Bleach DVD Volume 8 With the help of a meek member of Squad 4 Ichigo and Ganju make great strides towards reaching Rukia in the white tower. Upon leaving their underground passageway Ichigo is confronted by Renji, a Renji out for vengeance at the trouble he put Rukia in. During the battle Renji experiences flashbacks to how he and Rukia met as children, they adoption into the Soul Society and their rise to power. As the winner emerges both combatants have scars to remember, but at the end of the day it’s Ichigo who moves on to continue is quest for Rukia’s rescue.
This volume of Bleach continues the fast paced story as Ichigo races to rescue Rukia and it gives some insight into the past to two very important characters, Rukia (duh!) and Renji. We begin to see Renji as more than just an opponent for Ichigo but the future ally he will become. The flashbacks are well integrated and do not interrupt story flow, something we will continue to see in later volumes as each Captain and Second Seat will have background stories of one manner or another. Speaking of other Captains …
Bleach DVD Volume 9 The race to rescue continues but not before an interesting story from back in the human world outlining the exploits of the Karakura Superheroes. As the story shifts back to the Soul Society we learn that Captain Aizen has been murdered, no small feat as he was one of the elite in the society and no easy opponent. Who killed him? The focus of course shifts to Ichigo and company, but they are in no position to handle so decidedly a captain. As Ichigo and Ganju get closer to Rukia they are overcome by an obscene spirit pressure, one they cannot escape from. Who does this pressure belong too and how can the trio hope to survive an encounter with such a monster?
Ok, volume 9 is almost like a transition story within the main ongoing story. We learn about the death of Aizen, which is great because is adds a new level of depth to the world of Bleach. It’s not all about carrot top anymore; there are more players, more stories and larger agendas to consider. The Karakura story is pulled from the intro sketches in the manga. It’s a fun diversion, but I want me some more fight episodes. Speaking of which the pressure being felt, yeah it belongs to a certain captain Ichigo was warned about and seeing as how this is a long running series it’s going to be very interesting to see how our hero services, not wins, but survives.
With great pacing and the same animation and characters that made you a fan of Bleach, volume 8 and 9 of the DVD keep things rolling in a great manner. We get insight into Renji and learn that it’s not all about Ichigo and company, there is something else at play, or someone, as Aizen is dead and everyone is on guard. Now if only we can get Viz to put like 10-12 episodes on each DVD, which would be sweet.
