English Dub Review: Bleach Episode 361

The truth finally came out last week. Find out what Kugo has in store for Ichigo after the jump!

Spoilers Below

This sums up much of Episode 361.This gif is Ichigo in his normal habitat. I’ve said from word one, that Ichigo is a whiny asshole, and this gave me just the proof.  Ichigo’s entire world came crumbling down around him, and the last person he thought would betray him, did. Kugo and Tsukishima’s plan was hatched well before the beginning of the season, story wise, and took little time to unfold.  However, when most people would still try to do what he can to win, he cries, and screams.

The first half was exactly what I was expecting, with Tsukishima and Kugo spewing words for 10 minutes about how their entire plan was to make Ichigo powerful, then break him. I’m sure we put everything together when Kugo was revealed to be a traitor, so we didn’t need that much gloating. Same can be said for Uryu. I get that you’re smart, and you put things together. Did we need your two cents, also? Isshin and Kisuke show up, and with a really great surprise. To be fair, this was mostly normal Bleach.

That said, the Soul Society has finally come back! Thank god, because I was sick and tired of waiting. I knew Rukia was coming with “Deus ex Machina,” the sword, but I wasn’t expecting what could be one of the coolest scenes of the series. As Kugo is going on about how Ichigo’s powers couldn’t be revived with Rukia’s powers alone, a voice calls Kugo a dumb ass, then the sky tears open, with Ikkaku, Kenpachi, Toshiro, Byakuya, and Renji popping out.

Of course, Kugo decides to act like he’s the Yankees, and be “the best.” Kugo thinks that Ichigo’s power isn’t enough, but I actually dug Ichigo’s disposition during all of this. He gave no fucks, and just fought. The sheer power Ichigo has now is really impressive. However, let’s put something in perspective. Since the last arc, Ichigo had Shinigami powers, part Hollow powers, then lost them both. Ichigo then acquired Fullbring powers, then lost them. Now he has his Shinigami powers. Jesus fuck, how many times does this dude need to lose powers before he can keep them for good?

There are parts of Bleach that are really impressive, and I appreciate it. But this series still suffers from abuse of Shonen Jump tropes that just stall any impressive feats Kubo can muster together. That’s why the viewers stopped watching, and the show got cancelled early. Sure the manga is still going, but for how much longer? Who cares, the series is almost over, and the world can move on from this mixed pot of anime tropes. Thankfully, with the Soul Society joining up with Ichigo, shit can finally get interesting and we can get closure. This week, however, Episode 361 is enjoyable, even though it’s rather marginal.