Level E — Episode 5

Level E is an amazing underhyped show. It’s Men in Black with Japanese comedy and self parody. You have to wonder why it took them 15 years to adapt the original into anime.

The first three episodes of Level E do a good job of concealing its true nature. But don’t be misled; finish the third episode and be amazed. Episode four follows up with a complete wtf turnabout with a thoughtful twist and episode five is just pure parody gold.

Now this may all seem incredibly vague, but it’s hard to talk about Level E without spoiling the surprise that makes it great. In fact, I can’t really think of how to review it.

Instead I’ll just talk about episode 5. If my vague praises have already sold you on the series, then stop reading now and go watch it yourself.

In episode 5, the main character, an alien prince from the planet Dogura, is bored and decides to kidnap five school kids to turn them into sentai heroes to fight against their alien homeroom teacher, who is secretly an intergalactic assassin.

Unlike the 2-bit protagonists in most sentai stories, these kids are unwilling (except for the dorky one) to fight for what appears to be a pervert dressed in tights, but reluctantly agree because the prince threatens to hold them hostage.

The helpful instruction manual

The prince dubs them “Colour Change Rangers”. Their transformation devices (which are really toys bought on the intergalactic equivalent of the Home Shopping Network) grant them minuscule powers like lighting a small fire.

They have to wear their silly costumes in order to “level up” and gain better powers, while the prince gets to speak directly into their minds through the devices and annoy them endlessly with his self-composed Colour Change Rangers theme song.

Really, what if Zordon were just a bored alien prince who wanted to make some human kids dress up in silly costumes and shout embarrassing slogans? Epic trolling.

Even alien assassins have dreams

Come to think of it, Level E itself is one huge troll.