The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World – Episode 1

Content Warning: Fan service

What’s it about? During a brutal battle with a giant villain the “Red Ranger” named Asagaki Togo sacrifices himself so that his teammates can finish the job only to discover that he’s been transported to another world.  Resolved to not fall into despair, the beloved Red Ranger is determined to fight evil in any universe that needs his help.

FINALLY! An original concept for an isekai worth talking about! Sure, there’s plenty of negatives, but at least let me enjoy the positives before I focus on the things that annoyed me during this premiere.  The very idea of a Red Ranger being sent to another world is hella interesting and it was funny seeing how other characters reacted to his ridiculous powers.  Everything about his existence is loud and colorful, which is everything the “Red Ranger” is known for as the leader of his team.  It’s only natural that no one understands how the mechanics of his powers work, since it goes against the rules of magic of their world.  

I appreciate that the animation for all of his scenes are very detailed and it’s clear the animators wanted to honor the eccentricity often seen in the tokusatsu genre.  That said, I can’t pretend I’m well-versed in that particular genre since I’ve always found it to be extremely corny.  Despite my ignorance, I can tell that none of the jokes come from a place of malice and there seems to be genuine love for sentai and tokusatsu throughout the entire premiere.  Unfortunately, the isekai elements feel so bland in comparison and it just further highlights how bad the glut has become. The entire premiere feels like a critique and by throwing in a power ranger, it’s trying to bring back some much needed spark to the genre.  

I’m not sure if Togo’s bright personality can carry the rest of the show, but it’s nice having such a lively person as a protagonist since he doesn’t have to go through a journey of figuring out his own strength.  It’s clear that this show is trying to do something unique combining both genres, but any attempts to be something different was thwarted the moment it sexualized the only woman character.  The emphasis on Yihdra’s chest and lack of clothing made me mentally check out of the premiere early, even though the series tried to establish her own motivations.  In a different show, perhaps Yihdra’s story about how her family lost power could’ve been interesting, instead of being treated as nothing more than fan service.  

Honestly, I’m just grateful there’s an attempt for some originality and while I don’t think it’ll be the surprise breakout of the season, I’m happy there’s a heartbeat here.  Because of the fan service, I truly can’t recommend it, but if anything about a Red Ranger running around in a fantasy world is appealing to our readers then perhaps it’s worth checking out.