinds of shows would air. That leads to our main character D, a mere grunt in the army who's had enough, aiming to take down the rangers, get revenge for the past decade and more humiliation and rule the world as he's always dreamed. It's a very interesting concept, and it's executed very well.

D himself is also a great main character. Due to his position as canon fodder, winning fights by just being better basically never works. Instead, he always has to use his cunning, trickery and abilities as a monster to win underhandedly, which make his triumphs all the more satisfying. He also grows a decent amount for only 12 episodes, having to reconsider his goals and what he truly wants.

The other characters are really good too, as many of them have their own motivations to either go against the twisted nature of the world and fight against it or use it to their own benefit to be something great. It really helps to build the world and show how it affects the people in it. And we can't discuss characters without mentioning the Dragon Keepers themselves, who I find to be the best part of the show. Seeing how the world bends over backwards to their every whim builds up their influence on the world really well. And the leader of them, the Red Keeper, is an amazing overarching villain, being not at all subtle about his complete narcissism, ego and complete lack of empathy for others while putting on a just and righteous front to the public. I guess he's similar to Homelander, but I haven't actually seen The Boys, so take that comparison with a grain of salt.

To be fair to this show, there are a handful of flaws that I can pick out. One of them being the fact the animation sort of misses at points. Don't get me wrong, there are some beautiful shots here and there, but the usage of CGI is pretty apparent in a lot of places, especially on the main villain of the season. He isn't always, but more often than not he is, and that might be a turn off for some. Another point is that the music is...odd. Not the OP and ED, those are both bangers and I'm listening to them as I type this, and even the music itself there isn't really any problem with. It's the usage. For some scenes that should be intense or hype, the music just fails to capture the feel of the scene, episodes 1 and 11 being the main example I can think of. Finally, 7/12 episodes in the season are spent on one arc, and while it does a lot of good, it does drag pretty noticeably. But all of those points are more just nitpicks or things that can be looked past, and even the last point about the arc dragging might just be a symptom of week by week watching.

All in all, this is a really good watch that has an interesting plot that season 2 is only gonna build on and I'm sure make better, with solid characters and great villains to tie it together. Definitely at least giving a try despite the flaws listed

So far the premise reminds me of "The Boys." Shows like this open my eyes to how industries are in our world and how easily some people can put on a persona to trick us all into believing they are someone they aren't. The show so far has been unpredictable and has gone in a completely different direction than I thought it would. The plot twist has made me eager for the next episode each time I watch it. I highly recommend this to people who enjoyed "The Boys" and other shows/stories like that! So far I would say it's probably the best anime airing ... this season, and the one I would recommend to most people.

Ever imagined what if the good guys were actually the bad guys? Sentai Daishikaku is the closest thing to an anime version of “The Boys” and is one of the coolest takes on the Toku genre. It’s a shame that due to Hulu jail it didn’t get the viewership it deserved. This has got it all. Suspense, action, lore and most importantly, makes you question who the good guys really are.

Like most people, I grew up watching power rangers and loved the ideals they represented. Looking out for the little guys, saving the world and just being an ideal to strive towards. So when I ... found out that the creator of Gotouben created a manga that featured an evil power rangers team I had to tap in. I read the manga in like a day and fell in love with the story, art and twists. The anime adaptation was one of my most anticipated shows of this season and it sured expectations. I’d say it’s actually one of the few anime that’s better than the manga. Yostar pictures perfectly captured the ominous vibe the story has. You can’t trust anyone in this world, everyone’s got an ulterior motive or out for themselves and the few people that aren’t usually end up dead or punished for it. The anime perfectly conveys that and there’s always a sense of unease when watching these episodes. While you know the MC has plot armour, it’s the other characters you have to worry about and I love that. In a time when so many stories are easily telegraphed, this one manages to continuously surprise you. It’s actually hard to believe the guy who wrote one of the more cliche romance stories was capable of something like this.

Storywise, what’s really cool about this series is not just that there’s evil power rangers as the antagonists, but the show follows the perspective of one of the alien invaders. He’s not a particularly impressive character. He’s literally just a mob character who would be a footnote in any other story. He’s not overpowered or given any crazy plot armour. His main ability is his resourcefulness and ability to make the optimal decisions under pressure. He’s constantly outgunned facing an overwhelmingly more powerful opponent in the keepers, other invaders etc, yet he keeps his head and uses his environment to his strength. It’s such a refreshing way for an MC to behave and even as someone who knows what’s happening in particular parts of the story, the way the anime handled it made it feel fresh.

Production wise, Yostar did something special with this. The camera movements during fights, choreography, unique use of angles, the shadow and lighting and scene composition my goodness this show had no business looking this way. It uses some really innovate motion techniques, especially during the keepers’ divine weapons activation scenes that blew me away. The seiyuu are solid and I’m a big fan of the unconventional OST that kind of sounds like a circus most of the time. I think it’s very fitting considering how the invaders’ suffering is basically used as entertainment for the world, similar to how circus “freaks” are put on display without concern for their wellbeing.

It’s kind of hard to go too in detail on praising the story without spoiling anything, but this show just keeps you on the edge of your seat and if anything, it feels like a horror/suspense thriller more than your traditional battle shonen. Yes, there’s a lot of action, but the best part is the mental warfare and espionage. Such a tense experience that few other anime are able to capture. Very much enjoyed this one and I’m hoping this boosts the manga’s sales and we get another season!

Sentai Daishikkaku gets 9 out of 10.

Amid generic isekai anime, or other copies of shounen anime, there is something really unique about these anime this season. Sentai Daishikkaku emerges in the midst of this generalization with something truly original, the anime uses a different premise from anime about "Ranger heroes", where the villain and the hero switch roles from the viewer's perspective, when analyzing the narrative that accompanies each side. Perhaps this is one of the most underrated animes of this 2024 season.And I will try to convince you during the review.









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History

The main strength of the anime is the story. The anime has the proposal of show something never made before, show how much the villains in this anime are in a deplorable situation, whether due to a lack of physical strength, or also a lack of a stance against the agreement to which they are subject. The villains of this anime are immortal beings and weak in of combat, and the "heroes" of the anime are the total opposite. The narrative is as follows: the rangers after defeating all the "bosses of the villains", enter into an agreement with these immortal beings in which they spare themselves from using the divine artifact (this artifact can eliminate even immortal beings), but these beings must fake fights in front of the public against the rangers, for the pure entertainment of the human public, who stereotyped them as "evil", despite being weak beings and harmless. It is in these fights in which the villains must pretend that they have a "force" against humanity, that the rangers ridicule them to the point of using them just as a way to entertain the narrative that "heroes will always fight evil", although "evil" does not necessarily re-present a threat to humanity. The plot then places the Rangers as beings who command the force on earth, and the villains only have to obey them if they want to stay alive. This agreement continues for a long time until " fighter D" decides to go against this logic and reveals himself against humanity, trying to stop being a puppet controlled by the rangers. With the of some humans, throughout history fighter D will obtain human forces and allies, these humans, because they disagree with the proposed plot so far, decide to go against "the rules of peace established human and rangers" and then to partner with D to to change turn in what seemed to be already established in the story from the beginning, bringing moments of conspiracies and twists to the plot throughout history.

With this new premise, the story follows D's attempts to achieve freedom in the face of a society idealized to one utopia what in which good must always fight villains, and thus eradicate evil. What seems like an ideology of peace, ends up in the anime being approached more as a form of entertainment, just as in fighting rings, the public is entertained by the fights, in the anime it is the same thing only that the result is always the same. As a result, in a way the anime brings a "philosophy" that the public currently only cares about with entertainment and, often, neglects others social factors, being egocentric enough to only think about rooting for the side that has the advantage. Yes, maybe I'm the only one or not, but I see this story that way, as a way of showing the twenty-first century society, which values ​​moments of entertainment despite being momentary and leaving aside reflection on other social factors that in the anime would mean recognizing both sides, this idea is somehow represented by the character Sakurama Hibiki, who even as a human tries to understand fighter D's side throughout the episodes, even though he is introduced to religious ideals by his parents, he believes in both the rangers and the "villains", creating his own opinion about society.
Overall, this story is excellent not only because it is unique in the way it unfolds, with unpredictabilitys and schematized actions, the characters always try to calculate what should be done and always aim at an ideal specific to each. Although there are tense moments, the story also has a dynamic that, in a way, can lead to comedy in some interactions between the characters, but always placing the disagreement between "villains" and "heroes" in the plot.

9/10
















Characters

They are truly unique characters, whether because they are on opposite sides than predicted by villains and heroes, or by the conviction that each one has, are intriguing enough to make the anime interesting throughout the narrative.

Now talking about some that have been notable so far, fighter D is a character who fights against something already established, which seeks a different result from that expected by humans and rangers, by revealing itself against peace and remaining faithful to its role as villain, from this one can already imagine an incredible psychological development of the character, despite not having any strength physically, he still refuses to accept his cruel destiny, fighting against humanity until the end.
The main Rangers, on the other hand, also have a unique ideal, that "peace", even though it is false and designed for entertainment, must prevail until the end, this narrative suggests in some way that they will do everything possible to stay on this idealized path without worrying about end results demonstrating that they are cold characters and that in front of the public they present a "false sympathy" as a hero to hide their intimate desires.
Besides them, the anime contains unique characters like Suzukiri Yumeko and Sakurama Hibiki, where both help fighter D on his journey ahead of the made with the Rangers. Suzukiri Yumeko has an intriguing personality, who truly desires a necessary "evil" for the world to leave everything more "interesting" from his own perspective, Sakurama Hibiki, as said before, tries to believe in what he has established throughout his life, even though full of faith imposed by his parents, he continued believing in the Rangers and later listened to the fighter D's side and formed his own ideal.
It is remarkable how much effort the author put into these characters, adhering to unique stories, development and personalities. With interactions that always result in progressing the anime's narrative, which helps to make the plot interesting enough throughout the episodes, due to this originality of the author.

8/10















Animation/sound/scenarios/Fights

Although the animation is not incredible, it is quite acceptable. The opening and ending are great, with engaging songs and perfectly matching the atmosphere of the anime.
The dubbing is good, most of the characters and their voice actors match perfectly. The soundtrack leaves nothing to be desired, despite not being that significant.The fights were mostly good, although the special effects are a little strange (like the smoke, or the movement of a character from one place to another), but I also find acceptable as they are not enough spoiling the experience. The anime still has an urban setting of a big city, even though it's not the main strong point of the anime, it doesn't come to be bad. The studio somehow did well in the adaptation, I don't see enough bad factors to ruin the overall experience of the anime, but I still think the studio could have done better with the anime.

6/10















Pleasure

Overall, I liked the anime, it's engaging enough to make you stick with the original proposed narrative. In addition to the narrative, the characters are, for the most part, memorable and interesting for the overall experience.

The story and characters are really specific to this "Ranger heroes vs. villains" kind of animation idea.Very reminiscent of Power Rangers, but with a different plot and unique characters from a series that involve twists and play opposite roles of common villains and heroes.

In general, it's a good anime, and it's underrated enough for many people, thinking it's a copy of Power Rangers, though it is something new and engaging even if it uses similar parameters.

7/10















I recommend this anime to anyone looking for something unique, exciting, and engaging. Even though it is about heroes and villains, this anime is not boring due to the plot developed in the course of the anime. Give it a chance and give yourself completely to something original and underestimated by some but that may surprise you in the way it develops everything that is proposed to the viewer, you won't regret it. ^~^


|| Final grade/average rating in the review: 7.5/10 ||

TLDR: Lost of potential but dumb

This show has a lot going for it. Funny characters, comical story lines, good animation and voice acting but the story and characters are just dumb. The show starts off with the weekly staged power ranger vs doomed monsters. Why? Who knows?! You being to feel sorry for the monsters and they go out of their way to make the power rangers seem evil. They give some flash backs on select characters but ultimately it really never justified why they are doing what they are doing. Our MC goes from likeable to stupid every episode. The world mechanics are inconsistent. ... There is dissention in the ranks of the power rangers. Nothing makes sense. The best you can do is squeeze off a few laughs and move on.