This may or may not cheer you up Die, but...

Learning Ondul the Easy WEEEEEEI! (#2)

While the second episode had plenty of Ondul goodness in it, I think we'll keep this course on a fairly elementary level and skip right ahead to the memetic lines from episode 3, which are once again among the show's absolute most quoted. Although now that he's become a major figure in the story, I will mention here that (<::V::>) is the emoticon of choice for Kamen Rider Chalice. It's a little abstract, I know. Rest assured Hajime will get his time in the spotlight of these lessons soon enough.

For now though, Kenjaki and Dadi are back at it again with a one-two punch of greatness.

https://i.imgur.com/sBQgK3Gl.png

Tachibana's declaration of the negative effects the Rider System has is meant to be another in a series of dramatic revelations that keep the viewer guessing, but unfortunately, not a lot of people were taking Blade all too seriously this early on. I presume that's why, despite Tachibana's delivery only being mildly slurred (ore no karada wa boro boro da! -> odenokaradawabodobododa!), it's one of the most commonly memed lines from the entire show, simply for being hard to take seriously and also just plain fun to reference at every given opportunity. Even the bumpers for the Super Hero Time block Kamen Rider airs in with Super Sentai made a joke out of it, with Tachibana telling viewers that if they don't watch next time too, his body will fall apart!

https://i.imgur.com/fW69GI9l.png

Meanwhile, Kenzaki's reaction to this bomb being dropped (uso da sonna koto! -> uzodadondokodo-n!) is legendary in its own right for coming off as more hilariously over the top than actually dramatic. Once again, Kenzaki shows why he's the prince, as the line becomes less and less comprehensible with every syllable. This is another one where people legitimately had trouble figuring out what was being said. It's also my personal favorite phrase in all of Ondul! Worth noting is that the snowy mountain this scene takes place in was even dubbed Mt. Dondoko by fans in honor of the line.

That concludes today's lesson, but those looking to review the material on their own time can feel free to use this video of the scene in question that has nearly 3 million views.

https://youtu.be/YP5XpwToSH8

It's not really the content of the information I found problematic, it's the volume and the velocity and the vector.

Like, CHAIRMAN made some shitty belts in a hurry that are maybe killing them? I'm not convinced, but okay, sure! Definitely something that's worth exploring over the course of this series.

But, it's a data point in an episode that (again!) feels overstuffed with data points. It's also the second episode (out of three) that has a Tachibana-related climax where Everything You Knew About _______ Is Wrong. And the individual exposition scenes don't really do anything interesting with conveying the information. It's just there.

(Minor props to Hajime's snowy flashback, and the way it transitions back to his dungeon. It's a good idea that falters slightly with the effects work. It's cool until it's sort-of funny.)

So, yeah, not mad at the ticking clock, mad (well, unimpressed) at the execution.

i like the snow in these episodes

that was a fun visual

Midway through Episode 04 (it's very good, I figured out how they're pacing this and why it's driving me a little crazy) and, just... this:

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

Hello, most ridiculous thing I've maybe ever seen in a Kamen Rider show.

Well at least we agree on something then. :p

Also, feel free to tell me to stop! My intent with this idea was not to torture you!

Well, Tachibana eating a puzzle piece certainly is an absurd idea.

I'm (mostly) teasing. It's fun info to know, even if it's not something I'll likely indulge in. I appreciate the context!

Just on the face of it, it's a hilarious line. It is the most hysterical scene-starter I've ever experienced. Is this a meme? If not, why not?!

I mean, I don't think he really ate it, no. That's... he's a grown man, and that sounds psychotic. I would expect him to have it on him somewhere, similar to Kusaka's totemic picture of Mari from Faiz.

I really do love how that thing, it's not literally about him being a weirdo? It's a metaphor for his inability to accept his own mortality? Buuuuuuut that's what I'm writing about in another tab!

Man, this reminded me about how much of a hard time I had with Blade's early-show. It put me off so badly, I actually had to drop it the first time I tried to watch it a few years ago. This feels strange to say considering So Many Things Happened, but it's just so... boring. The way they drop all these plot points and establish all the connection between these characters felt very perfunctory for some reason. Also, personal toyetic taste and all, but coming off Ryuki and Faiz, the suit design and weapon in this show are comparatively very underwhelming; there's not a single thing from here that I'd love to own.

Then I gave it another go this year, and I actually quite liked it in the end! It's hard to connect with the characters at first (Kenzaki in particular felt a bit too bland and it typically took me longer to vibe with a main character who's already a Rider since the beginning), but they grew on me once everything slowed down a bit. I don't have as much things I'm excited about and eager to discuss on Blade compared to Ryuki, Faiz, or Hibiki, but hopefully more Blade stans will come along and shower this thread with the love the series deserves~

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 04

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Kenzaki makes two friends! Chalice beats the Moth Monster, then beats up Blade! CHAIRMAN of the BOARD goes up in flames! And Tachibana eats a puzzle piece as a metaphor for humanity's fear of death!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade04a.png

Normally, how you'd break a story on Kamen Rider is to have some new information be learned by the cast, then spend some time having them react to that information. Like, Mari and Keitaro learn that Takumi is an Orphnoch at the beginning of an episode, and then we spend the rest of an episode seeing them try to process it. Cause and effect. There's plot, and then there's how plot changes and grows our characters. Storytelling 101.

It's not that Blade doesn't do that, it's that they do too much of it, and it creates whole episodes devoted to each half. We don't get an episode where new information is learned and the cast reacts to it, we get an entire episode where the cast learns four different things, and then an entire episode where the cast reacts to all of that information. It creates a lopsided viewing experience for me, where odd-numbered episodes are a rush of context-less data, and the even-numbered episodes are deep, compelling drama. It's... I don't know if it's a great way to tell a season-long story?

This episode works out great, though. Really enjoyed what it was doing for each character.

Tachibana came out the best, mostly because I wasn't really able to get a read on him before. Here, he comes across as a man who is so terrified of his story ending that he's willing to destroy everything he's worked for in order to avoid it. There's a bizarre vulnerability that I really connected with, a view of a man who can't comprehend his own mortality.

That whole thing with the puzzle piece... I mean, it's a hilarious line in a vacuum, but it's a great scene in context. It's someone who can't fathom something ending, so he'd rather render it useless and look like a fool. It takes his exposition from last episode, his confession to Kenzaki, and it makes it specific, personal. It's not just a hero trying to survive, it's Tachibana being terrified of his impending demise. It makes his tragedy both aggravating and lamentable, someone who can't see past their own fears.

Which is a great segue into talking about Kenzaki, who shows some really fun shades in this story. He starts off just awful, but in a very captivating way. He's like Tachibana, trying to refocus every other problem as secondary to his pain, his fear, what he's going through. I like how the show lets him be selfish for a minute, lets him be unlikeable. (I mean, Hirose is really going through something, and Kenzaki is just oblivious to it!) It's some electrifying acting when he gets indignant at Hirose for calling him out for letting his belief in Tachibana overshadow the facts of the situation. He's a guy that maybe doesn't think a lot of himself, but he's got a temper and an ego that's not going to let him get run down by someone else. It's a nice way the show keeps his self-doubt from becoming self-pity, you know? He can be a bundle of anger and doubt, and it's going to bubble up in weird, fascinating ways. (He don't get along with Hajime at all!)

But then there's this beautiful, beautiful scene Kenzaki has with Kotaro, in the Feelings Field. It's Kenzaki sitting outside, trying to get his head around the fact that he could die being Kamen Rider Blade. He tries to psych himself up, paint it as Heroic and Cool. A heroic demise, fighting to save the world from the Undead! But Kotaro is aghast. Kenzaki is his friend, and he wants him to stick around. Plus, who the hell knows if Tachibana's even honest, or right? And there's this excitement on Kenzaki's face, a smile as big and broad as anything. Kotaro cares about him. Kotaro's his friend.

It's so pure, that scene. It's not just a Rider that desperately needs the support of the people in his life, but one who understands how necessary and special that support is. It's not someone who needs to be convinced that they're a good person, or that they need people in their life. It's someone who knows what they want, and appreciates it when it's given to them. It's earnest, and adorable, and it made me love this show even more.

Even the exposition was a huge step up from last time. The Hirose stuff, with her first meeting with CHAIRMAN of the BOARD, and the stuff with her dad, it was exactly the kind of exposition I want to see. It's not just filling in backstory, it's giving Hirose stuff to process. She's put all of her trust in these heroic men, and now she doesn't know if they're worth her faith. CHAIRMAN talks a good game about trying to save the world, but when she considers it alongside her dad's definitely not troubling desire to save his wife at all costs, and Tachibana's desperate struggle to just live more (sorry Gaim), she's beginning to see that a lot of what she viewed as a heroic dedication to humanity's betterment was maybe just reckless men scared of the loss that comes with mortality.

And that, man, maybe my favorite thing about this episode? There's a thematic heft to it, where three full threads of the narrative are dealing with the same ideas, the same consequences. It's an episode about something, exploring a theme. It's about what fear of death drives us to do, how it warps our morality and goals. How we process losing people, but also how we process the idea that our story might end at some point, and what we'd sacrifice to keep that from happening for just a little while longer. I love when a show makes time for that, themes, instead of pouring on more info and monologues and backstory. It moves us from people learning information, to how that information shapes them as characters, how it illuminates merits and flaws.

Also, there's some Rider action!

It's only a little bit, but I liked the brawl at the end. I don't have much of a sense of Blade's fighting style yet, other than Bad At It, but I enjoyed Chalice's strategy of using Blade to suss out Moth Monster's weak point, and then instantly murder it. It's a great look into how unimpressed Chalice is with Blade, how irrelevant he finds him. Is... is there anyone in this show who thinks Kenzaki has what it takes?

Besides me, I mean.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade04b.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Amane's sick! Chalice is being watched! And Garren is no help to anyone, as per goddamn usual!

Not even Chalice, though?!

Huh this... actually gives me something to say for once! It's not often that the main character is my favorite in like, any show I've seen, but Blade here is an exception. Without getting into spoiler territory, I think the main thing I like about Kenzaki is that he doesn't take anyone's' crap. There's one scene between him and Hajime that really showcases that(which I loved), but I don't think it's happened quite yet? But yeah, having a hero who stands tall with his convictions and doesn't let people treat him like crap was really refreshing, considering this aired during a time where alot of heroes I'd seen were super passive.

Some of it's also... I don't know if Kenzaki realizes when he's needlessly escalating a situation? Takumi would have this way of being an asshole because he knew it would push people away (and he was just an asshole), but I get the feeling with Kenzaki that he just can't stop himself? It's like Shinji's (from Ryuki) temper, mixed with Takumi's lack of filter.

I like it on Kenzaki because he always knows that he screwed up, when he gets into an argument. He knows he pushed Hirose away, which is why he tries to reframe things around what he's going through. He's trying to excuse his bad behavior, because he knows he behaved badly.

But, at his core, he's someone who feels strongly, and he won't let his own fears or doubts stop him from doing what he thinks is right. It's a very heroic attribute! But still probably not an easy dude to be friends with!

Good source of fiber?

This is a scene that, in particular, makes me enjoy going back through these shows in order again. It's a moment that draws a really sharp contrast between our current and previous main Riders. You just know that this is how Keitaro wanted (expected, even?) every conversation with Takumi to turn out.

Blade's not as in-your-face about it as Fourze, but friendship is a major theme of the show and a really important part of Kenzaki's character.

Yeah, I think with Gentarou it's more about everyone getting along, while with Kenzaki it's about not feeling quite so worthless. It's way sadder, more vulnerable, which makes him finding a friend mean a lot more than Gentarou ticking off a box or adding to his collection. (I like Gentarou! But it's definitely about quantity with that dude!)

It's nice to have this scene so early in the show, because otherwise Kenzaki might just feel like Another Asshole Rider, you know? He'd just be Takumi, but meaner. Here, he's so grateful that your heart breaks for him a little.

It's a bit weird seeing Kotaro's name, as in I keep defaulting to Kotaro Minami (Kamen Rider Black), before I eventually went, "oh right, the poor man's Keitaro! Er, I mean, the milk chugger!"

Nah, color scheme's a bit off :v

4 is an overall good episode, but this is also sort of where my problems with Blade begin. I can't say much yet, but this Garren/Tachibana story line is just the beginning of something that annoyed me a bit in my initial watching of Blade and outright irked the hell out of me on subsequent rewatchings.

So while I was absent-mindedly watching Blade meme vide- uh, I mean putting together my curriculum (nailed it!), I came across this little snippet of some something or other that aired on TV before Blade premiered I figured would be worth sharing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KRxEMKIbYc

Obviously it'll be less fun if you can't understand the dialogue, but it does give a little behind the scenes look at the fight scene from the end of episode 4, hence why I'm sharing this now. Apparently it took two whole hours just to film Kenzaki's transformation, which, looking at how many individual shots it uses, I can totally believe. They put a lot of effort into getting one guy to say "Heshin!"

I actually still had things I wanted to say about episode 3 though, even though the thread's moved on. I'm just going to do that anyway, if that's cool.

For all the clunky exposition, I do love what the climax does to further Kenzaki's character. Die pointed out a lot of it, but one specific thing I think is great that he didn't mention was how Kenzaki is fighting at his usual level (terribly)... right up until Tachibana gets hurt. After that, he immediately gets it together and takes down the monster, and I really like what that says about him. All the complicated feelings he must have going on completely melt away when he sees someone in danger, and he has to actively remind himself after the fight he's very upset right now.

It also prompts a that remark form Chalice about humanity's power being "fully unleashed", which seems to be a deliberate reference to one of the show's taglines, clearly meant to be the equivalent to Agito's "awaken your soul", or Ryuki's "if you don't fight, you won't survive", except the series was already bored of it by this point. It was used in the preview, just like those shows... but only in the one for the second episode. I don't blame them for dropping it. Even with the explanation, it's not really as meaningful as those other two. I understand one of the reasons Blade didn't set the world on fire in terms of toy sales and whatnot was because it had a concept that was complicated enough to not be easily digestible, and it's not hard to see why, with a catchphrase like that. Heck, even the card motif uses two sets of suits at once. It's... it's not really as simple to get a grip on as "13 people fight to the death", you know? On the flip side, that makes it more fun to dig into for the diehards, though.

The Deer Undead has also always been my favorite monster design from the show, although ironically is, I believe, one of the few not to be created by the show's main monster designer. Again, episode 3 is a definitive episode of Blade for me, and I can't really tell you why. Maybe I like it because it has the Deer Undead, or maybe I like the Deer Undead because it's in episode 3. It's just always an episode my brain goes to when I think about early Blade, and always a monster I think of when I think of how cool the Undead are.

They are at least written a bit different! In fact, this post just made me remember that by my own rules, I should actually be writing Blade's Kotarou with only the one "u", so thanks for that!

I think what's really confusing is talking about Tachibana. It's like an instant way to create an awkward moment between old-school Rider fans and new(er than the real old-school) ones.

HEISEI FAN: "One of my favorite characters in Kamen Rider is Tachibana."
SHOWA FAN: "Yeah, he's great. Such an awesome and reliable mentor figure!"
HEISEI FAN: "I uh- I guess that's one way of putting it..."
SHOWA FAN: "And the way he tied together all those different series made him so much more memorable!"
HEISEI FAN: "He- uh... I liked him in Fourze?"
SHOWA FAN: "Wait, who are you talking about?"
HEISEI FAN: "Wait, who are you talking about?"

It only becomes worse when you venture outside Kamen Rider and come across Ultraman X's MVP!

ULTRA FAN: "...and she was super cool as Nexus!"

SHOWA FAN: "Is- is this whole conversation a Golgom plot?"
HEISEI FAN: "I didn't hear about this!"

Oh man, that reminds me of one of my favorite pieces of minor Blade trivia. There's an episode of a Japanese cooking show that featured a showdown between Takauki Tsubaki (Kenzaki) and Kamen Rider Black's Tetsuo Kurata. I believe Kurata won, which makes sense since he does own his own restaurant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hfumi9_Pkc

Kenzaki never struck me as a full-on jerk. Like, he doesn't mean to say mean things. He just doesn't think before he says stuff! Or before he does stuff! He is very much an "In the moment" kind of guy.

Also, I love how you're putting so much emphasis on Koutarou, and all I can remember doing for him this early on is counting how many milk bottles he'd drank. I think I gave up around Episode 6 because there were too many. Don't get me wrong, I can't imagine Blade without him, but it seemed like a fun idea at the time.

https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net...e5&oe=5F34752F

I love how much of a weird, weak failure Tachibana comes across as? I don't know if I'm just projecting his future as a sniveling Zodiart lieutenant (and part-time creep) onto a conflicted-but-still-noble hero, but... Tachibana's pretty hilariously lame?

That's maybe not what you're talking about, but, am I the only one getting this read on early Tachibana?

Aw, buddy, take your time! There's always a space for your thoughts here.

That turn in the fight is great, yes! It's a lot of Kenzaki trying to be a more resolute hero, when he's really a sweet boy who wants to know why his friend abandoned him. He's very forgiving, which is a trait that Tachibana would call naivete, but I find it very charming and laudable.

I didn't bring up that Chalice Having Judgment thing (I don't think?), because I thought it was kind-of lame? You're right with how unhelpful and vague it is as a theme. I mostly didn't dig it because, if you're going to attack an idea as inbuilt to the franchise as It Is Useful To Have Something To Fight For, you have got to have more to say than Yes That's Correct. What's in Chalice's dialogue is... it's like a placeholder for a more insightful comment. It's a shrug towards something that needs more nuance.

Yeah, I think the show always keeps Kenzaki on the right side of his worst behavior. It's always tempered (eventually!) with reflection, with resolve, with self-improvement. I think he knows he's a work-in-progress, you know?

I think it's just one bottle so far? In the first episode? Counting the milk bottles (and smartly establishing the milk bottles as a core expression of the themes of the series) seems like a Fish Sandwich move.

Kotaro... I'm a little surprised at how many people compare him to Keitaro, since I think he's tilling different narrative soil than that? (Not that that's what you're saying, but it's something I was thinking about and you brought up Kotaro and now I'm talking about it.) Like, I think he's way more indebted to someone like Reiko from Ryuki, where he's got a real thirst for uncovering secrets. I think of that as his primary attribute in the story, instead of being Kenzaki's confidant or whatever. I think he's useful to the story as someone who doesn't (currently!) seem as personally damaged by the core mystery, so the discovery of secrets and deployment of twists gets to be more exciting than horrifying.

He also does a lot to ground the story, to keep real, normal people in a tight orbit with tech nerds and Riders. Plus, he's a hell of a cook!

Yep you are correct, he owns a steak restaurant that I believe is part of a franchise and the perks of his restaurant in particular is that it has Kamen Rider Black and Black RX themed menus. It is in Tokyo last time I checked.

Look, all I know about Keitarou is from your Faiz thread, so that's you reading into things right there :P But, with hindsight, I think you're right. Whereas Kenzaki at this point is fighting because it's his job, and Tachibana is doing his best to set the meme record of all time, Koutarou wants to understand why this is happening. What are the Undead, why are they fighting - and yet his friendship with Kenzaki doesn't even feel manipulative, like he's only friends with him because he knows this. Yes, it's how they met, but Koutarou legitimately cares about the guy! He's his friend, goddamnit! I bet he doesn't even charge rent! Not that Kenzaki would actually pay - BOARD doesn't give him enough for that.

I believe BOARD only covered on-campus dormitory access as far as living expenses go, under their legally-dubious "Room and BOARD" program.

Yeah, I think Kenzaki and Kotaro are legit friends, no ulterior motives, although I firmly believe that Kotaro thinks they're friends, while Kenzaki thinks they're best friends. Like, Kenzaki is overjoyed that a man he just met a few days ago would suggest it would be better if he maybe not die as a Kamen Rider. No one's ever been so kind to him! JFC, exactly how dysfunctional was Kenzaki's relationship with Tachibana?!

Imagine your work colleage setting your office building on fire, having to move in with this guy who chugs milk like it's water and one of the IT workers who can and will stab you if you speak out of turn, and then finding your former co-worker only for him to say that his office computer is killing him.

Also I have the perfect gif for that last sentence, but it's from a future episode, so I'll save it.

Look, once BOARD finally cracks the secret to immortality using the power of their trading card collection, concepts like currency and shelter will become obsolete anyway. What could possibly sound dubious about any of this?!

KENZAKI:
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/betray.png

TACHIBANA:
https://media.giphy.com/media/3o6Mb3...4B5m/giphy.gif

How could Hirose not fall under the charismatic sway of a humanitarian who conducts employee orientations in his Gallery Of Human Suffering?

"Look, these seven trading cards will lead us to the Millenium Items, and once we find those, we can gain the Pharoah's secret to immortality!"

"Dude, I'm telling you, Yu-Gi-Oh isn't real!"


I can't believe you captured his essence so succinctly at this point in the show.

It's right next door to the chamber of ominous body parts in jars that they call a canteen.

I genuinely took "I ate the puzzle piece" completely literally at face value and didn't even blink. This is what toku does to you.

Same! I always see people going "JoJo's' is the show that conditions you to just accept utter absurdity." No guys, Toku does that way harder. Him actually swallowing it whole would not have surprised me in the least.

He ate the puzzle piece because it's still more nutritious than BOARD's rations.

I really hope there's a point later in the series where Kotaro interviews Hirose and Kenzaki about BOARD, and every bizarre detail has Kotaro going, "Okay, so this was the point where you realized BOARD was lying to you about its goals," only for Hirose and Kenzaki to act confused at Kotaro's suggestion. Then, dawning embarrassment as they begin to realize that BOARD was a badly-organized doomsday cult all along.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/faiz/victim.png

I don't even think the puzzle piece line is easy to take at face value because tokusatsu as much as its because the one saying it is, well... Dadi.

I'm honestly really proud of Die for calling that "a great scene in context." That whole interaction is one of those things that tends to get filed away under "goofy early Blade s***" (and by the way, it's not Ondul, but the quote does come up in memes), perhaps in part because people do apparently take it at face value, but the whole interaction, I agree it's doing a really great job at fleshing out Tachibana's character. The guy has a lot going on, and I've always found the way the story keeps peeling back layers while also adding new ones fascinating. In just these four episodes, he's flirted between Is A Traitor and Is Not A Traitor several times in either direction, and, you know, maybe a bit much for some people, but that raw energy is what makes early Blade special, for better and for worse. I'd argue it's just for the better, but of course I would.

Contrary opinion, but I actually like early Blade better than late Blade. fite me.

Thanks for the kind words!

I think it's a really nicely done scene for laying out how catastrophically broken Tachibana is at this point in the story. It's easy to read his previous actions as cold, calculating, part of some larger scheme. This scene (and the one he has later with Hirose) says, actually, he is having the worst day of his life, which is what he also thought yesterday. He's betrayed everyone, kidnapped his boss, and is sleeping rough in the office of the only friend he has left. He doesn't know what he's even doing anymore, hoping that the man he inadvertently (?) rendered comatose will wake up and tell him what all of this means. He is afraid that a puzzle symbolizes his death. This dude is broken in sad, scary ways. He isn't someone to be afraid of, or furious with. He's to be pitied, and maybe shamed.

I'm looking forward to finding out why the later stuff isn't as good to you as the early stuff!

Beeebeebeebeebeebeep
KICK
THUNDER
MACH

LIGHTNING SONIC

WEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIII
:lolol

I'll properly respond to this when the response that immediately popped in my head no longer qualifies as a spoiler. ;)

For that, I refer to Blade as series, not solely Blade the main character.

Weird, somehow for this one, this doesn't feel overstuffed to me.

Solid rapport between Hajime and Amane? Uhh.... Though for Kotaro, I don't think that he's that much of a brainiac, or if he said something insulting (he just a bit too much talkative and it being a hindrance to the team for example, the Chief Karasuma hologram part, or probably that he'll blow up the cover with the constant questioning). Though I'm a bit confused, that if you aren't into something revealed at a late part of the series, but here you don't want it to be revealed so much early? Amane doing stuff like this is expected for me, but for Tachibana's doctor friend, does this remind the part of Ghost to you that stranger just talked out things with Takeru about traumatic stuff?

If you're invested in Kotaro/Kenzaki, well, obviously the show is about Tachibana/Kenzaki "TACHIBANA-SAN!!!". So this is the big reveal, where the Kamen Riders are all probably only pawns to BOARD, where they're revealed here to be the one that unleashed the Undeads so that they can be re-sealed again. And it would mean that, Tachibana was not doing something bad regarding Chief Karasuma? Tachibana and Kenzaki are known bros, Kenzaki is doing what he can to preserve that, but like you said, weren't all above interrogating him and giving out all the bad assumptions of him, didn't expect Tachibana to be so dismissive of Kenzaki here by his repeated attempts to ignore him. And Tachibana probably has some limits that he doesn't like being accused of the one that unsealed the Undeads, that he finally gives explanations to Kenzaki.

Feels like Kotaro for some reason have a decent house but can't afford a nicer car (I mean obviously it's vintage, but his one probably can be categorized into The Alleged Car with how much the car doesn't work), and for this one I can't figure out the car's real name (it's harder for the very old classics that is probably in 1930s), as a joke I want to give to the characters for the in-universe name they give.

He single-handled tracked down a secret group of monster fighters, and seems to know more about their organization than they do. He seems pretty smart to me!

There's a middle ground! Too late in the series, and you're either bored of the mystery or it feels too late in the game to be important. Too early in the series, and you've barely spent time pondering it before they're rushing to give you answers. Either extreme is bad!

Ha ha, yeah, it does. Just clunky writing on both occasions.

I think Tachibana's made his peace with Kenzaki vilifying him, but he is not okay with taking the fall for unsealing the Undead. That's... that's what he's furious about! He's doing all this because BOARD letting loose the Undead is actual killing him. And now Kenzaki's trying to lay that at his feet? Absolutely, that's going to be the straw for Tachibana.

Swan! He calls it Swan in Episode 03.

Also, uh, Kotaro does not have a decent house. It might tactfully be described as "a fixer-upper". Less tactfully, in real estate terms, it would be termed "a complete teardown". It is a shithole. It's better than sleeping on the street, but probably not by much.

The dude quit his day job at a publishing company to investigate an urban legend about bug-eyed armored vigilantes who capture animal-themed zombies and is jobless so I didn't find it too odd. Plus Kenzaki and Hirose moving in is probably not gonna pay the bills and the farm was an heirloom from his uncle too. Speaking of, where does he get all those bottles of milk? Maybe that is his new day job the writers did not care too much to dive into? Probably has cattle maybe? Maybe it is just not shown in the show and he saves some for himself and sells the rest to local markets? If that is the case what the heck Kotaro fix the car. :lolol

Looking at his house and his car, I'm going to guess he's got one malnourished cow, and one bottle that he rinses out daily.