BLEACH – THE ASSAULT (VOLUME 23)
June 19th 2010 04:47
Category: Videos, Television
Based on the original Bleach manga by: Tite Kubo
Director: Noriyuki Abe
Screenplay by: Masahi Sogo et al
Producers: Shunji Aoki (TV Tokyo), Yukio Yoshimura & Ken Hagino
Starring: Johnny Yong Bosch (Ichigo Kurosaki), Michelle Ruff (Rukia Kuchiki), Troy Baker (Jin Kariya), Jamieson Price (Chad), Derek Stephen Price (Uryu Ishida), Wendee Lee (Yoruichi Shihoin), Sam Riegel (Maki Ichinose), Kyle Herbert (Ganju Shiba), Stephanie Sheh (Orihime/Yoshi), Megan Hollingshead (Rangiku), Spike Spencer (Hanataro), Wally Wingert (Renji Abarai), Kirk Thornton (Toba), Richard Epcar (Koga), Julie Ann Taylor (Lirin), Roger Craig Smith (Noba), Michael McConnohie (Kurodo/Shiroganehiko), Bob Joles (Genryusai Yamamoto), Dan Woren (Byakuya Kuchiki), Liam O’Brien (Junshiro Ukitake), Steve Staley (Toshiro Hitsugaya), Peter Spellos (Koganehiko). David Lodge (Kenpachi Zaraki), Stevie Bloch (Yachiru Kusajishi), Lex Lang (Marechiro Omaeda), Steve Cassling (Tetsuzaemon Iba) & Cindy Robinson (Kukaku Shiba)
English Version produced by: VIZ Media LLC
Released by: Madman Entertainment
Running Time: 100 minutes Rating: M
At last after many years of painstaking planning and careful machinations Jin Karyia and his fellow bounts have finally seen the fruition of their efforts. They have with the inadvertent aid of Quincy, Uryu Ishida, opened a Senkaimon into the Soul Society and now plan to inflict their revenge upon the Seireitei, which has been their plan all along. Horror of horrors, can this sudden invasion of the Soul Society be thwarted? Can the bounts fiendish scheme be nipped in the bud before it brings forth the fruit of vengeance and despair? Valid questions and certainly they seem to be ones that need answering, but for the moment all we the audience are treated to is the opening stanzas in this turning point in the entire Bount story line.
What was this dire effort by scientists of the Soul Society, what dark and deranged undertakings were they seeking to uncover? All that appears to be known is that the individual in charge of proceedings all those centuries ago was known as Ran’ Tao and this individual was banished from the confines of the Seireitei as punishment for their actions in the experiment. There is a sense here that no one really knows the full picture of what occurred all those years ago, that there is some kind of cover up that has occurred for whatever relevant reasons, and then there is the sense that the script writers are attempting to pad things out in order to make this filler last longer than it probably should be going. After all none of the material such as characters and situations that occurs here will ever be found in the manga, the source for the series, instead it’s been created by the show’s producers in order to keep the continuity flowing, allowing the manga to catch up with the anime.
So Ichigo and his trusty comrades follow the urbane and sinister Jin Kariya into the Soul Society ready to seek him and his lackeys out and do battle with them. Uryu Ishida is especially keen to confront Kariya, feeling that he has a score to settle with the Bount leader. Unfortunately though for the Karakura combo they are sadly lagging behind in trying to discover what the bounts are up to and just where Kariya has decided to base his operations out of. He on the other hand has his own agenda well under way, seeking to recruit the toughs and brigands of Kusajishi, a bad district of the Rukongai to form an army that will enable the bounts to overthrow the Seireitei and turn the whole Soul Society upside down.
What I find interesting about this particular volume is the fact that the bounts seem to be extremely knowledgeable about the workings and structure of the Soul Society. Kariya knows who’s who and what their particular role within the Soul Society is along with the implications of taking certain actions against certain targets and individuals. Now granted he does have a former soul reaper, Maki Ichinose, as an ally but even he wouldn’t be able to provide Kariya with facts that would be beyond his scope to obtain. Although it seems that somehow the urbane bount has this information at his fingertips and knows how to employ it with aplomb and strategic flair. Once again I suspect this has been more a ploy on behalf of the writers to create a particular scenario for the audience, rather than an actual rational story development. Like the colossus that it is, plot contrivance, the greatest force in any creative endeavour sees a confrontation unfold between Jin Kariya and the captain of Squad 6, Byakuya Kuchiki.
Like a grand master chess player seeking to put his opponent in check Kariya has orchestrated events to draw out the detached and somewhat aloof Captain Kuchiki into the fray with the sole intent of testing his own abilities against possibly the strongest captain in the 13 Court Guard squads as well as eliminating him. The attacks on Rukia in the opening moments of this volume were a ploy to bring about this very confrontation and in the stillness of the night Byakuya seeks out Kariya, seeking to bring down righteous retribution on this invader and the one responsible for the grievous injuries to his young sister. Of course neither of the two combatants are prepared for the appearance of the substitute soul reaper and his own agenda to bring down Kariya, it makes for a thrilling confrontation although the drama is just beginning, just reaching a truly intense peak…
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