i love blade.

As of this review, Blade is 20 days away from it's 20th anniversary! What better way to spend it than to watch the series...? :D

From start to finish, Blade features a cast that feels genuine, compelling world-building, cool card-based suits, a main character you sympathize and want to root for, emotionally devastating scenes, and it's pretty funny! Also, Blade has 2 banger openings.

Blade had multiple writers until the latter half of the series, so some minor concepts end up getting discarded / never mentioned again, but I don't think this takes away from the overwall cohesiveness of the plot. Some people may tell you that Blade has some strange pacing in the first half of the series, but I really enjoyed the whimsy, mystery and conflicts of the 1st half. The first half tends to focus on plots that usually last 2 episodes, while the latter half has plots that span multiple episodes to the end. Though the first half of the series does a good job of building up the characters and setting the scene, the latter half has a tone shift that's bit more serious and showcases a clear goal in mind.

Despite this, I think Blade's biggest charm is that sometimes, it tends to take itself too seriously to the point that it's unserious, (onduru memes.) as well as the flawed yet genuine cast. Though I don't agree with some of the actions taken, the characters are given limited knowledge that leads them to act the way they do, VS. us viewers who are omniscient. They feel real to me and I really love the cast!

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and here's my butchered descriptions of the reoccuring blade cast.

Kenzaki is a beautiful, lovely, golden retriever boyfriend protagonist, whose kindness and love for humanity brings me to tears whenever I think of him. This is Kenzaki Kazuma, he's a kamen rider and he's your next BOYFRIEND!!
Tachibana's disparity of being a well-respected senior to the blade characters, but being a pathetic sopping wet cardboard box of a man who has some of the worst months of his life to us viewers, is pretty funny.
Hajime's development throughout the series as he opens his heart to the Kuriharas (and Kenzaki) is heartwarming, yet heartwrenching. To be loved is to be changed. I love this guy so much.
Mutsuki is a teenager. He is definitely a teenager going through stuff in emo teen ways.
The trio of Kenzaki, Shiori and Koutarou are so enjoyable and I love seeing how much they balance each other out and how each character plays into each other... Friendship trio!!
(Koutarou is the true heroine of Blade and Shiori is the best friend that acts as an anchor. I believe this with all my heart.)
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Come for Kamen Rider and stay for blossoming relationship between Kenzaki and Hajime across 49 episodes with some 20-something episodes of slow-burn.

♠️(OWO)♠️ ♦️(OMO)♦️ ♥️(<::V::>)♥️ ♣️(OHO) ♣️
if you saw me write this review a 2nd time no you didn't.

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