Kamen Rider (1971 TV series)

Did You Know?

• In Thailand, the series first aired in 1971 on Channel 5 under the title Red Ant Rampant.
• In the Philippines, Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider V3 aired on RPN-9 with an English dub from 1975 to 1977.
• The S.I.C. Hero Saga stories for Kamen Rider include Missing Link, Special Episode: Escape, and From Here to Eternity, published in Monthly Hobby Japan.

Story

The series is set in a world plagued by Shocker, a worldwide terrorist organization formed mostly from remaining Nazis. Shocker kidnaps victims, turns them into mutants, and brainwashes them for world domination. Takeshi Hongo escapes before final brainwashing and, as the grasshopper-themed cyborg Kamen Rider, wages war against Shocker. He saves freelance photographer Hayato Ichimonji from brainwashing, who becomes Kamen Rider 2; Hongo then renames himself Kamen Rider 1. Assisted by motorcycle race team manager Tobei Tachibana and FBI agent Kazuya Taki, the Riders fight Shocker, later aided by the Kamen Rider Kid Corps. After Shocker is wiped out, its leader creates Gel-Shocker, which the Riders also defeat. Kazuya returns to America, and peace is restored.

Manga

Many manga based on the original series have been published, but only one was penned and drawn by Ishinomori himself. He also authored one chapter of the Kamen Rider Amazon manga and the entire Kamen Rider Black manga, though those are based on sequels. The original 1971 manga initially follows the TV series' first episodes in plot and creature designs, but diverges greatly when Takeshi leaves the story. In the TV show, Takeshi travels abroad to fight Shocker, leaving Hayato Ichimonji to protect Japan. In the manga, Takeshi never leaves Japan; he is confronted by twelve Shocker Riders and mortally wounded. Hayato, one of those Riders, receives a head injury that restores his conscience, turns against Shocker, and takes Takeshi's role as Kamen Rider. Takeshi's brain survives and guides Hayato, the two fighting as one. Takeshi eventually returns as a Rider in both versions, but from Hayato's debut onward, villains and story development diverge. The manga portrays a hopeless battle against Shocker with ties to governmental conspiracies, while the TV series shows the Riders strong enough to defeat Shocker, only to see it replaced. The Shocker Riders later appear in the TV series, but there are only six, with different looks and abilities. In February 2021, Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the original manga for an omnibus edition.

Characters

Takeshi Hongo, also known as Kamen Rider 1, is the first main protagonist. He is a biochemistry lab student at Jonan University and a motorcycle racer for the Tachibana Racing Club. Hayato Ichimonji, Kamen Rider 2, is a freelance photographer who becomes the second Rider after Takeshi saves him from Shocker. Tobei Tachibana, Takeshi's racing mentor and confidant, is called Pops and runs a café named Snack Amigo; later he opens Tachibana Auto Corner and sets up the Tachibana Racing Club. He often smokes a pipe. Kazuya Taki is an FBI agent investigating Shocker in Japan; though not a cyborg, he is skilled in martial arts and fights alongside the Riders. Hiroshi Midorikawa, Takeshi's university teacher and a Shocker scientist, frees Takeshi but is killed by Spider Man. Ruriko Midorikawa, Hiroshi's daughter, initially blames Takeshi for her father's death but later learns the truth and becomes an ally; she accompanies Takeshi to Europe. Hiromi Nohara is a student and waitress at Snack Amigo. Shiro is a bartender there. Goro Ishikura is a bright boy at the club. The Kamen Rider Kid Corps, with Tobei as president and Kazuya as captain, is a nationwide organization of boys and girls formed in episode 74; Naoki and Mitsuru are leading members.

Legacy

The original Kamen Rider series launched the Second Kaiju Boom or Henshin Boom on Japanese television in the early 1970s, greatly impacting the superhero and action-adventure genre. The henshin sequence, where the hero poses and shouts a keyword to transform, became a staple in Japanese pop culture, inspiring superhero and magical girl genres. The series produced many spin-offs that remain in production. After Kamen Rider Black RX ended in 1989, the series was put on hold. As of 2025, thirty-six series have been made, the newest being Kamen Rider ZEZTZ (September 2025). A Heisei-era remake, Kamen Rider The First, was released in 2005, followed by Kamen Rider The Next in 2007. A Reiwa-era remake, Shin Kamen Rider, was released in 2023. Astronomer Akimasa Nakamura named minor planets 12408 Fujioka after actor Hiroshi Fujioka and 12796 Kamenrider after the series. Starting with Kamen Rider: Beyond Generations (2021), Hiroshi Fujioka's son Maito portrays a younger Takeshi Hongo.