, known in the overseas market as ''Amazon Riders'', is a 2016 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 ...

web drama. It is a darker and more mature reimagining of the 1974 television series. ''

Kamen Rider Amazon is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. The fourth installment to be produced as part of the Kamen Rider Series, the series aired in Japan from late 1974 to early 1975 on the NET and Mainichi Broadcasting System. It was the shortest ''Kamen ...

'', and part of Toei's Super Hero Year, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the

Kamen Rider Series 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 genera ...

(and the 40th series of

Super Sentai is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The sho ...

). ''Amazon Riders'' was originally exclusively released through

Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...

in Japan starting April 1, 2016. It was also broadcast on television on BS Asahi (

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...

's broadcast satellite channel) starting July 3, 2016, and

Tokyo MX JOMX-DTV, branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon TV, TV Asahi, NH ...

starting July 6, 2016. In a similar vein as the reboot films based on the Shōwa era series, '' Kamen Rider: The First'' & '' Kamen Rider: The Next'', ''Kamen Rider Amazons'' takes place in an alternate universe separate from the main series timeline. The second season was announced on May 31, 2016, that it will be released in spring 2017 on Amazon Prime. The second season is titled and was exclusively released through Amazon Video in Japan starting April 7, 2017. Plans to release season one in international markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany were announced in 2016. An English subtitled version of the first season launched on Amazon Prime on April 19, 2018 with Season 2 launching on September 21, 2018.

Story

Haruka Mizusawa is a meek young man who became infected with , which are created by the . This causes Haruka to transform into the feral berserker Amazon Omega as he strives to assert his humanity while fighting similarly infected creatures called the . Haruka also encounters the , Nozama Pharmacy's Amazon hunters, and Jin Takayama, a former cell biologist at Nozama Pharmacy and Amazon hunter who becomes Amazon Alpha. Later, Jun Maehara, a member of Nozama Peston Service who died once during an Amazons attacks, is revived into Amazon Sigma. Taking place five years after the first season, Season 2 focuses on a new protagonist named Chihiro, a lone boy raised by Amazons who hates them but must suppress his cannibalistic urges and can transform into Amazon Neo, and is soon revealed to be the son of Jin Takayama. The original protagonist Haruka would later acquire an upgraded form known as Amazon New Omega.

Episodes

A unique feature of the series is that the episode titles are given in alphabetical order.

''Kamen Rider Amazons (Amazon Riders)''

''Kamen Rider Amazons 2 (Amazon Riders 2)''

Films

''Ultra Super Hero Taisen''

A crossover film, titled featuring the casts of ''

Kamen Rider Ex-Aid is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series. It is the eighteenth series in the Heisei period run and the twenty-seventh series overall. Toei registered the Kamen Rider Ex-Aid trademark on June 13, 2016. The show premiered ...

'', ''Amazon Riders'', ''

Uchu Sentai Kyuranger is a Japanese tokusatsu drama and the 41st entry of Toei's long-running ''Super Sentai'' metaseries, following ''Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger''. The show premiered on February 12, 2017, joining ''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'' and later ''Kamen Rider Build' ...

'', and ''

Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger is a Japanese Tokusatsu drama and the 40th entry of Toei's long-running Super Sentai metaseries, following '' Shuriken Sentai Ninninger''. ''Zyuohger'' premiered February 14, 2016, joining '' Kamen Rider Ghost'', and later, '' Kamen Rider Ex ...

'', was released in Japan on March 25, 2017. This movie also celebrates the 10th anniversary of ''

Kamen Rider Den-O is the seventeenth installment in the popular Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu programs. It is a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei. It premiered January 28, 2007 on TV Asahi, and concluded airing on January 20, 2008. Its le ...

'' and features the spaceship Andor Genesis from the ''

Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious for ...

'' game, which is used by the movie's main antagonists, as well as introduces the movie-exclusive Kamen Rider True Brave, played by Kamen Rider Brave's actor Toshiki Seto from ''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'', and the villain Shocker Great Leader III, played by the singer

Diamond Yukai , known professionally as , is a Japanese rock singer and actor. He was born in Tanashi, Tokyo, Japan. He is the vocalist for the Japanese rock band Red Warriors. He has acted in the Hollywood films ''Tokyo Pop'' and '' Lost in Translation'' and ...

. In addition, individual actors from older Kamen Rider and Super Sentai TV series,

Ryohei Odai , otherwise known by his mononym , is a Japanese actor and voice actor probably best known for providing the voice of Orga Sabnak in ''Gundam Seed is an anime series developed by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. The ninth ins ...

(''

Kamen Rider Ryuki is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. The twelfth installment in the Kamen Rider Series, 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 series ...

''),

Gaku Matsumoto is a Japanese actor who is affiliated with Izawa Office. He played the role of Yakumo "Cloud" Kato (Aoninger) in the 2015 Super Sentai TV series ''Shuriken Sentai Ninninger''. Biography Matsumoto's family ran an Italian restaurant. His hobbies ...

(''

Shuriken Sentai Ninninger is a Japanese television series, the 39th entry of Toei's long-running Super Sentai metaseries, following '' Ressha Sentai ToQger''. It is the third ninja-based Sentai, and the fourth to be based on Japanese mythology and culture (after Samura ...

''),

Atsushi Maruyama is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). He previously worked for Osaka Pro Wrestling under the ring name . His ring name and original wrestling attire were inspired by the Hanshin Tigers baseb ...

(''

Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger is the Toei Company's 37th entry in its long-running ''Super Sentai'' metaseries of Japanese tokusatsu television series following '' Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters''. ''Kyoryuger'' aired on TV Asahi from February 17, 2013 to February 9, 2014, joini ...

''), and

Hiroya Matsumoto is a Japanese actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tsubasa Ozu/Magi Yellow in ''Mahou Sentai Magiranger'', and later, Masato Jin/Beet Buster in ''Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters''. He is currently serving as the ''Super Sentai'' Goodwill Ambassado ...

(''

Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters is Japanese tokusatsu drama and the 36th entry in Toei Company's Super Sentai metaseries, following ''Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger''. Its theme is based on spy movies and cyber technology and premiered on February 26, 2012 on TV Asahi, joining ''Kame ...

'') reprise their respective roles.

''Season 1 - Awakening''

A re-edited version of ''Kamen Rider Amazons'', titled , was released in Japan on May 5, 2018.

''Season 2 - Reincarnation''

A re-edited version of ''Kamen Rider Amazons Season 2'', titled , was released in Japan on May 12, 2018.

''The Last Judgement''

A sequel film titled , which is set after the end of the second season and concludes the storyline, was released in Japan on May 19, 2018.

Manga

, written by Shinjiro and supervised by Yasuko Kobayashi, is a manga adaptation that is a side story focusing on the Firefly Amazon, one of the Experiment Amazons. It takes place between the first and second seasons of ''Kamen Rider Amazons''.

Cast

* : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : ;Season 1 exclusively * : * : ;Season 2 exclusively * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * :

Guest cast

;Season 1 * : * : * : * : * : ;Season 2 * :

Theme songs

* "Armour Zone" ** Lyrics: ** Composition: ** Arrangement: ** Artist: *: The theme song of the first season. This song is also used as the opening theme song for the television broadcast version of the series. * "DIE SET DOWN" ** Lyrics: Mike Sugiyama ** Composition: Nobuo Yamada ** Arrangement: Tetsuya Takahashi ** Artist: Taro Kobayashi *: The theme song of the second season.

References

External links

* (Season 1) * (Season 2) * (Season 1) at

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 ...

* (Season 2) at Toei Company {{Amazon Video original series

Amazons In Greek mythology, the Amazons (Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, ...

2016 Japanese television series debuts Amazon Prime Video original programming Biopunk television series Television series about viral outbreaks Television series set in 2016 Television series set in the 2020s Cannibalism in fiction Television series reboots Horror drama Japanese horror fiction television series