Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue

A movie for *Kamen Rider Series*

## Episode Guide

**Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue** (真・仮面ライダー 序章(プロローグ), *Shin Kamen Raidā: Purorōgu*?, translated as **True Masked Rider: Prologue**) is a movie for the *Kamen Rider Series*, released in 1992. *Shin* is the eleventh production in the franchise, at the time heavily straying from the roots of the franchise.

As a work celebrating the 20th anniversary of the franchise, the film targeted the now-adult fans of the original, taking the bare essence of the Rider character and his origin, placing it in a violent, realistic and modern setting and conveying the driving sorrow of the Kamen Rider character, who finds himself in the center of conspiracy and turned into a superhuman being against his will. Series creator Shotaro Ishinomori makes a cameo appearance in the film.

*Shin* was released on DVD on April 25, 2008, by Bandai Visual. Toei's subscription channel featured *Shin* during its special Kamen Rider 40th anniversary line up in July 2011.

The film's protagonist Kamen Rider Shin makes appearances in the films of the later *Kamen Rider Decade* television series, and is the primary focus of one of the *All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker* comedic webisodes in which he seeks out a sequel to his film. Kamen Rider Shin also appears as a playable character the 2011 Nintendo DS video game *All Kamen Rider: Rider Generation*.

For English markets, Toei has marketed the film as ***True Masked Rider: Prologue***.

## Plot

Doctors Kazamatsuri and Onizuka are geneticists researching cures on diseases such as AIDS and cancer by performing experiments to strengthen the human body. The test subject is Shin Kazamatsuri, motorcycle racer son of Doctor Kazamatsuri. Unknown to them, their operation is funded by a syndicate group, who plan to use this research to have the bodies of men strengthened for their own gain, they have already been experimenting in the field of cyborg soldiers, to a less-than-successful attempt.

However, they did not count on Onizuka's own secret ambitions; the mad Onizuka wanted to create a new species, by fusing a grasshopper's DNA with the test subject's, in order to start a new civilization and be their god. He has tested on himself, but seems to be having greater success with Shin.

Meanwhile, a murderous creature is stalking the city, while Shin dreams of it. While he believes he is the one causing the murders, he eventually finds Onizuka's plan and discovers that it is Onizuka who has been behind the killings. Onizuka has experimented on himself and altered his genes, making him a humanoid grasshopper; the telepathy of grasshoppers allowed him to communicate with Shin, resulting in his witnessing the murders.

The syndicate learns of Onizuka's plans and have him institutionalized. As if the syndicate were not enough, a CIA agent tracks Shin and wants him eliminated, for he doesn't know the true threat he could pose. The repulsed Shin digs to find out all he can about the experiment he foolishly volunteered to be a part of, which is now altering his body and putting him and his loved ones in danger.

## Characters

### Allies

* Ai Asuka
* Daimon Kazamatsuri
* Sarah Fukamachi
* Takuya Yuuki

### Villains

* Iwao Himuro
* Goushima

## Cast

* Shin Kazamatsuri (風祭 真, *Kazamatsuri Shin*?) - Shin Ishikawa (石川 真, *Ishikawa Shin*?) (Played as Katsuhisa Ishikawa (石川 功久, *Ishikawa Katsuhisa*?))
* Ai Asuka (明日香 愛, *Asuka Ai*?) - Yumi Nomura (野村 裕美, *Nomura Yumi*?)
* Daimon Kazamatsuri (風祭 大門, *Kazamatsuri Daimon*?) - Akira Ishihama (石濱 朗, *Ishihama akira*?)
* Iwao Himuro (氷室 巌, *Himuro Iwao*?) - Daijiro Harada (原田 大二郎, *Harada Daijirō*?)
* Goushima (豪島, *Gōshima*?) - Reiji Andou (安藤 麗二, *Andō Reiji*?)
* Giichi Onizuka (鬼塚 義一, *Onizuka Giichi*?) - Kouki Kataoka (片岡 弘貴, *Kataoka Kōki*?)
* Sarah Fukamachi (セーラ 深町, *Sēra Fukamachi*?) - Kiyomi Tsukada (塚田 きよみ, *Tsukada Kiyomi*?)
* Takuya Yuuki (結城 卓也, *Yūki Takuya*?) - Masanobu Takashima (高嶋 政伸, *Takashima Masanobu*?)

### Suit actor

* Kamen Rider Shin - Jiro Okamoto (岡元 次郎, *Okamoto Jirō*?)
* Cyborg Soldier Level 2 - Kazutoshi Yokoyama (横山 一敏, *Yokoyama Kazutoshi*?)

## Theme song

* "Forever"
	+ Lyrics: Hiroko Kimura
	+ Composition: Ryuudou Uzaki
	+ Arrangement: Tooru Yuugawa
	+ Artist: Noriko Watanabe

## Notes

* Before the name "Kamen Rider Shin" was decided, Shotaro Ishinomori originally planned for the character to be called "Kamen Rider Gaia" (仮面ライダーガイア, *Kamen Raidā Gaia*?). The design of this Kamen Rider Gaia was originally more of a traditional Kamen Rider appearance, before later designs switched to a "Kamen Rider Style Reform" version (resembling a man in a motorcycle helmet and modified riding jacket), and then the mutated insect-like human that would become Kamen Rider Shin.
* Shotaro Ishinomori, the creator of *Kamen Rider*, appears early on in this film as a spy investigating the research of the company.
* Despite being labeled as a 20th anniversary event, the franchise was actually in its 21st year in 1992. The real 20th anniversary was on April 3, 1991.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "生誕20周年記念作品『真・仮面ライダー 序章（プロローグ）』がDVD化". CDJournal.com. 2007-12-12. http://www.cdjournal.com/main/news/-/17504. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
2. ↑ "2011年7月のラインナップ". Toei Channel. http://www.toeich.jp/backnumber/2011/1107.html. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
3. ↑ "真 仮面ライダー 序章（ﾌﾟﾛﾛｰｸﾞ）／東映チャンネル". Toei Channel. http://www.toeich.jp/backnumber/2011/1107/1TT000002062.html. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
4. ↑ "陳情！ 真・仮面ライダー第1章!!". http://www.dcd-shin.jp/netmovie/02.html. Retrieved 2011-11-19. [*dead link*]
5. ↑ "仮面ライダー総集結のアクションゲーム『ライダージェネレーション』が発売！". Dengeki.com. 2011-05-23. http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/367/367332/. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
6. ↑ "Toei Official English Title List". *Scifi Japan*. http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2013/03/01/toei-official-english-title-list-2/. Retrieved September 22, 2015.

## External links

* *Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue* at Wikipedia
* *Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue* at Japanese Wikipedia