Kamen Rider Hibiki | |
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Title Screen.
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Genre |
Tokusatsu Superhero fiction Action |
Created by | Shotaro Ishinomori |
Written by | |
Directed by | |
Starring | |
Opening theme |
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Ending theme | "Shōnen yo" by Akira Fuse |
Composer(s) | Toshihiko Sahashi |
Country of origin | Japan |
No. of episodes | 48 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Producer(s) |
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Running time | 24–25 minutes (per episode) |
Production company(s) | Toei Company |
Distributor | Toei Company |
Release | |
Original network | TV Asahi |
Original release | January 30, 2005 | – January 22, 2006
Chronology | |
Preceded by | Kamen Rider Blade |
Followed by | Kamen Rider Kabuto |
External links | |
Website | www |
Kamen Rider Hibiki (仮面ライダー響鬼(ヒビキ) Kamen Raidā Hibiki, Masked Rider Hibiki) is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It is the fifteenth installment in the popular Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu programs. It is a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei. Kamen Rider Hibiki first aired on January 30, 2005 and aired its final episode on January 22, 2006.
The Kamen Riders, known as Oni, battle man-eating beasts called Makamou with "pure sound". One of the Oni, a man named Hibiki, ends up having a "teacher-and-apprentice"-like relationship with Asumu Adachi. A young boy unsure of himself and is at a crossroads in his life as he transitions to high school, Asumu learns to be an adult through watching Hibiki and the other Oni as they all train together to hone their skills in fighting the Makamou and the homunculi aiding them. However, the sudden raise of Makamou numbers proves to be a prelude to an upcoming calamity.
Kamen Rider Hibiki began with Shigenori Takatera as the Toei producer, however, Shinichiro Shirakura, who though having participated in other Heisei Kamen Rider series, had no involvement whatsoever in the Hibiki production, was appointed producer of the film Kamen Rider Hibiki & the Seven Senki, eventually replacing Takatera in the TV production from episode 30. The writing staff also changed; Tsuyoshi Kida and Shinji Ōishi were replaced by Toshiki Inoue and Shōji Yonemura, who had worked with Shirakura in Sh15uya and other Heisei Kamen Rider series.
In addition, personalities such as Sensha Yoshida, a renowned manga artist; Hiroshi Yamamoto, a video-game designer; Masao Higashi, a seasoned television and movie critic; and many others published severe criticisms in their personal blogs because of this. Even the show's star, Shigeki Hosokawa, who portrayed Hibiki, stated in his personal website that Inoue’s scripts "needed adjustments" and that this whole staff change was "fraudulent". With the first production staff, Hosokawa would join the writers meetings and give suggestions, however Hosokawa could not give his opinion in the second production staff meetings due to time restraints.