Series overview
The Kamen Rider franchise primarily revolves around the eponymous Kamen Rider, a superpowered vigilante who mostly resembles a grasshopper and rides a motorcycle, and their one-man war against an ever-larger malevolent force, usually a terrorist organization bent on world domination. A common running theme in the franchise is that the Rider's power is derived from the same source and technology used by malevolent forces, thus forming a moral vow for the protagonists to use this power to fight against evil.
Similar to its counterpart, each series focuses on a different Rider, a new set of characters and a different story set in its universe, though there have been multiple instances of past characters from previous Kamen Rider series crossing over to team up against a common foe.
The Kamen Riders
The Kamen Rider (Japanese: 仮面ライダー, Hepburn: Kamen Raidā, translated as "Masked Rider"), also known as simply Rider (ライダー, Raidā), is a collective name referring to the eponymous heroes and numerous individuals of the series. Usually resembling a grasshopper-themed masked superhero or a similarly-looking vigilante in spandex, the Riders are enhanced humans with superhuman strength, resilience and agility, specifically modified to fight an entire army. Originally created by the terrorist organization known as "Shocker" as a means of creating super-soldiers, one of these potential soldiers, biochemistry lab student and motorcycle enthusiast Takeshi Hongo, escaped from captivity and has since been fighting against Shocker, often recruiting similar individuals to fight alongside him.
Each Rider, whose appearance varies per series, has a full set of arsenal and equipment in their disposal, coined as the Rider System (ライダーシステム, Raidā Shisutemu), consisting of their Rider Belt (ライダーベルト, Raidā Beruto, also known as a "Driver") (a transformation item that allows a Rider to transform), its associating Rider Items (ライダーアイテム, Raidā Aitemu) (which can be used in conjunction with the Rider Belt to gain access to multiple forms) and Rider Weapons (ライダー兵器, Raidā Heiki) (auxiliary items serving as optional weapon of choice for the Riders), and their mode of transportation known as a Rider Machine (ライダーマシン, Raidā Mashin). A common theme amongst the Riders is that the Rider System's power was derived from the same technology/power source used by the villains, ironically using it fight against evil to such extent. From Kamen Rider Kuuga onwards, each Rider has multiple different forms, often divided into six tiers: the default Base Form (ベースフォーム, Bēsu Fōmu) and its multiple alternate Extra Forms (エクストラフォーム, Ekusutora Fōmu), the Mid-Season Form (ミッドシーズンフォーム, Middoshīzun Fōmu), the penultimate Super Form (スーパーフォーム, Sūpā Fōmu), the optional movie-exclusive Movie Form (映画フォーム, Eiga Fōmu) and the powerful aptly-named Final Form (ファイナルフォーム, Fainaru Fōmu).
Every Rider has a selection of powerful finishing moves, either accessible through their respective Rider Weapons and/or through other forms, though the most commonly-used finishing attack is the Rider Kick (ライダーキック, Raidā Kikku), a dive kick capable of destroying most enemies in a single strike by infusing it with such strength that it causes the opponent to violently explode.
History
In 1970, Toei producer Toru Hirayama (平山 亨, Hirayama Tōru) proposed a "Masked Hero Project", which he approached Shotaro Ishinomori to provide character designs for. This became Kamen Rider, which premiered on April 3, 1971 initially intended as an adaptation of Ishinomori's Skull Man manga. He and Hirayama redesigned the main character to resemble a grasshopper. The hero Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider, played by actor and stuntman Hiroshi Fujioka, was described as a transformed human (改造人間, kaizō ningen) (cyborg). During the filming of episode 10, Fujioka was thrown from his motorcycle during a stunt and broke both legs. Although most staff wanted Hongo to be killed off, Hirayama opposed it, saying "We can't destroy the children's dreams of being almighty."[3] His character was thus temporarily phased out until the introduction of another transformed human, Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2 (played by Takeshi Sasaki) was introduced in episode 14. Hongo (Fujioka) was reintroduced in episode 40, and by episode 53, had fully replaced Ichimonji's character until the two were united in episodes 72, 73, 93, 94 - and the series finale - episode 98.
The series from April 1971 to January 1976 (Kamen Rider, V3, X, Amazon, Stronger) included a recurring mentor, Tobei Tachibana, and also featured regular team-ups with each protagonist, with the exception of Amazon, with Hirayama stating "I was planning to save it until the next development, so I thought it was not necessary for a while, but the cancellation was decided." After a four-year hiatus following the finale of Kamen Rider Stronger, the series returned to broadcast television in October 1979 for two years with The New Kamen Rider (featuring Skyrider) and Kamen Rider Super-1. This was initiated by Hirayama studying the recent trend in science fiction productions and discussing ideas with fans. In these shows, Tachibana was replaced by a similar character named Genjiro Tani (谷 源次郎, Tani Genjirō). The annual new shows ended briefly during the 1980s, punctuated by the 1984 Kamen Rider ZX special Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!! (Hirayama's last project for the franchise).
Kamen Rider Black premiered in 1987, the first series since Amazon not hinting at a relationship to its predecessors. Black was the first show in the franchise with a direct sequel: Kamen Rider Black RX, the basis of Saban's Americanized Masked Rider. In RX's finale, the ten previous Riders returned to help Black RX defeat the Crisis Empire. Kamen Rider Black RX was the final show produced during the Shōwa era, with the franchise resuming production by the end of the 20th century. A manga of Kamen Rider Black was a novelization and reimagination of the Black-RX series' continuity. Absent from television during the 1990s, the franchise was kept alive by stage shows, musical CDs, and the Shin, ZO, and J films.[citation needed]
Phase 1
Toei announced a new project, Kamen Rider Kuuga, in May 1999. Kuuga was part of Ishinomori's 1997 Kamen Rider revival in preparation for its 30th anniversary, but he died before the shows materialized. During the summer of 1999, Kuuga was promoted in magazine advertisements and TV commercials. On January 30, 2000, Kamen Rider Kuuga premiered with newcomer Joe Odagiri.[4] Following Kuuga's 2001 sequel Kamen Rider Agito, the series deviated into a series of unconnected stories starting from Kamen Rider Ryuki in 2002 to Kamen Rider Kabuto in 2006.
In 2005, Kamen Rider: The First was produced. Written by Toshiki Inoue, the film reimagines the manga and original television series and characters from the original series had their storylines altered to fit the film's time span. Masaya Kikawada played Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 and Hassei Takano (previously Miyuki Tezuka/Kamen Rider Raia in Kamen Rider Ryuki) was Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2. This was followed in 2007 by Kamen Rider The Next, an adaptation of Kamen Rider V3 starring Kazuki Kato (previously Daisuke Kazama/Kamen Rider Drake in Kamen Rider Kabuto) as Shiro Kazami/Kamen Rider V3 and with Kikawada and Takano reprising their roles.[citation needed]
The eighth series, Kamen Rider Den-O, followed in 2007. It differed from past Kamen Rider series with the main protagonist being unsure of himself and uses a large vehicle, the DenLiner: a time traveling bullet train. Although the series has only two riders (Den-O and Zeronos), they have multiple forms similar to Black RX, Kuuga, and Agito. Due to Den-O's popularity, a second film crossover with the 2008 series Kamen Rider Kiva was released on April 12, 2008. The top film in its opening weekend,[5] it grossed ¥730 million.[6] In addition, Animate produced an OVA, Imagin Anime, with SD versions of the Imagin. A third film, Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown (with two new riders) serves as a series epilogue.[6] According to Takeru Satoh, who played the titular protagonist in the television series and first three films, Den-O was successful because of its humor.[7]
The 2009 series, Kamen Rider Decade, commemorated the Heisei run's 10th anniversary with its protagonist able to assume the forms of his predecessors. Japanese recording artist Gackt performed the series' opening theme, "Journey through the Decade", and the film's theme song ("The Next Decade") and jokingly expressed interest in playing a villain on the show.[8] Also announced in 2009 was a fourth Den-O film[9] (later revealed as the beginning of the Cho-Den-O Series of films),[10] starting with Cho Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade Neo Generations: The Onigashima Warship. In the March 2009 issue of Kindai magazine, Decade star Masahiro Inoue said that the series was scheduled for only 30 episodes.[citation needed]
Phase 2
Advertisements in May, June, and July 2009 promoted the debut of Kamen Rider W,[11] who first appeared at the 10th-anniversary Masked Rider Live event[12] and was featured in Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker. The staff of W said that they planned to make 10 more years of Kamen Rider, differentiating subsequent series from the Kuuga through Decade period (including a new broadcast season from September of one year to about August of the next). The hero of Kamen Rider W is the first Kamen Rider to transform from two people at once,[11] and the series premiered on September 6, 2009.[13] Continuing into 2010 with Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010, W ran from September 2009 to September 2010 instead of from January to January. The second, third, and fourth films of the Cho-Den-O series, collectively known as Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Cho-Den-O Trilogy, were also released in 2010.[14] Late 2010 brought the series Kamen Rider OOO to television after W's finale, and 2011 observed the 40th anniversary of the franchise. Festivities that year included the Kamen Rider Girls idol group, the film OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders (released on April 1) and OOO's successor, Kamen Rider Fourze, which references the previous heroes in its characters' names and its plot. A crossover film, Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen, was released in 2012 featuring the heroes of all Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series to date.[15]
With Fourze's run complete in 2012, Kamen Rider Wizard premiered; its protagonist was the first Kamen Rider to use magic.[16] Wizard additionally had the first homosexual character and cast member with Kaba-chan.[17] Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z, a sequel to 2012's Super Hero Taisen with the revived Metal Hero Series characters from Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie and other characters created by Shotaro Ishinomori appearing in Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie War Ultimatum, was released in 2013.[citation needed]
On May 20, 2013, Toei filed for several trademarks on the phrase Kamen Raidā Gaimu (仮面ライダー鎧武（ガイム）).[18] Kamen Rider Gaim previewed on July 25, 2013, revealing a Sengoku period and fruit-themed motif to the series' multiple-rival Kamen Riders and Gen Urobuchi as the series' main writer.[19][20] The third entry in the Super Hero Taisen film series, Heisei Rider vs. Shōwa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai, marked the 15th anniversary of the Heisei Kamen Rider era and revolved around a conflict between the 15 Heisei Riders and the 15 Showa Riders with Kamen Rider Fifteen, and a cameo appearance by the ToQgers and the Kyoryugers. It also marked the start of a yearly Haruyasumi Gattai Supesharu (春休み合体スペシャル, Spring Break Combined Special) involving each year's Kamen Rider teaming up with the current Super Sentai team in a story tying into that year's entry in the Super Hero Taisen movie series. Gaim was followed in 2014 by Kamen Rider Drive, the first Kamen Rider since Kamen Rider Black RX (who also used a motorcycle), to use a car instead of a motorcycle.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] The fourth Super Hero Taisen, Super Hero Taisen GP, marks Kamen Rider 3's first live-action appearance after the Showa Kamen Rider manga. Kamen Rider Ghost was introduced in 2015. In 2016 the Kamen Rider series celebrated its 45th anniversary, and Toei released the film Kamen Rider 1 on March 26, 2016.[30] Kamen Rider Ex-Aid was introduced in 2016 and was the first Rider series to have a character, Kiriya Kujo, portray the main Rider's motorcycle. A Movie War film known as Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider was announced for December 10, 2016, featuring Bandai Namco Entertainment's original character created by Namco prior to merging with Bandai in 2006, Pac-Man. Following up Ex-Aid's finale, Kamen Rider Build premiered on September 3, 2017.[31] The twentieth and last series of the Heisei era, Kamen Rider Zi-O, which commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Heisei era, premiered on September 2, 2018. On December 22, 2018, a film commemorating all the Riders of the Heisei Era titled Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever premiered in Japanese theaters.
On May 13, 2019, Toei filed a trademark on the phrase Kamen Rider Zero-One (仮面ライダーゼロワン, Kamen Raidā Zerowan), which premiered on September 1, 2019.[32] It is followed up by Kamen Rider Saber (仮面ライダーセイバー/聖刃, Kamen Raidā Seibā) on September 6, 2020, It is followed by Kamen Rider Revice (仮面ライダーリバイス, Kamen Raidā Ribaisu) on September 5, 2021
. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Kamen Rider series, Neon Genesis Evangelion director Hideaki Anno was announced as the writer and director of Shin Kamen Rider (シン・仮面ライダー, Shin Kamen Raidā), a reimagining of the original 1971 series. It is planned for release in 2023.[33]
The franchise's latest complete entry in the Reiwa era is Kamen Rider Geats (仮面ライダーギーツ, Kamen Raidā Gītsu), which debuted in September 2022 following the finale of Revice. The series would end in 2023, with Kamen Rider Gotchard (仮面ライダーガッチャード, Kamen Raidā Gatchādo) debuting following the finale as the current airing series.
Adaptations outside Japan
Taiwan
In 1975–1976, Tong Hsing Film Co., Ltd. in Taiwan produced a Super Riders series based on the Japanese version.
United States
In 1995, Saban produced the first American Masked Rider series after its success adapting Super Sentai into Power Rangers and the Metal Hero Series (VR Troopers and Beetleborgs). Unfortunately, the show was panned by critics and fans from the series, and it only lasted one 40-episode season, with the first 27 debuting on Fox Kids, while the other 13 debuted in syndication.
In 2009, a new series, produced by Michael and Steve Wang, was broadcast: Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, which was adapted from Kamen Rider Ryuki. Although it was canceled before finishing its syndicated run, it won the first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Coordination at the 37th Daytime Emmy Awards.
[35][36]
Unofficial Thailand adaptation
In 1975, Chaiyo Productions made an unofficial Kamen Rider movie entitled Hanuman and the Five Riders, which used original footage of Chaiyo's Hanuman character, spliced with footage from the "Five Riders Vs. King Dark" movie. However, Chaiyo went ahead with the production without authorisation after Toei denied them permission to make an official movie with them, putting the legality of the movie into question.
Homages and parodies
The Kamen Rider franchise has been parodied in and outside Japan. One parody is of the Kamen Rider henshin (metamorphosis) pose.
In video games, Skullomania (from Street Fighter EX) and May Lee (from The King of Fighters) are examples of Kamen Rider parodies. The titular protagonist of the Viewtiful Joe game series is modeled after the heroes of Kamen Rider and other tokusatsu series of the 1960s and 1970s, according to character designer Kumiko Suekane. In the Pokémon franchise, the grasshopper-based Pokémon known as Lokix appears to take inspiration from the heroes of the Kamen Rider series, further evidenced by the original Kamen Rider's grasshopper motif (which is also shared with other primary Riders).
In anime, examples include Fair, then Partly Piggy, My-HiME (and its sequel, My Otome), Dragon Ball Z, and Franken Fran. In the Crayon Shin-chan series, the title character interacts with Kamen Riders in crossover specials. Detective Conan has a recurring TV series the detective boys like to watch, Kamen Yaiba. In One Punch Man, the C Class Hero Mumen Rider is a parody, being an ordinary man in a world of superhuman beings, riding a bicycle rather than a motorcycle. However, despite his weakness, he is extremely heroic and his actions form a counterpoint to his parodic character conception. The series has also been parodied and homaged in the Disney Channel series Amphibia.
In live-action, parodies include "Kamen Renaider" by SMAP's Takuya Kimura and Shingo Katori, a parody of Ryuki; "Kamen Zaiber", a parody of the original series; "Kamen Norider" by the Tunnels, a parody of Kamen Rider 1 and as well as the first series; "Kamen Rider HG", Hard Gay's parody of the original for a Japanese TV show, and "Ridermen" (a short skit with a man called Ridermen, a parody of the Riderman on the set of Kamen Rider Kuuga.
Akimasa Nakamura, a Japanese astronomer named two minor planets in honor of the series: 12408 Fujioka for actor Hiroshi Fujioka, known for his portrayal of Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1,[38][39] and 12796 Kamenrider for the series itself.[38][40]
