Line #97 Series/KamenRiderHibiki


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cd41a23f_a97a_459b_aa84_5ab107238dfe.jpeg]]
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3	->''"Hit the beat, keep your beat!"''
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5	''Kamen Rider Hibiki'' is the 2005-2006 series of ''Franchise/KamenRider''. The sixth installment in the Heisei Era, ''Hibiki'' was intended to be a radical departure from the standard Rider formula in order to shake up things in response to the declining ratings and sales of the franchise.
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7	Deep within the forests of Japan, a secret war is being fought against the monstrous Makamou that prey on innocent humans. Standing on the frontline of this battle are the Oni: [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower humans who have trained their bodies]] to harness supernatural power and defeat their demonic enemies.
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9	A young boy called Asumu Adachi stumbles into this conflict when he meets Hibiki: a cool and confident man who is also one of the leading Oni of the "Takeshi" group. Asumu is unsure what he wishes to do with his life, and finds a mentor and role model in the reluctant Hibiki. He later meets Ibuki, a mellow Oni training a young girl named Akira to be his successor, and Todoroki, [[NaiveNewcomer an excitable new Oni]] who wishes to create his own legacy under the watchful eye of his veteran mentor Zanki.
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11	The story is told from the perspective of Asumu and is very much a ComingOfAgeStory focusing on the relationship between mentor and student, the old and new generation and the choices that we make in life. The Oni are all {{Musical Assassin}}s, using their "pure sound" to purify the Makamou they fight. The series also averts HardWorkHardlyWorks by showing the Oni training hard to maintain their bodies and ability to use the Oni power; in fact, an entire arc ("Summer Of Training") is devoted entirely to their training efforts.
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13	The show suffered from poor toy sales and high production costs, and became one of the few ''Kamen Rider'' series to be {{Retool}}ed. The producer and main screenwriters were fired and replaced, leading to a vastly-different tone in the final third of the series. Production was reportedly so disorganized that the script for the last episode was being rewritten ''while it was being filmed''. Several of the actors went on to speak out against the changes, feeling that the final result did not reflect the true spirit of the show.
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15	Partnered with the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' show ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'' after initially airing alongside the final episodes of ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger'' in the ''Series/SuperHeroTime'' block.
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17	In addition to the main series, ''Kamen Rider Hibiki'' has two spinoffs. ''Kamen Rider Hibiki: Asumu, Transform! You Can Be An Oni, Too!!'' is a DVD episode that was distributed by ''Magazine/TeleviKun'' magazine. ''Film/KamenRiderHibikiAndTheSevenSenki'' is a NonSerialMovie that places ''Hibiki'' characters in a TheMagnificentSevenSamurai homage. There is also a novel set in the same period as the film released in 2013, written by the same person who did much of the show's first half and which doubles as a crossover with ''Series/HenshinNinjaArashi''.
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19	Followed by ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto''.
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21	-----
22	!!Recurring ''Kamen Rider'' tropes include:
23	* CoolBike: Notable as the first time since [[Series/KamenRiderV3 Riderman]] that Kamen Riders use completely normal (but still impossibly cool) motorcycles.
24	** Hibiki gets a Honda Valkyrie Rune. Says it all, really.
25	* ElementalPowers
26	** PlayingWithFire: Hibiki
27	** BlowYouAway: Ibuki
28	** ShockAndAwe: Zanki and Todoroki
29	* EndingTheme: Notable for being the first Heisei ''Franchise/KamenRider'' series since ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga'' to have an ED sequence; here, it is Akira Fuse's "Shonen yo!" (quoted atop the page)
30	* MultiformBalance: Like [[Series/KamenRider555 Faiz]], Hibiki is the only Rider in the series with more than one form.
31	** JackOfAllStats: Hibiki Form
32	** LightningBruiser: Hibiki Kurenai/Crimson Hibiki
33	** SuperMode: Hibiki Soukou/Armed Hibiki
34	%%** Shuki fires arrows from her Harp Of Doom.
35	%%** BiggerStick: Touki.
36	%%** BoomStick: Habataki's weapon [[SwissArmyWeapon doubles up as a blowdart pipe and a flute.]] Also, Hibiki's drumsticks, which can shoot fireballs.
37	%%** DualWielding: Hibiki, and by association, Ibuki and Todoroki after he coaches them on taiko drumming during the summer arc.
38	%%*** Two one-time examples: Sabaki is seen wielding twin daggers, the only time he's using any kind of weapon; Todoroki is seen wielding his and Zanki's axes at the same time [[spoiler:in honor of Zanki's memory.]]
39	%%*** From the movie: Kirameki with his cymbals, Kabuki with [[AlwaysCamp a sword and umbrella]].
40	%%** EpicFlail: Averted: Nishiki's weapon is modeled after the Chinese tri-chain staff but is never used as such [[spoiler: on-screen. Kabuki steals it and kills two villagers with it in secret.]]
41	%%** FlamingSword: Hibiki learns to turn his drumsticks into these mid-season. The Armed Saber sometimes turns into [[{{BFS}} a HUGE one]].
42	%%** KatanasAreJustBetter: Movie-only Oni can turn their [[TransformationTrinket tuning forks]] into [[CoolSword these]].
43	%%** MoreDakka: Ibuki's gun is always set to FiveRoundsRapid, before he [[ShapeshifterWeapon turns it into a trumpet.]]
44	%%** ParasolOfPain: Subverted here: Kabuki jabs his katana through an umbrella for Cheap Shots.
45	%%** PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: Kirameki's cymbals have this added function.
46
47	!!Because I'm well-troped...
48	* AlliterativeName: Every Oni began life with one; upon becoming an Oni, they adopt a new name that begins with the same syllable (Ex.: '''Hi'''toshi '''Hi'''daka -> '''Hi'''biki). Though Todayama ''was'' briefly given the option to take the Zanki name.
49	* AllMythsAreTrue: well, just the ones about Japanese demons at any rate...
50	* TheApprentice: Asumu
51	* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: Notable as the first time that Heisei-era Kamen Riders battle monsters the size of buildings, WITHOUT relying on giant size themselves. The first were the battles against [[Series/KamenRiderX King Dark]] and the leaders of the [[Series/KamenRiderStronger Delza Army]] and [[Series/KamenRiderSkyrider Neoshocker]]
52	* BadassNormal: Most of the Oni are strong fighter even untransformed. Justified as they always trained their body and most of their strength come from their own training instead of being just InstantExpert. Biggest example would be Zanki after his semi retirement before Shuki shows up.
53	* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: The novel deals with a new group of Edo-period Oni chasing after the third UsefulNotes/HattoriHanzo, Hattori Masanari. As it turns out, he's actually a fellow Oni named Shokuki, [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade but never did redeem himself]] for that AccidentalMurder and turns into a Makamou near the end.
54	* BigEater: Todoroki. Mentioned to be the source of his strength in the Hyper Battle DVD.
55	* BolivianArmyEnding: Oddly enough, the ''pen''ultimate episode ends with one of these. When Hibiki starts the sealing ritual to stop [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Orochi]] from occurring, he and the other Oni are attacked by hordes of Makamou. The ending of this climactic fight isn't seen, as the final episode takes place one year later.
56	* BreathWeapon: Hibiki could shoot flame from his mouth, before the ReTool tossed the ability to the wind.
57	* ButtMonkey: Sabaki who loses every time we see him
58	* CaptainCrash: In a massive subversion of the best known ''Kamen Rider'' trope, pre-ReTool Hibiki is utterly crap on a bike ''or'' in a car.
59	* CuteClumsyGirl: Todoroki(!)
60	* DistantFinale: Unlike the standard version of this, it takes place only one year down the line.
61	* TheEveryman: Asumu Adachi
62	* EverythingIsAnInstrument: Inverted here. Apparently the orchestra performing the soundtrack for this series doubled up as the foley department.
63	* EvilMentor: Shuki, Zanki's KnightTemplar teacher.
64	* ExpectingSomeoneTaller: Watch Kiriya's expression when he meets Hibiki for the first time.
65	* FirstNameBasis: The one-year-later DistantFinale is open-ended as to the nature Asumu and Hitomi's relationship, but the change from calling her "Mochida-san" to calling her "Hitomi" is pretty blatant, nonetheless.
66	* FreudianTrio
67	** Ego: Hibiki
68	** Superego: Ibuki
69	** Id: Todoroki
70	* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Zanki does this to Ibuki once, and Todoroki gets something like a HeroicBSOD when he thinks Zanki doesn't believe him to be worth the trouble.
71	* GiantEnemyCrab: these are recurring enemies in this series.
72	* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Shuki, whose Oni form reflects this by growing an ugly demon face.
73	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: As revealed in the novel, Hattori Masanari never redeemed himself as the third UsefulNotes/HattoriHanzo and turned into a Makamou, cursing his fellow Oni and predicting the rise of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and later [[Series/KamenRider Shocker]] in his dying breath.
74	* {{Homage}}: A couple to Creator/ShotaroIshinomori's earlier work, ''Series/HenshinNinjaArashi'', which, according to rumor, ''Hibiki'' was at one point planned to be a spin-off/sequel/remake of. The Oni Armor used by briefly used by Shuki was visually inspired by Arashi himself, and the Makamou that appear in TheMovie bear a symbol reminiscent of ''Arashi'''s Blood Wheel Clan.
75	* HonestAxe: Asumu learns to narrate this fable towards the end of the series. It's relevant to the plot in a way, as Asumu has to be honest with himself about whether the path of an Oni was ever the one for him.
76	* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: All episodes in ''Hibiki'' are composed of a noun following a verb that qualifies it.
77	* IfItSwimsItFlies: Some of the monsters are giant flying fish with wings stuck on.
78	* ImAHumanitarian: The EliteMook [[TheBerserker Berserk Douji]].
79	* ImprobableWeaponUser: Pretty much every good guy in the show, since they're all {{Musical Assassin}}s.
80	* InstrumentOfMurder: Ibuki's gun/trumpet and Hibiki's [[BoomStick fireball-shooting drumsticks]].
81	* InstrumentalThemeTune: "Kagayaki" (lit. "Radiance"). ''Hibiki'' is the only ''Kamen Rider'' series to have one such thing... until the executive meddling struck in.
82	* KabukiSounds
83	* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Kiriya]] eventually gets his wish to [[spoiler:become an Oni]] despite all the crap he pulls to try and cheat his way to the top. However, this could be a subverted trope, since he does get much character development and becomes more humble towards his superiors. He even admits to his rival Asumu that he thinks well of him in the epilogue.
84	* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Shuki, responsible for Zanki's GameBreakingInjury many years ago, dies by her own hand in the present.]]
85	* LampshadeHanging: The in-universe explanation for Hibiki's Kurenai SuperMode is that [[StrictlyFormula monsters get stronger during the summer months]], and Hibiki wants to save time by blowing them up in one hit.
86	* LarynxDissonance: A comedy trope played for the creepy factor. The Douji (male) speaks with the voice of the Hime (female) and vice versa.
87	* LighterAndSofter: Despite this series being about demon hunting as well as carnivorous demons preying on humans and the transformation sequences decimating the Onis' civilian clothing, ''Hibiki'' has a much more SliceOfLife tone than the first five Heisei series as well as being a coming-of-age story about training and being a better person. On a slightly smaller note, the {{Retool}} removed the fire breathing (Onibi) and the Oni claws (Onizume) abilities' sequences along with Ibuki opening his mouth for his attack, and the Makamou that opened their mouths too wide or spurted liquids due to the complaints about these sequences from parent advocacy groups who claimed that they scared children.
88	* LocationThemeNaming: The five movie-exclusive Oni are all about Location Theming - Nishiki is TheIdiotFromOsaka, Touki invokes Hokkaido's climate as the MightyGlacier, and AlwaysCamp Kabuki hails from the entertainment capital Edo (which would later become the ''actual'' capital, Tokyo.)
89	* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: Hibiki's first SuperMode is one that turns him red.
90	* MagicMusic: Used to purify the Makamou.
91	* MeaningfulName: Ibuki ("majestic breath demon"), Hibiki ("echo demon"), and Todoroki ("roaring demon") all have names associated with sound.
92	* MentorArchetype: Hibiki, though he doesn't want to admit it.
93	* MentorOccupationalHazard: [[spoiler:Zanki]].
94	* MickeyMousing: A staple of the first half of the series, prior to the ReTool. The very first scene of the first episode consisted of this, and MickeyMousing scenes continued to be used every couple of episodes until the ReTool got rid of them.
95	* MidSeasonUpgrade: Kurenai Form
96	* MixAndMatchCritters: A manta ray with eagle wings and claws? Check. A deepsea viperfish with buffalo horns? Check. A crayfish that flies on dragonfly wings? Check.
97	* MusicalEpisode
98	* MusicalPastiche: The instruments of the opening theme change depending on which Oni is the focus of the episode. (e.g. Drums for Hibiki, trumpet for Ibuki, electric guitar for Todoroki.)
99	* MythologyGag
100	** The traditional Rider Kick is no longer the finishing blow of the season, but that doesn't stop our heroes from executing them anyway, from as early as episode 2. [[Series/KamenRiderBlackRX Black RX]] did pretty much the same thing.
101	** Hibiki being utterly crap on a motorcycle (pre-ReTool) could fall under this.
102	** And the three primary Oni's special salutes hark back to Godai Yusuke's thumbs-up gesture in ''[[Series/KamenRiderKuuga Kuuga]]''.
103	** The same thing happened in ''Series/KamenRiderAgito'', and coincidentally involves another JerkAss meeting another title character for the first time.
104	* NakedPeopleAreFunny: When Tomizo tries to transform off his helmet in episode 16, he accidentally took off all his clothes in the process.
105	* NonSerialMovie: Despite providing a backstory for the Takeshi organization, the different origin for the [[TransformationTrinket Armed Saber]] and the actual presence of Orochi, an offscreen monster in the series finale, qualify TheMovie under this.
106	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Hibiki's behaviour sometimes borders on this, at least to total strangers.
107	* OlderThanSheLooks: Shuki.
108	* {{Oni}}: The Kamen Riders are all called Oni, but they are humans who transform with magical instruments to fight the Makamou, evil spirits.
109	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: The Oni all go by their Oni titles in everyday life. Only the real names of Todoroki (Todayama) and Zanki (Zaitsuhara) have been revealed.
110	* PaletteSwap: Hibiki's first powerup form is... Hibiki in red and silver. [[spoiler:The one that follows is significantly more elaborate.]] And Zanki and Todoroki look exactly the same, apart from bronze and silver detail respectively.
111	* ThePowerOfRock: Todoroki (and to a lesser extent, Zanki), who wield electric guitars. Todoroki even goes so far as to play his own guitar solos whenever he wins a battle.
112	* QuirkyMinibossSquad: "Super Douji" and "Super Hime", introduced after the ReTool.
113	* RazorWind: One of several finishing moves the Armed Saber is capable of.
114	* RedOniBlueOni: Hibiki and Ibuki may appear to be a literal version of this, but they're really quite similar apart from an age difference and some levels of maturity. Hibiki and Zanki however...
115	* {{Retraux}}: It's basically ''Series/That80sShow'' for Franchise/KamenRider.
116	* RobotBuddy: The Disc Animals.
117	* RuleOfFunny: the lighthearted attitude prevalent in Hibiki reaches fever pitch when ''romantic troubles'' cause Ibuki and Todoroki's finishing moves ''to give out on them''.
118	* ScarfOfAsskicking: Interestingly inverted: the Mooks wear the scarves, and the improvement is entirely cosmetic.
119	** Episode 24 features one such Mook [[ShoutOut attempting a Rider kick]], and failing quite hard.
120	* ShamelessSelfPromoter: Okay, it's standard procedure to advertise the series' movies every year, but aside from the end-of-episode bloopers, in episode 30, Hibiki advertises "an interesting JidaiGeki movie about seven cool men" to two elderly ladies at Tachibana. Maybe it's something else in-universe, but we spectators can't be fooled into thinking it's anything but its [[Film/KamenRiderHibikiAndTheSevenSenki movie]].
121	* ShoutOut: The organization "Takeshi" shares a name with Takeshi Hongo (Kamen Rider 1).
122	** And the Tachibana family that forms our heroes' primary support branch share ''their'' name with Kamen Rider 1's mentor, Tachibana Tobei. To hammer this point home, the Tachibana patriarch Ichirou appears in the JidaiGeki chapter of TheMovie as someone named Tobei.
123	** The first few episodes had a subplot of Asumu trying to get into Jounan High School. Much of ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga'' was set in the archaeology department of Jounan ''University''.
124	** [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Recording media that turn into robot animals, the most prominent of which is a]] [[Creator/SimonFurman predatory bird]], you say?
125	* SliceOfLife: With the twist that most of the cast are professional demon hunters.
126	* TellMeAboutMyFather: Asumu lives with his single mother. When his rival is constantly talking about surpassing his father, Asumu begins wondering what his own father is like. His mother is acting very distant about is, but gives him his father's address. Asumu indirectly gets to know his father by the testimony of other people. The episode ends with him asking his mother if its okay to like him, after which his mother encourages him to do so.
127	* ThenLetMeBeEvil: [[spoiler:Kabuki in the summer movie]].
128	* ThisLoserIsYou: Asumu.
129	* ThoseTwoGirls: Kasumi and Hinaka.
130	* TrainingFromHell: Hibiki and Todoroki have to undergo this after they [[spoiler:lose their powers]].
131	* TheUnreveal: [[spoiler:Akira in her Oni form. Shuki as she should look, given her actual age.]]
132	* VisionsOfAnotherSelf: The movie, which features "samurai era" parallels of the entire cast.

Context Series / KamenRiderHibiki