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 this film. I’m sure some would still enjoy it either way.
The film and the anime series is available for streaming on Netflix, while only the anime is also available on Hulu.
Ramblings and Reviews 