Bleach – Am I Still Disappointing You, Arrancar?
- Limit Release, Comic Interlude and Tousen!
OP
A new Episode, a new OP. I liked the last OP a lot, Rolling Star was a great song. This OP has a lot to live up to, especially with the quality of the Bleach episode it precedes this week. Luckily I like the song (ALONES by Aqua Timez), it’s not amazing but it grows on me each time I hear it. Hopefully when I have the full version i’ll be able to confirm that it’s worthy of being a Bleach OP. The animation has some odd lip-syncing at the beginning and shaky camera movement, this I don’t like. But once it gets past this and we see the 13 Captains and Arrancar lined up it gets better, especially as I got to see Gin!
Introduction
After getting the signal from Soul Society Matsumoto, Renji and Hitsugaya release their full power and dispatch of the remaining Arrancar. After this we see Ichigo and Grimmjow squaring off briefly, Ichigo appears to be losing.
Next there is an amazing comic interlude with Mizuho (Keigo’s sister). When Keigo returns, after not buying her juice, he has Ikkaku and Ayasegawa with him. Mizuho takes one look at Ikkaku and goes crazy over him, much to the displeasure of Keigo. After some very funny arguing it seems to be decided that the Shinigami can stay with them.
Back to Ichigo and Grimmjow. The pace of the fighting picks up, Ichigo is giving his all against Grimmjow but seems to be getting nowhere. Grimmjow isn’t even in his release form yet he easily manages to land damaging blows on Ichigo in Bankai form. There’s a brilliant scene with Grimmjow raining punches on Ichigo’s head while he has flashbacks of not being able to protect Inhoue and Rukia. After Grimmjow sends Ichigo crashing to the ground, resulting in a large crater, he insults his Bankai and says how disappointed he is. Ichigo uses this moment to release a black getsuga tenshō which hits Grimmjow directly. Grimmjow seems to block most of the damage with his arms and seems happy that Ichigo has some power he didn’t know about. As they prepare to continue the fight Hollow Ichigo tells Ichigo that he can’t win without him. As Grimmjow is about to unsheath his zanpakutō Tousen appears and orders him back to Hueco Mundo. As he leaves Grimmjow tells Ichigo that he would have died if Tousen hadn’t saved him.
The episode ends with Inhoue healing all the injured Shinigami and we see Grimmjow standing before Aizen awaiting his punishment.
Impressions
That was a brilliant episode of Bleach. I was looking forward to writing about how Naruto has been much better recently, but this episode changed that. The quality of the animation was superb ,much better than it has been since before the entire Bount arc. I also noticed that the music was particularly good this week, I’m not sure if there was more of it or if it was just used better. Everything about the episode just wreaked of quality, the opening sequence was quick and bold, no messing about. The comical interlude was one of the funniest in Bleach, ever. Then there was Grimmjow, for me he is an excellent character, full of spirit and attitude. He also kicks Ichigo all over town. Ichigo didn’t quite seem his usual self, he still seems worried by Hollow Ichigo and didn’t display his true nature until the end of the fight. The end of the fight was a cop out, but at least it reintroduced Tousen, who was a cool if rather silent character. They have made Aizen look very menacing now, i’m not sure what it is about him but he seems to have a presence he lacked before. Not sure about his hair though, I guess he can’t get the same shampoo in Hueco Mundo.
ED
Either Dattebayo screwed the subs up or this song (Tsumasaki by Ore Ska Band) has some of the craziest lyrics around. It’s an enjoyable song although i’m not sure why. It feels very childish and playful, but not in a bad way. The animation of the various characters is really good and of high quality, I’m not so sure about the sky sequences though.
Next Episode
Tousen punishes Grimmjow.
Ryūken trains Uryū.
Ichigo squares off against Hirako.
