Welcome to the past Bleach fans. Taking a brief respite from present events Bleach volume 12 looks into the past, to better understand the captains and their lieutenants, how they became Soul Reapers and what drives their present day relationships and actions.
He may be deceased, but Captain Aizen still has a profound affect on those among the living especially lieutenant Momo Hinamori. She remembers how they met and recounts the letter Aizen left that caused her to confront his supposed killers, a battle where Bankai are released and cracks begin to form in the hierarchy that is the Soul Society. In the present Ichigo continues to train with Yoruichi to attain Bankai in a short period and is joined by a former foe while Yoruichi’s history with Mr. Hat and Clogs is also touched on. The biggest history point, a set of memories from Rukia back to her days as a child, joining the Soul Society, her adoption, brother and the death of a comrade which begins to bring her acceptance of her fate to light, a fate that has been moved up to the next day. To understand the present the past must be explored.
This volume of Bleach is very interesting for one main point; there is little exposure for the main character Ichigo. This series begins to establish itself as more than a one man show with multiple characters with history to share, four episodes worth. Bleach has long established itself a great action anime with oodles of styles, great character design, superb music … the whole package which is laid on top of a story that is getting better and deeper the more characters are explored. There is a depth to these characters and this volume really takes the time to explore each one. This is a background volume, but if you’re this deep in then it’s worth the purchase, not an entry point for noobs, a reward to fans.
