Episode 6 of “The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World” expands on the overarching conflict with serviceable, but less-than stellar antagonists. New discoveries are made about the world, and Togo and Yihdra’s relationship takes a step forward.
SPOILER WARNING for Episodes 1 and 6. Rated 14+ for Nudity, Sexualized Imagery, and Violence.
To Tokusatsu or Not to Tokusatsu, That is The Question
For me, the biggest selling point of this anime is its fantasy-vs-tokusatsu theme. To those unaware, tokusatsu is a genre of Japanese television known for practical effects, colorful costumes, dynamic posing, and super power moves. Examples include Power Rangers and Kamen Rider. So far, the show has done a good job highlighting tropes from this genre, like explosions and giant robots. Episode 6 takes some time to explore the fantasy side of the story and the characters therein.
Mana Steel in the Streets, Bond Energy in the Sheets
One interesting development I appreciated was the connection between mana steel and Togo’s equipment. Viewers will remember in episode 1, when Yihdra hired Togo to gather mana steel so she could study it. In episode 6, she inadvertently uses its power to transport Togo into her bathtub. This leads them both to speculate that the mana steel has similar properties to Bond Energy, the primordial source of power that connects all things, from Togo’s home world. The fact that Bond Energy can be found in this fantasy setting was a surprising detail and gets me excited for more.
A Royal Rivalry
Episode 6 also introduced Teltina’s older brother, First Prince Dariel. He wants to work with Shau’ha to weaponize the mana seeds and take over the neighboring countries to establish an empire. Teltina, however, wants to neutralize the seeds to prevent the return of the Demon Queen. The conflict between Teltina and her older brother Dariel was well-done and sets up the main driving force behind the story. That being said, both Dariel and Shau’ha come across as one-note villains. Shau’ha constantly belittles Yihdra’s goals for seemingly no reason, and Dariel’s cocky attitude and brutish design aren’t very compelling. As characters with a more prominent presence in the story, a little more nuance would do wonders.
Overall, this episode does a good job with world-building and character exploration. It demonstrates that with some better developed villains, the story can stand on its own without relying on the tokusatsu genre.
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