It is time to meet more among Squad Zero in Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 9, as Ichigo and his unable-to-consent friends try to recover among the greatest of the Soul Reapers. Let’s get right to the review!
Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 9 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 9 (Bleach Sennen Kessen hen Episode 9) and Bleach TYBW Episode 9. Click here to read the review of the previous episode!
– Bleach Sennen Kessen hen Episode 9 Review does not contain spoilers –
Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 9 Review- The Original Kenpachi
There is something to be said about how Bleach is able to weave in and out of storylines so effortlessly without sacrificing the overall tone of the show. Sure, it can be jarring to see Ichigo and Renji arguing to see who can eat more of Kirio’s fantastic food and, in the same episode, see one of the darkest and hotly anticipated storylines from this entire arc come to fruition. However, both of them are extremely Bleach storylines that would be ill-fitted in any other show but this one and work very well together.
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If you recognise the featured image from this article, you know what went down in this episode. The rest of you are safe, as I will not be spoiling the exact details about the plot of this show. Let’s see how long I can keep talking about it without spoiling it too much. This was one of the twists from Thousand Year Blood War that I knew before going in, and I did not expect it to be this early into the story. It is one of the most devastating storylines in the show, and the animators and the production team did justice to all the moments.
Not only did that part of the storyline feature one of the most popular characters in the show, Kenpachi Zaraki, but it also showcased his weaknesses in a way that we’ve never seen before. It was a brutal scene and an important one to his character, but it also doomed one of the characters to a certain death, which would be hard to stomach. There was foreshadowing towards this twist as far back as episode 30 of the original anime, so it is great to see everything come full circle like this.
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At the other end of this episode, we saw Ichigo and Renji eat lots of food to heal themselves up and Kon’s return. Kon is definitely not for everyone, but he does bring a lot of levity to the series, which is always welcome. His weird and perverse brand of humour isn’t for everyone, but he was only weird here and not very perverted. Ichigo and Renji have tremendous chemistry, which shines whenever it has the chance. There were some strong comedic moments in this episode, mostly thanks to the two frenemies.
Squad Zero has been a surprisingly strong narrative tool so far. It acts as a way to introduce some other important elements of the world alongside making logical sense of their current presence. Every member of the squad emanates a strong aura, and their personalities are all very well-defined. They are very well aware of how superior they are to everyone else but choose to act upon it differently. The next one in line to make an appearance, Oh-Etsu Nimaiya, might be the biggest game changer out of all of them.
Verdict
Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 9 was among the best episodes of the entire series and was able to display another highly anticipated moment from the manga in its full glory.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!