Kamen Rider Agito

Kamen Rider Agito
Genre	Tokusatsu Superhero fiction Science fiction Action drama Horror Supernatural fiction
Based on	Kamen Rider Kuuga by Shotaro Ishinomori
Developed by	Ishimori Productions Toei Company
Written by	Toshiki Inoue
Directed by	Ryuta Tasaki
Starring	Toshiki Kashu Jun Kaname Yūsuke Tomoi Rina Akiyama Takeshi Masu Touko Fujita Takanori Kikuchi Akiyoshi Shibata Jun Yamasaki Tokimasa Tanabe Atsushi Ogawa Rei Haneo
Opening theme	"Kamen Rider AGITO" "Kamen Rider AGITO ~24.7 version~" by Shinichi Ishihara
Composer	Toshihiko Sahashi
Country of origin	Japan
No. of episodes	51
Production
Producers	Saeko Matsuda (TV Asahi) Shinichiro Shirakura (Toei) Naomi Takebe (Toei) Hideaki Tsukada (Toei)
Running time	23–25 minutes per episode
Production companies	TV Asahi Asatsu-DK Toei Company
Original release
Network	ANN (TV Asahi)
Release	January 28, 2001 (2001-01-28) – January 27, 2002 (2002-01-27)
Related
Kamen Rider Kuuga Kamen Rider Ryuki

Kamen Rider Agito (Japanese: 仮面ライダーアギト, Hepburn: Kamen Raidā Agito, stylized in English as Masked Rider ΑGITΩ or "Masked Rider Agito"), is the eleventh installment in the popular Kamen Rider tokusatsu franchise. The series represented the 30th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series.

The series was also a joint collaboration between Asatsu-DK and Toei and was shown on TV Asahi from January 28, 2001, to January 27, 2002. The series served as an indirect sequel to Kamen Rider Kuuga, which this show is set in the same universe as the previous show, and the first Kamen Rider series to not have an ending sequence. The series aired along with Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger. The series is airing on Toku after being added to the network in November 2020.^[1]

Two years have passed since the Unidentified Lifeform case concluded, a series of mysterious and impossible murders are taking place across the city carried out by unknown beings. A man named Shouichi Tsugami has no memory of who he was, where he came from, or how he came upon his peculiar circumstances to transform into a powerful superhuman, Kamen Rider Agito, whenever in the presence of the beings referred to by the police as the "Unknown". Known as the Lords, these powerful monsters perceived themselves as humanity's defenders and kill certain people in a series of murders that force the police department to make Makoto Hikawa the user of the Kamen Rider G3 powersuit which was modeled after Kamen Rider Kuuga. Shouichi and Makoto, both initially hesitant of the other at first, are joined by Ryō Ashihara, who becomes a pre-Agito known as Kamen Rider Gills and seeks the truth behind his father's suicide. These mysteries and many others collide as the true nature of Agito would ultimately determine the fate of humanity.

• TV Special: A New Transformation (仮面ライダーアギト スペシャル 新たなる変身, Kamen Raidā Agito Supesharu Aratanaru Henshin)

They were originally aired on October 1, 2001, between Episodes 35 and 36, the special features all three Riders plus the first appearances of G3 Mild and Agito Shining Form. Shouichi encounters psychologist Azuma Kunieda, who had once nursed him back to health, fights an Unknown at night and reaches Burning Form, but goes out of control. Then, Kunieda helps him control it. All three Riders fight against the Beetle Lord. The story ended with a mysterious girl stalking G4 and was to be continued in the movie.

There is a difference between the series' plot and the special's plot: in the latter, Tōru Hōjō eavesdrops on Shōichi and Kunieda's conversation behind a window and finds out Shōichi is Agito; in the series, however, Hōjō ambushes Agito as he flees from a battle scene, sees as he reverts back to Shōichi and arrests him.

• Kamen Rider Agito the Movie: Project G4 (劇場版 仮面ライダーアギト PROJECT G4, Gekijōban Kamen Raidā Agito Purojekuto Jī Fō)

Released in theatres on 22 September 2001, Project G4 was a double bill with Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger the Movie: The Fire Mountain Roars. Shouichi encounters a teenage girl called Sayaka Kahara, who ran away from a military facility because of an attack by the Ant Lords. Sayaka has a supernatural ability to foresee the future. Risa Fukami, of the military group GA, wants to use that power to enhance the newly made G4 System, which was based on designs stolen from Ozawa. Now, Agito and Gills must fight to stop the Ant Lords' attack, as G3 and G4 settle their score. The events of the movie happen in the late 30s–early 40s after the special.

The film grossed over ¥1 billion at the Japanese box office.^[2]

• Kamen Rider Agito: Three Great Riders (仮面ライダーアギト 3大ライダー, Kamen Raidā Agito San Dai Raidā)

Three Great Riders is the Hyper Battle Video for Agito. The events of the video show Teleppi (てれっピ, Tereppi), the Televi-Kun mascot, calling upon Kamen Riders Agito, G3, and Gills to help fight several Unknowns that have invaded his world. Still, he will only trust the "Ultimate Rider". The video featured exclusive finishing moves for the three Riders. G3's special weapon that appears in the video, the Antares, was later featured in the television series.

The Kamen Rider Agito trademark was registered by Toei on October 16, 2000.^[3]

A video game based on the series, developed by KAZe and published by Bandai, was released in Japan on November 29, 2001, for the PlayStation. It is a fighting game.

Agito featured two S.I.C. Hero Saga side stories published in Monthly Hobby Japan magazine. The first was titled Masked Rider ΑGITΩ: Heaven's Door (MASKED RIDER ΑGITΩ -HEAVEN'S DOOR-) and featured a crossover with Kamen Rider 555. It introduces the new characters Mirage Agito (ミラージュアギト, Mirāju Agito) and the Dog Orphnoch (ドッグオルフェノク, Doggu Orufenoku). The story was published from October 2003 to March 2004. Later, in the S.I.C. Hero Saga Vol. 2 book, the elements of 555 were removed from the story and the Dog Orphnoch was changed to the Dog Load (ドッグロード, Doggu Rōdo).

The second S.I.C. Hero Saga story titled Masked Rider ΑGITΩ: Project G1 (MASKED RIDER ΑGITΩ -PROJECT G1-) expands on the story told in Project G4 in showing the G-Series suits Generation 1, Kamen Rider G4-X (仮面ライダーG4-X, Kamen Raidā Jī Fō Ekkusu), Generation 2, and the Road Chaser (ロードチェイサー, Rōdo Cheisā) vehicle. It also features the Hydrozoa Lord (ハイドロゾアロード, Haidorozoa Rōdo) Hydrozoa Tegula (ヒドロゾア・テグラ, Hidorozoa Tegura). The story was published from October 2007 to January 2008.

Heaven's Door chapter titles

1. Outset (発端, Hottan)
2. ΑgitΩ (アギト, Agito)
3. Operation (操作, Sōsa)
4. Conceit (奇想, Kisō)
5. Psychic (能力者, Nōryokusha)
6. The Alpha and the Omega (ΑにしてΩ, Arufa ni shite Omega)

Project G1 chapter titles

1. GENERATION 1
2. G4-X
3. V1
4. ΑGITΩ

Kamen Rider Agito (仮面ライダーアギト, Kamen Raidā Agito), written by Naohiro Okamura and supervised by Toshiki Inoue, is part of a series of spin-off novel adaptions of the Heisei Era Kamen Riders. The novel was released on January 31, 2013.

• Shouichi Tsugami (津上 翔一, Tsugami Shōichi): Toshiki Kashu (賀集 利樹, Kashū Toshiki)
• Makoto Hikawa (氷川 誠, Hikawa Makoto): Jun Kaname (要 潤, Kaname Jun)
• Ryō Ashihara (葦原 涼, Ashihara Ryō): Yūsuke Tomoi (友井 雄亮, Tomoi Yūsuke)
• Mana Kazaya (風谷 真魚, Kazaya Mana): Rina Akiyama (秋山 莉奈, Akiyama Rina)
• Sumiko Ozawa (小沢 澄子, Ozawa Sumiko): Touko Fujita (藤田 瞳子, Fujita Tōko)
• Tōru Hōjō (北條 透, Hōjō Tōru): Jun Yamasaki (山崎 潤, Yamasaki Jun)
• Kaoru Kino (木野 薫, Kino Kaoru): Takanori Kikuchi (菊池 隆則, Kikuchi Takanori)
• Tetsuya Sawaki (沢木 哲也, Sawaki Tetsuya): Atsushi Ogawa (小川 敦史, Ogawa Atsushi)
• Overlord (オーヴァーロード, Ōvārōdo): Rei Haneo (羽緒 レイ, Haneo Rei)
• Kōji Kōno (河野 浩司, Kōno Kōji): Kazumasa Taguchi (田口 主将, Taguchi Kazumasa)
• Takahiro Omuro (尾室 隆弘, Omuro Takahiro): Akiyoshi Shibata (柴田 明良, Shibata Akiyoshi)
• Taichi Misugi (美杉 太一, Misugi Taichi): Tokimasa Tanabe (田辺 季正, Tokimasa Tanabe)
• Kōji Majima (真島 浩二, Majima Kōji): Yoshikazu Kotani (小谷 嘉一, Kotani Yoshikazu)
• Aki Sakaki (榊 亜紀, Sakaki Aki): Masako Sakuma (佐久間 雅子, Sakuma Masako)
• Yoshihiko Misugi (美杉 義彦, Misugi Yoshihiko): Takeshi Masu (升 毅, Masu Takeshi)
• Narration: Eiichiro Suzuki (鈴木 英一郎, Suzuki Eiichirō)

• Azuma Kunieda (国枝 東, Kunieda Azuma): Masaki Kyomoto (京本 政樹, Kyōmoto Masaki)
• Hiroki Kunieda (国枝 広樹, Kunieda Hiroki): Hiroto Horibe (堀部 寛十, Horibe Hiroto)

• Shiro Mizuki (水城 史朗, Mizuki Shirō): Ryo Karato (唐渡 亮, Karato Ryō)
• Risa Fukami (深海 理沙, Fukami Risa): Maju Ozawa (小沢 真珠, Ozawa Maju)
• Sayaka Kahara (加原 紗綾香, Kahara Sayaka): Akane Kimura (木村 茜, Kimura Akane)
• Rei Motoki (本木 レイ, Motoki Rei): Rikiya Otaka (大高 力也, Ōtaka Rikiya)
• Customer in Hamburger Shop: Shunsuke Nakamura (中村 俊介, Nakamura Shunsuke)
• Sayaka's Father: Tsuyoshi Ujiki (うじき つよし, Ujiki Tsuyoshi)
• Sayaka's Mother: Noriko Watanabe (渡辺 典子, Watanabe Noriko)
• MPD Superintendent General: Hiroshi Fujioka (藤岡 弘、, Fujioka Hiroshi, Cameo)

Opening themes

• "Kamen Rider AGITO" (仮面ライダーAGITO, Kamen Raidā AGITO)
  • Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi (藤林 聖子, Fujibayashi Shōko)
  • Composition & Arrangement: Kazunori Miyake (三宅 一徳, Miyake Kazunori)
  • Chorus: Lisa Ooki (大木 理紗, Ōki Risa)
  • Artist: Shinichi Ishihara (石原 慎一, Ishihara Shin'ichi)
  • Episodes: 2 - 35
• "Kamen Rider AGITO ~24.7 version~" (仮面ライダーAGITO ～24.7 version～, Kamen Raidā AGITO ~24.7 bājon~)
  • Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
  • Composition & Arrangement: Kazunori Miyake
  • Remix: Kazunori Miyake, Hiroyuki Suzuki (鈴木 浩之, Suzuki Hiroyuki), Takashi Sasaki (篠笥 孝, Sasaki Takashi)
  • Chorus: Lisa Ooki
  • Artist: Shinichi Ishihara
  • Episodes: 36 - 50 & TV Special

Insert themes

• "BELIEVE YOURSELF"
  • Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
  • Composition & Arrangement: Kazunori Miyake
  • Artist: Naoto Fuuga (風雅 なおと, Fūga Naoto)
  • Episodes: 1 - 8, 10 - 13, 15 - 25 & TV Special, 51
• "STRANGER IN THE DARK"
  • Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
  • Composition & Arrangement: Toshihiko Sahashi (佐橋 俊彦, Sahashi Toshihiko)
  • Artist: Norio Sakai (坂井 紀雄, Sakai Norio)
  • Episodes: 9
• "MACHINE TORNADER"
  • Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
  • Composition & Arrangement: Kazunori Miyake
  • Artist: Shinichi Ishihara
  • Episodes: 14, 31 & 40
• "DEEP BREATH"
  • Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
  • Composition: Yoshio Nomura (野村 義男, Nomura Yoshio)
  • Arrangement: RIDER CHIPS
  • Artist: RIDER CHIPS featuring ROLLY
  • Episodes: 26 - 30, 32 - 39, 41 & 43 - 50
• "Mō Hitotsu no Kamen no Gikyoku" (もうひとつの仮面の戯曲, "Play of Another Mask")
  • Lyrics (Japanese ver.): Shoko Fujibayashi
  • Composition & Arrangement: Toshihiko Sahashi
  • Artist: Tamami Shiraishi
  • Episodes: 40 & 42

Movie theme

• "Jiken da!" (事件だッ!, "It's Trouble!")
  • Lyrics & Composition: Tortoise Matsumoto (トータス 松本, Tōtasu Matsumoto)
  • Arrangement & Artist: Ulfuls (ウルフルズ, Urufuruzu)

• In the Philippines, it was aired on ABS-CBN from 2003 to 2004 under the title of Masked Rider Agito.
• In New Zealand it was aired on TVNZ 1 under the title of Masked Rider Agito from 2007 to 2008 with an English dub.
• In Indonesia, the series on Indosiar with an Indonesian dub.
• In the United States, the series aired in its original Japanese audio with English subtitles on the Toku TV channel and streaming service in November 2020.^[4]
• Two decades later, Toei commissioned a Latin-Spanish dub in 2021, produced by Olympusat with dubbing work by Mexican studio, Meliorem for digital streaming. This was dubbed remotely online during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was licensed and released in Latin America on April 24, 2021, on and May 23, 2023, in North America on FreeTV respectively, and DistroTV for Latin American users in March 2023.

• Official website at TV Asahi at the Wayback Machine (archived August 2, 2002)
• Official website at Toei Company at the Wayback Machine (archived June 5, 2002)
• Kamen Rider Agito DVD & Blu-ray Box