This article is about a/an series entry (the 27th) in the Kamen Rider Series.
WARNING:This series contains scenes of blood and graphic violence. Viewer discretion is advised!
For the series' main character, Ex-Aid, see Emu Hojo.
Kamen Rider Ex-Aid (仮面ライダーエグゼイド,Kamen Raidā Eguzeido) is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series. It is the eighteenth series in the Heisei period run and the twenty-seventh series overall. The series started on October 2, 2016, joining Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger in the Super Hero Time line-up after the finale of Kamen Rider Ghost. Starting on February 12, 2017, the series was joined by Uchu Sentai Kyuranger in the Super Hero Time line-up. After the finale of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Kamen Rider Build joined Kyuranger in the Super Hero Time line-up. In 2019, this became the first Kamen Rider to air in Indonesia on RTV since Kamen Rider OOO on Indosiar in 2014. This show currently airs on the North American Japanese-language channel TV Japan.
The motif of the series is retro video gaming, as the Riders of the show utilize game cartridges called Rider Gashats and have gear and form motifs inspired by retro video games. The series also integrates medical drama into the story because one of the main settings is a hospital and some of the main Riders are doctors. The tagline of the show is "Game Start!".
Several years ago, the Bugster Virus infected humanity and turned its victims into monsters known as Bugsters. To combat this, the Japanese Ministry of Heath worked with the gaming company Genm Corp. to form Cyber Rescue, a team of young doctors with the ability to transform into Kamen Riders that can effectively eliminate Bugsters. However the CEO of Genm Corp. has his own ulterior motives for collaborating as he later becomes an antagonist to our heroes.
Characters
Kamen Riders
TV Show
Main Riders (From top: Snipe, Ex-Aid, Cronus, and Genm. From bottom: Poppy, Para-DX, Brave, and Lazer Turbo.)
Half of each episode's title is written in English and the other in kanji, usually ending in a question mark or exclamation, akin to most Japanese video game covers.
Episode 1-12: Ten Games arc: This arc features most of the main riders and their initial fight against the Bugsters and the Kamen Rider Genm, using the Riders as Test-Players.
Episode 13-23: Emu's Secret arc: This arc features Genm as the main antagonist, reviving Bugsters to obtain data for the Kamen Rider Chronicle, and revealing a secret about Emu Hojo.
Episode 24-40: Kamen Rider Chronicle arc: This arc features the riders working to put an end to Kamen Rider Chronicle while fighting against Masamune Dan as the legendary warrior.
Episode 41-45: True Ending arc: This arc features the main riders fighting against Gamedeus and Masamune Dan to end Kamen Rider Chronicle in order to restore the lives lost in the game.
Most of the Riders of this series have four multi-colored "Buttons" on their chestplates. This is a possible gaming reference to the popular Super Famicom controller, as that had similarly colored buttons on its controls.
The show's title is a multiple form of word play, as the "aid" in Ex-Aid is an allusion to First Aid. Another hidden pun is the Japanese pronunciation in katakana is "E-gu-zei-do", which has a close similar sound to the English word "Excite" when pronounced in Japanese, "E-ku-sai-to". This is even referenced by the title of the show's opening theme. The final wordplay contains the Japanese pronunciation of the .EXE file extension ("E-gu-ze").
Similarly, the Bugsters' nature as sentient viruses, is a play on the concept of computer viruses as well as biological pathogens, hence the heroes' civilian identities as doctors.
This is the first season where there are two female riders taking a central part in the show.
Ex-Aid is the final Rider series to entirely air at 8 am. Starting in October, Kamen Rider Build moved to 9 am, airing before Uchu Sentai Kyuranger and its successor.
This is the final Kamen Rider series to premiere in October, starting with Kamen Rider Build, the Kamen Rider series return to premiere in September.
With a total of 45 episodes, Ex-Aid is the shortest Kamen Rider series in the second phase of the Heisei Era.
This series celebrates the 45th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series, as well as the 60th anniversary of the video games.
Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Chief Producer Takahito Omori stated in an interview that he is the one who came up with the idea of having Video Games as the main concept for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, although the designer team did not initially agree with his idea.[8]
This article is about a/an series entry (the 27th) in the Kamen Rider Series.
in the Super Hero Time line-up after the finale of Kamen Rider Ghost. Starting on February 12, 2017, the series was joined by Uchu Sentai Kyuranger
Kamen Rider Series
