Anime [David Anime] Bleach 1

Just as pointed out in the excellent reviews of Garten, Ten, and Kawaii, the first episode of Bleach is finally out and, boy, does it take us for a ride. Turbocharged with a unique visual style, this title remixes mysterious legends, intriguing protagonists, and killer fight scenes into a tasty blend of shonen goodness.

Besides the wicked action scenes, the real star of the show is Kurosaki Ichigo, who unflinchingly gambles his life in order to save his family. Although this story element seems suspiciously similar to Rumina's gambit in Tokyo Underground, it's an effective tactic nonetheless and fixates Ichigo as a preternaturally strong character, as we subsequently see Ichigo just *mincing* his giant opponent in battle. While this is well and good, it seems to throws character development out the window, leaving us to wonder if Ichigo will ever need to grow stronger or braver.

More interesting, at least at this point, is Ichigo's family, which is absolutely hilarious. It's rather amusing to see Ichigo's sisters adopt a totally nonchalant attitude to seeing ghosts floating in the air, sliding through walls, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. This attitude is wholly at odds with Ichigo's hyperactive father, who is, quite frankly, a riot. Unsurprisingly, these supporting players bring a vibrant sense of personality to the show, perhaps even more than Ichigo and his death-god counterpart.

Putting aside the minor quibbles, there's no doubt that title has tremendous potential. Without a doubt, it seems that Ichigo himself is most alive when he's jiving with his peers, and, given Ichigo's newfound strength, it'll definitely be interesting to see how he relates to his comrades. By all accounts, there's a long road ahead, and, for the moment, we'll just have to wait to see how Bleach turns out.

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