Recently, Netflix has been adapting or localizing popular anime (Japanese animation) franchises into live action films. Examples would the American adaptation of Death Note or the Japanese adaptation of Full Metal Alchemist. The responses to these films have been . . . less than positive, and I agree with the majority of them since I have seen the source material. So when I heard that the anime Bleach was getting an adaptation, I actually didn’t know what to think. I have never read the Bleach manga (Japanese comics) and I only seen like three episodes of the anime. But when this adaptation was added to Netflix, I decided watch it without watching the original anime. I felt it would be interesting to view this film as someone who have not seen the source material, especially since Bleach is 100+ episodes. I would have to dedicate a whole lot of time to that. But I was still cautious, there has been times where I’ve watch a film adaptation before indulging myself in its source material and ended up hating it. (Such as Dragon Ball Evolution, yuck.) After viewing this film however, I found a really fun and enjoyable action film.

Story

The movie takes place during modern day Japan and follows a high schooler named Ichigo. Unlike others in his school, Ichigo as a special gift that he had since birth. He can see and interact with spirits of the dead. Because of this special ability, he comes across a mysterious, sword weilding, supernatural warrior named Rukia. She is a part of a secret society of warriors known as Soul Reavers. This society helps guide souls into the afterlife, while defeating spirits that have been corrupted by dark forces. In an unexpected turn of events, Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaver and the rest of the film follows him training to improve his skills. Personally, I really enjoyed the world that this story created. The concept of the Soul Reavers is both unique and interesting, and judging by how long the anime is, the movie is only scratching the surface. How the plot is conveyed in this film really makes me want to indulge myself into its source material.

Characters

The characters in Bleach are good, albeit I find the main character a bit generic. The main character Ichigo is a tough guy with a heart of gold, which is a common trope in other anime shows. Popular examples would be Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z or Seto Kaiba from Yu-Gi-Oh!. Despite not being completely original, I still found him to be a likable character. When done right, I do find that trope enjoyable and I think it is done well here. Mostly because he’s not a selfish character, his actions are usually as a result to protects others. Because of this, I found myself rooting for him during fight scenes.

Besides being my favorite character in the film, Ichigo’s teacher Rukia is somewhat similar. Since she is the one that accidentally brought Ichigo into the Soul Society, Rukia has to teach him how to be a Soul Reaver. At first she cannot stand being Ichigo’s mentor, but a friendship does eventually grow between them. What makes her my favorite character however is the actress that plays her. The actress’ name is Hana Sugisaki and I felt she did a great job portraying her character. (Reminder that I am comparing this performance to three episodes of Bleach that I watch. So I could be wrong.) Ichigo’s actor, Sôta Fukushi, is also talented, but there is one thing that did bug me a little.

Now I’m not going to blame this entirely on the actor, since this is mostly likely a decision by the director. But usually in live action anime adaptions, some of the cast acts like how a real anime character would. Examples would be exaggerated expression and movements. I know that this is a movie of pure fiction and not everything has to be realistic. But it’s just that somethings do not transition well from its source material to its adaptation, and this is one of those instances. This does not completely bring down the whole movie for me, nor does Sôta’s performance, but it is something that did stick out to me.

Side characters are also fun and there mostly for comic relief, but I felt they did not get enough screen time. That probably does not matter however, since the ending sets itself up for a sequel, that is if this film does well. The antagonists, who I won’t go much into because I feel like doing so will go into spoiler territory, are a surprise when revealed and I would love to learn more about them.

Production/Special Effects

Being that this is a film adapted from an action oriented anime, the fight scenes have to look great. Thankfully, I can say that the fight scenes are just that. They are fast and frantic, but my favorite part has to be how the movie uses the environment the characters are in. Take this scene for example: Ichigo is trapped in a bus while a giant monster picks up that bus. How Ichigo fends of the monster’s appendages and how the camera turns upside down to signify that the bus is literally being flipped is really cool. This all makes the battle really engaging and fun. Concerning the CGI of the monsters, it’s ok. Usually the CGI in Japanese films don’t look as good when compared to American films. This film does have some of the better looking CGI in a Japanese film however, but you can still tell that the monsters aren’t real. I do like the unique designs of the monsters however. They have bodies made up of organic material (for instance one of the monster looks to be made up entirely of hair) while their face looks to be made of bone or wood. It’s such an otherworldly yet original design that I really like.

Music

There isn’t a lot to be said about the music in Bleach. Most of the music here is from the genre of rock or punk, which sounds good and sets the tone when used, but there’s nothing memorable. I do wish the composer used music from the anime, such as the song that plays during the first intro to Bleach. I absolutely love that song and I wish it was in here as sort of an homage.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I had a good time with Bleach. Despite some setbacks, I liked the main characters, the concept of the Soul Reavers, and the really fun action sequences. If you’re a fan of Bleach, I recommend you give this film a shot. Keep in mind however this is coming from someone who has not finished season one of the anime. If you have not seen an episode of Bleach at all, then maybe you should skip this. This feels like a movie that was made for fans. But if you like what I said and REALLY want to give this film a try, then perhaps give season one of the anime a watch since the film only covers that season, or so I hear. That, or just jump straight into the film, I’m sure it’ll be fine either way.

The film and the anime series is available for streaming on Netflix, while only the anime is also available on Hulu.

I am a firm believer that at least everyone living on planet Earth have seen a Disney or Pixar film at least once. Meanwhile, I believe I’m in the group that has seen almost every Disney film. I absolutely love everything Disney, especially the animated masterpieces made by the fellows over at Pixar. I’ve been watching Pixar films since I was a little, so I have a very personal connection to these films. Which is why for my first “Ramblings” post, I’ve decided to list my top 5 personal favorite Pixar films.

Before I go into the list, I will have to be honest. I am going to be a little bit biased when listing these films. So for some films that are listed higher, it will mostly be because of nostalgia. But nonetheless, they will all still be amazing films that you should watch, if you somehow haven’t already.

 

5. Ratatouille

Starting off this list is the film that got me to appreciate the craft of a chef. Ratatouille first released in 2007 and is about a rat who aspires to one day become a chef. As silly as this premise sounds, I find it to be one of Pixar’s most adult films. Mostly with the ideas present, such as the scene towards the end where the film’s antagonist, a food critic named Anton Ego, gives a speech on the work of a critic. Watching this as an adult, I’m surprised that something as wise as this can come from a children’s film. Ratatouille is also a great film for children as well, with funny characters and colorful animation.

Despite the characters being lovable, some of the cast can be a tad bit forgettable when compared to other Pixar characters. I’m mostly talking about some of the other chefs at Gusteau’s Restaurant. I remember their personality, but I don’t remember doing much in terms of contributing to the plot. The film also doesn’t have as many tearjerker moments as in other Pixar films. To some, that may be a good thing, but for me, I live for those scenes. Other than that, Ratatouille gets its number five spot for its themes aimed at an older audience while also being great fun for kids.

4. Toy Story 2

I find the Toy Story trilogy to be one of the best trilogies in all of film. Each film is amazing and deserve a watch, but which film do I think is the best? That would be (you guessed it!) Toy Story 2. It is hard for sequels to surpass their predecessor and they usually fail to do so, but that is not the case here. Toy Story 2 completely surpasses its predecessor by introducing new great characters, (with the same lovable cast from the last film present as well) a brand new engaging story, and raising the bar of emotional moments. Want to know the saddest scene in Toy Story 2? Then look no further than Jessie’s heartbreaking backstory. If you have not seen Toy Story 2 yet, or the whole trilogy for that matter, give it a watch. You won’t be disappointed.

3. Finding Nemo

Ahhhh yes. Here is the first biased fueled entry on this list. I first saw this movie when I was either five or six and I still love it to this day. Finding Nemo takes place in the ocean, as a father clown fish named Marlin tries to find his lost son Nemo. Firstly, for an animated movie that came out in 2003, the movie still looks great today. The underwater scenery is varied and beautiful, ranging from a colorful coral reef, to a dark and unwelcoming minefield. As with every Pixar film, characters are all great, with the standout being Dory played by the lovely Ellen DeGeneres. Whenever she is on screen, I can’t help but to smile.

For these last few entries, I have not been talking much about the music in the Pixar films. As much as the score presented in the films are great, there wasn’t any tracks that stood out to me. (besides the song that plays through Jessie’s backstory) Here however, the music in Finding Nemo is absolutely spectacular. I don’t know how to properly explain it, but the music in Finding Nemo is like if the entire ocean were converted into audio format.My personal favorite tracks are Nemo’s Egg and Haiku for an example. Also, since this is a Pixar films, it definitely contains its fair share of emotional scenes. A great example being the movie’s flipping OPENING. You know you’re in for a great time when the opening is getting you choked up. Overall, Finding Nemo is superb and you gotta give it a watch if you haven’t already.

2. Up

SPEAKING OF SAD OPENINGS. Up is infamous for its ability to emotionally destroy you in its first few minutes. But does that mean one great opening means the rest of the film will be bad? Absolutely not. The movie follows an old man named Carl Fredricksen as he escapes from going into a retirement home by attaching thousands of balloons to his house making it fly. He then soars off to a place called Paradise Falls, where he and his late wife always wanted to visit since they were a child. Up is one of Pixar’s greats for MANY valid reasons: its characters, story, animation, music, overall message. It is all absolutely amazing. To go more into detail on its message, it is about how the relationships we make with other people in life are the real adventure. I absolutely love that message and it is conveyed perfectly here. On the topic of music, the track that plays during the opening, Married Life is the standout track from the movie. I cannot help by get choked up whenever I listen to it. Up is just a terrific film for the whole family and just a great film in general.

1. Monsters Inc.

Finally, my absolute favorite Pixar film, Monsters Inc. Like Finding Nemo, I saw this film years ago and I still have a strong affection for it. Monsters Inc. takes place in a world completely inhabited by monsters. Their job is to scare human children by coming out of their closet that is also connected to the monster world. This is made possible by . . . Magic? Science? Okay it’s never full explained but whatever its a kids movie. However the monsters are not scaring the children for entertainment, but because the screams of children help fuel the monster’s city. I just wanna say that I absolutely love that concept as a kids and still do today. Anyway, the story follows a monster named Sully, who is a scarer, and his best friend Mike. Sully one day accidentally frees a human child into the monster’s world, so it is up to him and his pal Mike to bring the child back to her room.

My affinity for this film definitely comes from the imaginative concept of the film, and the execution of said concept. Having a human child come into the monster’s world leads to so much potential of being able to see this strange world and they definitely achieved that potential. The characters’ relationships with one another are also a major plus. Mike and Sully’s conversations with one another really makes it feel like they are real friends, and Sully’s friendship with the human child is so heartwarming that I feel like melting whenever I watch this movie. Although Finding Nemo possibly has my most favorite soundtrack of the Pixar films, Monsters Inc. soundtrack is also great. The tracks that send me straight back to my childhood are the Main Theme and If I Didn’t Have You, sung by Billy Crystal and John Goodman, the voice actors of Mike and Sully respectively. I love that last song because it does a great job at portraying the friendship between Mike and Sully. Monsters Inc. is not only one of my most nostalgic films ever, but most importantly a legitimately amazing animated feature.

Conclusion

Well that’s my list! I hoped you agreed the choices I’ve made here. If not, then that’s okay. That’s the beauty of Pixar films, no matter which film is your favorite, there are people who will humbling respect and recognize it even if it is not their favorite. Pixar films are THAT good. (Except for Cars 2 and Monsters University. No one likes those.)