Kamen Rider Blade: Missing Ace

is a Japanese superhero Tokusatsu film that serves as the Summer Movie adaptation of Kamen Rider Blade, double-billed with . In the film, Kazuma and his allies attempt to settle in peace after four years when the Undead are released once again by the Albino Joker. 
The movie catchphrases are and .
The initial tentative title was with the first trailer only showcasing footage from early episodes of Blade. This same trailer labelled Riders with their primary character trait (aces with one missing): Blade is , Garren is and Chalice is . https://youtu.be/FBsYnAEgvjw
==Continuity and Placement==
*The film is set in an alternate continuity to the Kamen Rider Blade TV series, taking place four years after an alternate ending to episode 49, where Kenzaki chooses to seal away Hajime rather than turning himself into an Undead.
==Plot==
Somewhere in Thailand, Sakuya Tachibana leads a group of excavators and discovers an ancient monument. In the climax of the Battle Fight, Kazuma Kenzaki and Hajime Aikawa have their final showdown, where Kazuma made his ultimate decision to seal Hajime away and save the world from destruction. Four years since then, peace seems to have returned to the city. However when the Undead suddenly attack, Junichi Shimura, Shin Magaki, and Natsumi Miwa transform into Kamen Riders to fight them, sealing them away. 
After publishing his best selling novel of the Kamen Riders, Kotaro Shirai has amassed a fortune and receives a call to attend Amane Kurihara's 14th birthday party. He drives to pick up Kazuma Kenzaki, who is now a garbageman, as well as Mutsuki Kamijo, who has now graduated school and aspires to be a salaryman. Shiori Hirose has seemingly retired as well, as she is now engaged. As Kazuma and Kotaro reminiscence about the past, several Undead attack the city, and they both witness the three new Riders. While the three don't recognize Kazuma, Kotaro introduces them to him. Later that day as Kazuma and Kotaro help decorate Jacaranda Cafe, Juninchi, Shin, and Natsumi arrive and arrogantly declare that Blade and his era had ended long ago. Wanting to know where the three new Riders originated, Kazuma, Kotaro, and Mutsuki follow them. 
Amane, now a 14-year-old teenager, goes on a shoplifting spree with her friends, resulting in her getting arrested by the police. Junichi then introduces Kazuma to their new base, which was actually founded by Sakuya. Sakuya explains that after the Undead were sealed, a new Joker Undead had attacked them and killed Karasuma, which resulted in at least half of the entire deck being released. Furthermore, a special phenomenon had occurred when all four King facecards are assembled, with two already in their possession. Kazuma, Kotaro, and Mutsuki then head to the police station to pick Amane up, which Amane admits that she was heartbroken by Hajime's disappearance. Several Undead attacks them, but they are saved by the three Riders and Sakuya, who transforms into Garren. He recovers Mutsuki's card, allowing Leangle to return. 
Kazuma, wanting to continue helping, attempts to recruit Shiori back. Although she refuses and wants to resume a normal life, she gives Kazuma her Undead Searcher program. With the three new Riders being rather uncooperative despite Sakuya wanting them to cooperate, Kazuma and Mutsuki use Kotaro's new house as a base, and manage to track down the Beetle Undead. Mutsuki, as Leangle, recovers Kazuma's card, but Larc and Lance, who were annoyed that Mutsuki and Kazuma interfered, attacks them. As Junichi watches from a distance, Kazuma transforms into Blade to help Leangle. Junichi comes out of hiding and transforms into Glaive, wanting to test their powers with that of the older generation. As Blade and Glaive fight, they are attacked by more Undeads, whom the two split up to fight and seal away. The one Glaive fought was a Category King, making it the third King card in their possession.
Shin and Natsumi are becoming restless over Blade and Leangle showing up and attempting to steal the King cards, only to be killed by the new Joker, and Junichi having found their lifeless bodies. Kazuma, having analyzed the two cards in Shin and Natsumi's possession at the time of their deaths (a Four-Spade and a Jack-of-Clover), reports this to Shiori. Having discovered from the cards and the Joker's true identity, Shiori leaves her wedding to warn the others. 
While Kazuma attempts to reconcile with Amane, they are attacked by the Undead once again. As Kazuma transforms to fight, Amane is pulled aside by Sakuya, who speaks to another individual nearby about how he wants the power hidden inside the monument. Junichi later calls Sakuya to ask him for help and lures him outside so that he could target Amane alone. Knocking her out, Kazuma, Kotaro, and Shiori arrive worried about Amane and leave to join Sakuya. Just as they leave, Junichi reveals himself to be the new Joker and attacks Amane unsuccessfully, with Shiori having discovered his identity. The Riders fight, but Amane, having woken up, is attacked by a horde of Undead. Kazuma has Mutsuki use Remote on the Joker card to release Hajime, whom he goes outside to save Amane. However he is attacked by Junichi, who takes Amane as a sacrifice and merges with the monument to achieve a monster form. 
Hajime says that the monster is powered by a human sacrifice and can only be defeated if the sacrifice is killed. Kazuma doesn't agree with killing Amane and offers himself as the new sacrifice, but Hajime jumps in at the last minute, asking Kazuma to fulfill his duty. Kazuma destroys the monument and weakens the monster. Going outside, he assumes his King Form and destroys it for good. 
Back at the cafe, the group celebrates Amane's birthday. The latter then sees a ghost of Hajime and goes outside. Although he is gone, Hajime will always be there for her.
==Characters==
===Kamen Riders===
Kamen Rider Blade 	Kazuma Kenzaki
Kamen Rider Garren 	Sakuya Tachibana
Kamen Rider Chalice	Hajime Aikawa
Kamen Rider Leangle	Mutsuki Kamijo
Kamen Rider Larc 	Natsumi Miwa
Kamen Rider Lance 	Shin Magaki
===Allies===
*Kotaro Shirai
*Shiori Hirose
*Amane Kurihara
*Haruka Kurihara
*Kei Karasuma
===Villains===
====Undeads====
Kamen Rider Glaive	Junichi Shimura
Albino Joker 	Junichi Shimura
Jashin-14 	Junichi Shimura
*Squid Undead
*Beetle Undead
*Zebra Undead
*Eagle Undead
*Moth Undead
*Locust Undead
*Shell Undead
*Capricorn Undead
*Spider Undead
*Mole Undead
*Buffalo Undead
*Deer Undead
*Trilobite Undead
*Giraffa Undead
*Lizard Undead
*Tarantula Undead
*Albiroachi
==Cast==
*: 
*: (under the stage name "Hironari Amano")
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* : 
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===Guest Cast===
*: - known for his previous role as Yuji Kiba in Kamen Rider 555
*: - known for his previous role as Kyouji Murakami in Kamen Rider 555
*: - known for his previous role as Naoya Kaido in Kamen Rider 555
=== Voice Actors ===
* Squid Undead, Beetle Undead, Locust Undead, Moth Undead, Trilobite Undead, Spider Undead, Mole Undead, Buffalo Undead, Giraffa Undead, Tarantula Undead, Albiroachi: Katsumi Shiono (塩野 勝美, Shiono Katsumi)
* Zebra Undead, Deer Undead, Lizard Undead, Eagle Undead, Albiroachi: Toru Omura (大村 亨, Ōmura Tōru)
* Shell Undead, Capricorn Undead, Albiroachi: Hiroyuki Fukuyama (福山 弘幸, Fukuyama Hiroyuki)
===Suit Actors===
* Kamen Rider Blade, Squid Undead, Beetle Undead, Albiroachi: 
* Kamen Rider Garren, Giraffa Undead, Buffalo Undead, Albiroachi: 
* Kamen Rider Chalice, Kamen Rider Lance, Albiroachi: 
* Kamen Rider Leangle, Albiroachi: 
* Kamen Rider Leangle (sub): 
* Kamen Rider Glaive, Albino Joker: 
* Kamen Rider Larc: 
* Albiroachi: 
==Rouse Cards==
*Cards Used:
**Blade
***Change Beetle, Kick Locust, Thunder Deer, Mach Jaguar, Absorb Capricorn, Fusion Eagle, Evolution Caucasus
**Garren
***Change Stag, Absorb Serpent, Fusion Peacock, Bullet Armadillo, Rapid Pecker, Fire Fly
**Leangle
***Change Spider, Blizzard Polar, Remote Tapir, Float Dragonfly
**Chalice
***Change Mantis, Float Dragonfly, Drill Shell, Tornado Hawk
**Lance
***Change Kerberos, Mighty Impact
**Larc
***Change Kerberos, Mighty Ray
**Glaive
***Change Kerberos, Mighty Gravity
*Form Used:
**Blade
***Blade, Jack Form, King Form
**Garren
***Garren, Jack Form
==Songs==
Theme song
*"ELEMENTS"
**Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
**Composition: Miki Fushisue
**Composition: RIDER CHIPS & Cher Watanabe
**Artist: RIDER CHIPS featuring Ricky
After his performance in "ELEMENTS," Ricky was made RIDER CHIPS' permanent vocalist.
This song would then be used as the opening theme for Blade, starting on its 31st episode.
==Additional scenes in Director's Cut==
A Director's Cut edition of the film was released on DVD, including about 20 minutes of additional scenes. These scenes include:
*The shoplifting sequence is extended, showing Amane and her friends ending off their spree as they sort out their loot, and Amane getting arrested as she leaves the mall after changing into her civilian clothes.
*The scene where Glaive seals the Caucasus Undead is preceded by a short sequence of Leangle witnessing Glaive communicate with the Undead in their language from afar. This extended sequence is followed up later by a conversation between Kenzaki and Junichi, who are later interrupted by Mutsuki accusing Junichi of being the second Joker. Tachibana later appears to clear up the situation, explaining that Junichi had supposedly studied the ancient language while he was in college.
*More scenes with Natsumi are featured.
*As Kotaro and Shiori depart in the former's car, an additional scene is added showing that Kotaro has changed his car's license plate such that it now reads "Milky Boy", replacing the "Golden Boy" plate shown earlier in the film.
*The ending montage sequence showing Amane's birthday party is now shown in full-screen. The end credits are also presented in a different format.
*The post-credits scene of the main cast sleeping the morning after the party is extended.
==Notes==
*This movie features the first appearance of Blade's King Form, which would debut on the series in episode 34.
*The director's cut of Kamen Rider Blade: Missing Ace was also shown as part of the special event on TV Asahi. http://www.jefusion.com/2012/07/super-hero-max-2012-to-air-this-august.html
*This is the second summer film to be premiere in September. The first summer film is Agito: Project G4.
*The theme song of the film, ELEMENTS, would be used as the second opening theme for the TV series, though it was first featured in the 31st episode of Blade on September 5th 2004, while the movie was released on the 11th. This is ignoring remixes of opening themes used for movie themes, as the same version of ELEMENTS was used in both places.
*Due to the movie advancing four years from the timeline of the TV show, Amane Kurihara appears as a teenager as opposed to a child. The older Amane was portrayed by Miku Ishida, while Hikari Kujiwara, Amane's TV actor, only appeared in photographs and in flashback sequences. Kujiwara would later reprise her role as a much older Amane 14 years later in Kamen Rider Zi-O, by then having grown into the appropriate age.
*Even though Albino Joker appeared in Kamen Rider: Battride War, replacing Joker as a recurring boss in the post-Riders Awakening Act, Blade's fight with Glaive/Albino Joker & Joker's fight with Albino Joker are featured in Kamen Rider: Battride War II.
*This is the only summer film to have two directors filming the movie.
*Notably, the unsealed Undead (aside from Hajime) that appeared in this movie were completely out of character in comparison to the original series, being reduced to nothing more than feral monsters that subordinated themselves to the Albino Joker.
**This is likely because they were unsealed through unnatural means, with Hajime proving an exception due to being released by the Tapir Undead's powers.
*It is unknown how Kenzaki managed to obtain the Evolution Caucasus Rouse Card to access King Form, since it was combined together with the other 3 Evolution Rouse Cards to form the Vanity Card.
**It is likely that when Hajime was sacrificed and destroyed by Blade, the Vanity Card was destroyed and split back into the 4 Evolution King Rouse Cards again.
*Wild Chalice is the only Rider form not seen in this film, due to the circumstances surrounding the film's events, as well as the form's debut episode only airing weeks after the film's release.
==References==
Category:Kamen Rider Movies
Category:Kamen Rider Blade
Category:Summer Movies