Kamen Rider W

Kamen Rider W (仮面ライダーW, Kamen Raidā Daburu), also called Kamen Rider Double, is a 2009–2010 Japanese tokusatsu drama, the eleventh series in the Heisei period run of the Kamen Rider Series and the twentieth overall. It premiered following the finale of Kamen Rider Decade on September 6, 2009, and aired alongside Samurai Sentai Shinkenger in TV Asahi's Super Hero Time programming block. Following Shinkenger's finale, it aired alongside Tensou Sentai Goseiger, until W concluded on August 29, 2010. The series is described as the "Heisei Kamen Rider 10th Anniversary Project: Fall Campaign" (平成仮面ライダー10周年プロジェクト 秋の陣, Heisei Kamen Raidā Jusshūnen Purojekuto: Aki no Jin). In the first episode of Kamen Rider Fourze, W is revealed to be in the same continuity as the original Showa timeline, making it the first series to do so since Kamen Rider Agito. The series is notable for being the first installment in what's popularly viewed as Heisei era Kamen Rider's second phase by fans. A sequel manga series, Fuuto PI, began serialization in August 2017 and an anime adaptation began airing in August 2022.
Advertisements throughout the months of May, June, and July 2009 built up to the debut of Kamen Rider W, who first appeared at the 10th Anniversary Project MASKED RIDER LIVE & SHOW event, and also featured in Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker.
Hiroshi Tanahashi of New Japan Pro-Wrestling is a self-admitted fan of Kamen Rider W, in June 2010 made a new costume designed after Kamen Rider W FangJoker's design and wore it at a match in Osaka on June 19. Rin Asuka also appeared at the match to promote the show.
The Kamen Rider W trademark was registered by Toei on March 27, 2009.
The series' main writer is Riku Sanjo and the main director is Ryuta Tasaki. The theme song titled "W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~" is performed by Aya Kamiki with former JUDY AND MARY guitarist TAKUYA as the unit "Aya Kamiki w TAKUYA" (上木彩矢 w TAKUYA, Kamiki Aya wizu TAKUYA). The creature designer is Katsuya Terada, previously the character designer for Blood: The Last Vampire, the designer of Monster X for Godzilla: Final Wars, the designer of Cutie Honey's costume for Cutie Honey, and the mechanic and character design refinement for Yatterman.
Newcomer Masaki Suda portrays the mysterious Philip. Drama actor Renn Kiriyama, who made his acting debut as Bunta Marui in Musical Prince of Tennis: Absolute King Rikkai feat. Rokkaku ~ First Service, joins the cast as Shotaro Hidari. Hikaru Yamamoto, who made her acting debut in Watashitachi no Kyōkasho as Chiharu Nobue, portrays the female lead Akiko Narumi. Comedian and actor Takeshi Nadagi portrays Mikio Jinno and veteran actor Minori Terada, known for his leading role in The Human Bullet, portrays Ryubee Sonozaki.
Many people live in peace and harmony in Fuuto (風都, Fūto, the "Windy City"), an ecologically-minded and wind-powered city. However, this peace is undermined by the Sonozaki Family, who sell mysterious flash drive-like devices called Gaia Memories to criminals and other interested parties. These individuals use the Gaia Memories to become Dopants, committing crimes with the police force powerless to stop them. To make matters worse, the Gaia Memories can cause their users to go insane, to the point where they could die from using the devices unrestrained. After the death of his boss Sokichi Narumi, the self-proclaimed hard-boiled (actually half-boiled) detective Shotaro Hidari works with the mysterious Philip, who possesses a set of purified Gaia Memories, to investigate Dopant-related crimes in Fuuto. With their Gaia Memories and the Double Driver belts, Shotaro and Philip transform and combine into Kamen Rider W to fight the Dopant menace and keep Fuuto safe. While joined in their fight by investigator Ryu Terui, who transforms into Kamen Rider Accel, the mystery of Philip's past, his relation to the Sonozaki Family, and their Museum organization are revealed.
All episodes of Kamen Rider W have two titles: the first indicates a story arc while the second indicates the episode's title. The letter of the Latin alphabet in the story arc title has a double meaning: it represents a major character (Kamen Rider, Dopant, or otherwise) that is featured in the arc and another English word that indicates the theme of the arc.
To tie into the show, TV Asahi, Toei, and Avex Trax have produced the Wind Wave FM Internet radio station. Only one of the shows, Wakana's Healing Princess (園咲若菜のヒーリングプリンセス, Sonozaki Wakana no Hīringu Purinsesu), also exists within the fiction of Kamen Rider W. The other programs, DJ Hurry Kenn's FU-TO Hit on Groove music show and Tsuyoshi and Ayano's Head Wind: One-Game Match!! (向い風 一本勝負!!, Mukaikaze Ipponshōbu!!) show, treat the television series as fiction, explicitly referring to the songs they play as theme songs (as part of a mail in request, DJ Hurry Kenn played AAA DEN-O form's "Climax Jump", and referred to it as the theme song for Kamen Rider Den-O). All of W's theme songs have been played as part of the various radio shows, several of which were first heard on the "radio" before being utilized as part of an episode's soundtrack. On March 7, a new radio show featuring Queen & Elizabeth titled Queen & Elizabeth's White Hearts!! (QueenとElizabethの白抜きハートマーク!!, Kuīn to Erisabesu no Shironuki Hātomāku!!) began "airing", but was discontinued a month later. To mirror the current events in the show's story, Healing Princess was cancelled on June 13, 2010.
Kamen Rider W made his first appearance as a cameo in the film Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker.
As part of the Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010 (仮面ライダー×仮面ライダー Ｗ（ダブル）&ディケイド MOVIE大戦2010, Kamen Raidā × Kamen Raidā Daburu Ando Dikeido Mūbī Taisen Nisenjū) triple feature, W's film Kamen Rider W: Begins Night (劇場版 仮面ライダーＷ（ダブル）～ビギンズナイト～, Kamen Raidā Daburu ~Biginzu Naito~) opened in Japanese theaters on December 12, 2009. The film expands on the origins of Kamen Rider W, featuring guest star Koji Kikkawa as Shotaro's mentor and Akiko's father Sokichi Narumi. The events of the movie took place between episodes 14 and 15.
In addition to the Movie War 2010 films, W also has a feature film titled Kamen Rider W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate (仮面ライダーＷ（ダブル） FOREVER AtoZ／運命のガイアメモリ, Kamen Raidā Daburu Fōebā Ē tu Zetto/Unmei no Gaia Memori). Filmed in 3-D, it was released in theaters on August 7, 2010, double-billed with Tensou Sentai Goseiger: Epic on the Movie. Mitsuru Matsuoka, lead singer of Sophia served as the film's primary antagonist. It also features the first on-screen appearance of the 12th Heisei Kamen Rider: Kamen Rider OOO. The events of the movie took place between episodes 44 and 45.
The second Movie War film to primarily feature W, titled Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W Featuring Skull: Movie War Core (仮面ライダー×仮面ライダー オーズ&ダブル feat.スカル MOVIE大戦CORE, Kamen Raidā × Kamen Raidā Ōzu Ando Daburu Fīcharingu Sukaru Mūbī Taisen Koa), was released in theatres on December 18, 2010, with the main W section titled Kamen Rider Skull: Message for W (仮面ライダースカル メッセージforダブル, Kamen Raidā Sukaru: Messēji fō Daburu).
Kiriyama and Suda made cameo appearances, reprising their roles as Shotaro Hidari and Philip in the 40th-anniversary film OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders (オーズ・電王・オールライダー レッツゴー仮面ライダー, Ōzu Den'ō Ōru Raidā Rettsu Gō Kamen Raidā).
Kiriyama and Suda reprised their roles as Shotaro Hidari and Philip in the 2011 film Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max (仮面ライダー×仮面ライダー フォーゼ&オーズ MOVIE大戦MEGA MAX, Kamen Raidā × Kamen Raidā Fōze Ando Ōzu Mūbī Taisen Mega Makkusu), released on December 10, 2011. The third out of the 5 parts of this Movie War, Fuuto: The Conspiracy Advances (風都 暗躍する陰謀, Fūto Anyaku Suru Inbō), took places in Fuuto and featured Kamen Rider W continuing his battle against Foundation X.
Heisei Rider vs. Shōwa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai (平成ライダー対昭和ライダー 仮面ライダー大戦 feat.スーパー戦隊, Heisei Raidā Tai Shōwa Raidā Kamen Raidā Taisen Fīcharingu Sūpā Sentai) made its theater debut on March 29, 2014. Masahiro Inoue, playing Kamen Rider Decade, alongside many other lead actors of other series appeared in the film, including Gaku Sano of Kamen Rider Gaim, Renn Kiriyama of Kamen Rider W, Kohei Murakami and Kento Handa of Kamen Rider 555, Shunya Shiraishi from Kamen Rider Wizard, Ryo Hayami of Kamen Rider X, and Hiroshi Fujioka of the original Kamen Rider. The Sentai teams' Ressha Sentai ToQger and Ryo Ryusei as Daigo Kiryu from Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger were also in the movie. Shun Sugata playing Kamen Rider ZX from the Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!! TV special returned, also performing as Ambassador Darkness. Itsuji Itao of Kamen Rider The First played Ren Aoi, Kamen Rider Fifteen, a main antagonist of the film.
As part of the special features on the DVD releases, a series of short films are included called "Shotaro Hidari Hard-Boiled Delusion Diary" (左翔太郎ハードボイルド妄想日記, Hidari Shōtarō Hādoboirudo Mōsō Nikki) in which Shotaro daydreams about what life would be like if he, Akiko, or Ryu acted differently. These feature a Dopant from the DVD volume in a completely different role than it had in the series proper. These are then followed by members of the cast discussing their favorite parts of the episodes included in the DVD volume. These mini-dramas appear again in Fuuto PI.
At several planetaria throughout Japan, Toei had produced a film called "Kamen Rider: The Fearful Global Warming Plan" (仮面ライダー 恐怖の地球温暖化計画, Kamen Raidā Kyōfu no Chikyū Ondanka Keikaku) to teach children about global warming (with narration by Hirohiko Kakegawa). Shotaro Hidari (portrayed by Kiriyama) and Philip (portrayed by Suda) who transform into Kamen Rider W, alongside Kamen Rider 1 (voiced by Tetsu Inada), Kamen Rider 2 (voiced by Takahiro Fujimoto), and the ten previous Heisei Riders, fight Shocker led by its President (Hidekatsu Shibata) and Gelshocker's Leechameleon (voiced by Yasuhiro Takato) who plan on destroying the Earth by having it succumb to global warming. Airings first began at the Fukuoka Science Museum on June 5, 2010, and later at Kagawa Prefecture's Sanuki Kid's Land, Chūō, Tokyo's Time Dome Akashi, the Seki Manabi Center, the Kagoshima Municipal Science Center, the Tondabayashi Subaru Hall, and the Sendai Astronomical Observatory in Aoba-ku, with shows starting later in the year at the Kobe Science Museum in Chūō-ku, Kobe, and the Saitama Municipal Youth's Astronomical Science Museum in Urawa-ku, Saitama.
The Hyper Battle DVD for W is titled Kamen Rider W Hyper Battle DVD: Donburi's α/Farewell Beloved Recipe (仮面ライダーＷ（ダブル） 超バトルDVD 丼のα／さらば愛しのレシピよ, Kamen Raidā Daburu Haipā Batoru Dī Bui Dī Donburi no α/Saraba Itoshi no Reshipi yo). It features a cooking contest between Ryu Terui, Akiko Narumi, and Shotaro Hidari, in order to best figure out what the contents of the Donburi Dopant are, to eventually discover that he is the Oyakodon Dopant. The Hyper Battle DVD features guest stars Hiroshi as the OmuriFu Shop's Master Izo Aida (相田 伊三, Aida Izō), Reina Fujie of AKB48 as his daughter Eriko Aida (相田 エリコ, Aida Eriko), and Shinichiro Ohta of Iron Chef fame as the voice of the Frog Pod who comments throughout the cooking contest (Ōta also served as the narrator in GoGo Sentai Boukenger).
The Kamen Rider W DVD: Gaia Memory Field Guide (仮面ライダーＷ（ダブル） DVD ガイアメモリ大図鑑, Kamen Raidā Daburu Dī Bui Dī Gaia Memori Daizukan) is a DVD packaged with the August 2010 issue of Televi-Kun magazine. The issue also comes with a short book with the information described in the DVD. The DVD is set shortly after the Hyper Battle DVD, and features the content normally found in the Hyper Battle DVD (explaining the powers and weapons of the Kamen Riders), explained as Philip having come down with temporary amnesia after slipping on an egg shell and hitting his head.
Kamen Rider W Returns (仮面ライダーＷ（ダブル） RETURNS, Kamen Raidā Daburu Ritānzu) is a set of two V-Cinema releases that focus on side stories of Ryu Terui as Kamen Rider Accel and Katsumi Daido as Kamen Rider Eternal. Both releases are named after their primary character.
W's S.I.C Hero Saga side story Kamen Rider W: Playback commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series with Shotaro Hidari and Philip leading Shotaro Ishinomori through the events following his creation of the television series in 1971. The first episode was published in Hobby Japan, July 2011. Each episode is named after a different story written by Raymond Chandler.
Kamen Rider W: The One Who Continues After Z (仮面ライダーＷ（ダブル） ～Zを継ぐ者～, Kamen Raidā Daburu ~Zetto o Tsugu Mono~), written by Riku Sanjo, is part of a series of spin-off novel adaptions of the Heisei Era Kamen Riders. Phillip takes up Shotaro's job in solving cases after he becomes sick. Phillip uses Kamen Rider W Fang Joker and fights alongside Kamen Rider Accel, however the Dopants get tougher and force Philip to become a Kamen Rider himself: Kamen Rider Cyclone. The novel was released on November 30, 2012. The novel takes place between episodes 32 and 33.
Fuuto PI (風都探偵, Fūto Tantei) is a manga sequel that has been serialized in Big Comic Spirits weekly magazine since August 7, 2017. Riku Sanjo, the main writer for the original series, was in charge of the manga's scripts, Masaki Sato drew the manga, Toei producer Hideaki Tsukada supervised the manga, and Katsuya Terada was credited for creature designs.
An anime adaptation celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Kamen Rider series and began airing in August 2022. The story is set after Kamen Rider W Returns: Kamen Rider Accel. The series will be streamed in English by Funimation. Some of the cast who has previously voiced their characters in the video game Kamen Rider: Memory of Heroez reprises their roles.
During the events of episode 8, the song "Glorious Street (Eikō no Michi)" (Glorious street 〜栄光の道〜) by Florida Keys was played within the show by a character. During episodes 23 and 24, the character Jimmy Nakata performed an original song titled "Fuuto Tower" (風都タワー, Fūto Tawā); this song was included as a bonus track on the standard DVD release version of the "Love♡Wars" single. During episode 23, Shotaro and Philip cover "Finger on the Trigger" in the Fuuuuuutic Idol contest. In addition to these songs, Head Wind One-Game Match!! DJs Tsuyoshi & Ayano (つよしとあやの, Tsuyoshi to Ayano) have written and performed the song "WIND WAVE" as a theme song for the fictional radio station. This song, as well as "Glorious Street (Eikō no Michi)", and "Extreme Dream" have been included in the complete CD box set.
The bands that perform the series' ending themes are also featured in the programs as being local bands in the fictional city of Fuuto: crossover rock band Labor Day's "Cyclone Effect", heavy metal/hard rock band Galveston 19's "Free Your Heat", and hip-hop group Florida Keys' "Finger on the Trigger". Each of these bands is named after a major early 20th century hurricane: the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and the 1919 Florida Keys hurricane. The newest group, the visual kei band Wilma-Sidr, is named after Hurricane Wilma and Cyclone Sidr.
Episode 295-A of Sgt. Frog titled "Keroro, The Two of Us are One Kerororm" (ケロロ 二人が一人ケロロ〜ム! であります, Keroro Futari ga Hitori Kerorōmu! de Arimasu) features the members of the Keroro Platoon finding an artifact that allows two of them to combine into a single Keroro, each with new powers. The episode title is based on Kamen Rider W's catchphrase and the resultant transformation resembles that of Kamen Rider W (the characters appear to be split down the middle, with one side being, for example, Keroro and the other Tamama).