Heisei Rider as Novels: The One Who Continues After Z

Japanese newspaper Sports Hochi reported that the twelve Heisei-era Kamen Rider series would each receive a tie-in novel, most written by their original head writers. The first batch covered Kamen Rider Kuuga, Kabuto, W, and OOO: Naruhisa Arakawa, who had written for the original Kuuga and later worked on Akibaranger and Daimajin Kanon, returned for the Kuuga novel; Shoji Yonemura wrote the Kabuto novel; Riku Sanjo returned for W; and the OOO novel went to Nobuhiro Mori, who had written six OOO episodes, rather than the show’s main writer Yasuko Kobayashi. Producer Shinichiro Shirakura wrote the Den-O novel, while Blade writer Sho Aikawa said on Twitter that he had turned down an offer to write that novel.

A second batch followed: Ryuki and Agito, written by Toshiki Inoue and Naohiro Okamura respectively, with Inoue also serving as an editor, releasing January 31; Faiz and Kiva, written by Inoue and Kenji Konuta, releasing February 28; Hibiki (Tsuyoshi Kida) and a second Den-O novel (Shirakura), releasing March 29; and Blade (Junichi Miyashita) and Decade (Aki Kanehiro, with Inoue editing), releasing April 26.

The novels were said to place each series’ lead characters, including Yusuke Godai, Souji Tendo, Shotaro Hidari and Philip, and Eiji Hino and Ankh, into new stories not told on television. The W novel, titled “The One Who Continues After Z,” introduces a new Rider called Kamen Rider Cyclone. The first batch was set for release on November 30 at 650 yen each.