The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World

Episodes 1-2

Episodes 1 and 2 of The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World are a bombastic opener for what should be a fun ride this season.

So, folks, this is not my first isekai rodeo. I've seen a fair few of them at this point, most of them being middling to not great with only a few I'd say I enjoyed consistently. I tend to be critical of these shows from the get-go. In part, that's because a lot of them feel like shovelware and are produced like shovelware, but it often goes beyond that. I find that there is often not enough novelty in the premise, the power fantasy is too overt, or the series seems reluctant to explore deeper themes with the opportunities given.

Of course, now I am faced with a moral quandary because with The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World we have a series that appeals to my specific tastes. A series about a red Sentai ranger going to another world and meeting a cynical sorceress with a simply massive pair of magical reserves? Surely, to embrace such an isekai uncritically would mean giving up all credibility and engaging in the highest form of hypocrisy.

Too bad I'm doing it.

I had a lot of fun with this one. The premise and comedy speak to my tastes and sensibilities (i.e., that of a Tokusatsu Sicko), and it's an enjoyable watch. Togo is a pretty standard modern red ranger, and much like the heroes he is based on, his optimism is infectious. The show also leans into cynical observational humor with Yidhra being a literal sorceress but still confounded by Togo's posing, the random explosions, and why he behaves the way he does. It's low-hanging fruit in terms of humor, but it works, largely because her reactions are literally what happens when I try to show tokusatsu to normal people (i.e. non-believers). The animation is a bit stiff during some of the fully suited sequences, but I think the Kizuna suit designs (which remind me of a mix of Gekiranger and Gokaiger personally) are interesting enough that, combined with the comedy beats, it's easy to overlook. On the plus side, the fight sequences in the fantasy world are well done, as are Togo's henshin hand motion sequences. Plus the fourth-wall-breaking bits like cutaways/balloons getting flicked out of frame are worth a few good laughs.

The second episode also helps continue the above fun while injecting just enough emotional heft to make it resonate. The gags like Yihdra looking up Togo's stats only to see completely separate entries for punching and kicking, or things like the mecha being too large for the dungeon/cave to operate are great stuff. At the same time, it also gives lots of opportunities to do what I consider to be the most important thing: evangelizing tokusatsu to the anime masses. Because we get things like Togo's stats page being formatted like a tokusatsu promotional card, toy commercial bits before the ad breaks, and more. The emotional angle of the giant Victory cannon also helps emphasize that. This stuff is all silly and over the top, but it means you can tell stories about friendship and overcoming issues with one another in an explicit and - dare I say it - relevant manner. The foes appear to be cackling ice witches and monstrous skeletal minotaur beasties, but the real enemies are selfishness, a lack of empathy, and our human failings. Being able to laugh at the absurdity while still feeling something in your spirit at the resonant truth that underpins it all - that's tokusatsu, baby.

I'm genuinely excited to see where we go from here. There's a lot to enjoy and I'm (mostly) sure that's not just my bias talking.

Rating Episode 1: 4
Rating Episode 2: 4.5