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 ninty minutes, it is considered a TV movie, the first to stem from the series. 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 film 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 arrested for kidnapping, and Carly, Sam, Freddie, Spencer, and Mrs. Benson return to America on what appears to be a fishing boat.

Production
This is the first iCarly television movie. It began production in Spring 2008, with a November 8, 2008 release.

Cast

 * Miranda Cosgrove as Carly Shay
 * Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett
 * Nathan Kress as Freddie Benson
 * Jerry Trainor as Spencer Shay
 * Michael Butler Murray as Theodore Wilkins
 * Andrew Kishino as Japanese Standee
 * Ally Matsumura as Yuki
 * Harry Shum Jr. as Kyoko
 * Mary Scheer as Mrs. Benson
 * Good Charlotte as themselves

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.

Trivia

 * 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.
 * 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, on the message sign held up by one of the non-English-speaking studio guards.
 * 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
 * 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 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.
 * When you look at the movie:"Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh" if you look at the television you can see a short clip of one of the nominees of the iWeb Awards. She's doing the cooking thing.
 * 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.
 * The landing area is shown to be in an area that is devoid of just about everything. So how did a suitcase land in a lake?
 * During an interview with Miranda and Jerry, it is revealed that they had never been in Japan for the filming.

Reception

 * Newsday gives the movie a B-.

Quotes
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: 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]

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 with suggesting eyes. 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.