| Alt Name: | Madan Senki Ryukendo |
| Genre: | Superhero tokusatsu Action Science fiction Comedy Magic Tokusatsu |
| Runtime: | 24-25 minutes (per episode) |
| Country: | Japan |
| Network: | TV Aichi, TV Tokyo |
| Num Episodes: | 50+2 specials |
| List Episodes: | List of Ryukendo episodes |
| Creator: | Oji Hiroi Yūichirō Hira Yuzuru Miyauchi Tsuyoshi Yoshida |
| Executive Producer: | Tōru Kuroda Hiroshi Takegawa |
| Producer: | Hitoshi Nakajima Yūto Suzuki |
| Composer: | Michiru Oshima |
| Starring: | Shogo Yamaguchi Gen Kouhei Kuroda |
| Opentheme: | Title song by Hiroshi Kitadani "GO! Ryukendo" by Kenji Ohtsuki |
| Endtheme: | "EVERYBODY GOES" by Nanase Aikawa "Beautiful" by Mariko Shibano "Prism of Eyes" by MAX "Zutto Zutto Zutto" by Mariko Shibano |
is a Japanese superhero-genre tokusatsu television series. It was Takara and We've Inc's first attempt at a tokusatsu series. This series aired at 7:00 JST on TV Aichi from January 8 to December 31, 2006. It is also a partial prequel to the Tomica Hero Series, the cast reprising their characters in the Tomica Hero Rescue Force movie.
The series was also broadcast in India in 2011 on Disney XD, and went on to become one of the most popular shows on the channel.
Akebono City is a peaceful community overflowing with humanity. Since there was a Power Spot that released magical power in the community, the people were distressed by the threat of the demon army Jamanga who are gathering from the frightened masses for a sinister purpose. The secret organization SHOT was formed to protect the people of the community from the Jamanga, concealing their existence as ordinary members of the Akebono Police Station, which considers demons beyond their jurisdiction. Kenji Narukami, a practitioner of the for fighting demons, arrives to Akebono to fight the demons, eventually getting his wish when he is transformed to Ryukendo and faces off against Jamanga's forces together with his friends in order to restore peace in the community.
Each Warrior has a set of keys to either use an attack or summon a, an animal spirit of the Earth. When Kenji and Fudou become God Ryukendo and Magna Ryuguno, their Beast Kings are strengthened into a form each.
/ Ryukendo ("Ryukendo" translates from "Dragon Sword Way"), the series' title protagonist, moves to Akebono and is mistaken for a demon upon arrival. After defending a dog in the street, he finds himself confronting a Demon Beast, being chosen by GekiRyuKen and becoming Ryukendo. Since then, he works at SHOT, saving the day more often than not. He is trained in the Narukami Ryujinryu technique. By inserting the RyuKen Key into GekiRyuKen, Kenji can synchronize with GekiRyuKen to transform into Ryukendo - the transformation call is . is Ryukendo's lion Beast King, which can turn into the three-wheeled motorcycle. His finishing move, activated by the Final Key, is the . When GekiRyuKen absorbs the combined powers of Ryuguno, Ryujino and the Jamanga GrimGoblin, he evolves into God GekiRyuKen. By transforming after GekiRyuKen's evolution, Ryukendo becomes . His Magic Bullet Keys are also upgraded as well while his Beast King becomes . His finishing move is .
In the series aftermath, with GekiRyuKen gone, Kenji resumes being a normal police officer, arresting Dr. Mad.
/ made his entrance before Ryukendo, sending an army of Tsukaima to a quick defeat. He really doesn't like it when people call him "Old Man", a nickname that Kenji started despite the fact that Fudou is only 25 years old. It was eventually revealed that Fudou and Kenji are a combination destined by fate.
Fudou and GouRyuGun have a strong bond, much closer than that of Kenji and GekiRyuKen at first. When he inserts the RyuGun Key into GouRyuGun, he can synchronize with GouRyuGun to transform into Ryuguno - the transformation call is . His Shot Key allows him to use a rapid-fire attack called, and his Final Key activates his finishing attack, the, which releases a hundred of GouRyuGun's regular shots in one powerful blast in the shape of a fiery dragon. His JuuOh is, a wolf JuuOh. Buster Wolf can transform into a motorcycle known as Wolf Bike.
When Fudou loses GouRyuGun in an attack from Bloody's UFO, GouRyuGun is recreated as the, allowing Fudou to assume the corresponding stronger form of . He can also fire rapid-shots from GouRyuGun and the Magic Bullet Magnum simultaneously, known as the 'Double Shot'. is Magna Ryuguno's Beast King, transforming into the . Magna Ryugunou's finishing move is .
In Episode 50, with some of Kenji's power, Magna Ryugunou becomes, a golden-armor transformation. His finishing attack in this form is the "Ultimate Dragon Cannon". His Beast King in this form is . In the series aftermath, with GouRyuGun gone, Fudou resumes being a normal police officer, arresting Dr. Mad.
/ isn't a member of SHOT but rather a mysterious wanderer, armed with ZanRyuJin. He's not on the side of the Jamanga either, as he demonstrated in his high-octane entrance battle with Lady Gold. Eventually, he comes to work with Kenji and Fudou. Koichi lived in England when he was a kid, and Commander Amachi of SHOT wanted his parents to work on the Madan Suits for Ryukendo and Ryuguno. Koichi lost his parents in the explosion, but kept his mother's pendant. He stole the Madan Ryu Core to give himself the power of a Madan warrior to avenge his parents, swearing a vendetta on SHOT until he learned that it was Baron Bloody who caused his parents' deaths. When he inserts the RyuJin Key into ZanRyuJin, the weapon synchronizes with the Madan Ryu Core to transform him into Ryujino - the transformation call is . When Beyond Dark revived spirits of the dead, Koichi gave his mother a heath flower he brought from Kaori, and realized that he needs to fight for himself, not for revenge.
Ryujino can turn ZanRyuJin from a halberd into a bow with the use of the Archery Key. His finishing move, activated by the Final Key, is in Axe Mode and in Archery Mode. His Beast King is the raven, which combines with Ryujino to give him the power of flight. Later, Delta Shadow gains the ability to turn into the .
In Episode 50, with some of Kenji's power, Ryujino transforms into, a golden-armor transformation. His Beast King in this form is . In the series aftermath, with ZanRyuJin gone, Koichi takes up work as a delivery boy for Kaori, arriving on the scene as his teammates arrested Dr. Mad.
is an ancient Magic Bullet warrior who with his two allies fought against DaiMaOu in the first war. Unable to defeat DaiMaOu, as only Master Ryukendo went Ultimate, he and his allies combined with the dragons of light and Master Ryukendo became the Madan Ryu Core of GekiRyuKen, his allies becoming GouRyuGun, and ZanRyuJin, so the three could help the next generation. DaiMaOu was reduced to an egg and somehow obtained the three Ultimate Keys, and storing them in Rock Crimson, Lady Gold, and Baron Bloody's bodies, making them immortal. The Canon of light returned Master Ryukendo back to normal, with no memory until the Jamanga attacked. In human form, he wears ancient Japanese clothing, and his Madan Suit is similar to Ryukendo's, except with a cape and bronze accents. He wields a weapon similar to GekiRyuKen, except it uses no keys and dragon head, instead with a diamond replacing the dragon head and chanting Shadu Iraki Yuza to summon his sword and transform. Master Ryukendo showed Kenji the Ultimate Madan Slash before returning into GekiRyuken with no memory of the incident. By episode 50, however, GekiRyuKen recovered his memories as Master Ryukendo and emerged from GekiRyuKen encouraging Kenji to not give up hope, as well as teaching him the method to defeat DaiMaOu once and for all.
are used by both the Magic Bullet Warriors and the Jamanga. The Warriors use them for transformation into Warrior form, weapon-summoning, Beast King-summoning and finishing abilities. Among the Keys are:
SHOT, the Shoot Hell Obduracy Troopers, are the anti-demon force in Akebono. Since nobody believed that demons even exist, SHOT keeps itself in secret, placing their base beneath the Akebono police station through a special elevator that only its members know of. There are only four members in the Akebono branch, not counting the Madan Warriors. The police force is probably the best place to hide SHOT, because Akebono's real police force is hideously incompetent.
Commander of SHOT, he poses as the "janitor" at the police station. Koichi Shiranami, Ryujinou, believed that Amachi had killed his parents, when in reality Amachi had protected a young Koichi from the explosion caused at the Madan Suits European Testing Facility.
SHOT's operator and secretary at the Akebono Police Station. Had a brother, now deceased, who sought to protect the fireflies at his lake so that Rin could be happy. Appears to be close to Kenji, even though he couldn't get her name right when they first met. But she has deep feelings for him. When she was asked for a marriage interview by the mayor's only son Hiroshi, she was the one who was very angry on Kenji for allowing her to date Hiroshi San. She is very kind and caring as well as very bad tempered.
SHOT's Magical Engineer, who sends the Keys and reads the writings that bring about developments against Jamanga in the Canon of Light. He doesn't really know anything, but does serve as a gateway between the Canon of Light and SHOT's purposes.
A professor of magic that Kiichi respects.
A florist that Kenji met on his first day in Akebono. She is Kenji's love interest too. But later in the series she developed feelings for Shiranami Koichi and Kenji for Rin. Later on, she was tricked by Lady Gold into believing that Ryukendo had cut down Ichiko and Ritsuko. There appears to be a romantic relationship going on between the two, since Kenji got jealous when Koichi neared her to get flowers for drawing out a Jamanga demon. Kaori was chosen as the leader of the Akebono vigilante group when she "won" the martial arts tournament (due to all of her opponents forfeiting when they refused to attack her). In episode 50 she turns into a Tsukaima and also thanks Kenji for defeating the demon probably knowing that Kenji is Ryukendo.
A lady ghost in white that only those with a passion for justice, like Kenji and GekiRyuKen, can see. This doesn't do much for their reputation. She's actually a spirit of the first Head of the Akebono Police, a female detective. She assisted Kenji in his first fight against Jack Moon. When spirits were being resurrected, she lived again, and delayed giving Kenji the Akebono flower needed to defeat the demon. She left with the other spirits, but returned as she still wants to hang around. Komachi managed to gather enough energy to help Ryukendo out once in a while, as well as encourage the chief of police, to resume his old way of thinking in terms of justice.
Kenji's fiancée, also trained in the Narukami Ryuujinryu technique. She occasionally visits Akebono, leaving Rin to watch over him. Was the one to inform Akebono of the Martial Arts tournament. Introduced in episode 10. She also knows the true identity of the Madan Warriors.
The army of demons called Jamanga serves as the principle enemy of the SHOT organization and the Madan Warriors. Their main purpose is to gather minus energy that is created when humans are in despair to resurrect their leader, Great Demon King GrenGhost.
Jamanga's "King of Demons" who fought Master Ryukendo long ago and lost enough energy to regress into a green orb-like egg hovering in the eternally black sky of the area where the Jamanga armies reside. Only when enough Minus Energy, brought about by negative human emotions, is collected, can he be revived. Though he was successfully revived, emerging from his egg to evade Ultimate Ryukendo, GrenGhost was in a larval state and attempt to fully mature at the metal factory, but was easily killed by Ultimate Ryukendo. However, GrenGhost's soul survived and absorbed Worm to create a new human-like body until he possess enough excess power from Ultimate Ryukendo taping into the Power Spot to rip out of his host and assume his true moth-like form before being destroyed by the Madan Warriors' final attack.
Jamanga's monster-maker, who creates Demon Beasts from the Madan Keys. He performs the menial work, such as resurrecting Rock Crimson and telling Lady Gold not to sit on his demon creation pedestal. After his friend RockCrimson was killed, Worm revealed that he knew of the Ultimate Keys and hid the fact to protect his position. With the truth exposed, he was almost killed by Lady Gold and Baron Bloody, were not for the piece of Rock Crimson on his person. While performing Rock Crimson's funeral, he invited Ryukendo and gang out of his friend's final wish, seeing the true nature of humans. But to save face as a demon and not suffer the wrath of the Jamanga, he revoked his friendship with RockCrimson and defeated the Madan Warriors singlehandedly, now even more bent on solely reviving GrenGhost and nothing else. Now driven insane by his newfound conviction, Worm allowed himself to become GrenGhost's new body, only to meet his end once GrenGhost was powerful enough to assume his true form, tearing Worm's body to pieces in the process.
A swordsman for Jamanga. Though he swore loyalty to GrenGhost, Jack Moon serves him because he's stronger than himself. Jack Moon's ideal were that the strong rule, refusing to destroy a foe he considers to be weaker, citing such actions as a waste of his time and energy. However, Jack Moon's demonic side has pleasure in attacking the weak. Though Ryukendo originally saw him as his rival, he came to see that Jack Moon has no actual warrior's code when he succumbed to his demonic nature and decided to attack Akebono from his Air Fortress while Ryukendo was unable to fight. After his fortress was destroyed by Thunder Ryukendo in Episode 12, Jack Moon was not seen until in Episode 21, when Baron Bloody saved him from being sacrificed to GrenGhost for betraying Jamanga. However, Jack Moon's body is dying from the conflict between his hearts and decides to his restore his honor by fighting Ryukendo on-on-one during the solar eclipse, restoring his fullpower. Though he fell the Twin Edge GekiRyuKen's Super Thunder Slash, Jack Moon was resurrected as, a cyborg version of himself with golden adornments to his armor and without any memories of himself and freewill, a slave under Bloody. But after GrenGhost's death, he was Jack Moon once more, and, in a final duel with Kenji under the black moonlit night of Christmas, he was defeated by the Narukami Ryuujinryu technique.
A female warrior whose plans usually involve magic that effect the hearts of her victims as seen when she once made the entire town distrust SHOT, and invaded people's dreams with a special orb. She also has a habit of sitting on Dr. Worm's pedestal. Lady Gold usually lets her trio of personal Familiars fight in her stead. She later gains a Catwoman-like battle suit from Dr Worm when she attempt to steal back the MaDan Keys. When revealed to have Fudou's Ultimate Key in her body, Ryukendo removes it from her before Ryuguno finally destroyed LadyGold by blasting the source of her life, her earring, to bits.
A warrior who transforms into a massive ball of stone, an old friend of Dr. Worm. Has amazing raw power, but gets set off if anybody calls him "idiot". He was broken into pieces by Ryukendo's Twin Edge GekiRyuKen, only to be revived later by Dr. Worm with Lady Gold's help, giving him a stone that allows Rock Crimson to regenerate even after he's blown to bits. It took a team effort and Fire Ryukendo with the Twin Edge GekiRyuKen to destroy RockCrimson. But using the Power Spot's magic, Rock Crimson was revived, though defeated by the three Maden Warriors, and Magna Ryuguno's trinity attack. before Dr. Worm took RockCrimson's remains to rebuild him. Rock Crimson was revealed to have Kenji's Ultimate Key in his body, unwillingly creating Ultimate Ryukendo, who defeated him once and for all.
A robotic Demon who saved JackMoon, only to use him as part of his plan. Once Jack Moon died, Bloody took JackMoon's sword and used it to eventually revive JackMoon into MechaniMoon, under his control. He made his attack on Akebono with his AsteRoids before revealing himself, intent on destroying the Maden Ryu Cores. Baron Bloody was the one responsible for killing Koichi Shiranami's parents ten years ago in an attempt to destroy the Madan RyuCores that became Gekiryuu and GouryuuGun, destroying all of Europe if he succeeded. As a result, Bloody became Koichi's mortal enemy. Bloody soon began his part with collecting Minus energy with his Jamadroids and then the construction of Grenstar. He attempted to kill Ryuujinou, but ended up being killed by him, with only his drill staff remaining. But once revived and revealed to have Koichi's Ultimate Key in his body, Bloody was finally destroyed when Ryukendo removes the key before Ryujino lands the deathblow.
Jamanga's never-ending supply of cannon fodder. These purple-bodied, yellow-striped, one-eyed, bat-eared soldiers appear when there's trouble to be caused. However, with the exception of special Familiars, the regular kinds are neither bright nor difficult to defeat.
The are usually created by Dr. Worm using a Madan Key as the core of the monster's form. However, Lady Gold and Baron Bloody can also create their own monsters but without Madan Keys.
(ep. 20)
Ryukendo airs in the Philippines on Hero TV during Super Patrol Force dubbed in Tagalog and on Cartoon Network Philippines during Toonami dubbed in English. It also airs in Indonesia on Indosiar. It also airs in Hong Kong on ATV. It aired dubbed in Spanish on WKAQ-TV, a Telemundo affiliate on San Juan, Puerto Rico. In Brazil, the series was dubbed in Portuguese and was aired on RedeTV!'s TV Kids time-block from late 2009 through 2010.[1] And Singapore, Mediacorp. It has also been dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Marathi, and was aired in India from 2011 to 2012 on Disney XD India, and is just called Ryukendo there. Episode 32 was skipped in India possibly because the demon Jemind resembled Hindu God Ganesha and Disney India wanted to avoid hurting religious sentiments. Scenes involving Jamind's shadow form were also removed in the final episode of Indian Dubs because for the same reason.
It was also the last broadcast program to air on the Mexican channel ZAZ TV before ceasing broadcast on July 31, 2012.