Anyone have any idea when they start planning for the next Kamen Rider Series?
 

This was just something I was think about recently. Kamen Rider runs none stop all year long, give or take a few of weeks, so I was just wondering if anyone had any idea when they started planning for the new Kamen Rider Series. Between planning, budgeting, writting, hiring actors, and all that good stuff, not to mention all the stuff still required for the currently airing Kamen Rider, how early do they start making the next show?

I imagine planning starts at least by the halfway mark of the previous series. We usually get our first rumors around June or so, but I know Toei does some focus group testing early on in the process to help narrow down what they think will be a marketable gimmick for the year. That part is usually settled around the time that the actual production staff is gathered (I remember Gaim's writer being a bit flustered once he found out that the show was going to be fruit-based).

I doubt there's anything concrete about Ghost's successor just yet, but I'm sure some of the basic planning is already well underway.

Drive and Ghost didn't do much for me. So I hope we get a good writer that can give us a strong story and good characters like with OOO or Gaim.

I always imagined that they had some basic ideas in the works at least for at least a few shows in the future. Like, I wouldn't be surprised if they already had some ideas for the next two shows. These kinds of things have a lot of parts to plan out, so they probably start working on it as soon as possible.

About basic ideas, I am remember about Fourze first rumor is about Monster Eggs (contain monsters) and Great Figures and it seem Monster Eggs later become concept for Ghost Eyecons (contain Parka Ghost). Great Figures theme also used in Kamen Rider Ghost.

Some first rumor about Kamen Rider Gaim is ghost and music and again ghost theme finally used in Kamen Rider Ghost.

I agree. Whenever we hear ruumors about the next Sentai, sometimes basic ideas about the next next Sentai are mixed in. Remember the early Kyoryuger rumors saying dinosaur trains?

But I think that the show starts fully taking shape about a year before it starts filming. They have to design toys, get contracts for writers, directors, actors, continue thier already existing brand deals, compose music for the show, e.t.c. That's a lot of moving parts, so I think a year is enough time to get all that stuff done, but it doesn't take forever.

Hmmm as far as I know they started designing for Kamen Rider Double back when Kiva is still airing. If that's the case, they would probably finished designing the series after Ghost.

So it isn't out of the realm of possibility that they have entire notebooks of rider ideas, concept art, and storyline ideas? Though I suppose the storyline would probably fall under whoever they choose as the head writer of that season...

Oh, probably. I'm sure they also have a lot of unused concepts sitting around that they considered at one point and then passed on.

And yeah, the head producer and writers do most of the decision making on plot and characters. Toei/Bandai usually seem to dictate the general theme and designs. Plans usually aren't set in stone from day one, though, and the shows are definitely not fully mapped out in advance. Sometimes that works out well, like when Date ended up staying around much longer than planned in OOO. Sometimes it doesn't, like when Wizard wanted to add three more Riders very late in the show's run and had to reuse mook costumes from the movie because there was no budget for all-new suits.

Wizard's dragon was used quite often compared to most "mecha" wasn't it. I always said that all three of those riders should have appear a lot earlier and it seems like even the budget agrees with me.