Let's Watch Wednesdays Week 2 Kamen Rider Blade 4-6
 

Turn up, and tune in, to Let's Watch Wednesdays @ Tokunation! We're diving right back into the the battles of Kamen Riders Blade, Garren, & Chalice!

BOARD has been annihilated, now Blade and Garren must pick up the pieces as they continue to battle the Undead and keep the Chief alive. Knowing now that it was BOARD higher ups that unsealed the Undead to discover the secret of eternal life, what will the riders do? As the Rider System threatens to take their very lives what else can they do but fight? Even among each other?

This is also your friendly weekly reminder that Tokunation wants to give you free things! The prize for this round of Let's Watch Wednsdays is none other than S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Blade! A secret secondary prize, as well as the method to win both will be kept secret until the final day of this LWW 16 weeks from now! So be sure to post in our weekly discussion thread and stick with us to find out both!

I know next to nothing about Blade. But the description above sounded so badass that I now know what I am doing tonight when I get off work.

I've seen a hand ful of Rider series but Blade pretty much might be in my top 3 already.

Still working on GTAV (nearly done) but it'll take me a day to catch up on these episodes when I am done.

Ah man, After rewatching this..... Tachibana has still kept his spot as my favorite blade rider, with Blade and Chalice tied for 2nd. I think its the fact that i dig crazy badass mofos in toku XD.

This is one of those shows where I don't hate any of the riders, but Tachibana would be my least ranked of them.

Here's what I've got so far in the story from 1-3.

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1380896005
This is Tachibana, AKA Kamen Rider Garren. He is a researcher for BOARD/Humanity's Foundation who was fitted for the Rider System in order to battle to Undead. He's a mentor to Kenzaki, and unfortunately, has a problem where he want's to Hulk out, which I haven't quite figured out...ohhhhh...that's their version of becoming evil...right.

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1380896005
This is Kenzaki, AKA Kamen Rider Blade. So far he screams. A lot. We have learned that he was scouted for the Rider System to assist Tachibana. His family was killed when he was a young boy, and he's got some serious issues. That he has to scream about.

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1380896005
This is Hajime, AKA Kamen Rider Chalice. He speaks the language of the Undead, but why? And why does he have strange urges?

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1380896005
This is Sayoko, a nurse. She was Tachibana's girlfriend in college, and he comes to her for comfort from the haunting visions he has of turning evil.

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1380896005
This is Kotaro, he's an aspiring journalist, who has been researching the Riders, and the appearances of the Undead.

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1380896005
This is Haruka, she's the sister of Kotaro, and owns the Jacaranda Cafe. She lost her husband at an early age.

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1380896005
This is Amane, prerequisite cute kid of the series, and Haruka's daughter.

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1380896005
This is Hirose. She is one of Humanity's Foundation technicians. She managed to survive when BOARD was destroyed. She's attempting to find the Chief.

Next to her is the Chief. For someone in charge, who just had his whole operation destroyed in the first 25 minutes, he's not that good at his job is he? The chief doesn't do a very good impression of Obi Wan Kenobi, does he?

Watching the first three episodes I had a hard time trying to figure out where everyone's place is in the series, moreso for Tachibana and Hajime. Now after I've seen 4-6, it makes more sense since the Chief gives his spiritual synopsis of what the Undead are, and why the Riders exist in their world. It's just started to get interesting, with the shadow organization, and how Kenzaki is having to adapt fast to getting stronger against the Undead.

Chalice is a complete badass. I like his mix of weapon and card system.

Amane though in episode 5 I felt was actually annoying. She didn't need to get herself in the danger she was in, and Kenzaki kind of got his butt kicked for no reason other than to make Tachibana feel better about himself. Got yourself some selfish supporting characters there Blade.

A) The whole hulking out thing represents the way he feels about his body/health, he thinks he's dying due to the rider system.

B):lol at Kenzaki screaming.

C) He also likes milk, a lot.

Amane's actions in episode 5, I felt, was to establish her as Hajime's morality pet.

Doesn't change that it was a stupid ass decision, but she's, like, 8 or something.

Still, is it wrong that I giggle when I see him turning green and exploding?

Yeah, forgot the milk.

Yeah, with two grown adults who (self admittedly in the show) state that they should have known better. I do like the title of "morality pet" for her.

Not really, I thought it was silly too. :lol

Never forget the milk.

That's Amane in a nutshell, by herself she's nothing special, but she's central to Hajime's character.

Amane: The token child analogue character and Hajime's morality pet.

And reverse-pedo.

:lolol

Amane's crush on Hajime never bothered me much, I always saw it as the equivalent of a girl saying she'll marry her father/brother (something which is oddly common on japanese media...)

And given that Hajime was constantly compared to her father that was probably the intention.

That's just squicky...

The japanese are oddly fond of it for whatever reason...

I don't see it as squicky. I've seen little girls have crushes on adult men in real life. It's only really creepy when it's the other way around...

But their family, Matrix. Family.

Not literally. They just consider him family after he started living in their spare room.

Children don't usually know what incest is though. And if they do, there are usually more pressing things to deal with.

OK. I knida get it though. At least she isn't related to Hajime, though.

Ohh you thought that... no, they just live together. :lol
No family ties there.

This conversation took a turn for the weird.

Um...How about that Shuffle Centipede, eh? :lol

Are centipedes a go-to toxic critter for the Japanese? Scolipede, Kademu, and now this.

Scorpions are pretty popular, too.
But I think centipedes are chosen because of their creepiness factor, their incredible number of legs and large pincers make them seem a lot more menacing.

*coffee spit*

I took it more like he reminds her of her father, but yeah, we can go there. It's Japan.

This series really does confirm that every Rider series takes place in a cave at some point. They reeeeally liked their caves and ocean scenes don't they?

Blade really likes it's caves. It even starts on one. :lol

An toku series that makes liberal use of a cave and beach, where they can easily set up effect explosives and other necessary tools without worry of some stranger wandering on set or setting something on fire for an action scene?
Shock of shocks. :p

What's next, a rock quarry?:p

Please, that's as crazy as a toku movie with a scene in the Edo era. :p

Wait, you guys are only at episode 6? Oops, since I'm watching the DVDs now, I watched up to 8 as that is when the second volume ends.

Anyway, these episodes are quire good. I love the designs of the Undead and how the henshin powers work for Blade and Garren. On the other hand, I hate that we have to see Tachibana's vision of him disintegrating a million times an episode. We get it, we don't need to be shown it every time!!

I do like how Kenzaki is starting to realize that Hajime and Chalice might be the same person. Oh, and the Wesker Undead (sorry, don't remember his actual name) is an interesting concept with him having his own private military and scientists. For a country that really cannot have a military (at the time), there sure seem to be a lot of privately owned militaries running around in Japan. Anyway, these episodes are the great start to what is going to be an amazing series.

I remember considering making a drinking game out of Tachibana hulking out then shattering :lol