Hikari Sentai Maskman

Hikari Sentai Maskman (光戦隊マスクマン, Hikari Sentai Masukuman, translated into English as Light Squadron Maskman) is the 11th entry of Toei's Super Sentai Series. It aired on TV Asahi from February 28, 1987 to February 20, 1988, with a total of 51 episodes.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Cast is full of likable characters, including Takeru/Red Mask, Kenta/Black Mask, Akira/Blue Mask, Haruka/Yellow Mask and Kenta/Black Mask.
 * 2) Ryo Asuka/X1 Mask was also an interesting character, giving us a prototype for the Sixth Rangers, despite only being in one episode.
 * 3) Earth Emperor Zeba was a terrifying and well built up villain.
 * 4) Prince Igam is also a sympathetic character in spite of being a villain.
 * 5) This was the first martial arts Sentai, a theme that gave us two more masterpieces
 * 6) The aesthetics are very nice to look at and have aged well.
 * 7) Although Takeru and Ial don't get together in the end, the show subverts it in a satisfying way and has them leave on amicable terms, while implying they may get together someday.
 * 8) To top it all off, this show aired alongside Kamen Rider Black, an amazing Kamen Rider season.

Reception
Although this season wasn't very popular with Japanese or American audiences, the show was distributed various countries, where it achieved great popularity in countries such as the Philippines, France, and Brazil.

Trivia

 * 1) The show was originally gonna be called Fiveman, a title used three years later