BLEACH – THE ASSAULT (VOLUME 24)
August 2nd 2010 02:30
Category: Videos
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), Steve Kramer (Shunsui Kyoraku), Kate Higgins (Nanao Ise/Retsu Unohana), Sam Riegel (Maki Ichinose), Kyle Herbert (Ganju Shiba), Stephanie Sheh (Orihime/Yoshi), Megan Hollingshead (Rangiku/Nemu), Spike Spencer (Hanataro), Wally Wingert (Renji Abarai), Kirk Thornton (Toba), Richard Epcar (Koga), Julie Ann Taylor (Lirin), Roger Craig Smith (Noba), Michael McConnohie (Kurodo), Bob Joles (Genryusai Yamamoto), Dan Woren (Byakuya Kuchiki), Liam O’Brien (Junshiro Ukitake), Steve Staley (Toshiro Hitsugaya/Shuhei Hisagi), Keith Silverstein (Mabashi), Kirsten Potter (Ran’tao), J B Blanc (Sajin Komamura), Vic Mignonga (Ikkaku Madarame), David Lodge (Kenpachi Zaraki), Stevie Bloch (Yachiru Kusajishi), Karen Strassman (Soi Fon/Dalk) & Joe J Thomas (Sawatari)
English Version produced by: VIZ Media LLC
Released by: Madman Entertainment
Running Time: 100 minutes Rating: M
Well I’m back in the world of internet reviews after having suffered a truly startling system crash, it frightening how bleak I found things without a computer. Just goes to show that we get to a stage where we rely on them perhaps a tad too much. Anyway enough of that concept and onto Bleach 24 – The Assault, this volume kicks off where the previous finished, the threeway confrontation between Jin Kariya, leader of the Bounts, Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of Squad Six and Ichigo Kurosaki our spiky orange haired protagonist and substitute soul reaper. Neither Kariya nor Captain Kuchiki are happy to see Ichigo make his appearance on the scene as they were both keen on finishing the other off via their own solo efforts. After all it only takes two to tango, not three as the old saw would say.
Strangely it takes a fourth party’s intervention to break the deadlock that is the confrontation between Kariya, Ichigo and Byakuya and it is a surprising individual who is the fourth party. Ran’tao, the enigmatic and mysterious individual whom Ichigo and friends had initially been searching throughout Rukongai for intervenes in the combat without warning and changes the whole balance of things. Interestingly Ran’tao looks exactly like the deceased Bount Yoshino Soma who was once the former lover of Kariya in the world of the living; this is something of a surprise to Ichigo and his mod soul sidekick Lirin. Still the arrival of the person responsible for the creation of the Bounts shifts the story into another direction as we see the combat between Kariya, Ichigo and Byakuya end and the respective combatants gird their loins so to speak for the next encounter.
And that next encounter is not long in coming, although the nature of it has changed somewhat as the Bounts finally gather the means to storm the Seireitei itself, the very heart of both the Soul Society and the Soul Reapers stronghold, seeking to at last wreak carnage and chaos upon their foes. As events unfold we begin to see that although Kariya is a skilled, urbane and intuitive tactician it seems that he is not all that he seems even to those who follow in his footsteps aiding him in his agenda. The first sign that all is not quite right comes when after raising the various rough necks of Kusajishi lead by the bookmaker Toba to aid his storming of the Seireitei, he discards them like so much chaff; literally. The only reason why he agreed to them aiding his cause was that he needed a mundane means of opening the gates into the Seireitei and they were that means, now their usefulness is over.
Toba the bookmaker isn’t too happy about this particular development, and who can blame him, but he and his roughneck cronies are no match for the power of the Bounts. Cast aside like a dirty, tattered old toy, the thugs of Kusajishi play no more part in the unfolding drama and now it is solely the Bounts who move forwards into the Seireitei to come to grips with the Soul Reapers. Moving in more like a cadre of ninja or guerrilla fighters the aim is to cause disarray amongst the ranks of the enemy by targeting the captains, the leaders and strongest amongst the enemy. With key captains out of the picture it should be a cinch for the next phase of Kariya’s scheme to be put into play. The first captain to be targeted is Soi Fon, captain of Squad Two and leader of the Stealth Force.
But just what exactly is the agenda that Kariya is pursuing? What is his overall goals? Sure he talks a lot about destroying the Seireitei and the Soul Reapers on behalf of the Bounts but you get the sense that he’s not really interested in regime change, that what he is effectively talking about is the veritable end. There will be no walking away from what he plans; there will be only annihilation swift and sure. Yet because he is such an urbane man, a man who seems as if he is being guided by the light of reason, albeit reason clouded by the past and revenge, he is able to draw along his fellows with little or no remorse. My suspicion is that the whole affair is going to come unstuck very fast, that in spite of Kariya’s skill and abilities he has built a house of cards that if given a push in the right place is going to come crashing down around his ears. Time will tell...
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