''Spider Riders'' is a series of science fiction novels first published in December 2004, published by Newmarket Press written by Tedd Anasti, Patsy Cameron-Anasti and Stephen D. Sullivan (books 2–3). The series was adapted into an

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

series, produced by Bee Train and

Cookie Jar Entertainment The Cookie Jar Group, commonly known as simply Cookie Jar and formerly known as CINAR, was a Canadian animation studio, media production and distribution company that existed from 1976 until it was folded into DHX Media, now WildBrain, on Dec ...

. It was the first show from the latter company that was placed under the control of their then-new action-adventure brand Coliseum. Three novels for the series included ''Shards of the Oracle'', ''Reign of the Soul Eater'' and ''Quest of the Earthen''. The series was broadcast on

Teletoon Cartoon Network (formerly Teletoon) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts animated series aimed at children and teenagers. It was launched on October 17 ...

This TV This TV (also known as This TV Network and alternately stylized as thisTV) was an American free-to-air television network owned by Allen Media Broadcast Networks, LLC, part of the Allen Media Group division of Entertainment Studios. Originally ...

, and used to be broadcast on

Kids' WB Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming block that originally aired on The WB from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006, and later on The CW from September 23, 2006, to May 17, 2008. Initially launched as a co ...

. Koichi Mashimo co-directed the staff at Bee Train with Takaaki Ishiyama. Writer Yosuke Kuroda adapted the novels. Robert Pincombe and Shelly Hoffman wrote the English version.

Plot

Eleven-year-old Hunter Steel searches for the legendary inner world by following instructions in his grandfather's journal. He enters a pyramid where he finds a mysterious manacle that attaches to his arm. A

spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...

startles Hunter, who falls into a hole to the center of the Earth and into the subterranean world of Arachna. There, he discovers a small group of elite warriors struggling to survive and to save Arachna from the attack of Invectids, a race of insectoids. The warriors are children/teenagers, each fighting with the help of their own battle spiders. They call themselves "Spider Riders". In the English TV series, the ages of the characters were reduced. There is a prophecy that says a surface-dweller or Human, like Hunter, will bring disaster to the Inner World. Sparkle mentions it at the beginning of the TV series. When Princess Sparkle finds out she says, "I wonder if he will bring doom to us...or to them."

Oracle Keys

The Oracle Keys are fractions of the Oracle's power. They are cards that can be split in two. The Invectids hope to gain them for Mantid, who wants to use their power to rule Arachna. The Oracle uses much of her strength to protect them. The Spirit Oracle Key passes its power onto Hunter and Shadow, giving them new armor and weapons as well as new abilities. To activate the keys, the holder must shout "Oracle's Light!". Two in combination can create more powerful armor and weapons. The wielder must have a sincere desire to protect without arrogance, otherwise the keys will malfunction. The Oracle Key from Nuuma was called by Corona, using her power, to let Hunter use it without having to hold it. Mantid used two of the Oracle's keys to power himself, plunging the Inner World into darkness and preventing Hunter from using his own keys. Currently, the locations of the four Oracle Keys are known in the English version: # Found in the Oracle's shrine in Arachna, the first key is taken by Hunter and Shadow, who retain possession of it throughout the series. # The second key is brought to Arachna by a page from Nuuma. Hunter and Shadow have it in their possession for most of the series, though it was briefly taken by Aqune and Portia. # The third key is initially kept in a sanctuary in Nuuma and allows the castle to float in the sky via the Oracle's power. It is taken by Aqune for the Invectids, but ends up in the possession of Hunter and Shadow during the final battle against Mantid. # The fourth key held by Mantid powers Castle Mantid and sustains Mantid throughout the series until he steals the Oracle's power and abandons it. It ends up in the possession of Hunter and Shadow during the final battle against Mantid.

Episodes

Characters

Broadcast history

The animated series debuted on March 25, 2006 on Teletoon in Canada.

Kids WB! Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming block that originally aired on The WB from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006, and later on The CW from September 23, 2006, to May 17, 2008. Initially launched as a c ...

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

began airing it during the 2006-2007 season. The last ''Spider Riders'' episode was shown in Canada on April 29, 2007. The series was repeated on weekdays and Sunday from June to August 2007, and was not shown for the

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

- 08 season. It is broadcast on Kix sky channel 627 from 12 June. From September 1, 2008, Teletoon is repeating the

on weekdays. From November 2008 until September 2011, it was shown on the Cookie Jar Toons block on

Music

The music depends on where Spider Riders was aired. In Japan, there were different opening songs for each season, along with two ending themes in season one and one ending theme in season 2. There is only one opening and ending theme in North America, and a Spanish version of the same theme for South America.

Japan

*Opening Theme #1: ''"Alright"'' (eps. 1-26) *Opening Theme #2: ''"Brave Heart"'' by

Saeko Chiba is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She grew up in Tokyo and married in 2007. She is contracted to the Space Craft Produce. Biography Chiba took up ballet at a young age with ambitions of becoming part of Takarazuka Revue. However, havi ...

(eps. 27-52) *Ending Theme #1: ''"Twilight Time"'' by MCU (eps. 1-13) *Ending Theme #2: ''"Koi no Keshiki"'' by Tamaru Yamada (eps. 14-26) *Ending Theme #3: ''"Towards a Dream"'' by Takashi Kondo and

Sanae Kobayashi is a Japanese voice actress formerly affiliated with Production Baobab, and now with Sigma Seven. She has voiced in a number of anime shows and films. Some of her major roles are Allen Walker in '' D.Gray-man'', Miyuki Tanokura in '' Kaze no ...

(eps. 27-52)

North America

*Opening Theme: ''"Calling All Spider Riders"'' Theme song words and music by Grayson Matthews Audio (Elizabeth Taylor, David Borbara, Tom Westin, Jason Gleed); performed by Jason Gleed, Jason Dantes Balde "Clip", and Annelise Noronha.

South America

*Opening Theme: ¡Vengan Ya, Spider Riders! (Spanish version of the North American opening) adapted and sung by Jorge Bringas *Ending Theme: Calling All Spider Riders (short instrumental version)

Crew

English crew

* David Shaw - Music Score * Melodie Vaughan - Voice Director

Reception

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

'' rated the show 3 out of 5 stars.

Web manga

On May 31, 2006, the Spider Riders manga premiered at

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.FOMA Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access (FOMA) is the brand name of the W-CDMA-based 3G telecommunications services being offered by the Japanese telecommunications service provider NTT DoCoMo. It is an implementation of the Universal Mobile Telecommu ...

-enabled cell phones. A third game, Jumping Spider, was released on August 9, 2006. Each game cost 105 yen.

Notes

References

External links

* (former official site: now hosted as fansite)
''Spider Riders''
at Bee Train
''Spider Riders''
at TV Tokyo * * {{Kids' WB Book series introduced in 2004 Science fiction book series 2006 manga This TV Kids' WB original shows 2000s Canadian animated television series 2000s Canadian children's television series 2000s Canadian science fiction television series 2000s Japanese animated television series 2006 Canadian television series debuts 2007 Canadian television series endings Canadian English-language television shows Animated television series set on fictional planets Television series about spiders Fictional spiders Bee Train Production Funimation Television series by Cookie Jar Entertainment Television shows written by Yōsuke Kuroda TV Tokyo original programming Teletoon original programming Canadian children's animated action television series Canadian children's animated adventure television series Canadian children's animated science fantasy television series Japanese children's animated action television series Japanese children's animated adventure television series Japanese children's animated science fantasy television series Animated television series about children Canadian anime-influenced animated television series