I liked Akashi the moment I saw him in ep 1 since he instantly gave me the vibe of a leader. He has a relaxed confidence that I think really fits an adventurer. I hated Kai and Ban. Rude, loud and impulsive people who let their emotions get the better of them are NOT leaders to me. I was afraid Eiji/Boukensilver would turn out that way, seeing how much of an asshole he was at the start. However, he turned out to be one of the coolest characters I know on Toku. Eiji is a smug, cocky fellow but likeable, because he's not truely an asshole. He's just playing around.
Back to Akashi. I think his team mates play around with him because they respect him, but they know that he's also a fun person to be around. It's not insubordination, on the contrary being so friendly with their Chief show the utmost respect for him. I don't know how the Sentai reds of the 80s are like, since I haven't seen a single series from that "Golden Age". However, if Akashi was a leader who was strict, inflexible and was basically someone who just gave orders, then Boukenger would seriously be a bore. However, Akashi has shown that he knows when to be strict and when the situation allows him to be playful. The Boukengers have been in quite a few tough situations so far, and during those moments, Akashi really shines through as a decisive, quick thinking and serious leader. When he gives orders, his team mates follow not only because he's their leader in position, but also because he's their friend and someone whom they trust. He has taken the time to build friendly relations with all of them, and earn the trust of everyone. We often see him pairing himself up with someone different during a mission, and then carry out the mission while spending time to get to know his team mate better. He also tries to encourage his team mates to get along better by pairing them up differently too. I feel Akashi is an optimistic person who looks for the good in others and encourages them, like how he allowed Natsuki to go on her own mission a couple of eps back and also let her be the Chief. Furthermore, when almost everyone was reluctant and wary of Eiji joining the team, Akashi saw the good and the potential in him, and tried his best to befriend Eiji. As a result, the Boukengers added a new member and strengthened the team. Basically, Akashi's a responsible, understanding and friendly (strong people relations) leader who basically is the glue for the team. Without him, the team would be severely weakened. That's my two cents worth. He's that something I was looking for that Kai and Ban never were.
I feel like I'm writing an essay.
