I'm a big Maskman fan -- I think it's shot up to the number two position on my list of Top 5 favorite Sentai shows. I always thought Igam was an interesting character, with a unique rivalry to Takeru/Red Mask, and that Mina Asami did a great job playing not only Igam, but Mio/Princess Ial. So, it always ticks me off when I read people mock Maskman for this storyline, thinking they're smart and the Maskman writers are dumb for trying to pull off this storyline, something that can be found in stories that are centuries old. (And if you're a fan of Go-onger, you have no right to call this storyline "stupid" -- or poke fun at Maskman's "henshin diapers.")
"OMG! Are the Maskman stupid!?! That's obviously a woman!" Congratulations! You've solved the non-mystery that the OP credits displays in the open! Like anything in the sci-fi/superhero genre, suspension of disbelief is required, and Maskman handles this scenario by having Igam meant to come off as dandy and effeminate (think of someone like Loras, the Knight of Flowers from Game of Thrones, or any number of anime guys), which is why strong-guy Baraba picks on him so much. And, a joke I've been beating to death on the forums which I want to post here in platinum for posterity: It was the '80s -- dude looking like a lady wouldn't make the Maskman team think twice.
Post title brought to you by Baraba.
Prince Igam, Princess Igam, whatever. Either way, she's a extremely interesting and developed character and she KICKS ASS! She should get her own spin-off.
ReplyDeleteI always thought that one of the cool things about Maskman's villains was that they give you enough of an idea of what their world is like underground, they give you hints about characters' backgrounds and the whole set-up is so good that there's a heck of a lot of ideas you could use for spin-offs and extensions novels and so on. It's easy to imagine some sprawling fantasy-styled story with all of the different species and the court intrigue.
DeleteIt's easy to imagine a prequel story about Tube under the rule of the Igam family, until Zeba usurps the throne, following the forbidden romance of Mio and Takeru, and then even a sequel about how Mio/Ial takes over and rebuilds the underground civilization.
ThatChick, I d agree that Igam is a cool character. Maybe you should write her spin-off.
DeleteI am pretty sure Igam turned evil because she has been wearing a chastity belt since birth. Yes, one without a pee-hole. She hasn't been able to go to the toilet since birth... this is very painful and frustrating.
ReplyDeleteIf that were true, she'd be dead by then.
DeleteThis is pretty much how I felt about Igam's execution as well. Us Maskman fans have gotta stick together. x)
ReplyDeleteI started Maskman last night, and I'm really enjoying it. The actress playing Igam and Ial does a great job making the characters distinct and compelling. I can only imagine it was a fun set of roles to perform.
ReplyDeleteThe woman who's acting the role of Igam's ninja assistant, did she also play Wolk or Kilt in Flashman? She looks familiar.
She didn't play Wolk or Kilt, but I don't know where else you could have seen her -- she was a JAC stuntwoman. (One fun tidbit: she played Akiba Yellow in-suit when it was Rica Matsumoto's character transforming.)
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