Kamen Rider V3 ran February 17, 1973 - February 9,
1974 (52 episodes)
| Character |
|
Actor |
| Kazami, Shiro |
|
Miyauchi,
Hiroshi |
| Kamen Rider V3 (episodes 1&2) |
|
Nakamura, Yu |
| Kamen Rider V3 (episodes 3-52) |
|
Nakayashiki,
Tetsuya |
| Kamen Rider V3 (motorcycle stunts) |
|
Kumasawa, Tushiaki |
| Tachibana, Tobei |
|
Kobayashi,
Akiji |
| Tama, Junko |
|
Ono, Hizuru |
| Tama, Shigeru |
|
Hideki, Kawaguchi |
| Doktor G (episodes 13-30) |
|
Senba, Jotaro |
| Sakuma, Ken (episodes 29-32, 35, 36) |
|
Kawashima, Ken |
| Baron Fang (episodes 31-35) |
|
Go, Eiji |
| Archbishop Wing (episodes 36-40) |
|
Fujino, Sachio |
| Marshal Armor (episodes 41-52) |
|
Nakamura, Bunya |
| Yuki, Joji (episodes 43-51) |
|
Yamaguchi,
Akira |
| Voice of Great Leader |
|
Naya,
Gorô |
| Narrator |
|
Nakae,
Shinji |
Kamen Rider V3 has the
skill of Kamen Rider 1 and the strength of Kamen Rider 2 thanks to his
"Double Typhoon" belt. Kamen Rider V3 is 180 cm (5 ft 10 inches) tall,
weighs 75 kg (165 lbs) and can jump up to 60 meters (approx. 197 feet).
After Kazami, Shiro (Miyauchi,
Hiroshi) witnesses the murder of a man by the new terrorist
group Destron, attempts
are made on his life, Destron wants no witnesses to their crimes.
After Shiro's family
befriends a young woman, Tama, Junko; who stumbled on the location of
Destron's base, they become Destron's next victims.
Hongo, Takeshi (Kamen
Rider 1) and Ichimonji, Hayato (Kamen Rider 2) aware that someone is
after Kazami, Shiro watch over him but do not realise until too late
that his father, mother and sister are also in danger.
Destron mutant
Scizzors Jaguar breaks into the Kazami home and stabs to death Shiro's
parents, Tatsuji and Aya and younger sister Yukiko. Shiro comes home in
time to see his family murdered and would have been Destron's next
victim if his chemistry teacher, Hongo, Takeshi; had not arrived and
transformed into Kamen Rider 1. Kamen Rider 2 soon shows up as well.
After Destron forces are driven off Shiro asks the Double Riders to
make him a cyborg, so he can avenge his family. The Riders refuse,
telling Shiro he does not want to know the pain of never being a normal
human again and to allow them to do the fighting. He does not listen,
which is fortunate for them.
Riders 1 and 2 locate
and enter Destron's headquarters only to discover they have been led
into a trap. A laser designed to destroy cyborgs is turned on them.
However, Kazami, Shiro seeking revenge on Destron has also located this
base and finding the Riders in danger he shoves them out of the way of
the laser--taking the blast himself, saving their lives. To save his
they have no choice but to change him into a cyborg. Charging his
"Double Typhoon" henshin belt with energy from both their belts, the
Double Riders leave Shiro on the operating table, to go fight Bazooka
Turtle who is firing on their location. In the midst of the battle
Bazooka Turtle is surprised by the sudden appearance of a new, and
deadlier, foe, Kamen Rider V3!
We see Kazami, Shiro transform into Kamen Rider V3
for the first time in episode 2.
At the end of episode
2 Kamen Rider V3 Riders 1 and 2 appear to be
killed when Bazooka Turtle's internal nuclear device detonates but they
actually survived to fighr Destron (off camera) in Australia (Rider 1)
and America (Rider 2). In episode 33 the Double Riders return to Japan
to help Kamen Rider V3 deal with Baron Fang. They stay through episode
34. After helping V3 defeat Primordial Tiger Smilodon the Double Riders
leave Japan again, not returning until Kamen Rider X needs help dealing
with Government of Darkness.
Kamen Rider V3's
special combat techniques include: "V3 Kaiten (Rotating) Double Kick",
"V3 Drill Attack", Rider Enshin (Centrifuge) Kick", "V3 Screw Kick",
"V3 Kaiten (Rotating) Kick", "V3 Hanten (Mid-Air) Kick", "V3 Kick", "V3
Kirimoni (Slice) Hanten (Mid-Air) Kick", "V3 Kaiten (Rotating) Sandan
(Gun Shot) Kick", "Big Sky Punch", "Big Sky Kick", "V3 Body Attack",
"Hurricane Last Dash" (riding Hurricane), "V3 Triple Punch", "V3 Sky
Kick", "V3 Mach Kick", "V3 Double Attack", "V3 Kirimoni (Slice) Kick",
"V3 Sandan (Gun Shot) Kick" and "V3 Full Kaiten (Rotating) Kick".
Kamen Riders 1, 2,and V3 together had the "Rider Triple Power" attack.
Kamen Rider V3 has
many other special devices and abilities. The most important is his
henshin belt "Double Typhoon" which gives him the skill of Kamen Rider
1 and the strength of Kamen Rider 2. On one side of "Double Typhoon" is
an energy converter which allows V3 to gain extra energy from external
sources.
V3's antenna allow him
to communicate with Kamen Riders 1 and 2, Boys' Kamen Rider Squad base
and the radio pendents carried by squad members.
One V3's most used
devices (at least in earlier episodes) is "V3 Hopper", a portible
mini-satellite which allowed him to track Destron's movements.
"V3 Scramble Hopper"
scrambled the brains of Destron Legionaries.
"V3 O Signal" is a
monster detector. "V3 Red Lamp Power" reflects an enemy's attack back
at him.
"V3 Red Bone Power"
generates a burst of energy. "V3 Barrier" is an energy shield.
"Special Armored
Muscles" could deflect bullets. "Cell Strengthing System" allowed V3 to
deflect edged weapons.
"Reverse Double
Typhoon" releases all of Double Typhoon's energy in a massive attack.
After using this Kazami, Shiro cannot henshin into Kamen Rider V3 for
three hours. V3's most powerful weapon but also the one most dangerous
for him to use.
Kamen Rider V3 is
assisted in fighting Destroy by Tachibana,
Tobei (Kobayashi, Akiji); Tama, Junko (Ono, Hizuru); Tama,
Shigeru (Kawaguchi, Hideki) and the Boys'
Kamen Rider Squad. The Boys' Kamen Rider Squad headquarters
is hidden inside Tachibana, Tobei's Central Sports shop. Junko operates
their radio system. Her younger brother, Shigeru is a member of the
Boys' Kamen Rider Squad and someties assists Junko. The original plan called for Shiro and Junko to actually become romantically involved but this idea was dropped after episode 12. Junko gets over her crush on Shiro and his supposedly hidden feelings for her never materalize, instead they become more like brother and sister.
Kamen
Rider V-3 experienced similar battles of Kamen Riders I and II. While
battling the Knife Armadillo, Kamen Rider V-3 realized the weakness of
his shoulders. In order to magnify his strength. he engaged in rigorous
training, comparable to steel or iron capacity.
-- from an article in the Star-Bulletin & Advertiser,
1970 something.
When V3 needs training
he turns to Tachibana, Tobei who previously trained Kamen Rider 1. This
training did not result in a new body for V3, it just strengthend him.
Kamen Rider V3's
motorcycle was called Hurricane. Hurricane had a top speed of 600k/h
(approx. 373 mph). V3 is my favorite Kamen Rider and Hurricane is my
favorite motorcycle.
Just as V3 has his
"Double Typhoon" Hurricane has a single Typhoon, which changes color to
indicate what speed Hurricane is traveling at. Blue indicates Hurricane
is traveling at 200km/h (approx 124 mph), yellow 400km/h (approx. 249
mph) and red 600km/h (approx. 373 mph).
Hurricane could drive
itself and came when V3 called for it. Kazami, Shiro rode an ordinary
looking motorcycle that could transform into Hurricane when he
transformed into Kamen Rider V3. [Miyauchi, Hiroshi did his own stunts
as Kazami, Shiro including riding the motorcycle hands free but it was
professionl stunt driver Kumasawa, Tushiaki who rode Hurricane as Kamen
Rider V3.]
Destron mutants are based on
animals, insects and plants. V3 encounters 4 high ranking leaders of
Destron: Doktor G (episodes 13-30), Baron Fang (31-35), Archbishop Wing
(36-40) and Marshal Armor (41-52).
In the movie Kamen
Rider V3 Vs. Destron Demons Kamen Riders 1 and 2 show up at
the end to help V3 fight several revived Destron kaijin and a new one,
Cannon Buffalo.
Episode 29 introduces
the "Destron Hunters", six agents of the International Police
(Interpol) sent from France to Japan with the assigned task of spying
on Destron and sabotaging its operations. Destron Hunter 6 was played
by Nakayashiki, Tetsuya, the main Kamen Rider V3 suit actor. Being
ordinary humans the Destron Hunters are no match for Destron's cyborg
mutants. 4 and 6 are killed by Camera Mosquito before Kamen Rider V3 is able to destroy the muntant (episode 29). Hunters 1, 2 and 3 are killed by Doktor G
himself, after they succefully destroyed Destron's mutant factory (episode 30). V3 showed up too late to safe them. Kazami, Shiro befriends the lone survivor Destron Hunter #5
Sakuma, Ken who becomes his sidekick (as FBI agent Taki
Kazuya was sidekick to Hongo, Takeshi and Ichimonji, Hayato. Apparently Sakuma, Ken was
not popular with Japanese audience so he only appears in episodes
29-32, 35 and 36. No explination is given for his not appearing after
episode 36. He probably returned to Interpol's headquarters in Paris.
In the 43rd episode V3
encounters a new enemy, who later becomes a friend, Riderman.
Kamen Rider
V3 was on TV in Honolulu when my family lived there (June of
1973 through January of 1976). My first Kamen Rider, V3 is also my
favorite. I used to have a V3 Henshin belt. They are collectors items
these days. I wish I had kept mine.
Kamen Rider V3 Episodes
Kamen Rider V3 Songs
Other appearances of Kamen Rider V3
MOVIES
Kamen Rider
V3 - episode
2 modified to movie format
Kamen Rider V3 vs. Destron Demons (July 18, 1973) - between episodes 22
& 23
Five Riders vs. King Dark (July 25, 1974)
8 Riders vs. Milky Way King (March 15, 1980)
Kamen Rider Super-1 (March 14, 1981)
Kamen Rider-SD (January 25, 1993) - animation
TV
Kamen Rider
X (1974) - episodes 27, 28, 33, 34
Kamen Rider Stronger (1975) - episodes 35, 37, 39
Kamen Rider All Back Again! 7 Riders (January 3,
1976) - 45 minute
special
New Kamen Rider (1979) - episodes 23, 27, 28, 34,
35, 54
Kamen Rider #10'S Birth! Riders Come Together
(January 3, 1984) - 45
minute special
Kamen Rider Black RX (1989) - episodes 41-47
Kazami, Shiro is last
seen on television in Kamen Rider #10'S Birth! Riders Come
Together. In 2000 Miyauchi, Hiroshi took part in the live
stage show "Masked Rider Live 2000". He sang "Fight! Kamen Rider V3"
and played Kazami, Shiro in a battle against Igadevil (Dr Death's
monster form), Okami-Otoko (Colonel Zol's monster form), Kanibubbler,
Shioraneking, Musasabedorl, Shocker soldiers and Shadowmoon. In this
show V3 gains a new power "V3 Thunder".
My Drawings
November 18, 2005 Kamen Rider V3 was released on DVD by JN Productions/Generation Kikaida
(by April 24, 2023 the DVD set was old out as Generation Kikaida began shutting down.)
Kamen Rider V3 will be rereleased by Discotek Media on Blu-ray in 2024
