The manga “Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” by Negi Haruba is being made into an anime. This manga cleverly reimagines the classic “Power Rangers” franchise in a more serious way. Rather than being a lighthearted kids’ show, as usual, it explores darker themes underlying the sentai genre.
Specifically, the villainous space aliens deviate from the normal script where the Power Rangers always win. Instead, they do the shocking and unthinkable to defeat the Rangers.
This subverts viewer expectations and casts the franchise in a new dramatic light compared to the typically formulaic battles.
By adapting this critically praised manga that puts a mature spin on Power Rangers, the upcoming anime promises to provide a fresh take for fans.
It aims to appeal to older viewers seeking more complex stories beyond the traditional good versus evil dynamics.
The New Anime is Essentially the Dark Power Rangers Every ’90s Kid Wished For
This anime adaptation of the manga “Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” will be highly appealing for Power Rangers and Super Sentai genre fans.
As seen in the first teaser trailer and source material, it takes the classic premise of teenagers gaining superpowers to fight evil aliens. However, it puts a fresh dark twist on the story that subverts expectations.
Rather than the usual lighthearted good-always-triumphs tale, the tone here is brooding and pessimistic. The “Loser Rangers” end up defeated and fail to save the world, going against the typical formula.
This aligns with what many hardcore fans have wanted for years – a grim, gritty take on the genre with flawed heroes.
The popularity of the evil Lord Drakkon character in Power Rangers reinforces viewers’ interest in these dark “what if” scenarios.
By delivering exactly that with a doomed team of Rangers, this anime promises to thrill and captivate its target audience.
Director Keiichi Sato is well-suited to adapt the manga in a compelling way for both casual and diehard Super Sentai devotees.
The anime “Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” explores the Power Rangers story from three unique angles.
First is an alien Foot Soldier named D who is fed up with always losing to the Rangers. He infiltrates their ranks seeking to sabotage them and finally achieve victory.
Second is Yumeko Suzukiri, a disgruntled minor Ranger who has grown to resent how the Ranger Corps operates.
Driven by bitterness over perceived mistreatment, she hatches a plan to take down the organization from within.
Finally, there is Hibiki Sakurama, an idealistic Ranger who longs to restore the core values and noble spirit of the original legendary Ranger teams.
He feels these qualities have been lost as the current Corps has strayed from its roots over time. Hibiki strives to live up to the Ranger legacy of his heroes of the past.
By approaching the well-worn Power Rangers concept through these three dissenting perspectives, the anime promises a fresh take exposing the flaws and fractures behind the scenes of the mighty Ranger facade.
The anime “Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” clearly signals with its title that it will deconstruct the classic Power Rangers franchise. However, it manages to do this in a clever, lighthearted way without outright ridiculing the source material.
The story stands on its own merits as an interesting, engaging plot. Yet it also affectionately ribs some of the well-worn tropes hardcore fans have critiqued over the years.
This allows viewers unfamiliar with Power Rangers to follow along while throwing in some winking inside references just for devotees.
Rather than harsh mockery, the approach comes across more as a respectful satire of the campiness and repetitive formulas fans know all too well.
It acknowledges the franchise’s flaws while retaining an element of fun and homage. The “loser” angle provides enough self-awareness and meta-commentary on Power Rangers conventions to amuse rather than alienate.
So this anime promises the best of both worlds – a strong original story carrying its own weight, with a bonus layer lightly skewering and pushing the boundaries of Ranger lore for those in the know.
The title may say “losers” but it all appears to be in good fun rather than meanspirited potshots.
If you want to taste the story before the anime adaptation, you can read the first two chapters of the manga series without paying anything on the official site of Kodansha, but you will have to pay for the rest of the series. If you are looking for more such content, you can have a look at the “news” section of out site.
