Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger Season 2 - Discussion Thread

Well, I just marathoned the last two episodes. Hmm... Not sure how I feel about Season 2 over all.

It's hard to stack this season against the first. I did enjoy it, but not in the same way I enjoyed the first. Still, for what it is worth, I learned more about Japanese trivia, tropes, and such. And all the nerdy stuff they threw at us really pleased our inner fanboys. :laugh: Still, I feel like they didn't aproach this season with the same sense of fun and playfulness that they did with the first season. Season 2 just came off a bit more serious than it needed to be, I think. It tethered on the edge of enjoyable and standard.

However, I think what makes it tough for me to enjoy it completely was the ending. While I understood the references and enjoyed the trivia bits, I didn't care for the Ultraman knock off, nor did I care for that depressing ending. Yes, I know Akagi told us to not take it so seriously, that they'll easily be revived if they make another season, but it just seems out of place in a Sentai tribute/parody/whatever you want to call this show. In other words, the build up before the ending really had me on the edge of my seat! And I knew they would turn it all around, perhaps in a funny way, but this ending just came off as extremely anti-climatic in the worst kind of way.

At this point? I DO want a Season 3. I want to see if they really will make a 4th or 5th member, followed by Akagi noticing how new rangers should have been introduced earlier according to Sentai tropes. I do want to see if they'll use Season 3 as a reason to completely redeem and outdo themselves. I don't want this show to become a by-the-numbers show that's used just to promote the toys or talk about behind the scenes stuff. I want this show to be everything it was meant to be.

arnoldmcguire335 said:

I also thought, "Where's Dragon Ranger and Black Condor?"

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Wow. And I thought I was the only one. :laugh:

You get this eerie feeling that Akagi just might...just might...troll the actual Sentai World in Season 2. After all the stuff that Gokai Silver and Narutaki were discussing in Taihen, then actually being mentioned in Akiba...

...oh heck with it...

Akagi is gonna pull a Decade...and end up turning out to be more badass than Marvelous...and more knowledgable than Gai. And then Hatte Saburo will appoint Narutaki to follow Akagi.:redface2::sly:


Yes, it's a stretch...then again several years ago...Super Sentai/Kamen Rider/Metal Hero Crossover wasn't possible.:laugh::loltongue:

SamuraiEchidna said:

the build up before the ending really had me on the edge of my seat! And I knew they would turn it all around, perhaps in a funny way, but this ending just came off as extremely anti-climatic in the worst kind of way.:

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Then you had the "Watch TV Asashi every sunday!" Which just seemed like shameless advertising for the main sentai series. I did think it was sort of funny though.

About the point that Arakawa killed off the trio at the end(after the defeat of the 'evil' threat, at that);

I can't help but think that there must be some reason behind it. A logic behind killing them off quite needlessly after the main threat was defeated and the main story wrapped up. I can't help but feel that Arakawa had an idea in mind when he went with it. Though I have no clue as to what.

...you don't think..(pure speculation beyond this point)

he was baiting the fandom into demanding a third season from Toei, if only just to bring those guys back (in place of a direct plea like at the end of the first season).

Guardian07 said:

you don't think..(pure speculation beyond this point)

he was baiting the fandom into demanding a third season from Toei, if only just to bring those guys back (in place of a direct plea like at the end of the first season).

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That seems likely. I don't know, but it definitely worked if that was the case. I already see people wanting a third season. "Killing" off the main trio in order to get a third season is an interesting idea.

Guardian07 said:

A logic behind killing them off quite needlessly after the main threat was defeated and the main story wrapped up. I can't help but feel that Arakawa had an idea in mind when he went with it. Though I have no clue as to what.

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Maybe he wanted to take a jab at Toshiki Inoue, killing the main characters after the threat is over totally sounds like something he would do.

Guardian07 said:

...you don't think..(pure speculation beyond this point)

he was baiting the fandom into demanding a third season from Toei, if only just to bring those guys back (in place of a direct plea like at the end of the first season).

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I guess we'll just have to wait for the next set of Super Hero Taisen Net Movies.:sly:

I honestly found the finale to be kind of underwhelming. I liked that Akibaranger fought and beat Chaino (which is something I can't help but cheer about), but killing them off was awfully mean spirited, as if Arakawa is telling us he really doesn't want to make a third season.

Then again, that problem has really pervaded me through this whole season. It was still funny, but it seemed significantly meaner. With Arakawa's constant digs at Mitsuki for leaving the show (Luna using Akibaranger as a "stepping stone" to become an idol and treating her as a complete idiot), the Powerful Rangers episode virtually insulting the American fanbase, and the finale all adds up to what seems like Arakawa making this show a bit too personal. It dampened my enjoyment, and honestly makes me not want a third season.

DaikaijuSokogeki! said:

but killing them off was awfully mean spirited, as if Arakawa is telling us he really doesn't want to make a third season.

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I don't think it was mean-spirited. I do think he had something in mind when he wrote that, but I can't write it off as him being mean and saying "There! Akibaranger is done, and I don't want another series because they're DEAD!"

DaikaijuSokogeki! said:

it seemed significantly meaner. With Arakawa's constant digs at Mitsuki for leaving the show (Luna using Akibaranger as a "stepping stone" to become an idol and treating her as a complete idiot),

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I can see the line of logic, but I can't agree that Luna was written wholly to bash Hinami Kyoko for not coming back. For a long time now, toku shows are stepping stones for aspiring actors and idols, and while Luna's characterization was an exaggerated case, that mindset is not all that uncommon, and not all that off the mark. Sato Takeru, Matsuzaka Tori are just a couple of names that got their kick-start on toku, and now are rising stars in the industry. That's not to mention the work female leads in toku get after their shows were done.

DaikaijuSokogeki! said:

I honestly found the finale to be kind of underwhelming. I liked that Akibaranger fought and beat Chaino (which is something I can't help but cheer about), but killing them off was awfully mean spirited, as if Arakawa is telling us he really doesn't want to make a third season.

Then again, that problem has really pervaded me through this whole season. It was still funny, but it seemed significantly meaner. With Arakawa's constant digs at Mitsuki for leaving the show (Luna using Akibaranger as a "stepping stone" to become an idol and treating her as a complete idiot), the Powerful Rangers episode virtually insulting the American fanbase, and the finale all adds up to what seems like Arakawa making this show a bit too personal. It dampened my enjoyment, and honestly makes me not want a third season.

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I dunno, I got the impression he went over-the-top with the meta stuff; even more so than the Taihen Net Movies. Now I'm even more motivated for a Season 3, if not that, V-Cinema Direct to DVD. Hell, get the Sport Rangers and France Five involved. Use the Titanium Ranger and Spirit Rangers in "Sentai Footage" (I mean look what they did with the SPD Battlizer). Heck, I can see Mitsuki and Luna pulling a hot potato with the henshin device (ala Faiz). Even set up for spin-offs like Akiba Rider or Space Sheriff Akiba. He created this monster...he out did even what Koshi Rikdo could do with Daitenzin/Excel Saga:laugh:



PS: I see Akagi being another Tsukasa/Narutaki...I dunno if that's gonna be a good thing or not.

Guardian07 said:

Sato Takeru, Matsuzaka Tori are just a couple of names that got their kick-start on toku, and now are rising stars in the industry. That's not to mention the work female leads in toku get after their shows were done.

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Ah...the rants Keith made during 2007...who knew he'd become a "Man Slayer"...