anime… – II (Bleach)
Bleach was the first one that I ever watched and at that moment, it was the self-exploration of Kurosaki Ichigo that was very intriguing. Ichigo, the protagonist who breaks all the rules known to every soul, is a teenager who has enormous amount of spiritual power. It’s an anime that is based on shinigami, the death gods. These death gods are responsible for the transfer of dead people’s souls to the soul society, so that they do not cross over the evil side (referred to as the hollow) and lead to utter chaos in the actual world. In many ways, it sounds like a version of Hindu mythology (except that there are many more shinigami in the manga concept). Ichigo, a mortal, is able to vanquish evil spirits to save the good ones. He fights several senior shinigami (captains) against all the odds and wins every battle because of his perseverance, the ability to keep himself focused and most importantly, to protect people who are very close to him.
Lately, too many questions have been cropping up in my mind, which go unanswered. I have felt that it is not adequate because of the concept of “mortal souls” in the world of souls and the presence of nobility (like those of Kuchiki)- does that mean that souls are born without the purpose of being sent to the real world? What does it really achieve- besides some awesome fighting? Ichigo seems to have lost his purpose.. with his emotions clouding his judgment and need-based passion to better himself, the anime seems to be losing its charm in this field of violence as well. It is as though the kid really needs to meditate a bit, get to know his Zanpaktou (sword- named Zangetsu) better, learn more about himself as well as his partner – Zangetsu and get a better perspective on life.
The first team that formed consisted of Ichigo, Rukia, Inoue (Orihime), Uryu (Ishida) and Chad (aka Sado)- with the strongest members being Ichigo and Uryu and the weakest being Rukia, Inoue and Chad. After the initial fights, Ichigo saves Rukia and gains the title of substitute Shinigami. Also, this adds another member to their team- Renji. All of these characters are unique in their own ways and have a great potential to improve in their fighting style. Rukia, portrayed to be a victim of a certain plot by Urahara, is somewhat disappointing in terms of growth in her strength. It seems that her emotions need to be stirred in order for her to be able to realize that growth has to occur on a continuous basis. It is as though she expects everyone to keep on saving her everytime. Renji’s bankai* seems to be extremely difficult to manage and has probably not reached its final shape or level. Ichigo’s bankai, on the other hand, merges the user are Zangetsu – giving user a Zangetsu-like appearance, speed and destructive power. Both Ichigo and Uryu (Ishida) have reached a certain glass-ceiling and they really need to get into “learning about themselves” mode to use more than speed in combat.
*Bankai= second transformation of sword that requires extremely high concentration and gets the sword user at an entirely new level of combat and mental ability.
The anime is extremely sexist in its approach, showing growth in guys but not Rukia and Orihime. Instead, when Orihime is kidnapped, the entire plot focuses on how Inoue is standing helpless, waiting to be saved. The appearance of Nel, however, was a nice twist in the plot.
