IGo to Japan

iGo to Japan is the first feature-length episode of iCarly, produced in 2008 and first broadcast by Nickelodeon on November 8, 2008. At 90 minutes, it is considered a TV movie, the first to stem from the series. Other iCarly TV Movies are only 60 minutes long. The TV Movie stars Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy, Nathan Kress, Jerry Trainor, and Mary Scheer in their traditional iCarly roles.

Despite being considered a movie, the film's format is identical to the TV series, using the same Season 2 opening credits and theme song, and the closing credits play out over a regular "submitted video" sequence. The series' laugh track is also used. The movie is included in the Season 2 Volume 1 DVD set as an extended-length episode. This is the longest iCarly production ever made since it is 74 minutes long beating the 41 minute extended versions.

Plot
The iCarly team are nominated for the annual iWeb Awards, and are invited to attend the ceremony in Japan, where in order to qualify for the award they will be expected to perform a skit live on stage. Prior to their trip to Japan, they create a sketch called Melanie Higgles: Space Cheerleader. 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 don't have enough airline tickets for 5 people, Spencer calls in a favor which results in the team riding to Japan aboard an unsanitary, possum-filled cargo airplane bound for Korea. They must skydive into Tokyo.

After checking into their hotel and sleeping off their jet lag, Kyoko and Yuki, the stars of a competing webshow, visit them. Kyoko and Yuki give Spencer and Mrs. Benson free passes to a 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 take Carly, Sam and Freddie to the middle of nowhere and, after staging a kung fu fight, drive off. Meanwhile, Spencer and Mrs. Benson find themselves bound to their massage tables by seaweed, a problem rectified by Spencer's appetite.

Eventually, the gang reunites and are able to get to the iWeb Awards, only to be prevented from entering the studio because the security guards don't speak English. Mrs. Benson distracts the guards and they get in, only to be quickly apprehended by the guards. The guards keep them in a room, and Carly and Sam try to communicate with them. They act out what happened to them during their trip, and Freddie videotapes them, plugging his camcorder into the iWeb Award screen. Unknown to the girls, their manic performance is being broadcast to the audience, overshadowing Kyoko and Yuki's performance.

iCarly wins the award for best comedy, Kyoko and Yuki are Taken into custody for kidnapping, and Carly, Sam, Freddie, Spencer, and Mrs. Benson return to America on what appears to be a fishing boat own by one of Socko's Family Members.



Early Viewing
The movie was made available to watch on Nickelodeon On Demand for Comcast customers in October, a month before the premiere on Nickelodeon.

Goofs

 * Spencer's conduct in the film, in booking the flight aboard the cargo plane and allowing Carly to parachute from it, seems to contradict the events of iWanna Stay with Spencer in which Spencer nearly lost guardianship of Carly until he displayed good judgment and showed responsibility for her.
 * Kyoko and Yuki's videos originate from Japan, so there´s no reason they should be in English.
 * After everyone jumps out of the plane, Freddie's backpack is red. However, later in the film, Mrs. Benson finds Freddie's backpack and it is blue.
 * The area where the iCarly team land is shown to be in an area that is devoid of just about everything, without any visible water their suitcases could drown in (as they later claim).
 * Spencer turns off the Swedish translator when he talks to Socko, but when he starts talking to him again, she's turned on (and, of course, shocks him).
 * Kyoko and Yuki leave the stage to complain about iCarly's interruption to Theodore Wilkins. When the camera cuts to a wide shot of the projections screen, showing the gang finishing up their story, the 2 are back onstage for no apparent reason.
 * In Japan they drive on the right side of the road, not the left side.

Trivia

 * This is the first iCarly television movie. It began production in Spring 2008, with a November 8, 2008 release.
 * What Mrs. Benson is wearing inside the hotel after Kyoko & Yuki (which she thought they work in the hotel) comes to Carly's hotel room is a kimono. Hotels in Japan, however, do not give out kimonos, as they are traditional costume for acts like ceremonies.
 * This is the first iCarly movie where the name is shown at the very beginning.
 * Look for a photograph of series writer-producer Dan Schneider, as his Head of the Class TV character Dennis Blunden, on the message sign held up by one of the non-English-speaking studio guards. There is an extreme closeup of the photo during the fight scene.
 * The iWeb award trophy can be seen in the iCarly studio in subsequent episodes, such as iChristmas and iBelieve in Bigfoot.
 * An instrumental verson of the iCarly theme plays in the background during the scene where iCarly wins the iWeb Award.
 * The Stoopid Poopet and the ventriloquist might have inspired Robbie in Dan Schneider's next show, Victorious.
 * Running Gag: Spencer keeps thinking that the soap in wrappers that look like candy wrappers is actually some Japanese traditional candy.
 * Running Gag: The ventriloquist complaining about his stoopid poopet.
 * When this movie is shown in three separate episodes, the latter of the two do not show an iCarly webcast.
 * Mrs. Benson says that they'll need a voltage converter, but in Japan, they use 100V AC power. That's only a minor difference from the 110-120V used in North America, which isn't enough to affect most devices. Mrs. Benson's misconception probably came from the fact that the vast majority of the world outside of North America uses 200-240V power. Japan in this case is a notable exception
 * The parachute-landing area was most likely filmed on a green screen. You can see flickering outlines when the actors move.
 * It is revealed that Freddie's mom had a GPS locator chip placed in his head when he was a child by a Venezuelan doctor. Many fans have speculated that this is why he speaks random Spanish.
 * Kyoko and Yuki's steering wheel on their car should be on the right side of the car, not on the left, since they are in Japan. Japan, Australia, UK, and other countries have their steering wheels on the right side of the car.However, left-hand-drive imports are common in Japan.
 * The gang's luggage lands on them after they parachute into Japan. But the luggage was not tossed out with them, and it is more likely that it would have landed far away from them.
 * Though the 1st episode filmed for Season 2, it is the 5th aired. This movie comes before the season two opener, "iSaw Him First", in production order. Here, however, Freddie has his deep voice from that episode, which was mentioned in that episode but not here.
 * The soundtrack is a "Japanized" version of the background music.
 * Seaweed, especially dry seaweed, is especially crackly and easily ripped, even without much effort.
 * The announcer at the iWeb Awards is actually the series creator Dan Schneider.
 * During an interview with Miranda and Jerry, it is revealed that they had never been in Japan for the filming. Every single scene was filmed at the Nickelodeon On Sunset studios.
 * A clip of Lisa Lillien (wife of Dan Schneider, as well as the Hungry Girl) at the iWeb Awards was later seen in Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh, which happened to air less than a month after this episode did.
 * In the gift basket that is given to Carly has a big red Yoshi inside.
 * Freddie is looking out his peephole waiting for Carly to come home. This is a reference to the first episode.

Reception

 * Newsday gives the movie a B-.

Gallery
View the gallery for this episode HERE.

Quotes
Sam : You sure you don't mind if I hang out at your place 'til dinner?

Carly : Yeah, it's fine. But don't you think you should go home and be with your mom?

Sam : What for?

Carly : 'Cause she's in bed with pneumonia!

Sam : I'm not a doctor!

Sam: Hey, you think Freddie's home from school yet?

Carly: Yeah, he got a ride, why?

Sam: Bet ya he's looking through his peephole waitin' fer you to come home.

Carly: No, he grew out of that.

Sam: Uh huh.

''[Sam creeps up to the peephole and slams her fist against it. Freddie screams and stumbles out of his apartment]''

Sam: Sup?

Freddie: I was not looking out my peephole waiting for you to come home!

Carly: I know you weren't.

Freddie: Good.

Carly: Peeper.

Freddie: What?!

Sam: Carly, when Mrs. Briggs said that you couldn't pick people for the talent show did you give up?

Carly: No.

Sam: And what about the time when those cops were screaming and yelling at me to stop running, did I give up?

Carly: No, you kept running.

Sam: And Freddie, have you given up you hope that someday Carly might love you?

Freddie: No.

Sam: Well, you should.

Mrs. Benson : [Holding up a syringe] Just one last shot, Freddie! Come across the hall and I'll give it to you at home.

Freddie : [Rolls up his sleeve] No, let's just do it here and get it over with.

Mrs. Benson : Um, this one doesn't go in your arm.

Freddie : Well, then, where does it ... Oh, man!

Mrs. Benson: I will not do my business in this bucket! I'm a lady!

Freight Dog: Oh, I understand. [hands Mrs. Benson a pink bucket with flowers]

Freddie : Are you cold?

Carly : Little bit.

Freddie : Maybe we should snuggle close together, you know, to keep warm -

Carly : [Rolling her eyes] No!

Freddie : All right!

Sam : [Holding a possum] Hey! Look at me, with a possum!

Carly : [Sternly] Sam, don't eat him!

Sam : I'm not gonna ... [Pauses to look at the possum] ... I'm not gonna eat him.

Mrs. Benson : Sam, be careful with that thing! You don't know where it's been!

Freddie : [Snorts] Like we know where Sam's been!

Secretary in Lobby: Hello. Welcome to Hotel Nakamura. May I help you?

Carly: [gestures to Freddie] Yeah, we're checking in.

Secretary in Lobby: Aw, honeymoon couple?

''[Freddie looks at Carly suggestively. Carly slaps him]''

[after acting out their whole journey]

Theodore: [in Japanese] They are supposed to be here. They are performers.

Guard: [in Japanese] Oh sorry my mistake, I have a bladder infection.

Theodore: [in Japanese] I'm sorry. [in English] Get him some cranberry juice.

Related iCarly.com blog posts
Sam's blog: The Highlight of My Trip!