Kamen Rider Kiva

Kamen Rider Kiva
Genre	Tokusatsu
Created by	Shotaro Ishinomori
Written by	Toshiki Inoue
Directed by	Ryuta Tasaki, Hidenori Ishida
Starring	Koji Seto
Opening theme	"Break the Chain" by Tourbillon
Country of origin	Japan
No. of episodes	(list of episodes)
Production
Producer	Naomi Takeba
Running time	24-25 minutes (per episode)
Original release
Network	TV Asahi
Release	2008-01-27

Kamen Rider Kiva (仮面ライダーキバ, Kamen Raidā Kiba, Masked Rider Kiva) is the title for the 2008 Kamen Rider series produced by Toei Company and Ishimori Productions. It premieres on January 27, 2008, following the finale of Kamen Rider Den-O. It will be a part of TV Asahi's 2008 Super Hero Time block with Engine Sentai Go-onger. Advertisements show a horror film theme to the series, with the motif for Kamen Rider Kiva as a vampire. The advertising slogan for the series is "Wake up! Release the chains of destiny." (Ｗａｋｅ　ｕｐ！宿命(さだめ)の鎖を解き放て, Ueiku appu! Sadame no kusari o tokihanate).

Synopsis

Wataru Kurenai (portrayed by Koji Seto), a young man who likes the violin, is destined from birth to become Kamen Rider Kiva to fight monsters known as the Fangire, the very race his mother came from. The second rider in the series tentatively named Kamen Rider Hunter (仮面ライダーハンター, Kamen Raidā Hantā).

Characters

Wataru

Wataru Kurenai (紅 渡, Kurenai Wataru): A young shy man who never lies, keeping to himself and works at an atelier to continue his father's legacy of violin making with a dream to create the ultimate violin. But, Wataru is destined from birth to become Kamen Rider Kiva as his mother is a Fangire. He teams up with Kivat-bat the 3rd to fight the Fangire race and protect humanity from them, learning of his family legacy and nature as a dhampir.

Kiva accesses his arsenal through whistles on his belt called Fuestles (フエッスル, Fuessuru). The Wake Up Fuestle (ウエイクアップフエッスル, Ueiku Appu Fuessuru) opens up the chains on his right leg so Kiva can use his Darkness Moon Break (ダークネスムーンブレイク, Dākunesu Mūn Bureiku) attack. Kiva has five other Fuestles, but the names are not currently known. Three of the unamed Fuestles serve to summon an ally Fangire from Castle Dran, who turns into a weapon for Kiva to use in order to assume a stronger form. Kiva's motorcycle is named the Machine Kivaa (マシンキバー, Mashin Kibā)..

Otoya

Otoya Kurenai (紅 音也, Kurenai Otoya): Wataru's father who battled the Fangire menace 22 years ago, falling in love with a female Fangire as a result.

Shizuka

Shizuka Nomura (野村 静香, Nomura Shizuka): A preteen girl able to get around the shyness of Wataru being a motherly figure to him as he teaches her how to play the violin.

The Fangire Hunters

• Yuri Aso (麻生 ゆり, Asō Yuri): Founding member of the Fangire Hunters 22 years ago. She hates the Fangire with a passion
• Megumi Aso (麻生 恵, Asō Megumi): Yuri's daughter.
• Mamoru Shima (嶋 護, Shima Mamoru): A mysterious millionaire who funded the Fangire Hunters.
• Akira Kido (木戸 明, Kido Akira): Owner of the "Cafe Mal Damour" and a friend of Otoya's in the past.

Support Monsters

• Kivat-bat the 3rd (キバットバットⅢ世, Kibattobatto Sansei): An century-old mysterious vampire who drinks blood to sustain himself, creating rumors of his Eurpoean-style home being haunted. But when Wataru enters, Kivat forms a partnership with Wataru to give the power of Kiva. A solid character with dry wit, he tends to have a bitter attitude. Kivat attaches to the Kivat Belt (キバットベルト, Kibatto Beruto) to allow his human partner to transform.
• Castle Dran (キャッスルドラン, Kyassuru Doran): Kiva's base of operations, a giant dragon born in the mold of a castle. While dormant, it assumes the form of a building to conceal itself in plain sight. When exposed to moonlight, the monster awakens and assumes its true form. Due to its unique abilities, Castle Dran is home to three sealed Fangire, forced into human form and to become servants of the master of Castle Dran.
• Garuru (ガルル, Garuru): A violent and impulsive werewolf Fangire sealed in Castle Dran long ago, assuming human form and serves as lead caretaker. He transforms into the Garuru Sabre that Kiva uses to assume Garuru Form.
• Basher (バッシャー, Basshā): A fishman Fangire with a cool attitude who became Castle Dran's housekeeper, assuming the form of a 13-year old child. He transforms into the Basher Magnum that Kiva uses to assume Basher Form.
• Dogga (ドッガ, Dogga): A frankenstein Fangire with unbeatable strength, Castle Dran's butler after assuming human form. He transforms into the Dogga Hammer gauntlet that Kiva uses to become Dogga Form.

Fangire

The Fangire (ファンガイア, Fangaia) are monsters, vampires who feed off of the lifeforce of humans to survive. They are able to assume a human form to hide within everyday society. Whenever Kiva defeats a Fangire, the monster's soul is sealed with Castle Dran's body.

Episodes

Main article: List of Kamen Rider Kiva episodes

1. Fate: Wake Up! (運命・ウェイクアップ！, Unmei: Weiku Appu!)

Songs

Opening theme

• "Break the Chain"

  • Artist: Tourbillon

The single Break the Chain is released on March 26, 2008.

Cast

• Wataru Kurenai/Kamen Rider Kiva (紅 渡／仮面ライダーキバ, Kurenai Wataru/Kamen Raidā Kiba) - Koji Seto (瀬戸 康史, Seto Kōji)
• Otoya Kurenai (紅 音也, Kurenai Otoya) - Kouhei Takeda (武田 航平, Takeda Kōhei)
• Shizuka Nomura (野村 静香, Nomura Shizuka) - Rina Koike (小池 里奈, Koike Rina)(refactored from [[[α]|Luna]])
• Megumi Aso (麻生 恵, Asō Megumi) - Nana Yanagisawa (柳沢 なな, Yanagisawa Nana)
• Yuri Aso (麻生 ゆり, Asō Yuri) - Yu Takahashi (高橋 優, Takahashi Yū)
• Mamoru Shima (嶋 護, Shima Mamoru) - Kazuhiko Kanayama (金山 一彦, Kanayama Kazuhiko)
• Akira Kido (木戸 明, Kido Akira) - Houka Kinoshita (木下 ほうか, Kinoshita Hōka)
• Keisuke Nago (名護 啓介, Nago Keisuke) - Keisuke Kato (加藤 慶祐, Katō Keisuke)
• Kengo Eritate (襟立 健吾, Eritate Kengo) - Kouhei Kumai (熊井 幸平, Kumai Kōhei)
• Garuru = Werewolf Human Form (ガルル＝狼男人間体, Garuru = Ōkami-otoko Ningentai) - Kenji Matsuda (松田 賢二, Matsuda Kenji)
• Basher = Fishman Human Form (バッシャー＝半魚人人間体, Basshā = Hangyojin Ningentai) - Yuuki Ogoe (小越 勇輝, Ogoe Yūki)(refactored from [[[β]|Daiki]])
• Dogga = Frakenstein Human Form (ドッガ＝フランケン人間体, Dogga = Furanken Ningentai) - Eiji Takigawa (滝川 英治, Takigawa Eiji)
• Kivat-bat the 3rd (キバットバットⅢ世, Kibattobatto Sansei, Voice) - Tomokazu Sugita (杉田 智和, Sugita Tomokazu)
• Belt's Voice (ベルトの声, Beruto no Koe) - Kōji Yusa (遊佐 浩二, Yusa Kōji)

Suit actor

• Kamen Rider Kiva - Seiji Takaiwa (高岩 成二, Takaiwa Seiji)

Notes

Template:Ent Rina Koike has previously portrayed Sailor Luna in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Template:Ent Yuuki Ogoe has previously portrayed Daiki Saitō in Kamen Rider Den-O episodes 5 and 6.

External links

• Kamen Rider Kiva at TV Asahi