Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger

***Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger*** (非公認戦隊アキバレンジャー, ****Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger**** translated as **Unofficial Squadron Akibaranger**) is being named the "unofficial installment" of the Super Sentai series. Its theme is based on the Akihabara (AKA "Electric Town") section of Tokyo, Japan. The series started airing in April 6, 2012, but unlike the usual Super Sentai series it will be airing on Tokyo MX and BS Asahi. Another notable difference from usual Super Sentai is that this series is geared towards teenagers and Otaku, while the normal series is geared towards young children and families. Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Season 2 started airing on April 6, 2013.

## Plot

> "*A tiny paradise amongst a sea of skyscrapers: Akihabara. There we find three warriors who believe pain is power and who fight battles that exist entirely in their heads. They are...Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger!*"
> ― Hiroyo Hakase[source]
>
>

Akibaranger tells the story of three people being part of an otaku club and living in the new "Electric-Town" Akihabara. They have to fight a mysterious malevolent entity that swore to conquer Earth with cool gadgets created by a brilliant genius. However, the Akibarangers' ultimate goal is to become an "official" sentai team.

The Akibaranger's secret base/hideout is a "Sentai Cafe," a Super Sentai version of the popular maid cafes in Japan.

## Production

The official website lists several tokusatsu and anime veterans, including director Ryuta Tazaki (Kamen Rider), director/character designer Keiichi Satou (Tiger & Bunny), writer Naruhisa Arakawa (Kamen Rider Kuuga), and composer Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell).

## Characters

 File:Fullteam.jpg
 File:Akibarangerteam.png
 File:New-Akibarangers.jpg
### Akibarangers

*Main Article: Akibarangers*

Takuma Tsuzuki

### Allies

* Hiroyo Hakase File:Akibaranger SSB.jpg
* Sayaka Honiden
* Kozukozu Mita
* Ikura
* Aoi Ichikawa (of the show "Nijiyome Academy Z-Cune Aoi")
* Kazuo Niibori (guest)
* Tazuko

### Blatantly Evil Marketing Firm B/Delusion Empire

* Doctor Z
* ©Na
* Delu-Knight
* Shatieeks
* Chief Clerks
	+ Shibuya Seitakaawadachisouhidenagaaburamushi (1)
	+ Shibuyakouzorinahigenagaaburamushi (2)
	+ Kabukichōmesugurohyoumonchou (3, 5)
	+ Monzennakachōhashibirokō (4)
	+ Shimokitazawahoya (6)
	+ Yoyogisujibokehashirigumo (7)
	+ Tsukishimaalpaca (8)
	+ Asakusaalpaca (9)
* Drill Cyclops (11)

### Ludicrous Power

* Ludicrous Cannon◆◆◆
	+ Deka Wappa ◆◆
	+ Bouken Scooper ◆
	+ Jet Winger ◆
* Episode 14
	+ Go-On Flag
	+ Shinken Brush
	+ Gosei Microphone

## Mecha

* **Machine Itasha**: The team's car and robo.

## Episodes

1. **Ep. 1: Lameness is Power**
2. **Ep. 2: Lame Spirits Return! Call Forth a Crimson Full Blast of Delusion!**
3. **Ep. 3: Lame! Drunken Hero Adventure!**
4. **Ep. 4: Forbidden Delusion! The Lame Blue Corruption!**
5. **Ep. 5: Laaaaaame! ☆ Yellow Mama**
6. **Ep. 6: Soar, Master! A Lame Trap at the Delusional Studio!**
7. **Ep. 7: Race Deludedly, Itashar! Break Your Limits!**
8. **Ep. 8: Bonds of Lame Training! A Fork in the Road to Official-ness!**
9. **Ep. 9: Lame Sentai Disbands**
10. **Ep. 10: The Bitter Curse of Z ― A New Chapter Begins**
11. **Ep. 11: The Replacement is Cool, Not Lame**
12. **Ep. 12: Lame-ale: Farewell, Deluded Sentai**
13. **Ep. 13: Recap! It's Okay to Not be Lame!**
14. **Akibaranger Episode 14** (stageshow)

## Web radio series

Starting on July 6, Animate.tv will broadcast ***Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger Official Web Radio (Temporary)*** (非公認戦隊アキバレンジャー公認ＷＥＢラジオ（仮）, *Hikōnin Sentai Akibarenjā Kōnin Uebu Rajio (Kari)*). The bi-weekly web radio series will feature the voices of the TV series cast, as well as special guests in every show.

## Treasure of the Maid Empire hoax

 File:Fake Akibaranger Movie.png
At Tamashii Nation 2012, the Akibaranger booth were showing multiple posters and advanced ticket gifts for the fake movie, *Akibaranger the Movie: Treasure of the Maid Empire*.

The Akibaranger staff decided to take a joke from twitter to the next level by making it seem like a movie was being released. Even going as far as making posters, fake tickets and the limited edition ticket gift, AkibaRed Special Color version as pictured below.

## Gallery

*Main article: Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger/Gallery*
## Cast

* Nobuo Akagi: Masato Wada (和田 正人, *Wada Masato*)
* Mitsuki Aoyagi: Kyoko Hinami (日南 響子, *Hinami Kyōko*) (season 1)
* Luna Iwashimizu: Shione Sawada (澤田 汐音, *Sawada Shione*) (season 2)
* Yumeria Moegi: Karin Ogino (荻野 可鈴, *Ogino Karin*)
* Hiroyo Hakase, Aoi Ichikawa (voice): Maaya Uchida (内田 真礼, *Uchida Maaya*)
* Kozukozu Mita: Kozue Aikawa (愛川 こずえ, *Aikawa Kozue*, of Danceroid)
* ©Na: Honoka (穂花, *Honoka*)
* Sayaka Honiden: Miiko Morita (森田 美位子, *Morita Miiko*)
* Tatsuko: Yuki Ueda (植田ゆう希, *Ueda Yuki*)
* Ikura: Ikura (いとくとら, *Ikura*, of Danceroid)
* Doctor Z: Kazuki Yao (矢尾 一樹, *Yao Kazuki*)
* Shibuyaseitakaawadachisouhidenagaaburamushi, Shibuyakozorinahigenagaaburamushi (Voice): Kenji Hamada (浜田 賢二, *Hamada Kenji*)
* Kabukichōmesugurohyomoncho (Voice): Hikaru Midorikawa (緑川 光, *Midorikawa Hikaru*)
* Monzennakachōhashibirokō (Voice): Takaya Kuroda (黒田 崇矢, *Kuroda Takaya*)
* Shimokitazawahoya (Voice): Taiki Matsuno (松野 太紀, *Matsuno Taiki*)
* Yoyogisujibokehashirigumo (Voice): Issei Futamata (二又 一成, *Futamata Issei*)
* Tsukishimaalpaca, Asakusaalpaca (Voice): Tomokazu Seki (関 智一, *Seki Tomokazu*)
* Delu-Knight (Voice): Hiroaki Hirata (平田 広明, *Hirata Hiroaki*)
* General Tsu: Ryo Horikawa (堀川 りょう, *Horikawa Ryō*) (season 2)

### Guest stars

* Himself, Deka Red (Banban "Ban" Akaza): Ryuji Sainei (載寧 龍二, *Sainei Ryūji*, 2)
* Bouken Red (Satoru Akashi, Voice): Mitsuomi Takahashi (高橋 光臣, *Takahashi Mitsuomi*, 3, 11)
* Masako Yamada: Rica Matsumoto (松本 梨香, *Matsumoto Rika*)
* Himself: Kazuo Niibori (新堀 和男, *Niibori Kazuo*)
* Producer Tsukada (Voice): Yasuhiro Takato (高戸 靖広, *Takato Yasuhiro*, 8, 9)
* Haruko Momoi (桃井 はるこ, *Momoi Haruko*, 9)
* Yukio Yamagata (山形 ユキオ, *Yamagata Yukio*, 9)
* Mio Usagi: Julia Nagano (長野 じゅりあ, *Nagano Juria*, 12)

### Suit actors

* AkibaRed: Sanshiro Wada (和田 三四郎, *Wada Sanshirō*)
* AkibaBlue: Haruka Oshima (大島 遥, *Ōshima Haruka*)
* AkibaYellow: Fusayo Fujita (藤田 房代, *Fujita Fusayo*)
* AkibaRed (Takuma): Masaki Onishi (大西 雅樹, *Ōnishi Masaki*)
* AkibaYellow (Masako): Kaori Ichijo (一条 かおり, *Ichijō Kaori*)
* Chief Clerk: Tomohiko Akiyama (秋山 智彦, *Akiyama Tomohiko*)
* Past Sentai Warrior: Hiroshi Maeda (前田 浩, *Maeda Hiroshi*)

## Staff

* Character design: Keiichi Sato (さとう けいいち, *Satō Keiichi*)

## Theme songs

Opening theme
* "Hikounin Sentai Akibaranger" (非公認戦隊アキバレンジャー, *Hikōnin Sentai Akibarenjā*)
	+ Lyrics & Composition: Haruko Momoi
	+ Arrangement: Hiroaki Kagoshima
	+ Artist: Haruko Momoi feat. Yukio Yamagata

Ending theme
* "Ashita wa Akiba no Kaze ga Fuku" (明日はアキバの風が吹く, *"Ashita wa Akiba no Kaze ga Fuku"* "Akiba's Wind Will Blow Tomorrow")
	+ Lyrics: Mike Sugiyama
	+ Composition: EFY
	+ Arrangement: Makoto Miyazaki
	+ Artist: Nobuo Akagi (Masato Wada)
* Machine Itasshaa!

## Notes

* This is the first unofficial Sentai Series.
* The previews for series in the website showcase cartoon silhouettes, similar to when Sailor LunaFile:Icon-crosswiki.png was first previewed for the live action version of *Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon*.
	+ Ironically, the overal tradition of previewing new heroes via silhouettes would later be refered to be Nobuo Akagi as a technique known as Area Fill 80 percent, in episode 12 of *Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger: Season Two*.
* The series logo is based on that of *Himitsu Sentai Gorenger*.
* Even though this is an unofficial series, it is the first Sentai series in which both the Blue and Yellow Ranger are females.
	+ This is also the first season in which there are more female rangers than there are male rangers.
		- Nobuo actually points out those two irregularities in the first episode.
* This is the first Sentai series to have three kanji preceding the "sentai" kanji, as opposed to the usual one or two, which would later have an official successor in the 39th entry of the Super Sentai Series, *Shuriken Sentai Ninninger*.
* The helmets having "sculpted hair" as opposed to more traditional rounded helmets is similar to the helmets used in *Battle Fever J*; in particular, the helmet of Battle Japan.
* This is the first Sentai parody series meant for mature audiences.
* This is the first Sentai to have a female Blue Ranger with a normal blue suit since *Choujuu Sentai Liveman'*s Blue Dolphin.
* The first season of *Akibaranger* was broadcast concurrent with *Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters*, as well as *Kamen Rider FourzeFile:Icon-crosswiki.png*.
* Nobuo refers to the team as "the 37th" Super Sentai. When Hiroyo Hakase points out they are **unofficial**, he makes it his goal to make the Akibarangers to be recognized as the 37th Super Sentai. Next year, however, with Season Two airing concurrent with the official 37th Sentai Series, the Akibarangers' goal is changed to fixing the history of *Super Sentai* series which is being constantly tampered with.
* Akibaranger is the first Sentai series since *Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan* to feature only three rangers. Though Akibaranger had two replacements for rangers, technically bringing it up to five while Sun Vulcan replaced one ranger, bringing them up to four.
* This is currently shorter than any of the official Sentai series, with only 13 episodes. However, a second season has been announced.
* This is the first Sentai series to break the fourth wall as a plot point.
* The series was originally intended to be a *Gokaiger* spin-off called Kaizoku-ban Sentai Gokaiger (Pirate Copy Sentai Gokaiger).
* This is the first Sentai series to have a second season.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.tokunation.com/showthread.php?s=6b766f4db83c9d5afbad52fbf1c5bb0f&t=28881
2. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEDC79F33828B989C Official episode titles confirmed.
3. ↑ http://orendsrange.blogspot.com/2012/06/akibaranger-official-radio-temp.html
4. ↑ http://henshinjustice.com/2012/11/07/akibaranger-the-movie/
5. ↑ http://rrrotoku.com/2012/08/13/akibaranger-web-radio-temp-episode-3-summary/4/