The series commemorates not only the Kamen Rider Series' 40th anniversary but also the 50th anniversary of spaceflight, which began with Yuri Gagarin's flight in 1961.[2] The show's catchphrase is "Switch on youth 'cause we're going into space!" (青春スイッチオンで宇宙キター！, Seishun suitchi on de uchū kitā!),[3] referencing the Fourze Driver transformation belt which gets its various powers from devices called Astroswitches to conjure attachments to Fourze's limbs.[1][4] As with the two previous series, the protagonist of Fourze made his debut in the annual summer film of the show's direct predecessor, appearing in Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful: The Shogun and the 21 Core Medals.
Production
The Kamen Rider Fourze trademark was registered by Toei on April 18, 2011.[5][6]
Amanogawa High School has become the center of strange happenings, and things only get stranger when the bad boy-styled transfer student Gentaro Kisaragi attempts to make friends in his way, reuniting with childhood friend and self-professed space travel otaku Yuki Jojima, all while gaining the ire of loner Kengo Utahoshi. When the campus becomes overrun with monstrous constructs called Zodiarts, Kengo, and Yuki attempt to use the strange devices they have found in the Rabbit Hatch lunar base that they access through a locker in an off-limits part of campus to fight them. However, Gentaro interferes in their plans, in part due to Kengo's body being unable to handle the strains of battle, and uses the devices to transform into Fourze.[7][8] Upon learning of other heroes called Kamen Riders, Gentaro creates the Kamen Rider Club whose membership includes Yuki, Kengo, the school's queen bee Miu Kazashiro, Miu's jock boyfriend Shun Daimonji, garishly styled social butterfly JK and goth girl Tomoko Nozama. Later joined by Ryusei Sakuta, another transfer student who transforms into Kamen Rider Meteor, and their teacher Mr. Chuta Ohsugi, the Kamen Rider Club and Kamen Rider Fourze learn of the Horoscopes, an evolved group of Zodiarts who have been orchestrating events on the school grounds to build up their ranks. As the battle escalates, the Horoscopes set their motions to the final phase of their master plan before Kengo discovers his true existence.
A crossover film between Kamen Rider OOO and Kamen Rider Fourze in the same vein as the Movie War 2010 and Movie War Core films, titled Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max (仮面ライダー×仮面ライダー フォーゼ&オーズ MOVIE大戦MEGA MAX, Kamen Raidā × Kamen Raidā Fōze Ando Ōzu Mūbī Taisen Mega Makkusu),[9] was released in Japanese theatres on December 10, 2011.[10] The guest star for the Fourze portion was Hello! Project member Erina Mano, who portrayed Nadeshiko Misaki who transforms into Kamen Rider Nadeshiko, the first schoolgirl Kamen Rider.[11] The events of the movie took place between episodes 14 and 15.
Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen (仮面ライダー×スーパー戦隊 スーパーヒーロー大戦, Kamen Raidā × Sūpā Sentai Sūpā Hīrō Taisen) is a film which features a crossover between the characters of the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai Series, featuring the protagonists of Kamen Rider Decade and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, alongside the casts of Fourze and Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters as well.[12][13] The events of the movie took place between episodes 24 and 25.
Kamen Rider Fourze the Movie: Space, Here We Come! (仮面ライダーフォーゼ THE MOVIE みんなで宇宙キターッ！, Kamen Raidā Fōze Za Mūbī Minna de Uchū Kitā!) is the main theatrical release for Kamen Rider Fourze, released on August 4, 2012, alongside Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters the Movie: Protect the Tokyo Enetower!. The film features the evil Kyodain (キョーダイン, Kyōdain) siblings composed of the older brother Groundain (グランダイン, Gurandain) and the younger sister Skydain (スカイダイン, Sukaidain), who are based on the heroes of Space Ironmen Kyodain.[14][15] It also featured the first on-screen appearance of the 14th Heisei Kamen Rider: Kamen Rider Wizard. The events of the movie took place between episodes 38 and 39.
Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie War Ultimatum (仮面ライダー×仮面ライダー ウィザード&フォーゼ MOVIE大戦アルティメイタム, Kamen Raidā × Kamen Raidā Wizādo Ando Fōze Mūbī Taisen Arutimeitamu) was released on December 8, 2012, as the annual winter "Movie War" film.[16] In the portion featuring the cast and characters of Kamen Rider Fourze, the story takes place five years after the events of the series. Both Erina Mano and Mikie Hara return to reprise their roles while Kenta Suga guest stars as Saburo Kazeta of a school club called the Monster Alliance who can transform into Sanagiman. The other guest stars for the Fourze portion include Rika Adachi, Kasumi Yamaya, and Toshiya Toyama.
Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z (仮面ライダー×スーパー戦隊×宇宙刑事 スーパーヒーロー大戦Z, Kamen Raidā × Sūpā Sentai × Uchū Keiji Supā Hīrō Taisen Zetto) is a film released in Japan on April 27, 2013 which features the first crossover between characters of Toei's three main Tokusatsu franchises, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and the Space Sheriff Series representing the Metal Hero Series as a whole. The protagonists of Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie, Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger are featured, but the casts of Kamen Rider Wizard, Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, and Kamen Rider Fourze also participate in the film. Sota Fukushi, Kenta Suga, Kohki Okada, and Ayumi Kinoshita reprise their roles voicing Kamen Rider Fourze, Inazuman, Groundain, and Skydain respectively.
A port of Kamen Rider: Climax Heroes titled Kamen Rider: Climax Heroes Fourze (仮面ライダー クライマックスヒーローズ フォーゼ, Kamen Raidā Kuraimakkusu Hīrōzu Fōze) was released for both the PlayStation Portable and the Wii during Winter 2011. In addition to adding Kamen Rider Fourze to the game, the Shōwa Riders (e.g., Kamen Rider #1 & Kamen Rider Black RX) were added as playable characters.
Kamen Rider Fourze: Ama High Grad-Uation (仮面ライダーフォーゼ ～天・高・卒・業～, Kamen Raidā Fōze Ama Kō Sotsu Gyō), written by Hideaki Tsukada, is part of a series of spin-off novel adaptions of the Heisei Era Kamen Riders. The events of the novel took place after the final episode. The novel was released on February 28, 2014.
Crossover with Crayon Shin-chan
Four short crossover episodes, collectively titled Kamen Rider Fourze × Crayon Shin-chan (仮面ライダーフォーゼ×クレヨンしんちゃん, Kamen Raidā Fōze × Kureyon Shin-chan), between Kamen Rider Fourze and Crayon Shin-chan were shown in each show's time slots during April 2012 to promote their respective series' new films: Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen and Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called!: Me and the Space Princess. The characters crossover in two episodes of each respective series. The story follows Shin-chan teaming up with Kamen Rider Fourze in order to go to space and rescue Shin's younger sister who had been taken to Planet Himawari to become its princess. The first and fourth episodes feature both anime and live-action while the second and third were entirely animated.[17][18][19]
Episodes
Transform into Anime (アニメに変身だゾ, Anime ni Henshin da zo, April 13, 2012; Crayon Shin-chan time slot)
Com-Bined At-Tack (合・体・出・撃, Gat Tai Shutsu Geki, April 15, 2012; Kamen Rider Fourze time slot)
Let's Rescue Himawari (ひまわりをお助けするゾ, Himawari o Otasuke suru zo, April 27, 2012; Crayon Shin-chan time slot)
Just Not Enough Friends (友・達・未・満, Tomo Dachi Mi Man, April 29, 2012; Kamen Rider Fourze time slot)
Televi-Kun DVDs
The Hyper Battle DVD for Fourze is titled Kamen Rider Fourze Hyper Battle DVD: Rocket Drill States of Friendship (仮面ライダーフォーゼ 超バトルDVD 友情のロケットドリルステイツ, Kamen Raidā Fōze Haipā Batoru Dī Bui Dī Yūjō no Roketto Doriru Suteitsu). Gentaro aims to become friends with Kamen Rider Amazon to obtain the Clear Drill Switch, which has crash-landed in the Amazon River.
Kamen Rider Fourze: Astroswitch Secret Report (仮面ライダーフォーゼ アストロスイッチひみつレポート, Kamen Raidā Fōze Asutorosuitchi Himitsu Repōto) is a DVD packaged with the July 2012 issue of Televi-Kun magazine. The issue also comes with a poster with the information described in the DVD. The DVD is set before the Hyper Battle DVD, and features the content normally found in the Hyper Battle DVD (explaining the powers and weapons of the Kamen Riders), explained as Tachibana, with Ryusei and Gentaro's help, gathers the data of the 40 Astroswitches to find out what and where the mysterious mass of Cosmic Energy is.
Climax Episode
Kamen Rider Fourze: Climax Episode (仮面ライダーフォーゼ クライマックスエピソード, Kamen Raidā Fōze Kuraimakkusu Episōdo) is the director's cut version of the combined episodes 31 & 32. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 21, 2012.
Final Episode
Kamen Rider Fourze: Final Episode (仮面ライダーフォーゼ FINAL EPISODE, Kamen Raidā Fōze Fainaru Episōdo) is the director's cut version of the last two episodes. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 21, 2013.
Anna Tsuchiya decided to perform the opening theme for Kamen Rider Fourze after her young son became a fan of Kamen Rider OOO and because of her own fond memories of watching Kamen Rider Series shows as a child herself.[20] A symphonic variation titled "Switch On! Orchestra Version" was played in the final two episodes.
Astronauts is a special band formed by May'n and former Surface vocalist Yoshiharu Shiina for Kamen Rider Fourze.[22]
"Shooting Star"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition & Arrangement: tatsuo (of everset)
Artist: everset
Episodes: 16-18, 21, 22, 26, 29
"Shooting Star" is Kamen Rider Meteor's theme song.[23] The band everset previously contributed to the Kamen Rider Series as being Kamen Rider W's fictional Galveston 19.
"Bounce Back" is the theme song for Kamen Rider Fourze Magnet States. SoutherN is a special band formed by Minami Kuribayashi and former NovaQuorb vocalist Yosuke Yamashita.[24]
"ENDLESS PLAY" was originally solely the theme song for Kamen Rider: Climax Heroes Fourze. It is a solo performance by Yoshiharu Shiina as "Astronauts feat. SHIINA".
"Evolvin' Storm"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition & Arrangement: tatsuo (of everset)
Artist: everset
Episodes: 28-30, 36
"Evolvin' Storm" is Kamen Rider Meteor Storm's theme song.
"COSMIC MIND"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition & Arrangement: Shuhei Naruse
Artist: Astronauts (May'n & Yoshiharu Shiina)
Episodes: 32-35, 37, 40-46, 48
"Cosmic Mind" is the theme song for Kamen Rider Fourze Cosmic States.
A song Yuki made up to praise the Hayabusa satellite. A version including the Amanogawa High School Glee Club is featured on the series' second original soundtrack.
The Kamen Rider Girls make a guest appearance in episode 26 where they perform their cover of everset's "Saite". This was also used as the background song in episode 48 during the graduation scene of the final battle.
The first soundtrack for Kamen Rider Fourze was released on December 21, 2011. A second soundtrack was later released on June 27, 2012. The Kamen Rider Fourze: Music States Collection' album, containing all vocal tracks from the series, was released on July 25, 2012. A special box collection was released on August 29, 2012, containing all of the songs and background music featured throughout the series and its films.
"Official website at TV Asahi". Archived from the original on December 25, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
