Kamen Rider Agito


 * This article is about the television series. For the series' main character, Agito, see Shouichi Tsugami.

Kamen Rider Agito (仮面ライダーアギト), 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 Ishimori Productions and Toei and was shown on TV Asahi from January 28, 2001 to January 27, 2002. The catchphrase for the series is "Awaken the soul" (目覚めろ、その魂).

Agito and Kuuga
Kamen Rider Agito is often seen as a direct sequel to Kamen Rider Kuuga thanks to the basis of the G3 System being Kamen Rider Kuuga. Some sources claim otherwise that Kamen Rider Agito takes place on a parallel universe similar to Kamen Rider Kuuga.

The issue was actually explained long ago, in a note in the Agito production website from TV-Asahi, but wasn't available to the English-speaking world until around January 2013 :

"[...] Yusuke Godai fought so hard to put smiles on everyone's faces that if another conflict were to break out afterwards, it would diminish the value of everything he fought for. [...] You're free to enjoy Agito as a continuation of Kuuga if you so wish, or imagine it takes place in a parallel world, if you so choose. I appreciate this may sound like an asspull, however, so I guess I would say that while Agito takes place '2 years after #4 destroys the Unidentified Lifeforms', it is not a sequel to Kuuga, so take to the show with that in mind."

The connection between Agito and Kuuga was referenced in Kamen Rider Decade, where their World of Agito which is visited by Decade and the Hikari Studio, which includes the A.R. World Kuuga, is shown as a parallel world to the World of Kuuga. Aside from the new creatures the "Unknown", there are also the Gurongi, and the two races are shown to be fighting each other.

There was also a small nod in the movie OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders, where Kuuga and Agito are shown standing alongside each other with Kamen Riders Black and Black RX (Black RX is indeed a sequel to Black, to the point where these two Riders are the same person).

Story
A man named Shouichi Tsugami has lost his memories. He doesn't know who he is, where he came from, or how he came upon his peculiar circumstances.

Tsugami, seemingly for no reason, transforms into a powerful superhuman, Agito, whenever in the presence of the beings referred by the police as the "Unknown", a race of powerful monsters that have been causing murders around Tokyo, targeting certain people as their prey.

In response, the police department unleash their newest weapon: the G3 powersuit, originally developed to fight against the "Unidentified Lifeforms", the enemies of No.4 (Kamen Rider Kuuga). G3 and Agito don't know whether they should join up and defeat the Unknowns, their common enemy, or to combat each other, keeping the mysteries that entwine them separate. Ultimately, even more mysteries unfold, with the appearance of Kamen Rider Gills, who is on a search to uncover why his father committed suicide.

These mysteries and others collide, as the true nature of Agito would ultimately determine the fate of humanity.

The Lords

 * Main article: Lords

Lord (ロード): The major antagonists of Agito, referred to by the police department as Unknown (アンノウン), to separate them from the Unidentified Creatures (Gurongi Tribe) that attacked humanity two years ago. The Lords are a group of powerful disciples serving under the OverLord, who created them from his body. All of their tribes are separated into species of animals. They are normally humanoid with the head of an animal, and sometimes with weapons. All of them have wing-shaped protuberances sticking out of their shoulders, perhaps symbolizing that they are angels or holy messengers.

Movies and specials
Originally aired on October 1, 2001 (between episodes 35 and 36), the Special features all three Riders plus the first appearances of G3 Mild & Agito Shining Form. Shouichi encounters his old friend and teacher and fights an Unknown at night and reaches Burning Form, but goes out of control. Then, the teacher helps him control it. All three Riders fight against the Beetle Lord. The story is ended with a mysterious girl stalking G4 project and to be continued in the movie.
 * Special: A New Transformation (新たなる変身)

''There is a difference concerning the series' plot and the special's plot. In the special, Tōru Hōjō finds out the truth about Shouichi's identity by secretly hearing a conversation between him and his teacher, as he stands behind a window and listens to them. In the series, however, Hōjō ambushes Agito as he flees from the battle scene and sees as he reverts back to Shouichi, ultimately arresting him.''

Released in theatres on 22 September, 2001, Project G4 was a double bill with the Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger movie, "Fire Mountain Howls!". Shouichi encounters a teenage girl called Sayaka, 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 upon 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 between episodes 41 and 42.
 * Kamen Rider Agito The Movie: Project G4 (劇場版 仮面ライダーアギト PROJECT G4)

In Three Great Riders is the Hyper Battle Video for Agito. The events of the video show Telepi, the Televi-Kun mascot, calling upon Kamen Riders Agito, G3, and Gills to help fight several Lords that have invaded his world, but 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
 * Kamen Rider Agito: Three Great Riders (仮面ライダーアギト 3大ライダー)

S.I.C. Hero Saga
Agito featured two S.I.C. Hero Saga side stories published in Monthly Hobby Japan magazine. The first was titled Kamen Rider Agito: Heaven's Door (仮面ライダーアギト -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) and the Dog Orphnoch/Dog Lord (ドッグオルフェノク／ドッグロード). The story was published from October 2003 to March 2004.

The second S.I.C. Hero Saga story titled Kamen Rider Agito: Project G1 (仮面ライダーアギト -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), Generation 2, and the Road Chaser (ロードチェイサー) vehicle. It also features the Hydrozoa Lord (ハイドロゾアロード) Hydrozoa Tegula (ヒドロゾア・テグラ). The story was published from October 2007 to January 2008.


 * Heaven's Door chapter titles
 * 1) Outset (発端)
 * 2) ΑgitΩ (アギト)
 * 3) Operation (操作)
 * 4) Conceit (奇想)
 * 5) Able Person (能力者)
 * 6) The Alpha and the Omega (ΑにしてΩ)


 * Project G1 chapter titles
 * 1) GENERATION 1
 * 2) G3-X
 * V1
 * 1) ΑGITΩ

Cast

 * Shouichi Tsugami (津上 翔一): Toshiki Kashu (賀集 利樹)
 * Makoto Hikawa (氷川　誠): Jun Kaname (要　潤)
 * Ryo Ashihara (葦原 涼): Yūsuke Tomoi (友井 雄亮)
 * Mana Kazaya (風谷 真魚): Rina Akiyama (秋山 莉奈)
 * Sumiko Ozawa (小沢 澄子): Tōko Fujita (藤田 瞳子)
 * Tōru Hōjō (北條 透): Jun Yamasaki (山崎　潤)
 * Kaoru Kino (木野　薫): Takanori Kikuchi (菊池 隆則)
 * Tetsuya Sawaki (沢木 哲也): Atsushi Ogawa (小川 敦史)
 * Mysterious Youth (謎の青年): Rei Haneo (羽緒 レイ)
 * Mysterious Boy (謎の少年), Overlord of Light/Agito: Ryunosuke Kamiki (神木 隆之介)
 * Kōji Kōno (河野 浩司): Kazumasa Taguchi (田口 主将)
 * Takahiro Omuro (尾室 隆弘): Akiyoshi Shibata (柴田 明良)
 * Taichi Misugi (美杉 太一): Tokimasa Tanabe (田辺 季正)
 * Kōji Majima (真島 浩二): Yoshikazu Kotani (小谷 嘉一)
 * Aki Sakaki (榊 亜紀): Masako Sakuma (佐久間 雅子)
 * Yoshihiko Misugi (美杉 義彦): Takeshi Masu (升 毅)
 * Dr. Higashi Kunieda (国枝 東): Masaki Kyomoto (京本 政樹)
 * Narration (ナレーション): Eiichiro Suzuki (鈴木 英一郎)

Project G4 cast

 * Shiro Mizuki (水城 史朗): Ryo Karato (唐渡 亮)
 * Risa Fukami (深海 理沙): Maju Ozawa (小沢 真珠)
 * Sayaka Kahara (加原 紗綾香): Akane Kimura (木村 茜)
 * Rei Motoki (本木 レイ): Rikiya Otaka (大高 力也)
 * Customer in Hamburger Shop (ハンバーガーショップの客): Shunsuke Nakamura (中村 俊介)
 * Sayaka's Father (紗綾香の父): Tsuyoshi Ujiki (うじき つよし)
 * Sayaka's Mother (紗綾香の母): Noriko Watanabe (渡辺 典子)
 * MPD Superintendent General (警視総監): Hiroshi Fujioka (藤岡 弘、)

Suit actors

 * Kamen Rider Agito): Seiji Takaiwa (高岩 成二)
 * Kamen Rider G3/G3-X: Makoto Itō (伊藤 慎)
 * Kamen Rider Gills: Yoshifumi Oshikawa (押川 善文)
 * Another Agito: Masashi Shirai (白井 雅士)
 * Kamen Rider G4, Kamen Rider G3 Mild: Jiro Okamoto (岡元 次郎)

Songs

 * Opening themes
 * "Kamen Rider AGITO" (仮面ライダーAGITO)
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi (藤林 聖子)
 * Composition & Arrangement: Kazunori Miyake (三宅 一徳)
 * Chorus: Lisa Ooki (大木 理紗)
 * Artist: Shinichi Ishihara (石原 慎一)
 * Episodes: 2-35
 * "Kamen Rider AGITO ~24.7 version~" (仮面ライダーAGITO ～24.7 version～)
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition & Arrangement: Kazunori Miyake
 * Remix: Kazunori Miyake, Hiroyuki Suzuki (鈴木 浩之), Takashi Sasaki (篠笥 孝)
 * Chorus: Lisa Ooki
 * Artist: Shinichi Ishihara
 * Episodes: 36-50, TV Special
 * Ending themes
 * "BELIEVE YOURSELF"
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition & Arrangement: Kazunori Miyake
 * Artist: Naoto Fuuga (風雅 なおと)
 * Episodes: 1-8, 10-13, 15-25, TV Special
 * "STRANGER IN THE DARK"
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition & Arrangement: Toshihiko Sahashi (佐橋 俊彦)
 * Artist: Norio Sakai (坂井 紀雄)
 * 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)
 * Arrangement: RIDER CHIPS
 * Artist: RIDER CHIPS featuring ROLLY
 * Episodes: 26-30, 32-39, 41, 43-50
 * "OVERLORD" (オーヴァーロード)
 * Artist: Overlord Choir
 * Episodes: 42


 * Movie theme
 * "Jiken da!" (事件だッ!)
 * Lyrics & Composition: Tortoise Matsumoto (トータス 松本)
 * Arrangement & Artist: Ulfuls (ウルフルズ)

Albums
A few albums were released for Kamen Rider Agito, mostly original soundtracks for the series and film.

Trivia

 * Agito is the first Kamen Rider series to feature the three main types of Riders: a mystical Rider (one that draws power from ancient technology or mystical methods), an organic Rider (one whose anatomy changes to become a Rider), and a high-technology Rider (one who is either a cyborg or uses advanced technology to fight).
 * This is the last series that the Riders transform using the traditional Ishinomori style henshin belt, future installments would use the modular "Rider System" type.
 * This is the first Heisei Rider series with more than one titular Kamen Rider appearing in the series, as everyone who has been bestowed the power of Overlord of Light has the potential to transform into Agito. In the series timeline Shouichi is the second Agito, with his sister Yukina Sawaki being the first Agito, and followed by numerous people slowly becoming it, but most of them failed to transform into Agito, either because they commit suicide or are killed by The Lords.
 * This is the first Heisei Era Kamen Rider series that has a connection to the previous series.