Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Figuarts Available to Preorder Now!

That's right! Some good news for fans of the new Sentai series Akibaranger - You can now preorder all 3 Akibarangers made by Figuarts!

As you probably know, this isn't the first Sentai figures Figuarts have produced. They also made ones for Shinkenger and Gokaiger, and the quality is brilliant. I got really excited when I saw these, and definitely hope to get them myself in the very near future.


If you're interested in getting them, then I advise you get your order in soon. AmiAmi have already stopped taking preorders for them, though luckily CDJapan still have them available for preorder up until the 15th of May (according to their site).

These figures look amazing, and I definitely recommend you get your order in asap before they all sell out and you are left at the mercy of eBay sellers or auction sites who charge extortionate amounts for them.


*Preorder figures at CDJapan now:  Akibared , Akibayellow , Akibablue *

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Episode 3 - The Pain! Drunken Superhero Adventure! - Review / Thoughts

So as we move on to week 3 (and episode 3) of Akibaranger, it's good to see things still going along so well. As well as just being genuinely amusing, I am sure it will also be of interest to Sentai fans also for the brief cameo appearances from some of the official Sentai members of the past.

While last week's episode was also pretty awesome, after seeing this episode I will say it's the weakest of the 3 so far shown, but that really just goes to show the quality of the series so far, as I have had plenty of laughs from all 3 episodes. But yes, more about this actual episode now haha.

This episode was pretty damn crazy and odd I have to admit. The monster of the week was obsessed with trying to basically rape poor Akagi, and throughout the episode it was also all about Akagi and Moegi getting drunk on Sake so that they would be more deluded which would increase their powers for their fights.

It was pretty funny seeing them all drunk like that, and to begin with it does actually work in Akagi's favour and he even makes Boukenred appear dressed oddly for his first delusion. Later when they are in a delusion fighting the monster, where Moegi is also drunk, it apparently interferes with the delusion and that's why her fantasies were being projected in to the battle (ie; why the monster is being so dominant and of course trying to force himself on to Akagi).

Obviously the monster doesn't actually rape Akagi haha, he is luckily saved by Aoyagi a few times throughout the episode (since she was the only one of the 3 not to get drunk since she's underage). We still have no idea how or why Akagi is able to get official Sentai members to appear in his delusions, though since they are delusions it makes sense since he is obviously a big Sentai fanboy.

But yes, the episode was very funny throughout yet again. Akagi is still my favourite character, but Moegi is really good too. Whenever she uses her deep voice it's hilarious, and I really like her costume changes as well. Aoyama is ok too, she's my least favourite of the Akibarangers, but then again she is supposed to be the more serious and sensible member, so it makes sense that she isn't OTT like the other two members.

Akibaranger does a really good job of making you laugh, and I can definitely picture a fair few people who will not only like, but also will sympathise with Akagi who has big dreams but at the same time has absolutely no luck in achieving them. Akibaranger is supposed to be about the comedy aspects while also being much more risque with the material shown (hence the repeated warning for good boys and girls not to watch it), and it does a brilliant job of blending the two without ever becoming annoying or overly silly.

It's only 3 episodes in, but I have thoroughly enjoyed Akibaranger thus far, and is definitely one of the highlights of the week as far as TV shows go.

The Making of Super Hero Taisen Video Released

As the title says, someone has uploaded a behind the scenes filming video from the new Sentai film - Super Hero Taisen.





*You can also preorder the official CD single of the film - Jounetsu ~ We Are Brothers - Here , or for the special edition CD+DVD combo *

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Episode 2 - The Activation of a Bizarrely Decorated Vehicle Summons a Full Blast of Red Delusion - Review / Thoughts

As those of you who read my previous review will know, I had a lot of praise and good things to say about episode 1 of Akibaranger, and while not quite as enjoyable as that, episode 2 was still a lot of fun.

This episode focuses a lot on Akagi (aka Akibared), who, when he finds out that they are not really Sentai heroes but are really just having delusions of fighting the villains etc, decides that it's a waste of time and that he doesn't want to do it anymore.

Despite Akagi walking away, Moegi and Mizuki continue to be Akibarangers, as Mizuki thinks it's a good way of practicing her martial art skills even if it is fake, while Moegi just agrees to keep doing it because she thinks it's really fun. Later, they both take on the newest villain created to cause trouble, this time by using his powers to remove other people's clothes. Despite their best efforts however, they both take a beating from the monster, despite him triggering his flag that would usually be the sign he was about to lose.

They realise that they need Akagi back, and so the doctor decides to get someone to dress as one of his heroes - Dekared - to convince him. Akagi is moping about and is just about to throw his morpher in to a river, when all of a sudden he notices Dekared across the street from him. Akagi follows him, and eventually, after taking a drop kick from the guy to "bring him back to his senses" like Dekared actually did to his real partner in the Dekaranger series, Akagi decides that he will continue to be Akibared afterall after being inspired by the actions of a former red Sentai hero like Dekared.

We also get to see the new mecha for the Akibarangers in this episode, which is a car with some Aoi-Tan decals on it. The car looks pretty awesome, and it of course transforms in to a robot much like the official Sentai teams would. However, they don't get to use it because it runs away from them as soon as they get near the enemy as apparently "they aren't deluded enough yet". The Akibarangers end up taking on the monster anyway, but even with Akibared now involved are having a tough time of it. Luckily for them though, Dekared appears and helps them defeat the monster.

The only thing is, the person who pretended to be Dekared earlier was still in the cafe, so it wasn't him or anyone they actually knew for it to be a setup, so the doctor is naturally wondering just what on earth happened and what is real and what isn't now after seeing Dekared appear from nowhere like that.

This was another fun episode, albeit not quite as much as the first episode. Moegi (Akiba Yellow) always makes me laugh with the way she adds "nya" on to loads of words, and when the cat ears fell off and she started talking in the deep voice it was hilarious.

Akagi is definitely my favourite character at the moment though, his fanboy ways and reactions are always awesome and often hilarious, and so it's always good when he's on screen. I don't know what's going to end up happening with all the delusion stuff, as it does seem pretty silly for none of it to be real, but at the same time that's kind of what the show is aiming for, so it would definitely fit with it.

While there weren't as many laughs as the first episode, by normal standards this was pretty hilarious and it was a really fun way to spend 24 minutes or so. Judging from the next episode preview that looks like it has the potential to be really funny too, so Akibaranger overall has so far definitely delivered when it comes to the comedy aspect it's trying to get across all the time.

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Episode 1 – Pain is Power – Review / Thoughts

For this post as you can see, I am reviewing the first episode of the new Super Sentai series – Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger.

I have actually been looking forward to this for a while now, pretty much ever since I saw a short 30 second clip a month or two back someone showed me. For those unaware, Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger (translated as Unofficial Squadron Akibaranger) is the latest in the long line of Super Sentai shows. However, as the name suggests, Akibaranger isn’t considered a true Sentai series, so it is not technically classed as what would have been the 37th series.


But yes, after waiting a long time for this to come out (and again having to wait for the good folks over at Over-Time to sub it), Akibaranger is finally here, and I can say that it was awesome. This unofficial Sentai series is focused around the 3 new heroes, dubbed Akibarangers, with Akibared (Akagi Nobuo) in particular being an Otaku. Akagi loves Super Sentai, and at the same time loves the Anime character Aoi-Tan.  The picture at the top is one example of this, where Akagi is initially excited when he notices a rare Sentai mecha for sale in a shop window. Despite the ridiculous price, he goes in to purchase it, only to see his beloved Aoi-Tan at the front of the store as part of an advertisement for her new movie coming out. In the end, Akagi resists buying the Sentai merchandise and apologises to them, and then, well, you can see the quote above haha.

Anyway, this first episode unsurprisingly is about him and two other people becoming super heroes by gaining the Akibaranger powers. The episode is hilarious from start to finish, and I think whether you’re an Otaku yourself, or indeed just a huge Sentai fan, you will love it too. Super Sentai obviously doesn’t make much sense and has numerous tropes, and it’s hilarious seeing super fan Akagi telling his two fellow Akibarangers all about them as the episode progresses. An example being at the end when they defeat the monster by using their blasters, but when the other two Akibarangers are about to walk away, Akagi tells them that it’s not over yet, as it’s a rule in Sentai that whenever you first defeat a monster, they have to come back in giant form so you can battle them in your mecha.

It’s all very funny and I really like the way this series pokes fun at itself and the other Sentai series, with Akagi himself doing a great job of pulling it off while remaining likeable. The other two Akibarangers are Mizuki Aoyagi (Akiba Blue) and Yumeria Moegi (Akiba Yellow). While they have at least some knowledge of the old Sentai teams, they certainly don’t have the same enthusiasm for it as Akagi does, and it’s pretty amusing watching him telling them about the old teams and trying to get them to strike poses and act like a regular Sentai team would.

There are plenty of hilarious moments throughout, and as I said, for both Otaku and Sentai fans there is definitely a lot here to like and to keep you happy. I still don’t really feel as if I have scratched the surface on this, but it truly is best you just watch for yourself so that you can enjoy and appreciate it for yourself, as words can’t really describe why it’s so great, it’s something each individual needs to experience for themselves.

Overall I think this was a brilliant start to Akibaranger, full of hilarious moments and never afraid to make fun of itself. If the rest of the series keeps to this standard, it truly will be a must watch series.