Nostalgia: I Remember the days when...

Princesa/Prince Igamu
Hikari Sentai Maskman 1987

Just a bit nostalgic today (not to mention a bit lethargic too - you know, the thought of getting out of bed seems to require gargantuan effort -). Anyway, found this picture (above) while randomly searching some stuff related to the "continental style" uniform - i keep running into "afrika corps" websites, seems that particular style originated from the german army). The picture was a bit small, but no matter. At last I'll be able to draw her.

I grew up on "sentai" (japanese for task force - not that "other" one! - you sukebe..you.!) and "tokusatsu". I wish they'd bring it back, preferrably on evenings and during Sundays, in place of those irksome (and generally shallow, no offense) "tele/korean novelas". It's about time, I think. Particular faves include "Hikari Sentai Maskman" (light task force maskman) - great story, quite complex characters (just take a look at Igamu - mine idol.hehehe - and Kiros), with the added bonus of seeing "familiar" stuff - and besides I've never seen the ending; Kamen (masked) Rider Black - sniff, sniff! this show made me er...cry several times - i was in the fifth grade, i think, the whole theme of brotherhoood and what it means to be human etc, especially the ending). Great themes too, I liked "Ai No Soldier" and "Long, Long Ago 20th Century" the best.

I remember me and my bro would play "Maskman" (or Shaider...nope I'm NOT Ani, I usually play the High Priestess Yda -using the long broom as a staff), he would be "Red Mask" (Michael Joe/Takeru) and I would be his rival Princesa Igamu, we would simulate sword fighting (ek..sometimes jumping up and down the tables and chairs, to the detriment of our parents) and power blasts (swish! kapow!), not to forget the "poses" - Red One!...Yellow Four! Pink Five! - knocking over certain house-hold fixtures in the process! There was one time when we decided to construct a make-shift version of "ang binog ng kamatayan" (The Circle of Death), using the "kulambo" (mosquito net). I think we tore it in places. :D Ahahaha!

We constructed several stories too. Our very first, I think, was "The Adventures of Jamie & Vultril". Jamie was my Barbie doll and Vultril was his toy robot. They go on Maskman-like adventures, kicking the ass of evil guys (but we added some depth by making Vultril a "former bad guy" and his brother was the main enemy, I think). Then there was our first comic book (X-something), I think the main character there was called Raven and we also had Brain-something, and we code-named a character "Moron" (the story was somewhat convulted - I was in Grade V and he was in Grade II! - we started on Episode 45...hahaha!) That "Moron" (a slimy, back-stabbing, shape-shifting maniac) character became loads of laughs years later (I mean, who on Earth would want to code name themselves "Moron?!" unless... :D)

Last Sunday's Full Metal Alchemist episode "Ang Pamamaalam" (The Final Goodbye) was just...great and sad. Lt. Col. Maes Hughes died in the hands of a homunculus (Envy, I think - although Lust and Sloth are also present), hence the episode title. The dialogue and imagery were both haunting/chilling (Envy shape-shifted into Hughes' wife then shot him) and moving (especially that of Hughes waving -in sepia tones- on the train platform - a great comic panel to be sure). Will herald the second part of the adventures of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric. Will they be able to find the true "Philosopher's Stone" and restore their original bodies (most specifically Al who was now a "living armor" as a result of Ed's "human transmutation" fiasco)? We'll see. I expect more information about Scar and the people of Ishval (the Ishval rebellion and why they ("really") were massacred by the state military?)