The Kamen Rider (KR) concept was created by the late Ishinomori Shoutarou in the 70's (he passed away in the late 90's if I'm not mistaken). Each Kamen Rider series which sometimes comprise of over 50 episodes, have a storyline that's usually independent of each other. They may be set in the same time line or in a different time/universe. Oh, Kamen Riders are tokusatsu's... they're a live-action series and not cartoons.
The Kamen Rider would be the main hero of the series (although later works would incorporate a couple of other riders along with the main one). Occasionally, you'd get a bad KR thrown in for added spice.
Each KR almost always rides a souped up motorbike which transforms when the actor transforms (or in Japanese, "henshins") into his alter ego. The KR activates his transformation via his belt and becomes this super-hero... which in some series is a cyborg, while in others the KR is a chap wearing some futuristic suit.
Most, in fact close to all KR's are bug-like in appearance. Considering that KR was released in 1971 (refer to the 2 KR's to the left and right of the above picture... they were the very first KR's), I find their designs just revolutionary for their time. Take a look at their suits and bikes... I think they look really cool now and that's like a 35 year old design. Just imagine how the kids reacted to the shows then in that time!
Most KR series have a rather dark, melancholic storyline which I find more suitable for teenagers and adults than for little kids. KR's aren't like the Power Rangers shows (although concept-wise it is closely related). However, these days, in order to compete with the numerous entertainment shows kids get these days, the newer KR storylines have been significantly watered down to reach out to the broader market (the kids!) so that more products (toys!) may be sold.
I'd recommend KR Agito or KR Faiz as a good start to getting an intro on KR's. The current KR Den-O (which is currently being broadcast in Japan) is very Power Ranger-ish and a thumbs down in my opinion.
The Kamen Rider would be the main hero of the series (although later works would incorporate a couple of other riders along with the main one). Occasionally, you'd get a bad KR thrown in for added spice.
Each KR almost always rides a souped up motorbike which transforms when the actor transforms (or in Japanese, "henshins") into his alter ego. The KR activates his transformation via his belt and becomes this super-hero... which in some series is a cyborg, while in others the KR is a chap wearing some futuristic suit.
Most, in fact close to all KR's are bug-like in appearance. Considering that KR was released in 1971 (refer to the 2 KR's to the left and right of the above picture... they were the very first KR's), I find their designs just revolutionary for their time. Take a look at their suits and bikes... I think they look really cool now and that's like a 35 year old design. Just imagine how the kids reacted to the shows then in that time!
Most KR series have a rather dark, melancholic storyline which I find more suitable for teenagers and adults than for little kids. KR's aren't like the Power Rangers shows (although concept-wise it is closely related). However, these days, in order to compete with the numerous entertainment shows kids get these days, the newer KR storylines have been significantly watered down to reach out to the broader market (the kids!) so that more products (toys!) may be sold.
I'd recommend KR Agito or KR Faiz as a good start to getting an intro on KR's. The current KR Den-O (which is currently being broadcast in Japan) is very Power Ranger-ish and a thumbs down in my opinion.
