Bleach episode 43 review

One of my biggest problems with Thousand-Year Blood War is that it’s a lot like Disney Star Wars movies. Kill off all the characters we love, keep around all the characters who suck. In TYBW, we lost a ton of great Captains, yet one of the ones we got to keep was this piece of crap Mayuri Kurotsuchi… at least for now. I will be rooting with all my might that he gets killed off, but I think his fate has already been sealed in a way I won’t like.

Anyway, Mayuri proves to be an utter piece of crap to his lieutenant Nemu, and obviously to Uryu too – which is a little ironic, given what’s going to happen when everything gets retconned for TYBW. Gotta be honest, I’m rooting for Uryu now, even though I’ve been trained to cheer against him in TYBW – wait a minute, that’s what I’m supposed to do! You mean Bleach has actually made me cheer for the hero and root against the villain? Wait a minute, you can’t do that to me!

Best girl of the episode: Orihime (11, new solo leader)

Episode rating: 8/10

Bleach episode 42 review

So! Yoruichi has shown up to save… Ichigo? That’s right, instead of saving Rukia, who everyone came to save, Yoruichi saves Ichigo and leaves the others behind. Squad 13 Captain Ukitake goes easy on those who are left, as Byakuya lost interest and went away after a game of “tag” between Yoruichi and himself. Rukia goes back to her cell, Hanataro and Ganju will get healed, and that’s that.

Meanwhile, we finally see the Quincy Uryu and Orihime for the first time in forever! This time, Orihime has beaten up on random Soul Reapers to steal their clothes. So, Uryu and Orihime are now dressed up as Soul Reapers and pretending to be them. How long will this last? Probably not long, because it looks like Squad 12 Captain Mayuri saw them.

While this episode didn’t have any epic battles, it was still very entertaining, and it keeps things moving.

Best girl of the episode: Yoruichi (2) (a good case could be made for Orihime, but she falls just short)

Episode rating: 8/10

Bleach episode 41 review

So! (as Pat Sajak would say) Ichigo has been rescued by Yoruichi, but how? Yoruichi is just a cat, right? As it turns out, no. Yoruichi reveals herself in the most revealing way possible… stone-cold naked, right in front of Ichigo. And Ichigo is so prudent that all he can do is yell at her to put some clothes on.

I love Yoruichi, she’s one of my favorite Bleach characters. Even I can admit that she is a little too casual about nakedness. But Yoruichi isn’t just here to show off that gorgeous body. She’s also in on the rescue of Rukia.

… or so we thought. She is in on it, to be clear, but it ceased being a rescue at the time Ichigo and Rukia ran into each other. Ichigo made his way to the bridge where all the battles are taking place, but not in time to save Ganju’s life; he’s dead, killed by Byakuya Kuchiki. But at least Ichigo is here to save Rukia. Oh, wait! Rukia doesn’t want to be rescued anymore! So, it’s no longer a rescue. Instead, it’s just a bunch of Soul Reapers trying to kill each other.

This might have been the episode where I forever went anti-IchiRuki. When Rukia couldn’t offer a single bit of thanks for Ichigo’s help, and when we got a flashback of her telling Ichigo to “live a few seconds longer,” it made up my mind for good that she wasn’t right for Ichigo. There is someone who is just right for Ichigo, though. She’s currently stuck somewhere in the Soul Society, ignored by the plot for a while now.

Oh, and after Ichigo and Byakuya begin battle, Yoruichi shows up and tries to stop Byakuya. Squad 13 Captain Jushiro Ukitake is just… there, for some reason.

Another fantastic episode. This arc is the best!

Best girl of the episode: Yoruichi (she’s finally turned to the female side, so she can start earning points!)

Episode rating: 9/10

Bleach episode 40 review

Kenpachi Zaraki reveals that Ichigo actually WON the battle, despite what it looked like last episode. Then we get a flashback as to how he and Yachiru Kusajishi got their first and last names. Very cool stuff. Yachiru continues to be awesome, and Kenpachi Zaraki wants a rematch with Ichigo, who is going to live thanks to cat-form Yoruichi showing up just in time.

Meanwhile, Ganju and Hanataro make their way to Rukia, with Ganju using Hanataro as a grappling hook in quite the amusing scene. Then, once they get to her cell, Ganju sees her and says that she’s the one who killed his brother. So, not only does Ganju get to Rukia first (who knows what the Quincy Uryu is up to), but he doesn’t even want to save her now. Great. And amidst all that, here comes big bro Byakuya, who isn’t much of a brother to Rukia… yet.

Awesome episode with not a complaint in sight.

Best girl of the episode: Yachiru (6)

Episode rating: 9/10