Kamen Rider Blade (2004-2005)
Production: Toei Corporation
By Blue Boy

Introduction

Ages ago there was a battle royal, the prize was simple. To the winner, his or her race would get to rule Earth. There were 52 fighters in this battle, the competition could have gone any way, but the Human Undead came out on top and thus; we became the dominant species on this planet. After each Undead was defeated, they were sealed into cards and hidden away. Skip ahead a few thousand years and you're in the present day when somehow the Undead have been unsealed and the battle for dominance of this planet has begun once again.

Story

Kenzaki Kazuma believes he has an easy life, paying rent, throwing out the trash and sealing away monsters. All that changes when somehow the Undead are let lose and wreck havoc on B.O.A.R.D. HQ. As Kenzuki tries desperately to defeat an Undead, he soon realizes his close friend is no longer his ally.

Eventually Kenzaki takes up residence in a small home with Shirai Kotarou. An aspiring writer who has hopes to one day write about the many adventures of the Kamen Riders, and he also seems to have a milk fetish going for him. He has a sister that he visits often, who has a daughter, who's friends with a man named Aikawa Hajime.

This person just so happens to be a rouge Kamen Rider and Undead, not looking to defeat the Undead nor to help Kenzaki's cause. He's a mysterious character who reveals little about himself. On the outside he's a cold and distant person, but all of that seems to go away when he is around the daughter or Kotarou's sister, Amane. She sees Hajime as a father figure and is perhaps the only reason Hajime fights so hard to keep his humanity.

There is also the case of Kenzaki's old partner and idol, Tachibana Sakuya. For what reason has he turned on Kenzaki and seemingly become a rebel? What does he wish to accomplish and why is he taking such drastic measures to meet these goals?

Review

Kamen Rider Blade isn't what I would call the most groundbreaking series of the franchise, nor would I call it a dud. This was an interesting show and while in hindsight it may have its flaws, as you watch it for the first time, you're captivated by the cast's chemistry and the storylines that this series has going for it.

This show isn't totally over the top serious, it has its fair share of comedy. Though what's different about it here is that, for the most part, it's actually funny. Kamen Rider Blade is the first time I've genuinely laughed at a series in a long while. It did have its off moments in humor, but those were few and far between.

The tension that arose between Hajime and Kenzaku upon discovering that Hajime is an Undead was great. Kenzaki is split between doing his job and doing what he knows to be right. This is a theme that runs throughout the entire series and eventually is the reason for the story ending the way it did.

Not to be overshadowed, the other characters had great exposition as well. Tachibana is a troubled character who fears his own death and goes to extreme measures to stop it, when ironically, his fear is what's causing him to break down. Eventually he comes to the understanding that fear is just another part of life we must all face and overcome. He deals with great loss as well, and very early on in the series. It's hard watching as he loses the one person that he truly loved and was happy with. But that only fuels his passion to make sure that it doesn't happen to anyone else.

Mutsuki is the oddball rider of the series. His story arc seems to have been forgotten half way into the series, only to be picked back up and resolved in two or three episodes. Some feel that his story arc dragged too much for it's own good, and I tend to agree. It's a nicely done arc, but it could have been done so much better. At the end of it you sometimes feel that Mutsuki is just a spoiled kid with no good reasons to be doing what he's doing. Though in the end he comes out as a reliable person and a powerful ally.

Most of the Undead were all great characters as well, they didn't seem like your token "monster of the week" toku monsters. They all had personalities and made you want to cheer for some of them, they aren't all evil. A prominent Undead is in fact a pacifist and wishes only to help Mutsuki understand his power and conquer his own fear. He is just one of the many lively characters we meet in the series and this side of the Undead really help you see that they aren't fighting for evil, but for their right to exist

Conclusion

This series did have it's flaws and was still a fun ride. I do wish some things had played out differently, such as Mutsuki's story arc. It didn't need to be stretched out into nearly 30 episodes, sometimes you couldn't even tell what side he was on, I doubt he even knew himself.

As one of the few second generation Kamen Rider shows I enjoy, this show does a great job of captivating the viewer and really make them take interest in what's going to happen next. There are a great deal of mysteries here as well, eventually they all come to light, but it's fun putting together the details as the series moves along. The true motives of the Undead were great as well, the series didn't seem black and white and you really got to know and care for both sides of the battle.

The ending really threw me for a loop, I had no idea it would happen the way it did. It could have gone so many other ways, better ways, but in the end, I think they made the most natural choice. Kenzaki did what he felt was right and only wanted people to be happy, even if it was at the cost of his own humanity.

Overall this was a memorable series and in the end, you really come to know what the true meaning of a hero is.

Blue Boy