[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 13

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Uh, BLADE! Kenzaki is back in the spotlight! The hunt for the Category Ace draws Garren deeper into Trenchcoat Mastermind's web! Hajime has a ways yet to fall, emotionally and literally! A monster says "Leangle" a couple of times! All this, and it's Amane's birthday!



Loved it. Loved. It.

This episode did basically everything right for me, and it moved like a goddamn rocket. Every story felt like it was pulling in the same direction, with Kenzaki and Team Blade directing the narrative. Just a top-flight Blade ep, any way you slice it.

The biggest positive change, for me, is how central Kenzaki feels to the story. He doesn't feel like one of several Riders, he feels like this story's Rider. Tachibana and Hajime, they've got their own perspectives and goals, but those are all supporting Kenzaki's story, and their value is in giving Kenzaki something else to react to.

It's like, I don't need everything to literally be about Kenzaki in this show. I don't need him to be in every scene. I don't need scenes without him in it to be Tachibana or Hajime asking "Where's Blade?" But I need the show to understand that, much like exposition doesn't matter unless the characters are invested in it, the other Riders' stories don't matter unless Kenzaki is affected by them. Hajime having an adventure is cute, but the importance of Hajime is to be in conflict with or in partnership with Kenzaki. That's it. That is the entire point of him. Kenzaki is the hub that every single thing in this show needs to radiate out from and feed back into.

For instance, Hajime's story in this one. It's mostly a continuation of his last few episodes, where he clearly aches to return to Amane and Haruka, but he can't admit it to himself. But the value in this installment is how Kenzaki is distrustful of Hajime, but slowly being won over by sadness he harbors. Kenzaki has his bold I'LL Protect Amane And Haruka thing, but Hajime doesn't rise to the bait. He just slinks off. When Kenzaki sees that, and understands that Hajime is actually hurting over being apart from Amane, it creates space in his mind for empathy, for growth. Similarly, Kenzaki's vow to protect innocent people like Amane and Haruka shakes Hajime out of his brooding and isolation, makes him try to prevent Garren from obtaining the Category Ace. Hajime's story ceases to be a separate thing, and becomes a Blade story.

Tachibana's got the same thing going on. All of the Tachibana stuff in this episode, all of the new information, is framed as a threat that Team Blade has to resolve. It's not about what Tachibana's going to do next, it's about what Team Blade is going to do about Tachibana. It's, again, spinning out from what Kenzaki wants to do, and treating the consequences as a Team Blade responsibility.

(That said, not thrilled with Tachibana's psychological instability and win-at-all-costs rage being because of, basically, prehistoric CBD oil. It's exactly what I was glad the original My Belt Is Killing Me plot avoided, where what's happening to Tachibana ceases to be his responsibility. Like, Trenchcoat Mastermind never gives him a choice, he just abducts Tachibana, juices him up, and then sends him out in the world. There's no informed consent by Tachibana, no personal responsibility. He's just a victim, and I find that a little dull. I mean, it's fine, it makes more sense than him just being a fight-obsessed lunatic all of a sudden, but it doesn't really mean anything, thematically. Not as interesting to me.)

So, yeah, the character balance is dead-on in this episode, and not just for the Riders.

The supporting cast all get little moments to add to the drama, or the humor. Dr Ladyfriend gets to hide her fear in order to try and save Tachibana. (Although, if he left that puzzle piece behind for her, he might be too far gone to be saved!) Kotaro gets to accidentally (?) pine for Hirose, until Kenzaki reunites him with his one true love: dozens of bottles of milk. Amane gets to withstand the rarely-displayed but always-welcome Kenzaki Forgetfulness, where he both forgets about her birthday party and forgets to get her a gift. (That "Next Time" note! It only would've been worse if he'd given her a bottle of milk!)

God, even Trenchcoat Mastermind had some interesting points in this one! Specifically, I'm really intrigued by how... humane he is? He threatens Dr Ladyfriend, when he could've killed her outright. Shit, he barely does more than frighten her! And, when the Category Ace test subjects all come up negative, he tells the scientist to wipe their memories and set them free. Like, he tosses them back. What mad scientist/immortal monster has ever been this decent?! It's really fascinating to me. I'm super curious about what this dude's deal is, what he's after, and why he's been so keen to avoid needless bloodshed.

Also, a pretty dynamic episode, effects-wise. Some new effects for when Garren and Blade use three cards to do a finisher now. I really like the beginning portion of that new sequence. I like the zoom-in on the cards, how the monsters animate. The way the Riders are framed with three cards lined up behind them, that looks appropriately heroic. It feels like a finishing move, you know? There's a finality to it that makes Blade and Garren feel more powerful.

The actual moves... not as into Garren's (he duplicates and one of the dupes gets a Rider Kick in on the opponent), but I love the lit-up spade in Blade's bootprint. Love it. The missing component of a very cool Rider Kick.

This episode was a blast. The fights were great (Chalice versus Blade did not disappoint), everyone had something to do, and it really felt like an episode of Kamen Rider Blade again. Very into this show!



Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Amane and Haruka at the mercy of Spider Monster! Dr Ladyfriend tries to appeal to Tachibana's humanity for the eleven-hundredth time! Garren faces Trenchcoat Mastermind! And Blade shouts TACHIBANA-SAN and then gets hit by Garren! The golden age of Blade is back!