*Episode 8*
This episode opens with something different showing the opening of Z-cune Aoi, just make this anime Toei and stop teasing us. Following from last episode where the Toei producer calls, Hakase denies being connected to the Akibarangers and makes up some flimsy excuses to the Akibas before she heads out. The Akibarangers decide to go to Toei themselves but are kicked out before making it though the door. Hakase is at robotics labs her dad use to work at. She finds out that he got obsessed with anime and even showed his artist portfolio around to studio.
Moping on some steps the Akibarangers here a suspicious voice and investigate. It is coming from this week’s sub-section chief, a lama who is great at cooking monja and looks very nice to hug. They enter the grand delusion to fight him. Malshina was the one on the phone pretending to be the producer and she waits for the Akibarangers to appear in the real world again. The Akibas almost finish off the sub-chief Paca but Nobuo says the need to lead the fight to the real world to get noticed again.
The Akibas almost finish off the sub-chief Paca but Nobuo says the need to lead the fight to the real world to get noticed again. They train Paca in order to make him stronger using special training from previous sentai series including Changeman, Gekiranger, Go-onger and Carranger vs Ohranger. Paca’s plan is they will now feel connected to him and go easy on him allowing him to get an easy win with his new found strength but against his plan they fight with all their might.
Hakase ends up at the studio that produces Z-cune Aoi and turns out that Malshina was the original design for the Z-cune vilian when her father was in charge of pre-production and character design. His art got surreal and violent and he kept butting heads with other production members so they had to fire him. The fight with the Akibas and Paca ends up in reality and they draw a crowd. The Akibarangers use the penultimate powers together for the finisher with the new penultimate cannon. There is a mysterious man in the crowd who appears to know Malshina possibly Hakase’s father but looks a lot like me first thing in the morning.
GRADE
This episode keeps up Akibarangers streak of good episode but I do think this is the weakest one we had for a while. While Hakase’s plot was very interesting and carried the story further, the Akibaranger part was lackluster and was mainly padding on the episode and to keep the humour there but Paca was an enjoyable villain. With the story getting serious the show is sometimes trying a little too hard to keep funny moments there. Don’t get me wrong the funny moments are still great just not as funny as the start of the series. The penultimate cannon was very nicely design and a great inclusion into their arsenal but I’m still disappointed Yumeria just got handed the Dekaranger power and never got her own. The story is still as interesting and compelling as ever and this is still a great show. 4/5