Bleach / First Impressions

「絶体絶命！？記憶を挟まれた白哉 」 (Zettai zetsumei!? Kioku o hasamareta Byakuya )
“Desperate Struggle!? Byakuya’s Troubled Memories”

Everything I liked about the last episode was ruined here as the usual cliched Bleach returns again. Nonsense superpowers, pointless standoffs, awkward flashbacks and dragged out dialogue abound. The main feature of the episode is Tsukishima and Byakuya’s fight, and I don’t have a problem with the battle itself as it actually looked pretty good. Tsukishima reveals that he can also insert himself into the pasts inanimate objects in the environment, and he even manages to cut Byakuya’s Senbonzakura. This gives him intimate knowledge of every aspect of Byakuya’s zanpakutou, allowing him to surprise Byakuya and slash him (which gives him even more knowledge about Byakuya’s abilities). I can suspend my disbelief for that, but the nagging question remains: why didn’t Byakuya’s memories change? Tsukishima clearly stated “it’s over” once he cut Byakuya, yet all that changed was that Tsukishima himself gained a huge amount of experience from fighting Byakuya in the past. From his confusion and the questions he asked, Byakuya clearly did not suddenly recall their past training together as Ichigo’s friends did, unless he is deliberately hiding it. I can certainly think of potential explanations for this, yet none are given.

On the other hand, Tsukishima does give an overly verbose explanation about Senbonzakura’s safe zone. He obviously suffers from a severe case Prideful Villain Syndrom which forces him to tell his opponent exactly what he’s doing and how he did it. I can’t help but wonder if there’s a better way to reveal this stuff without having the two of them stop in the middle of a fight and discuss everything in detail. Even Byakuya is more talkative than normal, but eventually Tsukishima’s arrogance is his downfall as he gets a fistful of petals blasted through his chest. That manages to end the fight instantly and was probably also the best part of their battle.

Rukia and Riruka’s fight also ends here, though it is markedly more lighthearted, filled with all sorts of cute stuffed animals. I actually enjoyed the humor (e.g. Rukia blowing herself up) and quirky interactions, but that ends when Riruka goes off on a long philosophical speech about survival of the fittest. She rants about her past, which (to no surprise) was a messed up childhood thanks to her special abilities. She, and the other fullbringers followed Ginjou because of his promises of power and a chance to destroy everyone. It’s a pretty warped excuse to be honest, and really isn’t much more than a thirst for power. Ginjou seems to have another layer of motives, though as expected it doesn’t amount to much more than a desire for revenge. Luckily Xcution are all dropping like flies; only Ginjou himself is left and I can’t imagine him lasting too long either.

 

Preview

Omake

36 Comments

  1. It’s confirmed….366 last episode 🙁

    Seriously, if they stop now, couldn’t they just stop after Aizen? I mean, basically this is a setup for the current manga arc, it’s just worthless finale

    Dennis
    Reply

  2. Was Riruka’s flashback supposed to make us feel sorry for her?

    OH YEAH I KIDNAPPED PEOPLE I LIKED AND DEPRIVED THEM OF FOOD WHEN I WAS YOUNG BECAUSE I WAS SO DISCRIMINATED AGAINST FOR MY POWERS

    And where was it confirmed that 366 is the last episode? Isn’t there one more to conclude the arc?

    Da5id
    Reply

    1. I think it was suppose to be a play on the innocent/ignorant you girl. She did not think what she was doing was wrong. Also I’m pretty sure she did feed him. She talked about giving him donuts and stuff.

      Seven
      Reply

      1. I can see that, I guess…but usually enemy flashbacks show how they’ve been wronged in some way because of having their powers. Seeing this just makes me want to see Rukia stab her in the gut.

        Kind of harsh thinking, I know, but I just don’t see any reason to sympathize with this character.

        Da5id
        Reply

      2. bad arc; bad reasons I suppose. If you look right past the surface it’s a really generic one and the same as most of the other full bring guys.
        People sound out she had powers then shunned her, so in a sense she was betrayed by people she cared about i.e. her family and friends.
        Personally she’s my favorite character so I may be finding things where they aren’t, but my logic about shows is usually pretty sound.

        Seven
        Reply

  5. skip the bleach filler like side story TOTALLY NOT related TO MAIN STORY AT ALL just a waste of time(side story) and movie also not related and no links to main story.

    doomknight
    Reply

  6. Wait…Riruka’s fight ends here? What happened exactly? All I remember was that a heart on her arm started glowing and she disappeared when Rukia lunged at her. “Where did she go?” was Rukia’s question and mine. You’re saying that’s the end of their fight? Seriously?

    hoiut
    Reply

  7. No one mentioned Tsumanaman inserted himself into Byakuya’s past as his sensei? Tsukihime complains about Byakuya betraying him even though he was “the one who taught him everything he knows” and Byakuya replies (paraphrased) “It is true that I owe you everything, but you are an enemy of Ichigo Kurosaki. Therefore, I have no regrets” Tsukishima… Heh, I remembered the name.

    CTT
    Reply

    1. I…don’t think he said that. I just watched the episode and saw Tsukishima mention he helped Byakuya develop his moves, but nothing about Byakuya betraying him or wanting to defend Ichigo. Ichigo’s name wasn’t even brought up the entire fight.

      Da5id
      Reply

  8. The part where Byakuya says he enjoyed the battle seemed so out of character to me somehow. It gave me a sort of Kenpachi vibe. Also, another instant-kill move is always awesome.

    random viewer
    Reply

      3. I never said anything about her hair. though the hair does play a part, her whole facial structure looks manly. Not burly manly but manly none the less.
        And personally I’m a fan of short hair too

        Seven
        Reply

      1. None as of now, but think about it: the manga series in Weekly Shonen Jump is still ongoing and entering its final arc. Bleach may slip in the rankings from time to time, but it’s still widely popular in Japan. Last year Bleach sold over 4 million copies of the manga, making it in the top ten most highly bought manga series in 2011. It’s also been in continuous serialization in WSJ for over 10 years, so at this point Kubo pretty much has tenure for writing Bleach for WSJ, just as Osaku Akimoto does for Kochikame (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kochikame). As long as Bleach remains profitable (which it very much is), then there is no reason for them not to eventually renew the anime series. Personally I think it’s a smart move that the series goes on hiatus since they’re only weeks behind the material in the manga, and it’s not like the writers are able to constantly dish out ideas for filler arcs. Whether its a hiatus, or an ending of the current production of the Bleach anime, I highly doubt that this is a permanent end for the Bleach anime. It may take a while, but it’ll be back eventually. In the meantime, we’ll have the manga to hold us over. 🙂

        LaughingMan
        Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *