There seem to be a lot of things ending for me of late and the as of today the Bleach anime is no more. After 366 episodes and four movies, it ended due to a collapse in ratings and declining DVD sales in Japan. The cancellation was rather sudden, but the show managed to conclude the most recent story arc without throwing too much out.
While not popular with a lot of the fans, the Fullbringer arc adaptation was actually superior to the original manga and showed a great deal of creativity was still left in the staff after all these years. My suspicion is that showing the main character, Ichigo, go through an emotional wringer and having to grow up is the last thing the target demographic wanted to see. But it did appeal to an old timer like me, for character development is what made me like the silly series.
Though rushed, the final episode shows how much Ichigo Kurosaki has grown since the first season that made such a splash worldwide. Not only does he look older, the decisions he made at the end were much more mature and a conversation by two characters about him highlighted it. He has become a man and a good one at that.
All the familiar faces from Soul Society and the real world have cameo appearances and the final minutes of the show end on a nice note filled with a sweetness – something it needed to after the very grim arc. No longer the angry loner, Ichigo has more friends and loved ones than he can count. When he tells Rukia, “Seeya around” the message is aimed at the viewers as much as at the diminutive Soul Reaper.
Ending on a truly warm moment was a nice way to finish the series and I will miss the silly thing.
4 comments:
It... ended...?
As in, it's... OVER, over?
How is this done?
Wait... IS this done?
I think I need to lie down...
Yes, it is over. Some fans are holding on to hope that the rest of the manga will be adapted, but given how that is in trouble too the odds are not good.
At least they ended at a very good stopping point, story wise. It works as a series end.
So it is time for you to start watching it, right?
Having just watched episode 366 at DISHOnline.com, I am feeling pretty disappointed. That wasn’t a fitting end to the series, that was just an end to the season. Talking with some of my coworkers at DISH I found out that some fans believe that this just temporary while the animators catch up to the manga without having to do filler episodes. I hope this is true as I have no intention of watching Chibi Naruto characters in a crappy spinoff.
That is one of the theories floating about, but I've also read that merchandising sales are down and that was the only thing keeping it on the air for the past couple of years. I doubt we will see anything soon and maybe the whole thing will wrap up with OVA's or movies in a few years.
That Rock Lee thing looks like a crime against humanity, doesn't it?
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