Bleach: "Encounter: Abarai Renji!" Review - IGN (original) (raw)

Who wouldn't want a boss that tried to kill you?

Since this is IGN TV's first Bleach review, we have to make mention of the great opening intro song called "Asterisk" by Orange Rush. Do we know what they are saying? Nope, but it is so highly catchy once the show starts you're already in the mood for whatever comes next, thanks to the poppy rap song.
As for the actual episode, though there were a few off animation moments where characters looked fairly ugly, overall the episode was almost everything it should be, with plenty of action, humor, character moments, and a bit more understanding and looking into the inner workings of the Soul Society and what it means to be a Soul Reaper. After giving her powers over to Ichigo by accident way back in the first episode, the Soul Society has dispatched two members, Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Byakuya (the first an old friend and the second her brother…eek!), to kill Rukia for giving away her powers to a human, and after she is dispatched they plan on killing Ichigo as well.

The moments involving Rukia were great, showing that due to the circumstances, she has found herself getting accustomed to her new life and that she is developing feelings for the people around here, where in her old life strictly as a Soul Reaper she couldn't have cared one way or another about the people as long as she got the job done right. Besides these heartwarming moments of tenderness we also got to see Rukia in a bit of action, deftly dodging Renji's blade time and time again while Byakuya looked on menacingly, never saying a word. Rukia would've been done for had Uryu Ishida not shown up to stop them since he has a hatred for Soul Reapers and can fill their presence.

What really worked in the episode, however, were the moments involving Ichigo as he learned what it really means to be a Soul Reaper as he came face to face with one in particular - Renji - who showed him that he has a lot to still learn about his new profession. Though Ichigo is highly skilled and powerful, namely recognizable by the size of his Zanpakutou (his sword), when Renji reveals that the sword actually has a name that should have revealed itself to Ichigo, we learn that he is far from being his true potential. The short battle between Ichigo and Renji was nicely done, featuring the best moment of all, when Renji transforms his Zanpakutou into a chain sword of sorts, which he whips around, brandishing it against Ichigo, and then we he get to see him slowly pull it across Ichigo's shoulder as each link in the chain cuts deeper and deeper into Ichigo. If anything, this moment (and the whole episode for that matter) solidified Renji as a character we hope to see more of; his style and unique weapon makes him a presence on the screen.

Besides the action and character moments, there was also a scattering of comedy bits, such as Ichigo's talk with Kon in his room, Ishida's lie about how he was in the right place at the right time, and the moment between Ichigo and Renji comparing the sizes of their swords, which coming from Ichigo was a thinly veiled joke about whose penis was the largest; great stuff.

All around, it was your classic Bleach episode, featuring tons of style, action, comedy, and a few concerning questions. Namely, what happens to Rukia and Ichigo? All we know is we will be there next week to see what happens next.

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Bleach: "Encounter: Abarai Renji!" Review