Nine Worlds Saga – Part 2 of 3
The second part of my Nine Worlds review. This is the last three arcs that Sho Aikawa wrote before a bunch of writers will take over.
This is Blade’s World in which BOARD looks like a corporate company and the Riders are being paid well… really well. Like any other corporate company, they have this ranking system, but since this is Blade we are talking about, its based on three card suites, namely, Spade, Diamond and Clubs. No Hearts. This really makes sense at first, I mean, there is no Rider System that corresponds with the Heart since the Joker Undead is using the Ace of Hearts. Before a Rider will face an Undead, he needs an authorization from BOARD’s higher ups. Enter Kazuma Kendate, one of BOARD’s top employees, and is currently on the Ace position, the highest on their ranking system.
Kendate is the complete opposite of Kenzaki, he is the type of person that you can say, “not heroic” he is proud, arrogant and thinks he is the best there is… until Tsukasa shattered it for him. Ouch. This arc focuses more on the deconstruction of Kazuma Kendate, which is good in my opinion since hey, it contrasted Kenzaki’s development. From the one who is always looking up in Tachibana from the one who will save the world from the near apocalypse. In Kendate’s case, he was BOARD’s best Rider, receives a really high pay, and he is like living in heaven and slowly, it is taken away from here, one by one until he reached the lowest rank in the chart, 2.
There are two things in this episode that I really liked, first is Chalice getting, no GRABBING the rider Belts from the waist of the Riders. Heck, it’s an idea that I wish will happen in the original series since the belts are simply a buckle and the strap will just appear. Another thing that I liked in this arc is the other way in becoming a Joker Undead.
To those who remembered Blade, if you continually abuse the Rider System by becoming King Form frequently, the Undead DNA will mix with human DNA making the user an Undead. Since the Rider System was based on the Joker Undead’s ability to transform into any Undead it likes once it slashes its card on its belt. In Blade’s World, since it is physically impossible to wear all three Rider Systems, AU Hajime devised a way on abusing the Rider System, and it’s good. However, because of this, it created a certain plothole.
If the Rider System was based on the Joker Undead, AU Hajime wants to become a Joker, and it was mentioned that the Joker Undead never existed, then, how the Rider System came into existence?
Another plothole in this arc is that Decade while wielding FFR’ed Blade was able to kill, I repeat, kill the Paradoxa Undead and Joker Undead. In Blade, it is impossible to kill an Undead, except if it belongs to the Trail Series. Thus, this is the second time this arc has holes.
Overall, this is the first time I saw holes in Sho Aikawa’s writing and the first time I noticed the weakness of the standard two-episode arc. I mean, this arc has a lot of explaining to do! This arc is mediocre.
Next, Faiz’s World, in this world, Smart Brain is not a company but a high school! In addition, AU Faiz is a teenager with an attitude that is quite similar in terms of nerd levels with Billy Cranston of MMPR. AU Faiz protects Smart Brain High School from Orphnochs.
About Smart Brain being a high school and not a company, I was surprised. I mean, it gave an impression that the Faiz Gear is a science project by some student. And was rejected by his/her teacher since instead of transforming into a firefly that is crossed with a shark, the phone only says “Error” thus he throws it away and AU Takumi picks it up and finds out he can transform into Faiz… it was later revealed that the Smart Brain Gears are found inside the campus.
In this arc, we are introduced to Kaito Daiki, a thief, I think the preferred term is “Treasure Hunter” and he wants Takumi’s Faiz Gear. My first impression on Kaito was he just placed there so that we have a secondary Rider. Wait, is that AU Kuuga’s role in this show? Oh, I forgot, he is more useful as Yusuke Onodera. In DiEnd’s design, it felt like its design was rushed so that the show would complete the CYMK color scheme theme in this show.
On his ability to summon Riders, I find it cool. However, his other cards, I find it stupid. DiEnd’s other cards where made not for fighting but for running away and surveillance thus making the system not balanced with Decade’s god-modding capabilities.
About AU Takumi, like the previous Riders before him, he is the exact opposite of the nekojita named Takumi Inui. I only briefly watched 555 but I can confidently say this, he is shy, but he has this same spirit like that of the original. Based on the last episode that I watched, Takumi was determined to help Mari’s dream to see her father again. While in AU Takumi’s case, he wants Yuri to have her dream to have her photos being displayed on a gallery.
As for the plot of this arc, it felt like a fuse of a classic school love story with a little twist, which is common in anime. Instead of having a vampire for a lead character, we have a werewolf. AU Lucky Clover, were the school bullies, the stars of the Smart Brain High… based on my research about Lucky Clover, the roles of their AU counterpart fits.
Take note, this is the last arc in which Narutaki made a full impact on an episode since Kaito will start trolling after this and Narutaki doesn’t want to interfere with his trolling. After this, Narutaki will only appear on-screen just to rant, and say, “This is Decade’s Fault!” or if you want to be a weeboo, “ONERE DIKEIDO!”
Overall, the arc has a common plot but this arc is worthwhile watch.
The last of Sho Aikawa’s writing, Agito’s World, this world is quite similar to Kuuga’s World and the police are still fighting the Grongi Tribe with the overpowered G3-X System, thus confirming the theory that the G3-X System is overkill once it will fight a bunch of Grongis. One of the things that I find funny in this arc is that G3-X’s User has Hikawa’s clumsiness! However, unlike Hikawa who is clumsy outside the battlefield, this G3-X User is clumsy at the battlefield!
One of the things that I loved about this arc is that it’s like the later episodes on Agito, except that the Unknowns are not yet introduced and Agito is quite discreet, just like the early episodes where he never speaks!
Another thing that I liked about this episode is that Kuuga is using the G3-X System. To those who remembered Agito or watched the net movies, G3 was based on Kuuga, so if Kuuga will weat this system would felt like Kuuga is wearing something that he was based upon. This is one of the fun parts of this arc.
This arc is easily concluded as Yusuke Onodera’s arc. In this arc, we saw Yusuke is ready to stop his journey in this world since he saw his “Ane-san.” The arc tested Yusuke not as Kuuga but as Yusuke. This is the arc we see more of Yusuke as a main character in this series and not as a minor supporting character. Sure, this arc is not titled as “Kuuga’s World” but this arc defined him as a character.
After this arc, Yusuke will become regular minor comic relief character, kinda like Tristan Taylor of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series.
About AU Shouichi, unlike the original Shouchi who is an amnesiac that loves planting vegetables and cooks some odd dishes, AU Shouichi is once part of MPD SAUL, is the user of the G3 System with Yashiro creating the system, and supports Shouichi. Until one day, he evolved into Exceed Gills and later, Agito. This scenario kinda reminded me of an episode in Agito in which an Unknown asked Hikawa why he is fighting against them.
In addition, this scenario emphasizes the evolution of Agito that is one of the main themes of the said series, human evolution, and the Overlord of Darkness does not want his creation to reach the next level. The Unknowns here in Agito’s World felt like they are not doing their job well since they only target one Agito who is still Exceed Gills before he reaches his final evolution stage. But I think it would be better if they used Another Agito since it looked like a “dirty Agito.” But since the writer wants to emphasized the three main Riders of the show, we have no choice.
AU Shouichi has this same spirit like that of the original. He is running away since he does not want the ones he loves to be harmed while the original Shouichi is looking for answers on why his sister died. It is similar to the original Shouichi who does not have a home until Mana’s family decided to take care of him and give him a home. In this arc, it concluded with Shouichi being back to the place where he belongs.
Overall, one of the best yet underrated arcs in this show.
Next up Sho Aikawa leaves and a bunch of writers will handle the last three arcs of this saga. Den-O, Kabuto and Hibiki is next!