Kamen Rider
, also known as Masked Rider, is a Japanese media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, and manga, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. "Kamen Rider" media generally features a motorcycle-riding superhero with an insect motif who fights supervillains, often known as . The franchise began in 1971 with the "Kamen Rider" television series, which followed college student Takeshi Hongo and his quest to defeat the world-conquering Shocker organization. The original series spawned television and film sequels and launched the Second Kaiju Boom (also known as the Henshin Boom) on Japanese television during the early 1970s, impacting  the superhero and action-adventure genres in Japan. Bandai owns the toy rights to Kamen Rider Japan (and some Asia regions). Bluefin Distribution, a subsidiary of Bandai Namco, distributes Kamen Rider merchandise in North America. Series overview. The "Kamen Rider" franchise primarily revolving 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 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 own universe, though there been multiple instances of past characters from previous Kamen Rider series crossing over to team up against a common foe. The Kamen Riders. The , also known as simply , 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 , consisting of their (a transformation item that allows a Rider to  transform), its associating (which can be used in conjunction with the Rider Belt to gain access to multiple forms) and (auxiliary items serving as optional weapon of choice for the Riders), and their mode of transportation known as a . 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 and its multiple alternate , the , the penultimate , the optional  movie-exclusive and the powerful aptly-named . 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 , 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. Showa era. Produced by and designed by Shotaro Ishinomori (creator of "Cyborg 009"), "Kamen Rider" premiered on April 3, 1971 initially intended as an adaptation of Ishinomori's "Skull Man". 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 (cyborg). During the filming of episode 10, Fujioka was thrown from his motorcycle during a stunt and broke both legs. His character was 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 series finale - episode  98. The series from April 1971 to January 1976 ("Kamen Rider", "V3", "X", "Amazon", "Stronger") included a recurring mentor, Tobei Tachibana. 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". In these shows, Tachibana was replaced by a similar character named . 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 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" 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 "", "ZO", and "J" films. Heisei era. 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. Following "Kuuga" 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, "" 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. 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" 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, it grossed ¥730 million. In addition, Animate produced an OVA, "Imagin Anime", with SD versions of the Imagin. A third film, "" (with two new riders) serves as a series epilogue. 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. 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. Also announced in 2009 was a fourth "Den-O" film (later revealed as the beginning of the Cho-Den-O Series of films), starting with "". In the March 2009 issue of "Kindai" magazine, "Decade" star Masahiro Inoue said that the series was scheduled for only 30 episodes. Phase 2. Advertisements in May, June, and July 2009 promoted the debut of "Kamen Rider W", who first appeared at the 10th-anniversary Masked Rider Live event and was featured in "". 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, and the series premiered on September 6, 2009. Continuing into 2010 with "", "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 "", were also released in 2010 . 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 "" (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, "", was released in 2012 featuring the heroes of all "Kamen Rider" and "Super Sentai" series to date. With "Fourze"s run complete in 2012, "Kamen Rider Wizard" premiered; its protagonist was the first Kamen Rider to use magic. "Wizard" additionally had the  first homosexual character and cast member with Kaba-chan. "", a sequel to 2012's "Super Hero Taisen" with the revived Metal Hero Series characters from "" and other characters created by Shotaro Ishinomori appearing in "", was released in 2013. On May 20, 2013, Toei filed for several trademarks on the phrase . "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. The third entry in the "Super Hero Taisen" film series, "", 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 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. The  fourth "Super Hero Taisen", "Super Hero Taisen GP", marks "Kamen Rider 3" 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. "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 "" 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. 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. Reiwa era. On May 13, 2019, Toei filed a trademark on the phrase , which premiered on September 1, 2019. It is followed up by on September 6 , 2020, It is followed by 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 , a reimagining of the original 1971 series. It is planned for release in 2023. Production. Main series. The following is a list of the Kamen Rider series and their broadcast years: V-Cinema releases. Direct-to-video releases, films focusing on secondary riders and storylines, began appearing during the franchise's Heisei era. Hyper Battle Videos are episodes included with "Televi-Kun" magazine. 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"). In 2009, a new series, produced by Michael and Steve Wang, was broadcast: "", which was adapted from "Kamen Rider Ryuki". Although it was cancelled before finishing its syndicated run, it won the first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Coordination at the 37th Daytime Emmy Awards. 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. Merchandise. , Bandai Namco has sold "Kamen Rider" transformation belts since February 2000. 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. 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. 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, and 12796 Kamenrider for the series itself.