English Dub Review: Bleach Episode 364

Okay, this is a bit different than advertised.

Spoilers Below

This week’s Bleach seemed like a table setter for what should be a explosive final two episodes. There was no mention at all about the fight with Kugo and Ichigo, possibly setting up an episode with no bullshit from anyone else. The rest of the duels are over as of this week, so, it’s sound thinking.

Speaking of battles, Rukia and Riruka faced off, and it turned out a lot different than expected. Of course, Riruka was able to trap Rukia inside a plush doll, but it was what happened after that took me for a loop. Riruka finally told her back story, how she was foolish with her powers, and how she trapped her first crush in her dollhouse. He was there for such a long time, that cheerful look turned into a look of depression and fear. When she let him out, she never thought of the backlash. Kugo saved her, and the rest of Xcution, and that’s how the team started. The odd part was that Riruka used an attack when Rukia charged in for an attack, and just disappeared.

The better fight this week was Tsukishima and Byakuya, for sure. We learn that Tsukishima was able to put himself into the past of not only people, but inanimate objects and attacks as well. When Byakuya used Senbonzakura, Tsukishima used Book of the End to learn all of the strengths and weaknesses, including the safe zone around Byakuya. Then, Tsukishima cut Byakuya, and put himself into Byakuya’s past as well. The awesome thing is Byakuya just kept going like it meant nothing. The way Byakuya changed up his oncoming Bankai and tricked Tsukishima into a false sense of security was ridiculous. After Byakuya injured himself with his own Bankai, Tsukishima sauntered in to kill Byakuya, only to get a Bankai sized hole through his chest for his troubles. Now, I know that Kenpachi is the resident badass of this series. But Byakuya took every single thing Tsukishima threw at him, and put a hole the size of a cannonball through his chest. Sorry, guys, but fuck Kenpachi. Byakuya is the badass.

These fights go back to what I said last week about these fights between the Shinigami and Xcution: Xcution and the Fullbringers can’t do shit against the Shinigami. The problem is that the Fullbring abilities seem like cute parlor tricks compared to the overpowered might of a Bankai. Trap someone in a box compared to freezing someone, or someone with jackpot sized luck compared to a one hit kill all seem way under-powered. That’s the problem with all of this. The build up was supposed to be Fullbring being this ridiculous force, but only Kugo and Tsukishima posed any real threat. Even Jackie did nothing compared to Renji.

Even with the joke the Fullbringers ultimately became, this was a great comeback from what we got last week, that goes without saying. There was no sense of getting let down after this, because you know what is coming next week. I can’t wait to see how all of this fits together, because, with the exception of Giriko and possibly Riruka, the other members of Xcution are alive. I don’t know how they will figure into the final two episodes, but the pieces are there, and available. I know how most anime want to end on an explosive note, and we are hopefully going to get it with Bleach. I am actually hopeful for this. The last thing I have to say about Episode 364 is that I am really thankful for the break from Orihime.