Line #40 YMMV/HikariSentaiMaskman


1	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Is [[EvilGenius Anagmas]] really just loyal to Zeba [[MyCountryRightOrWrong out of duty]]? Considering he even goes as far as [[spoiler:attempting to cover up Zeba's true identity]] and the grandiose speech he gives in #1, it may be that he's just as enthusiastic about invading the surface as Zeba is.
2	* AntiClimaxBoss:
3	** [[spoiler:Lethal Doggler II's]] final fight against the Galaxy Robo... isn't very much different from your average MonsterOfTheWeek battle, only an evil face appears after he explodes--and then the face explodes, too. You'd think with them facing off against the [[spoiler:BigBad]], they'd go all out and have both Great Five and Galaxy Robo [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot team up against him]]!
4	** In fairness to [[spoiler:Emperor Zeba's true form]], most of the Maskmen's attacks weren't working against him until they started using attacks that purely use Aura Power, like their Meditation abilities and the Jet Cannon at FULL POWER; [[spoiler:energy which Zeba cunningly absorbed to instead grow by himself without the assistance of Okelampa]]. As befitting of a [[spoiler:FinalBoss]].
5	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
6	** The opening music is ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so02WhQE0fY very awesome]]''. Thank you, [[Music/JAMProject Hironobu Kageyama!]] Full version [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siG4lNB8f4E here]].
7	** What about the ''[[https://youtu.be/so02WhQE0fY?si=9_MFBMFD32ilu5W7&t=89 ending theme]]''? Again, thank you, [[Music/JAMProject Hironobu Kageyama]]. Full version [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4_o6UKMOJg here]].
8	** So is the movie's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEwfn3a1Dc4 opening]]. [[RuleOfThree Yet again, thank you,]] [[Music/JAMProject Hironobu Kageyama]]! Full version [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSbOyMlsM9o here]]. See the Maskmen dance to it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eLsaZj1x4w here]].
9	** Even the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KvGZiXtG5k Filipino]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIHGZ9S9GJs versions]] of both themes are epic.
10	* CaptainObviousReveal: You would be forgiven for believing [[SweetPollyOliver Igam]] was always intended to be viewed as female and subbers were mistaken for using masculine pronouns. In fact, the Brazilian dub never used this angle, constantly applying the "Princess" title to Igam instead of "Prince", which ends up making the reveal in episode 45 fall flat, SpoilerTitle and all.
11	* CompleteMonster: [[TheEmperor Earth Emperor Zeba]] is the tyrannical ruler of Underground Empire Tube, having [[TyrantTakesTheHelm usurped the Igam Family]] and transformed Tube from a pacifist kingdom into a militaristic dictatorship bent on invading the surface world. Secretly the child of Lethal Doggler, Zeba's first action upon being born was to cannibalize his parent to gain its powers. After becoming ruler, Zeba cements his control through slavery of the empire's human population and frequently [[BadBoss tortures his own minions]] with lightning as punishment for their failures. In the finale, Zeba sacrifices his remaining subjects to raise the Underground Castle to the surface so he can [[MolotovTruck blow it up]] and spread the evil particles packed inside across Earth, [[HostileTerraforming terraforming]] it into a cold and dark world hospitable by only him.
12	* FanPreferredCouple:
13	** There's a lot of fans who'd rather Takeru end up with Momoko eventually. Also an example of ShipsThatPassInTheNight since Takeru and Momoko don't get a focus episode together or even talk to each other very much.
14	** Takeru/Haruka is also a popular pair, and might have more support in a way that Haruka was once a recipient of Takeru's GetAHoldOfYourselfMan.
15	** A smaller but just as dedicated contingent of fans also prefer Takeru/Igam for FoeYayShipping over the OfficialCouple, seeing that Iyal wasn't even present in most episodes and her relationship with Takeru was mostly developed offscreen.
16	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff:
17	** One of the inexplicably popular Sentai series aired in the Philippines, including a Tagalog dub of the opening/closing themes done by former Boyfriends band member Norman Caraan.
18	*** Also reciprocated because Ryosuke Kaizu (Red Mask himself) now has a family with his Filipino wife. Said wife was even a Red Mask fangirl in the past.
19	** It has a very strong fanbase in Brazil. Many fans hold the show dearly in their hearts as a very special memory.
20	* HilariousInHindsight:
21	** X-1 Mask's design differs greatly from the existing Maskman design scheme - while he might not pass for one of them, [[Series/BattleFeverJ he'd make a passable Battle Ireland or Brazil]] had the series introduced the SixthRanger concept earier.
22	** This series notably ran concurrently alongside ''Series/KamenRiderBlack''. 16 years later, ''Kamen Rider'' and ''Super Sentai'' would run alongside each other in the ''Series/SuperHeroTime'' programming block. This got lampshaded during ''Film/KamenRiderXSuperSentaiSuperHeroTaisen'', where Black and the Maskman teamed up to fight Shadow Moon and [[Series/KamenRiderBlackRX General Jark]].
23	** The team has the Turbo Ranger as a carrier mecha, not to be confused with one of the other [[Series/KousokuSentaiTurboranger turbo]] [[Series/PowerRangersTurbo rangers]].
24	** Prince Igam's way of treating Princess Lelai in TheMovie comes to mind [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Hans']] similar ways towards Anna three decades later.
25	** Episode 13 features [[VideoGame/Splatoon2 an idol singer named Marina]].
26	** One of the ways to render the name of [[BigBad Lethal Doggler]] in Romaji is [[InconsistentSpelling "Rizal Doggler"]][[note]](among other names like Lizar, Lizal, Rizar, Rizaru, Raiza, Laiza, Lizard, Bizarre, and so forth)[[/note]]. "Rizal" is the last name of Filipino national hero [[Literature/NoliMeTangere Jose Rizal]]. ''Maskman'' also happened to be very popular [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in the Philippines]].
27	* LesYay: Prince Igam’s interactions with the mermaid Lelai in the movie, [[spoiler: when you consider the SweetPollyOliver reveal later on]]. Though it soon becomes NoYay when it turns out to be part of an evil plan.
28	-->'''Igam:''' Let’s get married.
29	* MagnificentBastard: [[EvilSorceror Earth Curiosities Beast Anagmas]] is the archivist and mystic of Underground Empire Tube and one of Emperor Zeba's most trusted minions. Stepping in to deal with the Maskman after Baraba and Igam's failures, Anagmas formulates a successful plan to weaken Momoko and cripple the [[HumongousMecha Great Five]], allowing Tube to capture the mecha. When the Maskmen and Ial obtain a crystal ball containing Zeba's secrets, Anagmas is able to get close and destroy it before they can learn Zeba's weakness, before staying behind to face the Maskmen in order to buy time for Zeba to complete his final plan.
30	* OlderThanTheyThink: Although ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'' is the first series to have a full-time SixthRanger, [[Series/GogoSentaiBoukenger The 30 Sentai Encyclopedia]] states that the concept was actually introduced here with X1 Mask. Coincidentally, ''Maskman'' and ''Zyuranger'' have the same ranger colors.
31	* RetroactiveRecognition:
32	** Some viewers may recognize the father in episode 4 as the voice of the sinister [[Series/KamenRiderBuild Blood Stalk]].
33	** One of the technicians in the later episodes is [[Series/ChoujuuSentaiLiveman Yellow Lion]].
34	** Filipino fans might recognize the voice of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Atienza Kim Atienza]] or "Kuya Kim" of ''Series/ItsShowtime'' and ''[[Creator/{{ABSCBN}} TV Patrol]]'' fame coming from the mouth of Red Mask in the original Filipino dub version of ''[[MarketBasedTitle Laser Squadron Maskman]]''.
35	* TearJerker:
36	** Episode 24, where a boy gets transformed into a monster by the MonsterOfTheWeek. The episode was clearly made to make viewers uncomfortable. The music is somber and sad. The kids where shown in lots of painful moments, terrified of the situation. An episode to remember, indeed.
37	** Also in Episode 26, the one where Kenta meets Seira who dies in the hands of the MonsterOfTheWeek. The sad music did not help.
38	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
39	** We never do get much of an explanation about how Zeba was able to conquer the underground and usurp the Igam family.
40	** We never see Great Five and Galaxy Robo team-up in order to take down the most powerful monster of Tube, [[spoiler:Emperor Zeba/Lethal Doggler II]]. The producers of the Franchise/SuperSentai series would later make up for it with the epic GrandFinale of [[spoiler:''Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman'']].
41	* UglyCute: Okelampa. For a weird mollusk looking thing that appears for all of a few seconds, it's surprisingly cute. Especially in the CS Central subs, which give it [[GagSub funny dialogue]].
42	* ValuesDissonance:
43	** The male Maskmen jokingly impersonate criminals to get the female members to strip. That strikes a modern viewer as rather creepy.
44	** Takeru delivering a GetAHoldOfYourselfMan slap to Haruka makes perfect sense in context, though that still doesn't make it any less uncomfortable to watch.
45	* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: A lot of the solo mecha component footage was pretty good looking, probably because they wanted to showcase the first 5-piece mecha. Even the carrier looked kickass, with the rolling tank treads on it. It's just too bad they didn't fight on their own more often.

Context YMMV / HikariSentaiMaskman