Review of Bleach: Series 1 Part 2 (2 Discs)

Introduction

Last year Bleach debuted in the UK, as usual a hundred or so episodes behind everyone else, but still made a significant impact. Manga Entertainment have opted for another sure-fire hit, much in the same vein as Naruto, one that has broad audience appeal, and a healthy mix of drama, action and comedy. Where Naruto goes for the ninja jugular, Bleach has a supernatural storyline, one that should appeal to an even larger audience. I also found it pacier, thankfully free of flashbacks and recaps, and possessing a drier, if zanier wit. I`ve been looking forward to the second half of the first season ever since.

Ichigo Kurasaki has a sixth sense. For as far back as he can remember, he`s been able to see spirits, and now that he has turned 15, it`s getting worse. His family runs a medical clinic, where his father specialises in paediatrics and tough love for his son. His younger sisters Karin and Yuzu help in the clinic, and while Yuzu has a slight sensitivity to the spirit realm, Karin would rather not believe. Their mother has been dead for several years, following an accident that has affected Ichigo strongly. His world changes when a spirit monster appears, apparently targeting the ghost of a local girl. That monster is repulsed by the appearance of a sword wielding spirit girl that only Ichigo can see. Rukia Kuchiki is a Shinigami, a Soul Reaper; her mission is to guide forlorn spirits known as Wholes to the Soul Society, and protect them and the living from Hollows, perverted spirits that have become monsters that prey on other souls, living or dead. It turns out that the ghostly girl was just an innocent bystander, and the Hollow`s target was Ichigo himself, who has remarkably strong spirit energy for a human. Rukia sacrifices herself to protect Ichigo, but the only way that Ichigo can survive is if he takes Rukia`s power and becomes a Soul Reaper himself.

And so begins Ichigo`s new life, High School student by day and Shinigami when called. Rukia may have lost her powers, but she`s taken on the form of a gigai, a temporary body that allows her to blend in at school, and teach Ichigo everything he needs to know about reaping souls. Only technically she isn`t meant to spend so much time in the human realm.

The previous volume`s three discs introduced us to the world of Bleach, and Ichigo`s new calling as a Shinigami. We met some interesting characters, who would no doubt come to play a big part in Ichigo`s adventures. Among them was the mod soul Kon, who spends most of his time as a stuffed toy lion, but when called upon, takes residence in Ichigo`s body, so that Ichigo`s spirit can go out soul reaping. Also introduced were classmates Orihime and Chad, who appeared to have some talent in the spirit world, as well as shopkeeper and purveyor of spiritual goods Uruhara. A series of adventures ensued over twelve episodes that challenged Ichigo with ever-tougher opponents and perplexing situations. At the end of the first volume, he had just met Uryu Ishida, the last Quincy. Whereas Shinigami were meant to shepherd lost souls to the other side, Quincies just destroyed them, leaving the two groups at loggerheads. But when Ishida challenged Ichigo, the walls of reality crumbled, and an army of Hollows were just heralds for something much larger…

Eight episodes are presented over two discs.

Video

Bleach gets a 4:3 transfer that, other than the usual NTSC-PAL conversion issues, is unproblematic. The image is clear enough, the colours strong and vibrant, and the picture is as sharp as you would expect. It`s a fun, colourful animation, hefty on the primary colours, and the character and world designs universally appealing. Given that it is a long running show, you wouldn`t expect a great deal of detail and frippery, but though the animation is simple, it`s also very dynamic, especially in the action sequences.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 2.0 English or Japanese with a sole translated subtitle track to accompany them. The dialogue is clear, the show has some nice music, and it is all presented as vibrantly and competently as you would expect from stereo soundtracks. The only quibble is that there aren`t subtitles translating the on screen text, either with the subtitles or on a separate track.

Features

Once again, these appear to be the Australian individual releases from Madman simply ported over and bundled up in a hemi-season boxset. These two discs correspond to volumes 4 & 5, although in an error, the jacket picture for volume 3 is presented on volume 4 when the disc stops spinning.

Both discs have the second textless closing, Disc 1 has 24 line images in a Production Art gallery (as well as the usual Manga trailers and trailers for a Bleach videogame), and Disc 2 has 26 images in its gallery.

There may be additional goodies in the packaging, but having received the review discs only, I cannot say.

Conclusion

If you bought into the first instalment of Bleach, then you`ll be happy to learn that the eight episodes that conclude the first season offer more of the same. You get more of the same action, drama and comedy that typified the first volume, and I found these two discs just as enjoyable as the first three. Once again, I enjoyed the characterisations, the zany sense of humour, and the refreshing lack of dead weight in the story.

In one respect though, it`s all change for Bleach, as we move beyond the scene setting of the initial spread of episodes, and move into the show`s first genuine arc. The last member of the team was introduced in the last episode of the previous volume, and that storyline concludes in the first two episodes here. Uryu Ishida is a Quincy who finds Shinigami detestable. Naturally that means an instant rivalry with Ichigo, but the challenge he issues soon gets out of hand. As is obligatory in these stories, the two end up fighting back to back, on the same side, and develop a grudging respect for each other. Whereas Ichigo is the `all guns blazing type`, Ishida is more refined, controlled, and economic, and the two action heroes contrast each other well.

Then follows an episode of light-hearted breather, as Kon suffers the indignity due to soft toy animals, he`s dressed up in girly clothing by Ichigo`s sisters, and winds up running away from home, looking for a more amenable master. It`s a necessary bit of lightness before the first main arc begins, as the Soul Society find Rukia. Rukia has broken the rules by giving her powers to Ichigo, and compounded the crime by staying on Earth to coach him in the ways of the Shinigami. It`s a capital crime, and she has to return to the Soul Society for execution. Once again she sacrifices herself for Ichigo`s sake, who was also destined for execution, but her brother who has come to arrest her, relents and settles for removing the Shinigami powers that Rukia had given him.

Naturally, Ichigo is determined to rescue Rukia, even if it means going to the Soul Society to do so. But first he has to awaken the latent Shinigami powers within him, now that he can no longer rely on Rukia`s. That`s where shopkeeper Uruhara comes in, who puts Ichigo on a gruelling and dangerous training course. They barely have a month before Rukia`s scheduled execution, so time is of the essence. He`d also be ill advised to try it alone, so while he`s facing death in his training, Orihime, Uryu and Chad are also working on building up their spiritual powers so that they can enter the Soul Society with him. As the season ends, the gateway opens, and the heroes step forth into the Soul Society, uncertain of what awaits them.

If there is a drawback to Bleach at this point, it`s the sheer information overload. The pace of the show and the nature of the story are such that little snippets of information, and new characters are being introduced all the time, and it`s a bit of a chore keeping up. We meet a talking black cat named Yoruichi, who will serve as their guide in the Soul Society, and who is also instrumental in training Orihime and Chad. In the previous volume, we learnt of Chad`s special spirit power, when his arm became a multi-coloured fist of doom. Early on in this volume we learn of Orihime`s own abilities, when her earrings transform into 6 protective fairies. All six have unique personalities and character designs, although I`ll admit I can`t remember any of their names. They are enough to populate an anime show all by themselves though. We also get our first look at the Soul Society, as Rukia awaits punishment in prison. Apparently the Shinigami operate in squads, comprising of one Captain and one backup. We briefly meet three such squad captains in this volume. Not to mention that we encounter the personification of Ichigo`s Zanpaku-to (Spirit Sword). With all of the show specific lingo, and the various characters, I almost feel the urge to take additional notes during each episode. Fortunately there is no exam after the end credits.

If you`ve already discovered the charms of Bleach, then this second volume, despite the whopping great cliffhanger, won`t disappoint you. I can certainly recommend it as a fun, action filled show, with endearing characters and a slightly left-field sense of humour. Manga are offering these half season boxsets at an attractive price, and it would be rude not to partake.