Kamen Rider Kuuga

Kamen Rider Kuuga is a tokusatsu superhero television series. The original airing consisted of a total of 49 episodes and was broadcast from January 30, 2000 to January 21, 2001. The series sparked the revival of the Kamen Rider series as the first Heisei series.
==Canon==
In the year 2000, a tomb is disturbed and an ancient evil unleashed. Yusuke Godai happens to receive a belt that was recovered from the ruins of the tomb, which is absorbed into his body and he becomes Kamen Rider Kuuga. He has to fight the Grongi, the race that have been unleashed, as they are killing people to establish who the strongest is among them and the rightful inheritor of the ancient evil.
==Manga==
In 2015, Kuuga received a manga adaptation, written by Toshiki Inoue and illustrated Hitotsu Yokoshima. The manga is set to receive an English release in 2022. The story of the manga strays significantly from the original show, including having a crossover with Inoue's own rider season, Kamen Rider Agito.
===Fan Response===
The manga version of Kuuga also appeared in Kamen Rider Zi-O: Over Quartzer, which caused a reaction from fans.
==Novel==
The novel was released on June 28, 2013 in Japan, and was later translated by RevolutionPotato into English. The novel is set 12 years after the end of the original series.
===Fan Response===
The novel was particularly popular with 51 shippers.
There is also a more general appreciation for the novel.
Some fans, however, were less pleased with it.
==Fandom==
===Appeal===
While Kamen Rider Kuuga was aimed at children under 12Clements, Jonathan; Tamamuro, Motoko (2003). The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Drama Since 1953. Stone Bridge Press. p. 182. ISBN 1880656817., its casting of Joe Odagiri as Yusuke Godai caused the show to gain a large fandom of adult women in their 30s, starting with the parents of the children watching the show. 
The show also has gained a reputation in recent years for being more "mature" than other rider seasons.
===Shipping===
While shipping is popular in the fandom, there are very few ships with any popularity in the fandom. The main ship is Yusuke Godai/Kaoru Ichijou, most commonly known as 51 in the Japanese fandom and known by the same name in some parts of English-speaking fandom. The ship name comes from the Japanese spelling of their names, 五代 and 一条. While other ships exist, few of them move beyond the state of rare pairs and fanfiction will frequently only have them as a side ship or a ship to break up in favour of 51.
===Tropes===
*Reunion fanfiction is popular after Godai's departure at the end of the show. Some fans work with the content of the novel, however, some write completely outwith that.
*Missing Scene fanfiction is also particularly popular, particularly set between episodes 19 and 20.
==Legacy==
Within the wider Kamen Rider fandom, Kuuga has a legacy in response to shipping in the shows.
Many fans feel that no matter how much shipteasing happens in other Rider shows, it will never live up to the development between Yusuke Godai and Kaoru Ichijou in Kuuga. While usually a jokish response, many Kuuga fans will say, Kuuga won the (non-existent) ship war.
===Godai Day===
Godai Day is a celebrated day in Kamen Rider fandom on the 18th of March, the birthday of protagonist Yusuke Godai and the passcode for the Trychaser in the series. Started in a similar vein to Kamen Rider Faiz's "Kaixa Day", the day is the exact opposite sentiment. While Kaixa Day is a a day for "being a dick", Kuuga Day is about doing something to help. Other ways to partake in the day include rewatching Kuuga or posting content related to the show. PockySquirrel (2016) 'Godai Day' [Accessed 18/03/2022]
===The Odagiri Effect===
The "Odagiri Effect" was named after Kuuga actor, Joe Odagiri. While Kuuga was aimed at children under 12, it gained a large audience of women around the after of 30. A dedicated fandom sprung up due to people tuning in because Joe Odagiri was attractive. The next year, Toei attempted to recreate this effect, casting three attractive male actors for Kamen Rider Agito, and, once again, the series gained attention from people initially watching for the attractive actors. While this phenomenon wasn't new, this was the series that got its name and the principle has become widely adopted to pull in fandoms for series.
==Example Fanworks==
===Fanfiction===
*Fatal Word by Ilhasa; an E-rated 51 fic about Ichijou's repressed ass pining for Godai
*Ichijou's Forum Adventures by Silverbird22; an M-rated 51 comedy fic where Ichijou gets drawn into an online forum of monster fuckers (also) lusting over ULF #4 aka Kuuga
*All The Pain of Yesterday by Jen425; a T-rated 51 reunion fic
*Home is Wherever I'm With You by MarineHaddock; an E-rated 51 reunion fic
*Talking Body by DroppedAllTheseOreos; an M-rated Junichi Chouno/Shuuichi Tsubaki fluff fic
*Tsubaki by MarineHaddock; a T-rated Junichi Chouno/Shuuichi Tsubaki hanahaki fic
===Fanart===
*Cute Bugs by lindateaa
*疲れて距離感がおかしくなったハンサム by ipponmatsu0402
=== Doujinshi ===
Title 	Circle 	Published 	Contents
Zero no Wakusei 3 	Takeru Misaki	2001.08.11	51
He is so Sweet but a Little Dumb	Wink 	2005.02.11	18+ 51
===Meta===
* Kamen Rider is in Slash Fanfiction, a liveblog on Tumblr by Tsunflowers
* A Kuuga Manga Livetweet by SunshineMoonRX
* No Fear, No Pain: Kamen Rider Kuuga Series Review by Brody Salzman
* Series Review: Kamen Rider Kuuga by Blackjack Rants
* Kamen Rider Kuuga by watanymph on LiveJournal
* Kamen Rider Kuuga! by cypsiman2 on LiveJournal
==Communities==
* Kamen Rider Kuuga Tag on Ao3
* Kamen Rider Tag on FanFiction.net
* Kuuga tag on Kamen Rider LiveJournal
* Kamen Rider Fanfic on LiveJournal - tags were not used to separate series
* Kuuga tag on Kamen Rider Dreamwidth
==Resources==
* Kamen Rider Kuuga Light Novel Translations
* Official English Release
Category:Kamen Rider
==References==