Bleach Ep. 8: Memories in the Rain

The action anime shows it is capable of being something much deeper in this classic episode from the first season. As the tragedy that shaped Ichigo Kurosaki is fully revealed, an old danger threatens his family and a new one threatens Rukia.

Bleach can be an exasperating show simply because it occasionally reaches emotional heights it has no right to. Because of that, it can be frustrating wading through the lesser material while waiting to see it do something amazing again. Somehow I think P.T. Barnum would approve of how the original author and animators string along the audience that way. Memories in the Rain is one of those stories that keeps fans coming back.

The ending of the previous episode is an integral part of the story continued here and this serves as the middle act with the next episode completing it. So it is difficult to review it as a single episode.

Things begin with a glimpse of the ghastly netherworld of shadows shown sparingly earlier in the series. The voice of the mysterious mastermind Hollow is heard as he decides to go to the mortal world himself rather than dispatch minions. I have to say the theatrical voice employed for the character fits perfectly.

While that is going on, we see Karin and Yuzu hiking up a steep street with their brother and father trailing behind. Isshin plays the family idiot as usual but this time it is Karin who takes him down with a single kick. But the comedy is short lived as the walk to the cemetery is interrupted by a sudden appearance of Rukia.

The diminutive Soul Reaper wants to know if a Hollow killed Ichigo’s mother. It is a tension filled scene as Ichigo’s emotions boil over and he claims that he was the one who killed her. A shocked Rukia lets the teen leave as she tries to process what she has been told.

Following up on the moody scene in Episode 7, Orihime wants to know more about her crush and Tatsuki fills in some of the blanks of Ichigo’s past. When they were little, she used to beat up Orihime’s “super hero” at the dojo they studied at. Back then, the orange haired boy was a happy smiling kid who wasn’t the least bit tough. But everything changed when his mother died.

It is a lovely character building scene between the two girls talking and the flashback.

Rukia is upset with herself for prying to deeply into Ichigo’s pain and I particularly liked the visuals used to convey this. Her body language says more than her voiced over thoughts. Yet it is her past that is catching up to her, not Ichigo’s when the Soul Reaper seen at the very end of the last episode shows up to confront her.

But it is Ichigo’s tormented memories that make this one of the greatest episodes of Bleach. Here we find out why rain is associated so much with his soul, as he relives the fateful day his mother was murdered. And yes, he is responsible for her death. Back when he was nine, he couldn’t tell the difference between the living and spirits, so when a little girl jumped in the river…

With the death of his mother, the heart of the Kurosaki family was ripped out and everything changed for them all. Damage was done to each and the repercussions still show in the family.

Rukia’s past is starting to be revealed as well by the strange Soul Reaper who fancies himself something of a comedian. It turns out the he attended the same academy as she did in Soul Society. Sadly for him, she doesn’t have a clue who he is. So much for being the funny one in school!

So Rukia turns out to be from a noble family, but adopted in. This appears to make her an outsider at the Soul Reaper Academy. It looks like more is to come on her.

Here things begin to go bad as it is made clear Rukia has broken a very serious law of Soul Society by giving Ichigo her powers. This is compounded when the boy shows up to rescue her and the battle begins with an opponent out of his league.  However this is the least of their worries.

Ichigo’s past has caught up to him.

Thoughts

One thing going for Bleach is the interesting and well written characters. There can be no substitution for character development in my opinion and this show has it in spades.

Memories in the Rain also manages to convey serious drama amidst the action and comedy in a very effective way. I remember watching this and being floored by how emotional it was. As a result, I committed to watching this series.

Interestingly, this story was used as the “pilot” for the series and was shown as a stand alone video in Japan at a convention. It is also a pretty episode, with the art conveying the past really standing out.