Hey, you guys think that's bad, it literally only just occurred to me today the Human Undead is specifically a Category 2 because that's the lowest possible rank, and it further highlights the vague David and Goliath thing going on with the backstory that the most unlikely possible fighter somehow won the Battle Fight.

I'll say it again, this show makes extremely good use of its motifs.

Karasuma loved the episode so much he even sent in some fan-mail! :lol

It's all the more reason its curious nothing's really known about the why of the shakeup happening. It seems pretty evident they weren't trying to retool the series or anything, so I have to wonder if there's some really mundane reason behind Imai's depature.

Him constantly saying he's the Strongest Rider while also being an overly-theatrical emo twerp just makes me think of the scene in Thor Ragnarok, where Thor's trying to start the Quinjet. Thor's shouting STRONGEST AVENGER until he realizes that no one calls him that, they call him Point Break. I definitely want the next episode to have Mutsuki shouting STRONGEST RIDER at the Rouze Absorber until finally giving in and saying Peter Parker From Spider-Man 3 to get it to work.

"Dear Hirose and Team Blade-

How's it going? I saw on a recent episode that Kenzaki's King Form is bad news. Maybe tell him to watch out! Also, I love my new family in Nepal and I'm never coming home. I know I told you that I'd be back, and that was a lie, but I'm not sorry. Please tell Tachibana he was my favorite.

Love, Chief"

Yeah, pretty mysterious! It wouldn't surprise me if it's nothing nefarious. Could just be him feeling burned out, family commitments, some other gig that ended up not panning out, what have you.

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 38

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Undad's plan for Kenzaki is revealed! Tachibana feels the familiar, possibly-comforting sting of betrayal! And Mutsuki... is in this one, too!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade38a.png

Boy, thought this was going to be a regular write-up. Thought the quick hit thing was just a one-off. Then, immediately, there were a bunch of little things I wanted to call out, so here we are. (I am writing this concurrent with watching the episode, if that helps to put this style of post in a context for you. Usually I'll watch a full episode and then write it up.)

--

It's funny to me that, in the V2 opening, when every Rider is screaming at the camera, Mutsuki is the only one who isn't. Mutsuki, the Rider who is possessed by a spider monster from eternity. It's so specific that it has to be on purpose. I like to think it signifies how much Mutsuki accepts his role, while everyone else feels frustrated or conflicted about theirs. I mean, maybe not Kenzaki. He's definitely got some inner rage, he's a bit of a hot-head, but he's more mad at injustice. Hajime and Tachibana, uh... probably mad at things about themselves!

--

It's such a small touch, but I love how Kenzaki smiles just before he passes out. He's so happy that Hajime is okay! Even though his ass just got knocked out! He risked everything to save his friend, and it worked, and he got to see it. That's very sweet, and he's a very sweet boy.

--

It is crazy to me that this is maybe the first time someone's brought up to Undad's face that this is all his fault? It's great that, as soon as Kenzaki meets him, he's yelling at him for faking his death and unsealing the Undead. No shit! It's so very Tachibana for him to be slightly surprised at this very sensible reaction from Kenzaki. I guess as someone who's constantly disappointing his friends and battling them For Their Own Good, it makes sense for Tachibana to just assume Undad has a good reason for being enormously sketchy and to have blood up to his elbows. I'd love to see the gears turning in Tachibana's head while Kenzaki blows up at Undad, him trying to figure out why letting loose a plague of monsters and emotionally devastating the people closest to you would, like, be upsetting to others.

--

Also, god bless tokusatsu, because BOARD had an Unseal Undead machine?! Just shove a bunch of cards into an ultrasound machine (?) and 53 monsters pop out? With zero safeguards? Amazing. Sure. Okay.

--

And, I don't mean to keep stopping this episode every other line to comment on it, but OF COURSE Tachibana's like Hey Sure He Unsealed Monsters From Eternity But Who Among Us Is Without Sin. !!!!!!!!! Tachibana! You absolutely can judge this dude for letting loose apocalyptic monsters because he missed his wife! I know that you lack any sense of perspective, but have some goddamn perspective my dude.

--

So, our central dilemma. With the power Kenzaki has to defeat the Undead, he risks becoming another Joker. DOUBLEJOKER, indeed. I don't feel like it's that big of a deal? Like, Kenzaki, as a character, is almost defined by his lack of interest in the powers of a Rider. He's too salt-of-the-earth to take any comfort in amassing power, and most of the time it's been completely by accident. He just gave away his Rouse Absorber to Mutsuki because saving Hajime was way more important than having cool powers. So, having the existential danger be If Kenzaki Keeps Using His Powers Etc Etc, it's just not that keyed into Kenzaki's character to me? It's like telling someone who's going to McDonalds that they have to go to Burger King instead. Doesn't seem like it's going to tear them up inside, you know? I mean, I'm sure there's going to be threats that force Kenzaki to need King Form's abilities, that's how these shows go, but right now it doesn't seem like a loss that's going to have him stressing out.

--

It must be so easy to be Undad. You can be the sketchiest, least-trustworthy dude in existence, and you can still easily trick dopes like Tachibana and Mutsuki. (Also, does Tachibana think you analyze blood by watching it slowly spin? Like, does he think if he stares hard enough he'll see a platelet or a DNA strand or something? I'm beginning to see why Karasuma moved him from research to field agent!) Like, just tell Tachibana that only he can prevent whatever, and he'll betray his friends with zero follow-up. Tell Mutsuki that something will make him stronger, and he'll do whatever you say. These guys have one button, and it is lit up like a Christmas tree.

I'm not saying that Undad needs to be better at covering up his manipulative nature, but... no, that's exactly what I'm saying. There have been precisely no moments of his time on the show where I've thought he was a good guy. Every single scene has been his same banal villainy and obvious cruelty. I get that Tachibana's always going to make the wrong decision and Mutsuki's a dumb kid, but for god's sake does the show have to make it this obvious that they're getting played? It is not tense or dramatic! They both look like idiots, and they deserve to be made fools of! I really don't like Undad as a storytelling tool!

--

I don't... I wish the show put more effort into explaining why Kenzaki would take up King Form after just being told of the horrific consequences. I get that it needs to happen plot-wise, but it feels very poorly justified. He's doing it because he's being threatened by Mutsuki? That's enough for him to risk becoming a second world-destroying monster? I just don't see that as a decision Kenzaki would make, not after 37 episodes of this show. This is someone who'd sacrifice anything to save anyone. I don't think for a second he'd put the world in danger to save his own life. Plus, like... Jack Form! It's got wings! You could fly away faster than Leangle can float! Using King Form, now, it just feels like a totally out-of-character choice. I don't buy it, and it makes the final part of this episode ring pretty hollow to me.

--

There's some big-picture stuff I like, though. I like having this episode end with Hajime trying to save Kenzaki from becoming a rampaging monster, a nice inversion of the previous storyline. And, come on, Wild Chalice knocking out Leangle, the strongest Rider, with one punch?! A+.

--

Okay, that final bit with Chalice talking Blade down... I do like it. I like the idea of losing yourself to the Joker's power being a thing you can overcome, not an inevitable consequence. I like that the idea generated from Hajime realizing he could reach Kenzaki because Kenzaki was able to reach him. I like that it all came about because of Kenzaki's empathy. I like that afterwards Kenzaki realizes that King Form can be harnessed for good. I still 100% do not like Kenzaki voluntarily using King Form to fight Leangle, but it ended in a good enough place for me to sort-of forgive it. Sloppy setup, good resolution.

--

Finally... ugh. It was never Undad, it was U.N.D.A.D. He's a robot that thinks he's Undad, which maybe makes his whole character even more pointless to me? It's a dumb twist. It's a character that already didn't really make sense being revealed to be impossibly convoluted. At least if he was a crazy man, there'd be something to talk about. Instead he was programmed to think he was a deceased crazy man? Why? What possible reason would you need to do any of this? I'm not sure if I want an explanation, or if an explanation is just going to make me madder.

And, cherry on top of an idiotic sundae, they close it with Hirose going about her day while U.N.D.A.D. feels very strong emotions for his not-daughter, the same not-daughter he's been strenuously avoiding for... months? Years? And now it's all Cat's In The Cradle, and I as a viewer am supposed to be heartbroken? Who in the hell was hoping that Hirose would ever be within one city block of this lunatic?! What connection do they expect the audience to have with the least-charismatic, most-frustrating character on the show?! Baffling. Almost captivating in how colossally misguided it is. Did Tachibana plot this storyline out?

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade38b.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: oh no it's way way more u.n.d.a.d.

I completely forgot that Hirose's dad turned out to be a robot! In a show where trading card monsters are fighting to be the dominant species on Earth, that plot point feels like an extra step up in absurdity.

Clearly it was overshadowed in my mind by the awesome moment with Chalice here. Between backhanding Leangle and then talking down Blade without flinching, it's just such a wonderful full-circle moment after everything Kenzaki had done for Hajime. These two have built up a strange but rock-solid trust in each other, and it's great to see things just work out nicely for them after so many episodes with either or both of them spent in turmoil.

So the big boss guy from the flashback who tells Tachibana to get Karasuma for him? That is Koji Moritsugu, THE one and only Ultraseven/Dan Moroboshi. FYI Susumu Kurobe who was Ultraman/Shin Hayata had a guest appearance way back in the late 1980s in Kamen Rider BLACK.

Wild (ワイルド)

A card formed from the combined power of the 13 Hearts (Change Mantis, Spirit, Chop Head, Float Dragonfly, Drill Shell, Tornado Hawk, Bio Plant, Reflect Moth, Recover Camel, Shuffle Centipede, Fusion Wolf, Absorb Orchid and Evolution Paradoxa). Allows Wild Chalice to use his full power via the Wild Slasher add-on to his Chalice Rouzer.


https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20200603052727

And while it’s not a Rouse Card, I do have a card to explain who the newest addition to the show’s cast is.

Kohji Moritsugu (森次 晃嗣 Moritsugu Kōji) is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is best known worldwide for his role as Dan Moroboshi in Ultraseven and the voice actor for Ultraseven. He is widely regarded as the best actor in the Ultraman Series by fans along with Susumu Kurobe and Jiro Dan.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20161112050236

Next time: remember how I said Miyashita wouldn’t be coming back under Imai? I never said anything about Aikawa.

Tachibana: "Well Kenzaki, I'm sure you must have done something evil in your life! Like-"
Kenzaki: "No."
Tachibana: "Wait, not even once?"
Kenzaki: "Don't think so."
Ehh, depending on what he was researching, it's not unfeasible. Outside of their specialist field, scientists can be *incredibly* dumb.

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...760&height=427
I leave this here for self-explanatory reasons

One of the things that I love about the Ultra franchise is how much the actors still show a fondness for their roles. Sentai and Rider both have actors that distance themselves or whose agencies will try to pretend that they never did the show, but Ultra actors all seem proud of that work and the brand. There was an Ultraman movie about 15 years ago that brought back the main actors and actresses from eight different Ultra shows from the 60s, 70s, and 90s; you couldn’t pull that off with any other tokusatsu brand.

It's honest-to-god one of the dumbest things I've seen on this show, and maybe in this franchise. I hate it so much, and I'm "excited" to, I guess, get a chance to talk more about it later today.

I really do love how Kenzaki's method of talking down Hajime is getting Hajime to feel his humanity (calming tones, a human face pleading with him to come back), while Hajime's method of talking down Kenzaki is about defeating the monster inside him (shit-talking, an implacable Rider helmet staring back at him). It's very fun, very clever.

It almost makes me forgive how worthless the Amane Gets Kidnapped plot turned out to be!

Thanks! I assumed he was someone notable (his acting style was... distinct enough to make me think he had a history with the genre) but I don't know non-Rider toku franchises.

There's a chance that Fish comes in with a more accurate translation of what Tachibana is saying to Kenzaki here, when he tells him they shouldn't/can't judge U.N.D.A.D. for his crimes. Either they mean literally, because they aren't the actual justice system; or they mean figuratively, because they haven't been in his position; or they mean personally, because of their own misdeeds.

Which, working backwards:

"their own misdeeds": Yep, pretty much just Tachibana! Which, again, super funny if he doesn't understand why anything he's done in the show to date is a problem.

"haven't been in his position": I'm sure the guy ("guy") is having trouble processing his grief (maybe literally, now!), but many many people have died at the hands/claws/tentacles/etc. of the Undead. There's a point when your own needs become destructive to others, and U.N.D.A.D. has totally blown past that point. Treating his actions as A Bit Of An Oopsie is, frankly, insulting to the many people who are dead. Even if he feels sorry for it, why put so much trust in someone who won't publicly atone for their failures? Why let this guy set the terms of his redemption?

"aren't the actual justice system": Citizen's arrest! There's probably something comparable in Japan! Heroes don't just stand by because it's not their responsibility! I mean, there's a pretty famous superhero who became one once he understood that he had a responsibility to use his power! Or something!

Aaaaand Save Image As. Thanks!

That is really nice to hear. I wonder why that franchise is so different?

Definitely. And I feel like at the least the original 5 actors have a respect for the genre as well as demonstrated with their constant guest appearances and what not in other toku series as well be it Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, or something else. It's like they have a sense of duty as people who have played the role of a hero that they do not want that to be tarnished in any way.

This is the standard showcase of someone putting other's lives above themselves, what matters to Kenzaki was Hajime (or others, if not Hajime) being safe, no matter what happened to him; shades of self-sacrificing as well with him being KOed.

Yeah, this is tokusatsu. It's a form of fantasy fiction, so scientific stuff would be much grander and super accomplished compared to real life ones to compete or give extravagant stuff as much as the magical stuff does. Kuuga is one of those that tries to stay grounded, though still more than real life ones. Kenzaki shows his self from the beginning of the series again; it's in him, when there are others causing trouble, his form of calling them out will be uncontrollably screaming and yelling at them. Though yeah, finally, you did mention here Tachibana does things for their own good (if fighting), unlike his self up to ep. 15, he fought for himself that time (and for SAYOKOOOO). For the last one, do you mean about Tachibana insisting to let the one that causes trouble (Yoshito unsealing the monsters) to make up for it as he's responsible instead of others making up for it (Kenzaki doing BOARD's job of sealing Undeads)? Yeah... Tachibana wants to punish Yoshito, but the Undeads still can't be kept unchecked.

He may have a lack of interest in the powers of a Rider, but he needs the Rider's power to save others, to become a hero even if it's against what he wants. And moreover, if the later enemies are getting stronger and stronger, he needs to use King to beat them down, again, against his wants. Rider power just seems necessary, it's like the only way here, someone that has Rider sensibility can contribute and put that words into actions, which normal humans like Keitaro from Faiz was mostly unable to do. Though actually this episode displays some of it, with Kenzaki having maniacal laugh when fighting the other Riders. But hey still! Like I and others say, the way to implement superior final form in an interesting way, so that other forms won't be obscure, is giving it a drawback!

Tokusatsu science, if they made Yoshito analyze blood by watching it spin, then so be it. For Tachibana, here he seems to possess Kenzaki's ideals too, but he faced worse consequence than Kenzaki. He said here, he only wants to save Kenzaki, and also he wants to turn back Yoshito into Hirose's good dad (that moment when you address both father and daughter, by their family name "Hirose-san", dunno it just stings to me and made me laugh a bit with headcannon perceived confusion "which Hirose do you refer to?", especially when back to back "Hirose, I want you to become Hirose's good dad again"), but his trust was misplaced, it actually backfired for Tachibana, he helped him accomplish his plan to have Kenzaki become Joker, and use him for eternal life analysis. You said yes for "the hero has to put themselves at risk for something that know could backfire but believe it's still worth it" (from what Tachibana said, it could be like that too for him, but it's to Yoshito where Kenzaki is to Hajime), but here, it surely not.

Kenzaki turning into King Form here feels a bit forced to me too, it seems like he's pettier here, Kenzaki is OOC, he only wants to turn into King so that he can pummel someone who is/was an ally (or not deserve killing) but attacking you to save yourself? I don't think he's nowhere near that savage and probably should think for more peaceful solution before going to King, which should be the very last resort.... which likely won't happen anyway as....

.... as Leangle was the strongest, until other Riders get their upgrades. Leangle was only the strongest between the Rider's Ace forms (name of Blade's base forms), but in the series, he doesn't have any access to upgraded forms, while other Riders (Wild Chalice) does, leaving Leangle behind which leads to Mutsuki's state right now. Mutsuki didn't accept his role, when he saw how the others become better than him, the evil will of the Spider Undead managed to corrupt Mutsuki. But Mutsuki stilll can show tiny resistance to it, when he prevented his corrupted self doing anything to Nozomi, that's a show of it. Unless you meant Mutsuki being enthusiastic to be a Rider, which his normal self did show.

Both Kenzaki and Hajime are Jokers (potential for former), and Hajime did overcame it in the beginning of episode, so it's natural of Kenzaki to be able to do that too, as the same breed of species. And yeah, Kenzaki's caring for Hajime finally paid off here, with Hajime being concerned for him (and Tachibana mistaking Hajime for doing anything malicious to Kenzaki's KOed body and attacked him!) and returning the favor.

The real deal is, actually the man in suit who speaks to Undad (yeah, your nickname is coincidentally accurate, the current Yoshito is truly an Undead, man-made one that is, he's Trial B, created in Yoshito's image, who is a dad of Hirose. Undad intensifies). Pay more attention to that man in suit, especially regarding your assumption here about "he was programmed to think he was a deceased crazy man" (obviously won't spoil).

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!

I assume you mean this?

https://i.imgur.com/SGvhmoLl.png

「だが、人の過ちを正せるのは、同じ人だけだ」

Because, yeah, Excite! played a little loose with this line. Tachibana argument here is that, while U.N.D.A.D. did wrong, "the only person who can correct someone's mistakes is that same person", which... does not exactly make Dadi look any smarter about this. This isn't a guy whose attitude and behavior screams of someone just looking for redemption. Maybe Tachibana is just projecting?

Man, I don't know that he does? Certainly not to the visceral extent that Kenzaki does. Every scene Tachibana has had with U.N.D.A.D. has been with him showing respect and deference. When he pushes back at all, it's with an air of... almost groveling? I never really got the impression that he wants anything bad to happen to U.N.D.A.D.

Kenzaki doesn't seem like that character to me, though, that thinks that pragmatically. He's approached dangerous creatures with no powers of his own before. I think Kenzaki views being a Rider as an option to help people, not as the sole path.

That sounds like his default behaviour when considering someone's character, honestly! Why else would the CSM Garren Buckle come with this?

https://news.tokunation.com/wp-conte...M-Garren-5.jpg

Thanks! The context of the rest of the scene/episode was not giving them a lot of cover to create a more defensible viewpoint, but your translation at least makes it less laughable. It's still bonkers that Tachibana can look at U.N.D.A.D. and be like This Caring Man Clearly Wants To Atone, but... I don't know, we're about six episodes past me being surprised at how dense Tachibana is in this plot. Angry, sure, but not surprised.

Hilarious, but also worth acknowledging. It's no surprise that this episode ends with Tachibana needing Kenzaki to give Tachibana's own speech back to him. Tachibana only understands the world through the lens of Tachibana! Everything is just Some Percentage Tachibana!

If I were Kenzaki, I'd've probably just told Tachibana that Team Blade was used to him almost getting them killed due to his poor judgment, so don't feel too bad about it.

Only partially related, but this is the point where I switched to TV-Nihon subs for the rest of the show (not by choice, it’s just what was on the site I use). Is their translation any better? Worse? The same?

:lol

Blade was of the very first shows TV-N ever tackled, and I don't think it ever got a full redo like Faiz managed. I want to say without hesitation Excite! did a way better job (and it was clearly a real passion project for them), but to be as fair as possible, I've never taken a look back at TV-N's versions to know for myself exactly how bad they are. At the very least, it's how I and a lot of other people first watched the show, so it probably doesn't totally ruin the experience or anything. Plus, you know, it's harder to fault someone for mistranslating lines in the show where nobody can speak properly. :p

See, the impression I got from Tachibana's ark in this was always one of hesitance. He knows Undad is sketchy, but he works with him because, from his own Tachinana-ised perspective, he doesn't see another way for Kenzaki to stop his 'self-destructive' behaviour. He's trusts Undad just enough to let him do it, and he's not gonna admit to Kenzaki he trusted the wrong guy *again* (lest it result in another wolf bike chase), but I always got the feeling he at least hoped another way would show up.

I totally forgot Umi existed. I’m always surprised that Aikawa wrote those episodes; the whole “steal the transformation gadget to blackmail the hero” feels like such an Inoue-ism. This is my third time through Blade and the second time I had to look up who wrote this episode.

I gotta be honest... I think Tachibana likes failing? Or, not likes, but... expects it, maybe? I think there's a part of him, a self-sabotaging part, that thinks the world makes sense when he's letting himself and his friends down. I think he finds that predictability comforting. I'm being completely honest. I think he's slightly addicted to looking like a failure to the people he respects.

It is a little Inoue-y, yeah! I think it fit the arc enough (I really think it's important for it to show up right after King Form debuts) that it didn't just feel like a diversion, despite the guest star sort-of taking over the show. Plus, they have such great chemistry. I liked that story!

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 39

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Mutsuki gets laughed at by the child he kidnapped! Kenzaki and Tachibana know what's best for a lady! And Hirose completely saves a story that I despised for its first 10 minutes!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade39a.png
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade39b.png

Alright, I had some cereal in the PM for lunch, now let's talk about this episode of Blade.

I'm never going to be a big fan of the U.N.D.A.D. plot. He's a boring character, no matter if he's in a lab cooly explaining to Tachibana why it's fine to assault Kenzaki, or if he's having a sweaty, existential freak-out in an aquarium. (I guess?) The successes in this episode are almost entirely due to the show's commitment to calling out its lead heroes for being paternalistic dopes. I'm not sure what they're going to end up saying from this plot is worth all of this nonsense.

But! There is light at the end of that tunnel, and it's Hirose.

One of the many problems with the U.N.D.A.D. plot is that the only character with an emotional connection to him is Hirose, and she's been completely absent from his story. Tachibana or Kenzaki would bring up his daughter, but it'd be brushed off without much interest on his behalf. But the second the story shifts focus to how Hirose feels about all of this, how it affects her, it's suddenly a lot more interesting.

It's just, boy, pretty much an episode where only Hirose comes out as someone to root for!

Kenzaki and Tachibana both spend the episode Knowing What's Best For Hirose, and I don't think it's entirely out of character. Or, I guess, how they get to being paternalistic dopes has a weird Kamen Rider Blade logic to it. Tachibana wants to make up for his most recent embarrassing failure, and he thinks the way to do that is to find U.N.D.A.D. and... honestly, I'm not sure what's supposed to happen here. He keeps saying that he wants to bring him back as Hirose's dad, and I'm just not sure what Step 2 of this plan is? Even if Tachibana finds him, nothing about U.N.D.A.D.'s recent duplicity and the specific way he took advantage of Tachibana's whole thing make it seem like he's one stern lecture away from reconciling with the daughter he never even brings up. But, like, I don't expect that much from Tachibana, so I'll grudgingly allow it.

Kenzaki's role is similarly understandable, in that he's willing to defer to the more dedicated Tachibana, despite everything I just said about Tachibana and... oh, let's just say the preceding 38 episodes. He wants to let Tachibana redeem himself, and he wants to give Hirose something he'll never get: time with her dead family. Keeping all of this from her, I can see the edges of that decision. Why get her hopes up if things go (more) sideways? Why try and reunite them if he never resurfaces? It's a fraught plan ("plan”), so keeping her in the dark can seem like a kindness.

Except it's all stuff that gives Hirose, the smartest and most capable member of Team Blade, zero credit. It treats the woman who is slapping dudes to get them to focus on their missions as too fragile to be told the truth. It makes her reunion with her dad something she gets no say over, which is especially galling in light of how hard she worked to overcome the guilt of his actions. It's making them the arbiters of What A Family Should Be, and it is all based on a version of Hirose that I don't think we've ever seen on this show. It's super-shitty behavior from two of our heroes.

Thankfully, that's the point the show ends up making! This ridiculous, patronizing scheme of Our Heroes blows up midway through the episode, and they immediately realize how much they suck. There's no sugarcoating it, and Hirose doesn't let them feel like their hearts were in the right place. They absolutely failed her, and the show affirms it. I hate what they did as a viewer, I think it's not fun to watch them disregard Hirose's input, but I do appreciate that she gets to reclaim her story because of it.

It ended up making this a story that I actually really loved in hindsight, while kind-of loathing in the moment. It's an episode full of my least favorite tropes, which is infuriating, but then it's critiquing and admonishing those tropes, which I adore. It makes this a story of Hirose finally putting to rest any responsibility or guilt she feels over her father's actions, while keeping it from needing to redeem U.N.D.A.D. specifically as a character. She gets to decide what her father's memory is worth, not Kenzaki or Tachibana. I 100% admire the choice to tell that story.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade39c.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Tennouji declares that this is the start of Battle Fight! Tiger Queen (fka Twomi) is not into all of this Undead cultural appropriation! And, if my eyes don't deceive me, we may actually have 100% Team-Up Power!

Hey, so, you see this shot that's staged so that Hirose is literally in the dark while everyone else is normally lit? How clearly she's separated from the rest of the characters in the frame, who are tightly packed together? Usually I go looking up directors when you call the direction out, but seeing this one shot was enough that you didn't need to mention it at all. 39 and 40 are Ishida's last episodes of Blade, so look forward to the back half of this one.

I don't think this was as visual as his episodes usually are. There were some fun elements (Hirose's dream in the beginning, the way Kenzaki and Tachibana don't look at each other as they're conspiring to bring back U.N.D.A.D.), and that powerful silent confrontation is an episode highlight, but otherwise it felt like a fairly straight-forward outing.

But, yeah, excited for the next installment!

Yeah, this stretch of episodes hasn’t been good for my regular feature. All I can do at the moment is shares with you who U.N.D.A.D’s monster look (or as the production notes call it, his “Undeadloid” form) rips its visual cues from.

Trial B - asis


The Shocker Leader (ショッカー首領 Shokkā Shuryō) was the mysterious high ruler of the criminal organization Shocker*and the first incarnation of the Great Leader. After the destruction of the original Shocker, he formed an alliance with the Geldam organization and became the Gel Shocker Leader (ゲルショッカー首領 Geru-Shokkā Shuryō). When he and Gel Shocker were finally defeated by the Double Riders, he went on to resurface and become the Great Leader of several more evil organizations.

I still appreciate you sharing it! Thanks!

This scene reminded me a lot of Amazons season 2 in that the staging is very obviously constructed for the camera. Unlike that show, though, this still feels mostly natural and unforced. Also, Kotaro’s total failure to read the room here was pretty great. Second funniest moment in this block of episodes after Hajime clotheslining Mutsuki.

Speaking of Kamen Rider Hanging Art Feature, we get to the one part of this era of Blade that has always underwhelmed me: the lack of advancement in Leangle’s story. I’m sure a lot of it has to do with just how much of the show’s 20s felt like it was all-Mutsuki, all-the-time, but it really feels like he’s just stuck in stasis during this period. Tachibana isn’t doing a ton, either, but he’s at least directly involved with the Trial plot. Mutsuki just feels like he’s hanging around the edges of the show, waiting until it gets back to him again.

It's a problem, for sure, but much like Tachibana and Kenzaki's behavior in the previous, it seems like something the show is trying to address in the narrative? I mean, when a 10-year old that you kidnapped clowns on you for being lame, I think that's a pretty clear message that you've maybe underperformed. A lot of Mutsuki's story is feeling excluded, feeling left behind. It's not great for the week-to-week Mutsuki fans (who I assume exist?), but it does seem like it's... if not intentional, then in the process of being addressed.

While we're talking about hilarious Mutsuki embarrassments (Amane telling him he sucks and then laughing at him alongside Hajime is maybe in the Top 10 embarrassing moments for Mutsuki on this show), I loved the end of 38, where the three other Riders run up to Mutsuki as he's slinking off. They want him to come home, I guess, and he basically just goes Uh I Definitely Still Hate You Guys and walks away. It was very funny to me, because Mutsuki just showed up to murder Kenzaki! A few minutes earlier! And he did not at all seem conflicted about it! And they're all like We Miss You? Just an insane episode.

Considering Ishida directed half of Amazons season 2, I'm sure that's no coincidence. He definitely can get rather... theatrical, when given the chance.

They're obviously just used to dealing with this kind of behavior from either having Tachibana as a friend, or worse, being Tachibana. I think if Mukki and Dadi teamed up to burn Kotarou's farmhouse down under the pretenses that it showed strength or was supposed to somehow be helpful respectively, the rest of Team Blade would just meet that with a shrug, and a "oh, you guys." Very forgiving lot, these characters! :lol

TACHIBANA: There's Mutsuki! We should let him know there's no hard feelings.

KENZAKI: Wait, what? He tried to murder me after knocking me off of a stretcher. There are a few hard feel--

TACHIBANA: So he tried to murder you! I'm sure he had a good reason, like desperately needing to feel powerful as a way of tamping down on his massive inferiority complex. Don't be petty, Kenzaki.

KENZAKI: How am I being p--

HAJIME: Tachibana is right, Kenzaki. It's not like you've never disregarded people who called themselves your friends in favor of dwelling on your unfathomable feelings of rage and isolation.

KENZAKI: Uh, no, that's never been something I've done and okay cool you can't hear me because you are already walking over to invite Mutsuki to join the team oh my god this is actually happening I can't believe you guys.

While we're on the topic, there is one other thing I wanted to talk about for ol' Strongest Rider. It's a bit from 39 with Mutsuki that's a storytelling hat trick. It's funny, great plotting, and totally character-driven.

For the plot to progress in 39, someone's got to tell Hirose about U.N.D.A.D. It can't be Kotaro, because he doesn't know. (Man, you want to talk about someone the story left behind!) Kenzaki and Tachibana not only don't want to tell Hirose, but they're also out of pocket for the first half of the episode. That leaves Mutsuki, who, for the first time in almost ten episodes (or more?) just wanders into Team Blade's living room. He's the one who inadvertently clues in Hirose about U.N.D.A.D.

The thing I love about that scene, beyond how thrillingly unexpected it is, is that it makes perfect sense for Mutsuki to do it. He walks in, tells Hirose that he just tried to murder Kenzaki under orders from U.N.D.A.D. in exchange for more power, it didn't work, but he still wants his power, so where's your dad already. And it's hysterical that Mutsuki would approach the team this way, complaining that his recent murder attempt didn't pan out the way he hoped so maybe Kenzaki's friends can help him out. That's a move that even Tachibana, who is 85% certain that everyone else in the world is a figment of his imagination, would think the Team would shoot down. It's so oblivious, so selfish, and it's exactly Mutsuki.

The secret sauce in the scene is that Mutsuki fundamentally doesn't get why Kenzaki's friends would hold trying to murder Kenzaki against him. He doesn't see the stakes of Battle Fight as actual life and death. It's monsters getting sealed in cards and fun finishing moves! It's just a game! Why would Mutsuki doing what he needs to do to be more powerful be held against him? He's a hero! A Kamen Rider! Why is everyone being so unfair to him?

It's 1000% Mutsuki, the guy who wanted a tragic backstory because it was cool. Stakes are theoretical, risks are something other people deal with, consequences don't exist. Mutsuki's never really had skin in the game, so of course he'd grumpily demand that Hirose help him out.

Really smart way of utilizing Mutsuki in that episode.

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 40

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: The final fate of U.N.D.A.D.! Amane is maybe depending on Hajime too much! And no one puts Mutsuki in the corner!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade40a.png

I wouldn't say this one was good. I wouldn't say this one came close to being good. But it came close to coming close to being good, and I guess that's better than being bad.

It's a messy episode, which is maybe its fundamental flaw. In an episode that should at least be a suitable send-off to U.N.D.A.D. (I hate that character, but you gotta do something big for his finale if he's been a 9-episode antagonist), and hopefully give some big scenes to Hirose, this one tries to do that AND spend a bunch of time with Mutsuki and Tiger Queen (fka Twomi) AND start to acknowledge that Amane emotionally investing so much in Hajime is probably not that smart. It's a lot! That is way, way too much for one episode, and the core of it really suffers for that decision.

Like, so much of the finale of this episode hinges on Hirose's feelings about what's going on and... I mean, there's stuff in there I can find to enjoy. Her grieving at the end, it's not her grieving some stupid robot that was programmed to protect her and either was immediately reprogrammed to not do that, or wasn't reprogrammed but just never got around to it. (???? I don't know if that flashback worked even a little. It definitely raises more questions than it answers. Like, Undad wasn't killed by the Undead he released, but escaped. went into hiding, kept working secretly for Tennouji, and built U.N.D.A.D. before dying? And U.N.D.A.D. was programmed to assist Tennouji, but then just decided to do his own scheme anyway? Villain plots in Kamen Rider generally don't make a lot of sense if you think too hard about them, but this is some next level Don't Think Too Hard About It shit.) She's grieving, if I can read a lot into it, for the father she never truly put to rest. This weird monster robot, it's just a vessel for catharsis. It's like when you hear a song that reminds you of someone who's gone, and how all of those emotions come flooding back. She's presented with a thing that looks like the father she has very complicated feelings about, and she can't stop crying all the tears she's been choking back.

Except, I don't know how much of that is in the text? These last two episodes, they are asking you to infer a lot from Hirose's performance. The ending is a sort-of trite Found Family beat, but the specific story about her feelings about her dad... it really needed a couple more scenes. Something with her and Kenzaki, hopefully, where his being an orphan and her being an orphan... there's definitely scenes there! Probably really good ones! I'd've even been cool with Tachibana trying (and fumbling close to succeeding without quite actually succeeding) to find some way to bring his bizarre life experiences to bear on Hirose's recent family traumas. Or, god, Kotaro! Let him try his Wrong Thing To Say schtick to get her to open up! I needed to know how she missed her dad, what outcome she wanted, if her guilt had changed how she remembered her dad, had she grieved him before, had she felt conflicted when he died. Something! Anything! As it is, there's this, like, ellipsis where Hirose's story should be, and it really robs this episode of the tools it needs to be good. Her performance is... she is giving so much, but she's really let down by this script.

I wouldn't mind it so much (I mean, I definitely would still mind it, but not as much) if the other plots tied in thematically, but it's really only the Hajime/Amane one that does, if I squint. Amane is very much settled on Hajime as Permanent New Dad, and Haruka is rightfully worried about that. Hajime is a very nice tenant, but he's only a very nice tenant. They care for him like family, but he's not actually family. He's also not exactly dependable, which is another way of saying that this kid is creating a scenario where she loses a second dad. Haruka is clearly troubled, and Amane is not loving Hajime bailing for mysterious reasons, but that's about all we get in this episode. It's a few scenes of setup for later episodes, and while it loops in thematically with the Hirose fathers/daughters thing, it's very tangential, and it dilutes the main plot. Maybe not the best episode to start this subplot!

The rest of the episode is Mutsuki and Tiger Queen, and it's okay. I really enjoy Mutsuki's performance, his surly depression. It's so outside the other plots that it might as well be its own spinoff, which this episode really really didn't need, but I do like seeing Mutsuki whenever the show wants to use him. It's a total Your Mileage May Vary situation, but it works for me. He's just hopeless and moody and he's got maybe one friend and everyone's always judging him and he's the Weakest Rider and I just enjoy it. It's very enjoyable to me.

This episode, however, was not that enjoyable. I really wanted this to be Hirose's story, but it ended up being Undad and U.N.D.A.D.'s story, guest-starring Hirose. Not a total failure (that Hirose actor tried so hard to salvage this question mark of a story), but still a real let-down.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade40b.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Tiger Queen versus Blade and Garren! More U.N.D.E.A.D. because I guess that is just this show now! And Mutsuki has demands, which is adorable!

Like most people on YouTube, I am the first to comment. Unlike them, I actually have something to say.

Trial G Basis


Great Leader of Black Satan (ブラックサタン大首領 Burakku Satan Dai Shuryō, 26): The leader of Black Satan who is the boss of Satan Bug (サタン虫 Satan Mushi). Destroyed by Stronger's Stronger Electro Kick.

And that’s it for the Trial monsters (I always wondered what happened to Trials A and C). Now I can get back to why I started regular commenting on this thread.

Absorb Tiger

An immortal creature who is the ancestor of the Tiger belonging to the Category Queen of Clubs suit. Weapons include the large claw on her right arm. Her human identity is known as Hikaru Jou. While in human form, Jou possesses uncanny speed and strength

* Suit: Club (♣)
* Category: Queen (Q)
* Effect name: ABSORB
* Card name: Absorb Tiger (アブソーブ・タイガー Abusōbu Taigā)
* Consumption points: EP +2000

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20121110102159

Like most people on YouTube, I am the first to comment. Unlike them, I actually have something to say.

Trial G Basis


Great Leader of Black Satan (ブラックサタン大首領 Burakku Satan Dai Shuryō, 26): The leader of Black Satan who is the boss of Satan Bug (サタン虫 Satan Mushi). Destroyed by Stronger's Stronger Electro Kick.

And that’s it for the Trial monsters (I always wondered what happened to Trials A and C). Now I can get back to why I started regular commenting on this thread.

Absorb Tiger

An immortal creature who is the ancestor of the Tiger belonging to the Category Queen of Clubs suit. Weapons include the large claw on her right arm. Her human identity is known as Hikaru Jou. While in human form, Jou possesses uncanny speed and strength

* Suit: Club (♣)
* Category: Queen (Q)
* Effect name: ABSORB
* Card name: Absorb Tiger (アブソーブ・タイガー Abusōbu Taigā)
* Consumption points: EP +2000

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20121110102159

Forgot to read this (and sorry for addressing this), I already know that. I didn't say it before but having a tragic past does influence what kind of treatment (including things like punishment, advice, etc. Like Kenzaki for the latter.) we should give to those characters, just that it doesn't make wrong behaviors right, it shouldn't be rationalized. Any type of characters, nice or jerk alike deserve equal opportunities to be analyzed and deconstructed.

Talking about the part where Tachibana told Kenzaki the Undeads are Yoshito's responsibility, I mean that, he wants Yoshito to solve the Undead problem himself, without outside help.

And of course, I was comparing him with the other Rider leads, which mostly are Kenzaki's type of character. The other Rider leads, like for example Yusuke, also doesn't want to fight, doesn't revere/seek Rider's powers, but use that as a necessity to fight off threats. He has approached the likes of Joker yeah, but most Undeads weren't, and other Rider leads are also mostly like that to monsters.

Yeah, Trial B, though the one to blame behind all of this isn't from him, which likely also took advantage of Trial B's Yoshito look for all the others.

I probably was going to ask why were you more lenient towards these 2 acting this way, though this, and below part already summed it up (probably I would bring this episode up in other similar topic discussions though). I would like to know that, even if here, Tachibana seems to not have step 2, what would you say regarding Kenzaki giving sympathy to Hajime? I know he succeeded in rubbing off Hajime and potentially saving the world from Joker, but what if Kenzaki's attempt to Hajime also failed as Tachibana did here? Probably his success in Hajime also partly influences him to do the same regarding Trial B? Even with him yelling towards Trial B before, he did similar to Hajime, declaring him the worst existence at early part.

Yeah, being overprotective would give zero credit to anyone, no matter what they have, for their misguided deeds attempted for their sake. Kotaro just outright telling Yoshito (actually Trial B) being alive as a joy probably was too much for him. And what you say about Hirose putting to rest any responsibility/guilt, aside for letting Riders strike Trial B as they want, what do you mean? She still fights off Undeads with the other Riders as mission control for now right? Her responsibility/guilt equals to her fighting off Undeads because that's what Yoshito did, so putting away her responsibility would mean her letting Undeads be (which like, what Tachibana wants regarding Kenzaki to Yoshito)? And regarding intelligence (unless you count out Tachibana as Team Blade), Tachibana is a BOARD scientist like Hirose too, and he's (supposed to be) a professional, but...

I think the recent Kenzaki/Hajime stuff is different, because Hajime clearly is trying to control himself. Hajime's situation is an illness, while the U.N.D.A.D. stuff is more of this weird A Dad Couldn't Possibly Be Mean assumption that, one, we as the audience know is 100% wrong, and two, nearly every interaction these dudes have had with him has been about manipulation and betrayal. There's a lot of them trying to salvage a situation that is way outside their expertise, and also definitely not their problem to solve by themselves.

It just seemed like a problem of hers that the show had left in the past, something that she worked hard to overcome. Her fighting now... it's like Kenzaki, where I think it's more about Helping People and, additionally Supporting Her Friends than her own personal guilt or what have you.

The whole U.N.D.A.D. plot is one of those things I have a different opinion on, but not much in the way of a counterargument. It's weird, it's not entirely well thought out, and it takes up a maybe disproportionate amount of the series. For all I know I only think I like the guy because he was in a stretch of Blade I liked, but, I don't know, I definitely still enjoyed these two episodes on a rewatch.

Rather bold of the show to assume fighting Discount Monster Leangle was the event worthy of bringing the Riders together on one side for the first time (outside of the movie?), though. But then, I guess if he's Mukki's copy, he must logically be the Strongest Trial Undead.

Counterpoint: Every single Rider on the show wants to beat the shit out of Mutsuki, and now all four of them can.