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2000 Japanese TV series or program From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kamen Rider Kuuga (Japanese: 仮面ライダークウガ, Hepburn: Kamen Raidā Kūga, stylized in English as Masked Rider Kuuga) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is the tenth installment of the popular Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu shows and the first of the series to air entirely in the Heisei period, as well as the first standalone Kamen Rider TV series since Kamen Rider Black RX and the first series of the revived run of Kamen Rider, bringing Kamen Rider into the 21st century.
Kamen Rider Kuuga | |
---|---|
Genre | Tokusatsu Superhero fiction Supernatural Action Drama Police procedural Horror fiction |
Created by | Shotaro Ishinomori |
Written by | Naruhisa Arakawa |
Directed by | Hidenori Ishida |
Starring |
|
Opening theme | "Kamen Rider Kuuga!" by Masayuki Tanaka |
Ending theme | "Aozora ni Naru" by Jin Hashimoto |
Composer | Toshihiko Sahashi |
Country of origin | Japan |
No. of episodes | 49 |
Production | |
Producers |
|
Running time | 23–25 minutes per episode |
Production companies | TV Asahi Asatsu-DK Toei Company |
Original release | |
Network | ANN (TV Asahi) |
Release | January 30, 2000 – January 21, 2001 |
Related | |
It was a joint collaboration between Asatsu-DK and Toei, and was shown on TV Asahi from January 30, 2000, to January 21, 2001, replacing Moero!! Robocon in its timeslot. Kamen Rider Kuuga is the first Kamen Rider Series to be broadcast in a widescreen (letterboxed) format, albeit cropped during airing. It aired alongside Mirai Sentai Timeranger.
Long ago, the Gurongi Tribe terrorized the Linto Tribe until a warrior acquired the power of Kuuga and defeated the Gurongi, sealing their leader within a cave along with him. In the present day, Kuuga's mysterious stone belt is excavated, freeing the Gurongi as they resume their murderous game on the Linto Tribe's descendants: humanity itself. But a multi-talented man named Yusuke Godai finds himself drawn to the belt and becomes the new Kuuga. He helped assemble the Science Police to fight the Gurongi to ensure the happiness and safety of others. But as the endgame draws near, Yusuke learns of a horrible revelation between Kuuga and the Gurongi Tribe's leader.
The Gurongi Tribe (グロンギ族, Gurongi-zoku) is a mysterious ancient civilization whose members can transform into monsters to kill people for their ruthless game, referred to in their language as the "Gegeru" (ゲゲル, Game). The 200 members of the Gurongi made their rival civilization the Linto (リント, Rinto), humanity's ancestors before they were defeated and sealed by the original Kuuga, Riku. However, the seal was undone in 2000 with the Gurongi resuming their Gegeru on the human race that are the Linto's descendants to bring about the "Ultimate Darkness" (究極の闇, Kyūkyoku no Yami), when humanity will become as violent as the Gurongi.
The Gurongi are classified as Unidentified Life Forms (未確認生命体, Mikakunin Seimeitai, also known as "ULF"), while those that have a human form are labeled "B" (B群, Bī-gun). Each of the Gurongi possesses a stylized Gedoruudo (ゲドルード, Gedorūdo) belt with a Magic Stone Geburon (魔石ゲブロン, Maseki Geburon). The naming pattern of the Gurongi is "Group·Species·Creature type": the first part denotes their rank, the second part is the personal name, and the third part indicates the type of animal they resemble. Only 25 out of the 200 Gurongi appeared in the course of the series.
In the series, the Gurongi speak in their own native language (originally created by the producers as a cipher of the Japanese language) which was left purposely unsubtitled during the original broadcast to prevent the audience from learning the series' mysteries and plot twists (as it was referred by them in the early episodes). The Zu Group is the first to play in the Gegeru, then the Me, and finally the Go in the Gerizagibas Gegeru (ゲリザギバスゲゲル, Gerizagibasu Gegeru, Semi-final Game). The Gegeru is overseen by the two La Gurongi, and the winner of the Gerizagibas Gegeru receives the right to challenge their leader, N·Daguva·Zeba, to a duel known as the Zagibas Gegeru (ザギバスゲゲル, Zagibasu Gegeru, Final Game) for the leadership of the Gurongi.
The Ra Group (ラ集団, Ra Shūdan) are the judges of the Gegeru and are Daguva's right-hand men. The Nu Group (ヌ集団, Nu Shūdan) crafts the artifacts used by the other groups. The Zu Group (ズ集団, Zu Shūdan) contains lower-tier Gurongi under Zu·Zain·Da, most of their kin slaughtered by Daguva as they failed to acquire the right to participate. Those who did qualify are brought into the Gegeru by writing their names on the portable Dodozo (ドドゾ, Board) blackboard and using the beads of their Guzepa (グゼパ) bracelets to mark the number of people they have killed. The Me Group (メ集団, Me Shūdan) are middle-tier Gurongi led by Me·Garima·Ba, its members brought into the Gegeru by using the Bagundada (バグンダダ, Counter) abacus to predict the number of people they are to kill and the period to accomplish that. The Go Group (ゴ集団, Go Shūdan) are high-tier Gurongi who can transmute their ornaments into weapons like Kuuga displays while in his Dragon, Pegasus, and Titan forms. Unlike the lesser tiers, the Go having Ra·Doldo·Gu tally their kills for them while creating their rules of conducting their kills. The Go who completes the Gegeru, or the one who can defeat all the Go class Gurongi, earns the right to fight Daguva for control of the entire Gurongi Tribe. Their leader is Go·Gadol·Ba, one of the three strongest Go Gurongi who had modified themselves to alter their forms like Kuuga and Daguva. The lowest Be Group (ベ集団, Be Shūdan) were all murdered by Daguva without acquiring the right of the Gegeru.
The title of each episode is written with only two kanji.
# | English title Original Japanese title |
Director | Writer | Original airdate |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Revival" Transliteration: "Fukkatsu" (Japanese: 復活) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | January 30, 2000 |
2 | "Transformation" Transliteration: "Henshin" (Japanese: 変身) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | February 6, 2000 |
3 | "Tokyo" Transliteration: "Tōkyō" (Japanese: 東京) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | February 13, 2000 |
4 | "Sprint" Transliteration: "Shissō" (Japanese: 疾走) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | February 20, 2000 |
5 | "Distance" Transliteration: "Kyori" (Japanese: 距離) | Takao Nagaishi | Naruhisa Arakawa | February 27, 2000 |
6 | "Azure Dragon" Transliteration: "Seiryū" (Japanese: 青龍) | Takao Nagaishi | Naruhisa Arakawa | March 5, 2000 |
7 | "Grief" Transliteration: "Shōshin" (Japanese: 傷心) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | March 12, 2000 |
8 | "Archer" Transliteration: "Shashu" (Japanese: 射手) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | March 19, 2000 |
9 | "Siblings" Transliteration: "Kyōdai" (Japanese: 兄妹) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | March 26, 2000 |
10 | "Fierceness" Transliteration: "Shiretsu" (Japanese: 熾烈) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | April 2, 2000 |
11 | "Promise" Transliteration: "Yakusoku" (Japanese: 約束) | Takao Nagaishi | Naruhisa Arakawa | April 9, 2000 |
12 | "Teacher" Transliteration: "Onshi" (Japanese: 恩師) | Takao Nagaishi | Naruhisa Arakawa | April 16, 2000 |
13 | "Suspicion" Transliteration: "Fushin" (Japanese: 不審) | Hidenori Ishida | Toshiki Inoue | April 23, 2000 |
14 | "Omen" Transliteration: "Zenchō" (Japanese: 前兆) | Hidenori Ishida | Toshiki Inoue | April 30, 2000 |
15 | "Armor" Transliteration: "Sōkō" (Japanese: 装甲) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | May 7, 2000 |
16 | "Creed" Transliteration: "Shinjō" (Japanese: 信条) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | May 14, 2000 |
17 | "Preparation" Transliteration: "Rinsen" (Japanese: 臨戦) | Nobuhiro Suzumura | Tsuyoshi Kida Katsura Murayama | May 21, 2000 |
18 | "Loss" Transliteration: "Sōshitsu" (Japanese: 喪失) | Takao Nagaishi | Toshiki Inoue | May 28, 2000 |
19 | "Artifact" Transliteration: "Reiseki" (Japanese: 霊石) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | June 4, 2000 |
20 | "Smile" Transliteration: "Egao" (Japanese: 笑顔) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | June 11, 2000 |
21 | "Secrets" Transliteration: "An'yaku" (Japanese: 暗躍) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | June 25, 2000 |
22 | "Game" Transliteration: "Yūgi" (Japanese: 遊戯) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | July 2, 2000 |
23 | "Uneasiness" Transliteration: "Fuan" (Japanese: 不安) | Takao Nagaishi | Toshiki Inoue | July 9, 2000 |
24 | "Strengthening" Transliteration: "Kyōka" (Japanese: 強化) | Takao Nagaishi | Toshiki Inoue | July 16, 2000 |
25 | "Wandering" Transliteration: "Hōkō" (Japanese: 彷徨) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | July 23, 2000 |
26 | "Myself" Transliteration: "Jibun" (Japanese: 自分) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | July 30, 2000 |
27 | "Ripple" Transliteration: "Hamon" (Japanese: 波紋) | Katsuya Watanabe | Toshiki Inoue | August 6, 2000 |
28 | "Clarification" Transliteration: "Kaimei" (Japanese: 解明) | Katsuya Watanabe | Toshiki Inoue | August 13, 2000 |
29 | "Crossroads" Transliteration: "Kiro" (Japanese: 岐路) | Takao Nagaishi | Naruhisa Arakawa | August 20, 2000 |
30 | "Fate" Transliteration: "Unmei" (Japanese: 運命) | Takao Nagaishi | Naruhisa Arakawa | August 27, 2000 |
31 | "Retaliation" Transliteration: "Ōsen" (Japanese: 応戦) | Nobuhiro Suzumura | Naruhisa Arakawa Kiyoshi Takenaka | September 3, 2000 |
32 | "Obstacle" Transliteration: "Shōgai" (Japanese: 障害) | Osamu Kaneda | Toshiki Inoue | September 10, 2000 |
33 | "Cooperation" Transliteration: "Renkei" (Japanese: 連携) | Osamu Kaneda | Toshiki Inoue Naruhisa Arakawa | September 17, 2000 |
34 | "Tremble" Transliteration: "Senritsu" (Japanese: 戦慄) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | October 1, 2000 |
35 | "Emotion" Transliteration: "Aizō" (Japanese: 愛憎) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | October 8, 2000 |
36 | "Complication" Transliteration: "Sakusō" (Japanese: 錯綜) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | October 15, 2000 |
37 | "Approach" Transliteration: "Sekkin" (Japanese: 接近) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | October 22, 2000 |
38 | "Transition" Transliteration: "Henten" (Japanese: 変転) | Takao Nagaishi | Naruhisa Arakawa | October 29, 2000 |
39 | "Goma" Transliteration: "Gōma" (Japanese: 強魔) | Takao Nagaishi | Naruhisa Arakawa | November 12, 2000 |
40 | "Impulse" Transliteration: "Shōdō" (Japanese: 衝動) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | November 19, 2000 |
41 | "Control" Transliteration: "Yokusei" (Japanese: 抑制) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | November 26, 2000 |
42 | "Battlefield" Transliteration: "Senjō" (Japanese: 戦場) | Osamu Kaneda | Naruhisa Arakawa | December 3, 2000 |
43 | "Reality" Transliteration: "Genjitsu" (Japanese: 現実) | Osamu Kaneda | Naruhisa Arakawa | December 10, 2000 |
44 | "Crisis" Transliteration: "Kiki" (Japanese: 危機) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | December 17, 2000 |
45 | "Archenemy" Transliteration: "Kyōteki" (Japanese: 強敵) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | December 24, 2000 |
46 | "Indomitable" Transliteration: "Fukutsu" (Japanese: 不屈) | Katsuya Watanabe | Naruhisa Arakawa | December 31, 2000 |
47 | "Decision" Transliteration: "Ketsui" (Japanese: 決意) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | January 7, 2001 |
48 | "Kuuga" Transliteration: "Kūga" (Japanese: 空我) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | January 14, 2001 |
49 | "Yusuke" Transliteration: "Yūsuke" (Japanese: 雄介) | Hidenori Ishida | Naruhisa Arakawa | January 21, 2001 |
This article may be a rough translation from Japanese. It may have been generated, in whole or in part, by a computer or by a translator without dual proficiency. (August 2024) |
Kamen Rider's TV series has been planned since around 1996, and there was a time when it was originally aimed at broadcasting on The Mainichi Broadcasting Production and TBS series at 6:00 a.m. on Saturdays, which was broadcasting the Ultra series.[4] The initial title is "Kamen Rider XV (CrossBuoy)"[4] and "Kamen Rider Kawakami"[5] and the idea of appearing multiple Kamen Riders presented here has led to the idea of form change by consolidating the number of people to one person.[6] Another project title is "Kamen Rider Gaia", which is said to have competed with "Ultraman Gaia".[4]
It is 'Segata Sanshiro' to have become a tailwind. Hiroshi Fujioka, who played Takeshi Hongo (Kamen Rider No. 1) in Kamen Rider, the same character played by the same character enlivened the popularity rekindle of Kamen Rider.[7] According to Takeyuki Suzuki, this excitement led to the birth of this work.[8] Producer Nariki Takatera also testified that the Kamen Rider Series of prizes in the prize game was also boosting sales. At the time, it was vaguely perceived as a "positive reaction", but this was a sign that the age group coming to the game center became interested in riders, and it was the beginning of viewers of the old work becoming fathers and forming "two generations of parents and children" fans.[9]
Nariki Takatera's plan "Kamen Rider Guardian" has a clear style with a strong hero color, and there is a remnant of Yusuke's character setting.[10] At this point, Takatera had envisioned a line of traditional hero programs so as not to disappoint the expectations of related companies.[11] After that, the plan proposal submitted by Ishimori Pro Kamen Rider Otis[4]Asked to reconsider the direction because of the strong horror color and tragedy, Takatera decided to drastically review it.[11] In other tentative titles, there was also a plan called "Ouja" after the notation in Kanji was proposed.[4]
Takatera's enthusiasm for creating a completely new Kamen Rider was strong, but he said that it would take a budget equivalent to Indiana Jones to realize the fantastic and unconventional hero image of the initial plan,[12] In response to the point that the "half-earthling and alien" setting is too far from the rider's image, we decided to explore ways to add new flavors to traditional riders.[13]
Takatera's idea of "Kamen Rider-likeness" was the composition of "Man and Man" with live figures such as Kazuya Taki and Tobei Tachibana next to a strange hero called Rider. This is used in an actual work in the form of a buddy of Yusuke and Kaoru Ichijo. On the other hand, the element "remodeled human", which was the basic setting of the old work, was considered not to be mandatory and was excluded.[14]
Toei announced a new project, in May 1999. Kuuga was part of a Kamen Rider revival project 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.
The Kamen Rider Kuuga trademark was registered by Toei on November 8, 1999.[15][16]
Kuuga also marks Toei's very first Kamen Rider series to be shot in 1080i, though the broadcast, including the recent home video releases, has been scaled down to Standard definition instead.
Kamen Rider Kuuga: Extra Episode "Trust" (仮面ライダークウガ エクストラエピソード「信頼」, Kamen Raidā Kūga Ekusutora Episōdo Shinrai) is a manga adaptation, published in the 2001 summer vacation special issue of the TeleCoro Comic magazine. It took place between Episodes 22 and 23.
On November 1, 2014, a manga reboot of Kuuga began serialization in Hero's Inc.'s Monthly Hero's magazine. It is written by Toshiki Inoue and illustrated by Hitotsu Yokoshima with the characters of Kamen Rider Agito added.[17] On October 30, 2020, after Monthly Hero's ceased publication, the series was transferred to the Comiplex website.[18] On April 28, 2022, the series was licensed by Titan Publishing Group for English publication under their new manga imprint.[19]
Kuuga had two S.I.C. Hero Saga stories published in Monthly Hobby Japan magazine. The first story Kamen Rider Kuuga Edition: Odyssey (MASKED RIDER KUUGA EDITION -オデッセイ-, Kamen Raidā Kūga Edishon Odessei) supervised by series producer Shigenori Takatera expands upon the mythology of Kuuga featuring original characters Riku (リク), the previous Kuuga chosen by the Linto, and the original N·Daguva·Zeba (Incomplete) (ン・ダグバ・ゼバ(不完全体), N Daguba Zeba (Fukanzentai)). The second story Masked Rider Kuuga Edition: Dark Side continues the expansion of the series mythology. These stories take place in an alternate universe, as there are different settings between the stories and Kuuga, like the Linto Tribe with warriors and Daguva's personality. Odyssey ran from February to May 2002. Dark Side ran in a separate special issue titled Hobby Japan Mook S.I.C. Official Diorama Story S.I.C. Hero Saga vol.2.
Kamen Rider Kuuga (仮面ライダークウガ, Kamen Raidā Kūga), written by Naruhisa Arakawa, is part of a series of spin-off novel adaptions of the Heisei Era Kamen Riders. The story takes place 12 years after the series, where Yusuke Godai defeated the Gurongi as Kamen Rider Kuuga. Ichijo is still trying to research the remains of the Gurongi Tribe until rumors of a mysterious "white warrior" (白い戦士, Shiroi Senshi) surfaces on the internet, which reminds Ichijo of Godai. The novel was originally planned to be released on November 30, 2012, however, it was delayed until June 2013.
A video game based on the series, developed by KAZe and published by Bandai, was released in Japan on December 21, 2000 for the PlayStation. It is a fighting game similar to Tekken.
The show won Seiun Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 2002.[20]
The series originated the term Odagiri effect, named after the lead actor Joe Odagiri, which means a television program attracts a larger than expected number of female viewers because the program stars attractive male actors or characters. The producers discovered that, besides the target demographics, Kuuga was also attracting a large audience of women around the age of 30. The show was attracting the mothers of children who found Odagiri attractive. Following this, Odagiri went on to a more high-profile career, while the follow-up series, Kamen Rider Agito attempted to re-create the effect by casting three attractive male actors in the lead. Again, the show attracted large numbers of female viewers, although long-term viewers, mostly men, disapproved.[21][22]
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