Tamashii Nations Plans to Release Zyuranger / Power Rangers Figuarts Next Year

That's right, it appears that Tamashii Nations will be fulfilling the wishes of countless Sentai fans next year by releasing a series of S.H. Figuarts for the popular Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger series.

"Tamashii Nations met with Saban Brands during San Diego Comic Con 2012 to lay plans down to make SDCC 2013 the Year of the Power Rangers Fan! If you were wondering why S.H. Figuarts has not tackled Zyuranger yet… this is why. They want to make the release of ZyuRanger a big one next year for Mighty Morphin Power Ranger fans and are even working out the details of how to hook us up with a couple Comic Con Exclusives.

There was a distinct lack of Power Ranger, Super Sentai, and Kamen Riders on display this year at SDCC as they wanted to focus more on their new anime and video game figure releases coming down the pipe. Next year, expect the tokusatsu display to return in force as well as announcements for more S.H. Figuarts from Power Ranger seasons that the fandom knows very well. Keep an eye on Tamashii Nation’s Facebook Page for upcoming details and polls that will allow the fans to help choose which Power Ranger season might get the next S.H. Figuart treatment."


So now fans of both Zyuranger and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers will get the chance to add some fantastic figures to their collection. Personally I can't wait for them to come out, and I get the feeling my wallet is going to hate me by the time they are all released!

So how do you feel about this news, and which Super Sentai series would you like to see recieve the Figuarts treatment?


*Credit to Henshin Justice for the info*

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger to be Adapted For New Power Rangers Series

In what could be described as good news (or perhaps bad), at a recent Comic-Con panel it has been confirmed that Power Rangers will be using footage from Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger for an upcoming series.

We were already aware that after Power Rangers Samurai, the next Power Rangers series would be called Megaforce and would take footage from the 34th Sentai series - Tensou Sentai Goseiger. Now it has been confirmed that after the intial run of Megaforce, there will be a sequel named Super Megaforce in 2014, and this will be using footage from Gokaiger.

At this point it's unknown if they will treat it as something in its' own right or if it will just be a powerup like the transition from the Zyuranger powers to Dairanger was in Mighty Morphin.

What I can say is that depending on how they do it, this could be a very nice way of celebrating the legacy of the Power Rangers franchise, while also doing justice to the fantastic Sentai series itself. Of course they could make a mess of it as they did with Shinkenger/Samurai, but for now I am trying to remain optimistic.

But what do you think of this news? Will Super Megaforce be one of the best Power Rangers series yet, or will it turn out to be an insult to the Sentai series it came from?




*Credit to JEFusion for the info*

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Episode 13 - Performance Review! If It Doesn't Hurt, Then That's All Right! - Review / Thoughts

So here we have it, the very last episode of Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger. For those unaware, episode 13 is a recap episode, so it's by no means necessary to watch this if you're short of time or just don't feel like revisiting the series so soon.

It is pretty good though, and far better than I thought it would be. While it shows bits of every episode, we have commentary over them from the 3 Akibarangers and Hakase themselves. They obviously remain in character throughout, and there are plenty of laughs to be had from their comments alone.

Also, since they are watching things on the DVD sent to them by the series producer, they get to see themselves during things such as their henshin sequence, and also see in to each others' delusions that was impossible for them in the series itself.

Basically the "plot" of this episode (if it can be called that) is that the producer of Akibaranger has sent them a DVD of all they have done, and tells them that if they ever want a season 2, then they should watch the DVD as a performance review. At the end Akagi however realises that they fell for the same trick again, and that this wasn't a performance review at all, but was just a cheap recap episode to fill in Akibaranger's last slot with the TV station.

Then at the end the last minute or so is actually pretty awesome, and has Akagi and the others urging all the fans to pester Toei and buy loads of the merchandise so that they will consider making another Akibaranger series. It's actually pretty hilarious, plus I thought it was pretty damn cool seeing the 3 of them in their suits but without the helmets on.

Despite this being a recap episode, I really enjoyed it in all honesty. It was still really enjoyable, due in part no doubt to the brilliant - and frequently hilarious - commentary from Akagi, Yumeria and Mitsuki. This episode did a good job of hitting home just how great the Akibaranger series is/was, and how much I am going to miss it now it's gone.

I am really hoping that Akibaranger gets another series, or at least a movie or something. It's a fantastic series, and it would feel like such a shame to just let it end so suddenly. All I can really say is that this has been one heck of an awesome ride, and my only complaint is that the series had to come to an end.

If you haven't seen this series, I highly recommend you give it a watch. You don't need to like Super Sentai to enjoy it, it has more than enough humour to keep anyone entertained, and it very rarely fails to do that.

So yes, this pretty much concludes the series and this review, and I am sure there will be plenty of people like me keeping our fingers crossed for some new Akibaranger announcement in future, so until then, just remember to always try and be as deluded as Akagi and things will be fine!

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Episode 12 - Most Painful Times: Goodbye Delusion Sentai - Review / Thoughts

So here it is, the very last proper episode of Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger. Unfortunately after only 12 episodes the series has come to an end, but thankfully, at least the series has gone out with a bang.

 I'll be honest, this was actually the third time I have seen this episode. I watched it raw in a stream, then I watched it raw again a few days later (from Over-Time), and now the third time of course with subtitles. It was a pretty awesome episode, though I don't think watching it 3 different times in under a week is necessary!

But yeah, luckily Akibaranger has gone out with a bang. The episode is spent with the Akibarangers trying to avoid triggering the ending flag, but without a lot of luck. Their ideas were funny, and seeing Akagi especially trying to resist falling in to one of them along the way was hilarious. He would have probably given in when the Itasha transformed in to a giant robot (apparently the same size as official Sentai mecha), only for Yumeria and Mitsuki to hold him back and remind him that winning the battle with it could spell the end for them.

It was also pretty funny seeing Yumeria tell Kozkoz that she loved her (in an effort to try and create plot twists that couldn't be resolved quickly, so the show could continue), and then Kozkoz confesses her love for Yumeria and pulls her in for a hug.

The ideas they come up with are pretty hilarious as I said, and the trend of the characters all being self aware continued of course. Unfortunately, at the end they were taken by surprise at the show's creator appearing and covering the screen with his hand (while they were busy trying to destroy the characters which said the show was over, actually working along with Malshina to do so).

I do definitely think there is hope for some more Akibaranger down the line, and I would certainly welcome more of it in future. There will be an episode 13, but it will just be a review/recap episode unfortunately. This episode and the series as a whole though was fantastic, as it consistently delivered in both humour and characters.

Seeing the various tropes played out and the odd adventures of 3 Otaku from Akihabara was certainly fun, and so let's hope that one day the 3 shall return in their quest to never be taken off the air!

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Episode 11 - The Next Generation Heralds a Pain-Free, Down to Earth Warrior - Review / Thoughts

Apologies for such a late review of Akibaranger episode 11, unfortunately the subs came out very late this week and this is the first chance I have had to get it watched and reviewed. More importantly however is what the episode was actually like, and I can confirm that it was worth the wait.

This episode was just brilliant from start to finish, in typical Akibaranger fashion it dealt with all the problems at hand in no time, and was also damn funny in doing so. In this episode the fourth wall was completely shattered, and it was hilarious. Seeing Akagi grabbing the writing near the end of the episode for example was unexpected but fantastic.

And not that there is anything wrong with Akagi's replacement, but I was delighted to see him back and as crazy as always, It was classic watching as he tried to explain to everyone else that he thought they are all trapped in a TV show named Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger, and that some powerful force was manipulating everything in both their world and the one outside of it.

Basically as I said, pretty much constant fourth wall breaking which was brilliant, and very very funny. I honestly can't fault this episode, it had everything that makes me love the series in it, and has made me so damn sad thinking that there is only one more episode left of this amazing series. Definitely be sure to go and watch this episode, and then go and watch it again while you wait for the next one to come out (hopefully within the next few days) so you don't suffer any withdrawal symptoms!

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Episode 10 - The Painfully Unofficial Curse of 2 And a New Beginning - Review / Thoughts

I am happy to say that this week we got Akibaranger nice and early, and also good of course is the fact episode 10 was another good one for the series.

I do think it's a shame if they go through with it and replace Akagi as Akiba Red, but judging by the way the Akibarangers have been tricked before, it wouldn't surprise me if this "call from the Pentagon" ended up just being Malshina putting on a fake voice again.

As for the new Akiba Red, I thought it was a pretty awesome touch letting him be played by the twin brother of Geki Blue (of course from Gekiranger) - Shinpei Takagi. Of course they also used this as a way to get a laugh by making them initially think it was Geki Blue because of looking the same.

I can also see Malshina soon turning her back on her father. He is treating her worse and worse, and now with his new creation - Delu-Knight - things aren't looking too good for their relationship. Speaking of whom, he seems to be way out of the Akibarangers league at the moment, so barring some miracle or new power, I don't see how he is going to be defeated.

I also liked (going back to Takagi/Takuma) that he is related to Hiroyo. It was a genuine surprise and was pretty cool, plus he does seem like a pretty good addition for the last few episodes in the series.

Overall this was another good episode, albeit just a bit worse than the previous one. However, in fairness, this was more of an episode for setting things up, so even that can be forgiven. Akibaranger continues to be an enjoyable show, and even before the series ends, I would definitely recommend it whether you love Sentai or are just an Otaku who can appreciate all the nods to the tropes of the fandoms.

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Episode 9 - The Pain Sentai, Disbanded - Review / Thoughts

Apologies for the late review of Akibaranger episode 9, I wanted to have this up a couple of days back but unfortunately couldn't due to time restraints. In any case, I am happy to say that this episode was very good, and seems to have regained the quality that has been missing in recent times.

Although the latter half of this episode was played seriously, at least to begin with it was a bit more lighthearted as after the Akibarangers had their Moe Moe Z-Cunes taken away, they briefly returned to being just regular people. There were certainly a couple of amusing moments during this time, and Akagi dressing up to try and look like Akibared was funny and awesome at the same time.

The second half got more serious, and to be perfectly honest, more epic. Despite my comments of late saying that the non serious parts were always the best, this episode has made me think again. It was seriously such an awesome moment when Akagi saw Sayaka in trouble, and then through sheer willpower (or should that be delusional power?) forced himself to transform in the real world to save her, despite it supposedly not being possible.

We also finally found out the true identity of the guy hanging around with Malshina, although I am sure 95% of people already knew who he would be anyway. It's certainly going to be very interesting in these last few episodes to see how things turn out now that things are no longer stuck only in the Grand Delusion, but instead have an impact on the real world.

This episode was really good though, it had the right mix between humour and seriousness, and the transforming scene I spoke of was just pure epicness, it could seriously have come straight out of one of the official Sentai series, and made Akagi come across as a true hero for the first time.

Pretty much all my complaints about the recent few episodes were addressed here, and as such I went back to really enjoying this one. I am really going to miss the series when it ends in all honesty, it is frequently very good and so fun to watch, I can't believe it's nearly over now!

However, with that said, Akibaranger has had a mostly great run, and hopefully judging by this episode the series will go out with a bang. And, who knows, maybe they will even become official by the end!