Bleach Thousand Year Blood War episode 9 review
Half this episode is thrilling, the other is tomfoolery. Let’s start with the good stuff. Shunsui has been promoted to Head Captain, so he’s bringing Nanao Ise with him as one of two Lieutenants. He also has the wish that Kenpachi Zaraki goes for training so he can become even more powerful than he already is. That might help, given his weakness against Yhwach.
So, Kenpachi goes to the bottom floor of the Soul Society, where he meets none other than Captain Unohana of Squad 4. She says that she is actually Yachiru Unohana, a name everyone is familiar with, as Yachiru is the name of Kenpachi’s Lieutenant. And now they go into battle, one-on-one, a battle to the death. It’s obvious who’s gonna win. Why would Kenpachi go for training only to get killed off in said training? So, this is Unohana’s swan song, and we will have to enjoy her final moments, as she does this for the better of the Soul Society.
But until then, how about the tomfoolery? Ichigo and Renji literally have the “training” of having to eat… eat, eat, eat. This is one of my big problems with anime, that there are so many characters who do nothing but eat. Ichigo and Renji fill that role in this episode. They eat and eat and eat, and then they’re ready for the next bit of training. Oh well, at least we know they’re not dead. And that means Byakuya and Rukia have made it as well, I would assume. (Rukia obviously we’re sure of, Byakuya there’s always a tiny chance that he might have a heroic death.)
The Unohana-Zaraki fight continues next episode! Time to say so long to sweet Retsu and revel in Zaraki’s new powers!
Best girl of the episode: Unohana (2)
Episode rating: 8/10
Tommy A. Phillips 