Kamen Rider Kabuto

is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It is the sixteenth installment in the popular Kamen Rider of tokusatsu programs. It is a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei. The series was broadcast on tv asahi. The first episode aired on January 29, 2006, and with the final episode airing on January 21, 2007, completing the series with 49 episodes. The series represents the 35th Anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series, as indicated by a notice at the beginning of the Pilot episode reading, in Japanese, "Kamen Rider 35th Anniversary Production".

Synopsis
Kamen Rider Kabuto revolves around the story of a man named Tendou Souji. He has trained seven years while waiting for the Kabuto Zecter so that he may properly take up the name of Kamen Rider Kabuto. Making many enemies while at the same time meeting other Riders with mysterious origins, Tendou attempts to accomplish his goal at all costs: protecting the girl Hiyori and destroying all Worms that otherwise threaten humanity. Making a friend in Kagami Arata, who later becomes Kamen Rider Gatack, the two work together and protect Hiyori along with humanity from the alien Worms that arrived from a meteorite seven years ago.

Masked Rider System
, also known as the Masked Rider System, are compilation of mobile systems that seem to affect space/time. They were created by the Natives, a species of Worm that arrived on Earth 35 years ago. These Natives in turn gave the Zecters to humans, so that they may protect them from alien Worms that would arrive later. Jaunting from the ZECT headquarters, it appears instantaneously to the selected personnel so that they may transform into the respective Rider to fight any Worms in the vicinity.

There are eight known Zecters within the Masked Rider System, each allowing the user to become a different Rider.


 * Kamen Rider
 * Kamen Rider
 * Kamen Rider
 * Kamen Rider
 * Kamen Rider
 * Kamen Rider
 * Kamen Rider
 * Kamen Rider

There also exist two other Zecters known as the Perfect Zecter and the Hyper Zecter. The Perfect Zecter serves as a primary weapon while the Hyper Zecter is a power-up device that enhances the powers of the original Zecter.

Characters
A list of all the various characters within Kamen Rider Kabuto. The main characters within the series are split into four groups, protagonists, ZECT, renegade Riders, and Worms.

Worm
The main villains of the series, these alien lifeforms seem to take pride in stealing human identities and then killing them. They arrived when the Shibuya Meteorite crashed into Earth seven years ago. Another species of Worm, the Natives, arrived on a meteorite 35 years ago, similar to the Shibuya Meteorite.

God Speed Love
The movie spin-off of the 2006 Kamen Rider Series, entitled Kamen Rider Kabuto: God Speed Love, was released in Japan on August 5th. The film took place in an alternate timeline and served as an alternate prologue to the series, featuring three new Riders known as Hercus, Ketaros and Caucasus.

Hyper Battle Video
The Hyper Battle Video for Kamen Rider Kabuto, ''Enter! Hyper Gatack'' was released during the later half of 2006. Within this Direct-to-video feature, Hyper Gatack appears, albeit only featuring an enforced "Tachyon Fractor". Also, this is the only instance in which the Zecters are able to talk. Gatack Zecter is voiced by Kōji Yusa, while Kabuto Zecter is voiced by Tomokazu Seki.

Video game
A video game based on the series was produced by Bandai for the PlayStation 2, under the name Kamen Rider Kabuto. Released on November 30th, it is a fighting game featuring all Riders seen in the show and movie, along with Hyper Gatack. The game features 5 different modes of play, ranging from a story mode to several multi-player modes.

Suit actors

 * Kamen Rider Kabuto/Kamen Rider Dark Kabuto -
 * Kamen Rider Gatack/Kamen Rider TheBee -
 * Kamen Rider Drake -
 * Kamen Rider Sasword/Kamen Rider Dark Kabuto -
 * Kamen Rider Kick Hopper -
 * Kamen Rider Punch Hopper -

Songs

 * Opening theme
 * "NEXT LEVEL"
 * Lyrics: Shōko Fujibayashi
 * Composition & Arrangement: Cheru Watanabe
 * Artist: YU-KI (TRF)
 * Episodes: 1-48
 * Ending themes
 * "FULL FORCE"
 * Lyrics: Shōko Fujibayashi
 * Composition: Nishi-ken
 * Arrangement: RIDER CHIPS & Cheru Watanabe
 * Artist: RIDER CHIPS
 * Episodes: 2-32
 * "LORD OF THE SPEED"
 * Lyrics: Shōko Fujibayashi
 * Composition: Cheru Watanabe
 * Arrangement: RIDER CHIPS & Cheru Watanabe
 * Artist: RIDER CHIPS featuring Arata Kagami (Yuuki Sato)
 * Episodes: 33-48

35th Masked Rider Anniversary File
During episodes 23 through 27, this segment acted as a look back to the franchise and an early advertisement for the Kamen Rider movie. These look backs are held in a movie theater and the segment is hosted by Souji Tendou (Kamen Rider), Arata Kagami (Kamen Rider), Tetsuki Yamato (Kamen Rider Ketaros), Yuzuki Misaki, and Masato Mishima. During these five segments, they discuss the history of the Kamen Rider franchise, sometimes in a comedic tone, but always with serious background music.


 * Episode 23 (Rider Kicks): The group watches and Yamato narrates the variations of Rider Kicks during the course of the years. Yamato mentions about the Rider Double Kick of Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider's V3 Kick, Kamen Rider's X Kick, and Kamen Rider's ten various kicks. In the end, Kagami stands up and does his own Rider Kick (he even shouts the attack name) and falling into his seat with Yuzuki looking. Tendou and Kagami ask Yamato, "Who are you?"


 * Episode 24 (Criminal Organizations): The group watches and learns about the different criminal organizations the Kamen Riders had to fight. Villains include Shocker & Gel-Shocker in the first Kamen Rider, Destron from Kamen Rider V3, and King Dark (of the Government of Darkness) in Kamen Rider X. Footage of Black Satan, first enemy of Kamen Rider, is also shown. Tendou then supposes that it is the Kamen Rider's destiny to fight an organization. Mishima tells Tendou that ZECT will show no mercy to anyone who fights them. Yamato then says that he will definitely smash Neo-ZECT for rebelling against and splitting off from ZECT.


 * Episode 25 (Rhinoceros Beetle-Themed Kamen Riders): The group watches Kamen Rider Stronger, and Kagami quickly thinks that Stronger himself is Kabuto, and looks at Tendou confused. Misaki corrects him, informing him that this is a different Rider, using the rhinoceros beetle as a design. Mishima then announces that it is Kamen Rider Stronger. The camera then zooms on Tendou's face as he says that while this Rider may be Stronger, he (referring to himself) is the strongest. Tendou pronounces "Stronger" and "Strongest" in English, (due to the fact that Hiro Mizushima, who portrays Tendou, is fluent in English). Yamato then also speaks of the Kabutech Riders (Caucasus [Caucasus beetle], Heracus [Hercules beetle], and Ketaros [centaurus beetle], the last of whom Yamato happens to be), which are also Rhinoceros Beetle Riders (as the Caucasus, Hercules, and Centaurus beetles are rhinoceros beetle sub-species). Also, despite being a Rhinoceros Beetle Rider, Kamen Rider (also a Hercules beetle) was omitted. At the end, Tendou stands up and miniature hexagons with Tendou's face appear, forming a compound eye pattern as Tendou says once again that he is "the man who walks the path of heaven that will rule over everything."


 * Episode 26 (Riders Everywhere): The group watches Kamen Rider and Yamato comments on Skyrider's Sailing Jump, then says that the Riders can go anywhere around the world. In addition, they are not restricted to the ground. Then, Misaki mentions the Riders can even now go into space. During this segment, they watch footage of Kamen Rider through Kamen Rider training with each other in Kamen Rider 1's base on Arizona in the final episodes of Kamen Rider, followed by footage from God Speed Love. Tendou then coins a variant his trademark quote ("Now, I will truly walk down the path of heaven and rule over all.").


 * Episode 27 (Kamen Rider Ultimate Forms): Kamen Rider Stronger's upgrade is not mentioned (as it is not an "Ultimate Form", but rather a temporary power upgrade) and the short starts with Yamato commenting on BLACK RX and his modes RX Roborider and RX Biorider. It then moves on to Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider, and Kamen Rider. Suddenly, Yamato and Tendou are about to duel with the others looking on and showing on screen is Kabuto's Ultimate Form, Hyper Form.