This one's going to be a little redundant, but that just speaks to how notable the subject matter is.

Learning Ondul the Easy WEEEEEEI! (#5)

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

Today's lesson only barely counts as Ondul, if it does at all, but Tachibana ending episode 7 by going UWAAAAAAAAAAA!!! is why I say he's arguably the true face of Blade memes. It's literally his face. It also completely crosses language boundaries, uniting Rider fans across the globe whenever they need to express their displeasure at a surprising and/or frightening turn of events!

This lesson also comes with another video bonus. Feel free to use this any time YOU want a quirky way to let the world know how horrified you are by something!

https://youtu.be/xLMTCcKlhro

Wait, hang on, I just remembered there's more to this lesson.

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

Oh man, that doesn't sound good!

...because Tachibana's delivery of this line from the same episode is so slurred (hito ochokutteru to buttobasu zo! -> hidoochoguterutovuddobasuzo!), of course!

The main actual thing I'd like to point out about this episode is just that the huge battle royale escalation to the ending is one of the defining moments of Blade's first arc to me. The whole idea of Trenchcoat Mastermind thinking he's doing this nice controlled experiment, and then Hajime freaking out and smashing through a window because he's so jacked about fighting Blade, followed by Dadi showing up and then freaking out because he's a total mess, it's all such wonderful chaos.

This is a very, very pertinent point to make. Tachibana's problems all stem from an entirely common real life one, which is an unhealthy belief that showing any kind of weakness is like, the most unforgivable sin a person can commit. Tachibana pushing himself into this half-delusional corner where he constantly feels the need to prove how tough he is while also loathing himself for not being tough... you can certainly call it childish, but it's far from unrealistic.

Uh oh! I go away to watch Palm Springs (so excellent) and I come back to Kamen Rider Die's Got The Unpopular Opinion!

So, absolutely, everyone's got a point. The speech that Kotaro gives is a good one, and it's got a mix of specificity (it's about how Kotaro views the world) and universality (it's a good lesson for anyone to learn) that I think it's a solid core to the episode. It's a great moral, and an important one to impart to children.

My problem is that the moral is applied to Tachibana, and I think he's constructed in a way that makes it difficult for me to see him have actual human emotions or a recognizable psychology.

He's so brilliantly, bafflingly self-absorbed, as well as maniacally concerned with his own survival, that I think the show has a tough time steering him back to being a regular(-ish) character on the show. He's so far off the beam that Kotaro's speech feels like one that'd normally be aimed at a kid who needs to learn a lesson, not a grown man who legitimately seems to have never considered that other people have emotions or an interior life.

And, absolutely, people can be horrible. People can be selfish, cowardly, self-absorbed, prone to putting their own needs over others. Yes. Sadly, yes. But there's at least a general feeling that people have, that other people exist in the world. I think that's largely accepted? Tachibana seems to view this information as brand-new, as eye-opening.

Weirder, it's not that Kotaro and Hirose are asking for his help to save a total stranger, or for him to sacrifice himself for a vague moral reason. They're asking him to pitch in (just pitch in!) to help find where Kenzaki was kidnapped, and he needs a child's speech to get him on board.

So, yeah, I like the speech, but it felt like it was the wrong one to have to give to Tachibana. (Like, Amane. This feels like the speech you give Amane, and I'm totally on the show's side in that scenario.) It paints him as such a frighteningly broken person that it undercuts (for me, at least) the pseudo-triumph of Tachibana trying to rally his shattered confidence.

It's a really fun fight! I really loved how every step at which the experiment went haywire, Trenchcoat's just like Let's See Where This Goes. I'm starting to feel like he might not know that much about science at all.

Well, you’ve picked up on the meme by yourself, so I’ll stick to my usual job.

Metal Trilobite

An Undead captured by the mysterious Isaka (can’t tell you who he is yet. Two more episodes) to progress his project. It possesses a skin as hard as metal.

Rouse Card details.

* Suit: Spade
* Number: 7
* Effect Name: METAL
* Card Name: Metal Trilobyte (メタル・トリロバイト Metaru Torirobaito)
* Consumption Points: FP 1200


https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20121110111313

Blade... Brave... My memories of this show is pretty scattered, but it's really fun to see how you've latched onto Tachibana in particular. This thread would have been incomplete had you not screencapped the ending of episode 7 in such clear detail...

Assorted thoughts on Blade from me include that I really like the theme song, though the opening sequence is uh... cheap-looking. I appreciate it being different, but after the really stylish openings of Ryuki and Faiz, it definitely looks 'budget' in comparison.

I like all the suits fine, but I really love all the Rouzers the Riders use. The way their cards fan out from their weapons, which is then slid along a slot to make that cool sound effect is extremely cool! The points system, pointless as it is, makes it feel it'd make for an extremely cool trading card game. Yu-gi-Oh's duel disks wish they were this cool!

And also I want to comment on the insert song Kakusei/Awakening. I Gotta Keep It Real and say it might be one of my favourite rider inserts, like top three at least. I think it rocks so much that long after I finished Blade, I actually misattributed it to a lot of my favourite scenes of the show and only learning on going back to those episodes that the song never actually played then.

I wonder if you look forward to Tachibana overcoming his fear (among other flaws), or if you'd be content with him being a wreck all the way through!

I've seen Tachibana's horrified reaction used as a reaction image in discord servers that have nothing to do with Toku used by people who as far as I know would think this is power rangers so that's all you need to know

no I'd say the scene that made him the flag bearer of Blade memes comes a bit later (it's obvious to anyone whose seen the show and knows the memes knows exactly which scene I'm talking about since there really is only one big meme spawning scene from Tachibana left)

I think this point, where we have a definite villain to fight with, the Tachibana plot kicking up into a higher gear, and UWAAAAAAAA, was were I started properly vibing with Blade. Before this, it was a little nebulous as to where anything was going, but giving the series a bit of structure makes everything able to focus a little cleaner. Plus, Trenchcoat's version of science ("Wonder what happens if we make these Riders fight") is so far apart from real science, it's great.

Isaka wears a trenchcoat, is a mastermind, and likes to see numbers go up! What more could there be to know?!

Also, thanks for the info!

Almost put in in my signature. It's iconic!

I still find the opening incredibly disorienting. And, like, not in a mysterious I Wonder What That Means way, but more in a This Is Giving Me A Headache way.

I love collectibles for Riders, so the elaborate card mechanisms are right in the sweet spot for me. The fanning of the Rouser, the picking of the card, the scanning, the power display, I love it.

I actually do want Tachibana to overcome his fear, yes! This is probably something I'll get to talk about in an upcoming episode, but I really like how difficult the show is making Tachibana's recovery. Fear isn't something you can rationalize away, you know? It's primal, and irrational, and when it gets its hooks in... Tachibana is still cartoonishly inept and bizarrely self-obsessed, but there's an idea at his core that is intriguing and relevant.

It's a perfect reaction image. You don't need any context, you just need that middle image of Tachibana's bug-eyes, wide mouth, and angled eyebrows. It's worth a thousand words.

Yeah, this is where things start to come into a bit more focus. Not a ton of details, but a clear problem for the team to overcome that opens the door to get at season-long mysteries.

Trenchcoat Mastermind's view of science is the most archetypal Kamen Rider view of science: The numbers have to go up! At any cost! (He definitely does not understand things like control groups or peer review. He understands how high the numbers went up, and that's about it.)

I remember the first time I saw the clip of Tachibana's scream, well before I ever watched Blade? I had no familiarity with the ending clip so I, uh, thought it was a clip of some random civilian screaming before getting turned into a card.

I am very excited to see your hypothetical Amazons-esque More Scary And Gross version of Kamen Rider Blade that gets commissioned by a sharp-object manufacturer (Gillette?) in 2040.

Folks getting turned into cards by monsters, Hirose punching people constantly, Kotaro drinking milk with knives in it, Tachibana being... uh... probably the same?

I was thinking that, she's probably not the only one who misses her dad like for example, Haruka. And for "if she thought there was a monster in there"....
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...95004/brat.png
Also for Kenzaki and Kotaro poking around for a few minutes, well, she trespassed without their consent and as her caretaker obviously they would have no choice but follow her around.

He's fountain of memes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX1yUmZp_wI

As for the part hoping Tachibana never gets better, oh well don't hope for that because, this wreck may not be his default state, unlike charaacters such as Takumi. Also, not liking a double standard by others (not you), that the types of character like this gets free pass; if they don't change (getting better) you get to keep his good qualities, if they change it's good development, while the other kind of character, the non-scumbag one, if they don't change they got labeled as static, if they change, if the change isn't about becoming meaner they still would be considered exactly the same without changes.

Disparaged all of humanity.... monster species alert! We've seen that he bleeds in pale green. And for saving Amane part, it's obvious, this is seen multiple times in the franchise, in many anti-heroes, but he's also one of those that only shows compassion to a few person, and only cares and acts soft regarding them; just because he acts like that to Amane doesn't mean he'll do the same to others. Though even apart from Kenzaki gaining a glimpse of hope regarding Hajime here, there's also a good reason to question him, that in opposite to approaching him and gaining new ally as he first attempts, he's also afraid that Hajime is truly sinister and had hidden agendas (you're my enemy phrase) that has to be dealt with quickly before it escalates.

Yeah I know, the realistic and relatable approach are apathetic, indifferent, selfish, Not Everyone Wants To Do Things, etc...like Faiz. Those that are considered as relatable and human traits are all toxic traits, such as moral failures, hypocritical beliefs. Which sets up a grimdark trend and characters being morally ambiguous at best. Where those aren't part of it, like positivity, especially Rider sensibility which for example most of the main Riders, are treated as unreal and alien as it's harder to relate; things like being so strong in their moral beliefs, or doing something earnestly without hidden agendas, like fighting for justice. Though still, I don't want for them to corrupt each characters that doesn't have them, with toxic traits to fulfill that like how people sometimes want morally ambiguous characters or villains to stay the way they are. And like here, I think sometimes people actually forget the more realistic and non-tragic/dark part in fiction, despite the claims that it's a drive for realism, or the fact that, speaking about flaws, some are conflating "not a scumbag = flawless = unrelatable and boring" (the reason those above are considered realistic? "humans are flawed"), but non-toxic flaws exist like lack of confidence, fearfulness, inflexible thought, over-honesty, etc.

Something Hirose ironically opposite from this episode also had thrown to Kenzaki a few episodes before; where because Kenzaki isn't responsible within the BOARD's mistake of releasing Undead, he doesn't need to fight it off. But he still goes off and used that moment as a chance to make her his 2nd friend. Kenzaki's way is obviously the best way to cope, to learn and do better, but still...

I wonder if the longtime devotion Kenzaki has for Tachibana, was that they went good in the past (Blade is a series where it starts with the characters already being Riders), but something drives them apart in present time here, but isn't shown for now. Though for this one, Kenzaki hasn't really given the alternate solution to save Tachibana, whom body is breaking (by just saying that the Undead has been sealed, when he planned to do it himself for curing hims), albeit of course, later on the cause isn't what the cast thinks. Tachibana thinks Kenzaki has inadvertently doomed him by denying a chance to cure himself, is this what you meant by not recognizing the importance of his pain? (even if plot mechanics isn't main concern.... it shouldn't be ignored, obviously in series like this, it often plays a part).

As he said, it's only psychological. What you described here is exactly what the cast thinks it's wrong that being a Rider plays a part in your body breaking down. If it's psychological it would mean that anything Rider related wouldn't play a part. It's just that Tachibana will have self-fulfilling prophecy, thinking about destruction would make it real within himself. Saying the Rider system is not defective would mean that it wouldn't be caused by the belt, but probably something within Tachibana's body (his warning to Kenzaki before was as said before, all his and the cast mistake, he accuses Karasuma and BOARD as the cause but it's not the case) that isn't shown yet, like Hajime bleeding pale green.

Isn't this a part of "plot misleading and lies" where Tachibana's freak out was all for nothing because the true cause of his mortality was something else other than Rider system?

Hirose has a super strength. And at the end, it seems that Blade is the show that features mooks in those armies after the previous Rider series where all the monsters are solo MOTW bosses, without any lackeys (well, possibly lackeys only to the uber powerful final boss, but those standard MOTW packs a punch rather than fodders exist to be mowed down by heroes like Build's Guardians).

Yeah, but, they didn't, like, drag her out of there or anything. They caught up to her and then just poked around the caves for a little bit. It's not like they assumed that venturing outside of their home would get them nearly killed by a monster. I mean, this isn't Kuuga.

There's a non-zero amount of hyperbole when I talk about my enjoyment of Tachibana's Tachibanality. I mea, yeah, I totally hope he gets better as a person. I think him being some meme-generating failure is hilarious now, but I can't imagine it being as fun for another 20-some episodes. (Although, I'd be happy to be proven wrong!) I think they've got to find some way to show new looks at Tachibana, some way to grow his character. I want everyone on a show to evolve.

I was more reacting to her taking personal responsibility for something her dad did for her mom. She wasn't anywhere in that equation, but she's devastated by guilt. I've never felt that way about my family? Granted, I don't think I've got an uncle or whatever who may have freed an army of monsters, but I don't know how much I'd feel like I needed to atone for that if I did.

To be fair, Kenzaki definitely does want to help Tachibana! He's tried on numerous occasions (and in numerous beautiful locations) to get Tachibana to come back to the team, to work with them to figure out what's going, to just open up about what he's doing. Tachibana's the one who keeps running away, threatening Kenzaki, and trying to do everything himself. I feel like Kenzaki would be thrilled to try and figure out a way to help Tachibana, if Tachibana would ask for help.

Unless he was speaking metaphorically (possible!), Karasuma specifically tells Dr Ladyfriend that Tachibana's fear is causing feedback with the Driver, making him go crazy with fear. It's specifically the Rider System that's causing his weird Turning Green And Exploding nightmares. So, yeah, it's all psychological, and it it's all being generated by Tachibana. But it's being amplified by the Rider System.

Yeah, but it a) wasn't around for more than a couple episodes as a premise, b) only really mattered to Tachibana, and c) was a way better solution than what was originally presented. Definitely a best case scenario for a swerve!

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 08

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Hajime splits! Kenzaki fumes! Hirose hides! Tachibana resigns! And Karasuma exposits!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade08a.png

I have an intense fear of flying.

It started years ago, and I'm not even certain why. I flew a lot as a kid, and as a teenager. Trips to California, trips to Florida, trips to Tennessee. A trip to London, even.

And then, one day, it's like my brain just flipped to Terror. A flight was a nightmare, but the anticipation of a flight was a hundred times worse. Just sitting in a chair at a departure gate would make me nearly paralyzed with anxiety. It got to the point where I stopped flying for years. Just avoided it entirely. Flights to Florida, to visit my mom, became multi-day road trips. Short business trips were avoided, begged off with excuses. My life became reoriented around Does Not Fly, some psychological quirk that I knew was solvable, but seemed so unimaginably difficult as to be not worth trying.

And then, one day, I decided I didn't want to live like that anymore. I didn't want my life to be shaped by my fears. I went to my doctor, explained the situation, and got a small batch of anti-anxiety pills. I bought a ticket to visit my mom, and I went. It was still terrifying. The pills helped a little, smoothed some of the edges, but it's not like they turned my brain off. I was still aware that I was doing something that my brain was very adamant that I not do. But I did it. And I've done it since then. Not a lot. I'd still prefer not to fly, if it's a choice. But I haven't let myself be limited by my fear of flying.

All of that is a way of talking about how much I appreciate what the show is doing with Tachibana and, to a lesser extent, Hirose.

Tachibana's story is all about how difficult it can be to overcome fear, how knowing you're afraid doesn't ever keep you from feeling afraid. The solution to his debilitating pain is simple, according to Karasuma: stop being afraid. But that's not something you can just do. It's hard, it's uncertain, it's intensely personal. It's easier to make your peace with your shortcoming, and just think of yourself as unfixable. Tachibana isn't afraid, a state that can be removed or ignored. He's a coward, in the same way he's a certain height or blood type. It's an innate part of him, even if it's only now been discovered and cataloged.

You can't... you can't live like that indefinitely, though. It may allow you a few moments of relief, just giving up on yourself. But eventually you realize that you're not escaping from anxiety, you're indulging in shame. That bargain you made with yourself becomes a prison, a way of resigning yourself to feeling limited, reduced. No matter how much you're afraid of something, there comes a point where the detrimental effects of avoiding that fear become too great. For me, it was getting sick of making excuses for why I wouldn't fly. For Tachibana it may be a rampaging Zebra Monster with hoofprints over its nipples. (Bonkers design!) But there's a point in every fear where you get to decide if you're more comfortable feeling ashamed than you are feeling afraid.

And that's a fight you never really win, can't ever vanquish for good, which is what I like in Hirose's story.

In some ways, it's a retread of the story that led to Kenzaki giving her his But Why Heroism speech, right before he got kidnapped. Hirose feels as though her father's actions are a cloud over her. She can't stop thinking about them, feeling guilty about them. Karasuma tells her that there's no reason for her to feel that way. Her father didn't decide to unseal the Undead on his own. On top of that, they'd've been unsealed eventually anyway, even if he had never been involved. She needs to stop focusing on horrible things that happened in the past, and start concentrating on the good she can do in the present.

It's, like I said, a bit of a retread. (Karasuma gives a little more background, but his advice is the same as Kenzaki's.) But the guilt that Hirose feels, it's like the fear Tachibana feels. They both know it's there, they both know they're the ones making themselves feel this way, and those aren't feelings that can just be banished. It's a struggle, always. Hirose is going through this again, needing that speech again, because she will always feel responsible for what her father did. She ekes out a victory each time she takes those feelings and overcomes them, just like Tachibana hopefully will.

hey also there are riders in this show maybe it would be okay to talk about them real quick

The Chalice/Blade fight at the end is fantastic. Chalice feels the walls closing in around him at home. Amane is angrily (and reasonably!) demanding answers for why Hajime knew that there was a bomb in the restaurant. Haruka is less angry, more nurturing, trying to make him feel comfortable enough to talk if he wants. But he runs, instead. He can't bear the vulnerability necessary to be a human, so he abandons that humanity and whatever hopes went along with it.

Kenzaki has been given a ton of information from Karasuma about the Undead, the battle royale, how the stakes might be nothing less than the fate of humanity. But that isn't what's motivating him. His motivation is Hajime coldly watching him from an observation room window. It's the memories of Chalice, sneering with contempt at the very idea of humanity. It's Hajime being right under their noses this whole time. Chalice isn't a misguided hero, to Kenzaki; he's a world-destroying villain that's been laughing at them the whole time, abusing their trust.

And that's how they meet, zooming past each other on their bikes. Kenzaki, ready to reassert his heroism and work out his rage. Hajime, desperate to forget what he's given up and aching for a fight. There are no recriminations or threats. They just pause, Henshin, and fight. It's a fight that starts at sundown and continues into the night. It's not heroic or villainous. It's just rage. It's another emotion that's always there waiting, if you aren't strong enough to contain it.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade08b.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Garren back in action! Hajime can't control his anger! And late-night Rider Jousts are in season!

That was an exceptionally thoughtful post, Die. Seeing you find so much to take out of a stretch of a show often brushed aside as being rough, or boring, or whatever else people say when they're insisting Blade takes a while to get good, it's been a real joy, as usual.

Which is why doing this shtick is starting to make me feel more than a little guilty, but, hey, it's important to step back and just laugh sometimes, too, right?

Learning Ondul the Easy WEEEEEEI! (#6)

Today's lesson covers a couple different things again, so let's get right to it!

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

I have a feeling this one has a particularly hard time coming across the language barrier, but Chalice getting cut off saying "It's time we (settled this)" is weirdly hilarious. He's doing fairly stock rival dialogue and trying to sound tough, but on top of being interrupted, the two words he manages to get out are smashed together into gibberish (kecchaku wo -> kecchako), severely undercutting his cool factor. I wish I could give a more thorough explanation, but that's really all there is to it. kecchako just sounds funny. Like an embarrassing name for a pet or something. I love it.

https://i.imgur.com/Sl7MvSrl.png

The true Ondul gold in episode 8, however, lies in more melodrama with Dadi, and his further interactions with Karasuma. The latter's "However, I will not apologize" (daga, watashi wa ayamaranai) isn't properly a part of the language, but nonetheless is highly associated with Blade meme culture for the hilarity of it being said directly after Karasuma admits he's at fault for Tachibana's problems, and directly before it becomes apparent he thinks he's being reassuring.

Tachibana himself has a few lines that aren't slurred at all, but seem to be accepted as Ondul on the grounds that they're still wildly over the top in delivery. "Chief!" (shouchou!), and "What the hell do you know!" (omae ni nani ga wakarun da?!) being quotes that see a lot of use.

Aww! Thanks!

Look, this is some heavy shit, but there's a also a moment in this episode when Tachibana wakes up from his fear-induced unconsciousness long enough to croak out "A new Rider?", and it's said with such a specific mix of Oh Thank God Please Take My Belt relief (Mihara, eat your heart out) and groggy confusion that I laughed for about 15 seconds straight.

It is okay to have fun with even the serious ones, and I, as always, appreciate your knowledge and insight.

Yeah ok, you clarify there's a hyperbole, but like I said before, I also wasn't talking about you, but about fandom, was infuriated with this kind of double standard they gives where people like this are given free pass where others aren't.

I was talking about, people merely intervening and helping to solve other's problems, like I said in other reply which is brought out by her, Kenzaki fighting off Undeads even if he's not related nor responsible of their release which is apparently done by BOARD, where she wants to stop the Undeads, though she's not related nor responsible of them which is apparently done by her dad. What if it's just heroism, but for the latter, it happens to be a member of family causing the trouble? Like you said there that you won't feel like that regarding a family member that does that, but probably, from my ramblings before in relatable things; other people probably won't turn into a hero that wants to save others after witnessing a life victim to others, preventing anymore of that.

Ofc he did, the point I was trying to make was how Tachibana thought Kenzaki inadvertently doomed him. He wants to seal the Undead by himself to take a shot of curing his condition, but Kenzaki stopped him, and denied his chance with the Undead being sealed by Chalice instead. Tachibana thought he had to seal the Undead by himself to cure himself, but Kenzaki prevented that, and thought he was doomed with no other Undeads around there. And Kenzaki assuring him that the Undead has been sealed, Tachibana thought Kenzaki didn't understand his problem at all (he thought he had to seal an Undead by himself and Kenzaki prevented that).

It's ok, even it's a broken record in the show itself, as per the video I gave you. TACHIBANA-SAN!! TACHIBANA-SAN!! TACHIBANA-SAN!! .... The broken record is one of the Blade's memes.

Tachibana thought even if Sayoko is his most trusted friend, he won't be convinced until he heard it himself from the very person that told him that..... P̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶t̶c̶h̶e̶d̶ ̶F̶a̶i̶z̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶s̶a̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶s̶k̶i̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶i̶n̶f̶o̶r̶m̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶m̶i̶s̶i̶n̶f̶o̶r̶m̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶K̶e̶i̶t̶a̶r̶o̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶K̶a̶i̶d̶o̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶?̶!̶

Well, with the moral center failing, I'd like to see Tachibana get a bad consequence of this act, as not all the unhealthy coping mechanism many characters in the franchise did, which Tachibana also did, has an actual good effect, despite the audience (in the grimdark trend especially) thinking otherwise (and hailing those moments as cool to do or something). Kotaro's speech is the usual Kamen Rider inspiring part, as per formula in each series. And like others said, even if Tachibana is embarassing to be taught that, it's also a good excuse to teach the audience about this, and that, there are many people like this in reality, the "insufferable assholes" character types, those that are not fully developed. Like what I also talked about in Faiz back then, people who inflicts their pain to others like Keiko did, as a non-child too, and my point was that they're a total wreck of still possessing a childish mentality to do that.

But the writer's point is about Battle Royale as it've been pointed out. Though this also proves the statement of Karasuma that Tachibana's only problem is psychological. Though you're also right that the Rider suit amplifies it (so that's what they meant of the fusion), but it's still safe, it only affects you when you;re in Rider form, giving you more power with those emotions but also potentially destroying you, at least for Tachibana. It's not that Tachibana is running short of his life, it's just that when fighting in Rider form you should let your fears go and you're totally safe.

Blade in distress, but he's back at the end when a monster "freed" him. Again not talking about the Battle Royale? Also for the Chalice stuff, wasn't his story here also deals with Trenchcoat Mastermind that also gives the Battle Royale and scientists gathering data?

And now it’s time for my job.

Gemini Zebra

An Undead with the ability to clone himself.

* Suit: Heart
* Number: 9
* Effect Name: GEMINI
* Card Name: Gemini Zebra (ジェミニ・ゼブラ Jemini Zebura)
* Consumption Points: FP 1400


https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20121110142908

Next time: I finally get to talk about a monster that isn’t a guy in a suit voiced by Toei’s resident Frank Welker and Dee Baker equivalents.

I've just finished a degree in science (go me!), and can confirm, numbers going up is a good thing. Except when it's a bad thing, but that's still science!

EDIT: Oh yeah also a new episode! Yeah, what they do with Tachibana, as much as we laugh at just how inept he is, he has a point. It's easy to say "Oh yeah, just stop being scared", but actually doing that, even when you *know* you're being irrational, isn't easy. Especially when you have the background pressure of 'Battle Royale, fate of the world, etc etc' pressing down hard on you, making you feel like even more of a failure for not getting over your own fear. Oh Tachibana, what a guy.

Congratulations!!!

re: new episode and the ground it's treading WRT fear - there's absolutely a lot to be said for the process of facing fear and anxiety, and that it's not just a matter of Well Get Over It. (Mental health, it's actually a thing, who knew.) Without making either positive or negative commentary as to upcoming episodes, I really appreciate at this point how the narrative around Tachibana's terror is unfolding.

And, you know, the first time I saw this, it was also nice to get some exposition that frame more of the underpinning plot. As much as I love character-driven work, I also enjoy when the (ridiculous? lol) plot-driven aspects of these shows drives some of the action. (Tho, to be fair, Blade's plot at the moment is essentially just an excuse for the animal-themed MOTW to show up in leather and studs and get its ass kicked by the Riders. Not that I am making any commentary whatsoever about how it may or may not affect future episodes.)

I think some of it is also that, by making it purely (or mostly) psychological, it makes what's happening Tachibana's fault, and he'd rather not believe that. It's easier to think that Dr Ladyfriend is wrong than that he's not about to turn green and explode. It's really no different than when she told him there was nothing that came up in her tests and he threw a little tantrum.

The Battle Royale doesn't really get brought up until the next episode. Or, Karasuma spells it all out in the next episode in a way where I got what was going on more.

why does he have hoofprints over his nipples tho

Congrats on your science degree! I hope some part of the curriculum was devoted to how best to communicate rising numbers to a supervisor.

NUMBERS WENT UP A LITTLE: Act interested, but not too interested. Announce the numbers clearly, but not loudly.

NUMBERS WENT UP A MIDDLE AMOUNT: Slight disbelief. Make eye-contact with your supervisor to ask if you should stop the experiment. Brace yourself for a loud answer in the negative.

NUMBERS WENT UP A LOT: Use your Outside Voice. Scream each number, if you can. Declare, at least once, that this shouldn't be possible.

NUMBERS WENT DOWN: Run.

Yeah, I wasn't really looking forward to Karasuma's exposition that much, but I thought the show handled it well. There's some funny stuff from Kotaro, who's just so excited about the possibility of other lifeforms supplanting humanity. Kenzaki, Hirose and Tachibana all get a moment to ask questions and get some of the spotlight. It's a good way to move the show forward and still be entertaining.

I think the real question is why don't more monsters have them?

Because they have modesty, Switchblade! They wear shirts and pants!

Is it modesty, or are they ashamed that they lack nipple hooves?

Kotaro being excited about things in general (even when it sometimes seems like a thing that many people would perhaps not be excited by, like here, because really, Kotaro???) and enthusiastic about what he likes is possibly my favorite thing about him :)

both of these are memes I never knew and of course a meme video I was gonna post got taken down

I just feel like Zebra Monster is making a good case for why zebras shouldn't be the dominant lifeform. Thank goodness Tachibana's there to... I don't know, probably get his ass kicked? He doesn't have a great monster-defeating track record, I guess. But maybe this time!

I love how excited he is to learn something new. Information doesn't have an emotional weight to it with him, it's all positive because it's previously unknown. Karasuma is laying down heavy, troubling info and Kotaro is so excited he can't sit down. It's adorable!

Kotarou's imagination and sense of wonder are just totally undervalued by everyone around him. The guy wants to explore the idea of monkeys ruling the Earth for a second and everyone immediately shuts him down like "Why would you even say something so completely ridiculous and absurd? Please stop interrupting Karasuma's incredibly serious story about the magical ancient trading cards that control the course of human evolution."

Sure, Kotarou can't read the room, but sometimes it seems like nobody else can read what kind of a show they're in. :lol

Spoiler alert for the end of the thread.




Die attempts to marry Tachibana. Is arguably successful.

What some people call poor social skills, I call a lack of imagination. I'm sorry Kotaro is so much more willing to engage with the wonders of the universe, Team Blade. If that's even your real name!

I have possibly dated worse! Tachibana may be a neurotic mess who had one of the most catastrophic disagreements over his employer's health care coverage of all time, but he's still pretty handsome. And, I mean, who doesn't want to help a partner become a better version of themself? Plus, you know he's destined to be a massively popular high school principal and/or weird dude who dispenses Rider powers from a satellite down the line. Either way, Tachibana's going places!

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 09

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Trenchcoat Mastermind abducts Tachibana! Everyone else tries to process their anger and sadness in somewhat healthy ways! It's a barnburner of an episode!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade09a.png

I mean, I enjoyed this episode, don't get me wrong. It's solidly done. There's a lot of attention paid to letting characters figure things out emotionally, in ways that make smaller events seem a lot more epic. I don't ever want to make an episode where Kotaro and Kenzaki value their friendship... I don't want it to feel bad about itself.

But, like, a bit of a snoozer?

The beginning is great, with Chalice and Blade powering up their bikes to have a Rider Joust. It looks amazing, with them not even riding bikes so much as the very forces of nature. And Tachibana decides to do what he does best: distract a monster by getting his ass thoroughly kicked.

I think my favorite point in the episode (or least the part I laughed the hardest at) comes at the end of the Chalice/Blade fight, as Blade gets yelled at by Hirose for wanting to have a meaningless fight with Chalice when he could be saving innocent people. Blade needs to get Chalice to cool it for a minute, and he basically calls for a Time Out? It's adorably sweet, this rage-fueled fight ending with Kenzaki being like This Has Been Fun But I've Got To Split. And Chalice lets him go! (With a cheap shot at the end, but still!)

Everything after that, though... it's fine?

It's just a ton of time telling us stuff we already know about Tachibana. It's important that he's trying to get to the root of his issues, to find some way to become the hero Dr Ladyfriend sees in him, but it's a mostly dull approach. Like, we get to see him explaining his history to Dr Ladyfriend, then we get to see him relive those memories a few scenes later. It's the same information! There are no new details! And, as information goes, it's not even that relevant? It's a minor wrinkle in the stuff Hirose told Kotaro when they were snooping around BOARD's abandoned starter home. He was a researcher who stepped up and became Garren. It's a data point, nothing that made me reconsider what I thought of Tachibana.

It ends up leading to a fight with Trenchcoat Mastermind, who is a peacock I guess? Is that right? It's a cool monster suit, complete with a leather skirt because of course it has a leather skirt. The blue feathers add a nice pop of color without really reducing the menace. It's a neat-looking monster.

The fight is pretty good, despite it being a now-standard Garren Gets His Ass Kicked showdown. There's an interesting moment where all of the sound drops out, and it's just Garren thinking back on his life, how it went. He seems at peace, no longer burdened by his shortcomings or embarrassments. ("Don't worry about me” is, like, his new catchphrase this episode.) It's like, he knows he sucks at being a Rider, he knows this fight is going to kill him, but he isn't afraid of that. He doesn't view his end as wasted potential, he views it as realized potential.

But, of course, he isn't killed by Trenchcoat Mastermind. He's in a green goo bath that is going to fix his fears (I guess?) and probably do wonders for his numbers. They were so low this episode, you guys! It was terrible!

On the other hand, you've got Kotaro and Kenzaki, who are not terrible. Or, they are briefly terrible, then fully synchronized.

It's a little blip, barely a scene, but I liked it. It's just Kotaro getting mad at Kenzaki for not immediately telling Kotaro about Hajime being Chalice, and Kenzaki puffing his chest out before feeling terrible about hurting his friend. He goes after Kotaro, who has meanwhile learned that Hajime has some fans in Amane and Haruka. Kotaro forgives Kenzaki for being less-than-forthcoming, since he couldn't tell his family the truth, either. Hajime's complicated, and they don't really know if they should welcome him into the fold, or kill him on sight.

I really liked that the argument is so mild, and so quickly resolved. It's not given undue weight (this isn't I'll Never Forgive You stuff), but it is something Kenzaki feels bad about. It's a really minor thing in the episode, but I liked what it brought out in Kotaro and Kenzaki.

And, you know, Hajime is complicated! He won't protect Jin, but he will demolish anyone who tries to fight him. Great scene of Hajime having this ice cold rage as he mercilessly takes down some street toughs.

The Jin stuff is good, but it feels a bit like a diversion. Hajime's definitely going to move back in with Haruka and Amane, right? Feels like a good bet. So what's here with Jin is really more about Hajime trying to determine the size and shape of the hollowness in his heart. He doesn't know how to be a human, but he also doesn't know how to stop caring about things like a human. There's a friction there that's grinding him down, forcing him both to lash out and to mourn. It'll be interesting to see where his story goes next.

And, that's sort-of the episode? It felt very transitional, honoring status quo changes while holding off on new developments. Things are going to happen, but not in this episode.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade09b.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Garren is back! Maybe for better, maybe for worse! He's probably still going to be weird, though!

This is part of the reputation Blade has. The early part of the show - up through about episode 14 or so - is considered to be kind of a slow start, sometimes to the show's detriment. A lot of that is in comparison to the later episodes, in particular, where the show is able to cut down on the exposition and focus more on the current events instead of backstory. I don't think these episodes are as dull as they sometimes are said to be, but I think you'll find that the show's pacing does pick up a lot once we get through the end of this current arc.

On an unrelated note, I really love the Peacock's sunglasses. I don't know if I'd go as all-in on the Corey Hart lifestyle, but I would absolutely buy and wear a pair if I could find them.

Here’s today’s monster. I really should come up with a name for this section. Any suggestions?

Fusion Peacock

An immortal creature that is the ancestor of the peacock and belongs to the Category J of Diamond Suit. Attacks enemies with flammable explosive flames and shock waves, and long-distance battles with countless wing-like shuriken Eye Dart (アイダート Ai Dāto). He is also good at swordsmanship with giant swords Sworzer (スウォーザー Suu~ōzā). As a Royal Class Undead, he is more intelligent than standard Undead, being able to assume the human identity of Isaka. His power in human form is telekinesis, as well as summoning fireballs and mass hypnosis he uses to recruit humans to his aid.

* Suit: and Category: https://powerrangers.fandom.com/wiki/Ryu_Higashi
* Effect name: FUSION
* Card name: Fusion Peacock (フュージョン・ピーコック Fūjon Pīkokku)
* Consumption points: EP +2400

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20121110143038

There aren’t any new Undead in the next episode, so I’ll be back in episode 11 to do the first of my two “big posts” that I promised at the end of the last thread, including trivia about a new writer (or rather, an old writer) and fact fuels on not one, not two, but THREE Undead.

I refer to how in the end of the episode, all current Riders are in the same place and fighting each other.

Yeah, I feel that regarding flight, especially that not long after I took a flight, something happens, dunno if talking about that here is plausible that it may string up the fear even worse.

For you thinking that coward is an innate trait, I've also read somewhere where it's stated that, cowardice is also a trait that is shaped. However, there are several inherent traits that are quite similar to, and can be mistaken for brave/cowardly traits, or reckless stupidity/practical reserve. Ex: Someone could have an inherent behavior where they are slow to open up to new experiences, and will carefully consider something before acting. This can be mistaken for either practical reserve (good), or cowardice (bad). Or someone could have an inherent behavior where they act upon an impulse; wanting to dive into things immediately. This can be mistaken for bravery (good), or reckless stupidity (bad). It can be quite confusing tbh, that inherent behaviors and similar learned behaviors can be mistaken for each other. It's unknown if a behavior is “pretending” to be another behavior or not. Nature Vs Nurture. An example of where cowardice is shaped is that, it can be a consequence of resentment, one way to process it. Like abuse at an early age, or a sensitivity in the mind that made a seemingly abusiveness act destructive. There's also the fact that, we brave in some ways, and coward in others, there's also those that feel stuck.

Yeah, for start concentrating on the good she can do, I feel like you conveniently left that part out before as a critical excuse. It's not like asking for a solution to atone to others like Kenzaki before is the part of "concentrating on the good she can do in the present", who gives her the answer, though it won't change, just fixing it by beating Undeads, continuing BOARD's work. But this also reveals that Tachibana's accusation is wrong; Karasuma didn't release the Undeads, in fact he was trying to stop them. Though, did you contradict yourself a bit here? You say above that cowardice is innate but here, Hirose's guilt being like Tachibana's fear, they made themselves feel that way, which means those aren't innate.

One of the reason that I come here to these type of thread is that, I can talk about the non-Rider stuff in the series.

For previous leads, it takes Jaraji for those that Yusuke deems as unforgivable, it takes Ouja for those that Shinji deems as unforgivable. For Kenzaki... it takes a merely standoffish person (for Tachibana, even if he wasn't stated as Kenzaki's first/second friend, it seems that they're that way in the past but something happened in the present) to set him off like that, accusing him as the example of high level Undead Karasuma narrates where they use their "humanity" to trick off others (though Hajime has constantly talked about not associating with humans). Obviously it's not heroic or villainous, but Kenzaki seems to think of it as heroic.

I mean, my Masters Project was on trying to make sure the numbers were high enough for some circles, and me and my supervisor *were* very positive when we got some good numbers, so maybe Blade's science is right all along.

And I know it's early days, but Hajime and Jin is one of those things that I remember really liking from this period of Blade, so I look forwards to you hating it and telling me every way it sucks :P

This is another time where I don't fundamentally disagree with you but I'm going to stick up for the episode anyway. I think when Tachibana's past comes up, they're definitely adding a few details each time. Him being a researcher who became Garren is a pretty throwaway line when Hirose mentions it. Here in this episode, we get to first hear the same thing directly from Tachibana's own mouth, which means in that scene it's more about his tone and attitude as he's bringing it up, a contributing piece to a conversation with Sayoko that's a little more broad in what it's about. The actual flashbacks later on, despite being just a few brief moments, I think have the most impact, with us being shown a notably fresh-faced, eager looking Tachibana that stands in stark contrast to his moodier present self... right before he gets into a fight with Isaka, entirely expecting to die, and downright content with it. They're showing him at a much higher point in his life right before arguably one of his absolute lowest.

Like, I mean, it's not a lot, but I think all these instances have at least a different enough purpose to them to justify their existence. It's definitely more context than you had about Tachibana beforehand, even if it's nothing mind-blowing, which, you know, again, I agree this isn't some absolute banger of a Blade episode.

I Wear My
Sunglasses To Fights

Anyway, yeah, it's not like this episode was an abject failure or anything. It was just a little slower, a little more... methodical, maybe? It was purposely trying to slow stuff down, and while that's great for the pace of a series, it's maybe less great if you're watching an episode some night.

Why does he need mass hypnosis when he's got that sweet coat? Seems unnecessary!

To be clear, I was trying to say that Tachibana considers his cowardice to be innate. He's looking for a reason to give up on himself, and looking at his flaws as unfixable is the way he's doing that. I definitely don't think fear is unbeatable! I tried to be very honest about how overcoming fear is difficult but rewarding.

That for sure sounds like me!

Sure! Like I said earlier, it's not like this episode was a failure for me. It was just a little bit more low-key than I'd've wanted. The Tachibana stuff was, I felt redundant, but it was also maybe a minute of the episode. I'm glad you thought it worked!

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 10

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Tachibana is cured, but at what cost? Hajime is trying to move on, but are his feelings for Haruka and Amane too strong to be denied? Also, Kenzaki appears!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade10a.png

Boy, we are at a point in the show where there's just not much for Kenzaki to do, aren't we? I mean, he's helping out, and he's interacting with the rest of the cast, but he's not really doing anything right now, which feels incredibly strange.

It's not like this episode lacks incident, though. There's obviously a ton of movement on Tachibana's storyline, as well as some cute moments with Hajime, Jin, Amane, and Haruka. But, like, the character in the title is a sidekick in every story, except when he's imperiled.

And, sort-of been this way for a few episodes now? There isn't a lot of momentum to Team Blade, if I'm being honest. I love seeing them all hang out, and I love the way the decision-making feels more democratic than Whatever The Hero Says Goes, but that somewhat lackadaisical approach to monster-fighting means that any plotline that's more emotional, like Chalice or Garren, is naturally going to pull the spotlight.

I assume this is just a minor turn in the story, letting it ebb towards our supporting cast so it can be more powerful when it flows back towards Blade. It's just weird how fully Blade has receded to the background, and how early it's happened in the series. I want to spend more time with Kenzaki! I was just getting to know that kid!

But, again, plenty happens in this episode. It's a pretty good one!

The Tachibana story takes up the most screen time, and it's a very fun, action-heavy story for him. He gets his first W against an Undead, since the premiere, maybe? Or ever? He's been getting his ass kicked so consistently that I was really pulling him for during the second fight with Zebra Monster. (Was this the first time his fight music played? I liked it! A little reminiscent of Justifaiz? A little?) He's so excited to be of value to his team, to have his confidence feel earned. He's been a wreck for so long that it's great to see him happy and complete.

It's all bullshit, though. Everyone knows it. He was a shattered, miserable wreck yesterday, and today he's just totally cured? Just, y'know, don't worry about him, cero miedo, we're all fine here, now, how are you. To my everlasting delight, literally every single character he interacts with on this show knows that he's not beaten any part of his fear. He seems too happy, too convinced of his fearlessness. Dr Ladyfriend seems more worried for him than when he was screaming about exploding. Kotaro, who's known Tachibana for about thirty minutes, immediately calls out how fake he was acting. There's not a minute of the show where we're supposed to think Tachibana's turned a corner. And he loves corners!

There's a metaphor in Tachibana's story with Trenchcoat Mastermind, maybe. I don't a hundred percent have a handle on it. It's maybe something about how medicine is useful, but medicine needs therapy to be most effective. Like, whatever green goo he was submerged in is a crutch, while actually dealing with your fears is like physical therapy. Tachibana's avoided the hard work of self-analysis for a quick fix, and it's going to make trouble for everyone.

Trying to sublimate your feelings rather than actually feeling them is going equally swimmingly for Hajime, who is officially a Kamen Rider thanks to his wacky sidekick, Jin. You can't be a brooding Kamen Rider without a wacky sidekick! I mean, look at Ren from Ryuki, and his wacky sidekick Shinji!

And, man, I do like Jin and Hajime's schtick. (Sorry, AkibaSilver.) Jin is incredibly broad, but since Hajime is almost cartoonishly closed off, it sort-of works? Jin's maybe no one's idea of a great person, but since Hajime despises all of humanity (except for Amane and Haruka), why not confide in Jin? It's like telling your darkest secrets to a dog. The dog can't possibly understand what you're talking about. It's a lower life form. Go ahead and unburden yourself, you know?

Hajime's story is nicely sad right now. He's never cared about anything, so he's never felt the loss of losing something you care about. These ideas were academic to him before, the failings and quirks of a ruined species. Now he's seeing the strength of rage, and the weakness of loss, and every other weird emotion that humanity has to contend with while not falling apart. (Thank you, Kotaro, I see it now.)

It's a pretty strong episode, despite Kenzaki being around mostly to tell Tachibana that he's a fan, and then to get mauled by Trenchcoat Mastermind at the very end. Hopefully we'll get to see Kenzaki a little more in the driver seat sooner rather than later.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/blade/blade10b.png

Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Trenchcoat Mastermind gives Garren more power! Dr Ladyfriend is in danger! Jin and Hajime go for a boat ride! And Blade is only in the very end of the teaser to get punched by Garren jfc show i was literally just talking about this you've got to at least try to meet me halfway here

It's tornado (just the bicycle surrounded by it instead of it spinning like one) vs lightning... And regarding Hajime, would Undead Searcher detect him if the sensor reached him? It doesn't seem so in that fight, it detects the Undead biorythm when it fights. I think, it should be used to prove if Hajime's really an Undead, other than Kenzaki's accusation. BTW how can this stuff (just a fight cease) makes you laugh?

So the issue is if something has no real new details then even if the reveal previously is engaging or good? Yeah as it've been said, Blade is a slow-paced series at the beginning. Dunnoo if the reveal that he's a researcher, which would mean he had scientific abilities, would make it useful later with the intelligence. And there's Sayoko.... refusing a call from someone... even Tachibana reminds her of her job.

Obviously, what do you expect lol? If Garren was getting his ass kicked by a regular Undead, obviously the outcome will be worse if fighting an actual high level Undead, who also beat that Zebra effortlessly. ABC logic! (Zebra beats Garren, Peacock Undead beats Zebra, so obviously Peacock would beat Garren). And for this case, it's probably isn't the case of Tachibana sucked at being a Rider, the other Riders would get their ass kicked against Peacock too.

So even Kotaro can (understandably) snap at someone perceived as his idol, one of the Rider he wanted to write (does he still have that desire? Because Karasuma was his golden chance to gain more information from him). And also, that Kotaro and his family consider Hajime as one of them, did he also know previously that Hajime was a Rider (what I catch is that Kenzaki didn't tell about Hajime's Undead stuff, something that Kotaro nearly spilled on to Kurihara family, the one that finally made Kotaro forgive Kenzaki that he was put in his shoes and is the same as him)? Probably he could also talk about him regarding Rider stuff for him to write. Also a bit of a payback and reverse for Kenzaki, where this time around, Kotaro storms out and ignoring Kenzaki's cries, while previously Kenzaki storms out ignoring Kotaro completely, both regarding Hajime.

Won't protect Jin? Hmm... dunno, it was just that Hajime beat up some thugs previously, then Jin clings to him. And it's not seen yet an actual danger situation, like especially, if an Undead attacks. What we got here is a vague claim where Hajime said he wants to destroy.

I'd care about being proved wrong, but you put Kotaro's best conversation as the image choices, so I can't even be mad that you agree with me. What a wild world we live in.