Director: Noriyuki Abe
Starring: Yuki Matsuoka, Johnny Yong Bosch, Fumiko Orikasa, Michelle Ruff,
Running Time: 275 minutes
Certificate: 12
BLEACH finally returns to its main story arc after a detour. It picks up from where the show left off over a season ago, with many of the Soul Reapers in furious battle with the Espada, and if those terms mean nothing to you then it’s too late to join in now. This entire first set of episodes from Season 13, which is pretty much just more of Season 11, is a collection of fight sequences, each one outdoing the last.
The idea of plot is left far behind, but that’s not to discredit the show. Although it was certainly becoming stale, and had so many characters that many missed the mark, here we return to a bunch of superpowered villains and our heroes who will try and take them down. A season long break has done the show good, and the non-stop action is worth every minute you’ll invest in this box-set. Beautifully animated segments bring to life this unapologetic run that is completely for the fans.
In teh interests of fairness though, we should still look at some of the inherent drawbacks. The amount of exposition is still painful, with even the characters starting to get bored with having to explain their tactics and how they knew certain techniques would work. There’s also the old anime favourite “twist” of characters constantly accessing a new level of power. Just when somebody looks beat they are able to transform into something else. This can be great when done sparingly, but when it happens so much that eyes start to roll, you can’t help but think it’s time to end the fight.
The editing can also be clumsy when jumping between the different fights. The show will cut away to a different fight and show us a singular event, but not return to give an explanation until another 2 episodes later. It becomes difficult to track exactly where we stand in terms of the plot.
Fans will love the return to familiar territory, and the fights at least feel as though they are building towards something a lot bigger. There is also time for some exploration of characters, with the villains becoming the surprise stars with their unique powers and sometimes puzzled view of the world. This is all hinting towards a much more involving plot for the future, but until then the action is enough to excite and satisfy, even though it’s probably enjoyed best in small chunks rather than downing the season in one.
[usr=3]BLEACH Season 13 Part 1 is released on DVD on 7th April via Manga Entertainment.
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