Go! Go! Loser Ranger! Vol. 1
Author: Negi Haruba
Illustrator: Negi Haruba
Publishers: Kodansha Comics
Age Group: Teen
Genre: Shonen/ Action
Type: Manga
Content Warnings: jackrabbit asshattery
Spoilers ahead
Plot
Who is the hero…and who is the villain?
When the Monster Army invaded Earth thirteen years ago, the Divine Dragon Rangers rose up to stop them! With the war raging on, these great heroes are mankind’s last hope!
…Or are they?
In truth, the invaders were subjugated within a year, forced to continue to crank out a monster a week for the Rangers to crush in front of their adoring fans@ But one monster has had enough. Something has to change! He’ll rebel against the might of the Dragon Rangers and destroy them all…from the inside!
Character Development
Fighter D is a rank-and-file member of the fighters known as “Dusters.” A high-minded monster who has yet to give up on world domination. He manages to infiltrate the Ranger Force on his own. While he can mimic humans, he’s often found out. Though, that doesn’t stop him. Even though he’s considered weaker (and told such by humans all the time) he never gives up. He refuses to stay a slave for the amusement of humanity. One surprising fact is that Fighter D is innovative. We see this when he’s ‘blown away’ by the Rangers while trying to steal Red Ranger’s Divine Artifact. I won’t spoil it, but that’s one of my favorite parts. It shows that he might just be able to pull this off.
Yumeko Suzukiri is a Ranger for the Yellow Squadron who wants to take down the Ranger Force as well. She’s sadistic and ambitious. She offs Fighter D a lot (good thing he’s immortal). Her goal is to take the Divine Artifacts from the Rangers and cause their destruction. Beyond that, she’s good at hiding her true feelings (though some Rangers get weird vibes from her).
Hibiki Sakurama is a “colorless” ranger who believes in justice. He thinks the rangers aren’t doing their best and wants to restructure it from the inside. He’s a classic paladin-type. Fighter D sometimes uses his look when doing various things inside the Ranger Force.
All the Divine Dragon Rangers are what you’d expect for villains. They’re full of themselves but can back it up with power even without using the real Divine Artifacts. They think that monsters are a joke that have to submit to them over and over. They also hide the secret from the general public that the war is actually over and has been for 12 years.
World-building
This world seems contemporary. Every Sunday there is a showdown that’s televised for the entire populace. The Divine Dragon Rangers against the monsters. They even have sponsor messages before the scripted fight. There’s a bit of battling before they’re blasted away (with fake Divine Artifacts) and end up back in their fortress to reconstruct and regenerate.
We learn the Rangers are more than just the Divine Dragon Rangers. They’re looking for recruits. Their operations have expanded to aid the police and help the community. Each Divine Dragon Ranger has their own squadron positioned throughout the city.
Themes
Peace can only last so long when you’re subjugated.
While peace may seem like a good thing, it’s always a double-edged sword. Slavery/subjugation/etc are never a good thing. Creating a truce and then turning it into a debacle for entertainment is one of the worst ways to enjoy peace. Is it any wonder that the reader roots for Fighter D to succeed?
Observations & Predictions
At first, this series starts campy because we are thrown into the chaos before the fight. Think of watching an MMA match. After the first forty pages are the scripted fight but wait… Fighter D stands on his own vowing to defeat them.
After that fight, it begins to get really good. Fighter D mimics a human and decides to join the Ranger Force. Everything seems to be going well until Suzukiri shows her true colors. Now he’s in for it.
Where we leave off in the series, Fighter D seems to be dead from Green Ranger’s real Divine Artifact. Or is he? Suzukiri thinks that Figher D is dead. I’m sure she’ll be surprised when he isn’t.
Figher D is going to have a lot of character growth. He’s been told over and over that he’s weak and should just give up. I’m looking forward to how he improves his mimicry so he’s not immediately found out by anybody. I’m also looking forward to this odd duo relationship between Fighter D and Suzukiri as they plot to steal all the artifacts.
Another thing to look at is how Sakurama will fit into these plans. Will he end up joining their side or go vigilante?
I like where this series is headed. After all, who doesn't like an underdog and to prove others wrong? I’ll be picking up the second volume and maybe even consider adding it to my own library.
Recommendations
Part Time Job is “Evil Organization”?! By: Kerubimu
Love After World Domination By: Hiroshi NODA
8 Man (warning, this is a bit of an older title so may be hard to find) By: Jiro Kawata
