Naruto really fucking sucks

[SpoonyBard]

I have never gotten into Naruto, and right about now I’m glad I have. I saw, like, two episodes back when it first started and didn’t really like the look of it. Bleach I got into right away when the anime started. I avoided One Piece for YEARS mostly because the art style put me off… but also because of the bad reputation it got due to 4Kids’s crappy job dubbing it. Now that Funimation has it picked up, I’m hoping it can build a better reputation over here. So far I’m impressed with it. It’s just a shame that Funi has to start up right before the weakest arc in One Piece. But, once they get through that it’ll be smooth sailing.

The initial complaint people have with Bleach is that it lost the charm it had at first. I’ve personally given up on that. It’s now stereotypical shönen and will always be, so I’ll settle for the cookie crumbs of humor we scarcely get and be happy.

Totally agree with you there. There was a bit of humor around before the Hueco Mundo arc started up while Ichigo was with the Vizards. Not a lot, but it was nice.

The first big problem here is the current arc. Actually, no, not the Arc itself, but the way it’s being executed: Ho gets kidnapped, ragtag band of useless sidekicks + big hero band together and plow through armies of overpowering enemies to finally rescue her. What’s so bad about this isn’t the fact that it’s overdone as fuck, it’s the fact that IT’S EXACTLY WHAT THE LAST GODDAMN ARC WAS ALL ABOUT! For fuck’s sake, we even get equivalent characters with Grimmjow=Renji, Nel=Yoruichi and so on. I mean, DUDE!

It’s been argued to death already on every Bleach forum in existance… but that doesn’t mean you’re not right. I’m still hoping for Kubo to throw us a curve ball, but I think he used up his ability to be really surprising when he revealed Aizen as the villain.

And we so we end up with half-mexican buddy Chad. Now here’s a tragic case: a calm, collected, friendly, lovable and blatant Kamen Rider reference who’s thrown completely into the crapper. C’mon, after all the build up about his determination, he got swatted aside like a bug and forgotten. I told you fuckers that was gonna happen last year and I was right. I’m looking at you Spoony.

I miss the time when Chad was thought of as strong and intimidating. Which was, what, episodes 1-6? He was used as a barometer in the current arc, just like the SS arc. He decimated everything in his way, until he encountered the first Captain/Espada and got swatted in one shot. Just to show the readers how much MORE POWERFUL (OVER 9000) the REAL enemies are. I really, REALLY hope he’ll get back up and do something meaningful before this arc is over, but I’m not counting on it. His loss to Nnoitra especially hurt given the fanfare over his new powerup, which he got the very chapter before.

Speaking of characters who are not there… THE ENTIRE GOTEI 13! So yes, it was a suicide mission, are you telling me NOBODY had the balls to do it? Renji and Rukia were going, why not Byakuya? Why not Ikaku? WHY NOT KENPACHI!? The last two sure as hell ain’t known for their brains and practical mindset. And they’re no longer simply sneaking in, they are taking care of the entire Arrancar army, they could send SOMEONE to give a hand.

If they get any more time, it’ll be in the Winter War. Same for the Vizards. Presuming it still happens, anyway. The current arc feels like filler before the real showdown. My own theory is that Kubo had planned to end Bleach after the Winter War, and was pressured to keep it going as long as possible, so he made up this HM bullshit to make the series last longer, which is probably why it all feels so familiar.

And we get to Nell, Yoruichi 2.0. I don’t mind her really. I liked her as a little tagalong only because she provided the aforementioned comic relief, and her telling Orihime to suck up her fear was nice. I also liked how she keeps her behaviour as a grown up. What bothers me is that she’s been on for three chapters and she’s ALREADY falling in the women-are-useless mold. I really hope she gets to kill someone important by the time this is over, because we already have Orihime and Rangiku for useless boob carriers and Rukia for useless female love-interest sidekick.

If Nel manages to defeat Nnoitra, I can forgive much of this arc. If only because it will be a rather major victory NOT in Ichigo’s hands.

Though chances are Ulquiorra will get out of his plot box immediately following that, causing Nel to run with Ichigo then put him through a training montage where he gets, like, Vizard Bankai or whatever the hell he needs to defeat Ulquiorra and end the arc with some surprising plot twist.

Like I said, I stopped at 30 when I couldn’t put up with more of the Skiepiea’s shit. I have repeatedly heard it gets better, so that’s why I decided not to say anything.

It’d be worth it to start reading OP after Skypiea. It really, really is a bad arc, but what follows it is pure gold. Hell, even the Davy Back Fight mini-arc that immediately follows Skypiea is far better than that entire saga. Foxy kicks ass.

[demigod]

I don’t think it’s possible for me to agree more about Bleach. Hell, I even enjoyed the post-Bount filler episodes of the anime because it wasn’t endlessly drawn out fights and instead went for comedy with characters who weren’t Ichigo’s inner circle of friends. Especially the Hitsugaya and Karin soccer episode.

[Cidolfas]

I enjoyed about the first 20 episodes of Bleach, the four or so episodes where Ririn, Claude, and Nova were the “bad guys”, and maybe three in the middle. The rest are completely useless. Although I’m still watching it for some completely whacked-out reason. I must be a closet masochist.

[OmegaflareX]

I think about midway through your post, SE, I got the impression that Naruto somehow physically manifested itself and murdered your loved ones.

[SpoonyBard]

Bleach filler is really hit or miss… more miss than hit.

I agree with Cid that I really preferred the Bount arc when the Modsouls were the bad guys (Except that Ririn had that obnoxious giggle).

The fillers in the middle of the Karakura Arrancar stuff were so-so. The Soccer ball episode was alright, the Kon one… not so much.

There’s more filler coming up now, as well. This one seems to be a full-blown mini arc that Kubo has reportedly designed. It’ll be called Forest of the Menos, it’ll go on for an undetermined amount of episodes, taking place before Ichigo and the others enter Las Noches. I’m kind of looking forward to this, in a way, if only because we’ll see more of the group together (more chances for interaction and comedy, particularly with Nel, Pesshe and Dondochakka) before they split up like a bunch of Scoobies. Though I’m probably just getting my hopes up.

[Cidolfas]

I should note, though, that I saw the Bleach movie a week or two ago and was struck by how bittersweet it was. The story was quite touching, and it actually explored some angles which the series has largely been ignoring for the last, oh, 130 episodes. There were some scenes that were absolutely beautiful.

I always hate it more when a piece of media squanders its potential (see: Kingdom Hearts) than when it has no potential at all. 8-(

[demigod]

The shinigami cup bits at the end of the episodes are usually good for a laugh. I think that’s the main reason I haven’t given up on the anime yet. I haven’t given up on the manga yet because I hope Tatsuki will return one day.

[Rhaka]

here are very very few Shönen that are worth reading (Flame of Recca being one of them, sure it’s all going to come down to Recca in the end but the other characters aren’t completely worthless)

I’m so glad that Flame of Recca was one of the first mangas I read. It’s pretty great.

[Seraphim_Ephyon]

SPOILERS FOR THE LATEST BLEACH RAW:

Holy shit Kubo actually listened to me. Quick! Everyone complain about how loads of full frontal nudity would improve the story!

[RoguePaladinTrian]

Not of the old guy commander of the Shinigami or that furry guy, though. Think with cautioun, Seraphim.

[SpoonyBard]

I REALLY hope that is the real Kenpachi and not just another ‘inner world’ experience for Ichigo because if it is it means the Arc is FINALLY starting to become unpredictable compared to the SS arc, which is the one thing Bleach really needs right now, an end to redundancy.

[SpoonyBard]

Holy crap on this week’s Bleach.

Spoiler Pic #1

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Spoiler Pic #5

So it really WAS the real Kenpachi, and not just Ichigo’s inner world being a dick again. And, not only Kenpachi, but Byakuya, Mayuri, and Unohana. Isane is there too, but she’s not seen in the pictures. This was really surprising.

Byakuya is there to save Rukia and fight the black Espada, whose name is something like Zomari Lulu, and he’s revealed to be the 7th Espada. That means now that the top three are Halibel, Stark, and the old guy. Kenpachi is, of course, going to be fighting Nnoitra, and he seems to have killed Tesla in this chapter as well. Yachiru might also be there, and that could lead to some cute interaction with Nel.

But, seriously, Mayuri coming to Ishida’s rescue (and Renji) and fighting Szayel almost seems like it’s out of a fanfic. And what is up with his new appearance?! As if he couldn’t have gotten freakier. He’s Captain Pharaoh Clown now! Unohana and Isane coming to Chad’s aid is just kinda strange, they’ve never at all interacted before. However he and Rukia are the most injured, so it makes sense that she’d go after one of them first. Unohana states she’s not there to fight, only to heal, but we’ll have to see how well the Executors behave. I’m also wondering if Chad will insist on saving Gatenbein too.

Anyway, I’m actually finding myself excited about Bleach again. Up until now the Hueco Mundo arc just seemed like it was totally recycling the Soul Society arc’s biggest events. I thought for sure I was going to guess where it was going to go next, and then Kubo pulls this. It’s good to know he can still surprise us.

[Seraphim_Ephyon]

Byakuya is there to save Rukia and fight the black Espada

That’s two out of three I got right. If Ikkaku shows up, someone will owe me money.

Speaking of which, I just randomly watched some chapters of the filler anime (The first Bleach anime chapters I’ve ever seen) and… well, bear in mind I don’t usually say this kind of thing but… GOOD LORD NEL IS SO DISGUSTINGLY CUTE! IT’S SO SUGARY AND SWEET I GOT DIABETES JUST FROM WATCHING HER.

[Mabatsekker]

SPOILERS FOR THE LATEST BLEACH RAW:

Holy shit Kubo actually listened to me. Quick! Everyone complain about how loads of full frontal nudity would improve the story!

Please do not say that’s Kenpachi going all “RAEP TIEM!” on Ichigo there.

[demigod]

Speaking of which, I just randomly watched some chapters of the filler anime (The first Bleach anime chapters I’ve ever seen) and… well, bear in mind I don’t usually say this kind of thing but… GOOD LORD NEL IS SO DISGUSTINGLY CUTE! IT’S SO SUGARY AND SWEET I GOT DIABETES JUST FROM WATCHING HER.

Lightweight. She’s vaguely cute, and maybe some people think her speech impediment makes her more adorable, but having seen shows that are based on tiny adorable characters (Bottle Fairy, Potemayo), Nel is pretty average in appearance and only a little less annoying than English-dub Skuld.

[Rinn]

How far behind the manga is the Bleach anime?

[SpoonyBard]

The anime is 51 chapters behind the manga at this point. Unfortunately a new filler arc is starting in the next episode that will go on for an undetermined amount of time, so it’ll be awhile yet before the anime gets up to this point.

[demigod]

It feels like more than that. But then it’s only like 5 or 6 fights, isn’t it? The two triple-digits, Rukia vs. espada 9, Renji and Ishida vs espada 8 (still fricking ongoing), Ichigo vs Grimjaw, then espada 5. And they’re all pretty boring, too.

[Cidolfas]

How is this a filler arc? Did the manga just skip over this section entirely and jump right into Las Noches?

[SpoonyBard]

The most recent episodes are not filler, no. The episodes have been canon since 138, but last week’s episode (146) was the last canon one. This week’s, 147, will be the start of a new filler arc. It’ll be called Forest of the Menos. It’s unknown right now how long it’ll go on for.