In the 50s of the last century, a genre such as tokusatsu arose in Japanese mass culture (the name can literally be translated as “special effects”). This is a direction in cinema, which can be briefly described as "a fantastic movie about superheroes with special effects."
As a rule, the classic representative of the tokusatsu genre is a series that tells about one or more characters with any superpowers. The heroes use their powers to fight evil, which can be represented in any form - demons, space aliens, mutants and other creatures.
In each episode there are a large number of special effects - flashes, explosions, animations. One of the most popular representatives of Tokusatsu is the series "Masked Rider".
History of creation
The creator of the show's idea is Setara Ishimori, a Japanese mangaka. The original concept of "Masked Rider" was quite far from the series known to the audience: it was thought that the main character would be a half-insect mutant.
Later, the character's appearance was changed. He began to look like a man, but his suit, outwardly similar to the locust, reminded of Isimori's original plan. Also, the Rider in the mask had a special belt, with the help of which he turned from an ordinary person into a superhero with supernormal abilities.
The first episode of the show was shown on April 3, 1971 on the popular Japanese TV channel Asahi. Initially, "Masked Rider" was not successful among the audience - the first episodes had rather low ratings, and the decision to close the project was considered. However, the series soon became popular.
Plot
Since Masked Rider is a classic representative of Tokusatsu, his plot does not depart from the canons of this genre.
The main character is the Rider (or Kamen Ryder, as the name of the show sounds in the original). He fights against various villains, using his superpowers and martial arts skills against them.
"Masked Rider" did not become popular from the very first episode, but gradually became famous for the series. This is due to the fact that over time the style of the show changed: the first episodes were distinguished by a gloomy atmosphere, while closer to the final the series became more vivid and saturated. Elements of humor and colorful characters were added, which made the "Masked Rider" truly popular.
Seasons
In total, the series has about 850 episodes, divided into 29 seasons.
The Masked Rider is an anthology. This means that each season contains a separate story, almost not connected with the previous ones. As the new episode begins, the name of the Rider and the actor performing his role change.
Each season has its own specific theme. For example, the 28th “Masked Rider Build”, the first episode of which was released on September 3, 2017, is dedicated to the topic of science. According to the plot on Mars, an ancient artifact was found. This led to the fact that Japan was attacked by unknown creatures called Smash.
The last season at the moment started on September 2, 2018. Its theme is time. The main character is Sogo Tokiwa, who travels through space and time, wanting to change his destiny. In his adventures, he meets previous Riders.
American adaptation
In 1995, the US created the series Masked Rider ("Masked Rider"), which is a local adaptation of the Japanese show of the same name.
The protagonist is Prince Dex (played by Ted Roberts), the grandson of King Lexan. In his family, the masked Rider's superpowers were passed down from generation to generation, and now it was Dex's turn to become their new owner to fight the criminals.
Adaptation was not successful, which could be compared with the popularity of the original series. Only 2 seasons came out (40 episodes). The last series was shown on May 2, 1997.