[Meeting…] Animal Soldiers

Do you remember that I told you that the Rogues Were they Flash's enemies who were only interested in stealing and not in killing their archenemy? Well, the group that I am going to present today is the complete opposite, since they are bloodthirsty murderers who intend to eliminate once and for all the only thing that stands between them and world domination: Sunred, the warrior of the Sun.

These dangerous characters belong to the evil Florsheim organization, which has headquarters throughout Japan and an unlimited arsenal of monsters. And before anyone thinks that I have made a mistake with the photo that heads this article or that I am inventing the story of those little characters that appear in it, I should clarify some points.

Stuffed Animals

Yes, the Animal Soldiers are stuffed animals, hence their appearance. However, the fact that they are small, cute, soft and cuddly does not change the fact that they belong to an evil organization that wants to dominate the world and that they are determined to kill the hero Sunred.

Although... well, in reality the evil organization Florsheim is made up of monsters who, despite wanting to dominate the world, are extremely kind to people, help look for lost animals, recycle garbage, go to neighborhood meetings, exchange recipes with housewives and like to go to karaoke to spend their free time.

However, that doesn't change anything that their motivation in life is world domination (oddly enough) and eliminating Sunred, with the Animal Soldiers being the most determined to accomplish the latter task.

For example, only the Animal Soldiers would come up with the macabre and cruel idea of cut off the water in the hero's house in the middle of summer so that he dies of thirst and thus defeats him without having to fight. They are ruthless and determined!

Or so they believe, since in practice the Animal Soldiers' plans end up being as childish and useless as the appearance of their members seems to indicate. Precisely the appearance of its members is usually a double-edged sword, since it prevents anyone from taking them seriously, but it also saves them from receiving retaliation for their crazy plans, since they are so adorable that no one wants to hurt them (even if they don't want to admit it).

Or almost no one, since the Animal Soldiers have two natural enemies, on the one hand the aforementioned Sunred and on the other... small children. Originally, Animal Soldiers were created as stuffed monsters to kidnap children and use them as hostages, which is why these monsters cannot hurt children. However, in practice, that rule only causes the meanest kids in the neighborhood to abuse them every time they see them, since Animal Soldiers can't defend themselves. Where are the heroes when you need them?

Introducing the team

Let's stop talking and get to know the monsters that make up this trio, which is actually a quartet:

Usakotsu (Usacots): This plush rabbit with a bionic eye and angel wings is the leader of the Animal Soldiers. In addition to being able to fly and being armed with very sharp claws, Usakotsu has an iron will and is always thinking of plans to destroy Sunred, whom he deeply hates. Although it is also true that part of that hatred is due to the fact that Sunred's girlfriend (Kayoko) always treats Usakotsu very well, so he has developed a platonic love for her.

In addition to leading the Animal Soldiers, Usakotsu also actively collaborates with the other monsters of Florsheim, whom she considers great friends and role models (although they also sometimes laugh at her adorable appearance).

Devil Neko (Devil Cat): It is a cat with a metal part on its head from which spikes can emerge to increase its (already) enormous potential, as long as its blood pressure is not too high, or it gives it a low blood sugar or dizziness.

And Devil Neko has delicate health and is quite a hypochondriac, as he always believes he is sick with something, which is why he usually carries a fanny pack with his medication, since leaving the house without it could be lethal for this poor cat, as demonstrated in some gags in the series.

Modified P-Chan: A robotic bird obsessed with upgrading itself to be as efficient as possible. These updates make P-Chan one of the most dangerous and versatile monsters in Florsheim, since he can fly into space, fire atomic weapons and turn into liquid metal as if he were T-1000 (the villain of Terminator II). In addition to his combat skills, P-Chan is really useful for daily life, as it can serve as a radio, as a GPS, as a speaker, and as a projector to watch movies, among many other things.

P-Chan does not seem to be aware of his tremendous potential, which is why it will be the other members of this team who have to prevent him from going too far in his efforts to destroy Sunred and ending up destroying the world.

Hellwolf: It is a stuffed wolf that has the peculiarity of becoming a very powerful monster when there is a full moon. Unfortunately, anything that covers the moon (even a thin cloud) will cause the transformation to be canceled or left halfway, making this ability something extremely random and difficult to take advantage of.

Despite being an active member of the group, Hellwolf likes to spend time alone, which is why he does not always act together with the rest of the team. Another peculiarity of this wolf is that it has serious problems communicating, since it only knows how to say names and the phrases “Che Matare” (I will kill you) and “Che Quero” (I love you).

There is another character that can be considered an Animal Soldier, it is Mukiebi (the peeled shrimp monster) who He tried to join the group to become famous. However, his critical and annoying nature prevented him from obtaining the desired popularity and the rest of the members did not even want him in the group, but they also did not know how to say no when he tried to join it, since Mukiebi bribed them with sweets (one of the few weak points of these fearsome monsters!).

Conclusion and Recommendations

Within the series Tentai Senshi Sunred, the best characters are the Florsheim monsters, but it is undeniable that the Animal Soldiers shine with their own light thanks to Usakotsu's elaborate and brilliant plans and the enormous difficulties they encounter due to their charming appearance and small stature.

If you liked Animal Soldiers and want to see them in action, I recommend that you look for the manga and the animated series of Tentai Senshi Sunred (also known as Astro Fighter Sunred). You won't regret it!