Ken doesn't win because he's the strongest pilot; he wins because he refuses to stop fighting after everyone else has given up a reason to care. Red Baron is a 90s sports anime that treats robot combat like boxing, every match is about the person inside the machine, not the machine itself. The rivalry with Kaizer isn't about whose robot is faster; it's about two kids from opposite worlds proving something to themselves that has nothing to do with trophies. You watch a teenager learn that losing teaches you more than winning ever could. The animation budget shows its age in places, but the heart in every cockpit scene is bulletproof.
In the future, Metal Fight games, where robots battle one another, are the most popular televised sport in the world, and many contestants compete to be named the best Metal Fighter anywhere. Kurenai Ken pilots the Super Robot Fighter Red Baron alongside teammate Saeba Shoko, who resists at first, and enters the contest hoping to become its champion. Standing in his way is an army of rivals from around the globe, among them Kaizer, the doctors of the Tetsumen Tou, Tiger and ShinRon. The 49-episode mecha and science fiction TV series is a remake of the 1973 live-action show Super Robot Red Baron.
