[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 44

This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Anyone could be an Undead! Hajime might be a lost cause! And Tennouji sits in a dark room staring at a sculpture and I guess I'm supposed to be impressed or something!



I'm not, incidentally. I don't have any feelings about Tennouji at all. He's just another in a seemingly uninterrupted string of boring Blade villains. I haven't started thinking about the Series Recap post yet (well, I think I know what I feel like the series is about, thematically), but one of the big flaws of this show is basically zero compelling villains. There've been a couple good one-offs (Meet-Cute had a neat arc), but Trenchcoat Mastermind, U.N.D.A.D., and Tennouji are all huge snoozes for me. (Leangle is... I'm not sure if I'd put him in as a series villain, but you maybe could. Even still, he's only half compelling?) I don't care about his scheme, and I don't care for his dumb aesthetic at all. I'm more interested in the Sealing Stone than I am Tennouji.

But, y'know, Tennouji isn't really a big deal in this episode. (He's only ever in his tiny room staring at the Sealing Stone.) He doesn't interact with any named characters, and his plan is basically up to Titan to execute. Honestly, I'm not sure what even is a big deal in this episode? It's got some fun character moments, and there's a bit at the end that's super duper relevant for the endgame, but... yeah, just a fun episode with some really enjoyable character work, and not a whole lot else.

It is fun, though. Hajime acting as Kenzaki's shadow, all the Riders getting more and more annoyed at each other, it's some fun irritation running through the first half of this episode. It's nice to build the story of this one around how shallowly their various insecurities and resentments are buried. It doesn't take a lot for Kenzaki to lose his temper at Hajime's suspicion, or for Tachibana to let his unearned feelings of superiority cause friction with Mutsuki. These men are at their most cohesive, and they are still this close to brawling.

The second half is where it really comes together, at least for me. Like, the first half lost a step because I thought it was fairly obvious what was going on, and the show hadn't made the reveal yet. (Not that I thought the characters would've figured it out, but I thought the show would've revealed it to the viewers already.) So it was definitely some waiting for the other shoe to finally drop. Once it did, it made for some very enjoyable character work, as everyone has to be their most Themselves to convince the rest that they aren't an Undead in disguise. (Weird rules for Titan's disguises, though. I don't think it ever says anything when it's impersonating a Rider, which would be its weakness, but then it gives a whole little speech when it pretends to be Amane? So that one time it could or would talk?) Kenzaki gets away with just showing his injury, so we're robbed of what attribute of his the show would've highlighted. (I would've gone with Kenzaki forgetting everyone's birthdays.) Mutsuki and Tachibana both get super morose and self-pitying, which immediately, hilariously, establishes them as the real deal. Hajime starts convulsing and bolts for the door, which, yeah, that's Hajime all right!

So, it seemed like this episode was going to deal with Hajime's barely-suppressed Joker side, at least based on the previous Next Time trailer. But, ha ha, that was all a narratively-appropriate ruse, with Hajime pretending to be the Joker in order to draw out Titan. (I have no idea how long it would've taken Hajime to text that convoluted plan to the other Riders on an old-school flip phone. An hour? Two?) From there it's a big ol' Rider team-up, with a goddamn FOUR OF A KIND finish from Blade, all four Riders contributing to make that victory possible. It's a great beat for the story to end on, them all working in unison to defeat one of their toughest opponents yet. It's a solid, optimistic ending.

Except, it isn't. Tachibana, the doomscrolling that walks like a man, realizes that with only one Undead left besides the Joker, it is time to seal Hajime. They can't take care of that last Undead as long as Hajime exists, or it's the end of the world. Just as all four of them are working as one, it's time to seal Hajime.




Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Kenzaki is broke! Mutsuki wonders if humans and monsters can live in peace together, but Hajime tells him that this isn't Faiz! And I try and do two episodes tomorrow since I'm going to be booked on Sunday!