Bleach episode 303 review

The Men and Women Soul Reapers’ Associations get into an argument with each other over practically nothing, so they decide to settle matters by playing a game of… karuta. That’s right, the game they play in the series Chihayafuru. While there’s no way I’ll ever understand it, I imagine I could learn how the game is played if I studied hard enough. But for now, it remains to me like cricket, something that looks impossible to “get.”

After some wacky antics including Soi Fon using her Bankai just to get the Yoruichi “black cat” card, we get a second half of this “Happy New Year” episode where Orihime gets to have a happy new year with Rukia and pals. It’s really boring and not even all that heartwarming. But whatever, we’re stalling for time here. What’s next, a Halloween episode? Anything to buy time for the series to return.

Best girl of the episode: Nanao (8) (Really really hard one, because so many girls had big roles in this episode. In the end I have to give it to the one who was most passionate about the karuta game.)

Episode rating: 7/10

Bleach episode 302 review

Isshin tells Ichigo he’s got to go through a training arc RIGHT NOW, and the space that they are in is essentially the EXACT SAME THING as Dragon Ball’s Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Really, there’s no difference. He trains for so many hours in there, it counts for so many more hours of training, or something like that. And of course he has to do it while Aizen is on his way to destroying the World of the Living.

Meanwhile, Keigo meets Tatsuki in a Karakura Town full of people who passed out. They (and some random man) are the only people to be awake. While that man gets destroyed by Aizen, Tatsuki does not… yet. Aizen plans on killing her while Keigo runs away (Tatsuki told him to, so he’s not a coward). Can Tatsuki survive? Will she be used as a hostage? Will she fight back? Will Hanataro come and rescue everyone?

Best girl of the episode: Tatsuki (7) (it’s been a while, Tatsuki!)

Episode rating: 7/10

Bleach episode 301 review

Isshin, Kisuke, and Yoruichi all team up to go after Aizen, and none of them can do a thing. It’s so bad that, at one point, Yoruichi tries the good old Dragon Ball rapid-fire punches thing, and none of them lay a scratch on Aizen. Rapid-fire punching only works in Jojo, guys.

Then Rangiku goes running after Gin for… reasons? And Izuru tries to stop her. Yeah, if this episode sounds like the previous one, that’s because it was. I know for sure I didn’t see the same episode twice, because this episode included Aizen and Gin going on their merry way to the real Karakura Town. Isshin tells Ichigo that he needs to learn a new technique, because we need someone who can defeat Aizen. But yeah, most of this episode was rehashing what happened in the one before.

Best girl of the episode: Yoruichi (18) (although her rapid-fire punches were useless)

Episode rating: 6/10

Bleach episode 300 review

The long-awaited return of Yoruichi Shihouin comes in this episode, minutes after Kisuke Urahara failed to defeat Aizen. Then it’s both of them going at Aizen, and neither can make much headway. Throw in Isshin Kurosaki, and you’ve got the Three Stooges getting schooled by one guy.

Meanwhile, Ichigo continues his fight with Gin, and for some reason Rangiku and Izuru want to get involved. I know there are some personal reasons there, but it seems so random that they suddenly decide they’re in this fight after lying around for the last 30 episodes.

Isshin couldn’t do it. Kisuke couldn’t do it. Yoruichi couldn’t do it. That’s three strikes, and if this was baseball, they’d be out. But this isn’t baseball, this is bowling. And three strikes in a row is a turkey. (I once very proudly bowled a turkey in my bowling class in college. Got me an A in the class.) The turkeys here are Isshin, Kisuke, and Yoruichi, who are supposed to be strong, but pale in comparison to Aizen. That means that there’s only one person left who can beat Aizen…

Hanataro! Yes, Hanataro is our last line of defense. Come on, Hanataro, go beat Aizen for us!

Best girl of the episode: Yoruichi (17) (moving into a tie for fifth with Yachiru)

Episode rating: 8/10