Kamen Rider (Skyrider)

This article is about a/an series entry (the 6th) in the Kamen Rider Series.

Kamen Rider (Skyrider)

Skyrider
Number	6
Number of episodes:	54
First episode:	A Cyborg Flies in the Sky
Last episode:	Farewell, Hiroshi Tsukuba! Eight Heroes Forever....
Intro:	Moero! Kamen Rider (1-28) Otoko no Na wa Kamen Rider (29-54)
Original airing:	October 5, 1979–October 10, 1980
Producer:	Toei
Production Order
previous Kamen Rider Stronger	next Kamen Rider Super-1

For the series' main character, see Hiroshi Tsukuba.

For the original Kamen Rider series, see Kamen Rider.

Kamen Rider (仮面ライダー, Kamen Raidā^?, Masked Rider in English) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is the sixth program in the Kamen Rider Series. It has the same name as the first series in the franchise, and fans usually refer to this series as The New Kamen Rider (新しい仮面ライダー, Atarashī Kamen Raidā^?) or Skyrider (スカイライダー, Sukairaidā^?) (after the main character) in order to distinguish it from the original. The show is called Kamen Rider Shin in Japan. The series was broadcast on TBS from October 5, 1979 to October 10, 1980, lasting 54 episodes. The series was a co-production between Toei and Ishinomori Productions, and was created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It aired every Saturday at 7:00 PM.

The New Kamen Rider was intended as a revival of the original Kamen Rider, going back to the basic, essential themes established in that series, as opposed to the more complex and unique series that preceded it, such as Kamen Rider Amazon and Kamen Rider Stronger.

Story

Doctor Keitarō Shido, an acclaimed scientist, has been kidnapped by the terrorist organization Neo-Shocker in order to exploit his expertise in robotics technology. Desperate to escape, he convinces Neo-Shocker command to allow him to operate on an injured camper. Explaining that he can turn the camper, Hiroshi Tsukuba into a powerful Neo-Shocker warrior, they allow Doctor Shido to operate. However, he quickly turns the tables on them, transforming Hiroshi not into an evil kaijin, but into the powerful warrior Skyrider, using his new found abilities to combat the evil Neo-Shocker menace.

Characters

Skyrider

Hiroshi Tsukuba

• Keitarō Shido (志度 敬太郎, Shido Keitarō^?, 1-13)
• Midori Kanō (叶 みどり, Kanō Midori^?, 1-13)
• Yumi Nozaki (野崎 ユミ, Nozaki Yumi^?, 2-17)
• Michi Sugimura (杉村 ミチ, Sugimura Michi^?, 2-17)
• Imata Tonda (飛田 今太, Tonda Imata^?, 1-17)
• Genjirō Tani (谷 源次郎, Tani Genjirō^?, 14-)
• Numa (沼, Numa^?, 14-)
• Aki Ozawa (小沢 アキ, Ozawa Aki^?, 18-)
• Naoko Itō (伊東 ナオコ, Itō Naoko^?, 18-)
• Shigeru Kanō (叶 シゲル, Kanō Shigeru^?)
• Kanji Yada/GanGan G (矢田 勘次／がんがんじい, Yada Kanji/Gan Gan Jī^?, 34-)
• Seven Legendary Riders (七伝説のライダー, Nana Densetsu no Raidā^?)

Kamen Rider #1	Takeshi Hongo
Kamen Rider #2	Hayato Ichimonji
Kamen Rider V3	Shiro Kazami
Riderman	Joji Yuki
Kamen Rider X	Keisuke Jin
Kamen Rider Amazon	Daisuke Yamamoto
Kamen Rider Stronger	Shigeru Jo

Neo-Shocker

Shocker is once again reformed as the Neo-Shocker (ネオショッカー, Neo Shokkā^?) organization, playing a role in numerous disappearances and terrorist attacks against the Japanese government. Spreading their influence across the world, their goal is the genocide of about two thirds of the current human population on Earth with them as the dominant majority. Though the other branches are succeeding unopposed, only the Japan branch is making no progress due to the interference of Skyrider.

• Neo-Shocker's Great Leader (ネオショッカー大首領, Neo Shokkā Dai Shuryō^?, 52-54)
• General Monster/Yamorijin (ゼネラルモンスター／ヤモリジン, Zeneraru Monsutā/Yamorijin^?, 1-17)
• Admiral Majin (魔人提督, Majin Teitoku^?, 17-53)
• Galaxy King (銀河王, Ginga Ō^?, movie)
• Ari Commandos (アリコマンド, Ari Komando^?)
• Skull Assassination Squad (ドクロ暗殺隊, Dokuro Ansatsu Tai^?, 53-54)
• Neo-Shocker Scientists:
  • Professor Doc (プロフェッサー・ドク, Puroffesā Doku^?, 16-18)
  • Doctor Meteor (ドクター・メテオ, Dokutā Meteo^?, 38)
  • Doctor X (ドクターX, Dokutā Ekkusu^?, 52)
  • Shiroari Commandos (白アリコマンド, Shiroari Komando^?)

Episodes

Main article: Kamen Rider (Skyrider) Episodes

Kamen Rider (Skyrider) Episodes

Cast

• Hiroshi Tsukuba (筑波　洋, Tsukuba Hiroshi^?) - Hiroaki Murakami (村上 弘明, Murakami Hiroaki^?)
• Midori Kanō (叶 みどり, Kanō Midori^?) - Kimiko Tanaka (田中 功子, Tanaka Kimiko^?)
• Michi Sugimura (杉村 ミチ, Sugimura Michi^?) - Naoko Fushimi (伏見 尚子, Fushimi Naoko^?)
• Yumi Nozaki (野崎 ユミ, Nozaki Yumi^?) - Kaori Tatsumi (巽 かおり, Tatsumi Kaori^?)
• Imata Tonda (飛田 今太, Tonda Imata^?) - Ryūmei Azuma (東 隆明, Azuma Ryūmei^?)
• Naoko Itō (伊東 ナオコ, Itō Naoko^?) - Mie Suzuki (鈴木 美江, Suzuki Mie^?)
• Aki Ozawa (小沢 アキ, Ozawa Aki^?) - Sayako Eguchi (江口 燁子, Eguchi Sayako^?)
• Numa (沼, Numa^?) - Jin Takase (高瀬 仁, Takase Jin^?)
• Shigeru Kanō (叶 シゲル, Kanō Shigeru^?) - Kōji Shiratori (白鳥 恒視, Shiratori Kōji^?)
• Kanji Yada (矢田 勘次, Yada Kanji^?) - Tomaru Katsura (桂 都丸, Katsura Tomaru^?)
• The Great Leader (大首領, Daishuryō^?, Voice) - Gorō Naya (納谷 悟朗, Naya Gorō^?)
• General Monster (ゼネラルモンスター, Zeneraru Monstā^?) - Shinzō Hotta (堀田 真三, Hotta Shinzō^?)
• Admiral Majin (魔人提督, Majin Teitoku^?) - Yōsuke Naka (中 庸助, Naka Yōsuke^?)
• Keitarō Shido (志度 敬太郎, Shido Keitarō^?) - Takashi Tabata (田畑 孝, Tabata Takashi^?)
• Genjirō Tani (谷 源次郎, Tani Genjirō^?) - Nobuo Tsukamoto (塚本 信夫, Tsukamoto Nobuo^?)
• Narrator (ナレーター, Narētā^?) - Shinji Nakae (中江 真司, Nakae Shinji^?)

Songs

Opening themes

• "Moero! Kamen Rider" (燃えろ! 仮面ライダー, Moero! Kamen Raidā^?, "Burn! Kamen Rider")
  • Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
  • Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi
  • Artist: Ichirou Mizuki and Kōrogi '73
  • Episodes: 1-28
• "Otoko no Na wa Kamen Rider" (男の名は仮面ライダー, Otoko no Na wa Kamen Raidā^?, "That Man's Name is Kamen Rider")
  • Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
  • Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi
  • Artist: Ichirou Mizuki
  • Episodes: 29-54

Ending themes

• "Haruka naru Ai ni Kakete" (はるかなる愛にかけて, "Haruka naru Ai ni Kakete"^? "Long Distance Love")
  • Lyrics: Saburō Yatsude
  • Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi
  • Artist: Ichirou Mizuki and Kōrogi '73
  • Episodes: 1-28
• "Kagayake! Hachinin Rider" (輝け! 8人ライダー, Kagayake! Hachinin Raidā^?, "Shine! Eight Riders")
  • Lyrics: Saburō Yatsude
  • Composition & Arrangement: Shunsuke Kikuchi
  • Artist: Ichirou Mizuki and The Chirps
  • Episodes: 29-54

Notes

• It is an odd coincidence that a Kamen Rider first gained the power of flight after a certain American superhero made his box office debut one year earlier.
• Halfway through the season, the writers had seemingly forgotten Skyrider could fly, as this ability was never used in later episodes.
  • One explanation could possibly be due to the technical and budget limitations of that time period for Japanese TV, the production staff being unable to fully simulate Skyrider's flight in the manner Shotaro Ishinomori wanted. More recent appearances of Skyrider in crossover films have solved this problem using CGI and green screen effects.
    • Another possibility is the change in writing staff being uninformed about Skyrider during the transition from a reboot series to being in-continuity with previous installments