The "Cho-Den-O" Series (「超・電王」シリーズ "Chō-Den'ō" Shirīzu , "Super Den-O" Series) is a Japanese multimedia franchise featuring the cast and characters of the popular Kamen Rider Series Kamen Rider Den-O and its films.[1]
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Kamen Rider Den-O was the seventeenth installment of the Kamen Rider Series and the eighth during the Heisei period run of the series, a joint production between Toei Company, TV Asahi, and the late Shotaro Ishinomori's production company Ishimori Productions. Its first film, Kamen Rider Den-O: I'm Born! opened in Japanese theaters on August 4, 2007. In its opening weekend, the movie came in 4th place and was the highest selling Japanese production of the week.[2]
Later in 2007, Toei had announced that they were in production for a V-Cinema release for Den-O coupled with Kamen Rider Kiva, but this was later changed to be a direct, albeit limited, theatrical release entitled Kamen Rider Den-O & Kiva: Climax Deka. In its opening weekend, April 12, 2008, Climax Deka took the top spot at the Japanese box offices,[3] unseating the Japanese release of Cloverfield.[4] In the end, it grossed 730 million yen, over double the normal revenue for a Kamen Rider film.[5]
Later in 2008, another press release from Toei announced that there was to be a third film for Den-O entitled, Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown.[5] Having a third film was the first for any of the Heisei Kamen Rider television series, a fact that Takeru Satoh, who had played the lead role of Ryotaro Nogami in the television series, attributes to Den-O's comedic timing.[6]Eventually this was originally considered to be the last appearance of Den O. However because of its rising popularity, Toei Company announced on January 29, 2009,that there would be a fourth film for Den-O, and that it was in production as of January 29, 2009. The film was scheduled to be released in April 2009.[7] On February 9, 2009, Toei revealed that this film was to be the first in the Cho-Den-O Series.[1] and that the film would feature the cast and characters of I'm Born!, Final Countdown, Kiva, and Kamen Rider Decade.
The first film in the Cho-Den-O Series is titled Cho Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade Neo Generations The Movie: The Onigashima Warship (劇場版 超・仮面ライダー電王&ディケイド NEO ジェネレーションズ 鬼ヶ島の戦艦 Gekijōban Chō Kamen Raidā Den'ō ando Dikeido Neo Jenerēshonzu Onigashima no Senkan ) released on May 1, 2009. The film features the return of the Tarōs, Deneb, and Sieg, along with New Den-O from Final Countdown, Jiro, Ramon, and Riki of Kiva, and Tsukasa and Natsumi of Decade.[1] The film also introduces Akina Minami portraying a bushi woman named Toki (トキ ).[8] The movie also marks the debut of Kamen Rider Cho-Den-O (仮面ライダー超電王 Kamen Raidā Chō Den'ō ), also called Super Climax Form (超クライマックスフォーム Chō Kuraimakkusu Fōmu ), which appears as a variation of Den-O's Climax Form incorporating Wing Form's mask as wings.[8]
Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Cho-Den-O Trilogy (仮面ライダー×仮面ライダー×仮面ライダー THE MOVIE 超・電王トリロジー Kamen Raidā × Kamen Raidā × Kamen Raidā Za Mūbī: Chō Den'ō Torirojī ) is the name given to a series of three films released in a four week period between May 22 and June 19, 2010. The films, Episode Red, Blue, and Yellow, each focus on a different Kamen Rider in the extended Cho-Den-O storyline: Zeronos, New Den-O, and Diend of Decade. The trilogy was originally posted as a rumor on Futaba Channel as a single film titled Owari Kamen Rider Den-O The Movie Last Stop: The Climax is Eternal (劇場版 終仮面ライダー電王 終着点 クライマックスよ永遠に Gekijōban Owari Kamen Raidā Den'ō Shūchakuten Kuraimakkusu yo Eien ni ), however the April issue of Televi-kun confirmed the Cho-Den-O Trilogy title.
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