2004 - Kamen Rider Blade (Series) - Ultimate Riders Review

Kamen Rider Blade, Masked Rider Blade, is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It is the fourteenth installment in the Kamen Rider Series. It aired on TV Asahi from January 25, 2004 to January 23, 2005. It is a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei.

Along with the standard insect motif of the Kamen Rider series, Kamen Rider Blade also uses a playing card motif. Each Rider is assigned one of the suits from a deck of cards. The series catchphrases are "Now, open that power all the way." and "Take the trump card of fate!". Blade was later released on DVD by Toei. There were twelve volumes released with the first eleven having four episodes per DVD and the twelfth volume with five episodes. Ten thousand years ago, a massive battle known as the Battle Royal was fought by fifty-two Undead, each representing a species fighting for dominance over all others. The winner was the Human Undead, known as Category Two of Hearts, giving dominion of the Earth to humanity. In the present day, archaeologists discover the sealed Undead, and accidentally set them free. Thus, a new Battle Royal begins.

Publication Information

Title : Kamen Rider Blade
Japanese : 仮面ライダー剣（ブレイド）
Genre : Tokusatsu
Created by : Shotaro Ishinomori
Written by :
- Shō Aikawa
- Shōji Imai
- Jun'ichi Miyashita
- Toshiki Inoue
Narrated by : Jūrōta Kosugi
Composer(s) : Kazunori Miyake
Country of origin : Japan
No. of episodes : 49
Producer(s) :
- Jun Hikasa
- Saeko Matsuda
- Naomi Takebe
- Takaaki Utsunomiya
Running time : 24-25 minutes (per episode)
Production company(s) : Toei Company
Distributor : Toei Company
Original channel : TV Asahi
Original run : January 25, 2004 – January 23, 2005
Preceded by : Kamen Rider Faiz
Followed by : Kamen Rider Hibiki

Having developed the Rider System, based on the Joker's ability to copy sealed Undead, the organization BOARD (Board Of Archaeological Research Department) equips two young men, who become Kamen Riders: Kazuma Kenzaki and Sakuya Tachibana fight together as Kamen Rider Blade and Kamen Rider Garren to protect humans from Undead and seal them.

Episodes

The Indigo Warrior
The Mysterious Rider
Their Secret
Immortality's Mysteries
The Challenge to the Past
Chalice's True Identity
The Trapped Two
The Revived People
A Fighter's Destiny
The Manipulated Warrior
The Whereabouts of Each
Category Ace
The Golden-Threaded Trap
Ace Sealed!
Fate's Conformer
Leangle's Power
The Evil Belt
Spirits That Manipulate Darkness
One Who Conquers Darkness
The Target is Kotaro
Battles That Feel for Friends
The Escape From Darkness
Who are You?
Mysterious Hunters
A Traitor's Sprint
The Power Which Moves Me
The Trembling Heart
A Dangerous Gamble!?
The Two Chalices
Lost Memories
The 53rd Being
The Destroyer's Secret
The Targeted Kenzaki
Category King
A Dangerous Transformation!?
Strongest Form
Towards a New Destiny
One Who Takes Hold of Destiny
Reunion...Father and Daughter
Parting With the Past
A Desire to Get Stronger
Leangle Revives
Foe or Friend?
Four Cards
The New Card
The Ruler's Seal
Garren Eliminated
Prologue to Destruction
The Eternal Trump

Films

Kamen Rider Blade : Missing Ace
Kamen Rider Blade : Blade vs. Blade
S.I.C. Hero Saga : Masked Rider Blade - Day After Tomorrow
Kamen Rider Blade : New Generation
Drama CD : Kamen Rider Blade - The Whereabout of Trump

Cast

Kazuma Kenzaki / Kamen Rider Blade : Takayuki Tsubaki
Hajime Aikawa / Ryo Mikami ► Kamen Rider Chalice : Ryōji Morimoto
Sakuya Tachibana / Kamen Rider Garen : Kousei Amano
Mutsuki Kamijo / Kamen Rider Leangle : Takahiro Hōjō
Shiori Hirose : Yumi Egawa
Go Kiryu : Nozomu Masuzawa
Kotarō Shirai : Terunosuke Takezai
Haruka Kurihara : Kaori Yamaguchi
Amane Kurihara : Hikari Kajiwara
Nozomi Yamanaka : Arisa Miyazawa
Kei Karasuma : Kazuhiro Yamaji
Sayoko Fukasawa : Urara Awata
Yoshito Hirose : Jyunichi Haruta
Hiroshi Tennoji : Kohji Moritsugu
Isaka : Yasukaze Motomiya
Miyuki Yoshinaga : Mika Hijii
Yazawa : Atsushi Korechika
Takahara : Yasufumi Hayashi
Daichi : Kairi Narita
Noboru Shima : Kazunari Aizawa
Shinmei : Masashi Kagami
Azumi : Mio Fukuzumi
King : Makoto Kamijo
Hikaru Jō : Akane Hamasaki
Kanai : Akira Kubodera
Voice of Rouzer : Takeshi Sasaki
Voice of King Rouzer : Fumihiko Tachiki
Narrator: Jūrōta Kosugi

Songs

Opening themes

Round ZERO~BLADE BRAVE
- Lyrics : Shoko Fujibayashi
- Composition : Katsuya Yoshida
- Arrangement : Akio Kondō
- Artist : Nanase Aikawa
- Episodes : 1-30
ELEMENTS
- Lyrics : Shoko Fujibayashi
- Composition : Miki Fushisue
- Arrangement : RIDER CHIPS & Cher Watanabe
- Artist : RIDER CHIPS featuring Ricky
- Episodes : 31-49

Ending themes

Kakusei
- Lyrics : Shoko Fujibayashi
- Composition : Cher Watanabe
- Arrangement : Akio Kondō
- Artist : Ricky
- Episodes : 2-23
Rebirth
- Lyrics : Shoko Fujibayashi
- Composition : Yukari Aono
- Arrangement : Cher Watanabe
- Artist : Sakuya Tachibana (Kousei Amano)
- Episodes : 23-30, 47
Take it a Try
- Lyrics : Shoko Fujibayashi
- Composition & Arrangement : Cher Watanabe
- Artist : Hajime Aikawa (Ryoji Morimoto)
- Episodes : 31-49