Kamen Rider BLACK

Infobox Television
show_name = Kamen Rider BLACK


caption = Kamen Rider BLACK
genre=Tokusatsu
runtime = 30 minutes
creator = Shotaro Ishinomori
starring = Tetsuo Kurata
narrated = Kiyoshi Kobayashi and Issei Masamune
composer = Eiji Kawamura
country = flagicon|Japan Japan
network = MBS, TBS
first_aired = October 4, 1987
last_aired = October 9, 1988
num_episodes =51nihongo|"Kamen Rider BLACK"|仮面ライダーＢＬＡＣＫ|Kamen Raidā Burakku, translated as "Masked Rider BLACK", is a tokusatsu superhero television series. It is the eighth installment in the famous Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu shows. It is a joint collaboration between Ishinomori Productions and Toei, and aired on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and the Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 4, 1987 to October 9, 1988, with a total of 51 episodes. With its very dramatic storyline and its twist of the Kamen Rider having a tragic relationship with his arch-nemesis, the installment not only became very popular in Japan, but also in the several other countries where it was aired. The series is often regarded as a classic and is considered by many as the best Kamen Rider show of the late 80's. "Kamen Rider BLACK RX" was a direct sequel to this series. A manga novelization of the series is entitled nihongo|"Kamen Rider Black"|仮面ライダーＢｌａｃｋ|Kamen Raidā Burakku.

Plot summary

After being kidnapped by the cult Gorgom in the night of their 19th birthday, step-brothers Kotaro Minami and Nobuhiko Akizuki were submitted to a cyborg surgery with the purpose of becoming the candidates for the next Gorgom's Century King. Kotaro escaped before the brainwashing, with help from his foster father, and turned against Gorgom. He soon finds out the horrific truth from his step-father: Gorgom originally killed his true parents and, since both Kotaro and Nobuhiko were born on the day of a solar eclipse, referred as "Black Sun" and "Shadow Moon". Kotaro, taking on the name of Kamen Rider BLACK, was determined to rescue his step-brother from Gorgom while protecting Japan. However, later in the series, Nobuhiko emerged as Shadow Moon to fight Kotaro with the survivor becoming the next Century King.

Characters

Main

* - The hero of this series. Became a cyborg after the Gorgom captured him and his step-brother Nobuhiko. Using the power of the Kingstone, he shouts "Henshin" and poses to become the mighty Kamen Rider BLACK. He is referred by Gorgom as "Black Sun".

Allies

*
Nobuhiko's little sister
*
Nobuhiko's girlfriend
*
The creator of the Road Sector
*
A Special Agent from America, he helps Kotaro in a few episodes.
*
Kotaro's senior at the university, owns a shop where Kyoko works part-time.

Gorgom

* (50-51)
* (1-49)
* (1-46)
* (1-45)
* (18-35)
*
Kotaro's step-brother and archenemy. As Shadow Moon, he wears silver and black insect armor and carries the Satan Saber.

Rider Machines

nihongo|Battle Hopper|バトルホッパー|Batoru Hoppā
Introduced in episode 1, The Battle Hopper is a living motorcycle created by Gorgom, made specifically for the upcoming Creation Kings Black Sun and Shadow Moon. The Battle Hopper has the ability to heal its own wounds if damaged, and can stand on its own if knocked over.

Battle Hopper can travel at the maximum speed of 500 kilometers per hour with his convert|415|hp engine. His special move is the Dynamic Smash, a body slam attack that is executed at full speed.

Before the finale, Battle Hopper was later stolen by Shadow Moon and dies in the final episode, but would later resurrect as Acrobatter, in the sequel series Kamen Rider BLACK RX.

nihongo|Road Sector|ロードセクター|Rōdo Sekutā
Introduced in episode 12, the Road Sector is a motorcycle created by Yoichi Daimon for Gorgom. The Road Sector is a prototype made with the intention of making it a mass-produced vehicle for their mutant soldiers, but instead it became Kamen Rider BLACK's second Rider Machine (the first being Battle Hopper).

The Road Sector has a special function called the Attack Shield that shields the rider from harm. In this mode, the Road Sector can perform its special ramming maneuver, the Sparkling Attack.

The Road Sector can travel at the speed of 960 kilometers per hour with its convert|1515|hp engine. The Attack Shield is activated at the speed of 800 kilometers per hour, which enables the Road Sector to reach the maximum speed of 960 kilometers per hour to perform the Sparkling Attack.

List of episodes

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Other appearances

*TV specials

:*1987: nihongo|This is Kamen Rider BLACK|これが仮面ライダーＢＬＡＣＫだ!!|Kore ga Kamen Raidā Burakku da!!
It was aired one week before the first episode, introduces the character Kamen Rider BLACK.:*1988: nihongo|Kamen Rider Ichigou Through RX: Big Gathering|仮面ライダー１号～ＲＸ大集合|Kamen Raidā Ichigō~Āru Ekkusu Daishūgō
It covers all the Heroes, from Ichigou until BLACK, and introduces Kamen Rider BLACK RX.

*Theatrical films:*1988: nihongo|Kamen Rider BLACK: Hurry To Evil Island|仮面ライダーＢＬＡＣＫ　鬼ヶ島へ急行せよ|Kamen Raidā Burakku Onigashima e Kyūkō seyo

Children all over Tokyo mysteriously disappear without warning. Kotaro suspects that the Gorgom are behind the abductions and follows a suspicious-looking tour bus with children on it, only to lose its trail off a cliff. With the help of a fisherman, Kotaro travels to a remote island and uses his abilities as Kamen Rider BLACK to save the children and foil Gorgom's latest evil scheme.

:*1988: nihongo|Kamen Rider BLACK: Fear! Evil Monster Mansion|仮面ライダーＢＬＡＣＫ　恐怖!悪魔峠の怪人館|Kamen Raidā Burakku Kyōfu! Akumatōge no Kaijinkan

The city of Youbari in the Hokkaido prefecture has become a ghost town following the presence of Shadow Moon and his minions of Gorgom. Makino, a scientist working on Gorgom's top-secret robot experiment, escapes from the evil organization and returns to Tokyo, only to find out that his wife and daughter have been abducted. As Kamen Rider BLACK, Kotaro travels to Yubari to save Makino's family and liberate the town from Shadow Moon's evil grasp.

*Video Games:*1989: Kamen Rider BLACK (FDS):*2003: Kamen Rider: Seigi No Keifu (PS2)

Kamen Rider BLACK appears as the main character of the 1988 storyline in this crossover game. Lead to an old Shocker hideout believing it to be Gorgom, Kotaro is forced to fight various kaijin and Gelshocker soldiers, only to learn the game's true villain is after the Kingstone inside of him. Eventually, Kamen Rider 1, Kamen Rider V3 and Kamen Rider Agito travel to 1988 to assist him in the game's final battle. Tetsuo Kurata returns to voice the character. Shadowmoon makes a brief cameo as a nonplayable character as well.

Cast

* - nihongo|Kiyoshi Kobayashi|小林 清志|Kobayashi Kiyoshi|1-39 and nihongo|Issei Masamune|政宗 一成|Masamune Issei|40-51
* - nihongo|Tetsuo Kurata|倉田 てつを|Kurata Tetsuo
* - nihongo|Takahito Horiuchi|堀内 孝人|Horiuchi Takahito
** nihongo|Shadow Moon|シャドームーン|Shadō Mūn|Voice - nihongo|Masaki Terasoma|寺杣 昌紀|Terasoma Masaki
* - nihongo|Akemi Inoue|井上 明美|Inoue Akemi
* - nihongo|Ayumi Taguchi|田口 あゆみ|Taguchi Ayumi
* - nihongo|Takeshi Watabe|渡部 猛|Watabe Takeshi
* - nihongo|Hirokazu Shoji|庄司 浩和|Shōji Hirokazu
** nihongo|Darom|ダロム|Daromu|Voice - nihongo|Shozo Iizuka|飯塚 昭三|Iizuka Shōzō
* - nihongo|Toshimichi Takahashi|高橋 利道|Takahashi Toshimichi
* - nihongo|Hitomi Yoshii|好井 ひとみ|Yoshii Hitomi
* - nihongo|Jun Yoshida|吉田 淳|Yoshida Jun
* - nihongo|Susumu Kurobe|黒部 進|Kurobe Susumu
* - nihongo|Masaki Kyomoto|京本 政樹|Kyōmoto Masaki
* - nihongo|Sent|セント|Sento

ongs

;Opening theme:
*nihongo|"Kamen Rider BLACK"|仮面ライダーＢＬＡＣＫ|Kamen Raidā Burakku
**Lyrics: nihongo|Yōko Aki|阿木 燿子|Aki Yōko
**Composition: nihongo|Ryudo Uzaki|宇崎 竜童|Uzaki Ryūdō
**Arrangement: nihongo|Eiji Kawamura|川村 栄二|Kawamura Eiji
**Artist: Tetsuo Kurata

;Ending theme:
*"LONG LONG AGO, 20TH CENTURY"
**Lyrics: Yōko Aki
**Composition: Ryudo Uzaki
**Arrangement: Eiji Kawamura
**Artist: nihongo|Norio Sakai|坂井 紀雄|Sakai Norio

External links

* [http://www.igadevil.com/KamenRiders/kamenriderblack.html Kamen Rider BLACK Fan Page]
* [http://www.freewebs.com/basrisite/ Dedicated To BLACK]