Kamen Rider (1971 TV series)

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Name: Kamen Rider, 仮面ライダー, Kamen Raidā, Masked Rider
Abbreviation(s):
Creator: Shotaro Ishinomori
Date(s): April 3, 1971 – February 10, 1973
Medium: Television
Country of Origin: Japan
External Links: at Wikipedia
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Kamen Rider is a tokusatsu superhero television series and weekly science fiction manga created by mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori. The original airing consisted of a total of 98 episodes and were broadcast from April 3, 1971 to February 10, 1973 on Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET (now TV Asahi). The manga adaptation was also featured in Weekly Shōnen Magazine around the same period. The series has evolved into a franchise with many subsequent annual iterations.

Canon

The series takes place in a world plagued by Shocker, a mysterious worldwide terrorist organization formed by remaining members of the Nazis. To further its plans for world domination, Shocker recruited its agents through kidnapping, turning their victims into mutant cyborgs and, ultimately, brainwashing them. However, one victim named Takeshi Hongo escaped just before the final brainwashing. With his sanity and moral conscience intact, Takeshi battled Shocker's minions as the grasshopper-themed cyborg (改造人間, kaizō ningen) superhero Kamen Rider. Another victim of the cyborg process, freelance photographer Hayato Ichimonji, became Kamen Rider 2 after Kamen Rider, who eventually renamed himself as "Kamen Rider 1", saved him from Shocker's brainwashing. Assisted by motorcycle race team manager Tobei Tachibana and FBI agent Kazuya Taki, the Kamen Riders fought in both solo and partnered missions against Shocker and its replacement organization, Gelshocker.

Main Characters

  • Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 (本郷 猛/仮面ライダー1号, Hongō Takeshi/Kamen Raidā Ichigō, 1-13, 40, 41, 49 & 51-98): The first main protagonist. A biochemistry lab student at Jonan University who also races motorcycles as part of the Tachibana Racing Club.
  • Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2 (一文字 隼人/仮面ライダー2号, Ichimonji Hayato/Kamen Raidā Nigō, 14-52, 72, 73, 93, 94 & 98): The other main protagonist. A freelance photographer who becomes the second Kamen Rider after Takeshi saves him from Shocker.

Shocker

Shocker (ショッカー, Shokkā) is a terrorist organization formed by former Nazis. Shocker's goal is to conquer the world. To this end, their scientists turn humans into superhuman cyborgs by surgically altering them with animal and insect DNA with robotic cybernetics. Virtually all of its members are modified the same way. Even a Shocker Combatant is tougher, faster, and stronger than an ordinary human civilian. The original manga showed that Shocker had influence over the governments of the world. Its founders had ties to the Nazis, Illuminati and the Kamen Rider Spirits manga makes references to the group's support by the Badan Empire.

Gelshocker

Gelshocker (ゲルショッカー, Gerushokkā) was formed after the disbandment of Shocker, with the remnants of the organization absorbing another organization Geldam (ゲルダム団, Gerudamu-dan) trained in the deserts of Africa. After the Ambassador from Hell's defeat, the Shocker Leader reorganized the organization from the ground up, destroying all remaining secret bases and even killing the remaining troop contingent in a bloody forest massacre witnessed by unfortunate campers. Gelshocker Combatants wore bright purple and yellow costumes, were capable of traveling from one place to another by transforming into sheets that would drop down onto unsuspecting victims and were capable of taking more blunt abuse than their predecessors.

Media Adaptations

Manga

Many manga based on the original Kamen Rider series have been published, but only one was penned and drawn by Ishinomori himself. Ishinomori was also the author of one chapter of the Kamen Rider Amazon manga and the entire Kamen Rider Black manga. However, those manga were based on sequels to Kamen Rider, rather than the original series.

The original manga, published in 1971, initially follows a path resembling the first few episodes of the TV series, from basic plot to creature designs. However, when Takeshi leaves the story, the series diverge greatly.

In February 2021, Seven Seas Entertainment announced they licensed the original manga for publication in one omnibus edition.[1]

Films

  • 1971: Go Go Kamen Rider (ゴーゴー仮面ライダー, Gō Gō Kamen Raidā) - A movie version of episode 13.
  • 1972: Kamen Rider vs. Shocker (仮面ライダー対ショッカー, Kamen Raidā Tai Shokkā)
  • 1972: Kamen Rider vs. The Ambassador from Hell (仮面ライダー対じごく大使, Kamen Raidā Tai Jigoku-taishi)
  • 1975: Five Riders vs. King Dark (五人ライダー対キングダーク, Gonin Raidā Tai Kingu Dāku)
  • 2005: Kamen Rider: The First
  • 2007: Kamen Rider: The Next
  • 2011: OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders (オーズ・電王・オールライダー レッツゴー仮面ライダー, Ōzu Den'ō Ōru Raidā Rettsu Gō Kamen Raidā)[2]
  • 2014: Heisei Rider vs. Shōwa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai (平成ライダー対昭和ライダー 仮面ライダー大戦 feat.スーパー戦隊, Heisei Raidā Tai Shōwa Raidā Kamen Raidā Taisen Fīcharingu Sūpā Sentai)
  • 2016: Kamen Rider 1 (仮面ライダー1号, Kamen Raidā Ichigō)
  • 2021: Saber + Zenkaiger: Super Hero Senki (セイバー＋ゼンカイジャー スーパーヒーロー戦記, Seibā Zenkaijā Sūpā Hīrō Senki)
  • 2021: Kamen Rider: Beyond Generations (仮面ライダー ビヨンド・ジェネレーションズ, Kamen Raidā Biyondo Jenerēshonzu)
  • 2023: Shin Kamen Rider

Example Fanworks

Fanfictions

Fanarts

Meta

References

  1. ^ "Seven Seas Licenses Shotaro Ishinomori's Original Kamen Rider Manga". Anime News Network. February 28, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "新着情報|三宮シネフェニックス". Archived from the original on 2011-08-24. Retrieved 2010-12-21.[dead link]
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