Kamen Rider Black

**Kamen Rider Black** (仮面ライダーBLACK, *Kamen Raidā Burakku*?, translated as **Masked Rider Black**) is the ninth entry of the *Kamen Rider Series*.

It is a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei, and aired on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and the Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 4, 1987 to October 9, 1988, with a total of 51 episodes. With its very dramatic storyline and its twist of the Kamen Rider having a tragic relationship with his nemesis, the installment not only became very popular in Japan, but also in many countries where it was aired.

The series is often regarded as a TV classic and is considered by many as the most popular Kamen Rider show of the late 1980s, as well as one of the most famous of all Kamen Riders in the Showa period. *Kamen Rider Black RX* was a direct sequel to this series. A manga adaptation of the series is entitled *Kamen Rider Black* (仮面ライダーBlack, *Kamen Raidā Burakku*?).

## Plot

After being kidnapped by the cult Gorgom on the night of their 19th birthday, stepbrothers Kotaro Minami and Nobuhiko Akizuki were submitted to a cyborg surgery with the purpose of becoming the candidates for the next Gorgom Creation King. Both of them are called Century Kings and are destined to best each other in a final battle - whoever wins will become the next Creation King. Kotaro escaped before getting brainwashed (which is the final step in the surgery), with help from his foster father, and turned against Gorgom.

He soon finds out the horrific truth from his stepfather: Gorgom originally killed his true parents and, since both Kotaro and Nobuhiko were born on the day of a solar eclipse, referred as "Black Sun" and "Shadow Moon". Kotaro, taking on the name of Kamen Rider Black, was determined to rescue his stepbrother from Gorgom while protecting Japan. However, later in the series, Nobuhiko emerged as Shadow Moon to fight Kotaro with the survivor becoming the next Creation King.

## Characters

### Allies

* Kyoko Akizuki
* Katsumi Kida
* Katsumi's friend
* Ryusuke Taki
* Gorgom Shonen-Tai
* Masaru Todo
* Yoichi Daimon
* Whale Mutant
* Hayami
* Morita
* Ryusuke Taki
* Saburo Takasugi
* Hikari Sentai Maskman

### Gorgom

* Creation King
* High Priest Darom
* Baraom
* Bishium
* Bilgenia
* Soichiro Akizuki
* Ryuzaburo Sakata
* Koichi Omiya
* Hideomi Kuromatsu
* Yukari Tsukikage
* Shigeru Sugiyama

## Episodes

*Main article: Kamen Rider Black Episodes*
1. Black!! Transformation (ＢLACK！！変身, *Burakku!! Henshin*?)
2. Monster Party (怪人パーティ, *Kaijin Pāti*?)
3. Strange? Strange Cyborg (怪？怪・改造人間, *Kai? Kai Kaizō Ningen*?)
4. The Devil's Laboratory (悪魔の実験室, *Akuma no Jikkenshitsu*?)
5. Run Through the Maze, Kotaro (迷路を走る光太郎, *Meiro o Hashiru Kōtarō*?)
6. The Secret Clairvoyance Mystery (秘密透視のなぞ, *Himitsu Tōshi no Nazo*?)
7. The Restored Organism Mecha (復元する生体メカ, *Fukugen Suru Seitai Meka*?)
8. The Devil's Trill (悪魔のトリル, *Akuma no Toriru*?)
9. Bishum's Red Lips (ビシュムの紅い唇, *Bishumu no Akai Kuchibiru*?)
10. Where's Nobuhiko? (信彦はどこに？, *Nobuhiko wa Doko ni?*?)
11. Starved Monsters (飢えた怪人たち, *Ueta Kaijin-tachi*?)
12. The Super Machine Legend is Born (超マシン伝説誕生, *Chō Mashin Densetsu Tanjō*?)
13. Mama's the Monster Raising Official (ママは怪人養育係, *Mama wa Kaijin Yōikugakari*?)
14. The Day Tuna Disappeared (マグロが消えた日, *Maguro ga Kieta Hi*?)
15. The Targeted Bizarre Academy (狙われた怪奇学園, *Newareta Kaiki Gakuen*?)
16. Friend!! Crossing the Sea (友よ！海を越えて, *Tomo yo! Umi o Koete*?)
17. Kyoko's Strange Dream (杏子の不思議な夢, *Kyōko no Fushigi na Yume*?)
18. Kensei Bilgenia!! (剣聖ビルゲニア！！, *Kensei Birugenia!!*?)
19. The Limit-Reaching Hellish Trap (息づまる地獄の罠, *Ikidzumaru Jigoku no Wana*?)
20. Rider's Graveyard (ライダーの墓場, *Raidā no Hakaba*?)
21. Crash! Two Great Machines (激突！二大マシン, *Gekitotsu! Ni Dai Mashin*?)
22. The Black Shadow That Attacks Papa (パパを襲う黒い影, *Papa o Osō Kuroi Kage*?)
23. Marmo's Magic Power (マルモの魔法の力, *Marumo no Mahō no Chikara*?)
24. The Female College Student's Nightmare (女子大生の悪夢, *Joshidaisei no Akumu*?)
25. The Roaring Armed Mecha (爆走する武装メカ, *Bakusō Suru Busō Meka*?)
26. Save the Esper Girl (超能力少女を救え, *Chōnōryoku Shōjo o Sukue*?)
27. The Fire-Spouting Dangerous Highway (火を噴く危険道路, *Hi o Fuku Kiken Dōro*?)
28. The Scarab That Invites Hell (地獄へ誘う黄金虫, *Jigoku e Sasō Koganemushi*?)
29. The Trophy's a Death Mask? (獲物はデスマスク？, *Emono wa Desumasuku?*?)
30. Aloha to an Assassin! (暗殺者にアロハ！, *Ansatsusha ni Aroha!*?)
31. Burn! Boy Warriors (燃えよ！少年戦士, *Moe yo! Shōnen Senshi*?)
32. Dream Girl Yuki (夢少女・ユキ, *Yume Shōjo Yuki*?)
33. The River of a Father and Child's Love (父と子の愛の河, *Chichi to Ko no Ai no Kawa*?)
34. Revival?! Hell Prince (復活？！地獄王子, *Fukkatsu?! Jigoku Ōji*?)
35. Showdown! Two Princes (対決！二人の王子, *Taiketsu! Futari no Ōji*?)
36. The War Declaration of Love and Death (愛と死の宣戦布告, *Ai to Shi no Sensen Fukoku*?)
37. Memories are Yubari's Sky (想い出は夕張の空, *Omoide wa Yūbari no Sora*?)
38. Riddle!? The EP-Party Boy Squad (謎！？ＥＰ党少年隊, *Nazo!? Ī Pī Tō Shōnen Tai*?)
39. The Idol's Evil Power (アイドルの毒牙, *Aidoru no Dokuga*?)
40. The Karate Master's Secret (カラテ名人の秘密, *Karate Meijin no Himitsu*?)
41. The Dangerous Time Thief (あぶない時間泥棒, *Abunai Jikan Dorobō*?)
42. Tokyo - Big Monster Gathering (東京-怪人大集合, *Tōkyō - Kaijin Dai Shūgō*?)
43. The Monster Farm's Duel! (怪人牧場の決闘！, *Kaijin Bokujō no Kettō!*?)
44. The Drawer's Inner is the Sea (タンスの中は海！, *Tansu no Naka wa Umi*?)
45. Suspicious Flower Bishum's Death (妖花ビシュムの死, *Yōka Bishumu no Shi*?)
46. Grand Baraom's Death (壮絶バラオムの死, *Sōzetsu Baraomu no Shi*?)
47. The Rider Dies! (ライダー死す！, *Raidā Shisu!*?)
48. Oceanic Reminiscence's Bouquet (海に追憶の花束を, *Umi ni Tsuioku no Hanataba o*?)
49. Fierce Fighting! Darom's Death (激闘！ダロムの死, *Gekitō! Daromu no Shi*?)
50. The Creation King's True Identity? (創世王の正体は？, *Sōsei Ō no Shōtai wa?*?)
51. Gorgom's Last Day (ゴルゴム最期の日, *Gorugomu Saigo no Hi*?)

**Movies**

1. *Kamen Rider Black: Hurry to Onigashima* (仮面ライダーＢＬＡＣＫ　鬼ヶ島へ急行せよ, *Kamen Raidā Burakku Onigashima e Kyūkō seyo*?)
2. *Kamen Rider Black: Terrifying! The Phantom House of Devil Pass* (仮面ライダーＢＬＡＣＫ　恐怖!悪魔峠の怪人館, *Kamen Raidā Burakku Kyōfu! Akumatōge no Kaijinkan*?)

**Specials**

1. *This is Kamen Rider Black* (これが仮面ライダーＢＬＡＣＫだ!!, *Kore ga Kamen Raidā Burakku da!!*?)
2. *Kamen Rider 1 Through RX: Big Gathering* (仮面ライダー１号～ＲＸ大集合, *Kamen Raidā Ichigō~Āru Ekkusu Daishūgō*?)

## Cast

* Kotaro Minami (南　光太郎, *Minami Kōtarō*?): Tetsuo Kurata (倉田 てつを, *Kurata Tetsuo*?)
* Nobuhiko Akizuki (秋月 信彦, *Akizuki Nobuhiko*?): Takahito Horiuchi (堀内 孝人, *Horiuchi Takahito*?)
	+ Shadow Moon (シャドームーン, *Shadō Mūn*?, Voice): Masaki Terasoma (寺杣 昌紀, *Terasoma Masaki*?)
* Kyoko Akizuki (秋月 杏子, *Akizuki Kyōko*?): Akemi Inoue (井上 明美, *Inoue Akemi*?)
* Katsumi Kida (紀田 克美, *Kida Katsumi*?): Ayumi Taguchi (田口 あゆみ, *Taguchi Ayumi*?)
* Creation King (創世王, *Sōsei Ō*?, Voice): Takeshi Watabe (渡部 猛, *Watabe Takeshi*?)
* Darom (ダロム, *Daromu*?, Voice): Shozo Iizuka (飯塚 昭三, *Iizuka Shōzō*?)
* Baraom (バラオム, *Baraomu*?, Voice): Toshimichi Takahashi (高橋 利道, *Takahashi Toshimichi*?)
* Bishium (ビシュム, *Bishumu*?): Hitomi Yoshii (好井 ひとみ, *Yoshii Hitomi*?)
* Bilgenia (ビルゲニア, *Birugenia*?): Jun Yoshida (吉田 淳, *Yoshida Jun*?)
* Narrator (ナレーター, *Narētā*?): Kiyoshi Kobayashi (小林 清志, *Kobayashi Kiyoshi*?, 1-39) and Masaki Terasoma (寺杣 昌紀, *Terasoma Masaki*?, 40-51)

### Guest cast

* Masaru Todo (東堂 勝, *Tōdō Masaru*?): Sent (セント, *Sento*?)
* Hideomi Kuromatsu (黒松 英臣, *Kuromatsu Hideomi*?): Susumu Kurobe (黒部 進, *Kurobe Susumu*?)
* Hayami: Yutaka Hirose (広瀬 裕, *Hirose Yutaka*?)
* Morita: Ryosuke Sakamoto (阪本 良介, *Sakamoto Ryōsuke*?)
* Gorgom Henchwoman: Miyuki Nagato (長門美 由樹, *Nagato Miyuki*?)
* Shigeru Sugiyama: Joji Nakata (中田 譲治, *Nakata Jōji*?)
* Ryusuke Taki (滝 竜介, *Taki Ryūsuke*?): Masaki Kyomoto (京本 政樹, *Kyōmoto Masaki*?)
* Buffallo Mutant (Human Form): Kouji Unogi (卯木 浩二, *Unogi Kōji*?)
* Katsumi's friend: Hiroko Nishimoto (西本 ひろ子, *Nisjimoto Hiroko*?)
* Mayumi Yoshida (吉田 真弓, *Yoshida Mayumi*?)
* Saburo Takasugi: Masashi Ishibashi (石橋 雅史, *Ishibashi Masashi*?)
* Kuwagata Mutant (Human Form): Shun Ueda (うえだ 峻, *Ueda Shun*?)
* Kujira Mutant (クジラ怪人, *Kujira Kaijin*?, Voice): Eisuke Yoda (依田英助, *Yoda Eisuke*?)

### Suit actors

* Kamen Rider Black: Jiro Okamoto (岡元 次郎, *Okamoto Jirō*?)
* Shadow Moon: Tokio Iwata (岩田 時男, *Iwata Tokio*?)
* Darom: Hirokazu Shoji (庄司 浩和, *Shōji Hirokazu*?)

## Songs

Opening theme
* "Kamen Rider Black" (仮面ライダーBLACK, *Kamen Raidā Burakku*?)
	+ Lyrics: Yoko Aki (阿木 燿子, *Aki Yōko*?)
	+ Composition: Ryudo Uzaki (宇崎 竜童, *Uzaki Ryūdō*?)
	+ Arrangement: Eiji Kawamura (川村 栄二, *Kawamura Eiji*?)
	+ Artist: Tetsuo Kurata

Ending theme
* "Long Long Ago, 20th Century"
	+ Lyrics: Yoko Aki
	+ Composition: Ryudo Uzaki
	+ Arrangement: Eiji Kawamura
	+ Artist: Norio Sakai

Insert theme
* "Black Action"
	+ Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
	+ Composition: Michiaki Watanabe
	+ Arranger: Katsunori Ishida
	+ Artist: Toshiya Igarashi

## Video game

Kamen Rider Black: Taiketsu Shadow Moon (仮面ライダーBLACK 対決シャドームーン, *Kamen Raidā Burakku: Taiketsu Shadōmūn*?, Showdown with Shadow Moon) side-scrolling action game released by Bandai for the Family Computer Disk System on April 15, 1988. Player takes control of Kamen Rider Black, who must defeat numerous Gorgom mutants. The player gets to ride Battle Hopper in addition to controlling Black on foot.

## In other media

* Kamen Rider Black is pictured on the cover art of Powerman 5000's 1994 EP, *True Force*.

## External links

* *Kamen Rider Black* at Wikipedia
* *Kamen Rider Black* at Japanese Wikipedia