Akibarangers are the new protectors of the otaku culture

10:00 AM on 02.22.2012   |   Salvador G-Rodiles

[Update: More information on the characters, changers, and other features below the jump.]

Evil doers who threaten the well being of Akihabara, beware. Three dedicated heroes have decided to protect the culture that Akihabara has developed over the years. They are known as the Akibarangers, and they will ensure that Akibahara will remain protected for the sake of otakus everywhere.

That good people is the premise for Unofficial Sentai Akibarangers (It has nothing to do with Super Sentai, hence the name unofficial.), which will be a tokusatsu series that is targeted towards adults (I doubt that this is going to be a porno series.). At the helm of this projects is going to be, director Ryuta Tazaki (Kamen Rider Agito, Kamen Rider Ryuki, and Kamen Rider 555), director/character designer Keiichi Satou (Karas and Tiger & Bunny), writer Naruhisa Arawaka (Spice and Wolf, Kamen Rider Kuuga, and Steel Angel Kurumi), and composer Kenji Kawai (Death Note, Eden of the East, and Ghost in the Shell).

Wow, now that is a pretty strong team for this project, and it is always good to welcome any new tokusatsu shows that are targeted towards older audiences. Since last year's Garo Makai Senki will be coming to an end by April, it will be good to see another mature series take its place. If the budget is going to be as big as Garo, then you can expect some gorgeous visuals and fight scenes out of this new series. Based on the premise itself, we might have a comedic series (Probably a parody of the otaku culture, based on the designs of their helmets.) that will get away with a few things that you might never able to experience during morning television. 

You can catch an exclusive early bird screening of the first episode at the Bellesalle in Akihabara on March 31st through April 1st. The only condition is that you have to be 15 years or older to enter.

The series is set to air in April, so keep an eye out for it until then. You know that I am, so you might get to see my thoughts on Akibarangers in the near future.

[via Henshin Justice]

More information has surfaced on Akibarangers, which is related to their vehicle, morphing items, and characters. For the first order of business, the Akibarangers are looking to be cosplayers that use mecha musume school girl figures to change into their superhero forms, and the figure can also change into guns. This is not the only place where it stops, their signature vehicle has their changer figure painted on it, which resembles the cars that have anime, visual novel, and or vocaloid characters painted on them.

The main villain of the series looks like a Sheryl Nome cosplayer, which definitely going well with the otaku parody theme (Why would a cosplayer want to threaten Akihabara?). And I though that Rolling Bomber and Kamen Rider G were already ridiculous in terms of tokusatsu parody shows, and both of these were only one shots. Akibaranger might take tokusatsu and otaku parodies into a whole new level, once the show airs on television.

Playing the roles of the three brave otakus are going to be Masato Wada as Nobuo Aki aka Akiba Red, Kyoko Nichinan as Mizuki Aoyagi aka Akiba Blue, and Karin Ogino as Moegi Yumeria aka Akiba Yellow. Next up, the lovely professor Hiroyo will be played by Rei Uchida. And finally, the villainous Sheryl Nome, I mean Marushina will be played by Honoka (No last name was mentioned in the source.).

I am definitely sold on this show right now, and I wish that April would come already. Ever since I experienced Garo, I have always wanted people to make more tokusatsu shows that are geared towards older audiences. Then comes the blessing in the form of Akibarangers, and I can't wait. 

Check out the images in the gallery below to see what I am talking about.

[via Henshin Justice]