Bleach Thousand Year Blood War episode 11 review

So, the big news is in: Ichigo’s mother was a Quincy. Which probably was a surprise at one time, but at this point had become very obvious. How else could Ichigo have escaped from Quilge’s Jail without having Quincy powers? (Remember: we still have never seen how Ichigo escaped from there.)

I’ve realized that my interest in Bleach is heavy on the side of the Soul Society/Hueco Mundo and very, very light on the side of the world of the living. I pretty much couldn’t care less what happens in the world of the living, unless it somehow involves Kisuke/Yoruichi. So, I was a bit bored by Ichigo’s quest to learn the truth.

But then we get a flashback as to how Ichigo’s father and mother meet. It’s not bad. It does beg the question, why did it take so long for us to find out if we aren’t being retconned, but at least we’ve got that now established. Toshiro and Rangiku show up, too, as if to tell me, we still are in the Soul Society, so don’t stop paying attention. And I won’t. But this episode wasn’t as good as the last few.

Rangiku, don’t you go and cut your hair, do you really think it’ll make Isshin stay? Okay, enough with the Pavement.

Best girl of the episode: Masaki Kurosaki

Episode rating: 6/10

Bleach Thousand Year Blood War episode 10 review

Oh, Unohana. You provided us with such serenity and stability over the years. When it looked like the Gotei 13 would crumble, you stood strong as a pillar of hope and peace. And now, you have chosen to lay your life down for Kenpachi Zaraki.

From what I get, “Kenpachi” is actually a title more than it is a name, and Unohana used to be “Kenpachi.” She is just as bloodthirsty as anyone in Squad 11, yet she hides it under that interior. And, without spoiling myself too badly, I have come to the conclusion that she purposely lost this battle in order to make Zaraki stronger and allow him to take her powers into the upcoming fight.

But it’s still heartbreaking. Why couldn’t Unohana have joined the fight? Why did she have to die? Wasn’t there another way of getting Zaraki strong? I don’t exactly understand why Unohana had to be killed off, especially after a battle that was straightforward as hell. There wasn’t any strategy to it, it was just simply a sword fight with Unohana’s Bankai not really doing all that much. It was rather disappointing that this is the way Unohana went out – clearly the stronger of the two, but putting the needs of many in front of the needs of one.

As for Ichigo and Renji, they’re in training mode. So there’s more tomfoolery with those two, and nothing much that matters right now. Honestly, Ichigo’s arc has become so ridiculous that I’m almost completely ignoring it, while keeping all my focus on the quickly changing Soul Society. Unohana is gone… but she will never be forgotten.

Best girl of the episode: Do I even need to say? Unohana (3)

Episode rating: 8/10

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

Bleach Thousand Year Blood War episode 8 review

It’s been so long since Kon appeared in Bleach that I started to think he wasn’t even a canon character. That he was a filler-only guy, someone who just got added for comic relief and never actually appeared in the manga. And who knows, maybe that’s true, I haven’t read the manga (yet). But Kon shows up in this episode, as basically a TV antenna, and that leads to some hilarity.

The more important stuff, however, is that Ichigo can’t get his Zanpakuto fixed, so how are we going to fix that? Introduce a brand-new Squad: District 13, or, I should say, Squad 0. Just like “there is no District 12” and Katniss waking up in District 13, suddenly we’ve got a new Squad, complete with just five members. They’ve come to save the day, via becoming Ichigo’s newest training partners and healing Byakuya, Renji, and Rukia.

The most entertaining part of this episode has to be Soi Fon blowing up in a meetup of the remaining Captains. She absolutely goes off, and it’s glorious to watch. Then she does the same with Squad 0, but one of the Squad 0 guys makes sure she knows that she can’t hold a candle to him. That’s all good and all, but where the hell were you guys just 5 minutes ago? Oh, you show up after the Head Captain’s dead. Good timing, guys!

Then the Squad 0 guys take away Ichigo’s gang and say they’re bringing him to the Soul King. Ichigo’s like, if it was that easy, then why the hell was it so hard for Aizen to get there? Didn’t he need the Oken? Squad 0 comes up with the retcon of “our bones are the Oken, Aizen was just trying to make an imitation of our bones.” So, Aizen must have been a real idiot all this time, because as much as he was succeeding in embarrassing all of mankind, he could have gotten into the Soul King’s domain a whole lot easier simply by going straight to Squad 0 and beating those guys instead. Ugh, retconning.

Great episode, by the way. Yeah, I’m serious, despite my complaints. Soi Fon’s rant, Orihime and Ichigo’s interaction via “Kon TV,” Ganju Shiba showing up for the first time in forever, Unohana and her motherly wisdom, Byakuya getting tossed into a pool of bubbly blood in order to heal… lots of stuff to like here. The only problem I see is that we had the main conflict happen too early, and that by the time the season ending rolls around, Ichigo will be stuck in a training arc. But things are moving a lot faster than in old Bleach, so maybe things will work out just fine.

Best girl of the episode: Soi Fon (2)

Episode rating: 8/10