Bleach

I can easily say that Bleach is one of my favorite animes of all time. It is a combination of everything that I love about anime - action, comedy, a slight hint of romance. Every character has a unique background that developed throughout the series with a set purpose and direction.

The series doesn't have a set hero and an anti-hero, but rather a collection of characters that change and grow as the series progresses. Even though Ichigo Kurosaki is the main hero, the story does not revolve around him, and all other characters get a fair amount of screen time. There are plenty of backstories that give us a sense of what other characters are like. Each character is an individual with his or her own history, instead of just being support to the main hero. I like the fact that many of them change and grow and became something else later in the series. Although some of the characters, that started out bigger than life, were tuned down later in the series.

The concept of Soul Society is strange. It is supposed to be equivalent to heaven, as Rukia Kichiki explains in one of the episodes, but it very much resembles the modern political structure, which is disorganized, corrupt, lax, and allows incompetent characters occupy high ranking positions. And how is it even possible to die in Soul Society? Technically everyone is already dead there.



Bleach is also a combination of slap stick comedy and action. It can be incredibly silly and random in one scene, but in the next it's violent, dark, and depressing. My whole experience with it ranged from having hysterical giggles, teary eyes, hysterical giggles. Rinse and repeat.

Some of the things I didn't like about it are the filler episodes, simply because they divert from the main story line. However, I did find the Bount arc to be incredibly boring. But other fillers, like the one where Hitsugaya and Kirin play soccer, are fun. Some of the conversation can also be cut down. How many times will the bad guy stick "Kurosaki Ichigo" at the end of a sentence while talking to him? Byakuya Kuchiki and Ulquiorra sound almost identical in their eloquence and calm demeanor. Even their voices are similar.

I've read some fan reviews claiming that the DVD dubbing is good. If it's the same as on the Adult Swim, I strongly disagree. American voices are either wooden or overdone. The actors are not even trying to act the parts. They are trying too much to imitate the Japanese voices instead of holding their own. As a result, they sound awkward and pretentious. I wasn't convinced by Aizen at all, instead of sounding calm and well spoken, he sounds monotonous.

Overall, I recommend Bleach to anyone who loves great story and comedy mixed with action. The plot is full of surprising turns and twists that makes you crave for more. But avoid the English dubbing and stick to the subtitles.

Julia