Ep. 6: Soar, Master! A Lame Trap at the Delusional Studio!

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger, Episode 6

## Episode Guide

**Soar, Master! A Lame Trap at the Delusional Studio!** (はばたけ大御所！妄想撮影所の痛い罠, *Habatake Ōgosho! Mōsō Satsueijo no Itai Wana*) is the sixth episode of **Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger**.

## Synopsis

As a delivery boy from SPD (Sasaki Ponpoko Delivery), Nobuo takes the job to deliver something for the studio director at Toei in Tokyo. For him, this is the Holy Grail for any Sentai fan. Thinking that they might learn to finally make the Akibaranger an official team, he took Mitsuki along.

After delivering the package, they suddenly saw an actual TV shooting and meets the legendary stunt and suit actor Kazuo Niibori. Fascinated by his sword play, Mitsuki applies as an apprentice.

## Plot

 File:Kazuo Niibori.PNG
At Café Himitsukichi, Akagi shows Hiroyo a package that he has to deliver to Toei's Tokyo studio, with Mitsuki tagging along the trip. On their way, they help Sayaka, who broke the heel of one of her shoes on her way back to her office. Meanwhile, Yumeria walks around town to find more ideas when she spots two men buying tickets to an idol show from a scalper, who reveals himself as the Chief Clerk Shimokitazawa Hoya. He magically pastes the tickets to his victim's foreheads to teleport them to the theatre district of Shimokitazawa. The Akibarangers engage Shimokitazawa in a small theater stage, where he and Malseena defeat them using invisible barriers, hidden mines and shadow tactics. Frustrated by the loss, Mitsuki ponders on going home, but Akagi encourages her to stick around with him in the trip so she will learn the true meaning of battle. After delivering the package at the studio, Akagi and Mitsuki sneak into TV Production Department 2, which houses all of the props and scenery used in Super Sentai episodes. There, they spot Kazuo Niibori, the "legendary hyper suit actor" who has donned the suits of 14 Super Sentai red warriors in his career. Infatuated by Niibori's kendo skill, Mitsuki approaches him to seek advice on improving herself as an Akibaranger. For the rest of the day, Niibori and his crew give her a crash course in action scenes, including having her wear a blindfold to simulate wearing a Super Sentai helmet in combat and making her aware of the camera's location. But when she receives a phone call from Hiroyo, she and Akagi enter the delusion to aid Akiba Yellow in battling Shimokitazawa once again. The Akibarangers turn the tables on Shimokitazawa and Malseena by becoming the film crew and luring the evil duo into an elementary school stage filled with unruly children. As Malseena hides in a locker, Shimokitazawa winds up in a small city ruins stage, where the Akibarangers continue to torment him when Red Hawk suddenly appears from the sky to attack the Chief Clerk. The Akibarangers throw Shimokitazawa into different stages until he reaches a warehouse fight scene where Akiba Blue uses everything she learned from Niibori on her attacks. Despite the Chief Clerk taking out the spotlight, she uses the blindfold technique to defeat him in darkness. Shimokitazawa attempts to flee back to his home district, but Red Hawk transforms into the Inordinate Power of the Jet Winger, giving Akiba Red the ability to fly and destroy the Chief Clerk once and for all. Meanwhile, with the children gone, Malseena exits the locker and spots a drawing of Hiroyo on the wall; upon taking it, a dimensional portal opens, and she walks through it. Back in the real world, Akagi, Mitsuki, and Yumeria meet up with Mitsuki vowing to make the Akibarangers an official Sentai when they suddenly encounter Malseena in front of them. She swears to meet them again before giving her usual hand gesture to signal her Shatieeks, only to just hail a taxicab and head for Kameari. The trio attempt to chase after her when they are stopped by Akagi's boss Tazuko, who whacks Akagi with her clipboard for taking a delivery not assigned to him.

## Cast

* Nobuo Akagi: Masato Wada (和田 正人, *Wada Masato*)
* Mitsuki Aoyagi: Kyoko Hinami (日南 響子, *Hinami Kyōko*)
* Yumeria Moegi: Karin Ogino (荻野 可鈴, *Ogino Karin*)
* Hiroyo Hakase: Maaya Uchida (内田 真礼, *Uchida Maaya*)
* Kozkoz Mita: Kozue Aikawa (愛川 こずえ, *Aikawa Kozue*)
* ©Na: Honoka (穂花, *Honoka*)
* Himself: Kazuo Niibori

## Tropes and References

 File:HSA-Shatieek Kuroko.png
* Yumeria is making Hakase and Kozkoz act out a scene from *Jetman* episode 5, *Fall for Me*, with Kozkoz as Gai Yuki (Black Condor) and Hakase as Grey.
	+ The casino scene is closer to Jetman's episode 39, *Spin, Roulette of Life*
* At the Toei studios, Nobuo spots the Greek Pillars used for fantasy settings in Sentai.
* He also finds a building from Episode 6 of *Gekiranger*, when GekiTohja fought Moriya, the Gecko Fist practitioner of the Five Venom Fists.
* Nobuo finds the Oomori Hill, where Ayase (TimeBlue) fell down in the rain in *Timeranger* episode 39.
* Upon discovering Kazuo Niibori, Nobuo explains to Mitsuki that up to Red Hawk, he was the suit actor for every Sentai Red for thirteen years (referring to the period from Battle Japan to Red Hawk), making him known as "the legendary hyper suit actor". He sought perfection in both action and acting, to bring a sense of intensity and realism to the show's martial arts.
	+ The only Red he did not play in this period was as the second VulEagle, Takayuki Hiba; he was performed by future Sentai Legend Jyunichi Haruta. He also played Akarenger in-suit for the first 66 episodes of Gorenger before being replaced by another future Sentai Legend: Kenji Ohba. JAKQ's Space Ace is the only other Red Ranger before *Zyuranger's* TyrannoRanger to have at no point been played by Kazuo (Space Ace was alternated between Yoshinori Okamoto and Jyunichi Haruta).
* During Mitsuki's training, Niibori explains that once the helmet is on, it is very hard to see.
* The Shatieeks in this episode wear Kuroko costumes appropriate with the theatrical theme and Shimokitazawahoya's powers.
* Outside Toei Delusional Studio, a set of mecha is seen on the background. Among of them were Jet Garuda from *Jetman*, King Pyramider from *Ohranger*, GrandLiner from *GoGoFive*, DaiVoyager from *Boukenger* and SaiDaiOh from *Gekiranger*.
* In his roll call, Akiba Red says he liked Niibori best as Red Hawk.
* The battle between the Akibaranger and Shimokitazawahoya refers to multiple "movie fights" in Sentai, including the movie studio battle from episode 8 of *Denziman* and a certain gangster incident used by Shun Namiki against Neo-Bat Nezire in episode 10 of *Megaranger*

## Songs

* *Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger* (opening)
* *Gekisou Sentai Carranger*
* *Juken Sentai Gekiranger*
* *JIKU ~Mirai Sentai Timeranger~*
* *Choujin Sentai Jetman*
* *Ashita wa Akiba no Kaze ga Fuku* (ending)

## DVD/Blu-ray releases

*Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger* Volume 2 features episodes 4-6: *Ep. 4: Forbidden Delusion! The Lame Blue Corruption!*, *Ep. 5: Laaaaaame! ☆ Yellow Mama*, and *Ep. 6: Soar, Master! A Lame Trap at the Delusional Studio!*.

Akibaranger DVD Vol 2.jpg*Akibaranger* Volume 2, DVD coverAkibaranger Blu-ray Vol 2.jpg*Akibaranger* Volume 2, Blu-ray cover