Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen – Ketsubetsu-tan – 01

OP Sequence

OP: 「STARS」 by W.O.D.

「THE LAST 9DAYS」

Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen – Ketsubetsu-tan takes what made the first part of this final arc and builds on it as it continues where it left off by giving Uryu his first taste of what life is like for Yhwach’s Sternritter army. But as he becomes accustomed to his new role as a successor to Yhwach, Ichigo and his friends must get themselves prepared for the next wave that the Sternritters have to offer.

LA BLUE GUY

Director Tomohisa Taguchi gives this adaptation of Bleach such a unique artstyle that is both simplistic in its form yet dynamic in its color scheme. The minimalistic throne room in particular is very impressive because of how it uses its empty space to contrast with the blue color gradient on Yhwach and Uryu as well as the deep red blood that Uryu chugs down. It gives off such a shady, ominous, cold and isolated feel that captures the heart of what’s going down as Uryu takes up the mantle as Yhwach’s successor.

It’s the kind of visual flair that reminds you that the show is in very good hands and that the time between last Fall and today hasn’t dulled the direction of this final arc one bit. While it gives you just enough information that you need on what’s happening through vivid, dynamic set pieces, it’s also not afraid to tell its story in more abstract or goofier visuals like beginning the second part with cartoon sperm fertilizing the egg that would become Yhwach’s baby self. It really helps lean into how Bleach in general is a shonen that is both self-indulgent and unpretentious. Where it embraces its reputation as a shonen that aims to take whatever feels cool at the time and throw it into the mix.

PUTTING THE SUCC IN SUCCESSOR

There isn’t as much to discuss with Ichigo since they’re still building up towards him and his friends strengthening up and steeling themselves before the next fight. However, seeing the Sternritter crew and how they deal with the fallout from Uryu being selected as the next Yhwach was interesting to me.

It shed some light on some of the more outgoing members of Yhwach’s inner circle. Bambietta handles the news so poorly that she dips into her main vice of murdering hot men to vent, a vice that many of her friends are starting to get annoyed with. Meanwhile, Bazz-B is all too ready to fight Jugram upon hearing the news that he’s okay with Yhwach taking on Uryu to be his successor. My personal favorite is Giselle, who tries to goad Candice into shacking up with Uryu, and playfully mocks her kneejerk reaction.

Again, it will take some time before much of the arc comes into its own since the first episode sets the scene for what we can expect will be an overarching plotline for this season’s exploration of Uryu’s Wandenreich adventures. But so far, everything’s still ship shape. The OP is very impressive, and I’m hyped up to finally get some Yoruichi in this season. Although Kaiser Gesang inspired Yhwach to schedule a 9-day plan to destroy the Soul Reapers, I have a lot of faith that this adaptation won’t need 9 episodes to get some neat fight scenes going.

ED Sequence

ED: 「Endroll」 by Kamiyama You