Bleach : End of Part 1 (Spoilers)

So after 63 episodes, 3 seasons and a special, I have finished the first part of Bleach.

Yes it is an amazing series, but as always, it started to get really drawn out with the fights, wasitng about 5 min on each episode recapping the end of the previous episode...and once again NO ONE DIES!!!! People get stabbed and basically ripped to shreads but they all come back to life.

There was a twist I didn't see coming: ---------->

One I did see coming:

And the freakiest thing I have seen in the series so far:

I am going to be taking a break from Bleach so I can finish up on some of the other series I have started (Ouran High Host Club and Pani Poni Dash!) but I will be watching a few episodes here and there while I catch up in the Manga. There is a season or two of filler episodes in Bleach so I am not in any rush to start catching up.

Slam Dunk!

Now beginning my journey to the 50 greatest manga series, I started with number one on the list: Slam Dunk!

In case it isn't obvious enough, the manga is about a high school basketball team. I am only one volume into the series and it takes some getting used to. The art work is a little sketchy at first and the style reminds me of GTO.

The series centers around Hanamichi Sakuragi, a red-haired tough guy who only wants to find a girlfriend so they can walk home from school together (yeah, he is kinda lame...lol). After his 50th rejection, a girl named Haruko Akagi catches his eye, but she seems to only like basketball players. He decides to join the school basketball team, who's captain actually turns out to be Haruko's older brother Takenori! Add Kaede Rukawa, Haruko's crush, to the mix and the drama begins to unfold!

Being inexperienced, Hamanichi is forced to watch from the sidelines while the rest of the teams plays...but his natural skills are gonna be something to reckon with!

The Different sides of (Japanese) High School

So in trying to continue with my watching of the 100 Greatest Anime and 50 Greatest Manga, I have reached out

In the anime department, along with Bleach, I have been watching Ouran High School Host Club, which is ranked #71 on TV Asahi's 2006 list. There were two reasons I chose to watch this anime. The first being it is available on Hulu so I can watch it all for free (without downloading) and secondly...at quick glance I thought the anime was called Ghost Club and I was looking for a horrorish anime...boy was I wrong! ( I need to work on my reading skills...)

The Cast of Ouran High School Host Club

Mori, Honey, Haruhi, Kaoru, Hikaru, Tamaki and Kyoya

Now for those of you not well-informed with Japanese culture (though some other cultures, including the US) have what are known as Host Clubs. These clubs are basically the equivalent of 'male companions' in the US, but these kinds of clubs are non-sexual. Men or women can go to these Host Clubs and spend their money to enjoy the company of beautiful members of the opposite sex (though I am sure same sex ones exist, I have only ever come across one series that had a Transvestite club). In these clubs, the hosts play a certain role to cater to the whim of their guests.



The Ouran High host club is no different. All seven members have their specific role.



Mori - the 'oniisan'. The quiet, older brother figure.
Honey - the 'boy Lolita'. The shorter, younger looking male to appeal to older woman
Haruhi - the 'androgyne'. The could-be-a-boy, could-be-a-girl.
Kaoru and Hikaru - the 'twins'. Look exactly alike and portray an almost incestuous relationship.
Tamaki - the 'king'. The leader who has mastered the art of power and manipulation.
Kyoya - the 'cool guy'. The cross between intelligence, money and presence.

The protagonist is Haruhi, who is trapped into joining the club in order to pay back a debt of breaking a vase. But, gasp! Haruhi is actually a girl! (not a big surprise so don't be angry if this is spoiled...I mean they reveal it in the opening credits before the series even starts). The series follows Haruhi as she struggles to pay off her debts, tries to hide the fact she is is a girl (otherwise she'll have to leave the male host club) and fight off the advances of the other members of the club, especially Tamaki!

I am only on 6 (out of 26) episodes, and I have a deep love for this series. It is one of the funniest animes I have seen in a while, like actually laugh out loud funny. So far the one issue I have about the series is there is little continuity between the episodes, aside for the fact that Haruhi needs to pay off her debt. Other than that, I recommend it! Will post more soon...

What I'm Watching: Bleach (#7) (episode 50), Ouran High School Host Club (# 71) (episode 6)

What I'm Reading: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Seth Grahme-Smith) Eclpise (Stephenie Meyer), Shin-Chan (Volumer 11) and Slam Dunk (Volume 1)

What I'm Playing: Silent Hill: Origins (PSP), Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS)

Bleach: Anime's Time of the Month...

I reason for this...let's say pun...

I am only 50 episodes in, and I was talking to one of my friends about the series and, while under the influence of a Capt. and Coke, described the series as "The Period of Anime"....basically there is blood in every episode. People being cut up, monsters being slashed, characters jump in in the way to protect other characters....etc.

Yet no one has died....yet. I am sure it's coming....but it's really hard to believe in something that bleeds for 50 episodes and no bodies to show it...

Seriously, in one battle, the villain gets his ass handed to him and is left with a gaping hole in his body, blood pouring everywhere! But he manages to escape and I know will come back....it's pretty annoying crap if you ask me...

FYI, this character, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi (seen here with his Lietenant Nemu) is one of the creepiest characters I have ever seen in any series. Without spoiling too much, he basically experiments on people/animals/whatever he gets his hand on until "There is nothing but pulp left"....Seriosuly....this dude is pretty fucked and I hope there is more of him to come!

Bleach Rocks!

Not gonna lie, Bleach is one of the greatest animes I have seen in while!

The fighting scenes are awesome, the VA is great (not in English so much but it's passable) and the characters are pretty badass! Even Uryu, the dude in the white coat, turns out to be a cool/dork character.

I didn't think I'd like anime with too much blood, and there's a lot of it, but it's pretty awesome and it adds to the haunting atmosphere.

I am only on season 3 and it's awesome...though I do see one downfall in the future. It's what I call "Yu-Gi-Oh Syndrome", where in order to make the anime last longer they stretch out battles to 3, 4, 5+ episodes and it gets really annoying...hasn't happened yet but I am sure it will...