Bleach episode 359 review

What’s the point of this episode if all it is is just a repeat of the last 5 minutes of the last episode? In the last 5 minutes of last episode, we saw Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, Keigo, and the other guy all acting like Tsukishima’s so great, and Ichigo’s crazed reactions to them. Now, in this episode, we just have more of the same, only now we have Orihime healing Tsukishima and Chad claiming that Tsukishima was with them in Hueco Mundo and during the Aizen fight. It’s kind of like that Star Trek episode (I think DS9) where O’Brien gets his memory replaced with one in which he spent 10 years in prison or something like that. Ichigo is going mad.

The problem with this episode is that it already happened yesterday. Why rehash the same storyline again? Why do we have to burn time before the finish line? It’s not all that far away. In any case, only a week of this to go.

Best girl of the episode: Orihime (56) (even if she was under mind control)

Episode rating: 6/10

Bleach episode 358 review

Ichigo is finally free from his training, and all he has to do is come up with a name for his new ability, presumably to shout the name as he launches his attack like all anime heroes do. But when he arrives home, he sees Tsukishima there, along with his sisters. They tell him that Tsukishima is their long-lost cousin. Before Ichigo can do anything, Tatsuki, Keigo, and the other guy show up and say that Tsukishima called them over for a party. Obviously at this point Ichigo is bewildered, because everyone is under Tsukishima’s spell.

When he runs away from all that, he finds Ginjo, who lets him know that all of the other Fullbringers have too fallen under Tsukishima’s hypnosis. And now these two are the only two left who are sane, or are they? Orihime and Chad seem to have been put under it, but we’re not sure about the Quincy Uryu. Obviously this means that it’s going to be up to Ichigo to clean up this mess.

If Ichigo doesn’t want to say there are five lights when there are clearly four, then he’s going to just have to beat it out of Tsukishima, the InuYasha way. Speaking of InuYasha, I have some plans for that show in the distant future.

Best girl of the episode: Tatsuki (9) (even though she’s under Tsukishima’s spell)

Episode rating: 7/10

Bleach episode 357 review

Chad and Orihime do… pretty much nothing. They get followed around town by Riruka, who now might have a crush on Orihime, too? I don’t know. What I do know, is that Ichigo has to do 100 push-ups for Jinto, but not 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, or a 10-kilometer run. And he’s still trapped in that stupid video game.

Finally, Chad and Orihime find Tsukishima’s hideout, where they confront him. Chad uses his Falcon Punch on Tsukishima, or whatever it’s called, and Tsukishima says that his power “has increased tenfold.” That’s nice, but due to the fact that Chad can’t beat him with it and has never beaten anybody else with it, those words ring hollow – pun not intended. You can’t convince me now that his power is any greater because we have no real proof for it other than some explosions.

At least the showdown at the end made it so this episode wasn’t all about not much happening. So, baby steps toward positivity, I guess.

Best girl of the episode: Orihime (55)

Episode rating: 6/10

Bleach episode 356 review

Jinto turns evil in this episode, with Ichigo and him inside the video game training. He starts slashing Ichigo up like Freddy Krueger. He didn’t take a flamethrower and barbecue Orihime, but he did try to break down her barrier as she tried to heal Ichigo. Then he goes mad and supposedly becomes a villain. In the end, it’s all a ploy. He’s just trying to get Ichigo to awaken his powers, and by turning “evil” he managed to do so.

Meanwhile, Riruka is busy being jealous of Orihime. Not of her second-place status on the “best girl” list, but presumably of her relationship with Ichigo. She creates just enough buzz to save us from the bizarro Jinto who turns evil for a 15-minute time period. Overall, not a great episode, but at least we’re one step closer to Ichigo ending his Ich-emo days.

Best girl of the episode: Orihime (54) (too little, too late)

Episode rating: 5/10