Kamen Rider Ryuki

This article is about a series entry (the 12th) in the Kamen Rider Series.

Kamen Rider Ryuki
Information
Number	12
Number of episodes	50 + 1 Movie + 1 TV Special
First episode	The Secret Story's Birth
Last episode	A New Life
Intro	Alive A life
Airdate	February 3, 2002-January 19, 2003
Production
Producers	Toei Company
Production Order
Previous	Kamen Rider Agito
Next	Kamen Rider 555

This article is about the television series. For the series' main character, Ryuki, see Shinji Kido.

Kamen Rider Ryuki (仮面ライダー龍騎, Kamen Raidā Ryūki, Masked Rider Ryuki) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It was the twelfth installment in the Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu shows. It was a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei, and it was shown on TV Asahi from February 3, 2002 to January 19, 2003. The catchphrase for the series is "Those who don't fight won't survive!!" (戦わなければ、生き残れない!!, Tatakawanakereba, ikinokorenai!!). In 2009, Ryuki was adapted into the American television series Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, the first adaptation of a Kamen Rider Series in the United States since Saban's Masked Rider in 1996.

Story

Thirteen Card Decks (カードデッキ, Kādo Dekki) were created for thirteen Kamen Riders. They make Contracts with monsters from the mysterious Mirror World (ミラーワールド, Mirā Wārudo), a parallel dimension opposite to our own in which only the Kamen Riders can exist. The Riders draw on their monsters' strength in exchange for feeding them the life force of the creatures they destroy. The creator of the Advent Cards (アドベントカード, Adobento Kādo) has only one rule: that there can be only one Kamen Rider. The others must be killed, and the sole victor will be granted a single wish, which leads to a conflict known as the Rider War.

All over the city, innocent people are being mysteriously abducted, never to be seen again. During his investigations of these incidents, Shinji Kido – an intern at the online news service ORE Journal – discovers one of the Advent Card decks at an apartment where every reflective surface has been covered by newspaper. He is soon sucked into the Mirror World, discovering the terrifying truth behind the disappearances: people are literally being pulled through mirrors by the monsters of the Mirror World so that they may feed. He is about to be killed by a powerful dragon named Dragredder when he is saved by Kamen Rider Knight: Ren Akiyama. Ren seeks to win the Rider War at all costs. He works with a young woman named Yui Kanzaki, who seeks her missing brother: the master of the Rider War, Shirō Kanzaki. Seeing Ren's strength, Shinji enters the Rider War not for the prize, but so that he may protect innocent people from the threat of the Mirror World, and stop the senseless fighting between the Kamen Riders. With Dragreder as his Contract Monster, he becomes Kamen Rider Ryuki.

He will discover that there are some people who cannot be saved. That you must sometimes fight in order to stop the fighting. The extent to which you must go if you want your deepest wish to come true, and the sacrifices that you must make. In the end, there can be only one Kamen Rider...

Characters

13 Riders

File:Ryuki - 13 Kamen Riders.jpg

The 13 Riders. From left to right: Odin, Tiger, Femme, Scissors, Ouja, Knight, Ryuki, Zolda, Raia, Gai, Ryuga, Imperer, Verde.

The notion of 13 Riders is apparently a homage to the original Kamen Rider manga published in 1971, which contains a chapter called The 13 Kamen Riders. However, only 10 Kamen Riders were featured in the TV series. Femme, Ryuga and Verde appeared exclusively in the movie Episode: Final and/or the TV special 13 Riders.

Despite the idea of 13 Kamen Riders facing each other, all 13 Kamen Riders never really faced each other in one huge battle. The most number of Kamen Riders in one battle is 6 (in the TV series, where Knight, Ryuki, Zolda, Ouja, Tiger, and Alternative fought each other, only to be interrupted by Imperer's advent monsters), and 11 (at the 13 Kamen Riders Special). Kamen Rider Raia was killed earlier by Kamen Rider Verde's Death Vanish Final Vent. Despite activating the Guard Vent, Kamen Rider Scissors was killed by Kamen Rider Ouja's Veno Crash Final Vent. The remaining 10 Kamen Riders fought on the final match of the special, with Kamen Rider Ryuki and Kamen Rider Knight facing off against the remaining 8, led by Kamen Rider Odin.

Kamen Rider Ryuki	Koichi Sakakibara ► Shinji Kido
Kamen Rider Knight	Ren Akiyama ► Shinji Kido (13 Riders only)
Kamen Rider Scissors	Masashi Sudo
Kamen Rider Zolda	Shouichi Kitaoka ► Goro Yura
Kamen Rider Raia	Yuichi Saito ► Miyuki Tezuka
Kamen Rider Gai	Jun Shibaura
Kamen Rider Ouja	Takeshi Asakura
Kamen Rider Tiger	Satoru Tojo
Kamen Rider Imperer	Mitsuru Sano
Kamen Rider Odin	Kamen Rider Odin
Alternative Zero	Hideyuki Kagawa
Alternative	Hajime Nakamura

Tv Special & Movie Exclusive

Kamen Rider Femme	Miho Kirishima
Kamen Rider Ryuga	Dark Shinji
Kamen Rider Verde	Itsuro Takamizawa

Kanzaki Family

• Yui Kanzaki
• Sanako Kanzaki
• Shiro Kanzaki

ORE Journal

• Daisuke Okubo
• Reiko Momoi
• Nanako Shimada
• Megumi Asano

Ryuki's Rider Equipment

Though each Rider was different in many aspects, they all had some fundamental similarities and used similar equipment. The key element is the the Card Deck (カードデッキ, Kādo Dekki) a crest-encraved card holder which holds the Advent Cards (アドベントカード, Adobento Kādo), which the Riders used in their battles from summoning offensive and/or defensive weapons to special abilities or summoning Contact Monster. When the Card Deck is put up against a reflective surface, a V-Buckle (Vent Buckle) (Ｖ（ベント）バックル, Bento Bakkuru) appears for the Card Deck to side into to combine the change. Each Rider possesses a Visor (バイザー, Baizā), a card reader modeled after their contract monsters that can activate the Advent Cards' power or serve as a weapon.

Ride Shooter

File:Rideshooter.jpg

Ride Shooter

Ride Shooter (ライドシューター, Raido Shūtā) - These vehicles were what the Riders would use to travel from the real world to the Mirror World. Once a Rider would pass through a mirror or reflective surface, they would then be riding in a Ride Shooter as they were traveling through a portal to the Mirror World. The Ride Shooter would then shoot out of the reflective surface in the Mirror World.

Specifications:

• Length - 3.25m (Approximately 10'8")
• Height - 1.4m (Approximately 4'7")
• Width - 1.12m (Approximately 3'8")
• Top speed - 930km/h (Approximately 577.88 m)

Mirror Monsters

Main article: Mirror Monsters

The Mirror Monsters (ミラーモンスター, Mirā Monsutā) are entities created by Yui as drawings made by her and her brother when they were young and given life by Yui's mirror-self. As these creatures have no true life of their own, they prey on humans to survive on their lifeforce. The only human they cannot attack is Yui herself, whom they obey absolutely like Kanzaki. However, rogue Mirror Monsters who attack Yui are countered by Kamen Rider Odin or a loyal Mirror Monster who serves Kanzaki. However, the majority of the monsters are contracted allies and the power source for most of the thirteen Kamen Riders, building their power by absorbing the energy of other defeated Mirror Monsters, but if the energy is not absorbed, it reforms into a new Mirror Monster.

Episodes

Main article: Kamen Rider Ryuki Episodes

The series is divided into two story arcs:

• Episode 01-28 - "Rider Battle" Arc (「ライダーバトル」編, "Raidā Batoru"-Hen), this arc introduces most of the main characters and plot. It also showcases Ryuki's momentum of victory in the Rider Fight, before it being repeled by the almighty Kamen Rider Odin.
• Episode 29-50 - "Between Battle and Wish" Arc (「戦いと願いの狭間」編, "Tatakai to Negai no Hazama"-Hen), this arc focuses on the dilemma of all the numerous Kamen Riders participating in the Rider Fight, which concludes it.

1. The Secret Story's Birth (誕生秘話, Tanjō Hiwa)
2. Giant Spider Counterattack (巨大クモ逆襲, Kyodai Kumo Gyakushū)
3. School Ghost Story (学校の怪談, Gakkō no Kaidan)
4. School Ghost Story 2 (学校の怪談２, Gakkō no Kaidan Tsū)
5. The Monster's Antique Store (骨董屋の怪人, Kottōya no Kaijin)
6. The Mysterious Rider (謎のライダー, Nazo no Raidā)
7. A New Species Is Born? (新種誕生？, Shinshu Tanjō?)
8. The Fourth, Zolda (４人目ゾルダ, Yoninme Zoruda)
9. Shinji's Arrested!? (真司が逮捕！？, Shinji ga Taiho!?)
10. Knight's Crisis (ナイトの危機, Naito no Kiki)
11. The Mysterious Empty Train (謎の無人電車, Nazo no Mujin Densha)
12. Ren Akiyama's Lover (秋山蓮の恋人, Akiyama Ren no Koibito)
13. That Man, Zolda (その男ゾルダ, Sono Otoko Zoruda)
14. Revival Day (復活の日, Fukkatsu no Hi)
15. Iron Mask Legend (鉄仮面伝説, Tekkamen Densetsu)
16. Card of Destiny (運命のカード, Unmei no Kādo)
17. The Grieving Knight (嘆きのナイト, Nageki no Naito)
18. Jailbreak Rider (脱獄ライダー, Datsugoku Raidā)
19. Rider Gathering (ライダー集結, Raidā Shūketsu)
20. The Traitorous Ren (裏切りの蓮, Uragiri no Ren)
21. Yui's Past (優衣の過去, Yui no Kako)
22. Raia's Revenge (ライアの復讐, Raia no Fukushū)
23. Changing Destiny (変わる運命, Kawaru Unmei)
24. Ouja's Secret (王蛇の秘密, Ōja no Himitsu)
25. Combining Ouja (合体する王蛇, Gattai Suru Ōja)
26. Zolda's Assault (ゾルダの攻撃, Zoruda no Kōgeki)
27. The 13th Rider (１３号ライダー, Jūsangō Raidā)
28. Time Vent (タイムベント, Taimu Bento)
29. Marriage Interview Battle (見合い合戦, Miai Gassen)
30. Zolda's Lover (ゾルダの恋人, Zoruda no Koibito)
31. The Girl and Ouja (少女と王蛇, Shōjo to Ōja)
32. Secret Data Gathering (秘密の取材, Himitsu no Shuzai)
33. The Mirror's Magic (鏡のマジック, Kagami no Majikku)
34. Friendship's Battle (友情のバトル, Yūjō no Batoru)
35. Enter Tiger (タイガ登場, Taiga Tōjō)
36. The Battle Ends (戦いは終わる, Tatakai wa Owaru)
37. Sleep Is Awakening (眠りが覚めて, Nemuri ga Samete)
38. Targeted Yui (狙われた優衣, Nerawareta Yui)
39. A Dangerous Sign (危険のサイン, Kiken no Sain)
40. Memories of an Older Brother and Younger Sister (兄と妹の記憶, Ani to Imōto no Kioku)
41. Imperer (インペラー, Inperā)
42. Room 401 (４０１号室, Yonhyakuichigōshitsu)
43. The Hero Fights (英雄は戦う, Eiyū wa Tatakau)
44. Glassy Happiness (ガラスの幸福, Garasu no Kōfuku)
45. The Twentieth Birthday (２０歳の誕生日, Hatachi no Tanjōbi)
46. Tiger's a Hero (タイガは英雄, Taiga wa Eiyū)
47. Determination of Battle (戦いの決断, Tatakai no Ketsudan)
48. The Final 3 Days (最後の３日間, Saigo no Mikkakan)
49. Granting a Wish (叶えたい願い, Kanaetai Negai)
50. A New Life (新しい命, Atarashii Inochi)

Movies

1. Kamen Rider Ryuki: Episode Final (劇場版　仮面ライダー龍騎　ＥＰＩＳＯＤＥ　ＦＩＮＡＬ, Gekijōban Kamen Raidā Ryūki Episōdo Fainaru)

Specials

1. Kamen Rider Ryuki Special: 13 Riders (仮面ライダー龍騎スペシャル 13 RIDERS, Kamen Raidā Ryūki Supesharu Sātīn Raidāzu)
2. Kamen Rider Ryuki: Ryuki vs Kamen Rider Agito (仮面ライダー龍騎 龍騎vs仮面ライダーアギト, Kamen Raidā Ryūki: Ryūki Buiesu Kamen Raidā Agito)
3. Rider Time: Kamen Rider Ryuki (RIDER TIME 仮面ライダー龍騎, Raidā Taimu: Kamen Raidā Ryūki)

Stageshows

1. Kamen Rider World 02: The Legend of The Strongest Hero, Henshin! Use Advent! (仮面ライダーワールド02 最強のヒーロー伝説・変身！アドベントせよ！！, Kamen Raidā Wārudo 02 Saikyō no Hīrō Densetsu Henshin! Adobento Seyo!!)
2. Kamen Rider Super Live: Ryuki, Agito Great Crash (仮面ライダースーパーライブ 龍騎・アギト大激突！！, Kamen Raidā Sūpā Raibu Ryūki Agito Dai Gekitotsu!)

S.I.C. Hero Saga

Ryuki had two separate S.I.C. Hero Saga side stories published in Monthly Hobby Japan magazine. The first was titled Kamen Rider Ryuki: Advent Calendar (仮面ライダー龍騎 -アドベントカレンダー-, Kamen Raidā Ryūki: Adobento Karendā) and featured original characters Kamen Rider Ouja Survive (仮面ライダー王蛇サバイブ, Kamen Raidā Ōja Sabaibu) and his Mirror Monster the Genosurviver (ジェノサバイバー, Jenosabaibā). The second S.I.C. Hero Saga story Kamen Rider Ryuki: World of If (仮面ライダー龍騎 -IFの世界-, Kamen Raidā Ryūki: IF no Sekai) is an alternate telling that features Ouja Survive from Advent Calendar and also introduces Kamen Rider Ryuga Survive (仮面ライダーリュウガサバイブ, Kamen Raidā Ryūga Sabaibu). Advent Calendar ran from August to December 2004 and World of If ran from June to August 2005.

Advent Calendar chapter titles

1. Advent 4 (待降節・4, Taikōsetsu 4)
2. Advent 3 (待降節・3, Taikōsetsu 3)
3. Advent 2 (待降節・2, Taikōsetsu 2)
4. Advent 1 (待降節・1, Taikōsetsu 1)
5. Nightmare Before (ナイトメア・ビフォア, Naitomea Bifoa)

World of If chapter titles

1. Ryuga (リュウガ, Ryūga)
2. Alternative (オルタナティブ, Orutanatibu)
3. Odin (オーディン, Ōdin)

Video game

A video game based on the series, developed by Digifloyd and published by Bandai, was released in Japan during 2002 for the PlayStation. It is a basic fighting game where all thirteen Riders are playable with all the forms seen in the show, movie and specials (with the exception of the Alternatives and Ouja's Blank Form, seen in EPISODE FINAL). Four of the Contract Monsters (Volcancer, Metalgelas, Destwilder and Gigazelle), the two Zebraskulls (Iron and Bronze) and Megazelle are also playable.

Cast

• Shinji Kido (城戸 真司, Kido Shinji): Takamasa Suga (須賀 貴匡, Suga Takamasa)
• Ren Akiyama (秋山 蓮, Akiyama Ren): Satoshi Matsuda (松田 悟志, Matsuda Satoshi)
• Yui Kanzaki (神崎 優衣, Kanzaki Yui): Ayano Sugiyama (杉山 彩乃, Sugiyama Ayano)
• Shiro Kanzaki (神崎 士郎, Kanzaki Shirō): Kenzaburo Kikuchi (菊地 謙三郎, Kikuchi Kenzaburo)
• Shuichi Kitaoka (北岡 秀一, Kitaoka Shūichi): Ryohei (涼平, Ryōhei)
• Goro Yura (由良 吾郎, Yura Gorō): Tomohisa Yuge (弓削 智久, Yuge Tomohisa)
• Takeshi Asakura (浅倉 威, Asakura Takeshi): Takashi Hagino (萩野 崇, Hagino Takashi)
• Masashi Sudo (須藤 雅史, Sudō Masashi): Takeshi Kimura (木村 剛, Kimura Takeshi)
• Miyuki Tezuka (手塚 海之, Tezuka Miyuki): Hassei Takano (高野 八誠, Takano Hassei)
• Jun Shibaura (芝浦 淳, Shibaura Jun): Satoshi Ichijo (一條 俊, Ichijō Satoshi)
• Satoru Tojo (東條 悟, Tōjō Satoru): Jun Takatsuki (高槻 純, Takatsuki Jun)
• Mitsuru Sano (佐野 満, Sano Mitsuru): Takashi Hyuga (日向 崇, Hyūga Takashi)
• Daisuke Okubo (大久保 大介, Ōkubo Daisuke): Kanji Tsuda (津田 寛治, Tsuda Kanji)
• Reiko Momoi (桃井 令子, Reiko Momoi): Sayaka Kuon (久遠 さやか, Kuon Sayaka)
• Nanako Shimada (島田 奈々子, Shimada Nanako): Hitomi Kurihara (栗原 瞳, Kurihara Hitomi)
• Megumi Asano (浅野 めぐみ, Asano Megumi): Chisato Morishita (森下 千里, Morishita Chisato)
• Sanako Kanzaki (神崎 沙奈子, Kanzaki Sanako): Kazue Tsunogae (角替 和枝, Tsunogae Kazue)
• Eri Ogawa (小川 恵里, Ogawa Eri): Mahiru Tsubura (つぶら まひる, Tsubura Mahiru)
• Hajime Nakamura (仲村 創, Nakamura Hajime): Junichi Mizuno (水野 純一, Mizuno Jun'ichi)
• Hideyuki Kagawa (香川 英行, Kagawa Hideyuki): Satoshi Jinbo (神保 悟志, Jinbo Satoshi)
• Kamen Rider Odin (Voice), Visor Voice (仮面ライダーオーディン、バイザー音声, Kamen Raidā Ōdin, Baizā Onsei): Tsuyoshi Koyama (小山 剛志, Koyama Tsuyoshi)
• Slash Visor Voice (スラッシュバイザー音声, Surasshu Baizā Onsei): Midori Edamura (枝村 みどり, Edamura Midori)
• Narration (ナレーション, Narēshon): Eiichiro Suzuki (鈴木英一郎, Suzuki Eiichirō)

Suit actors

• Kamen Rider Ryuki: Seiji Takaiwa (高岩 成二, Takaiwa Seiji)
• Kamen Rider Knight: Makoto Itō (伊藤 慎, Itō Makoto)
• Kamen Rider Zolda, Alternative, Alternative Zero: Yoshifumi Oshikawa (押川 善文, Oshikawa Yoshifumi)
• Kamen Rider Ouja, Kamen Rider Odin: Jiro Okamoto (岡元 次郎, Okamoto Jirō)
• Kamen Rider Scissors: Ryoji Okada (岡田 良治, Okada Ryōji)
• Kamen Rider Raia, Kamen Rider Ouja (sub): Keizo Yabe (矢部 敬三, Yabe Keizō)
• Kamen Rider Gai: Takeshi Mizutani (水谷 健, Mizutani Takeshi)
• Kamen Rider Tiger: Naoki Nagase (永瀬 尚希, Nagase Naoki)
• Kamen Rider Imperer: Masashi Shirai (白井 雅士, Shirai Masashi)

Songs

Opening theme

• "Alive A life"
  • Lyrics: Yuko Ebine (海老根 祐子, Ebine Yūko)
  • Composition: Kohei Wada (和田 耕平, Wada Kōhei)
  • Arrangement: Kohei Wada & Kazuya Honda (本田 嘉津也, Honda Kazuya)
  • Artist: Rica Matsumoto (松本 梨香, Matsumoto Rika)

Ending themes

• "Hatenaki Inochi" (果てなき希望（いのち）, "Hatenaki Inochi" "Boundless Life")
  • Lyrics: Shin-ichiro Aoyama (青山 紳一郎, Aoyama Shin'ichirō)
  • Composition: Yo Tsuji (辻 陽, Tsuji Yō)
  • Arrangement: Masatoshi Sakashita (坂下 正俊, Sakashita Masatoshi)
  • Artist: Hiroshi Kitadani (きただに ひろし, Kitadani Hiroshi)
  • Episodes: 1-17, 19-33
• "Hateshinai Honō no Naka e" (果てしない炎の中ヘ, "Hateshinai Honō no Naka e" "Into the Eternal Flame")
  • Lyrics: Keiko Terada & Yoshihiko Ando (安藤 芳彦, Andō Yoshihiko)
  • Composition: Yoshio Nomura (野村 義男, Nomura Yoshio)
  • Arrangement: RIDER CHIPS
  • Artist: RIDER CHIPS featuring Keiko Terada (寺田 恵子, Terada Keiko)
  • Episodes: 18
• "Revolution"
  • Lyrics: Yuko Ebine
  • Composition & Arrangement: Mikio Sakai
  • Artist: Hiroshi Kitadani

Episodes: 34-37, 39-50, TV Special

• "Lonely Soldier"
  • Lyrics: Yuko Ebine
  • Composition: Yo Tsuji
  • Arrangement: Akio Kondo (近藤 昭雄, Akio Kondō)
  • Artist: Ren Akiyama (Satoshi Matsuda)
  • Episodes: 38

International broadcasts

In addition to the Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight adaptation, Ryuki has been broadcast in its original form in many languages and nations. It was dubbed into Korean as Masked Rider Dragon (가면라이더 드래건 Gamyeon Raideo Deuraegeon) in South Korea in 2004, Filipino in the Philippines as Masked Rider Ryuki on ABS-CBN 2, Malay on NTV7, and in Indonesian on RCTI and Indosiar. It is also the first ever Kamen Rider Series to be dubbed in Arabic after its run on Space Toon.

Notes

• The first series that uses cards in battle, which would later be seen in Blade and Decade.
• The first series that used a device to activate & announce a Rider's arsenal/final attacks. This would become a trademark concept of every Kamen Rider Series after Ryuki, with the exception of Hibiki.
• The first Kamen Rider series to having most of the battles take place in an alternate world (Mirror World).
• The fourth Kamen Rider series after OOO, W and Faiz to be re-mastered in Blu-Ray format. The box sets will be released from July 2014 onwards.
  • First batch of Ryuki Blu-Ray box sets will be released on July 11, followed by second batch on September 12 and third batch on November 7.

External links

• Official website from TV Asahi
• Official website from Toei TV
• Official website for Ryuki Blu-Ray release