Kamen Rider Amazons (仮面ライダーアマゾンズ, Kamen Raidā Amazonzu), known in the overseas market as Amazon Riders, is a 2016 Japanese superhero tokusatsu web drama. It is a darker and more mature reimagining of the 1974 television series Kamen Rider Amazon, and part of Toei's Super Hero Year, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series (and the 40th series of Super Sentai). Amazon Riders was originally exclusively released through Amazon Video in Japan starting April 1, 2016.[1][2] It was also broadcast on television on BS Asahi (TV Asahi's broadcast satellite channel) starting July 3, 2016, and Tokyo MX starting July 6, 2016.[3][4] In a similar vein as the reboot films based on the Shōwa era series, Kamen Rider: The First & Kamen Rider: The Next, Kamen Rider Amazons takes place in an alternate universe separate from the main series timeline.
| Kamen Rider Amazons | |
|---|---|
 Japanese logo | |
| Also known as | Amazon Riders (outside Japan) |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Kamen Rider Amazon by Shotaro Ishinomori |
| Developed by | Ishimori Productions Toei Company Amazon Studios |
| Written by | Yasuko Kobayashi |
| Directed by | |
| Starring |
|
| Ending theme |
|
| Composer | Kuniaki Haishima |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Amazon Video BS Asahi Tokyo MX |
| Release | April 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017 |
The second season was announced on May 31, 2016, that it will be released in spring 2017 on Amazon Prime.[5] The second season is titled Kamen Rider Amazons Season 2 (仮面ライダーアマゾンズ Season 2, Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Shīzun Tsū)[6] and was exclusively released through Amazon Video in Japan starting April 7, 2017.[7][8]
Plans to release season one in international markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany were announced in 2016.[9] An English subtitled version of the first season launched on Amazon Prime on April 19, 2018[10] with Season 2 launching on September 21, 2018.
Story
editHaruka Mizusawa is a meek young man who became infected with Amazon Cells (アマゾン細胞, Amazon Saibō), which are created by the Nozama Pharmacy company (野座間製薬株式会社, Nozama Seiyaku Kabushikigaisha). This causes Haruka to transform into the feral berserker Amazon Omega as he strives to assert his humanity while fighting similarly infected creatures called the Amazons (アマゾン, Amazon). Haruka also encounters the Nozama Peston Service (ノザマペストンサービス, Nozama Pesuton Sābisu), Nozama Pharmacy's Amazon hunters, and Jin Takayama, a former cell biologist at Nozama Pharmacy and Amazon hunter who becomes Amazon Alpha. Later, Jun Maehara, a member of Nozama Peston Service who died once during an Amazons attacks, is revived into Amazon Sigma.
Taking place five years after the first season, Season 2 focuses on a new protagonist named Chihiro, a lone boy raised by Amazons who hates them but must suppress his cannibalistic urges and can transform into Amazon Neo, and is soon revealed to be the son of Jin Takayama. The original protagonist Haruka would later acquire an upgraded form known as Amazon New Omega.
Cast
edit- Haruka Mizusawa (水澤 悠, Mizusawa Haruka): Tom Fujita (藤田 富, Fujita Tomu)
- Jin Takayama (鷹山 仁, Takayama Jin): Masashi Taniguchi (谷口 賢志, Taniguchi Masashi)
- Mizuki Mizusawa (水澤 美月, Mizusawa Mizuki): Rena Takeda (武田 玲奈, Takeda Rena)
- Nanaha Izumi (泉 七羽, Izumi Nanaha): Ayu Higashi (東 亜優, Higashi Ayu)
- Makoto Shido (志藤 真, Shidō Makoto): Mitsutoshi Shundo (俊藤 光利, Shundō Mitsutoshi)
- Mamoru (マモル): Ryota Kobayashi (小林 亮太, Kobayashi Ryōta)
- Nozomi Takai (高井 望, Takai Nozomi): Kanon Miyahara (宮原 華音, Miyahara Kanon)
- Kazuya Misaki (三崎 一也, Misaki Kazuya): Katsuya (勝也)
- Kota Fukuda (福田 耕太, Fukuda Kōta): Kazuya Tanabe (田邊 和也, Tanabe Kazuya)
- Yugo Tachibana (橘 雄悟, Tachibana Yūgo): Yuu Kamio (神尾 佑, Kamio Yū)
- Shogo Kano (加納 省吾, Kanō Shōgo): Toshimasa Komatsu (小松 利昌, Komatsu Toshimasa)
- Reika Mizusawa (水澤 令華, Mizusawa Reika): Takako Katou (加藤 貴子, Katō Takako)
- Takaaki Tenjo (天条 隆顕, Tenjō Takaaki): Takashi Fujiki (藤木 孝, Fujiki Takashi)
- Season 1 exclusively
- Ryusuke Otaki (大滝 竜介, Ōtaki Ryūsuke): Ryouma Baba (馬場 良馬, Baba Ryōma)
- Jun Maehara (前原 淳, Maehara Jun): Hiroshi Asahina (朝日奈 寛, Asahina Hiroshi)
- Season 2 exclusively
- Chihiro (千翼): You Maejima (前嶋 曜, Maejima Yō)[11][7][8]
- Iyu Hoshino (星埜 イユ, Hoshino Iyu): Ayana Shiramoto (白本 彩奈, Shiramoto Ayana)[12][7][8]
- Takeshi Kurosaki (黒崎 武, Kurosaki Takeshi): Kota Miura (三浦 孝太, Miura Kōta)[13][7][8]
- Ichiro Fudamori (札森 一郎, Fudamori Ichirō): Yoshito Momiki (籾木 芳仁, Momiki Yoshito)[14][7][8]
- Hiroki Nagase (長瀬 裕樹, Nagase Hiroki): Eiji Akaso (赤楚 衛二, Akaso Eiji)[15][7][8]
- Takumi Yamashita (山下 琢己, Yamashita Takumi): Kairi Miura (三浦 海里, Miura Kairi)[16][8]
- Kenta Kitamura (北村 健太, Kitamura Kenta): Shohei Domoto (堂本 翔平, Dōmoto Shōhei)[17][8]
- Hajime Hoshino (星埜 始, Hoshino Hajime): Jun Yamasaki (山崎 潤, Yamasaki Jun)
Guest cast
edit- Season 1
- Kukizono (久木園, 3, 4): Yuka Motohashi (本橋 由香, Motohashi Yuka)
- Soji Shitashimo (下霜 草司, Shitashimo Sōji, 7, 8): Tomohisa Yuge (弓削 智久, Yuge Tomohisa)
- Hajime Koyama (小山 ハジメ, Koyama Hajime, 7, 8): Soran Tamoto (タモト 清嵐, Tamoto Soran)
- Mika (ミカ, 9, 12): Miyuu Sawai (沢井 美優, Sawai Miyū)
- Sawaguchi (沢口, 9-11): Akiyoshi Shibata (柴田 明良, Shibata Akiyoshi)
- Season 2
- Fujio (藤尾, 5, 6): Shinji Kasahara (笠原 紳司, Kasahara Shinji)
Theme songs
edit- "Armour Zone"
- Lyrics: Mike Sugiyama (マイクスギヤマ, Maiku Sugiyama)
- Composition: Nobuo Yamada (山田 信夫, Yamada Nobuo)
- Arrangement: Tetsuya Takahashi (高橋 哲也, Takahashi Tetsuya)
- Artist: Taro Kobayashi (小林 太郎, Kobayashi Tarō)[18]
- The theme song of the first season. This song is also used as the opening theme song for the television broadcast version of the series.
- "DIE SET DOWN"[7]
- Lyrics: Mike Sugiyama
- Composition: Nobuo Yamada
- Arrangement: Tetsuya Takahashi
- Artist: Taro Kobayashi
- The theme song of the second season.
Episodes
editA unique feature of the series is that the episode titles are given in alphabetical order.
Kamen Rider Amazons (Amazon Riders)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Amazonz" | April 1, 2016 |
| 2 | 2 | "Beast Inside" | April 8, 2016 |
| 3 | 3 | "Colony Of Ants" | April 15, 2016 |
| 4 | 4 | "Die Or Kill" | April 22, 2016 |
| 5 | 5 | "Eyes In The Dark" | April 29, 2016 |
| 6 | 6 | "For What I Fight" | May 6, 2016 |
| 7 | 7 | "Game Of The Butchers" | May 13, 2016 |
| 8 | 8 | "Hero Or Not" | May 20, 2016 |
| 9 | 9 | "Into The Cannibal's Pot" | May 27, 2016 |
| 10 | 10 | "Jungle Law" | June 3, 2016 |
| 11 | 11 | "Killing Day" | June 10, 2016 |
| 12 | 12 | "Lost In The Fog" | June 17, 2016 |
| 13 | 13 | "Masked" | June 24, 2016 |
Kamen Rider Amazons 2 (Amazon Riders 2)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Neo" | April 7, 2017 |
| 15 | 2 | "Orphans" | April 14, 2017 |
| 16 | 3 | "Persona Non Grata" | April 21, 2017 |
| 17 | 4 | "Quo Vadis?" | April 28, 2017 |
| 18 | 5 | "Rambling Roses" | May 5, 2017 |
| 19 | 6 | "Schooldays" | May 12, 2017 |
| 20 | 7 | "The Third Degree" | May 19, 2017 |
| 21 | 8 | "Under Wraps" | May 26, 2017 |
| 22 | 9 | "Vanishing Wings" | June 2, 2017 |
| 23 | 10 | "Way To Nowhere" | June 9, 2017 |
| 24 | 11 | "Xing The Rubicon" | June 16, 2017 |
| 25 | 12 | "Yellow Brick Road" | June 23, 2017 |
| 26 | 13 | "AmazonZ" | June 30, 2017 |
Films
editUltra Super Hero Taisen
editA crossover film, titled Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Ultra Super Hero Taisen (仮面ライダー×スーパー戦隊 超スーパーヒーロー大戦, Kamen Raidā × Supā Sentai Chō Supā Hīrō Taisen) featuring the casts of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Amazon Riders, Uchu Sentai Kyuranger, and Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger, was released in Japan on March 25, 2017.[19] This movie also celebrates the 10th anniversary of Kamen Rider Den-O and features the spaceship Andor Genesis from the Xevious game, which is used by the movie's main antagonists, as well as introduces the movie-exclusive Kamen Rider True Brave, played by Kamen Rider Brave's actor Toshiki Seto from Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, and the villain Shocker Great Leader III, played by the singer Diamond Yukai. In addition, individual actors from older Kamen Rider and Super Sentai TV series, Ryohei Odai (Kamen Rider Ryuki), Gaku Matsumoto (Shuriken Sentai Ninninger), Atsushi Maruyama (Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger), and Hiroya Matsumoto (Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters) reprise their respective roles.
Season 1 - Awakening
editA re-edited version of Kamen Rider Amazons, titled Kamen Rider Amazons the Movie: Season 1 - Awakening (劇場版 仮面ライダーアマゾンズ Season 1 覚醒, Gekijōban Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Shīzun Wan Kakusei), was released in Japan on May 5, 2018.[20]
Season 2 - Reincarnation
editA re-edited version of Kamen Rider Amazons Season 2, titled Kamen Rider Amazons the Movie: Season 2 - Reincarnation (劇場版 仮面ライダーアマゾンズ Season 2 輪廻, Gekijōban Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Shīzun Tsū Rinne), was released in Japan on May 12, 2018.[20]
The Last Judgement
editA sequel film titled Kamen Rider Amazons the Movie: The Last Judgement (仮面ライダーアマゾンズ THE MOVIE 最後ノ審判, Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Za Mūbī Saigo no Shinpan), which is set after the end of the second season and concludes the storyline, was released in Japan on May 19, 2018.[21]
Manga
editKamen Rider Amazons Gaiden: Light of Fireflies (仮面ライダーアマゾンズ外伝 蛍火, Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Gaiden Hotarubi), written by Shinjiro and supervised by Yasuko Kobayashi, is a manga adaptation that is a side story focusing on the Firefly Amazon, one of the Experiment Amazons. It takes place between the first and second seasons of Kamen Rider Amazons.
References
edit- ^ "仮面ライダー生誕45周年のメモリアル・イヤーに"仮面ライダーアマゾン"がAmazonで完全新生！その名も「仮面ライダーアマゾンズ」！". toei.co.jp.
- ^ "「仮面ライダーアマゾンズ」Amazonプライムビデオで4月1日から配信決定 シリーズきっての異色作を新たな解釈で再構築". itmedia.co.jp.
- ^ "「仮面ライダーアマゾンズ」7月からTV放送 反響呼んだ話題作 - ライブドアニュース". livedoor.com.
- ^ "Web独占配信「仮面ライダーアマゾンズ」、7月からテレビでも 新撮OP映像を追加". itmedia.co.jp.
- ^ Amazon Prime Video（プライムビデオ） [@PrimeVideo_JP] (May 31, 2016). "【#プライムビデオ新作 発表会】4月1日より好評配信中の #仮面ライダーアマゾンズ シーズン2が来年春より配信予定https://t.co/zcZRPdtGKZ #apvnew #アマゾンズ https://t.co/OdPfrqGaab" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Kamen Rider Amazons Season 2 Debuts in April". Anime News Network. March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Amazonプライム・ビデオ 「仮面ライダーアマゾンズSeason 2」4月7日配信！". toei.co.jp.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "「仮面ライダーアマゾンズ」シーズン2配信決定 4月7日よりAmazonプライム・ビデオにて". animeanime.jp. 7 March 2017.
- ^ ""Kamen Rider Amazons" Kicks Off 2nd Season in 2017".
- ^ "Amazon Riders Now on Amazon Prime US – Official English Sub of Kamen Rider Amazons". Toku Nation. April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ 前嶋 曜(JBアナザーズ) [@JBanothers_Yoh] (March 6, 2017). "『仮面ライダー 新シリーズ』 ~仮面ライダーアマゾンズ Season 2~ 主人公・千翼役をやらせて頂くことになりました。周りの方々に恵まれ、支えられ、本当に感謝しかありません。全てが初ということでまだ右も左も分からない状態ではありますが、どうぞよろしくお願いします。😄 https://t.co/sTxkshl9Lu" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ GMBプロダクション [@GMBp_official] (March 6, 2017). "【白本彩奈】：みなさん！お待たせしました！ なんと！仮面ライダーアマゾンズ シーズン2のヒロイン"イユ"を演じさせてもらいました！！！！！ 4/7から配信スタートです！シーズン2もよろしくぞん。 https://t.co/J5yMUKdZ1c" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "重大告知". ameblo.jp.
- ^ "籾木芳仁(Yoshito Momiki) on Twitter". twitter.com.
- ^ 赤楚衛二 [@akasoeiji] (March 6, 2017). "情報解禁です！ 『仮面ライダーアマゾンズSeason 2』 長瀬裕樹(ひろき)役として出演させて頂きます。 4月7日(金) Amazonプライムビデオ 毎週1話配信。 一意専心に情熱注ぎました。 是非宜しくお願い致します。 https://t.co/jZfnpsIOZP" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ 三浦 海里 [@Kairi_M1026] (March 6, 2017). "＊情報解禁＊ 『仮面ライダー 新シリーズ』 ~仮面ライダーアマゾンズ Season 2~ に 山下琢己役で出演させていただいてます！ 賑やかな現場でリラックスして撮影できました！ 4/7より アマゾンプライムにて放送です！ よろしくお願いします！" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ 堂本 翔平 [@shohei_domoto] (March 6, 2017). "【情報解禁】 仮面ライダーアマゾンズseasdon2 に北村健太役 として出演します◎ 僕にとって初の映像作品が この作品で本当幸せです！ みんな拡散してね🙆♂️https://t.co/cLZqQHHSJg" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "小林太郎、Amazonで公開中「仮面ライダーアマゾンズ」主題歌を明日配信". natalie.mu. Natasha Inc.
- ^ "Kamen Rider x Super Sentai: Chō Superhero Taisen Film Announced for March 25 Premiere - News". Anime News Network. 2016-12-26. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
- ^ a b "映画『仮面ライダーアマゾンズ THE MOVIE 最後ノ審判』 【Season1 覚醒】5月5日(土) 【Season2 輪廻】5月12日(土) 配信..." toei.co.jp.
- ^ "Kamen Rider Amazons Series Gets Film in Spring 2018". 11 July 2023.
External links
edit- Official website (Season 1)
- Official website (Season 2)
- Official website (Season 1) at Toei Company
- Official website (Season 2) at Toei Company