is a Japanese
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
series produced as part of the ''
Kamen Rider
The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until Decade), is a Japanese superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. ''Kamen Rider'' media generall ...
'' series. The ninth show in the franchise, it is a joint collaboration between
Ishimori Productions
is a Japanese production company that develops works created by, and also serves as the literary estate of manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori, headquartered in Yoyogi, Tokyo. Such works include '' 009-1'', ''Kikaider'', ''Inazuman'', '' Ganbare!! R ...
and
Toei Company
() (also styled TOEI) is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution and video game developer and publishing company. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan (all but two of them operated by i ...
, and aired on the
Mainichi Broadcasting System
, or MBS, is a radio and television broadcasting company headquartered in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network (JRN), National Radio Network (NRN), Japan News Network (JNN) and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region.
It i ...
and the
Tokyo Broadcasting System
formerly is a Japanese media and licensed broadcasting holding company. It is the parent company of the television network and radio network . It has a 28-affiliate television network called JNN (Japan News Network), as well as a 34-affili ...
from October 23, 1988 to September 24, 1989. The series is a direct sequel to ''
Kamen Rider Black
is a tokusatsu superhero-drama television series. It is the eighth installment in the '' Kamen Rider
'' series and a co-production between Ishimori Productions and Toei. The series aired on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and the Tokyo Broadc ...
'' and the first to feature a team-up with the past Riders since the 1984 TV special ''
Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!!''. For distribution purposes,
Toei refers to this television series as ''Black Kamen Rider RX''.
The series was adapted by
Saban in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
as ''
Masked Rider''. The Americanization featured a heavily altered story and all-new characters, in an attempt to fit the series in as a
spin-off of the ''
Power Rangers
''Power Rangers'' is an entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise ''Super Sentai''. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS Entert ...
'' series, but ultimately failed to catch an audience.
This was also the last installment of the ''Kamen Rider'' series to be produced in the
Shōwa period
Shōwa may refer to:
* Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa
* Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu
Japanese eras
* Jōwa (Heian ...
and the first to be produced in the
Heisei period
The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, ...
— Episode 11 was delayed by one week following
Hirohito
Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...
's death.
Story
A few months have passed after the downfall of
Gorgom
This is the list of characters in the 1987 Kamen Rider Series, and its 1988 sequel .
Main characters
Kotaro Minami
is a 19-year-old man who became a mutant cyborg after the Gorgom captured him and his stepbrother Nobuhiko. Both are kidnapped ...
, Kotaro Minami has gotten a job as a helicopter pilot in a business owned by the Sahara family, who have also given him a new home. Kotaro is later captured by the
Crisis Empire
This is the list of characters in the 1987 Kamen Rider Series, and its 1988 sequel .
Main characters
Kotaro Minami
is a 19-year-old man who became a mutant cyborg after the Gorgom captured him and his stepbrother Nobuhiko. Both are kidnapped ...
and offered a place in their group. When Kotaro refuses, his King Stone is shattered and he is thrown into space where the sun's radiation mutates his King Stone and he turns into Kamen Rider Black RX. With his new powers, he wages a one-man war against the Crisis Empire and thwarts their plans to take over Earth.
Episodes
Episode 11 ended up airing on January 15, 1989 because Emperor Hirohito died on January 7, 1989.
# (Original Airdate: October 23, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: October 30, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: November 6, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: November 13, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: November 20, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: November 27, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: December 4, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: December 11, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: December 18, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: December 25, 1988)
# (Original Airdate: January 15, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: January 22, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: January 29, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: February 5, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: February 12, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: February 19, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: February 26, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: March 5, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: March 12, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: March 19, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: March 26, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: April 2, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: April 9, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: April 16, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: April 23, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: April 30, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: May 7, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: May 14, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: May 21, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: May 28, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: June 4, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: June 11, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: June 18, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: June 25, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: July 2, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: July 9, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: July 16, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: July 23, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: July 30, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: August 6, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: August 13, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: August 20, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: August 27, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: September 3, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: September 10, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: September 17, 1989)
# (Original Airdate: September 24, 1989)
TV special
*1988: - It covers all the heroes, from Kamen Rider 1 until ZX and introduces Kamen Rider Black RX.
3D Film
is a short
3D film
3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of special glasses worn by viewers. They have existed in some form since 1915, but had been largely relegated to a niche in the motion pict ...
originally screened in the Coal History Village in Yubari between April 29 throughout October 31, 1989. The film involves a team-up between Kotaro Minami's four Kamen Rider alter-egos (Black, RX, Robo Rider and Bio Rider) to fight against the Crisis Empire. Tetsuo Kurata plays Kotaro Minami and voices all four of his Kamen Rider alter-egos. General Jark, the four commanders of Crisis, and three high priests of Gorgom also appear in the movie, all played by their original actors with the exception of Bosgan (who is unvoiced) and Darom (who is voiced by Eisuke Yoda). The movie was written by
Yoshio Urasawa and directed by series director Yoshiaki Kobayashi.
In the film, the Crisis Empire devises a plan to defeat Kotaro by reverting him back to his old form of Kamen Rider Black and sending out several revived monsters after him. However, Kamen Rider Black is assisted by another Black RX, who used a
time warp
Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, film, and advertisements.
The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularize ...
to help his past self. The two are joined by Black RX's alternate forms of Robo Rider and Bio Rider, and the four Riders combine their powers to defeat the revived monsters.
The film is included as a bonus on the
Region 2 DVD releases of ''Kamen Rider Black RX'' Vol. 2 and ''Kamen Rider Ichigō/Nigō'' box set. Both DVD versions lack the original 3D effects of the theatrical release. A bonus
Blu-ray 3D
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
disc containing the movie is included in the "''Kamen Rider: The Movie'' Blu-ray Box 1972-1988" set.
''After 0''
The
S.I.C. Hero Saga story for ''Black RX'' ran in ''Monthly Hobby Japan'' in the December 2002 through March 2003 issues. Titled , it tells the story of what happened after the finale of ''Black RX''. It features the original characters the , Shadow Moon with RX powers, and the , the result of Shadow Moon absorbing both King Stones.
;Chapter titles
#
#
#
#
Cast
*
Tetsuo Kurata
(born September 11, 1968) is a Japanese television, stage and film actor and restaurateur, best known for portraying Kotaro Minami, the main character in the tokusatsu television series ''Kamen Rider Black'' and its sequel, ''Kamen Rider Black RX ...
as
*
Makoto Sumikawa
, also known as , is a Japanese actress and voice actor. From Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefectur ...
as
*
Makoto Akatsuka
is a unisex Japanese name although it is more commonly used by males.
As a noun, Makoto means " sincerity" (誠) or "truth" (真, 眞).
People
Given name
*Makoto (musician) (born 1977), drum and bass artist
*Makoto (Sharan Q) ( まこと), d ...
as
*
Eri Tsuruma
Eri may refer to:
People
* Eri (biblical figure)
* Eri (given name), a Japanese feminine given name, including lists of people and fictional characters
* Eri (king), the progenitor of the Umu-Eri and Umu-Nri-Igbo ancient Nigerian city-states
* ...
as
*
Rikiya Koyama
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator currently affiliated with Haiyuza Theatre Company. He has done popular voicing roles in ''Hajime no Ippo'', ''Utawarerumono'', ''Kamen no Maid Guy'' and ''Yakuza'', and has become well known for voici ...
as
*
Megumi Ueno
is a Japanese name, Japanese Grammatical gender#Personal names, feminine Japanese given name, given name. In Japanese, the word megumi means "blessing; grace."
Possible writings
While the word megumi means blessing and can be written using that ...
as
*
Joe Onodera
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971
* ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
as
*
Go Inoue
Go, GO, G.O., or Go! may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Games and sport
* Go (game), a board game for two players
* '' Travel Go'' (formerly ''Go – The International Travel Game''), a game based on world travel
* Go, the starting position l ...
as
*
Shoko Imura as
*
Maho Maruyama as Princess Garonia (Teenager Hitomi)
*
Minoru Sawatari as
*
Goro Naya Goro may refer to:
Places
Benin
* Goro, Benin, an arrondissement in the Commune of Tchaourou, Borgou
Ethiopia
* Ejersa Goro, a town in Misraq Hararghe Zone, Oromia
* Goro, Bale, a town in Bale Zone, Oromia
* Goro, Mirab Shewa, a town in ...
as
*
Seizō Katō
was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who worked for Haikyo (Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society).
Kato was born in Tokyo. He was noted for his role as Megatron and Galvatron from the 1st Transformers series until '' Transform ...
(1-44) and
Hidekatsu Shibata
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Asakusa, Tokyo who is affiliated with Aoni Production. He was a classmate of former prime minister Yasuo Fukuda at Azabu High School. Shibata is married to fellow voice actor Akiko Sekine.
He ...
(45 & 46) as
*
Atsuko Takahata
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and tarento from Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.
She is married to actor Ryosuke Otani. They have a son, Yuta Takahata.
Filmography
Drama
* ''Kyojuu Tokusou Juspion (1985) – Space Witch Gilza
* ''Kamen Rider ...
as
*
Shōzō Iizuka
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Fukushima Prefecture. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University.
He is most known for the roles of Hakaider (''Android Kikaider''), Doctor Neo Cortex ( ''Crash Bandicoot'' s ...
as
*
Toshimichi Takahashi
Toshimichi is a masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Toshimichi can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Some examples:
*敏道, "agile, way"
*敏路, "agile, route"
*敏通, "agile, pass through"
*俊道, "ta ...
as
*
Kazunori Arai
Kazunori (written: 一慶, 一典, 一則, 一謙, 一徳, 一矩, 一紀, 和典, 和則, 和徳, 和行, 和範 or 和憲) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese samurai
*, Japanese footballer
*, Ja ...
as
*
Atsuo Mori
Atsuo (written: 敦夫, 篤夫, 篤緒, 淳夫 or 篤男) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese astronomer
*, Japanese writer and translator
*, Japanese ice hockey player
*, Japanese ice hockey playe ...
as
*
Tetsuya Matsui as
*
Masaki Terasoma
is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is affiliated with Mausu Promotion.
Biography
After graduating from Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, Terasoma joined Haiyuza Theatre Company. In 1984, he made his film debut in ''W's Tragedy''. Afte ...
as
*
Teiji Ōmiya
was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and a member of the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society when he died. He attended Nihon University, but withdrew before completing his degree. He was known for playing the roles of kind old men in man ...
as
*
Issei Masamune as Narrator
Songs
;Opening theme
*
**Lyrics:
Kang Jin-hwa
Kang may refer to:
Places
* Kang Kalan, Punjab
* Kang District, Afghanistan
* Kang, Botswana, a village
* Kang County, Gansu, China
* Kang, Isfahan, Iran, a village
* Kang, Kerman, Iran, a village
* Kang, Razavi Khorasan, Iran, a village
* Kha ...
**Composition & Arrangement:
Eiji Kawamura
Eiji is a common masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Eiji can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*, "prosperity, peace"
*, "great, peace"
*, "great, second"
*, "eternity, next"
The name can also be written in ...
**Artist:
Takayuki Miyauchi
, is a Japanese vocalist best known for his work on theme songs for tokusatsu and anime. A resident of Ibaraki Prefecture, he began his career as founding member and lead vocalist of the band "WHY" in 1981 before making his solo debut in 1984, s ...
;Ending theme
*
**Lyrics: Kang Jin-hwa
**Composition:
Tetsuji Hayashi
Tetsuji Hayashi (林哲司, ''Hayashi Tetsuji''; born on August 20, 1949) is a Japanese composer, singer-songwriter, and arranger. Hayashi got his start after he was influenced by American pop music when he was kid. He started to compose and arra ...
**Arrangement: Eiji Kawamura
**Artist:
Takayuki Miyauchi
, is a Japanese vocalist best known for his work on theme songs for tokusatsu and anime. A resident of Ibaraki Prefecture, he began his career as founding member and lead vocalist of the band "WHY" in 1981 before making his solo debut in 1984, s ...
References
External links
''Ishimori@Style''- Shotaro Ishinomori with
Ishimori Productions
is a Japanese production company that develops works created by, and also serves as the literary estate of manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori, headquartered in Yoyogi, Tokyo. Such works include '' 009-1'', ''Kikaider'', ''Inazuman'', '' Ganbare!! R ...
Official Website
Kamen Rider Black RX Song's Collectionat Play Store
Black RX Song's Collectionat Play Store
{{Kamen Rider
Black RX
1988 Japanese television series debuts
1989 Japanese television series endings
1980s Japanese television series
Sequel television series
Mainichi Broadcasting System original programming