Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)i'm an avid viewer of anime. i've seen plenty since first tuning into toonami when i was 11 since then i've yet to be as impressed as i was with fullmetal alchemist brotherhood and the original fullmetal alchemist. this anime will make you laugh and cry all in the same episodes. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys anime.

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Edward and Alphonse Elric’s reckless disregard for alchemy’s fundamental laws ripped half of Ed’s limbs from his body and left Al’s soul clinging to a cold suit of armor. To restore what was lost, the brothers scour a war-torn land for the Philosopher’s Stone, a fabled relic which grants the ability to perform alchemy in impossible ways. The Elrics are not alone in their search; the corrupt State Military is eager to harness the artifact’s power. So too are the strange Homunculi and their shadowy creator. The mythical Stone lures exotic alchemists from distant kingdoms, scarring some deeply enough to inspire murder. As the Elrics find their course altered by these enemies and allies, their purpose remains unchanged – and their bond unbreakable.

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Bleach Uncut Season 3 Box Set: The Rescue (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Now that they've gotten into the Soul Society and the Seireitei, Ichigo and Co. have ANOTHER problem: rescuing Rukia and escaping with their body parts intact.
Unfortunately, it's not going to be that easy. "Bleach: The Rescue" kicks everything about this brilliant anime up a notch -- lots of blood, sword-fights, a fiery climax at the execution grounds, and some amazing character development. But the best part is that the treacherous conspiracy merely hinted at in prior episodes, which sparks a minor civil war within the Seireitei.
Yoruichi starts the badly-wounded Ichigo on a special new training regimen -- to rescue Rukia, he must achieve achieve bankai (the ultimate release of a zanpakuto) in three days. In the meantime, Uryu has encountered the most horrendous of Soul Reapers, who is responsible for the death of a loved one, and Captain Hitsugaya is confronted by an old friend who tries to kill him -- accusing him of murdering Captain Aizen.
But the chaos really starts when Rukia's execution day rolls around: mass murder is revealed, captains turn against one another, and Renji fights a devastating battle against the implacable Byakuya. Ichigo appears on the execution hill with devastating new power -- intent on rescuing Rukia and defeating her brother once and for all. But when he seems to be losing, a horrific new change comes over him.
And in the meantime, the conspiracy that's ripping apart the Soul Reapers is revealed -- the identify of the Big Bad and his sidekicks, the reason he wants Rukia dead, and how many people he'll coldly destroy to get what he wants.
"Bleach: The Rescue" is a turning point for the entire series -- everything before it has built to this point, and everything in the future will spring from it. For an action anime, it is also quite heavy on the plot as it sets up the Big Bad: faked murders, real murders, conspiracies, hypnotic tricks, betrayals, a clever triple-cross perpetrated by Gin Ichimaru, and Urahara's hidden motive in helping Rukia.
There's also lots of brilliantly explosive action using ice dragons, black fire, razor-sharp cherry blossoms, exploding Soul Reapers, a giant bone-snake, and a firebird the size of a submarine. The action only serves to underscore the tension that is building throughout the entire season, until it explodes on Sokyoku Hill. It's also got solid dialogue, some quiet moments for Ichigo's pals (hanging out in prison) and some flashbacks to Renji, Rukia, Kira and Momo's days at the Academy.
Fortunately, all this dark stuff is speckled with funny moments like Ichigo's relaxation in a healing spring ("I AM GOING TO DROWN YOU!"), and an entire episode in which the characters unwind and recover after the events of "the rescue."
Our Hero really shows his stuff in this season -- Ichigo puts his life on the line to reach an incredible level of spiritual power, and rescue Rukia no matter what happens. Too bad he turns out to have a freaky dark side (and Johnny Yong Bosch has a brilliant demon cackle). And Uryu inadvertently gets to the bottom of his grandfather's death, and goes to devastating lengths to get revenge for what happened to him.
But most of the characters get to shine in this, although Chad and Orihime are somewhat neglected: the Yoruichi-obsessed Soi Fon, the kindly Ukitake and his best buddy Kyoraku, the happily hyperaggressive Zaraki, boy-genius Hitsugaya, and the fusty and arrogant Head Captain Yamamoto (among many others). We also learn how far Renji will go for Rukia, as well as the true reason why Byakuya has been so cold and seemingly cruel.
"Bleach: The Rescue" is a brilliant arc of action-packed, tightly-wound anime, with a shocking twist at the core of the story. Definitely a must-see -- especially for everything that comes later.

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The day of Rukia's execution draws ever closer, and to save her, Ichigo and his loyal comrades must navigate the madness of a Soul Society on the brink of collapse. Ichigo and Renji face the most difficult training of their Soul Reaper careers as they struggle to achieve bankai, without which they have no hope against the most powerful captain of the Seireitei--Byakuya Kuchiki. While all the players converge at the site of Rukia's imminent execution, in the background, a group of Soul Reapers slowly uncover an unimaginable betrayal at the hands of one of their own--a betrayal that will shake the Soul Society to its very core.

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Bleach Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Of all the characters in the popular manga/anime "Bleach," Toshiro Hitsugaya is amongst the most popular.
And he even got his own movie: "Bleach Movie 2: The Diamond Dust Rebellion," a beautifully animated anime that takes the ice-slinging child genius into an encounter with his own past (along with Ichigo and the others, of course). It has some basic canon flaws (since when can Ichigo fly?) but the storyline and animation are truly lovely.
While the Ouin is being transported, the procession is attacked and robbed -- and Hitsugaya unexpectedly takes off. Being an old fart who loves to blame people, Yamamoto puts the entire division under house arrest.
Meanwhile, Ichigo shelters an exhausted, badly-injured Hitsugaya -- only to have the boy-captain run away after one night, after muttering something about "Kusaka." His friends start sniffing around for evidence of this Kusaka, while the wounded Hitsugaya is tottering around Karakura -- and an execution order has been put on his head.
Then Captain Kyoraku is nearly killed by Hyorinmaru, at the same time that Hitsugaya was fighting Kira and Hisagi. During a battle with the mysterious Kusaka, Ichigo realizes who he is and why the Soul Society tried to kill him -- and how much power the Ouin his given him. Now Hitsugaya is determined to stop Kusaka, but Ichigo is determined that he won't be the only one to fight...
Perhaps the biggest problem with "The Diamond Dust Rebellion" is that it plays fast-and-loose with some of "Bleach's" canon, such as the idea that two people can have the same zanpakuto's spirit.
But if that can be overlooked, then "The Diamond Dust Rebellion" is a pretty brilliant piece of work -- more focused and intense than the first "Bleach" movie, and beautifully animated. The animation is precise, detailed and smooth, and everything is bathed in pale frosty light and wintry clouds, augmented by explosions of ice and blasts of mist and snow.
And it has plenty of amazing action sequences (a moonlit fight at a shrine) and some lovely visuals (the ornate cloud-borne procession in the first scene), right up to a spectacular climactic fight between Kusaka and all the most powerful Soul Reapers. Fortunately to keep things from becoming too grim, the writers also included a bit of comic relief -- namely Renji's method of "resuscitating" an unconscious Ichigo. Let's just say it doesn't involve mouth to mouth.
Obviously Hitsugaya gets the most development in this movie -- he's always been an icy loner, but here we get a glimpse of his past losses and a lone friendship. And once more, he tries to take on all the responsibility so others will be spared. Thankfully, the flashbacks are oblique enough that at first we don't realize what he's doing, or why.
Ichigo comes in a close second, since he's had that lone-wolf/tough guy act in the past, and it seems pretty natural that he'd want to help out someone who has the same emotional problems. But a lot of other characters get little spurts of attention -- the kindly Ukitake, shrewd Kyoraku, his uptight lieutenant Nanao (who loses her cool after he's injured), rough-edged Renji, and many others.
Even the villain is well done, since you can see how he ended up so bitter and vengeful -- although his little sidekicks are basically cannon fodder.
"Bleach Movie 2: The Diamond Dust Rebellion" is a far smoother ride than the previous "Bleach" movie, with brilliant animation and a stunning ride into Hitsugaya's clouded past.

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When a caravan transporting the King’s Seal is attacked, Toshiro Hitsugaya and Squad 10 are on the ready. As they prepare to protect the treasure that holds immeasurable power, Hitsugaya suddenly abandons the scene alongside the thieves and becomes one of the accused. In response, the Soul Society calls for his capture and execution.Upon hearing the edict, Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki is immediately suspicious and determined to uncover the facts. But when Hitsugaya refuses to defend his actions and fights against his comrades, it seems his fate is all but sealed. Can Ichigo uncover Hitsugaya’s motives before they destroy his honor, his life, and the Soul Society?

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Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1 - The Bount (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)According to Merriam-Webster, filler is "a substance added to a product (as to increase bulk, weight, viscosity, opacity, or strength)."
Well, it's not a precise description, but it does explain the function of anime filler: episodes not based on the manga it springs from. And "Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1 - The Bount" anime begins an entire arc not based on Tite Kubo's manga, although it still manages to be pretty suspenseful, funny and action-packed.
The day after the gang's return to the living world, Orihime is suddenly sucked into a vast replica of the Hell Gate, by a doppelganger of her brother. Her kidnappers are the mysterious Ririn, Kuroudo and Noba -- and they quickly lure Ichigo, Uryu, Chad and Renji on a series of bizarre games. First it's a chase around town, then a surreal maze in the local museum. Finally, they're brought back to school, where they must uncover who the imposter among them is... or everyone will vanish.
It turns out that these three weirdos are all working for an old friend, to prepare Ichigo and Co. (plus Rukia and Renji) for a massive fight against the immortal soul-sucking Bounts. The Bounts have recently started consuming living human souls, and for some reason they are also allied with a rogue Soul Reaper named Maki Ichinose. What's more, their cruel leader Jin Kariya wants to get his hands on Uryu, for a secret plan to do... something.
Filler episodes in anime are usually pretty bad -- at the very least, they bend the characters into doing and saying odd things. For the most part, "Bleach Season 4 Part 1" avoids that tendency -- there's still plenty of weird individual powers, sword fights and bloody action, as well as duels between floating fire creatures, snakes, living waterspouts, metal spiders and little flying eyeballs with teeth. The Bounts, they have some mean powers.
But the story is hampered by an over-reliance on flashbacks (is this "Bleach" or "Lost"?), and the story sometimes slows to a crawl. The dialogue is still plenty of fun ("You guys are checking each other out!") and there's plenty of comic relief (Ichigo trying to find a toy that satisfies Ririn). And the writers spin up some intriguing backstory for the treacherous Maki Ichinose and the Bounts -- they're not very scary or imposing compared to Hollows or Aizen, but they'll do for a filler arc.
Ichigo and his amazing abs (you could grate cheese on them!) make a good return in this arc, but he seems to have lost some key brain cells -- he's a smart guy, yet he doesn't know that blowing up a fire extinguisher and leaping down an elevator shaft might not be a good idea? Still, our orange-haired hero remains a likable protagonist who emanates hardcore determination to protect his buddies.
Uryu is explored in detail, struggling with his recent loss of powers, and the knowledge that he is now a burden and a danger to his superpowered friends. And the writers do a good job with the supporting characters -- Chad, feisty Renji, strong-willed Rukia and quirky Orihime ("I remember there was tea!"). The Bounts aren't really explored much yet, but the three mod-souls are fun characters: Ririn is a rather shrill little bird-girl, Kuroudo a flamboyant bunny purse (yes, Rukia DOES love him), and Noba is a little ninja turtle who is almost as quiet as Chad.
"Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1" provides a pretty solid introduction to "Bleach's" first filler arc, and despite some flaws, it's still pretty fun to watch. Just be prepared to fast-forward sometimes.

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BLEACH BOX SET 4 PT 1 (UNCUT) - DVD Movie

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Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 2 - The Bount Review

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(More customer reviews)Ichigo and his friends have been fighting the Bounts on and off, while trying to keep them from capturing Uryu. Bu the battle becomes a lot more intense in "Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 2" -- this collection brings together the last twelve episodes of the hit anime's first filler arc. It's top-heavy on the action, with loads of freaky dolls, flashy swordfights and enjoyably freaky villains... as well as fewer flashbacks.
The mysterious new dolls -- called "bitto"-- have started sucking the souls from living humans (and yes, I do love that phrase), which increases the Bounts' powers but also acts like a drug to their bodies and minds. When Kariya unleashes them on Karakura's population, Ichigo and his friends charge out to save the day, but quickly find themselves outmatched by the juiced-up Bounts and their dolls. But they have some unexpected allies -- a quartet of Soul Reaper lieutenants have arrived to help them drive back the Bounts.
While Ichigo's little gang recuperates from their fights, Yumichika has discovered the location of the Bounts' hideout, and the four Soul Reaper officers head inside. Obviously things go wrong for them, or this arc would end pretty quickly. Specifically, they run afoul of the bespectacled Ugaki, whose doll turns shadows into deadly weapons, eyeballs and giant hands. When Ichigo and Co. arrive, they are attacked by the same tactics.
In the meantime, Uryu encounters a Soul Reaper from the previous arcs -- Nemu Kurotsuchi, who has come there to give him a very special item that may provide some temporary help in his current trouble. And Ichigo has some shocking discoveries of his own when he finds and attacks the souped-up Kariya -- he learns the true origins of the Bount, and what their ultimate goal is.
While the first half of the Bount Arc was all about introducing the Bounts, the second half is all about the fighting -- our heroes are assaulted by shadow hands, flying eyeballs, dimension-swimming whales, metal spiders, malevolent flowers, ropy tentacles, and occasionally The Pizza Cutter From Hell. It all builds up gradually to a genuinely shocking climax... which is pretty obviously a lead-in for ANOTHER filler arc.
Fortunately this collection doesn't have just action. The writers also wove in some comedy ("FEEL THE POWER OF JUSTICE!" Ichigo bellows when using a magic headband, right before it slams him into a chainlink fence), some mild horror (people turning into dust), and the occasional warm'n'fuzzy moment. And with the advent of the Bounts' soul martinis, they become a LOT more impressive as villains -- now they're not just soul vampires, but crazy hopped-up junkie soul vampires.
The biggest problems: Koga's long, boring flashback about his protege (who is never mentioned again), and one character does something INSANELY contrived at the end of the arc, which is also uncharacteristically selfish, stupid and short-sighted. Even more bizarre, all the characters instantly forgive him.
And Ichigo and his amazing abs has some new problems to struggle with -- his handicapped bankai and his bloodthirsty hollow side. What's more, his devotion to his friends is illustrated when Keigo is attacked by a bitto. Uryu's feelings of helplessness reach a peak when he returns to the place where he previously trained, and we see just how strong the friendship between Rukia and Orihime is.... even if it is a bit too Saved By The Warm'n'Fuzzy Powers of Love.
The Bount arc may be over, but the story of their fight with the Soul Reapers obviously isn't. "Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 2" is a solid filler collection with some flaws, but plenty of slam-bang action and solid writing.

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The battle against the evil Bounts grows wider and fiercer as Ichigo and friends, reinforced by a group of Soul Reapers, try to take the fight to their hideout. But the Bounts have many tricks up their sleeves, and it looks like certain defeat for Ichigo and his comrades. Uryu, who had lost his Quincy powers, is the key to the Bount leader Kariya’s plans for revenge against the Soul Society, as well as the key to his defeat. Will Uryu be able to regain his powers in time to save his friends?

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Bleach Uncut Season 2 Box Set Review

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(More customer reviews)While there are several other reviews regarding the show itself, I'm going to focus primarily on the technical aspects of the box set. After all, I figure if you're looking for season 2, you already know what the show is about.
The box set itself is sharp looking and made the same as the first season. It's made in 'book' format, which, in my opinion, is a lot more easy to handle than the usual fold-out box sets. While the first season had a poster of Ichigo with character reference sketches on the back of it, this Ichigo poster is blank on the back. There is no inclusion of a paper with the episode titles, which I wish they did. While all you see on the screen are episode numbers, each one does, indeed, have an official title that would make locating favorite episodes much easier.
The special on this set focuses on four voice actors: Michelle Ruff (Rukia), Wally Wingert (Renji), Spike Spencer (Hanataro), and Dan Woren (Byakuya). They discuss their opinions on their characters, as well as voice acting itself. I'm not sure how long it was, but it was long enough to enjoy.
If you are looking for good subtitles, these are mediocre. They pretty much keep to the dubbing 'rules'. For example, they don't keep character names as the Japanese VA says them, but always their first name. Chad is always put as 'Chad', even if Ichigo is not the one speaking. They also leave off any honorifics (-kun, -san, -chan, etc) in the subs. If you're picky about that (as I am), it can be pretty irritating. Viz releases always seem to be this way, however.
They sub the opening and ending themes as well.
While they claim the episodes are uncut, and the main body of the episodes are indeed whole, they do not include the Shinigami Golden shorts. I'm not sure if the Japanese DVD releases have them, but I know that they've started by now, even if all these particular episodes only are character introductory ones. I only hope that when they actually are little side stories, Viz includes them on the DVDs. This complaint is particularly confusing as they even dubbed Kon's announcement that they would start soon in one of the episode previews.
All that aside, $40 (as of today) is a fantastic price for an entire season of a great anime.

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Ichigo and his friends make the perilous journey to the Soul Society and are promptly set upon by the guardians of the spirit world. As they dodge one foe after another, they gradually draw nearer their goal: to rescue Rukia from the tower cell where she awaits her death sentence. But their presence threatens the very order of the Soul Society itself, and they must face the ultimate opponents--the captains of the guard squads whose Spiritual Pressure is unmatched, even by Ichigo himself!Special Features Include:*Bonus Materials: Behind the Scenes of BLEACH*Bilingual (Japanese & English)*Contains Episode 21-41 (Original and Uncut)

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Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 5 - The Assault Review

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(More customer reviews)The Bounts have finally invaded the Soul Society, and all hell is about to break loose... very, very slowly.
In fact, it takes quite some time for the final leg of the Bount arc to fully unfold in "Bleach Box Set 5," and it ends up being a pretty uneven and sputtery ending. There are some truly brilliant ideas, epic fights and the reappearance of many favorite Soul Reapers... but there are also a number of plot holes and some fights that are just the same ol' same ol'.
The Bounts invade the Soul Society at last, and quickly begin staging a rebellion in the forests near the Seireitei; meanwhile, Ichigo and his friends alert the Soul Reapers to the approaching danger and prepare for battle. But being in the Soul Society has given the Bounts a new advantage -- Rukia is quickly defeated, and even powerful captains like Byakuya are having a tough time fighting against Kariya and the other Bounts.
But Kariya doesn't just plan to defeat the captains -- he plans to tap into a half-forgotten power sealed within the Seireitei's foundations, and use it to destroy the entire Soul Society. The only person who may be able to help stop him is Ran'Tao, an exiled Soul Reaper scientist who created the Bounts in the first place. But with the clock ticking to doomsday, Ichigo will have to put his life on the line and fight the superpowered Kariya once and for all.
As endings go, "Bleach Box Set 5" is kind of lackluster -- there's a lot of frenetic fighting interspersed with long stretches of infodumping/flashbacks. What's more, a number of basic plot holes crop up, such as Soi Fon forgetting her own zanpakuto's power, or Kyoraku and Ukitake (the most powerful battle captains) being assigned to... flip through library books. And the whole "sealing the Jokai Crests" subplot just sort of fades away.
The writers also fail miserably at creating any kind of dramatic build-up -- you never get the feeling that anyone actually thinks that Kariya WILL destroy the Soul Society. With only a few hours until doomsday, the Soul Reapers... have a potluck dinner and NAP?
Fortunately, the writers did manage to come up with some suitably epic fight scenes, including a bloody desperate fight between a weakened Rukia and a supercharged Yoshino, and creepy mad scientist Mayuri fighting against an arrogant old coot. And there are some funny moments sprinkled through the story ("AAAAAAAAAA... an exploding egg!") to lighten the overall mood, as well as some supercharged Bount powers that make the Soul Reapers' duties a lot harder.
Pretty much everybody gets some attention in these episodes -- Byakuya's affection for Rukia, Ichigo's steadfast determination, and the ever-pragmatic Zaraki gets to wipe the floor (both physically and philosophically) with the whiny, hypocritical Ichinose. And an extra episode at the end of the season provides flashbacks of Rukia's first solo assignment, Renji's promotion, and Ichigo's "ordinary" life prior to becoming a Soul Reaper (including comforting a little girl killed in a car crash).
"Bleach Box Set 5" is a rather uneven and holey ending to the first filler arc of this anime, but there are enough highlights here to make it still worth watching -- mostly the fights, and the final episode.

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Back in the World of the Living, Ichigo Kurosaki has been officially recognized as a Substitute Soul Reaper by the Soul Society. Then trouble comes to Karakura Town in the form of Visoreds, a group of ex-Soul Reapers that have crossed over into the realm of the Hollows. As they try to recruit Ichigo to their side, it is revealed that former Captain Sosuke Aizen is attempting to create an army of Hollows with Soul Reaper powers called Arrancars. It will take Ichigo and friends along with a detachment of Soul Reapers to keep them from destroying the town.

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Bleach Uncut Box Set 6 Review

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(More customer reviews)I love bleach, I love it so incredibly much I have been buying the box sets as they come out even though I can watch them online. However, this is just horrendous. Bleach season 6 has 22 episodes, NOT 12. So what they are going to do yet again (just like they did in season 4) is split the season into 2 parts in order to make more money. Its atrocious and I couldn't be more angry about it. This part of season 6 will only have 12 episodes, the next part will have another 10. Its awful and I can't believe they are doing it yet again. Season 4 of Bleach titled The Bount had 27 episodes and they split those up into 2 sets each which cost [...] bucks at the time. The Bount one, kinda partially made sense but still angered me, but this Season 6 one I simply wont buy. [...] bucks for 12 episodes? I think not.

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TBC

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Bleach, Volume 9: The Entry (Episodes 33-36) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Nothing kills a great series' momentum like a fluffy filler episode in the middle of a great, action-packed arc.
That's the primary problem with the ninth volume of "Bleach," which starts off with a goofy little episode involving Ichigo's little sisters. Fortunately, it doesn't take long for the attention to shift back to our heroes -- with a murder, a madman, and other fun developments in the soul Society.
Karin and Yuzu happen to encounter Don Kanonji, a goofy TV spiritualist whom Ichigo sort-of-befriended in the first season. Since he's not around Don Kanonji makes Karin and Yuzu -- along with Urahara's weird little assistants Jinta and Ururu -- his new "bad spirit" fighting team. And he needs it, because Karin's new cat seems to have a magnetic attraction for hollows...
Granted, it's not a terrible episode. It's fairly amusing, but placed right at the climax of a bloodspattered major fight, it's... distracting. Kinda frustrating too.
Anyway, back in the Soul Society, Renji is found by his friends, while Ichigo, Ganju and Hanataro flee into the sewers. While both combatants heal, they're blithely unaware of a new and horrible development -- young Lieutenant Momo Hinamori goes out looking for Captain Aizen, and finds him impaled high on a building. Obviously, this wasn't suicide or an accident.
Overcome with rage and sorrow, Momo turns her sword against the person she had already been warned about -- snakey, creepy Gin Ichimaru. As Soul Reapers turn against each other, Ichigo's little band makes its way toward Rukia's cell. But then they're hit by a staggering spiritual pressure -- and the owner of it is very interested in Ichigo...
The first episode, obviously, is a big shock to anyone who saw the heartrending, bloodstained episode that preceded it -- suddenly instead of Soul Reapers and rescues, we're faced with the flamboyantly obnoxious Don Kanonji and a gang of preteen Hollow-slayers. The whole thing with Yuzu and the cat is rather sweet, but the whole episode is pretty much disposable.
But the following three episodes almost make up for that -- a spiral of tense dialogue and Soul Reaper interaction, climaxing with Aizen's very dramatic, rather acrophobic murder. Then everything tightens to tripwire tautness. And unsurprisingly our heroes are now in even greater danger because they are suspected of murder, although it's pretty obvious none of them did it.
This volume also introduces us to Kenpachi "Kenny" Zaraki, a scarred, spiky-haired, eyepatched giant with big nasty grin and loads of spiritual energy. Turns out he just LOVES fighting, and Ichigo is his dream opponent. He's a pretty fun character, but also kind of scary -- and that little pink-haired girl on his shoulder is even scarier, to be honest.
The regulars don't get as much attention in this volume. But a lot of other Soul Reapers get attention in this -- Hanataro gets to provide some medical care and comic relief, Gin the creepiness, and Momo and Kira get fleshed out considerably right before they go for each other's throats. It's a pretty shocking confrontation, and promises to get even more interesting later.
One mildly amusing, irrelevant episode shatters the main storyline's momentum, but the pivotal murder and the rising fight with Zaraki make this a must-see for Bleach fans.

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In the world of the living Ichigo's sisters find themselves in the spotlight as "Karakura Superheroes," while in the Soul Society all-out war is declared against Ichigo and his comrades. But unrest stirs in all corners of the Seireitei, including among the ranks of the Soul Reapers themselves, when a prominent captain meets an untimely fate. Ichigo and the others attempt to ride the waves of chaos straight to the white tower to rescue Rukia, but they'll have to face a massive outpouring of spiritual energy to get there!Note: Includes a Sticker sheet

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Bleach Uncut Box Set 8 Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a huge fan of Bleach, but Viz Media is really starting to tick me off. For the first 3 seasons they were released as an entire season and this was great. Season 4 with the Bounts it was released over two parts, one with 4 discs and one with 3, which I'm still okay with as a 7 disc set would cost a pretty penny. Followed by Season 5 box set with 4 discs. Up to this point I have no problems. The next sets released don't even mention which season it is. It just says Box Set 6, Box Set 7, and the latest Box Set 8 & all are 3 discs each. I noticed that box set 8 is episodes 134-145. I found out this particular season of Bleach goes to spisode 151 & I'm wondering why they just couldn't have added an extra disc to this package and finish the season. Instead they are ending right in the middle of a storyline & it's getting extremely frustrating. So the next set they come out with will have the end of this season and the start of the next. I really hope Viz reconsiders their policy on this as it's driving loyal customers away. They can't really say they're doing it to keep costs down, because I am paying almost as much for 3 discs as I was for 5. I will still buy this but can't guarantee I'll continue supporting this policy.

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Bleach Uncut Box Set 7 Review

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(More customer reviews)The arrancar are threatening the world of the living, and Ichigo's only chance of defeating them lies with the visoreds. And "Bleach Uncut Box Set 7" kicks off around round of shonen-action training -- this time focused on whipping the teenage protagonists into some kind of fighting shape.
Ichigo finally comes to the visoreds for help controlling his inner hollow, and soon discovers that it's not his choice but theirs whether he'll learn from them. Before long, he's been thrown into a pitched battle with his inner hollow -- and as his monstrous body fights with the various visoreds, he goes through a terrifying ordeal inside his own head, with his life and soul in the balance.
But he's not the only one trying to learn: Chad goes to Urahara and asks him to train him, and Uryu keeps struggling to get back his Quincy powers. And in the Soul Society, the Soul Reapers have discovered the core of Aizen's malevolent plan, which could give him control of the worlds of the living and the dead...
There's a grim, desperate undercurrent to all the episodes of "Bleach Uncut Box Set 7," especially when we discover that Aizen isn't just planning to rule over Hueco Mundo. There's still plenty of funny moments (especially Ikkaku in his pinky fluffy T-shirt), but it feels like the tense grey moments right before a storm breaks.
This arc starts off strong, especially since the training episodes are surprisingly solid and interesting, especially when Ichigo's hollowfied form goes on a screeching rampage against all the Visoreds. The episodes become a little weaker near the end, since the writers tack in some filler episodes involving a ghostly brat who causes trouble for the Soul Reapers. But I gotta admit, it's fun to see Ikkaku and Hitsugaya engaging in some spots (soccer and kendo).
So what's the biggest downside of this boxed set? It's only twelve episodes! Again! It's three bucks an episode! What is UP with this?!
Ichigo obviously gets the most attention in these episodes -- basically he's thrown headfirst into the darker corners of his soul, and has to become stronger by conquering and training his hollowesque abilities. And there's some solid development for the girls when Orihime gets depressed over being told not to fight, and Rukia rises to her defense. It's nice to see two very different female characters who share a strong friendship.
Also, the Visoreds are fleshed out at last... and they're about as peaceful and orderly a group as you'd expect from a random gang of ex-Soul Reapers. We've got a thug, a flake, a gentle giant, a fop, and so on and so forth.
"Bleach Uncut Box Set 7" suffers from a distinct shortage of... episodes. But fortunately what content there is is of good quality -- some middling filler meshed with outstanding main stories.

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