I love ridiculous anime, and the latest isekai series, The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World, fits the bill and then some. It manages this feat by combining two popular genres: the tokusatsu-inspired Super Sentai (known to Western audiences through Power Rangers) and the isekai (transported to another world) narrative, into a surprisingly entertaining, if not silly, package.
The premise is simple and also a bit crazy: Tougo Asagaki, the Red Ranger of the Adhesive Squadron Kizuna Five, sacrifices himself in a final battle against the evil “Relationship Enders’ Break-Up King,” only to be transported to a typical fantasy world of magic, monsters, and adventure. But unlike the trope of most isekai protagonists gaining new powers through some random deity, Tougo retains his Sentai abilities, making him a curious anomaly in this new realm.
If you grew up watching Power Rangers like me, you’ll appreciate how faithfully the anime captures the essence of Super Sentai. From the exaggerated transformations and explosions for no apparent reason to the team dynamics and mecha battles, the opening sequence feels like an animated version of a live-action tokusatsu show. While the out-of-costume characters look like any other anime you could find on Crunchyroll, Tougo’s Red Ranger suit, which evokes classic Sentai aesthetics while maintaining its own identity, shines as something particularly fantastic.
“Its self-awareness makes The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World really charming, taking it from a simple parody to something more.”
The series is clever in using the concept to poke fun at classic tropes, which we all know and love. When Tougo transforms, the show highlights the absurdity of the genre’s conventions – particularly the explosions that accompany transformations. There’s a scene where Yidhra Arvoln, the archmage who becomes Tougo’s sidekick, almost gets blown up when he transforms to protect her, and it’s like the show is almost breaking the fourth wall with how over-the-top it is. Its self-awareness makes The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World really charming, taking it from a simple parody to something more.
While The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World is a bit crazy at times, there’s an emotional core that keeps things moving and makes it possible to care about the characters. Yidhra, one of the main characters, and her relationship with Tougo are at the heart of the series. Having lived her whole life as someone who lives and breathes magic, she’s initially not convinced about Tougo’s abilities. But as their relationship grows, she becomes fascinated by his strange powers and eventually offers to help him find a way back to his world. Their relationship avoids a lot of the typical isekai problems, with Yidhra treating Tougo with respect despite his oddities.
The comedy in Red Ranger is hit-or-miss, to be honest. Most of the humour comes from Tougo’s tokusatsu-style abilities and Yidhra’s confused reactions. It can get a bit repetitive, but the show’s commitment to the bit is endearing. It’s not that the show gets old quickly, but it does have one major trick up its sleeve, and it pulls it out consistently. It does poke fun at both genres well, and with both concepts well known in popular culture, there’s plenty of material to touch on. Thankfully, the writers keep finding ways to use the ideas in fun and increasingly silly ways.
The animation is fine, but it’s not quite on the same level as some of the best series out there, like Jujutsu Kaisen or Dandadan. However, I have to say, SATELIGHT did a decent job of bringing the Super Sentai look to life, especially in the action scenes. The mecha designs are pretty special, too — they’re distinctive enough to stand on their own while clearly drawing inspiration from their live-action counterparts.
Look, I know Red Ranger is a bit of a stretch, and it doesn’t really get into how the world works. It is very much a joke concept that keeps going for the length of the season. Like, how does Tougo actually summon all his team’s mecha to this new world? It’s not really clear, and it often feels like it’s just a convenient power that could mess up the drama.
Then there’s the whole thing with Tougo’s original team. We don’t really get to understand their relationship with him, and it makes you wonder if they actually cared about him or if they were just happy for him to sacrifice himself. And how is his old team working without such a key member and all the equipment he seems to still have?
Despite these issues, The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World is a winner. It’s a love letter to Super Sentai, along with a much-needed injection of new ideas into the isekai genre. It has a great balance of action, comedy and heart, making it a great intro to the genre for tokusatsu fans and newcomers alike. It’s really silly and doesn’t make much sense, but I still love it.
You can currently stream The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World on Crunchyroll, and it’s definitely worth adding to your watchlist if you’re after something that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still offers a fun world and an intriguing premise. It might not be the ultimate anime, but it definitely has its own unique thing going on in a pretty competitive field.
