Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Bleach: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie Review

The adventure continues.

Bleach returns for more exciting action-packed fun. The anime series is based on the work of creator Tite Kubo. Featuring animation from studio Pierrot (Mr. Osomatsu, Naruto), Bleach has plenty of adventure and spectacle for anime fans. Bleach: Set 12 includes episodes 309-337. The series was broadcast on TV Tokyo in Japan and comes from producers Ken Hagino, Kyoko Kobayashi, Mai Nagai, Shunji Aoki, Yukio Yoshimura,Yutaka Sugiyama, and Jun Takibuchi.

The final battle wages on between Ichigo and Aizen. The epic confrontation is brought to an inevitable close, Karakura Town is brought back to the World of the Living. The Soul Society now finds a state of peace I Yet possible once more. Yet this momentary reprieve is brought to a stand-still when news breaks about missing Soul Reapers. A unexpected suspect arises to the top: could the culprit be Ichigo?

Fighting for his survival, Ichigo must battle his way forward while avoiding arrest long enough to clear his name – and prove his innocence. Yet things become even more complicated when an impostor (who might be imitating Ichigo) is in the way. The stakes are raised. What will happen next?

The animation on Bleach is impressive and manages to make a big impression. The series has a knack for showcasing compelling background artwork. The line art on Bleach is exquisite and there is a lot worth appreciating. It is clear that the team of animators involved in the production invested a lot of effort and time to making the series more compelling and engaging. The animated layouts make a excellent impression and help aid the storytelling.

The series arrives in high-definition step-by-step.

The art direction by Natsuko Suzuki (Active Raid, Arakawa Under the Bridge) and Sawako Takagi (Hikaru no Go, Silver Spoon) helps shape the animation and make the production even more well polished. The efforts are commendable. The series also benefits from superb character designs by Masahi Kudo (Sakura Wars the Animation, Survival Game Club!). The characters are well drawn: distinctive and original. Each character has a unique artistic style that seems well suited to the storytelling and the core of the production.

The cinematography by Katsufumi Sato (Wolf's Rain, The Big O) and Toshiyuki Fukushima (Yu Yu Hakusho, Wolf's Rain) adds to the atmosphere of the series well. Bleach is an anime series with a distinctive visual style. The series has some compelling visual elements on display – gray toned scenes with subtle Noir-style aspects. The series also has some bright and colorful sequences which are a nice contrast to the darker scenes.

The music score composed by Shiro Sagisu (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nadia – The Secret of Blue Water) is effective and works as a nice backdrop to the production. The score helps to enhance the action sequences and to ultimately make the experience a more rewarding one for audiences to experience. The original score compositions provide the series with a sense of vibrancy that is unmistakable.

Bleach is a series that has some compelling storytelling threads as well. The series has interesting characters at the forefront of the story. Ichigo is a compelling character for the series to explore. Focusing on a blend of character elements alongside the action-packed fun of the series is key. Audiences experience something more compelling as a result.

Noriyuki Abe (Yu Yu Hakusho, Flame of Recca) directs. Bleach is a compelling directorial effort from the great anime director. Abe made one of my all-time favorite anime series with Yu Yu Hakusho (a masterpiece of the medium). While Bleach might not be in the same league as Yu Yu Hakusho for everyone, the series has plenty of action and adventure for genre enthusiasts to enjoy. Bleach is certainly entertaining and worthwhile.

Bleach: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from VIZ Media, Bleach: Set 12 is presented in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition. The picture-quality is not as impressive as many modern high-definition presentations are due to the source-limitations which are inherent in the animation. The presentation is often quite soft and never as crisp as some might hope to find. Colors are reasonably well reproduced but are not as robust as is ideal at times. The release does feature a decent encoding which has fewer compression artifacts than a standard-definition DVD presentation would offer. Fans seeking the best presentation will want to check it out even if the improvements are modest.

Bleach: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless, high resolution presentations are excellent. Though the audio presentations are not as immersive or engaging as the tracks could have been with surround-sound implementation (and a more unique and compelling audio sound mix) the effort made on the stereo imaging is still impressive overall. The music score is well reproduced. Dialogue is clear and crisp. The audio encoding is effective overall.

Bleach: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Original Japanese DVD Artwork showcases a selection of click-through illustrations used for the first print-run DVD releases.

Clean Openings:

Ranbu no Melody (HD, 1:30)

BLUE (HD, 1:30)

Clean Ending:

Aoi Tori (HD, 1:30)

More from VIZ (HD, 6:15)

Bleach: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bleach returns for more exciting fun with the 12^th set. Fans of the series will certainly want to continue to enjoy the action- packed adventure of the series and all that is offers. The Blu-ray release has a nice first print-run slipcover (o-card) and comes with inner art-work on the sleeve. The set has a decent video-audio presentation and a small selection of supplements. Recommended.