iGo to Japan
| "IGo to Japan" |
|---|
iGo to Japan is a 2008 three-part episode of iCarly that premiered on November 8, 2008 on Nickelodeon, and November 21 on YTV. It was the first episode to be promoted as a "movie". The television movie stars Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy, and Nathan Kress.
Plot
The iCarly gang are invited to a trip to Japan after being nominated for the annual iWeb Awards, where in order to qualify, they will be expected to perform a skit live on stage. Prior to their trip, they create a sketch called Melanie Higgles: Space Cheerleader.
They receive three first-class tickets. Mrs. Benson initially refuses to allow Freddie to go on the trip even after Spencer volunteers to chaperone the kids. She agrees instead to come along. Since they do not have enough airline tickets for five people, Spencer trades the three first-class tickets for five lower classed ones. However, he subsequently calls in a favor from Socko which results in the team riding to Japan aboard an unsanitary, possum-filled cargo airplane bound for Korea. They must sky-dive into Tokyo.
The group winds up landing in a deserted area, but are found by a Japanese Policeman who brings them safely to the Hotel Nakamura they would be staying at. After checking in and sleeping off of their jet lag, they are visited by Kyoko and Yuki, the stars of a competing webshow. The pair give Spencer and Mrs. Benson free passes to a Nakamura Spa and take Carly, Sam and Freddie shopping.
As generous as their gestures seem, Kyoko and Yuki have their minds set on sabotaging iCarly's chances of winning the iWeb Awards. They purposely fight over and over again for directions until Yuki "admits" they are lost. As night falls, they take Carly, Sam and Freddie to the middle of nowhere and drive off after staging a kung-fu fight. Meanwhile, Spencer and Mrs. Benson find themselves bound to their massage tables by seaweed naked, a problem rectified by Spencer's appetite, in which Mrs. Benson sees him naked twice. Mrs Benson locates them on a locator chip she put in Freddie's head.
Eventually, the gang reunites and are able to get to the iWeb Awards show, only to be prevented from entering the studio because the security guards do not speak English. Mrs. Benson distracts the guards and they get in, only to be quickly apprehended. The guards keep them in a utility room and Carly and Sam try to communicate with them by acting out what happened to them during their trip. Freddie cleverly videotapes them and plugs his camcorder into the iWeb Awards screen. Unknown to the girls, their manic performance is being broadcast to the audience, overshadowing Kyoko and Yuki's performance. They are saved by the man who invited them, who speaks fluent English and Japanese.
iCarly wins the award for best comedy, though Carly and Sam have no idea how they won until Freddie explains what he did. Kyoko and Yuki are arrested for kidnapping. The iCarly gang along with Spencer and Mrs. Benson return to America on what appears to be a fishing boat.
Cast
- Miranda Cosgrove as Carly Shay: Star of her webshow.
- Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett: Co-host of the webshow.
- Nathan Kress as Freddie Benson: Tech producer and director of iCarly.
- Jerry Trainor as Spencer Shay: Carly's older brother. in The movie he tries to learn Japanese but everytime he gets something wrong he is shocked.
- Mary Scheer as Marissa Benson: Freddie's mother. She along with Spencer is trapped in Seaweed.
- Ally Matsumura as Kyoko: The star of a competing webshow from Japan.
- Harry Shum, Jr. as Yuki: Another star of a comepeting Webshow from Japan.
- Jonathan Mangum as Henri Henri P'Twa: a Webshow host from France. He is also competes.
- Michael Butler Murray as Mr. Wilkins: The chairman of the iWeb Awards. He speaks English and Japanese.
- Don Stark as Freight Dog: A man who drives The gang to Japan on his cargo plane with many possi bound for Korea.
- Andrew Kishino as Japanese Standee
- Jeremy Rowley as Lewbert: The gross doorman of bushwell plaza in Seattle.
- Good Charlotte as themselves: They perform as a guests in the iWeb Awards.
Reception
The episode has been given mostly positive reviews. Newsday rates the movie a B.[1] Internet Movie Database gave it a 6.6 out of 10.
Nielsen ratings
| Network | Date | Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| Nickelodeon | November 8, 2008 | 7.6 Million[2] |
| Nickelodeon | November 10, 2008 | 4.83 Million[3] |
| YTV | November 21, 2008 | 0.32 Million |
| Nick UK | April 4, 2009 | 0.29 Million |
| Nick Germany | October 17, 2009 | 0.22 Million |