Bleach: Episode 120
Rating: 8.8/10
Impressions:
I was rather disappointed with this episode. I was afraid the quality would be pretty low when I saw the preview from last episode. Not to mention the appearance of the mod souls, which immediately made the producers completely screw up the battle (I’ll explain later). Movement animation wise, it was alright. Facial animation; total crap. The actual fights? Well, they were pretty poorly executed as well. Sigh, what a letdown. And as you can see, I am not afraid of bashing my current favourite ongoing show. The problem again, next episode doesn’t look to be that much better from the previews. Did the animators blow their money on episode 118?
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For this part of the story, the manga crushes the anime in terms of execution, quality and enjoyment (only this episode though). The manga is short, sweet and gives a big impact. The quality is consistently high, and by quality, I mean how good the panels are drawn. The Bleach manga is always excellent in this respect. This is one reason why everyone looks badass, and not retarded. |
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The shinigami are clearly overwhelmed, and quickly too. Then a raging Ururu steps in, does some beating, but gets shot down as well. The arrancars release, do some more asskicking, before the limit is lifted and well…you should be able to guess what happens next (which will be the next episode). Essentially, the arrancars get owned (but we still haven’t seen the major fight yet…) |
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The anime however, drags this on pretty long. The intervention of the Bounto sensors is pretty stupid as well. There is no way an arrancar of that calliber would be fooled by the foolishness of the mod souls. They should have been utterly owned by his sheer reiatsu, but for purposes of ‘including the filler characters’, this type of a sacrifice just had to be made (being sarcastic if you can’t tell). |
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For the first time, I feel the music doesn’t really match with the action. The fighting is all over the place as well. Everything was done sloppily. The release sequences obviously didn’t really even exist, but understandably, this is all because of the high quality episodes a few weeks ago. Either that or another anime has been draining money. |
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A serious screw up I found is how the animators unbelievably decided to give Ichigo the ability to fly. Only the Arrancar, Vaizards, Toushiro and Renji should be in the sky. Toushiro and Renji are both supported by their bankai forms, while Ururu just has her uber jump. Ichigo however, SKIDS ON AIR and STANDS on it. That is stupid beyond belief. Ichigo CANNOT fly in any form. He can jump, but he can’t fly. |
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Anyway, this episode covers three chapters, even though it may feel a tad slow. One MAJOR difference the manga has is how Ururu is beaten down. Her chest is completely pierced by a giant claw, which I have shown in one of the manga screenshots. It’s unbelievable how much this scene was censored; oh how severely disappointing. Next week, it’s Ichigo vs Grimmjaw, plus a new OP and ED. |
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Preview:
Next episode - #121
No Bleach next week.
Popularity: 36% [?]
33 Comments so far
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Another great in depth review as always. Never managed to get into Bleach myself though.
?? You said that the preview doesnt seem to be much better in quality, with all that kickass animation how can you say that??
I totally agree with you Danny, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. I have to say that I’m always impressed with your reviews, keep up the Good Job!
The animation did suck compared to Episode 118.
I used to be blind to “bad” animation and “good” animation but after finally realizing what really good quality animation looks like (melancholy of suzumiya haruhi…kyoto animation indeed does kick ass), I couldn’t help but feel this episode was a letdown.
The releases of Ilfort and Shawlong were lackluster. I was expecting something like Edorad’s release where we can actually see it materialize and be wowed by the special effects. Instead we just see a bright light and OMGWTF Ilfort and Shawlong are magically transformed.
I was looking forward to Ururu’s “genocide” mode too but they shitted on us with how it was executed. And I wasn’t feeling the lack of blood and gore—Ururu gets fucking IMPALED in the manga and yet in the anime she just gets POKED by Ilfort’s horn? WTF
And also, why the hell does everyone even know how to fly, especially Ichigo? It just seemed like something they never touched upon in any of the previous episodes.
I just hope the lackluster quality will only apply to this episode. Perhaps the animators/directors just had a lapse and I hope they can really step up the quality for the future episodes.
And I’ve been hearing all these rumors of a new OP and ED sequence but have found nothing about it online. Any idea what the songs are going to be?
I forgot to mention…Renji’s bankai looked retarded.
Ilfort comments that it isn’t fast enough or something…OBVIOUSLY it isn’t when the animation makes the bankai look like something out of a Chinese lion dance.
Aside from the 9482904824 negatives, this was still a decent episode but an episode that could’ve been done better.
I bet we wouldn’t even mind if the mod souls were taken out of the anime without any explanation beforehand. Filler trash should stay in fillers.
@ brian, i checked on animenewsnetwork, they said
OP
#06: “????” by Aqua Timez (eps 121-)
ED
#11: “Tsumasaki (爪先; Tiptoe)” by Ore Ska Band (eps 121-)
Awesome post!!
I love how you take the time to compare the anime and the manga
and I also like your take on things.
Thanks for posting the info on the songs.
I’ll wait til I see episode 121 to judge how the songs are.
no no no next episode will be the best animated episode ever
the part that we seen in preview from ichigo vs Grimmjaw however being short was best i saw in bleach even better than the amazing episode 118
Enlighten me.. Since when Shinigamis can stand on the air? Why only can Toushiro and Renji and arrancars can fly but not Ichigo?
Well, THAT you need to ask the person who draws/writes Bleach, not me Kev. BUT, i can tell you that normal shinigamis cant. Ichigo isnt supposed to, and Toushiro has wings. Dunno about Renji, I guess the mangaka just decided to make him fly for this battle.
It’s obvious Ichigo can’t do Air Walk stuffs since he didn’t learn much from Zangetsu nor Soul Society’s Teachings/ARTS. Unlike the other who go through Academy or just Plain Warrior~
I just get the feeling that the Bleach episodes aren’t getting any better after resuming the original plot. This SuCKS!! So Badly it hurts.. Bleach is my favourite Anime above all else coz it’s my First Collected Stuff unlike others.
I could still remember those days when i watch Bleach with a “Mind-Blowing” experience due to Great Drawing+Animation+Stormy Effects on the 1st Season. :\
But all this Filler stuff snugging in my Favourite Plot is just Friggin UNacceptable! Compared to Naruto Shippuuden.. Bleach doesn’t look like it could stand the same heights of Naruto as it DID in the past. I wish something’s Done to FIX this! But what? hmmm
Where is my Rukia Danny?
Where is she?
What happened to her?
This is killing me!
I truly believe that Bleach writers have something against Rukia. The poor girl finally gets her powers back and BAM!!! she now has a big hole in her chest.
Actually all shinigami and arrancar can stand/walk/fly in the sky because it’s simply gathering spiritons to your feet and focusing it there. And this isn’t the first time Ichigo has done it, he did it subconsciously so long ago when he was fighting Orihime’s brother. One can say that he never really did it again because he didn’t train it properly unlike the real shinigamis.
omg thats so retarded….sigh, now theres something for me to complain about in bleach.
oh and darkshaunz, rukia IS GONE and WILL NEVER COME BACK…(maybe) lol nah just j/k
Rukia will come back! >=O
You bet your ass she’s coming back. She better. Show Spoiler ▼
I HATE those friggin’ annoying bounto sensor dolls. I don’t give a flying crap if they were in the anime or not before, the point is, we’re in the actual Bleach now where Bountos have never existed. So, why MUST they keep on including those stupid things? I swear, those people must honestly be sadomasochistic to do this.
I really, really, did NOT like this episode. Here’s to hoping they don’t continue doing this. -sighs-
I’ve got a random question why is bleach been given every two weeks lately, its kind of crapy…what i mean is a bitch
Just to point something out, Ichigo actually does that trick before, abeit that particular moment lasted about….2 seconds…maybe less. Anyway, he skidded on air before when fighting Inoue’s brother (AKA that giant snake thing) before being smacked to the ground by it’s tail.
I would rather want to know what this limit release is? Weren’t the bounto strong enough (a threat) for them to have used it? Or is it so that the talked crap when they introduced the Arrancar & Vaizards and how strong they are? Or is it because they are on earth and they can’t damage the area, but if so they did set this perimiter or whatever for that reason.
Another question to whom those kids belong too (Ururu and the boy)? They aren’t shinigamis but have reiatsu levels and such… Why does that girl get so beastfull, does she also have latent powers that she can’t control like ichigo. The guy with the green hat, where is he when all of this is happening?
Rico need to go back and watch the fillers.. Lol.
Btw are there Episode 121 this week?
Not to cause any offence, novastorm, but if you remember the manga panel in where ichigo fights grimmjow again a second time, you can see ichigo floating in the air after going into Bankai mode but before using his vizard mask. Take a closer look.
Just for your info.
For these who wish to be enlightened on why shinigami can float on the air, those with enough experience and knowledge will be able to do so. Remember what Zangetsu told ichigo in his subconsious domain in Vol.8? Skilled shinigami who can utilise spirit particles to create a platform beneath their feet to enable them to fight hollows in the air.
Or else, ichigo would have no other option but to continuously spam his getsuga tensh? at this type of opponents.
I think that the preview for the next episode actually looks like some awesome animation. I usually don’t notice that sort of stuff, but even I was like, “Wow, that looks like quality!”
Ok…Look..No one in Bleach should have the ability to fly…I have missed something along the anime or something because as if by some miraculous force…everyone can float now. This shouldnt be possible..remember when Ichigo was trying to save Rukia..he had to use a cape to fly and judging by the other shinigami’s reactions(and lack of seeing it happen before) no one has the ability to fly. Something needs to be explained about this because it seriously annoys me how it just “HAPPENS” out of nowhere.
Pretty outdated here mate, you are 2 episodes behind.
tyujcs;ozk………………
fbv
Ericccc, if I’m not mistaken mind you, I think I’ve heard somewhere that when on earth, shinigamis can somehow expel a small amount of reiatsu to *create* ground under their feet, this doesn’t work in Soul Society because there everything is alreay made up of spirit particles so expelling the reiatsu wouldn’t change the air under their feet at all.
u fuckin mongs…..ririn cloud and nova rock….so get a life..most ov u havent even watched the bounto season…so just stop chattin shit,and watch it first…i know its not that good and the bountos are gay but ririn an the other are quality
You picked up on an very important point there. Ichigo cannot fly. And that goes for alot of the other shinigami who seem to bend reality too far. Its getting stupid now; all the battles now take place in the sky where they all somehow know and do “flash step” so quickly, it loses all effect. Theres no trees to bash up, things to chuck your opponent into, things to stand on or jump over. Ultimately it means that the battles are boring, lame with no real content. The animators only have to do 5 frames a battle; a blue backround, 5 shots and flash step them between them. I believe the quality of this is plain and simple rubbish. Its unrealistic attitude to the depth of the bleach world, the distorted characters limitations and general lack of feeling fails to draw me into bleach like it used to.
Bottom line: Dropping it.