BLEACH: THE BLADE AND ME (MANGA VOLUME 8)
May 7th 2010 00:11
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
“Retreat and you will age. Be afraid and you will die! Shout…My name!!”
“ZANGETSU!!”
Zangetsu & Ichigo Kurosaki during training at Urahara Shoten
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Story & Art by: Tite Kubo
English Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Translation: Joe Yamazaki
Touch up Art & Lettering: Dave Lanphear
Design: Sean Lee
Cost: AU$12.95/US$7.95
After being mortally wounded by the startlingly swift attack of Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the 6th Squad, Ichigo Kurosaki cannot be blamed for thinking that this is where his story comes to a sad and sorry end. Lucky for him though someone has taken a special interest in his situation and even as he lies their bleeding in the seemingly endless downfall of rain that someone arrives to save his life just as he slips into the stygian depths of unconsciousness. His mysterious saviour is none other than Kisuke Urahara, the mysterious owner of Urahara Shoten a shop tucked away in a corner like an afterthought in rather deserted section of Karakura Town. After several previous encounters with our orange spiky haired protagonist it seems that Urahara has taken something of a shine to him, so much so that he is willing to save his life.
You have to wonder specifically what kind of offences she had committed, failing to return to the Soul Society can hardly be seen as a capital offence although in the minds of those who in charge it seems that it is just that. Rukia has been labelled a capital offender and is to face the ultimate punishment, bit harsh frankly but then again that’s the Soul Society and Central 46 for you. Knowing that Rukia is about to suffer a terrible punishment Ichigo knows that he has to save her…but how, and how can he regain his soul reaper abilities? It is precisely this dilemma that has prompted Urahara to intervene and render some assistance, not only to Ichigo but to his friends who are bound to want to help him in his quest to save Rukia.
The key focus in this volume is the finalising of the training Urahara is putting Ichigo through – a particular nasty test known as Shattered Shaft, which will have an outcome of Ichigo regaining his soul reaper abilities or else he will end up a hollow and have to be terminated. It is at the moment of ultimate crisis that Ichigo suddenly finds himself in another place, a world of skyscrapers and clear skies and a strange enigmatic black clad, sun glasses wearing figure that stands on the hilt of an immense sword. This enigmatic character is none other than Ichigo’s zanpakuto, a zanpakuto is a part of soul reaper in addition to being a physical object, the nature and abilities of the zanpakuto have as much to do with the soul reapers own nature and spirit. This enigmatic Odin like figure points out a key point that Ichigo had never been aware of, namely that within him has always lain the ability to operate as a soul reaper – when Byakuya injured him all he did was prevent access to the powers he’d borrowed from Rukia not his own innate abilities. If he can rediscover those abilities in time he will prevent himself from becoming a hollow and thus dying at the hands of Urahara and his offsiders.
But it doesn’t end there, Shattered Shaft is but the catalyst that allows Ichigo to draw upon his own internal talents, to realise his potential. Yet he still needs to fully call upon the power of his zanpakuto, even though the mysterious figure helped him regain his soul reaper status his zanpakuto is a shattered wreck consisting of the hilt and a fraction of the blade. Now he has to face his mentor Urahara in hand to hand combat and its going to be tough trying to knock off Urahara’s hat with a shattered zanpakuto especially when it seems that the storekeeper himself has a fully functioning zanpakuto…will surprises never end? To win Ichigo needs to make his own blade whole, to hear its name and call upon its substantial power.
This volume was frankly compelling reading and once I’d managed to get a hold of a copy I couldn’t put it down, it was swiftly read and enjoyed. Apart from being a masterful illustrator and storyteller its interesting how skilfully Tite Kubo manages to keep the tempo going and never lets things slide into dull patch. He also manages to give us a good contrast, switching between what is happening in the world of the living and keeping us abreast of just what is happening in the Soul Society. It’s obvious that there is a lot more going on and we are given the picture of things occurring in both worlds so we can speculate as just what might be happening. My recommendation is that you get a hold of this volume and enjoy…especially with a tall glass of amber fluid and some munchies, a real treat.
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