April 1, 2016 (2016-04-01) – June 30, 2017 (2017-06-30)
Kamen Rider Amazons (仮面ライダーアマゾンズ, Kamen Raidā Amazonzu), known in the overseas market as Amazon Riders, is a 2016 Japanese superherotokusatsu web drama. It is a darker and more mature reimagining of the 1974 television series Kamen Rider Amazon, and part of Toei's Super Hero Year, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series (and the 40th series of Super Sentai). Amazon Riders was originally exclusively released through Amazon Video in Japan starting April 1, 2016.[1][2] It was also broadcast on television on BS Asahi (TV Asahi's broadcast satellite channel) starting July 3, 2016, and Tokyo MX starting July 6, 2016.[3][4] In a similar vein as the reboot films based on the Shōwa era series, Kamen Rider: The First & Kamen Rider: The Next, Kamen Rider Amazons takes place in an alternate universe separate from the main series timeline.
The second season was announced on May 31, 2016, that it will be released in spring 2017 on Amazon Prime.[5] The second season is titled Kamen Rider Amazons Season 2 (仮面ライダーアマゾンズ Season 2, Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Shīzun Tsū)[6] and was exclusively released through Amazon Video in Japan starting April 7, 2017.[7][8]
Plans to release season one in international markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany were announced in 2016.[9] An English subtitled version of the first season launched on Amazon Prime on April 19, 2018[10] with Season 2 launching on September 21, 2018.
Haruka Mizusawa is a meek young man who became infected with Amazon Cells (アマゾン細胞, Amazon Saibō), which are created by the Nozama Pharmacy company (野座間製薬株式会社, Nozama Seiyaku Kabushikigaisha). This causes Haruka to transform into the feral berserker Amazon Omega as he strives to assert his humanity while fighting similarly infected creatures called the Amazons (アマゾン, Amazon). Haruka also encounters the Nozama Peston Service (ノザマペストンサービス, Nozama Pesuton Sābisu), Nozama Pharmacy's Amazon hunters, and Jin Takayama, a former cell biologist at Nozama Pharmacy and Amazon hunter who becomes Amazon Alpha. Later, Jun Maehara, a member of Nozama Peston Service who died once during an Amazons attacks, is revived into Amazon Sigma.
Taking place five years after the first season, Season 2 focuses on a new protagonist named Chihiro, a lone boy raised by Amazons who hates them but must suppress his cannibalistic urges and can transform into Amazon Neo, and is soon revealed to be the son of Jin Takayama. The original protagonist Haruka would later acquire an upgraded form known as Amazon New Omega.
A re-edited version of Kamen Rider Amazons, titled Kamen Rider Amazons the Movie: Season 1 - Awakening (劇場版 仮面ライダーアマゾンズ Season 1 覚醒, Gekijōban Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Shīzun Wan Kakusei), was released in Japan on May 5, 2018.[20]
Season 2 - Reincarnation
A re-edited version of Kamen Rider Amazons Season 2, titled Kamen Rider Amazons the Movie: Season 2 - Reincarnation (劇場版 仮面ライダーアマゾンズ Season 2 輪廻, Gekijōban Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Shīzun Tsū Rinne), was released in Japan on May 12, 2018.[20]
A sequel film titled Kamen Rider Amazons the Movie: The Last Judgement (仮面ライダーアマゾンズ THE MOVIE 最後ノ審判, Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Za Mūbī Saigo no Shinpan), which is set after the end of the second season and concludes the storyline, was released in Japan on May 19, 2018.[21]
Manga
Kamen Rider Amazons Gaiden: Light of Fireflies (仮面ライダーアマゾンズ外伝 蛍火, Kamen Raidā Amazonzu Gaiden Hotarubi), written by Shinjiro and supervised by Yasuko Kobayashi, is a manga adaptation that is a side story focusing on the Firefly Amazon, one of the Experiment Amazons. It takes place between the first and second seasons of Kamen Rider Amazons.