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

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

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

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

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

Which, working backwards:

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

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

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

Aaaaand Save Image As. Thanks!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I assume you mean this?

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

「だが、人の過ちを正せるのは、同じ人だけだ」

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

:lol

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