On a Mayama recommendation of something that wasn't shoujo (though it's still pretty character centered thus far....I don't know how far out of the shoujo realm it falls) I obtained the first season of Bleach. I watched the first 2 episodes today. Not bad really, even though it's historically not my "thing". If I have a "thing". Premise....the scary badass 15 year old hs boy (who resembles Kyo Sohma) whose family owns the town clinic where sometimes people die can see ghosts. So can the rest of the family. He sometimes helps them, especially little kids. He sees this girl (very reminiscent of Natsuki from Mai HiME) who helps slay this huge monster thing that appears to be attacking this little girl ghost he helps. Turns out she's a "Death god" which is something like the grim reaper of sorts. And there are "plus souls" and some other kinda soul that I don't remember right now and she sends the good ones to heaven and she kills the bad ones with her badass katana skillz. So...turns out the bad soul monster things are really after the guy and the only way to save his family is if she turns him into a death god too. So then....he kills the thing and he's a death god and now he has to kill the monster things. But he doesn't want to follow orders...he just wants to help the people he wants. Yeah...that's where I am on that one now. Seems interesting at least.....there's a shit ton lot of it, so apparently other people like it. Though.....there's a shit ton lot of Tenchi too and ain't no one watching that.

posted by Yukino @11:42 PM 10.10.05 8 comments

Bleach started off as an interesting series with a good premise, cool characters, amusing humor, and some good action. Lately though, we're up to episode 59, the series has become nothing more than standard and bothersome fighting anime fair. Yes, the action is still cool, and it is fun to see your favorite character be a total badass. However, the plot has become so fragmented with no less than a handful of "epic" battles occurring, and each relationship having its own back story that is either hinted at or told in full (usually taking half to a full episode) that it is getting hard to remember all that is going on. The people doing the show, which is based off a manga, will start a fight, and it will be two weeks to a month before you see anything of it again. Of course the next time you see it the battle doesn't actually conclude, but reveals another hidden "secret" or some spectacular new attack. So, basically I have to admit that unless the ship gets righted soon I may have to give up on this series. The first 26 episodes were very solid, and since then the episodes have ranged from fantastic to why did you even waste the money animating this? Anyways still I would recommend Bleach if you like action based series, the beginning really is quite good, and maybe you have more tolerance for the shenanigans they've been pulling lately.

posted by Mayama 12.05.05