Inside the human body, a mysterious power is hidden. With training and discipline, this infinite power can be obtained.
Hikari Sentai Maskman (Light Squadron Maskman) is the eleventh Super Sentai series, running from 1987 to 1988. Not to be confused with the Korean cartoon which also has the nameMaskman.Commander Sugata, a master of the mysterious Aura Power, assembles a team of five martial artists and instructs them in the use of their inner Aura to offset the menace of Tube, a once peaceful empire now ruled by the evil Emperor Zeba, who seeks to extend his reign to the surface world. Red Mask Takeru's girlfriend Mio is in fact Iyal, Princess of Tube, who is sentenced to sleep forever in an ice coffin for falling in love with a surface dweller. Maskman fights for peace both on and beneath the earth.
The Maskmen are:
Takeru (Red Mask): Leader, trained in Karate. He is a racecar driver.
Kenta (Black Mask): Second-in-command and brains, trained in Kobudo. He worked as a mechanic.
Akira (Blue Mask): Youngest member, trained in Chinese Kempo and broadsword.
Haruka (Yellow Mask): Action Girl, trained in Ninjutsu.
Momoko (Pink Mask): The Chick, trained in Tai Chi Chuan.
Tube's significant members include:
Zeba, the Emperor of the Underground Empire. Actually an usurper who overthrew the previous Emperor in order to avenge his father's death.
The pronunciation is even different, since the name of the ship is pronounced more like "Turbo RUN-ger".
The ship is designed to resemble a sports car.
Cool Bike: The Mask Roader, a set of bikes for each member except Red Mask, who gets the...
Cool Car: ...Spin Cruiser, an armed buggy modified from an F1 race car.
Eye Catch: The eyecatch before the break shows the Maskman team shown. The end of the commercial break features Great Five posing with Photo Electron Riser and the Five Shield.
Humongous Mecha: Introduced the first giant robot in Super Sentai formed from five components, which meant that every member of the team finally piloted an individual mecha.
Combining Mecha: Masky Fighter (Red) + Drill (Black) + Tank (Blue) + Jet (Yellow) + Gyro (Pink) = Great Five
Transforming Mecha: The Land Galaxy, a truck which transforms into the Galaxy Robo.
Law of Chromatic Superiority: Takeru, being a racecar driver, was given the Spin Cruiser buggy as his personal vehicle, the only thing that could thwart a monster's scheme. Two episodes later, he manages to master the God Hand move.
Monster of the Week: They were called Chiteijū ("Underground Beasts"). A few of the early ones were actually two monsters in one, which were composed of an "Underground Doggler" and a "parasite" that would grant it power
The Movie: The Maskmen tried to help a mermaid that was being deceived by Tube to sing a destructive song. Oh, and they had a Dancing Theme for opening.
Transformation Trinket: Averted. They wear a wrist device called the Masking Brace, but the actual transformation procedure is to glow with 'aura power' while doing Hand Seals, making a screen of it in front of them that suits them up as they pass through. The Masking Brace is simply a communicator.
Two Girls to a Team: The fourth Sentai team in a row and once again another Yellow and Pink duo.
The Artifact: The number "5" on their emblem, which was decided back when the team was originally going to be called "Fiveman".
Barehanded Blade Block: One episode had Kenta learning this in order to thwart Baraba's scheme.
Bittersweet Ending: Even though Takeru and Iyal are reunited in the end, it doesn't last long. She's become the new ruler of Tube and is forced to break things off with him.
Development Gag: The earlier design of the Maskman's helmet ended up being used for the team's predecessor X1 Mask, making him a literal Maskman Prototype.
Dub Name Change: For some reason, when this Sentai was aired in Brazil, Takeru's name was slightly altered to "Takeo", while Haruka and Momoko were respectively rechristened "Sayaka" (no relation toChange Mermaid) and "Keiko".
Not to mention the usual Filipino schtick. Apparently Takeru becomes "Michael Joe", amongst things.
Eldritch Abomination: Turns out Zeba was actually the spawn of Rizal Doggler, a malignant creature defeated by the original Tube royal family. Driven by a seething hatred against humans from both sides of the crust, it proceeds to destroy the rest of the original family save Ial and Igam, corrupting Tube into becoming a militaristic Crapsack World using enslaved underground humans in an attempt to reach the surface world and extend its malicious grip.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Baraba's sorrow over his mother's death is what allows him to defeat Devil Doggler and obtain the Ground Empire Sword...
Fake Defector: That one episode where Haruka and Momoko get 'brainwashed' into gangsters.
Gag Sub: In the CS Central fansub of the series they took Okelampa's Catch Phrase above and even though he exactly said "Yare yare", the subtitle will say amongst things like "Whatever..."*
which is, in context, the most correct translation, pretty much along the lines of Kyon
's "good grief"]] or "I need a bath..." or "I need a raise..." Could also go to Deadpan Snarker territory with lines like, "Why don't the Maskmen shoot me first?" It gets even more ridiculous and crazier in latter episodes with lines as "Don't worry, Kenta! You still have *insert all one-episode girl that interacted with him from the previous episodes, with the episodes mentioned*, you goddamn playboy!" (Note that this might cross the line since this is said after Kenta's girl of the week just tragically died)
CS Central is pretty liberal when it comes to subs, actually. Just watch their Choujin Sentai Jetman subs (where else would you watch "aa, sonna..."*
"aw, c'mon"
translated as "No way, Jose"*
that's on Episode 28, by the way. The One With Dryer Jigen
?).
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Takeru delivers this twice on his teammates, first for Haruka, then for Kenta.
Machiko Soga guest-stars as Lalaba, Baraba's mom in Episode 30.
Kazuhiko Nishimura, Jō Ōhara/Yellow Lion from Choujuu Sentai Liveman, has a bit part in Episode 29 as one of the yellow-clad researchers working on the Jet Cannon.
Tooru Sakai, Gō Omura from Liveman as well, guest-stars in Episode 32 as Kenta's old friend Shin-ya.
Elly, the young girl who falls in love with Kiros in Episode 33, is played by Tokie Shibata (the teenage version of Nana in Dengeki Sentai Changeman).
Naoya Ban, Makoto Jin/Battle Cossack II in Battle Fever J, plays Underground Ninja Ijin in Episode 11.
It Only Works Once: Despite its legendary reputation, Takeru's God Hand technique is only used once after its premiere in episode 6, and fails to damage its target.
The Power of Love: Takeru's love with Mio/Iyal usually is what pushes him forward.
Shout Out: Homages mecha anime Choudenji Machine Voltes V and Toushou Daimos both with Maskman's mecha, and key plot elements: The main hero's girlfriend is actually the princess of the invaders he fights as in Daimos, and Prince Igam is looked down upon by the rest of Tube for being related to the traitor Princess Iyal, mirroring Prince Hainel from Voltes. Galaxy Robo's Aura Road Spark is also a Shout Out to Combattler V's Grand Dasher Wave.
X-1 Mask's helmet is based on a rejected design for the Maskman team, which originally planned to bring back the face-shaped helmets with the two-eyed visors and sculpted nose from Battle Fever J.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Okelampa's final fate after he enlarges Anagamas for his final battle is unknown.
Working Title: Originally planned as "The Fiveman", which is why all of their gear is adorned with the number "5" and why their robot is called "Great Five". The name was conceived as a homage to Goranger, but was changed just before Toei began recording the first episode, after the suits were already made.
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