Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho: Who Will Win This Fight?

Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho: Who Will Win This Fight?

 

Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho 7 Red Mask of Hikari Sentai Maskman is pissed!

 

Who do you think will win if you pit Hikari Sentai Maskman‘s Red Mask against a Filipino journalist? We’ll have to find out because Red Mask is pissed!

Technically, it’s not Red Mask who is pissed because we all know that he is a fictional anime character. The person who is angry at the award-winning journalist is Mrs. Inaba, wife of Inaba Kazunori, the Japanese actor who played Red Mask in the hit series. According to this Facebook post from his wife, a researcher from Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho contacted her husband for a potential feature. But after a while, the couple did not hear from the researcher. She posted this status update on her Facebook page:

 

 Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho

 

According to the post, “Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho researcher, ginawa niyong tanga ang asawa ko pati ang mga ibang Sentai actors dito, nakiusap kayo na kailangan niyo mainterview asawa ko at willing kami tulungan kayo. Kinausap ng asawa ko ang mga ibang Sentai actors para sa interview na ‘yan, ‘yung iba nagcancel ng gagawin nila, ‘yung iba naman kahit busy sa business nila at trabaho, isiningit nila ‘yang interview na ‘yan. Kaso ginawa niyo silang tanga. Kahit na free, nag-oo sila dahil ang gusto nila mapaligaya ang mga Pinoy fans sa Pilipinas pero ni yes or no na sagot sa inyo, wala. Wala na kaming maipapakitang mukha nang asawa ko sa mga actors dahil sa ginawa niyo. Pinoy fans, kung fans po talaga kayo ng tokusatus, sana po huwag nating hayaang mawala nang tiwala ng mga actors sa ating mga Pinoy. Please… please share this. Marami pong salamat.”

(Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho researcher, you played my husband and other Sentai actors for fools. You talked to us about interviewing my husband and we were willing to help. My husband talked to other Sentai actors, and some of them cancelled their plans or skipped work just so they can do the interview. But you fooled them. Even if it’s free, they said yes because they wanted to make Filipinos fans happy. But we did not hear from you after. My husband and I can’t face the other actors because of what you did. To the Filipino fans, if you are really fans of the tokusatus, I hope we won’t allow the actors to lose their trust in us Filipinos. Please share this. Thank you so much.)

 Mrs. Inaba posted a more detailed version story on the Fiveman Facebook page:

 

 Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho 2

 

The post reads, “Malou Sequerra, Benny Chan, ako po ang wife ni Red Mask. Hindi ko po sinisiraan ang Jessica, actually malaki ang respeto ko sa kanila. Nakiusap sila sakin last month pa pero ni isang details wala silang maibigay, pero kahit na papaano, naghintay pa rin kami last Tuesday. Tumawag sila at gusto nila papuntahin si Red Mask, my husband, sa Chiba. Two hours ang biyahe from Tokyo dahil gusto nila doon ang interview sa September 2. Next week nang Tuesday, sabi ko hindi pwede magbiyahe asawa ko nang ganun kalayo, then humingi sila nang tulong para mainterview ang mga ibang actors like Fiveman, Turbo Ranger, Bioman, at Dairanger, Isa sa mga Sentai na yan tinawagan ng asawa ko at pumayag sila kahit na walang bayad or talent fee dahil ang mga iba is negosyante na at ‘yung iba actor pa rin. Sa September 2, nagrequest lang sila na gawing 4:00 PM ang interview at hindi 5:00 PM dahil ‘yung iba meron pang guest appearance nang 6:00PM dito, pero binigay nila ang schedule nila sa amin at kahit malayo ang iba, pupunta sa resto namin for the interview. But Tuesday ng gabi, nagmessage ako sa kanila na kung pwede iconfirm nila but wala silang reply. Saturday na po ngayon, sa Tuesday ang interview, di po namin alam kung tuloy at kailangan ba nilang pumunta sa resto namin ang mga actor? Kung kayo po ang nasa lugar ko ngayon, galit at pagkapahiya ang mararamdaman niyo dahil ako po at ang asawa ko ang humingi ng favor sa mga actor at hindi po ang researcher ng Jessica Soho. Salamat po sa pagunawa.”

(Malou Sequerra, Benny Chan, I am the wife of Red Mask. I’m not trying to ruin Jessica’s reputation because I have huge respect for them. They talked to me last month, but they couldn’t give me any details. Still, we waited last Tuesday for the interview. They called and wanted to interview my husband at Chiba, which is two hours away from Tokyo. The following Tuesday, I told them that my husband could not travel that far, and they asked for help in contacting the other actors like Fiveman, Turbo Ranger, Bioman, and Dairanger. My husband called them and they agreed to be interviewed even without pay, because some of them are businessmen while others are still acting. On September 2, the actors requested to have the interview at our restaurant at 4:00PM instead of 5:00PM because some of them have guest appearances at 6:00PM. I sent the researcher a message on Tuesday night to confirm, but they did not reply. It’s already Saturday, the interview is on Tuesday, and we don’t know if it’s still pushing through and if we should ask the actors to go. If you were in my place, you would feel angry and embarrassed because my husband and I contact the actors and not the researcher. Thank you for understanding.)

Mrs. Inaba did not specify who Malou Sequerra and Benny Chan are.

 

Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho 6

Fans were upset over the incident, with one fan calling for the Maskmen to start a fight with the show

 

 After the post went viral, Mrs. Inaba received a call from the Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho staff. According to her:

 

 Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho 3

 

“September 2, 2014 5:00PM. Sa resto namin dapat ang interview pero wala kayo confirmation at reply na sa amin, tapos sasabihin niyo na hectic ang schedule niyo kaya cancel niyo na lang ang interview. Dahil sa nagalit na ang mga fans, doon niyo ko tatawagan na cancel na pala! Pero hindi ninyo kami ininform na cancel before na cancelled pala, without knowing nacancel pala ang interview. So it means kung hindi pala ako nagpost nang ganito sa wall, maghihintay ang limang Super Sentai actors dito sa resto namin hindi pala kayo darating! Ni sorry sa researcher wala, bagkus pinagalitan mo pa ako at sinumbatan na bakit ako nagpost sa wall ko!”

“September 2, 2014 5:00PM. The interview was supposed to be at our restaurant. You did not reply or confirm, and then you’re going to tell us that your schedule is hectic so the interview will be cancelled. You only bothered to call after the fans got mad about what happened, but you did not call us before the interview to cancel it. It means that if I did not post this on my wall, the five Super Sentai actors will have to wait for nothing! The researcher did not apologize, instead s/he got mad and asked why I posted it on my wall!”

The Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho Facebook page immediately released its official statement on the matter. They apologized to Mrs. Inaba, and said that they will conduct an investigation as per internal rules:

 

Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho 4 

 

Nakarating sa aming programa ang hinaing ni Mrs. Georgette Anne Inaba, tungkol sa hindi pagkakatuloy ng dapat sana’y interview sa mga Sentai actor. Nakipag-ugnayan kami kay Mrs. Inaba at humingi ng paumanhin sa pangyayaring ito. Alinsunod po sa aming internal rules, magsasagawa po kami ng imbestigasyon ukol dito. Salamat po.

“We have received news of Mrs. (deleted) Inaba’s complaint about the cancelled interview of the Sentai actors. We have coordinated with Mrs. Inaba and asked for her forgiveness. As per internal rules, we are going to conduct an investigation into the matter. Thank you.”

It looks the Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho fight, which could easily become the fight of the century, is called off, because Red Mask released his “official statement” through his wife’s Facebook page:

 

Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho 5

 

Heto po ang message ni Red Mask Michael Joe para sa mga Pinoy fans na sumuporta sa kanila ngayon. Ang sabi po ni Red Mask, ‘Thank you for the continuous support. I’m excited to go back someday to the Philippines and see you all.””

(This is Michael Joe, or Red Mask’s message for the Filipino fans who continue to support them. According to Red Mask, ‘Thank you for the continuous support. I’m excited to go back someday to the Philippines and see you all.'”)

Who do you think is at fault here? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Red Mask vs. Jessica Soho: Who Will Win This Fight?