Waking up from another dream, I open my wet eyelids
I curse my helplessness from those far days which dreadfully remain
Will this despair that burns my body feed me someday?
I keep burning myself from it as I crave adoration
Your eyes with glittering stars in them
All dried up, poor thing, a lack of love?
A dazzling light that saves all from loneliness
Is this shadow that falls only on me because of you?
You have given me a fatal flaw
Selfish giant star, ruined lives
Please, let me hear your voice
Even these tangled and twisted wounds
You're the only one who gave them to me
Please, keep your eyes on me
I'll weaponize even the pain carved by fate
So that it can light the regrets from sometime
Without you, I cannot live anymore
I would sacrifice anything for you
I can't get enough of your love
What should I use to fill in what's missing?
Fatal, fatal, fatal love
Fatal, fatal, fatal I
Fatal, fatal, fatal sorrow
Keep your eyes on me, my dearest fatale!
My dearest fatale
There was once a great war.
Renowned warriors, with their own convictions
and ambitions in their hearts, continued to fight,
but the conflict saw no victor.
The 21 swords that would decide the fate of
the world were scattered across the Far East.
This story begins with a certain man
obtaining a single sword.
Blade
Tsurugi
Kizami
Monme
Touki
Princess Saya
Tokyo Blade
Stage Play
I'm a traveler!
Please spare me some water!
Hey!
Huh? There's no one around?
Hm? A sword?
What in the world?
It's glowing...
Hey! Who the hell are you?!
Identify yourself first.
I'm Tsurugi-sama, one of the swordmasters!
Abandon that oath sword and scram
or do battle with me - the choice is yers!
This here...
is my sword.
Ya damn fool!
You'll regret this down in hell!
What's an oath sword anyway?!
You don't know a damn thing, do ya?!
I'll fill ya in before I send ya to the afterlife.
Oath swords are no ordinary blades.
Those who wield 'em are granted a range of powers.
The one acknowledged as strongest by all of
the oath swords will take possession of the country.
Nation
Seizing
They'll gain the power of "nation-seizing"!
Enough power to snatch Japan, eh?
I like the sound of that.
I've always wanted to be a king, you know!
I'll become the strongest of all...
and the ruler of this country!
Get real!
O-ouch...
No, don't!
I ain't ready to die yet!
Then, will you admit I'm stronger?
I admit it! Yer stronger than me!
So, Shinjuku is up ahead?
Yep, the underground dungeon's
a battlefield of rival warlords.
One of 'em, Kizami, is a cut above the rest -
beat 'im, and Shinjuku's all yers.
Hmm...
You didn't wanna become the ruler yourself?
Well, that's life.
When you get defeated in a battle of swordmasters,
you either offer up yer life or serve under the victor.
Besides, once ya become king,
go on and make me a minister!
If you do, I, Tsurugi, will carve a path to the throne for ya!
Shinjuku
Hyaa!
Say your prayers!
You first!
Way to go!
Blade, ya did it!
Kizami!
Dammit, you guys are tough.
If I falter here, I'll never get close to being king, right?
Hey, would you let us join you?
When you're king, grant me
the position of general, okay?!
We weren't down underground by choice.
Those damn Shibuya oni drove us there.
They're in a different league than your usual oni.
Looks like we've got our next objective.
We'll now vanquish those Shibuya oni.
Blade...
End
of
Act 1
Act 2
to
Follow
Stage Play
That was Act 1.
Act 2 depicts the confrontation between the Shinjuku
Faction, which has been unified under Blade,
and the Shibuya Faction, a band of oni that joined forces.
And it...
begins with a fight between these two.
You've turned traitor?!
I've... been an oni of Princess Saya-led
Shibuya from the start.
Is there really no other way? Must we fight?
I had this sword forced on me by my parents...
and found myself caught up in this war.
Sakuya Kamoshida.
He's a popular performer who's
heavily utilized in 2.5D plays.
Sakuya
Kamoshida
Monme in
Tokyo Blade
Usually, he's a frivolous womanizer.
But, he's an excellent actor.
I... don't wish to do battle.
Please flee. That way, we can
get out of this without fighting.
I beg you. Please just run away. Get out of here.
Please... Hurry... Quickly now...
Though his personality is the polar opposite of his
character, he's reenacting the manga to perfection.
Get lost!
And his acting ability's more than adequate.
Damn it all...
Shinjuku
Increase the effects volume a bit more.
On it!
How is that?
Okay!
Let's check your stage positions.
Yes, sir!
Introducing Kamoshida-kun to us was a big help.
He's a good actor.
I'm glad he's been to your liking.
Though, since you engaged the services of Lala Lai,
I thought you were shooting for
a play not bound by 2.5D rules.
That's a goal of mine, of course.
I want new spectators to become fans of theater
in general rather than just 2.5D plays.
So, you see...
If we aim to preserve the existing rules while also
judiciously breaking them, wouldn't that be perfect?
That's why we went with Lala Lai. But, sure enough,
Kamoshida-kun's nothing short of remarkable.
Even within the field of 2.5D, he has
a high level of respect for the source material.
He also has loads of know-how for
bringing 2.5D characters to life.
No one could serve as a better model than him.
Even all the Lala Lai members were quick
to realize they had lots to learn from him,
and they sucked up the ins and outs
of 2.5D plays like sponges.
Glad to hear it. Acting as
a go-between was worth my while.
Arima-kun and Aqua-kun are top-notch, too.
So, while I trust your casting choices, Kaburagi-san...
that guy was the only one I didn't really get.
Kizami
It's not like he's that well-known, and his acting skills
aren't up to snuff when he's alongside veterans.
It's questionable whether he even
scrapes by with a passing grade...
I saw him act in Sweet Today, and to be honest,
I thought he was unfit for the play.
But he got the part because
you pushed hard for him, right?
Why'd you do it?
Do you sense some talent in him?
Not really. It's just a personal thing.
A personal thing...?
That's the way of the world, isn't it?
If there's an empty seat, you thrust
the kid you favor into it.
He's got good looks and a good voice.
As far as acting, it's fine if he gets better over time.
Please don't use other people's plays
as a training ground, okay?
No, no, I only pushed for him since
I thought he'd grow on you, too.
I mean, don't you also like his type?
Kids who work their tails off, that is.
I won't be defeated, you swine!
See? He's not the same guy he was during Sweet Today.
You won't be defeated?
He's approaching acting for all he's worth.
To think I'd be underestimated by
the likes of someone from Shinjuku...
Deadly Destiny
Kids like him, you see, are the ones who leave their mark.
Torrent
My body...!
Besides, whether or not his casting was a mistake
is something she'll surely be the judge of.
What'd you do, you bastard?!
This is my oath sword.
This's the power of Deadly Destiny Torrent.
The person watching him with the most critical eyes
in the world is here with us today.
After starting middle school,
a 3rd-year senpai had her way with me.
Senpai
I'm almost there.
Ring the doorbell.
Got it.
I had a great time today.
Come over again sometime.
That's when I realized I was a popular guy.
Even if I didn't say a word, people were drawn to me.
If I fell for a girl, she'd be the one to say she liked me.
If I teased some odd kid, I'd get lots of laughs.
And I thought I was funny when I was doing the teasing.
Even if I winged it, things still generally went well for me.
Management Department
Sonic Stage
Sonic Stage?
People had high expectations for me,
I had no money, and part-time jobs were a drag.
Wow, they're a major player!
You're going into showbiz, Melt?!
You might end up dating Frill Shiranui before long!
"Well, I'll just wing it." That was my thinking...
Oh my god!
In the showdown between these two in the manga,
Kizami exuded an aura of strength.
But, there's no sense of strength in his acting.
Against me, you won't walk away unscathed!
Why...
would they use a poor actor for a work
someone poured their soul into creating?
For real, his acting's little better than an amateur's.
Do I need to bring my level down to his?
It's the small fries that roar the loudest!
What a pain. Seriously, buzz off.
You damn trash actor, never working for it
and just getting jobs with your looks!
I get it.
I know I'm an awful actor.
I've known ever since I saw that performance.
And that those around me were bringing
their acting down to my level.
And that it ruined the show.
Hey, so...
do you get enjoyment out of making that face?
My acting... was that crappy?
Wouldn't it have been different?
If I'd approached it seriously from the start...
the show would've been...
much better.
You know, you've got some surprising stamina.
The teacher I'm doing lessons with...
said actors first of all need good stamina.
So, I've been going running every day.
I've been at it since Sweet Today ended.
Hmm?
In the name of Princess Saya, I'll slay oni like you.
Considering how physical this is,
he's not very out of breath.
Slay me? Don't make me laugh!
You're a sham swordmaster who
can't draw out the true power of that oath sword!
Apparently, he rehearsed more than I thought...
But, take a look... See the audience's reaction?
You have no right to wield that blade!
That guy playing Kizami is a bit...
"The true power"... you say?
Yeah.
He's not that good.
I'll kill you, and we'll claim the Heavenly Maiden
of Paradise for our Shibuya Faction!
See?
The audience thinks...
you suck big time.
Isn't it fine, though? So what if they think you're lousy?
Huh?
What kinda advice is that?!
I had to swallow my pride to ask!
Couldn't you answer more seriously?!
If another production ends up
being bad because of me...
I wasn't trying to brush you off.
I'm telling you to make good use of being lousy.
What...?
As if I could actually-
You can.
Your biggest highlight is your showdown with Monme.
You can use the month we have
for rehearsals however you like,
but trying to improve all around
would be a pointless exercise.
In which case, wouldn't your chances of success
be better if you poured your all into one thing?
If the audience is underestimating you,
that also means their guard is down.
This is one of the basics
of entertainment, so remember it.
Take, for example, a kid in class who gets bullied...
Or a plain girl with glasses who never stood out...
Or an otaku thought to have no redeeming qualities...
Or an actor who was looked down on as being awful...
If they start doing something
totally awesome out of the blue...
it'd be crazy exciting.
That just now...!
Right?!
It's just like the manga!
A-amazing! Simply amazing!
I never drew it with the belief it could actually be done!
So to think he did it just like the manga...!
He really brought the manga to life!
Did you give him that idea?
Not really.
I just told him that even if his acting's poor,
he should make good use of that fact.
It's thanks to his effort he was able to pull if off.
When people are surprised, they're easily moved.
It's human instinct for one's ability to gather information
to kick into gear when something unexpected happens.
The audience will try to read far
more meaning into his acting going forward.
If he's gonna strike, now's the time.
You've picked up strange street performance-like tricks...
You're off-point!
Acting is what the audience is after!
If you can't do that, there's no point!
In this scene, having been defeated when I encountered
my first strong enemy, I now face him with sheer guts!
This right here is my...
biggest show-off scene!
Kizami.
Watch and learn a bit longer.
Yes, sir.
The road's closed, Blade!
If you want past, your head stays here!
This's getting exciting!
Go on ahead, Blade!
We'll handle things here!
Despite taking lessons for the past six months,
Kizami! Go and settle things with Monme!
I'm on it!
these actors are still way out of my league.
I'll protect Princess Saya!
This lineup brings back memories, eh?
They have a good grasp of their characters' feelings.
Monme!
I never thought you'd make it this far, Kizami-san.
And they project strong emotions like it's no big deal.
After all, you're weaker than me.
It's true that I'm weak. But I've come
this far because I don't stand alone!
It's time to settle this, Monme!
Just reading the script, trying to sound believable...
Try all you want, but it'll end the same way.
won't cut it.
We weren't down underground by choice.
I wonder how Touki feels about Princess Saya...
Adoration? Affection? Something more complicated...?
You're examining characters besides your own now?
Doing that's important!
Besides, the feelings directed at someone
play a role in shaping their personality!
The issue is I'm dumb. I can't examine
things the way Kurokawa does.
The character of Kizami... What kind of person is he?
What is
he feeling?
I don't have more than a vague idea.
What kind of person are you?
You got thrashed by an opponent you underestimated.
And you struggled shamefully
as you were met with defeat.
Talk about lame.
Why do you have such...
a miserable look on your face, like I do?
Like I do...
Oh, I see.
You thought you were all tough...
but realized you're actually super weak.
You're pathetic...
disgraceful...
and frustrated, huh?
In that case, I totally get it.
This guy...!
From his eyes to his fingertips he's projecting a sense
of frustration so powerfully it'll reach the audience!
I used the bulk of our rehearsal time
to dig deeply into this feeling!
I devoted the past month to
the sake of this single minute.
I don't care if you've been acting for 10 years!
For this one minute, I won't lose to anybody!
It's like a kindergarten play. #SweetToday
Kurumi
Melt is hot, after all~ #SweetToday
In the end, they're trading on their looks.
Wink
I... won't lose to anybody!
You see? I wasn't mistaken in my judgment of him.
You did great. We'll take it from here!
Uh... Kamoshida-san.
Sorry for adlibbing like th-
Man, you're pretty good!
That was nothin' like the dress rehearsals!
Nice job puttin' emotion into it!
Keep it up next time, okay?
Sure enough, acting's all about
leaning into your emotions.
I finally... get the meaning of what you told me back then.
Now, this's fun.
Is that so?
Episode 17
Growth
Always been trapped into my life
No matter how I try, I cannot get it right
Back in my mind again and now it feels like
Nobody sees me like I do
Trying to find a way to get a hold on
To everything that's dear to me but then I don't know
Why I leave every time
But I'm crying
In the light of the stage I see, I realize
Whatever comes my way
Be it pain, be it rain, let me be
Lying
In the moment behind a veil I hide away
All of my words unsaid
They are scars in their own way
(And all this time
It never leaves my mind)