Film

Kamen Rider Blade: Blade vs. Blade

Name: Kamen Rider Blade: Blade vs. Blade
Genre: Action, Comedy, Science Fiction
Released: 2004
Cast: Takayuki Tsubaki, Kousei Amano, Takahiro Hōjō, Ryoji Morimoto, Terunosuke Takezai

An 11-minute comedy special where a fake Blade appears and confuses everyone—literally everyone—into attacking the real one repeatedly. It's a Hyper Battle Video: a format that uses chaos and jokes to demonstrate Rider powers and transformation sequences. Pure fan service for those who love the show's world and characters.

If you liked this

Kamen Rider 555: Paradise Lost2003

Contemporary Rider series with similarly stylish suit design and transformation effects. Shares the same era's sharp action choreography and ensemble cast dynamic. If you loved Blade's world, this runs parallel.

But Tonally darker and more serious than Blade, with less humour. The philosophical bent takes time to develop and can feel remote early on.

Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 20102009

Made specifically to celebrate and cross over with prior Rider series. If you're building a deeper fandom from Blade, this is the love letter that explains what each era brought.

But It's a love letter written for existing fans. Newcomers will find it dizzyingly dense and occasionally incoherent.

Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010 poster

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla1974

Peak tokusatsu: practical monsters, inventive destruction, pure spectacle. Same era DNA as what makes Rider suits and action sing. Shows what the format could do on a film budget.

But It's a Godzilla film, not a Rider story. If you only want Rider content, the tangent will feel distant.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Kamen Rider Blade: Blade vs. Blade

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Shurato1989

Both feature multiple transformation-capable heroes with distinct suit designs fighting a shared enemy. Shurato is what the tokusatsu team-hero template looked like before Rider standardized it.

Obscure 1989 OVA series: three-part Buddhist mythology action epic with transformation sequences, multiple heroes with distinct powers, and suit designs that predate modern Rider aesthetics. Shows where the visual language came from before it crystallized into Kamen Rider form.

But Buddhist mythology and philosophy are front-and-centre. Subtitles only, limited availability. The art style is pre-digital in ways that feel genuinely alienating now.

Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie Wars Ultimatum2012

Lighter, more comedic Rider entry closer in spirit to Blade's tone. Strong ensemble chemistry. Shorter arc if you want something less overwhelming than newer 50-episode series.

But By 2012 standards, it's trying to recapture 2004 formula. Feels nostalgic rather than fresh.

Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie Wars Ultimatum poster

Kamen Rider Agito: Project G42001

Direct predecessor to Blade with overlapping design philosophy. Ensemble cast, mystery-driven plot, stylish action. If Blade hooked you, this is the natural predecessor.

But Slower mystery-box plotting. The payoff is weaker than the buildup. Tonal whiplash between comedy and serious drama.

Infernal Affairs2002

Shares the kinetic action style and Hong Kong sensibility that influenced 2004 Rider series design. Proof that the action language Blade uses has a bigger cinematic heritage.

But Completely different genre and tone. No costumes, no sci-fi, no comedy. Only the action DNA connects.

Redline2009

Both prioritize transformation spectacle and action design over plot. Redline is how you translate Blade's visual joy into an entirely different medium.

A hand-drawn anime with tokusatsu DNA: transformation sequences, colour-saturated action design, and practical-effects-adjacent animation. 102 minutes of pure kinetic joy with zero plot. What Blade's visual excitement would be in 2D animated form.

But No narrative to speak of. The sensory assault can exhaust rather than delight. If you watch for story, this will frustrate you immediately.