Fighter D and co. show that they had a plan all along and the boss monster’s rampage continues. Read more in our Loser Ranger episode 8 review.
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The Loser Ranger episode 8 review
It looks like I’ll have to retract my thoughts regarding Fighter D’s team and how they performed in the previous Loser Ranger episode. It’s revealed at the beginning of this week’s episode that Ranmaru tampered with the exam bell and made it ring earlier than intended to fool Urabe and Yukino into thinking they won. After Yamato takes the key back, a short chase ensues before the actual bell rings, with the yellow key now belonging to Team D.
After celebrating their success, they manage to recruit a fifth member, Shippo, to their side and Ranmaru points out that D isn’t the real Sakurama. After D threatens to kill Ranmaru if he tells anyone, the latter wonders if the alien has the guts to go through with it before telling “Sakurama” to join the team later. Yamato later explains that because of Ranmaru tampering with the exam bell, he should join the Yellow Keeper’s squadron because of his skill with technology.
After Ranmaru thanks D for helping him realize what role he should play as a Ranger, the short cadet finds Aizome, the junior first-rank Blue Keeper. She was being pursued by Lord Peltrola in an earlier scene and is still being hunted when Ranmaru finds the two, along with XX at the boss monster’s side.
He manages to save Aizome by sending her away in an elevator, though he’s quickly defeated by Lord Peltrola, who leaves because he’s taken too much damage and needs to recover, and puts XX on “clean-up duty.” Meanwhile, the other junior first-rank Keepers catch wind of Peltrola’s rampage and decide to begin hunting him, but decide not to inform the cadets as Hisui says this hunt is “top-secret information.”
The final day of the Ranger exam arrives and in a brief flashback, Usukubo explains that Ranmaru discovered a new mode for their Dragon Gadgets called burst form to D. This mode ignores energy efficiency and siphons said energy into a large laser blade for short-term combat.
All members of D’s team use this mode right off the bat in their battle with Shion’s team. With burst mode, “Sakurama” manages to keep Shion on the back foot and eventually says that Shion’s brother wasn’t murdered by a boss monster. This enrages Shion and he mentions that he also plans on getting revenge on the Ranger Force because the Dragon Keepers didn’t believe him either and the Red Keeper called his brother unfit to be a Ranger.
After another attack from D and in his anger, Shion conveniently activates burst mode for his weapon by repeatedly beating it against a piece of debris. The episode is left on a cliffhanger as Shion and D resume their battle, now on even footing.
Ranmaru and Peltrola
What I like about this episode of Loser Ranger is its immediate reveal regarding why the yellow key was so easily stolen by Urabe and Yukino in the last episode. It shows that D’s team isn’t as stupid as they had me believe last week and is a great way of showing Ranmaru’s talent. The same goes for discovering burst mode and giving his team an edge during the final exam day.
Speaking of whom, the guy’s also got some guts since he asked if D was capable of killing him and knowing the alien wouldn’t be able to do it. This isn’t the only instance where he displays his bravery as he manages to send Aizome away from Peltrola and though he’s beaten with one attack by the boss monster, he still gets points for trying.
Though it still isn’t explained why he won’t rat out D (either he doesn’t want to be killed, truly sees him as a comrade, or both), Ranmaru thanks him for showing what role he should play. He decides to become his own hero and no longer sees Urabe, his childhood friend, as his hero. This episode’s biggest strength is making Ranmaru more likable and it succeeds thanks to scenes where he’s present.
However, it isn’t explained how he recovered in time for the final exam day after being hurt by Peltrola, though this may be XX in disguise. As for the other Fighter, she doesn’t do much here and instead follows the boss monster around as he goes on his rampage and “saves” people by killing them. Early on, he manages to kill a Blue Ranger by blowing their head clean off their shoulder by firing a laser beam at them. It’s a brutal moment and there’s a decent shower of blood that erupts from her neck, though I do wish there was a little more of the red stuff.
Peltrola also manages to make the Aizome a little interesting by revealing that despite her appearance, she’s not a young girl and has been “living a life of constant immense pleasure in a position of responsibility.” He also claims that she’s some great evil that creates conflict. I have no clue as to what the holy monster is talking about, but I am intrigued to find out more about Aizome and what exactly she’s guilty of.
She doesn’t just keel over and die, however, as Aizome instead uses her replica Divine Artifact to shoot Peltrola with a large water laser attack to counter the boss monster’s own laser attack, resulting in a huge explosion. It ultimately ends up burning off two of his wings and proves that she’s still a threat despite her appearance. Peltrola also manages to carry both of the scenes he’s in thanks to his sinister voice, the power he displays, and his mission to “save” people. He’s by far the most fascinating monster of the series, not that there was much competition in that area.
The rest of the cast
As for the other characters in this week’s Loser Ranger episode, there’s not much to say except for Shion and D. The other junior first-rank Keepers not sharing with the cadets that Peltrola is on the loose doesn’t make much sense. For one, the aforementioned explosion was loud and should’ve been heard by plenty of people in the White Dragon hideout, so why aren’t more people rushing out, wondering what caused it and possibly discovering the boss monster attack?
It’s also stupid because there isn’t any good reason for the juniors to keep their hunt a secret. Why not inform people to avoid casualties to the Ranger Force? Suzukiri even points out that having an exam while a boss monster is roaming the hideout is a bad idea, yet Hisui says info on the boss monster in the base is top secret. The four juniors first-ranks still decide to go and look for Peltrola and I’m wondering if they (minus Suzukiri) are the real morons here.
The cadets don’t do much besides fight in this installment. Shippou is a fun addition because he’s a bit like All Might from My Hero Academia. He’s got a frail form when Team D meets him, but once they tell him he won’t be fighting the powerful junior first-rank Pink Keeper, he immediately bulks up and starts working out. It’s an amusing moment and his upbeat personality and enthusiastic line delivery from his voice actor help to make him a bit likable, even though he doesn’t do that much.
Soujirou from Shion’s team tries to persuade Yamato to join their team and give their key to them, but Yamato refuses, saying that he and his team worked to get it. Besides showing that Soujirou is willing to do whatever it takes to become a Ranger and that Yamato is loyal to his team, that’s about it. Besides keeping one of Shion’s teammates away during the chase at the beginning, Usukubo doesn’t do anything of value this week.
The final fight scene between Fighter D and Shion is one-sided, but still entertaining as D goes nuts attacking him, causing destruction and laughing while doing so as he relishes his new power. The highlight is when D swings at the ground and causes the two to fall through the floor before putting his blade close to Shion’s face and demanding his key.
We also get a better understanding of how deep Shion’s desire for revenge runs since the Red Keeper mocked his dead brother and didn’t believe his claims of a boss monster killing him. It shows how much his brother meant to him and why he wanted to become a Ranger so badly: he also wants revenge on the Ranger organization for not believing him. Shion doesn’t do anything meaningful until the end, sadly.
Loser Ranger episode 8 is carried by Ranmaru and Peltrola and aside from the fights at the beginning and ending of this episode, the rest of it isn’t enjoyable if those two characters aren’t around. I am looking forward to how D and Shion’s battle plays out in episode 9.
Final score: 6/10
Go! Go! Loser Ranger! can now be streamed through Disney Plus and Hulu.
