The
Kamen Rider Series (仮面ライダーシリーズ, Kamen Raidā Shirīzu?, translated as Masked Rider Series) is the overall name of a franchise of
Japanese tokusatsu which generally features an
insect-themed
motorcycle-riding
superhero who fights
supervillains referred to as
kaijin (怪人?). The franchise began in 1971 with a show titled
Kamen Rider which followed college student Takeshi Hongo and his quest to defeat Shocker. Over the years, the popularity of the franchise has grown and the original series has spawned many television and theatrical sequels. The cultural impact of the series in Japan resulted in
Akimasa Nakamura naming two
minor planets in honor of the series:
12408 Fujioka, after actor
Hiroshi Fujioka, known for his portrayal of
Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1,
[1][2] and
12796 Kamenrider, after the series, itself.
Shōwa era
Produced by
Toru Hirayama (平山 亨, Hirayama Tōru?) and designed by
Shotaro Ishinomori, creator of
Cyborg 009,
Kamen Rider premiered on April 3, 1971. Initially intended to be an adaptation of his
Skull Man, Ishinomori and Hirayama redesigned the main character to resemble a
grasshopper, supposedly chosen by his son. The hero Takeshi Hongo, portrayed by actor and stuntman
Hiroshi Fujioka, was described as a transformed human
(改造人間, kaizō ningen?), or cyborg. During the filming of episode 10, Fujioka was thrown off his motorcycle during the filming of a stunt and shattered both of his legs. His character would be phased out until the introduction of another transformed human in episode 13, Hayato Ichimonji as portrayed by
Takeshi Sasaki, was introduced. The return of Fujioka and his character Hongo in episode 53 united the two actors and characters, as both Kamen Riders 1 and 2 would go on to appear in every show in the first half of the Shōwa Kamen Rider Series. The continuous run from April 1971 to January 1976 (
Kamen Rider,
V3,
X,
Amazon,
Stronger) distinguished itself by featuring the recurrent mentor character,
Tobei Tachibana.
After a four year hiatus following the finale of
Kamen Rider Stronger, the series returned to television broadcast in October 1979 for two years with
The New Kamen Rider (featuring
Skyrider) and
Kamen Rider Super-1. In these new shows, the role of Tachibana was replaced by a similar character named Genjiro Tani
(谷 源次郎, Tani Genjirō?). The broadcast of yearly new shows ended briefly in the 1980s, punctuated by the airing of the
Kamen Rider ZX special,
Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!! in 1984 which became the last project in the franchise to be produced by Hirayama.
In 1987,
Kamen Rider Black premiered and was the first series that neither indicated nor hinted at any relationship with its predecessors.
Black was also the first show in the franchise to feature a direct sequel,
Kamen Rider Black RX, the basis of Saban's Americanized
Masked Rider.
RX's finale showed the ten previous Riders return to help Black RX defeat the Crisis Empire.
Kamen Rider Black RX was the final show to be produced during the Shōwa era, its broadcast spanning from the Shōwa era and into the beginning of the Heisei era. The manga
Kamen Rider Black acted as a novelization and reimagination of the
Black/
RX series' continuity.
Heisei era
Being completely absent from television during the 1990s, the franchise was kept alive mainly by stage shows, musical CDs, and the
Shin,
ZO, and
J movies, though many fans classify the movies as part of the Showa series as they treat Ishinomori's passing the pinnacle of the Showa era. Toei announced its new project,
Kamen Rider Kuuga, in May 1999.
Kuuga was part of a Kamen Rider rebirth that Ishinomori had worked on in 1997, planning for a leadup into the 30th anniversary. However, Ishinomori died before he could see these shows materialize. During the summer of 1999, Kuuga became publicized through magazine ads and commercials. On January 30, 2000,
Kamen Rider Kuuga premiered, introducing rookie actor
Joe Odagiri.
Kuuga was followed by the anniversary series,
Kamen Rider Agito, which began several trends throughout the Heisei Series: multiple Kamen Riders (
Agito featured 4: Agito, Gills, G3, and Another Agito); the ending theme playing during the climactic scene instead of the end credits (this would be briefly broken in
Hibiki with
Akira Fuse's songs); and the relationship to
Honda for the Kamen Riders' motorcycles and other motor vehicles.
[4] Following
Agito,
Kamen Rider Ryuki began the relationship with the
record label Avex Group and its artists to perform theme songs for the series, such as ISSA of
DA PUMP for
555,
Nanase Aikawa for
Blade, YU-KI of
TRF for
Kabuto, and
AAA for
Den-O, as well as the introduction of the group
RIDER CHIPS, deemed the official band of
Kamen Rider.
In 2005,
Kamen Rider The First was produced. Written by
Toshiki Inoue, the film is an original reimagining of both the manga and original television series. Various characters from the original series had their storylines altered to fit the time span of the movie.
Masaya Kikawada portrays
Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 and
Hassei Takano (previously
Miyuki Tezuka/Kamen Rider Raia in
Kamen Rider Ryuki) as
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 with Kikawada and Takano reprising their roles.
The year 2007 brought
Kamen Rider Den-O, the eighth series, taking a turn from past Kamen Rider series, introducing a Kamen Rider that is completely unsure of himself. The series makes use of a large vehicle, the Den-Liner; a
bullet train that can travel through time. This series only had two Riders, Den-O and Zeronos, but they had multiple forms that they could switch between, similar to Black RX, Kuuga, and Agito. Due to the large popularity of
Den-O, a second theatrical production, crossing over with the 2008 series
Kamen Rider Kiva, was released in theaters April 12, 2008, becoming the top film in its opening weekend
[5] and grossing 730 million yen.
[6] In addition,
Animate produced an
OVA titled
Imagin Anime that features
SD versions of the Imagin that are contracted to Den-O and Zeronos that have been featured in the company's other
Den-O products. Finally, a third movie, called
Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown with two more new Riders serves as an epilogue to the series. The third original film was the first for any series.
[6] Takeru Satoh claims that this is because of the series' comedy.
[7]
The 2009 series
Kamen Rider Decade serves as an anniversary series being the 10th of the Heisei run. To commemorate this milestone, Japanese recording artist
Gackt was brought onto the project to perform the series' opening theme "
Journey through the Decade", and later the film's theme song "
The Next Decade". Gackt also jokingly expressed interest in portraying a villain in the show.
[8] Also announced in 2009 was a fourth film for
Den-O[9], later revealed to be the beginning of the
Cho Den-O Series of films
[10], starting with the film
Cho Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade Neo Generations: The Onigashima Warship. In the March 2009 issue of
Kindai magazine,
Decade's lead actor
Masahiro Inoue stated that
Decade was only slated to run for 30 episodes. Advertisements throughout the months of May, June, and July 2009 built up to the debut of
Kamen Rider Double[11], who first appeared at the 10th Anniversary Project MASKED RIDER LIVE & SHOW event,
[12], and was featured in
Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker. Double is the first Kamen Rider to transform from two people at once.
[11] The series premiered on September 6, 2009.
Common elements
Although each entry in the series is different, each one shares similar traits with one and another. All generally involve at least one young adult male transforming into a Kamen Rider to fight various monsters and organizations linked to that specific Kamen Rider's origin. As the series progresses, the Rider often learns more about the monsters in the series, other Kamen Riders or the origin of his powers. Early Kamen Riders were generally based on
grasshoppers, but this practice has only been done twice in the newer set of shows. Usually referred to as Rider Machines,
motorcycles are an integral part of the series. Since 1971,
Suzuki originally provided motorcycles for the series until
Kamen Rider Kuuga. Early Kamen Riders wore scarfs along with their costumes, but this practice was dropped with
Kamen Rider Black until the premiere of
Kamen Rider Double.
A trait shared among recent Kamen Riders is their ability to change forms and become stronger versions of themselves. The first power up appeared in
Kamen Rider Stronger which was used by the title character.
Kamen Rider Black RX had multiple forms, Roborider and Biorider. Since then, every title Kamen Rider in the Heisei era has had at least one power up with
Kamen Rider Kuuga having the most at 11 (an additional form appears in
Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker).
All Shōwa Riders gained their powers through some form of surgical alteration to their bodies, a practice rarely seen in Heisei Riders who are often simply "naturally" different from normal humans (imbued with mystical powers, protagonistic
kaijin, etc.) or are given access to advanced technology. The nature of the Heisei Riders also varies greatly; whereas all early Shōwa Riders fought on the side of justice and peace, there have been numerous Heisei Riders that have fought for personal reasons such as greed, revenge, the personal enjoyment of battle, and even as antagonistic characters.
Rider finishers
Combat techniques generally remain somewhat consistent between series. The "
Rider Kick" has become known as the signature attack for Kamen Riders. Although no Heisei era Kamen Rider before
Kamen Rider Blade named their kick "Rider Kick", it has still been a staple for every Kamen Rider series. Other variations include the Rider Chop and Rider Punch.
TV series
- Kamen Rider (仮面ライダー, Kamen Raidā?)
- Kamen Rider was the very first show in the franchise, airing from 1971 to 1973, the series set up many themes that are still used today. The series followed the battles of the first two Kamen Riders against Shocker and later Gelshocker. The series ran for 98 episodes, making it the longest series to date.
- Kamen Rider V3 (仮面ライダーＶ３, Kamen Raidā Buisurī?)
- Airing from 1973 to 1974, the series ran for 52 episodes and followed Shiro Kazami on his quest to gain revenge against the group that murdered his family. Later on, Riderman, the fourth Kamen Rider is introduced as the first long term villain Kamen Rider. The original Kamen Riders also make various appearances over the course of the series to help Kazami.
- Kamen Rider X (仮面ライダーＸ, Kamen Raidā Ekkusu?)
- The series aired in 1974 and ran for 35 episodes. Keisuke Jin and his father Kentaro Jin are attack by the Government Of Darkness (GOD), Keisuke and Kentaro are both mortally wounded in the attack, but before he dies, Kentaro transforms his son into Kamen Rider X. Many of the monsters Kamen Rider X faced were based on Greek mythology and later on various animals.
- Kamen Rider Amazon (仮面ライダーアマゾン, Kamen Raidā Amazon?)
- Kamen Rider Amazon aired from 1974 to 1975, airing just 24 episodes, it is the shortest Kamen Rider series to date. Daisuke Yamamoto, an orphan lost in the Amazon has grown up with an Amazon tribe and lead a peaceful life until his tribe was attacked by Gorgos. Before dying, his tribe elder turned Daisuke into Kamen Rider Amazon. This was the first Kamen Rider not to use a belt to transform and the first series not to have any previous Kamen Riders appear, although Amazon meets his seniors in the next series.
- Kamen Rider Stronger (仮面ライダーストロンガー, Kamen Raidā Sutorongā?)
- Airing in 1975, this was intended to be the final Kamen Rider series and aired 39 episodes. Shigeru Jou joins Black Satan after the murder of his best friend and mentor. Knowing the organization to be the culprits, he allows himself to undergo an operation that changes him into Kamen Rider Stronger. Later on, Black Satan is defeated and a new group known as Delza becomes the series enemy. Stronger is later joined by Electro Wave Human Tackle, a female warrior who later sacrifices herself to save Stronger from a powerful opponent. This was also the first series to have a temporary power up for the main character.
- Kamen Rider (Skyrider) (仮面ライダー（スカイライダー）, Kamen Raidā (Sukairaidā)?)
- Airing 54 episodes from 1979 to 1980, Kamen Rider was a revival of the franchise after four years off of broadcast. Intended to be a remake of the original series, the idea was slowly phased out as references to the past were made and senior Kamen Riders made guest appearances. Hiroshi Tsukaba is kidnapped and transformed into Kamen Rider as a means to help Doctor Shiro escape Neoshocker. During the course of the series, former Kamen Riders appear and Kamen Rider is dubbed Skyrider by Kamen Rider Stronger to differentiate him from the original Kamen Riders.
- Kamen Rider Super-1 (仮面ライダースーパー１, Kamen Raidā Sūpā Wan?)
- Airing from 1980 to 1981, the series ran for 48 episodes. Wanting to become an astronaut, Kazuya Oki undergoes an operation that allows him to survive in space. The area were he is operated in is attacked by the Dogma Empire and Kamen Rider Super-1's peers are all killed. Super-1 has special gloves that allow for different attack types.
- Kamen Rider Black (仮面ライダーBLACK, Kamen Raidā Burakku?)
- Airing from 1987 to 1988, the series ran for 51 episodes. After being kidnapped by the cult Gorgom on the night of their 19th birthday, stepbrothers Kotaro Minami and Nobuhiko Akizuki are submitted to a mutant surgery with the purpose of becoming the candidates to be the next Creation King. Kotaro escapes before the brainwashing, 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. Later on, Kamen Rider Black must battle with his brother, who has become the trump card of Gorgom, Shadow Moon.
- Kamen Rider Black RX (仮面ライダーBLACK RX, Kamen Raidā Burakku Aru Ekkusu?)
- Airing from 1988 to 1989 for 47 episodes, Kamen Rider Black RX is the ninth and final show in the Shōwa era of shows. Years after the defeat of Gorgom, Minami Kotaro is kidnapped by the Crisis Empire. After refusing to join them, he is thrust out into space where he undergoes the change to become Kamen Rider Black RX. This series marked the end of the Shōwa era of shows.
- Kamen Rider Kuuga (仮面ライダークウガ, Kamen Raidā Kūga?)
- Airing from 2000 to 2001 for 49 episodes, this was the first Kamen Rider series in 11 years and the start of the Heisei Kamen Rider Series of shows. Yuusuke Godai finds an ancient artifact that allows him to transform into Kamen Rider Kuuga to battle the Grongi forces. Having 11 forms, this series had more power ups than any before or after.
- Kamen Rider Agito (仮面ライダーアギト, Kamen Raidā Agito?)
- Translated as Masked Rider ΑGITΩ, Kamen Rider Agito ran from 2001 to 2002 for 51 episodes. This was the first series to feature more than one Kamen Rider as the main character at the same time. Shouichi Tsugami has lost his memories, he lives with a foster family and fights against the Unknown as Kamen Rider Agito. Looking for the origin of his power and his lost memories, this series follows Kamen Rider Agito, G3, and Gills who deal with the Unknown and learn the true nature behind Agito.
- Kamen Rider Ryuki (仮面ライダー龍騎, Kamen Raidā Ryūki?)
- Airing from 2002 to 2003, Kamen Rider Ryuki ran for 50 episodes and drastically changed the mold of Kamen Rider. Shinji Kido, a reporter, forms a bond with a creature known as a "Contract Beast". Becoming Kamen Rider Ryuki, Shinji joins the war of the 13 Kamen Riders. All fighting for various reasons, the winner of the war will be granted a single wish. Due to low ratings, this series was on the verge of cancellation for a time. This was the last series to have any form of continuity with a previous series.
- Kamen Rider 555 (仮面ライダー555（ファイズ）, Kamen Raidā Faizu?)
- Airing from 2003 to 2004, Kamen Rider 555 (translated as Masked Rider Φ's) aired for 50 episodes. A group of evolved humans known as Orphnoch are starting to take control of the world. It is unknown how much of the human population is not an Orphnoch. The Orphnoch are protected by a company called Smart Brain, the creators of the three Rider Gears. A young loner, Takumi Inui, is unwillingly drawn into the conflict between the Orphnoch and humans and becomes Kamen Rider Faiz to save the life of Mari Sonada. Among the Orphnoch are renegades who wish to fight to protect humans rather than kill them. The series follows Takumi, a group of renegade Orphnoch, and two other Kamen Riders who are both enemies upon their entrance to the series.
- Kamen Rider Blade (仮面ライダー剣（ブレイド）, Kamen Raidā Bureido?)
- Airing from 2004 to 2005 for 49 episodes, Kamen Rider Blade (translated as Masked Rider ♠) returned to the card motif introduced in Ryuki. Kazuma Kenzaki has just recently become the user for the Kamen Rider Blade system. Months after becoming a Kamen Rider, the BOARD agency that he is a part of is attacked and nearly wiped out. Trying to discover the reason behind the attack, Kenzaki unwittingly becomes part of the Battle Royale. Later joined by three Kamen Riders, Kenzaki ultimately has to make the toughest decision in his life and make a choice between his friends' happiness and the safety of the human race.
- Kamen Rider Hibiki (仮面ライダー響鬼（ヒビキ）, Kamen Raidā Hibiki?)
- Airing from 2005 to 2006, Kamen Rider Hibiki ran for 48 episodes. Kamen Rider Hibiki's main focus is the story of the teacher and apprentice-like relationship of Asumu Adachi and the title character. Asumu Adachi is a young boy who is unsure of his own skill and worth, and at a crossroads in his life as he transitions to high school. As the series progresses, he learns what it is to be a man, more confident in his own power. The secondary focus of the series is the age old battle of the Kamen Riders (referred to as Oni in this program) and the Makamo, demons that can only be defeated using "pure sound". The series follows the training and changes of the four main Oni, Hibiki, Ibuki, Todoroki and Zanki. The series was plagued by controversy behind the screen, starting with the firing of the principal writers and directors and later leading to drastically altered stories.
- Kamen Rider Kabuto (仮面ライダーカブト, Kamen Raidā Kabuto?)
- Airing from 2006 to 2007 for 49 episodes, Kamen Rider Kabuto was seen as a "return to the basics" after years of new styles and themed gimmicks. Kamen Rider Kabuto revolves around the story of a man named Souji Tendou. He has trained his entire life while waiting for the Kabuto Zecter so that he may properly take up the name of Kamen Rider Kabuto. Making many enemies while at the same time meeting other Riders with mysterious origins, Tendou attempts to accomplish his goal at all costs; Protecting a girl named Hiyori by destroying all other Worms that would make life difficult for her. Making a friend in Arata Kagami, who later becomes Kamen Rider Gatack, the two work together and protect Hiyori along with humanity from the alien Worms that arrived from a meteorite seven years ago.
- Kamen Rider Den-O (仮面ライダー電王, Kamen Raidā Den'ō?)
- Airing from 2007 to 2008 for 49 episodes, Kamen Rider Den-O follows the story of Ryotaro Nogami, a young man with incredibly bad luck who is discovered to be a Singularity Point, a human who can exist separate from time itself. When he is possessed by a future life-form called an Imagin, he reluctantly becomes Den-O to fight the malignant Imagin that are traveling back in time to 2007 to grant the wishes of weak-hearted humans so they can travel back further and alter the course of history in their favor. He also tries to protect his sister Airi from the past that she cannot remember. He boards the time-traveling train called the Den-Liner and meets the brash and tomboyish Hana, the eccentric Owner, the waitress Naomi, and his own Imagin: Momotaros, Urataros, Kintaros, and Ryutaros. Soon enough, a man named Yuto Sakurai appears and is another Kamen Rider who fights to protect time with the aid of his Imagin Deneb and the Zero-Liner.
- Kamen Rider Kiva (仮面ライダーキバ, Kamen Raidā Kiba?)
- Airing from 2008 to 2009 for 48 episodes, Kamen Rider Kiva revolves around two characters and two storylines: Wataru Kurenai who becomes Kamen Rider Kiva to battle the stained glass energy vampires known as Fangires in the year 2008, and his father Otoya Kurenai whose interactions with the Fangires and Fangire Hunters in the year 1986 directly affects the life of his son.
- Kamen Rider Decade (仮面ライダーディケイド, Kamen Raidā Dikeido?)
- Translated variably as Masked Rider DCD or Masked Rider Decade, Decade premiered following the finale of Kiva in 2009 and was billed as the 10th anniversary of the Heisei Rider Series. In Decade, with no memory of his past, Tsukasa Kadoya must protect his dimension from being destroyed by the dimensions of the previous nine Kamen Riders by traveling to them to solve a problem and befriend the Kamen Rider. This in turn restores Decade's ability to transform into that Kamen Rider. Decade only aired for 31 episodes, the shortest amongst the year-long productions of previous series. It also has two movies, the second serving as an epilogue.
- Kamen Rider Double (仮面ライダーW（ダブル）, Kamen Raidā Daburu?)
- Translated as Masked Rider Double, Double premiered in late 2009 following the finale of Decade and is the first series to feature two people, Shotaro Hidari and Philip, who transform to a single-body Rider. The two work together as "half-boiled" detectives in the ecologically-minded city of Futo to solve mysterious crimes the police are powerless to prevent. Whenever these crimes end up being traced to monsters called Dopants, the two transform into Kamen Rider Double to stop them.
-
TV Specials
- Shōwa era
- Heisei era
[edit] Theatrical releases
- Shōwa era
- Heisei era
[edit] V-Cinema releases
V-Cinema releases began appearing during the Heisei era of the franchise. Previously depicting independent Riders and storylines, current releases have been shorts that serve as a series recap relating to Rider abilities and the rider showing off a exclusive power within the special. Since 2002's Ryuki release, they have come to be commonly known by fans as "Hyper Battle Videos".
- Heisei era
- 2000: Kamen Rider Kuuga: vs. the Strong Monster Go-Jiino-Da
- 2001: Kamen Rider Agito: Three rider TV-kun Special
- 2002: Kamen Rider Ryuki Hyper Battle: Kamen Rider Ryuki vs. Kamen Rider Agito
- 2003: Kamen Rider 555: The Musical
- 2004: Kamen Rider Blade: Blade vs Blade
- 2005: Kamen Rider Hibiki: Asumu Henshin: You can be an Oni too
- 2006: Kamen Rider Kabuto: Birth! Gatack Hyper Form!
- 2007: Kamen Rider Den-O: Singing, Dancing, Great Time!!
- 2008: Kamen Rider Kiva: You Can Also be Kiva
- 2009: Kamen Rider Decade: Protect!
[edit] Motifs
The design of the Kamen Riders have always centered around that of the grasshopper; the design of the first two was directly based on this insect, and the large bug eyes have persisted through the design of the Kamen Riders through the Heisei series. While insects were the main visual motif in the Shōwa era, the Heisei era expanded these design themes to include such motifs such as other animals,
playing cards, and figures of
Japanese mythology.
[14][15]
[edit] Adaptations outside Japan
[edit] Thailand
In 1974, Chaiyo Productions in Thailand produced the
Hanuman and the Five Riders.
[edit] Taiwan
In 1975 to 1976, the Tungstar Company Limited in Taiwan produced the Super Riders series based on the Japan version.
[edit] United States
In
1995,
Saban produced the first American Masked Rider series after his success adapting
Super Sentai into
Power Rangers and the
Metal Hero Series (
VR Troopers &
Beetleborgs). In 2009, a new series is being broadcast and produced by brothers
Michael and
Steve Wang.
- Saban's Masked Rider
- Airing in 1995 and 1996, Masked Rider was originally presented as a spin-off of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Dex, prince of Edenoi, fled from his planet to the planet Earth at the request of his grandfather. Count Dregon soon followed after in an attempt to steal the Masked Rider powers from Dex. The Masked Rider powers have been passed down through the ages to warriors of immense courage and purity and would bring about the end of the world if they ever fall into the wrong hands. On Earth, Dex poses as a high school student while living with the Stewarts, a family that has agreed to take him in. The footage in this series came from Kamen Rider Black RX, as well as the movies Kamen Rider ZO and Kamen Rider J.
- Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight
- Airing in 2009, Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight features 12 warriors known as Kamen Riders who protect the parallel world of Ventara from the evil General Xaviax by using their Advent Decks. With most of the Kamen Riders having been vented, Xaviax comes to Earth to give corrupt humans the Advent Decks and become Kamen Riders under his control. Kit Taylor, who finds the Advent Deck to allow him to become Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, teams up with Len, who can transform into Kamen Rider Wing Knight, to defeat General Xaviax and save Kit's father who was captured by Xaviax and is held in Ventara. The footage in Dragon Knight comes from Kamen Rider Ryuki.
[edit] Homages and parodies
The Kamen Rider franchise has been parodied in various productions, both in and outside of Japan. One of the main trademarks being parodied is the Kamen Rider
henshin pose. In video games,
Skullomania (from
Street Fighter) and
May Lee (from
King of Fighters) are some examples of Kamen Rider parodies, as well as
Viewtiful Joe. In anime, various aspects of Kamen Rider are noticeable. Examples range from
Tokyo Pig to
My-HiME and its sequel
My Otome to
Crayon Shin-chan to
Dragonball Z; either being used as a comical parody or homage. In live action, known parodies of the Kamen Rider series include "Kamen Renaider" (by
SMAP's
Takuya Kimura and
Shingo Katori), which is a parody skit of
Ryuki, "Kamen Zaiber" a parody of the original, "Kamen Norida" (by the Tunnels, a popular Japanese comedy duo), a parody of
Kamen Rider 1 and the first series, "Kamen Rider HG"
Hard Gay's parody of the original for a Japanese TV show, and "Ridermen" a short skit of a man called Ridermen (an obvious parody of the
Riderman) on the set of
Kamen Rider Kuuga.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] TV Asahi
[edit] Others
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