Lind_L_Tailor

(I couldn't find a better image, sorry).
A BRIEF FOREWORD FROM LIND:
OK, Bleach is a running series, over 200 episodes in, and with no sign of stopping anytime soon. So, instead of reviewing the entire series, I will review the show one story arc at a time, this being the second review, featuring episodes 64 through 109.
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So, after the Soul Society arc, having left and returned to a life in Karakura town, Ichigo and his Nakama aren't doing much, other than waiting for the defected Captains to launch their attack. As a convenient way to take up some episodes A.K.A. a filler arc, creatures known as Bounts (read: Vampires) have started devouring human souls. So begins 50 episodes or so of biding time for the Arrancar arc.

So, as the previous paragraph suggests, the anime of Bleach was catching up to the manga fast, without anywhere they could actually go other than to make an anime-original story arc, or "Filler Arc". These are generally considered to be the scourge of all anime, hated by the vast majority of fans. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean the arc is going to be bad, but it has no chance of being as good as the actual story. Which apples quite well to the Bounts arc, really; it isn't bad. Not at all. But it does drag on, especially when you're waiting for the Arrancar arc to finally start and it goes on for 50 bloody episodes.

However, that really covers its main faults. It doesn't really deserve all the flak it gets, and while it does have some other faults, those are the same ones prominent in the rest of Bleach anyway. (The gratuitous flashbacks, the expositionary dialogue etc.). It provides decent enough new characters, for example Jin Kariya, leader of the Bounts (whose character design was practically plagiarised for Ace Attorney Investigations' Shiryuu Rou/Shi-Lang Long), and does what a good filler arc should do, namely give focus to a character who doesn't get enough limelight, in this case, Uryu. And while a filler arc can't really change the plot of future events, what it successfully does in place is foreshadows the events of episodes to come.

This arc also begins that little trend of a specific group of Soul Reapers/Shinigami being sent out for every mission, despite having loads more to choose from, namely Rangiku, Yumichika, Ikkaku, Hanataro, Captain Hitsugaya, Renji and Izuru. Why they couldn't show some spotlight on less developed Leuitenants is a mystery, probably something to do with affecting canon, but it is a shame that they always get the glory while Squad 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 12 have hardly had any screentime given to their Leiutenants. Although Squad 12 Leuitenant Nemu Kurotsuchi does get a little extra in this one. It also manages to shed a little more background on Kenpachi Zaraki, something i'm sure a lot of fans appreciated, namely how he came to be the Captain of Squad 11.

The animation gets worse and worse as time goes on, and this is where the QUALITY ANIMATION truly kicks in, with some ridiculously out-of-proportion faces, poor artwork, weak colouring and so forth stick out nastily. The voice acting, of course, keeps its fairly low standard, and having as many characters as they do, repeat voice actors on several occassions (Wendee Lee has at least 3 roles, for Christ's sake). also, they wind up replacing some voice actors, most notably Chad's. Of course, you'd think you wouldn't notice, being the stoic, silent character, but not only does the voice change come right on an episode where he has lots of dialogue, but they replaced his voice actor with an absolutely terrible one. Seriosuly, it sounds ridiculous.

But at any rate, the Bounts arc is good, if not great. Worth watching, especially if you're a fan of Uryu. If not, I suppose you could skip it if you really want to, but it is worth watching, and there are a couple scenes in the Arrancar arc that throw back to this that won't make any sense if you haven't watched this arc.

Final Words:
Good, not great. But there are much worse filelr arcs out there, i'll say that much.

Animation/Graphics: 4/10
Story/Plot: 5/10
Music/Background: 8/10
Voice Acting: 5/10

Overall: 5/10

For Fans Of: Naruto, Dragonball Z.
So, in a nutshell, good, not great.