Kamen Rider V3


 * For the lead character V3, see Shiro Kazami

Kamen Rider V3 (仮面ライダーV3), Masked Rider V3 or Masked Rider Version 3 in English, is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is the second installment in the popular Kamen Rider Series, and the direct sequel to the original Kamen Rider. It was a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei, and was shown on NET from February 17, 1973 to February 9, 1974, with a total of 52 episodes. This is also the first (and only) Kamen Rider TV series that is officially available on DVD in the west with English subtitles through JN Productions' Generation Kikaida.

Every episode of Kamen Rider V3 begins with a statement: "Kamen Rider V3, Shiro Kazami, is an altered human. Mortally wounded by Destron, he is rebuilt by Kamen Riders 1 and 2, reborn as Kamen Rider V3"

Hiroshi Miyauchi, who portrays main character Shiro Kazami, also sings the opening theme. Following the success of V3, Miyauchi starred in several tokusatsu series, such as Himitsu Sentai Goranger, J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai, Kaiketsu Zubat, Tokkei Winspector, Tokkyuu Shirei Solbrain and Chouriki Sentai Ohranger.

Plot
One night, Shirou Kazami accidentally witnesses a murder by the evil organization Destron, making him their next target. In their first attempt, they planted a bomb pebble into his coffee, but the attempt was foiled when Shirou's sister, Yukiko, surprised him, causing him to spill his coffee. In their second attempt, they attacked him while practicing motorcycle racing with Tobei Tachibana. In their third attempt, a Destron soldier, disguised as a doctor, tried to put a poison shot in Shirou, while he was being transported to the hospital (after Destron's second attempt), but Shirou regains consciousness and kills the soldier. Meanwhile, a young woman named Junko Tama stumbled upon Destron's base. Suddenly, she was attacked by Destron. While trying to escape, she ran into Shirou, who was heading home on his motorcycle, but Shirou didn't see the Destron soldiers. Surprised, Junko fainted and Shirou took her home. While Junko was being taken care of by Shirou's family, Shiro reported her story to the police. When he returned home, he found his family being murdered by the Hasami Jaguar, a jaguar monster with blades for hands. Hasami Jaguar then prepares to kill Junko and Shirou, but is stopped by Shirou's high school teacher, Takeshi Hongo, who transformed into Kamen Rider 1. Shortly after he drove off the Destron forces, Kamen Rider 2 shows up, but too late. A vengeance-fueled Shiro asked the Riders to turn him into a cyborg, but the Riders refused, explaining to Shirou what would happen if he did get turned into a cyborg: he wouldn't be able to live up to his family. Then the Riders asked Junko for the location of the Destron base she stumbled upon earlier. The next day, the Riders infiltrate the base, only to get caught in a trap. Shirou shows up and saves their lives, but gets injured in the process. The Riders had no choice but to turn Shirou into a cyborg. When the Riders were attacked, and almost killed, by Kame Bazooka, Shirou shows up as Kamen Rider V3. Now, Shirou uses his new power to protect mankind against Destron.

Allies

 * Tōbei Tachibana (立花 藤兵衛)
 * Junko Tama (珠 純子)
 * Shigeru Tama (珠 シゲル)
 * The Boys' Kamen Rider Squad (少年仮面ライダー隊)
 * Ken Sakuma (佐久間 ケン)

Destron
Destron (デストロン) is an international organization bent on conquering the world with terrorist acts, Destron was formed under the leadership of the mysterious Great Leader by surviving members of Gel-Shocker. Although Destron had branches in every country and sought to dominate the entire planet, its main headquarters was in Japan which Destron focused its attention on. Initially the kaijin of the Mechanical Army followed the orders of the unseen High Destron without any direct supervision, but after repeated failures of the kaijin High Destron summoned Doctor G from Destron's German Division to take charge of the day to day operations of Destron's Japanese Division. Strange that although Destron used the scorpion as its symbol it had no scorpion monsters.


 * Great Leader of Destron (デストロン首領) (Except for the last few episodes, he was not seen. Only his voice was heard)
 * Doktor G (ドクトルG) / Kani Laser (カニレーザー)
 * Baron Kiba (キバ男爵) / Vampiric Mammoth (吸血マンモス)
 * Archbishop Tsubasa (ツバサ大僧正) / Zombie Bat (死人コウモリ)
 * Marshal Yoroi (ヨロイ元帥) / Zariganna (ザリガーナ)

Special guest stars

 * Kamen Rider 1/Takeshi Hongō from Kamen Rider
 * Kamen Rider 2/Hayato Ichimonji from Kamen Rider
 * Colonel Zol from Kamen Rider
 * Doctor Shinigami from Kamen Rider
 * Ambassador Hell from Kamen Rider
 * General Black from Kamen Rider

S.I.C. Hero Saga
Published in Monthly Hobby Japan magazine from May to August 2003, the S.I.C. Hero Saga story Masked Rider V3 & Riderman: Riderman Another After featured an alternate history of Riderman's creation. It featured the new character called the Destron Rider (デストロンライダー).


 * Chapter titles
 * 1) God Station (神ステーション)
 * 2) Attachment (アタッチメント)
 * 3) Destron Rider (デストロンライダー)
 * 4) Jōji Yūki (結城丈二)

Manga
A manga adaptation was made by Mitsuru Sugaya during the run of the series.

Cast

 * Shiro Kazami (風見 志郎): Hiroshi Miyauchi (宮内　洋)
 * Tōbei Tachibana (立花 藤兵衛): Akiji Kobayashi (小林 昭二)
 * Junko Tama (珠 純子): Hizuru Ono (小野 ひずる)
 * Shigeru Tama (珠 シゲル): Hideki Kawaguchi (川口 英樹)
 * Joji Yuki (結城 丈二): Takehisa Yamaguchi (山口 豪久) (Played as Satoru Yamaguchi (山口 暁))
 * Doktor G (ドクトルＧ): Jōtarō Senba (千波 丈太郎)
 * Baron Kiba (キバ男爵): Eiji Gō (郷 鍈治)
 * Archbishop Tsubasa (ツバサ大僧正): Sachio Fujino (富士乃 幸雄)
 * Marshal Yoroi (ヨロイ元帥): Bunya Nakamura (中村 文弥)
 * Ken Sakuma (佐久間 ケン): Ken Kawashima (川島 健)
 * Great Leader of Destron (デストロン首領): Gorō Naya (納谷 悟郎)
 * Narrator (ナレーター): Shinji Nakae (中江 真司)

Songs

 * Opening theme
 * "Tatakae! Kamen Rider V3" (斗え！仮面ライダーV3)
 * Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
 * Composer: Shunsuke Kikuchi
 * Vocals: Hiroshi Miyauchi and The Swingers (ザ・スウィンガーズ)


 * Ending themes
 * "Shōnen Kamen Rider Tai no Uta" (少年仮面ライダー隊の歌)
 * Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude (八手 三郎)
 * Composer: Shunsuke Kikuchi
 * Vocals: Ichirou Mizuki and the Columbia Yurikago-Kai (コロムビアゆりかご会)
 * Episodes: 1-42
 * "Hashire Hurricane" (走れハリケーン)
 * Lyrics: Sukeo Nōmi (能見 佐雄)
 * Composer: Shunsuke Kikuchi
 * Vocals: Masato Shimon and the Columbia Yurikago-Kai
 * Episodes: 43-52
 * Episodes: 43-52