News

Kamen Rider Ex-Aid's Cast, Staff, Theme Song Artist Unveiled

Toei announced the cast of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, the next installment in its live-action special effects franchise Kamen Rider, on Tuesday. The title is coined from the terms "extreme" and "aid," and the story centers on new heroes who are "doctors x gamers" battling a type of mysterious game virus known as "Bugster."

The cast includes:

Hiroki Iijima as Emu Hōjō/Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, a medical student at Seito University Hospital who fights the "Bugster" game viruses. After transforming with the Game Driver into a Kamen Rider based on action games, the protagonist will begin at level one (below center) and help people who have been infected by the game virus "Bugster." Then, the protagonist will level-up to level two (below right) and fight the materialized Bugster.

Toshiki Seto as Hiiro Kagami/Kamen Rider Brave, a surgeon at Seito University Hospital. Kamen Rider Brave is based on role-playing games.

Ukyo Matsumoto as Taiga Hanaya/Kamen Rider Snipe, a doctor who lost his license and attacks Emu and Hiiro. Kamen Rider Snipe is based on shooter games.

Ruka Matsuda as Asuna Karino/Poppiipipo Papo

Tetsuya Iwanaga as Kuroto Dan, president of the Genmu corporation

Other cast members include Shōma Kai as Parado, Hanamaru Hakata as Hiiro's surgeon father Haima Kagami, Hironobu Nomura as Kyūtarō Hinata, Hayata Onozuka as Kiriya Kujō, and Junichi Suwabe as the narrator.

Shojiro Nakazawa is directing the series, while Yuuya Takahashi (Laughing Under the Clouds, Lupin III: Part IV) is credited as head writer. Daichi Miura will perform the series' theme song "EXCITE." The series will celebrate the franchise's 45th anniversary. The series will have visual elements themed after video games, such as gauges seen in fighting games and role-playing games.

The show will premiere on TV Asahi October 2, but the protagonist made an appearance in the Gekijōban Kamen Rider Ghost: 100 no Eyecon to Ghost Unmei no Shunkan (Kamen Rider Ghost The Movie: 100 Eyecons and the Moment of Ghost's Destiny) film, which opened on August 6.

Source: MyNavi, Animate Times via The Tokusatsu Network