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Review* Bleach by Sean Russell (Naruto) |
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| Kurosaki Ichigo is a high school student with an extraordinary ability, he can see dead people. He shares this unique ability with his two sisters, Yuzu and Karin. For fifteen years, Kurosaki used his powers as a medium between both worlds, however, his life would one day change when a mystical individual named Kuchiki Rukia appears. What initially appears to be a black butterfly eventual turns into fish like monster killing machine. He later finds out that the girl is really a Soul Reaper (Shiningami) and the fish like monster is really a bad soul that devours good souls. After meeting Kuroski, Kuchiki senses are disturbed by a huge power laying dormant inside his body. Later, an intense confrontation with a second monster leads to Kuchiki being critically wounded. The only way to save the day is for Kuchiki to transfer her powers to fifteen year old Kurosaki. The transfer produces an extraordinary effect that has to be seen to believe. Check out the first episode of Bleach to see what happens. I didn't know what to expect watching this first episode. It starts off with the orange hair Kurosaki disabling a group of skateboarders for desecrating a deceased girl's shrine. I thought this scene was pretty cool and immediately established that this show has something to do with the paranormal. He then goes home to what seems like a quiet household, after a kick in the face by his father, you immediately know that the show has a zany comedic tone, popular in newer Anime titles (Fruits Basket, His and Her Circumstance). Almost like a strong after shave, the characters carry their traits out in the open. The younger black haired sister, Karin, is a pessimistic skeptic that even though having the power to see ghost, refuses to believe in them. The more submissive sister, Yuzu, while holding a ladle, seems to be kind hearted and caring. The father with his reflective glasses carries himself like the perverted peter pan adult, making his children seem like the parents in their off-beat relationship. The show continues to pick up steam when a mysterious force begins to destroy parts of the city. From this point on, I start to watch intently on figuring out what's going on. It's hard to guess where the story is going until the last ten minutes. It isn't until the last two minutes you see why people rave about this series. I can see myself becoming a fan of this show, in hopes it will continue to build interesting characters in an already exciting premise. One of my favorite scenes form the first episode is when the Soul Reaper sneaks into Kurosaki's bedroom and gets floored by a swift kick to the back. Normally you know she wouldn't be caught off guard, but she didn't know Kurosaki could see her. The show is directed by Noriyuki Abe, whose work includes, Yu Yu Hakuso and Great Teacher Onizuka. The musical composition was orhestrated by Shiro Sagisu. This well known composer brought us the soundtrack from Nadia, Macross, His and Her Circumstance and Evangelion. The character design is credited to Masashi Kudo, whose work include Witch Hunter Robin. The show's theme song was performed by Orange Range, the same group that did the third opening for Naruto. This is of course a Studio Pierrot production, one of the most popular production houses in Japan. Their biggest hits include: Naruto, Fushigi Yuugi, Saiyuki and Yu Yu Hakusho. The show's creator is Kubotite, also known as Kubo Taito; whose only other work includes the manga Zombie Powder. I would recommend this series based on the first episode. It contains humor and an interesting story that has promise to get more complex in the future. Category: Adventure, Comedy, Shounen, Supernatural Episode One Grade: 4 out of 5 |
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