Sentai heroes are what children watch every Sunday morning with sparkling eyes. A beautiful structure of poetic justice where the good guys defeat evil. But what if that “justice” were a manufactured facade? Haruba Negi-sensei's new frontier, “Sentai Dai Shikkaku”, is a provocative work that fundamentally overturns the common sense of the sentai genre. Known for “The Quintessential Quintuplets”, what he depicts next is the story of “losers,” not heroes. This is a drama of rebellion, fueled by the frustration and pride of those forced to stand on the side of evil.

The story is set in “Amanogawa City.” Here, the battle between “the Divine Dragon Rangers” and “the Monster Army” has continued for 13 years...... but astonishingly, the entire conflict is a “rigged fight.” The invading Monster Army had surrendered to the Dragon Keepers in just one year, and since then, they have been relegated to merely “performing defeat” in front of the public. In other words, the battle the world believed in was a complete farce. The sight of a great sentai organization, bearing the banner of justice, continually exploiting evil for entertainment is chilling, as if one is looking at a microcosm of society.

In the midst of this, the protagonist is “Fighter D.” A low-ranking Duster with no name questions the unreasonable domination and finally decides to infiltrate the great sentai and launch a revolt. The sight of this “nameless foot soldier” fighting to punch a hole in the colossal hero system is incredibly intense. The story, narrated from his perspective, evokes a realistic feeling as if the reader has become a footsoldier themselves, making it impossible to stop turning the pages. You might even feel a pang in your chest for their figures, who are not merely “villains” but stand up to seek dignity.

At the heart of this work is the question, “Who are heroes for?” The great sentai should be an absolute symbol of justice, yet their justice is orchestrated. Conversely, there is the irony that the monsters, who have been forced into constant defeat, are attempting to embody “righteousness” in its true sense. This contrast is truly skillful and shakes the reader's values as they read. Haruba Negi-sensei's signature deep exploration of human drama, coupled with an entertaining style, shines through, elevating the work far beyond a mere parody into a story that questions “justice in the modern era.”

Sentai Dai Shikkaku is a work that both suggests new possibilities for the sentai genre and acts as a mirror that exposes the “lies” hidden in society and daily life. This structure, which overturns the conventional “reason to fight,” will be especially shocking to those familiar with the sentai hero genre. Most appealing of all, the characters are all depicted as “beings you feel you've seen somewhere, yet are certainly different from yourself.” After reading, you will surely want to reconsider the question, “What is justice?”