*Season 2 Episode 5*
Nobuo and Yuko have been shopping for Luna’s welcome party but Hakase tells them she could only afford to hire Luna for the day. As she’s still an idol at heart and had to be dealt with though her agency. Nobuo thinks lying and telling Luna that being in Akibaranger will boost her career. KozKoz doesn’t agree with it but Nobuo will get dirty handed to save the world. On the internet KozKoz finds out that Luna is at a big audition she managed to be one of the final fifteen out of 2000 to be considered to be in a George Spielburton movie. The director of that world famous monkey Alien movie E.T.E. so they must stop her getting the part and becoming famous.
At the audition Luna gives her reasons in English why she should be chosen infront of Spielbuton played by Koichi Sakzmoto (director of many Power Ranger episodes and main director of the current Kyoryuger) who is impressed with it. General Pain is out and about for once while Malshina is communicating with him complaining there is no monster yet. Luna doesn’t get to the next stage an actress General Pain was helping does by doing queen’s dance of greed (A dance Queen Hedorian did in an Episode Sun Vulcan) as Spielburton must be a sentai fan.A fter Nobuo and Yuko catch up with here and get told what happened. Luna mentioned he was playing with dolls with a diamond pattern on their chest, Nobuo gets a picture of them up on his phone but not from Zyuranger from Powerful Rangers so Luna now thinks Sentai is from America before they can explain to her Monks with baskets on their head appear and give out embarrassing pictures of the Akibas. But after being confronted they really are just Malshina and some grunts. Luna agrees to help an they enter the delusion world.
Before the start the fights Tyranno Ranger and Dragon Ranger appear but wearing American flag patterned belts and collars. Malshina tells Pain the dinosaur guys are there so make sure the monster can deal with them. They are jerks to the Akibas “You think you can just take our American Powerful Rangers and claim it’s your “sentai” now, Japan? Talk about lame!” Malshina doesn’t know what’s going on but helps the Powerful Rangers fight the Akibas and win. Back at the café KozKoz inform them the first Super is now Gaoranger and copied from Wild Force it’s production caused big trouble, the American company is planning on suing for copyright. Luna’s idea affected the Delusion World, they try to explain again that the Japanese version is the original but still doesn’t get the idea.
The Powerful Rangers want to work with Malshina because of her rocking bod. General Pain transport the new monster, SalmahoganiPhone! Pain thought meant meant Abaranger earlier so he made a Twinoid. At the café they try to give Luna a history lesson about sentai and Powerful Rangers but she gets confused and wants to work with the Powerful Rangers. They go round different merchandise stores trying to convince people that sentai is the original. SalmahoganiPhone! attacks, The Powerful Rangers quickly show up and Luna stand by their side. Nobuo and Yuko bring up plot points from Zyuranger trying to remind them of their original selves. After a passionate speech about the importance of Zyuranger and being there for the children both the Powerful Rangers are weakened and Luna undrstands. Nobuo uses the toy Zyusouken (Japanese Dragon Dagger) on them bring back the Zyurangers and join the Akibas’ side. Malshina does her usual retreating. Luna gets the Zyuranger penultimate power, an oversized Dino Buckler, take that Legacy Morpher. They use it for the Dino Gymnastic Formation to blow up the monster. Sentai is back to normal and Luna decides she will use Akibaranger to get famous. Nobuo’s actor does a cover of Girls in Trouble from Dekaraner for the ending.
GRADE
Akibaranger parading Power Rangers was something I never thought they would do other than maybe a side gag but it turned out very enjoyable and very interesting to see how the Japanese perceived it although added to for comic effected. The alternative history of Japan copying Powerful Rangers was a nice take on the adaptations done to the Japanese material. It was great to see General Pain outside of his bedroom hopefully setting up for a longer plot. The backstage references are also a nice touch for long term fans. And that Girls in Trouble cover is pure brilliance. I hope the plot starts moving a little more as the half way mark is closing in. 5/5