Bleach: Episode 98
Episode 98: Clash! Zaraki Kenpachi vs. Ichinose Maki
Impressions:
Four things to say: 1 – The new OP is awesome; 2 – The episode itself was crap; 3 – Yachiru is sooo cute; 4 – Soi Fon’s gonna die? Now your attention has probably been drawn to that last one about Soi Fon dying. I put a question mark there because apparently episode 100 is titled “Soi Fong dies? The Last of the Secret Mobile Corps”. Meh, who cares anyway? It’s not like she has some vital role in the future anyway. Haha, maybe that was a bit cruel, but frankly I really don’t give a damn as to what happens to her. It’s the good, interesting characters like Urahara, Yoruichi, Byakuya, Toushiro etc. who spike me interest. Anyway…
Now I said the OP is great (sung by YUI, which I think is much better than her other song used as an ED – Life), but not just the song; the video is amazing as well. If I didn’t know what Bleach was about, watching the OP would probably grab my attention immediately and make me think its an extremely high-quality, popular anime, though obviously that’s not the case with the fillers right now. Talking about fillers, they’re probably going to end within the next 25 episodes. Why? Because the new OP showed clips from the manga storyline, such as Ichigo fighting his Hollow self when he is training with the Vizards. Since each OP lasts 2 seasons (around 26 episodes), it should be safe to assume those scenes will be shown as the actual episode within those episodes. It’s only been about 70 manga chapters since where the anime diverged from it, and Bleach covered 170 chapters in about 70 episodes. This means that only about 30 or so episodes can be animated from hr 70 manga chapters. Hmm…I wonder what happens then. More fillers? Surely it Bleach is going to end is it?
Second thing I said: the episode was crap. The quality was horrible; some scenes the characters did not have a spot of shadow on them. Some scenes nothing was given shading or texture etc. and the fighting was just damn horrible. The whole thing was utterly pathetic. The only good part was the last part when Zaraki killed Ichinose (he did die didn’t he?). The reiatsu was flashy but sword-control was none existent. Zaraki’s maniacal face at the end was a nice sight to see; such expressions suit him perfectly! 
Okay, apart from the visuals being crap, the power differences between everyone just don’t add up as well. Earlier (a lot earlier) when Ichigo fought Ichinose for the first time, he got his ass kicked pretty badly, yet Zaraki blew Ichinose away like he was some unseated nobody. Then take into account the fact that Ichigo was on par with Kenpachi WITHOUT his Bankai even learnt, and you find yourself in an unbelievable dilemma. Just what the hell are the script writers doing? Please even things, please!! Ichigo’s been underpowered for the entire Bounto arc, except maybe when he fought Kariya a few episodes ago, but he had help from Byakuya (unintended though).
Final thing, how nice would it be to see super kawaii Yachiru to thrash some old Bounto hag? Yachiru vs any Bounto except Kariya and Gowa and the little vice-captain would win for sure! That’s something I would really like to see. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Yachiru could size up to some of the captains as well. I wonder if she has a Bankai. Well, that’s about it for now. Surely I have a lot more to complain about this episode, but I think that’s enough. I can’t belittle such a good show that much anyway. Once the fillers end it will reign supreme in the anime world once again!! Just a final thought: Zaraki removing his eye-patch is like releasing a Zanpakuto or even more! =D
Opening Sequence:
OP #5: [Rolling Star] by YUI
Download *right click – save target as* (TV size mp3 – 2.06mb)
Screen-caps:
Ending Sequence:
ED #9: [Baby It's You] by JUNE
Download *right click – save target as* (TV size mp3 – 2.06mb)
Summary:
- When Toushiro meets up with Ichigo and the others, Ichinose announces that he will not allow them to escape and interfere with Kariya’s plans
- Ichinose uses his special light technique to create illusions from releasing immense amounts of blinding white light from his Zanpakuto
- From this, he is able to make Toushiro and Renji take a swing at each other by using his illusions, but the two don’t make the same mistake again when they realise they were tricked
- As everyone stands still as to try and not to confuse each other with the enemy, Ichinose rounds on Chad, who is by himself, and swings down his sword on him
- Fortunately for Chad, Zaraki arrives just in time to stop Ichinose’s blade. He ups his reiatsu to cancel out the light illusion
- Ichinose decides to fight Zaraki because of the grudge he still holds on him for killing the former 11th Squad captain, allowing the others to pursue Kariya
- Ichinose pulls out all the tricks he can muster with his kidou-based Zanpauto, but Zaraki is far too powerful for Ichinose to be a challenge
- Even Ichinose’s best attack, one where enemy is meant to be killed when engulfed in light, fails to destroy Zaraki and his immense, overflowing reiatsu
- Ichinose and Zaraki start have quite an enlightening conversation. Zaraki makes Ichinose realise he betrayed Kariya by letting Ichigo and the others pass due to his own selfishness (to fight Zaraki)
- Ichinose does not deny this, but still wishes to kill Zaraki, and so musters everything in one final attack
- Zaraki increases his reiatsu to match Ichinose’s and the two clash head-on. Zaraki ends up winning with no severe wounds, leaving Ichinose dead (or at least unconscious)
- Yachiru seems to suspect Zaraki of going easy on him, to which he replies that he gave it his all. However, this is obviously a lie as Zaraki didn’t even remove his eye-patch in the last clash
Preview:
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1- OP was alright, i liked the artwork the best
2-omg you dont like kenpachi or something??? Boooo! I thought this was a good episode, but i’m a Kenpachi fanboy.
3-Yachiru is DEFINATELY cute. And they drew her in super nice detail this episode so I was like all over that shit..
4-I doubt they’d kill her off during the fillers, but i dunno, she’s kinda hot?
ahh i love the new OP & ED. Great artwork indeed
They kind of explained Ichigo’s low power level when he managed to get back his Bankai. Him losing sight of what he was fighting for resulting in him being weak and pathetic. His whole reason for fighting was to save Rukia which was a major mission having to go up against Vice-Captains and Captains, etc. But when he got back to the ‘real world’ it was only these Bounto characters, which they didn’t know anything about, causing trouble. Not initially a big concern.
While i didn’t like seeing Ichigo being weak and pathetic, i think they’ve done a good job of it. I mean he’s supposed to be young and somewhat inexperienced right?. It would be pretty boring if Ichigo was kick-ass and took out everyone in two seconds.
I wonder if Kenpachi will manage to learn to release his sword and then go on to reach Bankai. Maybe he will after Ichigo improves some more.
Hey! Thanks man! This totally rocks! I love Bleach! Aaargh Bleach 98 was awesome!
Retsgip, when I said the episode was crap, I meant the quality was crap, not Zaraki or anything. He’s an awesome character!
And slynqy, what about when Ichigo fought Daruku (the doll)? He had motivation to save Keigo didn’t he? Yet he was still so weak…
The situation is still not quite to scale. Ichigo spent a few weeks training just to save Rukia. It was a huge deal. He also had a ton of people depending on him, so he was able to go hardcore for his friends. In the Keigo situation, he wasn’t in the soul society so he wasn’t able to Bankai, and it wasn’t a premeditated situation. When you prepare for something you usually can try a lot harder and do a lot better than spur of the moment….I don’t know why i’m even trying to argue through plot holes in the show, but that’s just what i think.
And no worries dude, I’m teasing. You could dispise Kenpachi and i’d still read/comment etc. Everyone has their own opinions. I’ll admit i was so absorbed with kenpachi that i didn’t even notice/care about the quality. What can I say? I’m a huge Zaraki Kenpachi fan.
I’m not trying to be stubborn or anything, I’m just used to seeing Ichigo kick ass big time. It’s just not nice to see the lead who had been so strong turn out to be so useless now. That’s one of the reasons I really want the fillers to end now so Ichigo can return to being the real hero in the manga storyline.
Hi, im having some trouble saving the OP and ED, is there another way to save this or can you send it to my email?
Thx. mellys_chan02@hotmail.com
First I’d like to say, I really appreciate the work on just one episode you display here, not to mention the site as a whole.
Anyway, Yachiru is probably like a uber-god when she is pissed, that be nice, like she flips shit when Kenpachi dies or something.
Too what I wanted to say, Kenpachi dominated the fight with Ichinose because; simply put, he is a monster.
Ichigo on the other hand is “weak” because, just like in any other anime only shows his real strenght when he is close to dying or is “insane” just real pissed off (because of Rukia for example) when he gets that coolness and really powerfull. Any other way and the real important fights in the story would be weak. Heh
Not to be greedy, but what if you include summaries about the next eps. on this site too. haha
Summaries on the next eps? How is that possible when it hasnt aired yet?
I think they call them spoilers. ;D I dunno, I’ve gotten across some, just like I found this site… but I was rather hoping somebody would comment on the other stuff I said, than I’m pretty damn bored and I don’t know how to release my creativity online without too much effort.
Oooh, spoilers! Frankly I don’t know any regarding the fillers but if you do feel free to tell!
Well, I dont read mangas, well I never tried… heh. but I was wondering if Kenpachi will develop level 2 or even bankai?! And one thing I didnt get so far, why did that one Bounto killed by Byakuya die.. I thought they couled die in Soul Society? I mean she just got owned.
The female bounto with green hair? She didnt die. And as of chapter 246 of the manga (latest currently) Zaraki has not developed shikai or bankai
Lots of comments up in here.
I think EVERYONE is anxiously waiting for Zaraki Kenpachi to improve. Merely knowing his Zanpakto’s name would probably turn him into a hurricane of death and destruction. They wouldn’t want him to steal the show now would they? Ichigo is always going to have to be the strongest character, otherwise it wouldn’t be true to its cause…or something.
please link me the spoiler of Soi Fon? i think she’s a good character and when compared to some of the other captains, i.e. Komamura(2nd least favorite captain), Ukitake, Unohana. If you like Yoruichi so much then i don’t see why you would hate on her #1 student. More Soi Fon back story = more Yoruichi back story. If Soi Fon died, i would be pissed. and i can’t see Oomaeda being a captain.
i dunno any spoilers and I dont think there are any as these eps are fillers, not from the manga.
Wow, you must be dedicated to post a blog entry for every episode… *claps*
Well i agree with you, the OP is very good this time. This OP and the second one have got to be my favourites…
Yeah ep 98 was a little messed up… well I’m going to watch 99 now…
wow i love this opening, didnt hear the ending though lol
i only used your website for two times and i’m loving it! its great, spoilers, discussions, the entire lot of great fans backing this place as well as their comments, its fantastic…
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[...] to say: 1 ?? The new OP is awesome 2 ?? The episode itself was crap 3 ?? Yachiru is sooo cute 4 …http://novastorm.animeblogger.net/bleach-episode-98/Bleach Episode Guide – MahaloLike other anime series adapted from manga, bleach was organized for [...]