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Dated 9 November 2004: Bleach

Bleach opening credits
Bleach opening credits

I am rather enjoying Bleach this season. Through its first five episodes, it has been pretty entertaining.

Bleach is about a high school kid, Ichigo, who can see ghosts. Rukia, a shinigami (kinda the same deal as the Full Moon wo Sagashite shinigami, only a lot more somber, and with big ass swords) recruits him to fight monsters called Hollows that seek to devour lost souls.

Rukia
Rukia

The talented and versatile Fumiko Orikasa voices Rukia with much aplomb. Her Rukia is very similar to her Meia voice from VanDread, but the icing on the cake is the fake voice Rukia uses in school as part of her schoolgirl disguise. You can sort of hear Fumiko Orikasa's Pacifica Cassul voice in these scenes. The combination is somewhat amusing.

It appears that many fans of the original manga rather dislike the anime version of Bleach. I haven't read the manga, so I can't speak for their complaints. I like the plot well enough, and the pacing and energy of the anime is quite appealing. Through the first five episodes, it seems pretty good, although episode five did have way too much exposition and turn-based fighting for my taste. If you care to make the comparison yourself, the first three volumes of the manga are currently available in English, published by Viz.

Dated 17 February 2005: Still watching Bleach

Ichigo
Ichigo

I don't really mean to keep watching Bleach. I mean, it stars a fairly unlikeable orange-haired kid with a giant sword, for crying out loud. Nevertheless, I keep watching because Rukia is awesome, yo.