[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODES 45 + 46

It’s a very plot-heavy section of the series. It’s the final arc, and we are getting a very fast-paced version of Kamen Rider Blade. We get introduced to Cerberus in one episode, he’s defeated by the end of the episode. We get introduced to Tennouji’s evolved form, Elevennouji, and he’s defeated by the end of the episode. Hajime is critically injured, and then he’s fine by the middle of the next episode. Plus we’ve got reveals about what you get for winning Battle Fight (unlimited power, which is kind-of unexciting for a prize), thoughts on if humanity can coexist with the Undead, and some specifics about Kenzaki and Tachibana’s employment that I find mystifying. For two episodes, it’s a whole lot.

Kerberos btw. The Tennoji's evolved form is simply Kerberos II. As the human Undead told, probably Hajime wasn't critically injured (he ran away from Kerberos), but he put himself to sleep here. The battle royale's reward seems to be more about shaping the world, and probably it's there to add up the stakes (it's so dangerous if someone undesired wins the fight like Tennoji or Joker). I want to see the personality of Human Undead, how he behaves, I guess here is what we got.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Like, Tennouji as Tachibana and Kenzaki’s boss. There’s stuff at the end of 46 where they’re refusing to follow his lead, determined to follow their own code.

I feel in this part, the part where what's the meaning of justice was brought up again, after long at the beginning where Tachibana "betrayed" BOARD. This time obviously, from Tennoji using the Riders as his pawn to seal off other Undeads and make Tennoji the winner for a generic goal to rule the world, remake the world in his image. But what happened is the opposite of that part, the Riders just reaffirms their mission, not being tied to BOARD, and that'd include disposing of Tennoji. For a brand-new BOARD, well, throughout the series it wasn't seen much on how the cast does with BOARD (other than reappearing Karasuma), but it seems that the cast still lingers on Karasuma and BOARD up that time. For Tennoji "resigned" from BOARD, it's commonly what happened in plot twist villains, them doing something to hide their status like faking their death, etc. to progress more in silence (until the story reveals their true colors). And yeah, as I said previously in reverse irony with Faiz, Blade is about the Riders originated from evil leader in good organization (Tennoji in BOARD), so Tennoji feels entitled to control every Rider as he found BOARD and created the Rider system.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

So, yeah, Tennouji doesn’t really work for me. Or, uh, didn’t really work for me, since he got offed by Scissors Undead. That twist... I don’t know, it was fine. I appreciate that someone in the cast brought up the possible loophole of all of the Battle Fight stuff, that no one technically has to win, but it was pretty clear Scissors wasn’t just going to wander off to… I mean, what does he do with his days? He’s always skulking around, smirking, watching people from behind trees and corners… shit, why wasn’t Tachibana the one to reach out to him? They’ve got way more in common!

Tennoji was being too dumb to live here, he should've just left the area instead of holding onto Kanai, chanting the Riders to seal him, if he wanted to live and continue his scheme for another day. And let's talk about how Kenzaki (and Tachibana) responds to this situation, he wants to stop the threat, and did so, but as an ideal hero, he won't give any more retribution to those that are powerless for now, he thought about sparing Tennoji, because he's powerless human now, and is seemingly harmless.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

As it is, it’s interesting that it’s Mutsuki who tries to make peace with Scissors Undead, even if it’s a little hard to square. He’s clearly found a well of empathy after defeating the Spider Undead, and he’s seen the possible good in the Undead. (Although, boy, seems like a bit of a stretch to file Tiger Queen under One Of The Good Ones. She was nice to Mutsuki, but she did not love humans!) It just comes off maybe a little too empathetic for me, a Mutsuki who wants to avoid fighting if possible. I got him not knowing if it was safe to be a Rider, a fear of his own power, but this is just a little too caring for him. I don’t know. It didn’t 100% work for me, but it’s not a big deal since the show is mostly bringing it up specifically so it can close that door. Battle Fight has to finish. There will be a victor.

True, Tiger Undead isn't one of the good ones, like exactly you described there, she's only nice to specific person. Which I've seen people to label their favorite characters (like anti-heroes or anti-villains) as purely good based on how they're nice to that specific person and performed good deeds for them, ignoring how he does to others. And Mutsuki here, possibly suggests the best outcome possible to prevent the end of the world, like probably what the audience thinks.... just unseal Shima! He won't do any harm as a living Undead being a pacifist, and Mutsuki has been freed from Spider Undead's brainwashing now, so it's safe without Shima protecting Mutsuki now. Unfortunately the story seems to side with Hajime to label that as naive, even if he doesn't want Joker to be unleashed on the world (which means he shouldn't be the last Undead standing). Dunno if Mutsuki is too empathetic here, without Spider Undead, he's troubled, but the flaw he has aren't mean ones, which are cowardly, insecurity, wanting to prove himself (but not by committing vile things, he feared to use Leangle after he realized he injured innocent people).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Wow, god, feels like I just shit all over this one. I honestly had a good time watching it!

Hmm, I don't think the fights are fun here. For 45 probably yeah, Kerberos being the ultimate Undead, surprassing Joker, which is very advantageous in this series, taking away the only thing that can make a Rider function; the Rouzer cards, and even worse for Undeads, just absorb them. But in 46, this is the usual Rider case of forgetting the abilities? Tennoji as Kerberos II rdidn't even for once use the ability which is the main achilles' heel for pretty much everyone in this series, if Kerberos II is only Kerberos fused with Tennoji in that way (dunno if Kerberos II has new powers). The fight between Tennoji also was so anticlimatic here. For the idea of Undead/Human coexisting, well, it's up to the people to accept it or not, and it's obviously less likely in Undead, probably, the reason Undead attacked humans at the first place in Blade was them being salty that the world was now based on humans, a.k.a, the Undead that sealed all of them and became the winner of battle royale.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Yeah, the villains on this show are pretty bland. There's nothing interesting about any of them, which... I mean, if the villains don't matter in the storytelling, why are they even there? Why waste so much time and energy on them? It's frustrating.

BOARD has to be formed, Undeads have to be unleashed, and the battle royale has to be modified to be different from the past time; in order for things to work for Riders.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Then why didn't it talk before when it was trying to fool the Riders? Seems like it could've come in handy before! It just feels like an additional ability that comes out of nowhere. We never, ever see it talk... until it's able to sound so much like Amane that three-quarters of the Riders are fooled. I don't know, it bothered me.

Dunno if I'm wrong on this one, but probably it does in ep. 43, the part where when others question Kenzaki, he (obviously) claims he's himself in a more cheerful manner than usual, though it's unknown if it's from the poison or disguise...