Kamen Raidā Kuuga - Kamen Rider Kuuga

Kamen Rider Kuuga January 30, 2000 - January 21, 2001
(49 episodes, 1 video special, 1 tv special)

Character Actor

Godai, Yuusuke Odagiri, Jō

Kuuga Tominaga, Kenji

Ichijou, Kaoru Katsurayama, Shingo

Enokida, Hikari Mizushima, Kaori

Tsubaki, Shuichi Ōtsuka, Yoshitaka

Jean Michel Sorrel Serge Vasilov

Nishiki, Tamasaburō Kitarō

Sawatari, Sakurako Murata, Kazumi

Godai, Minori Aoi, Wakana

Asahina, Nana Mizubara, Shio

B-1 (rose tatoo lady) Nanamori, Mie

N Daguba Zeba Urai Kenji

Between the last episode of Kamen Rider Black RX and the first episode of Kamen Rider Kuuga 11 years have passed. There were four Kamen Rider movies (one made for video, two in theaters, one shown at an amusement park) during this time but no tv series.

Godai, Yuusuke

A team of archaeologists digs up a stone sarcophagus containg the mummified remains of a man. The man is wearing a strange large belt. Most of the archaeologists are murdered by a mysterious being the police call "Unidentified number 0". Later Godai, Yuusuke (Odagiri, Joh), friend of one of the archaelogists puts on the belt which burns itself into his body. Godai, Yuusuke has visions of a figure in red armor. When Godai, Yuusuke is attacked by a spider monster he transforms into a white armored figure, Kuuga Growing form. Later Godai, Yuusuke learns to "henshin" into the red Kuuga Mighty.

Kuuga - Growing

Growing Form (white armor)

Height 2 meters (approx. 6.25 feet), weight (approx. 198 lbs).

when Yusuke's fighting will is insufficient,
he henshins into the Growing Form
which only has half the power of the Mighty Form.

Kuuga - Mighty

Mighty (red armor)

Height 2 meters (approx. 6.5 feet), weight 99 kg (approx. 218 lbs)

runs 100m/5.2 seconds (approx 328 feet/5.2 seconds),
jumps 15m (approx. 49 feet) high,
3 ton punch, 10 ton kick

Mighty form is used most often, standard fighting form.

Introduced in episode 2.

Kuuga - Dragon

Dragon (blue armor)

Height 2 meters (approx. 6.5 feet), weight 90 kg (approx. 198 lbs)

runs 100m/2.00 seconds, jumps 30m (approx. 98 feet) high,
1 ton punch, 3 ton kick

enhanced agility

weapon: Dragon Rod

Dragon form is fast and jumps the highest but is weaker than Mighty form.

Introduced in episode 5.

Kuuga - Pegasus

Pegasus (green armor)

Height 2 meters (approx. 6.5 feet), weight 99 kg (approx. 218 lbs)

3 ton kick

enchanced vision and hearing, cannot henshin for 2 hours after using this form

weapon: Pegasus Bowgun

Introduced in episode 7.

Kuuga - Titan

Titan (purple/silver armor)

Height 2 meters (approx. 6.5 feet), weight 111 kg (approx. 245 lbs)

runs 100m/7.2 seconds, jumps 10m (approx. 33 feet) high, 7 ton punch

physical power strengthened

weapon: Titan Sword

Titan is Kuuga's most resilent form, little can harm him, but he moves slowly.

Introduced in episode 10.

At first the transformation to different forms just happens, by itself, but eventually Godai learns to control the transformation, saying "Cho Henshin" (Super Transformation).

Kuuga - Rising forms

As the Gurongi become more powerful Kuuga's powers grow. Just as Kamen Rider Stronger had his Charged Up mode Kuuga has Rising forms, Rising Titan (introduced in episoe 24), Rising Pegasus (introduced in episode 25), Rising Dragon (introduced in episode 28) and Rising Mighty (introduced in episode 30).

Kuuga - Amazing Mighty Kuuga - Ultimate

When even the Rising forms are not enough to defeat the strongest Gurongi, Kuuga becomes the black and gold Amazing Mighty (episode 46). To battle the Gurongi leader Godai transforms into Kuuga Ultimate (episode 49).

Ultimate

height 202 cm, weight 150 kg (approx. 330 lbs)

jumps: 90 m (approx. 295 feet), 8 ton punch, 100 ton (one foot) kick

All the power from other forms. Using this form was risky, Kuuga could have turned evil.

Trychaser-2000

Try-Goran

length 2.4m (8 feet)
height 1.25m (4 feet)
power 150hp
speed 300km/h (186 mph)
engine VX cylinder engine

can change color, right handle becomes TriAcceler Rod

Goran, beetle shapped, flying armor appears in episode 14 and in episode 15 attaches itself to Trychase-2000 to form Try-Goran.

Beat Chaser 2000 Beat Goran

Try-Chaser 2000 is later replaced by Beat Chaser 2000 (episode 33). Adding the armor to Beat Chaser 2000 makes it Beat Goran.

When not in use Goran is stored at the police lab. When neeed Goran turns itself on and flies to where ever Kuuga is. Most of the time it then splits into two parts which attach themselves to the motorcycle, however, Goran can also stay in one piece so that Kuuga can grab hold of it and be lifted into the air.

Ichijou, Kaoru Enokida,

Godai, Yuusuke is assisted in fighting the Gurongi by police officer Ichijou, Kaoru, who gave him Trychaser-2000 and Beat Chaser 2000. Enokida, Hikari a scientist working for the police department studies clues left by the Gurongi in order to make weapons that could be effect against them. She has a son, who she rarely sees as she works through the nights. She's infatuated with Ichijou, Kaoru. Doctor Tsubaki, Shuichi examines Godai, Yuusuke at the request of Ichijou, Kaoru, after Yuusuke becomes Kuuga for the first time. From then on he's Yuusuke's doctor.

Sawatari, Sakurako

Archaeologist Sawatari, Sakurako researches the ancient languages of the Lando and the Gurongi in order to learn more about Kuuga's powers and the goals of the Gurongi. Doctor Tsubaki wants to date her. There is also an American(?) Jean Michel Sorrel, in Japan to learn how to fight the Gurongi. He studies Goran. He likes Enokida, Hikari and uses his research as an excuse to hang around her lab, where Goran is kept.

Yuusuke's boss Asahina, Nana

Yuusuke's younger sister Minori is a kindergarden teacher. She knows her brother is Kuuga and worries that being Kuuga will change him. Yuusuke works at a resteraunt. His employer's niece, Nana, is infatuated with him.

In the previous Kamen Rider series the hero's identity is known to very few people, 2 or 3 (not counting the villans) at most. Nearly a dozen people know who Kuuga is. Ichijou, Kaoru, two of his superiors, and two or three of his equals, the scientist, the doctor, the two archaeologists and Yuusuke's sister all know that Godai, Yuusuke is Kuuga. The other police know that "Number 4" is working with them but most do not know who he is. Yuusuke's rather dense employer doesn't know either. The daughter of one of the archaeologist killed by "Number 0" and a man with a terminal disease also know that Yuusuke is Kuuga. One witnessed his transforming into Kuuga the other saw Kuuga revert to Yuusuke.

Kamen Rider Kuuga - Mighty in battle Kamen Rider Kuuga on Trychaser-2000

Kuuga fights the monsterous members of the Gurongi tribe, an ancient people reawaken in modern Japan. Long ago they destroyed the Lindou, an ancient race of pacifist humans. Too late the Lindou created the warior Kuuga and his horse armor Goran to fight the Gurongi. This original Kuuga defeated the Gurongi but only after the Lindou were nearly destroyed. Afraid that the awesome power he possed would corrupt him, he entombed himself and the remaining Gurongi. The opening of his tomb in modern times awoke the Gurongi leader who awoke the others. The belt, the source of Kuuga's power chose Godai, Yuusuke (perhaps a decedent of the original Kuuga) to be the new Kuuga.

Although none of the previous Kamen Riders appear in this series :-( in episode 40 Enokida asks Godai if he ever took a university class tought by Professor Hongo. Godai then does an impersonation of Hongo, Takeshi. It happens so fast you may not notice it.

Besides the lack of guest appearances by earlier riders this series suffurs from one other major flaw, no one ever actually refers to Kuuga as "Kamen Rider Kuuga", he's just called "Kuuga" (by the Gurongi) and "Number 2" and "Number 4" (by the police and the newspapers).

The opening theme for Kamen Rider Kuuga was "Kamen Rider Kuuga". The ending theme was "Into the Blue Sky"

Kamen Rider Kuuga Episodes

The Ratings

There was no Kamen Rider Kuuga movie, however, Kuuga did appear in a video special Kamen Rider Kuuga vs. Strong Monster Go Jiino Da, which was available only to subscribers of Telebi Kun magazine, and a two hour tv special, "First Dream" shown on January 2, 2000. In the stage play/concert "Masked Rider Live 2000" Kuuga met and shook hands with Hongo, Takeshi (Kamen Rider 1) and Kazami, Shiro (Kamen Rider V3) and was joined on stage by the previous tv Kamen Riders.

Kamen RIder Kuuga is now available for free, with English subtitles, at Shout Factory TV

My thanks to Pomai Souza for the pictures of Kuuga in action and Basri for the title screen.