Bleach: Uncut Set 17

The 17th set of the hit fantasy-
adventure Bleach comprises the second
half of the “Zanpakuto Unknown Tales
Arc” (episodes 230 to 265), an anime-
only storyline. The Zanpakuto is both
the weapon of a Soul Reaper and the
mirror of his personality and
strength. The appearance of the
Zanpakuto as independent warriors
threw the Soul Society into chaos in
the first half of the adventure, but a
series of unexpected revelations
throws new light on those events.
Ichigo and the Soul Reaper Captains
continue their battle against
Muramasa, the leader of the revolt.
Centuries ago, this eerie, serpentine
manifestation was the Zanpakuto of
Koga, an extraordinarily powerful
member of the Kuchiki clan, the family
Rukia and Byakuya belong to. But Koga
fell prey to arrogance, and the
punishment for his crimes has
stretched over the ages to the present
day, threatening Ichigo and his
friends in both the Seireitei and
Karakura Town. Although the unexpected
shifts in the plot give an added
frisson of excitement to the battles,
many of these episodes feel padded.
The challenges, declarations, and
boasts that precede the duels, while
an essential part of Bleach (and
historic samurai culture), get a bit
repetitious in the first episodes. And
in the later ones, the viewer begins
to wonder just how much killing
Muramasa takes. The story concludes
with a declaration of the singular
bond between a Soul Reaper and a
Zanpakuto that transcends even a
samurai’s link to his swords. For
once, Ichigo and Zangetsu, Byakuya,
and Senbonzakura agree. After this
adventure, director Noriyuki Abe and
his crew returned to the storyline of
Tite Kubo’s original manga with the
50-episode “Arrancar: Downfall” arc.
(Rated Teen: violence, violence
against women,