Kamen Rider Wizard (仮面ライダーウィザード,Kamen Raidā Wizādo?, translated as Masked Rider Wizard) is the twenty-fourth entry of the Kamen Rider Series. Trademarks on the title were filed by Toei in June 21, 2012, and it was officially revealed on June 27, 2012.
It began airing on TV Asahi on September 2, 2012, joining Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters and then Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger in the Super Hero Time lineup. Tsuyoshi Kida is the series' main screenwriter. The catchphrase of the series is "Now, it's showtime!" (さあ、ショ-タイムだ!,Saa, shōtaimu da!?).
"The magic rings, the Wizard Rings. They shine on both hands of the modern mage as he changes despair into hope."
―Narrator[src]
Six months prior to the start of the series, a mysterious ritual held on the day of the solar eclipse took place. Its purpose was to give birth to a group of magical creatures called Phantoms through humans with magical potential called "Gates", by forcibly subjecting them to immense despair. Haruto Soma, the survivor of the ritual, and Koyomi, a mysterious girl who has lost all of her memories, are tasked by the mysterious White Wizard to fight the Phantoms.
Haruto is also given the Wizardriver to become Kamen Rider Wizard in order to prevent the Phantoms from transforming other Gates into Phantoms themselves. Later on, a man named Kosuke Nitoh appears as the ancient wizard Kamen Rider Beast to feed on the Phantom's magical power to survive and becomes both a rival and ally to Haruto. As the two wizards wage their battle against the Phantoms, who are led by the hotheaded Phoenix, the cold and merciless Medusa, the scheming Gremlin, and the enigmatic Wiseman, things are not all as they seem.
The episode titles in this Kamen Rider Series installment have a tendency to be written in the kanji and hiragana formatting, very rarely being written in the katakana format.
The Ringed Magician (指輪の魔法使い,Yubiwa no Mahōtsukai?)
I Want to Be a Magician (魔法使いになりたい,Mahōtsukai ni Naritai?)
Transform! Live Broadcast (変身!生中継,Henshin! Namachūkei?)
The Doll and the Pianist (人形とピアニスト,Ningyō to Pianisuto?)
The Deciding Match of the Contest (決戦のコンクール,Kessen no Konkūru?)
To a Beautiful Flower (キレイな花には,Kirei na Hana ni wa?)
Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie War Ultimatum (仮面ライダー×仮面ライダー ウィザード&フォーゼ MOVIE大戦アルティメイタム,Kamen Raidā × Kamen Raidā Wizādo ando Fōze Mūbī Taisen Arutimeitamu?)
Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z (仮面ライダー×スーパー戦隊×宇宙刑事 スーパーヒーロー大戦Z,Kamen Raidā × Supā Sentai × Uchū Keiji: Sūpā Hīrō Taisen Zetto?)
Kamen Rider Wizard in Magic Land (劇場版 仮面ライダーウィザード in Magic Land,Gekijō-ban Kamen Raidā Wizādo In Majikku Rando?)
Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle (仮面ライダー×仮面ライダー鎧武&ウィザード 天下分け目の戦国MOVIE大合戦,Kamen Raidā × Kamen Raidā Gaimu ando Wizādo Tenka Wakeme no Sengoku Mūbī Daigassen?)
Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai (平成ライダー対昭和ライダー 仮面ライダー大戦 feat.スーパー戦隊,Heisei Raidā Tai Shōwa Raidā Kamen Raidā Taisen feat. Sūpā Sentai?)
Specials
Kamen Rider Wizard Hyper Battle DVD: Showtime with the Dance Ring (仮面ライダーウィザード 超 バトルDVD ダンスリングでショータイム,Kamen Raidā Wizādo Haipā Batoru Dī Buī Dī Dansu Ringu de Shōtaimu?)
Net Movies
Kamen Rider Wizard in Magica Land (ット版 仮面ライダーウィザード イン マジか!?ランド,Netto-ban Kamen Raidā Wizādo In Maji ka!? Rando?)
Artist: Sho Kiryuin from Golden Bomber (鬼龍院 翔 from ゴールデンボンバー,Kiryūin Shō from Gōruden Bonbā?)
Insert theme
"Last Engage"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition & Arrangement: Ryo (of defspiral)
Artist: Kamen Rider Girls
Episodes: 4, 10
"Mystic Liquid"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition & Arrangement: Ryo (of defspiral)
Artist: Kamen Rider Girls
Episodes: 3, 4, 15
"Blessed wind"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition: Yoshio Nomura
Arrangement: Rider Chips
Artist: Rider Chips
Episodes: 5, 13
"Strength of the earth"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition: Yoshio Nomura
Arrangement: Rider Chips
Artist: Rider Chips
Episodes: 6, 7, 10, 17
"Just The Beginning"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition & Arrangement: AYANO (of FULL AHEAD)
Artist: Kamen Rider Girls
Episodes: 9, 12
"BEASTBITE"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition: Yoshio Nomura
Arrangement: Rider Chips
Artist: Rider Chips
Episodes: 17-19, 34
"alteration"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition & Arrangement: Shuhei Naruse
Artist: Kamen Rider Girls
Episodes: 26
"Missing piece"
Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
Composition & Arrangement: Ryo (of defspiral)
Artist: Kamen Rider Girls
Episodes: 31, 32, 37, 39, 45
The original sound track for Wizard was released on November 21, 2012. A compilation album subtitled the Music Magic Collection featuring all of the theme songs seen on the show and its movies was released on September 4, 2013.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice[]
Kamen Rider Wizard: The Sorcerer's Apprentice is the S.I.C. Hero Saga story for Wizard.
Notes[]
With 53 episodes in total (including 2 post-finale episodes which serve as the TV special), Kamen Rider Wizard is considered the longest Heisei-era Rider series in history, beating Kamen Rider Agito's record of 51 episodes. If the specials didn't count as episodes, however, then Wizard's episode count record would have been tied with Agito's.
In this title series, the Kamen Rider is often called as "Magicians", save for a crossover movie.