Ichigo can’t get his sword back, not until he learns to deal with what happened in the past. Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 11 sees us roll back the clock. Let’s see what came up in this review!
Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 11 Overview
What is there to be said about Bleach that hasn’t been said before? It is one of the most popular anime in the west of Japan of all time and is considered a part of the Big Three, a trio of anime widely recognised as having been a part of popularising the medium of anime. The show is back after a hiatus of nine years, as its first run ended in 2013. The newest season of the show is being developed by Studio Pierrot, the studio behind the original series, as well as other giants such as Naruto and Tokyo Ghoul.
The final arc of Bleach is directed by Tomohisa Taguchi, who has been involved in the productions of Persona 4 The Animation and Twin Star Exorcists, and the series is based on a manga written by Tite Kubo. This episode is also referred to in original Japanese as Bleach Sennen Kessen-hen Episode 11 (Bleach Sennen Kessen hen Episode 11) and Bleach TYBW Episode 11. Click here to read the review of the previous episode!
– Bleach Sennen Kessen hen Episode 11 Review does not contain spoilers –
Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 11 Review- Everything But The Rain
The love put into this adaptation of the Thousand Year Blood War arc was oozing out of this episode more than perhaps any other episode so far in the show. This wasn’t the most epic episode ever, it did not have the best fight scenes, and it did not feature anything that people for anticipating for decades. However, it was still a fantastic episode for two reasons- the lore it added to the Bleach universe as a whole and the emotions it had its characters deal with.
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Ichigo was thrown out of the Soul Society for reasons he doesn’t fully comprehend, thus losing his identity as a substitute Soul Reaper. Oh-Etsu had a poignant moment in the episode talking with Renji about the worth of a zanpakuto and why Ichigo wasn’t able to claim one as his own. He has lived a tortured life, one that involves him suffering ever since he was very young, from the loss of his mother to a hollow he was able to exact revenge from. However, the past wasn’t ready to let Ichigo go yet.
We headed into the Soul Society of yore, and it was a fascinating look at how things were before Isshin retired and went to live in Karakura town. We saw some familiar faces pop up, people who would be extremely important to the story later on in the story. Their impact on the show’s story as a whole can not be overstated, as it is revealed they had much more to do with Ichigo’s history than we even realised. This episode did a great job of bringing back some old characters in a way that made you look at them in a different light.
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Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 11 also showed us a character that we always knew was a major influence on the show but never had a chance to know more about, considering she had died before the events of the first episode. That character would be Masaki, who was a delight to look at in this episode. Seeing both Isshin and Masaki together gives a clear picture of why Ichigo is like how she is and where his protective nature comes from. Masaki also paved the way for more Quincy history, which was very interesting.
This episode was also absolutely stunning to take a look at. The rain motif was used beautifully throughout the episode to bring a dour tone over the events as if you just knew everything was going to go wrong very soon. The lights and reflections in this episode were especially fantastic. Studio Pierrot has made it clear that they intend to treat Bleach’s final outing with the attention and detail it deserves, and they have stuck to their guns very well. No, a pair of missing buttocks from hot springs does not make this a bad adaptation, no matter how funny it is.
Verdict
Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 11 was a stunning episode that took us into the deep lore of the show and rewarded us with some fantastic character moments and equally great animation.
Click here to read the review of the final episodes!