And yet it's Faiz that gets derided as the show with too many misunderstandings!

also why am i not asleep yet

So I’ll discuss that like the Trial Series, Titan is modelled after a Showa era villain. But it’s NOT the guy I “accidentally” wrote about when giving it’s profile. In fact, it’s not a specific monster at all.

Titan is based on the monsters created by Gel-Shocker, which were hybrids of two animals, resulting in mashups like GaniKomori (Lit. CrabBat), MukadeTiger (Mukade - Centipede) and HiruChameleon (Hiru - Leech).

... Blade's ending is considered divisive? Huh???

I'm sure you can find someone who hates *every* Rider ending!

But yeah, the clone episode is a good time, but I wonder if being slep deprived makes it more or less fun. Especially since (and Fish will correct me if I'm wrong) this is Inoue's final duo of episodes for the season.

I’ve never been a big fan of this episode and the next (plot-wise; the acting and directing is fine). Mutsuki finally has his shit together, everyone’s on the same page and ready to face the next threat as four united heroes, so the show’s response is “Now make them all fight each other!”

Really? We’re going back to this well? Again?

It honestly feels a lot like filler to me. The show is just stalling for time before we get on to handling the real threat of Planet Man Dan and his modern art sculpture.

Neat! Thanks!

I've learned that, not only can the quality of any ending be debated, but the location of the ending can also be debated! I remember back in Ghost that some people missed that the ending was when Takeru used his deep connection to humanity and his superpowered empathy to halt an interdimensional genocide, not the point after that when he fought some dumb CG robot. Opinions are everywhere in this fandom!

Being sleep-deprived probably always helps with an Inoue episode. The only time it hurts is for deep, emotional episodes (that's when they're less likely to work for me, when I'm too drained to care), and then the next day when I'm still exhausted.

I didn't touch on this, but the finale, where Mutsuki and Hajime vow that they are going to kick the ever-living shit out of their friends because they care for them so much, it's actually really funny. There's this juxtaposition of Hajime's stoic heroism, Mutsuki's reclaimed inner resolve, and Tachibana and Kenzaki's perplexed terror that makes the whole sequence seem very very on purpose funny.

But, yeah, the joke of Everyone's On The Same Page NOW FIGHT, it's maybe not the time or place for it? I can see that.

And I remember just now, when Die missed that Ghost actually had multiple amazing endings, including but not limited to:

- when Takeru used his deep connection to humanity and his superpowered empathy to halt an interdimensional genocide.
- when Takeru defeated the giant CG embodiment of cold, unfeeling logic using the literal power of love.
- when Takeru did a victory lap and kicked the crap out of the regular sized practical suit embodiment of cold, unfeeling logic by ganging up on it with notable historical figures for funsies, and then rejected omnipotence to go eat some onigiri instead like an absolute boss.
- when Takeru passed the legacy of Kamen Rider onto a new hero, then hugged a small child and told him of the importance of the connections we make with one another, and how those bonds empower us to change our futures for the better.

So, yeah, opinions really are everywhere! I've even seen some people say they don't like Grateful Damashii! Can you even imagine? :p

--

Oh, right, and these Blade episodes. Yeah, these are indeed Inoue's last little pair. It'll kind of be easier to talk about them after that second part though, so I think I'll just hold off on saying anything for now.

I really think it's great that two people who love Ghost can still argue about it, while everyone who hates Ghost is on the same page. Fascinating. This fandom!

Mutsuki and Hajime inexplicably treating Tachibana like a reasonable competent adult is the part of the episode that gets me. The doppelganger storyline landed with me first time around more than I think it did with you - or anyone else who saw the HBV right before this ep - because I didn't get my hands on it until after the series ended and didn't have a comparison to make in my head.

I did absolutely love Mutsuki and Hajime both Very Determined to help Tachibana and Kenzaki by beating the shit out of them, to the absolute bewilderment of both of our BOARD Riders :lol Such a fun scene :D

Tachibana as the wise sounding board for someone as troubled as Mutsuki will never not be funny to me. I cannot imagine that any advice Tachibana were to give Mutsuki about atoning for failure or jeopardizing relationships would be of any help whatsoever. Mutsuki overcomes his trials and feels ashamed of his actions. Tachibana overcomes his trials and has a You Can't Make A Delicious Tachibana Omelette Without Breaking A Few Friendships perspective on everything. And they still let him talk to Mutsuki!!!

It's a slightly fun reversal, how we're supposed to be terrified of what these possessed Riders could be doing to our beloved Mutsuki and, I guess, Hajime, but then it's clear that Kenzaki and Tachibana are maybe in more danger than the other two. It's pretty entertaining, I thought.

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 44

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Anyone could be an Undead! Hajime might be a lost cause! And Tennouji sits in a dark room staring at a sculpture and I guess I'm supposed to be impressed or something!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade44a.png

I'm not, incidentally. I don't have any feelings about Tennouji at all. He's just another in a seemingly uninterrupted string of boring Blade villains. I haven't started thinking about the Series Recap post yet (well, I think I know what I feel like the series is about, thematically), but one of the big flaws of this show is basically zero compelling villains. There've been a couple good one-offs (Meet-Cute had a neat arc), but Trenchcoat Mastermind, U.N.D.A.D., and Tennouji are all huge snoozes for me. (Leangle is... I'm not sure if I'd put him in as a series villain, but you maybe could. Even still, he's only half compelling?) I don't care about his scheme, and I don't care for his dumb aesthetic at all. I'm more interested in the Sealing Stone than I am Tennouji.

But, y'know, Tennouji isn't really a big deal in this episode. (He's only ever in his tiny room staring at the Sealing Stone.) He doesn't interact with any named characters, and his plan is basically up to Titan to execute. Honestly, I'm not sure what even is a big deal in this episode? It's got some fun character moments, and there's a bit at the end that's super duper relevant for the endgame, but... yeah, just a fun episode with some really enjoyable character work, and not a whole lot else.

It is fun, though. Hajime acting as Kenzaki's shadow, all the Riders getting more and more annoyed at each other, it's some fun irritation running through the first half of this episode. It's nice to build the story of this one around how shallowly their various insecurities and resentments are buried. It doesn't take a lot for Kenzaki to lose his temper at Hajime's suspicion, or for Tachibana to let his unearned feelings of superiority cause friction with Mutsuki. These men are at their most cohesive, and they are still this close to brawling.

The second half is where it really comes together, at least for me. Like, the first half lost a step because I thought it was fairly obvious what was going on, and the show hadn't made the reveal yet. (Not that I thought the characters would've figured it out, but I thought the show would've revealed it to the viewers already.) So it was definitely some waiting for the other shoe to finally drop. Once it did, it made for some very enjoyable character work, as everyone has to be their most Themselves to convince the rest that they aren't an Undead in disguise. (Weird rules for Titan's disguises, though. I don't think it ever says anything when it's impersonating a Rider, which would be its weakness, but then it gives a whole little speech when it pretends to be Amane? So that one time it could or would talk?) Kenzaki gets away with just showing his injury, so we're robbed of what attribute of his the show would've highlighted. (I would've gone with Kenzaki forgetting everyone's birthdays.) Mutsuki and Tachibana both get super morose and self-pitying, which immediately, hilariously, establishes them as the real deal. Hajime starts convulsing and bolts for the door, which, yeah, that's Hajime all right!

So, it seemed like this episode was going to deal with Hajime's barely-suppressed Joker side, at least based on the previous Next Time trailer. But, ha ha, that was all a narratively-appropriate ruse, with Hajime pretending to be the Joker in order to draw out Titan. (I have no idea how long it would've taken Hajime to text that convoluted plan to the other Riders on an old-school flip phone. An hour? Two?) From there it's a big ol' Rider team-up, with a goddamn FOUR OF A KIND finish from Blade, all four Riders contributing to make that victory possible. It's a great beat for the story to end on, them all working in unison to defeat one of their toughest opponents yet. It's a solid, optimistic ending.

Except, it isn't. Tachibana, the doomscrolling that walks like a man, realizes that with only one Undead left besides the Joker, it is time to seal Hajime. They can't take care of that last Undead as long as Hajime exists, or it's the end of the world. Just as all four of them are working as one, it's time to seal Hajime.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade44b.png
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade44c.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Kenzaki is broke! Mutsuki wonders if humans and monsters can live in peace together, but Hajime tells him that this isn't Faiz! And I try and do two episodes tomorrow since I'm going to be booked on Sunday!

yeah sorry for posting this shouldn't have posted this

Don't stress about it! I appreciate your interest in Blade and your enthusiasm to talk about it. It's the kind of thing that makes this site so much fun to take part in!

also just wondering where do you watch these cause my main source for watching these got yeeted a few years ago

Purely legal sources, I assure you!

(Everybody here suggested EXCITE for Blade, so I just went to their subbing group's page. Other than that, TV-Nihon or Nyaa.)

I watched the TV Nihon subs (which I'm told was riddled with translation errors so you get the idea)

I think I should reveal that the Four Card attack has an equivalent with the same 4 cards in the Blay Rouser

* Extreme Shot (エクストリームショット Ekusutorīmu Shotto)
* Cards Required: Thunder Deer (♠6) + Fire Fly (♦6) + Tornado Hawk (♥6) + Blizzard Polar (♣6)
* AP Cost: 4800 (♠6=1200, ♦6=1000, ♥6=1400, ♣6=1200)

And while I’m at it, I’ll show off other unused combos with the King Rouser.

* Straight (ストレート Sutorēto)
* Cards Required: Bullet Armadillo (♦2) + Screw Mole (♣3) + Float Dragonfly (♥4) + Kick Locust (♠5) + Thunder Deer (♠6)
* AP Cost: 4200 (♦2=400, ♣3=600, ♥4=1000, ♠5=1000, ♠6=1200)
Also known as Straight Tempest Crash, this is Blade's Rider Kick in King form. However, this is never seen within the series.
* Full House (フルハウス Furu Hausu)
* Cards Required: Any 3 same number cards + 2 other same number cards
* AP Cost: Depends on the card
* Flush (フラッシュ Furasshu)
* Cards Required: Any 5 random cards of the same suit
* AP Cost: Depends on the card
* Three of a Kind (スリーカード Surī Kādo, lit. "Three Card")
* Cards Required: Any 3 same number cards + 2 other random cards
* AP Cost: Depends on the card
* Two Pair (ツーペア Tsū Pea)
* Cards Required: Any 2 same number cards + another 2 same number cards + 1 random card
* AP Cost: Depends on the card
* One pair (ツーカード Tsū Kādo, lit. "Two Card")
* Cards Required: Any 2 same number cards + 3 other random cards
* AP Cost: Depends on the card
* Five of a Kind (ファイブカード Faibu Kādo, lit. "Five Card")
* Cards Required: Metal Trilobite (♠7) x 5
* AP Cost: 8000 (♠7=1600 x 5)

That was the consensus, yeah.

Awesome! Thank you!

...and this is where this two-parter definitely feels a little more worth it. I appreciate having one last breather before the final stretch, as well as the simple irony of Inoue writing a plot where the heroes turn a forced misunderstanding against the bad guys by revealing they already figured it out like half the episode ago.

I don't know if it's just from thinking about it coming right after Faiz, but episodes like these have a very straightforward superhero fare feel to them that it kind of seems like only Blade was really doing in that little era of Rider? A plot structured around the bad guys specifically coming up with a plan to defeat the heroes, and how the heroes react to that, I don't know. Kuuga, Ryuki, and Faiz were definitely all concerned with "destroying" the image of Kamen Rider to some extent (Agito maybe wasn't, but was still stylistically similar), and while I might just be forgetting something here, "evil doppelganger fools the protagonists" seems like it would be more at home in Super Sentai than it would be in those shows. It's very classic plotting, and Blade makes it the entire focus rather than a mere backdrop for more human drama.

I don't know. This is one of those things where I'm mostly thinking out loud. But I feel like I'm realizing from this thread that Blade's proudly classic flavor extends to more than just some of the design elements, and how much I love it for that. Faiz especially probably would've been outright ashamed to have an episode like this, making it all the more hilarious this an Inoue script.

Yeah, it's definitely what I'd call a Meat And Potatoes story, where any thematic elements are around the edges at best.

Inoue is clearly having some fun with it, though. That living room scene where Mutsuki goes I Have Problems With Self-Worth and Tachibana goes I Too Have Problems With Self-Worth and Kenzaki goes Welcome Back? Come on. Come on. That's a beat that only someone willing to write unlikable, weak characters could not only attempt, but land.

The rest of it, though, yeah. Very entertaining, but with a simplicity that tags it as a somewhat less than essential. That big team-up to fake out Titan is something I'd never have expected on the last four Rider series. (Doing this on Ryuki would've just led to Ouja murdering the guy acting as bait, and letting the Mirror Monster get away.)

There's one continuity thing I can't quit explain, though. When Hajime starts his freak out at Team Blade's living room, he goes to the restaurant first for water, before going to the river to draw out Titan. Why? Narratively, it's so Amane would see Hajime freaking out and then there'd be a reason for Titan to pretend to be her, but why would Hajime go there for his plan? Isn't it scaring Amane for no real reason? Why not just go right to the river?

I thought of you during that scene. I was watching it and thinking “ Mutsuki and Tachibana’s proofs of identity are both moping; Die is going to be so tickled by this.”

And the thing that's so great about that joke is that they don't think that's what they're doing! They think the Proving Themselves part hasn't started yet! Mutsuki just volunteers his sense of worthlessness, and Tachibana's just like Same Feels Bud. And Kenzaki's so happy about them being total failures, because they're Team Blade's total failures! It is so, so perfect.

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODES 45 + 46

This time(s) on Kamen Rider Blade: We're in the endgame now! Tennouji merges with Cerberus to become Elevennouji! And Scissors Undead shows his true colors!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade45a.png

Hoo, boy. This is maybe going to be a tough/bad one. Just did a few paragraphs about Tennouji as a boring but thematically appropriate villain (stuff about the various villains who are bosses, stuff about a theme of the series being about how the pursuit of power absent morality is doomed to failure), and it just did not come together. I usually got one of these in me every series, where I get a very particular kind of Writer's Block. Typically, it's from an episode where I have a lot of feelings that I have trouble expressing. (There was a Ryuki one that basically demolished me.) This one... I'm not sure what I want to address?

It's a very plot-heavy section of the series. It's the final arc, and we are getting a very fast-paced version of Kamen Rider Blade. We get introduced to Cerberus in one episode, he's defeated by the end of the episode. We get introduced to Tennouji's evolved form, Elevennouji, and he's defeated by the end of the episode. Hajime is critically injured, and then he's fine by the middle of the next episode. Plus we've got reveals about what you get for winning Battle Fight (unlimited power, which is kind-of unexciting for a prize), thoughts on if humanity can coexist with the Undead, and some specifics about Kenzaki and Tachibana's employment that I find mystifying. For two episodes, it's a whole lot.

I just... I had fun watching them. They are so crammed with incident that you'd be hard-pressed to be bored. But all that Tennouji stuff I wrote and deleted, I deleted it because it felt like I was straining to find something inside this story that's bigger than the plot. It's just not coming through to me.

Like, Tennouji as Tachibana and Kenzaki's boss. There's stuff at the end of 46 where they're refusing to follow his lead, determined to follow their own code. (I love that both Tachibana, who has never met an evil boss he couldn't give the benefit of the doubt, and Kenzaki, the eternal helper, immediately bail on Tennouji. That's how you know he's irredeemably evil!) It should feel like a final refutation of Kenzaki's I'm Just Doing A Job deflection, or Tachibana's belief in the greater good trumping his need to be told what to do. But Tennouji comes from out of nowhere to do this, and his vague authority over them feels retconned in. Weren't we told way back in the second or third story that there was a brand-new BOARD, and that Team Blade had nothing to do with them? Weren't we told that Tennouji had resigned from BOARD in disgrace after Undad let loose the Undead? But now we've got Tennouji cutting off their pay, demanding the return of their gear, and threatening them for their disobedience. I don't understand how any of this lines up with what we'd seen of Team Blade's dynamic over the last 44 episodes.

Or, if they wanted to do a thing where some authority figure tightens the leash, can it at least be someone Kenzaki, the star of the show, has met before? Tachibana is the only one who ever shared a line of dialogue with Tennouji before, and it was literally one line of dialogue. There's no history with him, no sense of respect that could be leveraged against our heroes. He's just some asshole who says he signs their checks. It'd be like if Kotaro's dad showed up to kick them out of the house. It'd be bad for the team, but it'd also feel completely unestablished.

So, yeah, Tennouji doesn't really work for me. Or, uh, didn't really work for me, since he got offed by Scissors Undead. That twist... I don't know, it was fine. I appreciate that someone in the cast brought up the possible loophole of all of the Battle Fight stuff, that no one technically has to win, but it was pretty clear Scissors wasn't just going to wander off to... I mean, what does he do with his days? He's always skulking around, smirking, watching people from behind trees and corners... shit, why wasn't Tachibana the one to reach out to him? They've got way more in common!

As it is, it's interesting that it's Mutsuki who tries to make peace with Scissors Undead, even if it's a little hard to square. He's clearly found a well of empathy after defeating the Spider Undead, and he's seen the possible good in the Undead. (Although, boy, seems like a bit of a stretch to file Tiger Queen under One Of The Good Ones. She was nice to Mutsuki, but she did not love humans!) It just comes off maybe a little too empathetic for me, a Mutsuki who wants to avoid fighting if possible. I got him not knowing if it was safe to be a Rider, a fear of his own power, but this is just a little too caring for him. I don't know. It didn't 100% work for me, but it's not a big deal since the show is mostly bringing it up specifically so it can close that door. Battle Fight has to finish. There will be a victor.

Wow, god, feels like I just shit all over this one. I honestly had a good time watching it! The fights were fun, and it was nice to see all the Riders teaming up again. I just, man, Tennouji's story never worked for me on anything other than a metaphorical level, and even that is very difficult to explain. (Like, this isn't really a show about structures, or hierarchies, and the whole point of having villains who are bosses is to interrogate the idea of structures and hierarchies. The only one who benefits from Tennouji as a metaphor is Tachibana, or Kenzaki circa episode 4-ish.) The idea of Undead/Human coexistence is worth addressing, but the show never really gave it a thought beyond Hajime before now, and he's basically the exception that proves the rule. (I guess Shima, too, for a portion of two episodes.) There's some very fun in-the-moment storytelling here, but talking about it just makes me think of the flaws, the ideas that feel shoehorned in or incongruent with the other themes. I don't know. I hope this made any sense!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade46b.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Team Blade versus Scissors Undead! Amane might finally learn the truth about her dad's death! And I guess we're at the point in the series where there are a bunch of soldier monsters running around! I'll see you on Monday!

Hoo boy, this post is gonna be a big one.

1. On with the Rouse Card Information Kiosk’s penultimate entry for this thread, here’s one I deliberately left out of the movie cards.

Change Kerberos


An artificial Undead born from the card Hiroshi Tennoji made from the DNA of all 53 Undead (Beetle, Stag, Spider, Mantis, Lizard, Lion, Boar, Locust, Deer, Trilobite, Buffalo, Jaguar, Scarab, Armadillo, Frog, Pecker, Whale, Fly, Tortoise, Bat, Zebra, Chameleon, Human, Hammerhead, Dragonfly, Shell, Hawk, Plant, Moth, Camel, Centipede, Bee, Mole, Rhinoceros, Cobra, Polar, Jellyfish, Scorpion, Squid, Tapir, Eagle, Capricorn, Caucasus, Peacock, Serpent, Giraffa, Wolf, Orchid, Paradoxa, Elephant, Tiger, Tarantula and Joker),surpassing the Black Joker itself, Kerberos was created as the fifth Ace that Tennoji intended to be the victor of the Battle Fight he set up. In an alternate future, the Change Kerberos was used as the Ace card for Kamen Rider Glaive, with two copies of the card used in creating Riders Lance and Larc.

* Suit: N/A
* Category: Ace (A)
* Effect name: CHANGE
* Card name: Change Kerberos (チェンジ・ケルベロス Chenji Keruberosu)
* Consumption points: +3

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20200603050703

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20200603050731

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20200603050751

2. So this episode ends with Kubodealer (that is what his actor goes by online, if you’re confused) declaring his intent to kill all humans, with the moral dilemma that whether they defeat him or he defeats Hajime, they’re screwed. Did I mention this aired the day after Christmas? The worst Super Sentai’s episode on the same day did was being a clip show (but still, it can’t top next year’s last episode, which aired on Christmas itself and is even bleaker).

3. To borrow a joke from an admin on RangerCrew (I’m not on that forum, I just follow his twitter) if this series was being made today, Kerberos would be Tennouji’s rider form.

4. While they probably planned it out before they cast him, I’m half-heartedly disappointed that Tennouji’s “Undead conversion device” (for lack of a better name) isn’t a pair of glasses (someone else can explain that joke.)

Anyway, that’s my rant over. Next time, a rundown on Garren’s cards and one last meme that can’t really be summed up with a picture or a video.

Notice how each card resembles the movie rider. Glaive's Ace card has a yellow center head, Larc's is red, Lance's is green.

Since this is the kind of thing Die doesn't care about, I'll also point out that 46 is the one with that awesome sequence of all the Riders transforming together on their bikes when fighting Tennouji. I say Blade really embraces just being a classic superhero show sometimes, and that moment is peak uncomplicated good guys fighting the evil monster. It feels like a really earned moment seeing the Riders truly united after all the squabbling they've done throughout the show (everyone fought everyone at least once!), and is all the more reason them teaming up against Discount Monster Leangle comes off as comparatively weak, what with Mukki still being evil then. Adding in the bikes to this team-up was a great way to... I don't know, escalate it, I guess, so that it still feels above previous instances of everyone being together. One of my favorite scenes in the whole show.

Neat! Thanks!

I wouldn't say I don't care about it. I am of the people! I enjoy the simple pleasures of four young men becoming superheroes and riding their bikes in formation! It's a fun moment!

...But, since I apparently have a reputation now of refusing to engage with the franchise on its upbeat, heroic storytelling, I'll just mention that the pre-Henshin staging of all four Riders being fifty feet away in their bike helmets facing the opposite direction of Tennouji and whispering their responses to his shouted speech was cracking me up. Aesthetically, it's a very cool scene of all four Riders telling this dude that he's not going to win. Logistically... that's not how sound travels! The guy next to Hajime wouldn't be able to hear him whisper into his helmet. Tennouji wouldn't even know they were talking to him!

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 47

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: It's the calm before the storm! Scissors Undead makes his move against Hajime! And Tachibana! Just, Tachibana!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade47a.png

God, what an episode.

It starts off a little bit more contemplative than I'd've thought. Even though Scissors Undead betrayed them at the end of last episode, briefly hospitalizing Mutsuki, there isn't a ton of urgency to the plot in the first half of the episode. Scissors Undead is out there, somewhere, but nobody knows where. It's unclear what his next move is going to be, or when he's going to make it. (He's a monster from eternity who's close to winning Battle Fight through largely avoiding it. I assume he's pretty patient!) It's like, I guess we can all take a break?

What follows is a bunch of peaceful, relaxing scenes that completely stressed me out. Everything that's happening feels like The Last Time We'll See. The last time we'll see Hajime and Amane together. The last time we'll see Mutsuki and Nozomi together. The last time we'll see Kotaro and Hirose clean the living room I guess? (I mean, all of Team Blade was sleeping in that living room last episode, so it probably needed a thorough cleaning. Like, have you seen how Tachibana lives? And eats?) It's all very charming, and I love that the show made some space for little conversations, small character beats before the Sturm und Drang of the finale, but man oh man was it making me anxious.

Speaking of those little conversations... some really fun pairings in this one, doing some interesting stuff. There's a little bit with Hajime and Tachibana, two characters that have rarely (if ever?) shared a solo scene. It's mostly exposition, Hajime explaining some of the significance of the Sealing Stone to Tachibana, but I thought it had a really neat tone. There's a reverence that Hajime has for the Sealing Stone, what it represents to him and his culture. Tachibana plays off of it with this dawning comprehension of Oh Shit There Are Literal Gods Out There And This Could Be The End Of The World. Like, the stakes went from metaphorical to literal, all in one facial expression. It's just a really well-acted scene between two guys who I never got to see much of together before.

The other little scene that was neat was the one where Kenzaki and Mutsuki are leaving the hospital. Kenzaki's been... not super integral to Mutsuki's story, for the most part. It's more been about Mutsuki on his own, or with Tiger Queen, or with Tachibana. Seeing Kenzaki and Mutsuki together, the energy's a little different. It's more buddy-buddy with them, like coworkers who are going out for a drink or something. They feel more like contemporaries, you know? There's less judgment from Kenzaki, even if there's still some hero worship from Mutsuki. Like, they feel like two guys who could be friends outside of all of this.

But the main point of the Mutsuki/Kenzaki scene is to bring up the idea of fate, and the need to challenge it.

It's placed so centrally in this episode that I've got to assume it's what the theme of the series is supposed to be. (Not what I think the show is about, Death Of The Author and all that, but still.) A whole bunch of characters bring it up, and there've been plenty of episodes in the past that've done so. There are speeches about how characters need to fight against a fate or destiny that they dislike or fear. There's the whole motif of the cards, drawn from fortune telling. The inevitability of the Joker's role in destroying the world isn't ignored or accepted, it's fought against, a refusal to treat any outcome as set in stone. (The adversary is a literal stone!) There's that whole speech Kenzaki gives Umi, from a million years ago, where you fight against something because it's impossible, because it's inevitable.

There's one character on the show who hasn't gotten onboard with that message, though. Until now.

Skipping ahead, Garren's fight against Scissors Undead is an all-time great. There's smart strategy, letting his opponent get in close so Garren can shoot through his shield. There's the rarely-deployed shattered helmet, to let you know just how much punishment Garren is soaking up to win this fight. And there's the fact that Garren's doing all this to protect the creature that could end the world. To protect Hajime, someone he's wanted to kill multiple times. Some he tried to kill right before this fight.

It's the Hajime/Tachibana scene in this episode that... best scene in the whole series so far? Maybe. It got to me. It's Tachibana being Pure Tachibana, going against his friends because He Knows Best, willing to do the Smart Thing when they're all too naive to get the stakes. So he takes out the injured Mutsuki (in one move!) in order to save the world, and it's actually a pretty good plan that he came up with! It's arguably the best plan anyone's ever had on this show! For anything! Tachibana's going to use Mutsuki's Remote card to free the Human Undead. Then he'll seal the Joker, seal the Scissors Undead, and the Human Undead will win Battle Fight. Humanity is saved. After knocking out Mutsuki, and with Hajime severely injured, it's an easy plan to enact.

And then Amane calls Hajime. She misses him. She wants to know when he's coming home. But he's not coming home, because Garren's about to murder him. But he can't say that to Amane, can't tell her any of this. So he lies. He tells her he's shopping. She asks if he's buying her a gift. He confesses that he is. She's excited, he's calm, and I'm crying. Just crying. It's a moment that has to show Tachibana that there's something in Hajime worth risking the world for, and it's all there in that scene. It's all about how, even in the face of his death, he cares so much for Amane that he'll protect her happiness. It's more important to him that she have one last fond memory than that he survive. It's a beautiful scene. Beautiful.

After that, yeah, of course Tachibana goes to face Scissors Undead. Of course he sees that these moments, these human connections, they're the only reason to have a world, the only thing you're really protecting as a Kamen Rider. What Hajime has with Amane, it's what Tachibana has with Kenzaki, and Mutsuki, and and and. It's not about what he's supposed to do, what he has to do. It's not about sacrificing others or harming your friendships because you alone know what's right. It's about believing in others, and trusting that caring for people will have a positive outcome. It's this guy who convinced himself he had nothing, realizing the he's had so much this whole time.

Too bad learning that lesson may've gotten him killed.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade47b.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Bug monsters everywhere! Blade won't give up! And Mutsuki calls out Hajime!

They didn't show it onscreen, but I'm sure Hirose and Kotarou had to pick up like twelve completely empty jars of kara miso and a bunch of boxes for jigsaw puzzles that are suspiciously missing all the pieces.

Okay, we have our fun with Dadi, but in all seriousness, this is an episode that absolutely nails his characterization and goes to show why I like more unironically than I do ironically, and with how much I like him ironically, that says a lot!

The bit with Hajime on the phone, it's brilliant and all, but it's always going be that speech Tachibana gives after his mask breaks open that gets to me the most. Him just sitting on that rock, admitting to this monster that absolutely nothing in his life ever works out for him, basically acknowledging what a total f***-up he is, it really gets to the core of what a genuinely sorrowful character he is, and makes it all the more powerful that he's finally deciding to just do the right thing for once, and act not out of fear, or even purpose, like after Sayoko died, but just faith. Seeing Tachibana believe in something for once is exactly the conclusion to his arc I want to see, and this episode did a lot to make me feel all the ups and downs of his development were worth it.

Lots of cool beats in the Garren action, too, with him once again proving he's a much smarter fighter than the other Riders, despite appearances, and then another great variation on sealing an Undead with him tossing himself over a cliff with the monster after the card gets knocked off the edge. I've mentioned before how much I love that status quo of the Riders chucking cards at the monsters, and the ability to mess with the formula with the bigger villains like this is exactly why. It's amazing how many different spins they found to put on that idea.

Plus, speaking of kara miso!, they even punctuate the start of the fight by playing Rebirth one more time! It's neat to see it actually being used as a sort of motif for the character, rather than just a general insert song.

One of my first exposures to Blade was a video review of some Motion Revive figures - an older, mid-00s precursor to the S(h)odo lines. The wave included several Kuuga plus Blade and Garren. The Garren figure was based off of this episode with the damaged helmet. It was a long time before I saw the scene in context and it was definitely a satisfying pay-off. It’s a brutal fight, especially the end where they’re just wailing each other at point-blank range. I like a good, flashy action scene, but sometimes a more minimalist approach can be even more effective.

Yeah, those two scenes have to do a lot of heavy lifting to make Tachibana's turn feel not just exciting, but character-driven. The exciting part is fairly easy, you know? Just have him show up and declare whatever bullshit platitude sounds appropriately stirring, Henshin, fight song, heroic victory. That's how a lesser show would handle it, and I don't think most people would care to complain.

But it's the way Tachibana isn't exactly fighting for Hajime, it's that he's fighting because his friends are fighting for Hajime... I love that. I love him seeing the value in actual real people, real connections, not just some figurative People that he's always doing insane things for. I love him thinking outside of himself, considering other viewpoints, finally, at the end. I love how it takes what's pretty much already a slam dunk (it's such a great fight!) and just, like, keeps dunking. Keeps finding little things that were flaws in Tachibana and saying Let's Just Address Those Real Quick. Love it.

It's such a good fight! It's really just tactics, and taking hits until you can hit back. Like, it does more to make Garren look good than any other fight. It's a thing where, if I ever go back and rewatch this series, I'm going to have it in my head that Garren is a bad-ass, not 160 lbs of failure crammed into a rubber suit.

And, honestly, I might love the Leangle/Garren fight more, 'cause he beats Leangle in one move!

I keep thinking about that Tachibana/Hajime scene from the beginning of the episode, with the Sealing Stone. It's so absolutely crucial to Tachibana's arc in this story.

Usually, Tachibana's working off of the same information as everyone else in the story (or less!), and so when he makes his inevitable I'm Doing This For Your Own Good terrible decisions, it's mostly him opting for pessimism instead of optimism, fear instead of hope, suspicion instead of faith.

In this one, he sees the Sealing Stone. He touches it. He's the only one of the human Riders to do that, to see the shape of their destructor. Because it's not the Joker who's going to destroy the world, it's the Sealing Stone who will. It's the vessel for God's judgment. And he's touched it.

For the rest of the cast, What Happens If We Don't Seal Hajime is vague, debatable. Who really knows? Hajime's a good guy, he'll find a way to overcome it. For Tachibana, it's like he touched the atom bomb. He knows exactly what's going to happen, and he can't debate any of it. The apocalypse is at hand.

But he sides with his friends anyway. He has more reason than ever to disregard the trust they've placed in Hajime and make the hard choice, and he's still willing to side with them. It's so much more powerful, him making that decision knowing what only he and Hajime know. Such a smart scene to include.

see and this is why Blade is Lightyears ahead of Faiz/Agito/Hibiki(TBF you'll find out what happened with Hibiki soon enough) with it's characters Tachibana knows he's a screwup and decides he has to save the world anyways the only 2 Rider series I have above Blade are Ex-Aid and Gaim in that order funny thing is tbfh I know it's easy to say Gaim is just Ryuki 2000's edition but I'd say it takes more queues from Blade tbf first half of Gaim is very much Ryuki 2.0 before they COMPLETELY Twist most of the concepts of the henshin hero genere on it's head and then it becomes more like Blade also Kachidoki Arms is BY FAR THE most badass form debut in the franchise like IDK HOW YOU CAN TOP THAT S--T

Thank god that Kamen Rider Series generally don’t announce the title, or you’d have been given this episode’s plot twist early (for the record, the title is “Garren Eliminated”)

Anyway, a lot of lasts from this post. First, we have the last of the show’s memes.

Notably, if one of the Riders*had just used the*Remote Tapir card to unseal*Noboru*Shima in this episode, they would have been free to seal Kanai without causing the Joker to win the Battle Fight and destroy the world. Some fans poked fun at this overlooked solution

And we close the Rouse Card Information Kiosk with a special retrospective for Garren, looking at some of the cards he uses.
Change Stag


The Stag Undead (スタッグアンデッド Sutaggu Andeddo) is the unseen Category Ace Undead*from the Suit of Diamonds. When sealed, the Stag Undead allows the transformation into Kamen Rider Garren.

* Suit: Diamond
* Category: Ace
* Effect name: CHANGE
* Card name: Change Stag (チェンジ・スタッグ Chenji Sutaggu)
* Consumption points: +3


https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20200603052321

Bullet Armadillo


The Armadillo Undead (アルマジロアンデッド Arumajiro Andeddo) is an unseen Category 2 Undead from the Suit of Diamonds. When sealed, the Armadillo Undead allows Kamen Rider Garren to enhance the efficiency of long range-weapons.

* Suit: Diamond
* Category: 2
* Ability Name: Bullet
* Card Name: Bullet Armadillo (バレット・アルマジロ Baretto Arumajiro)
* Consumption Points: FP 400

Upper Frog

An Undead who has powerful uppercuts

* Suit: Diamond
* Category: 3
* Ability Name: UPPER
* Card Name: Upper Frog (アッパー・フロッグ Appā Furoggu)
* Consumption Points: FP 600

Drop Whale

An Undead with powerful drop kicks.

* Suit: Diamond
* Category: 5
* Ability Name: DROP
* Card Name: Drop Whale (ドロップ・ホエール Doroppu Hoēru)
* Consumption Points: FP 1000

Fire Fly

An Undead with fire based powers.

* Suit: Diamond
* Category: 6
* Ability Name: FIRE
* Card Name: Fire Fly (ファイアフライ Faia Furai)
* Consumption Points: FP 1000

But, that’s not it for me on this thread. I’ll be back after the final episode to share the three alternate continuations (The short story by Sho Aikawa, the SIC story by Masato Hayase and the novel by Jun’ichi Miyashita).

Throwing my hat in just to agree that Garren's big showdown at the end of this episode is absolutely epic. It beats out even his victory over the Peacock Undead as potential top 10 hypest moments of all time. His fatalistic speech then capped off with throwing himself and the Undead off that cliff, the drama of it all... It's art!

I don't know if we're going to be in agreement about Blade being better than Faiz or Agito (Faiz does a phenomenal job building Takumi over the run of the series; Hikawa is Tachibana if all he thought about was other people instead of himself) but there's a lot of baggage to Tachibana that his final speech both acknowledges and overcomes, and that's one of the reasons it's so great. It feels like every lesson he's disregarded snaps into focus after watching Hajime lie to Amane, every single thing everyone's been trying to tell him gets that Oh Shit RIGHT moment of clarity. It's a super good scene.

Yeah, that would've been a bummer. And thanks for the card info!

If the card won't go to the monster, then Garren will bring the monster to the card. It's a hell of a finish!

(I still love the Hajime/Garren scene more.)

TBF Agito's problem for me is it's story being all OVER the place and not making much sense (though the problem with Faiz I had was I found everyone but Kiba/Crane Orphenoch to be an unlikable asshole and Kiba turning evil pretty much flanderized him for me since it came right tf out of nowhere)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdPJd8DBWrQ

Godspeed, you failure of a man. Godspeed.

Yes, Tachibana. Very, very slowly inch your way towards the defeated Undead instead of just throwing your card at it which has had a 99% success rate in terms of every other Undead faced in the show. That won't seem contrived at all.