Fans asked; Shout! Factory, as usual, delivered! Fan favorite and classic Heisei-era tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Kuuga will be making it’s way to blu-ray as a further celebration of the franchise’s 50th anniversary. Originally premiered in Japan in 2000, Kuuga began the Heisei-era with a new spin on the original Kamen Rider formula, and to this day remains a must watch for new fans of tokusatsu and veterans alike. After the success of the Kamen Rider Zero-One release by Shout!, many thought this would follow, and on September 20, Kuuga finally has it’s moment in the spotlight!
When a group of archaeologists uncovers the tomb of a legendary warrior, they unearth Kuuga’s belt, accidentally releasing an ancient race of monsters called the Grongi, bent on destroying humanity. Enter Yusuke Godai, a modern-day guy-next-door, who learns he is telepathically linked to the mysterious stone belt. With its power, he transforms into the legendary warrior known as Kuuga, humanity’s only defense against the murderous Grongi monsters.
-Official Shout! Factory synopsis
Shout! Factory’s 7-Disc blu-ray collection gathers all 49 episodes from the original Japanese masters, and includes multiple subtitle tracks. This includes the “Grongi” track, which is the fictional language the creature Kuuga does battle with speak. This was notably missing from the previous streaming version of the show that Shout! provided, and was a highly requested feature for this set, so kudos to Shout! for including it.
The set is available for pre-order on Shout! Factory’s website, and includes a limited edition poster while supplies last, as a first run bonus.
Want to try before you buy? You can watch the entire series – yes, all of it – for free on Shout! Factory TV on demand, and on Tokushoutsu, streaming on Twitch and Pluto TV! For a quick taste of what Kuuga is all about, check out this sweet trailer from Tokushoutsu!
