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Toei's 2nd, 3rd Live-Action Akibaranger Teasers Streamed
posted on by Egan Loo
Bandai began streaming the second and third promotional videos for Toei's live-action Hikōnin Sentai Akibaranger (Unofficial Sentai Akihabara Rangers) television series between last week and Tuesday.
The second half-minute video introduces Hiroyo Hakase (played by Maaya Uchida) — the manager of the "Sentai Café Secret Base" and the genius behind Akibaranger's gear — and Marushiina (Honoka). Marushiina is in charge of the redevelopment department of a stealth marketing corporation bent on getting rid of the otaku culture in Tokyo's Akihabara district.
In the third video, Banban Akaza/Deka Red (Ryuuji Sainei) of the "official" Toei Super Sentai series Tokusō Sentai Dekaranger is asked what he think of Akibaranger, and he replies, "I've been taking pride in being a hero … so … I kind of don't like heroes being treated like a joke…."
The story of the new series revolves around three "losers" who make up the titular team: Nobuo Akagi/Akiba Red (played by Masato Wada), Mitsuki Aoyagi/Akiba Blue (Kyōko Hinami), and Yumeria Moegi/Akiba Yellow (Karin Ogino). The trio live in Akihabara's Electric Town among other otaku. When they learn that a malevolent corporation plans to redevelop their neighborhood, they become warriors to wipe out evil — with the help of super gear created by a beautiful and brilliant genius.
The staff of Akibaranger boasts several live-action special-effects (tokusatsu) and anime veterans, such as director Ryuta Tazaki (Kamen Rider), director/character designer Keiichi Satou (Karas, Tiger & Bunny), writer Naruhisa Arakawa (Kamen Rider Kuuga, Spice and Wolf, Steel Angel Kurumi), and composer Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell, Death Note, Eden of the East).
Despite being a formal Toei production, Akibaranger has "Unofficial" in its title to separate it from the "official" Super Sentai titles such as Dekaranger and this year's Tokumei Sentai Gobusters. The cast will appear at an advance screening in Akihabara during the March 31-April 1 "Tamashii Feature's Vol. 3" event.
[Via 0takomu]
