C&C - Bleach - "A Shinigami Is Born" [9/9]

[Neo Ultra Mike]

Okay, sorry about the early talkback today. This time, I'm doing it in time it on the right time (You can delete that other thread). Here's The Talkback For The First Episode Of Bleach That's Airing it's offical TV Dub Premiere is this Saturday at 12:30. Here's the synopsis. (In spoilers for your own protection).

Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenage boy who can see ghosts, helps a young girl ghost when some skateboarders knock over a vase offering for her. The next day Ichigo sees the young girl being chased by a big monster called a Hollow. Ichigo goes to help the girl but when the girl is just about to be eaten a female Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki, appears and saves her. That night Rukia visits Ichigo’s room and is surprised when he can see her. While they are conversing a Hollow appears and starts attacking Ichigo’s family. After being injured by the Hollow, Rukia transfers her powers to Ichigo so he can save his family."

Enjoy!

[Animeforever'04]

god can't wait~

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Well the TV dub premiere was actually yesturday at 10:30PM on YTV's Bionix in Canada but it is the US dub premiere.

Almost a year ago today Viz Media's dub of Naruto did amazing things for Toonami. Can their dub (highly praised already even by GAIA) of Bleach do the same for Adult Swim Action? One can hope it'll come close. ASA needs a hit.

But really I'm mostly curious what the episode will be rated. It might be TV-14 but I think they could scare by with TV-PG-LV.

[Obi]

Wonder if they'll keep the opening.

[Pacman729]

This should be interesting. I didn't hear the dub voices yet. I got a feeling its going to be like Naruto, it got a decent dub but the fanboys didn't think so. Anyway, I'm surprise that this is on Adult Swim, seeing that it is a Shonen Jump title. I guess, Adult Swim isn't staying away form the Shonen Jump titles. Either way, this should be interesting.

[Fresh V]

Finally, after months and months of waiting, the day is finally here. The day of Bleach. I can't wait. Go Bleach!:D

[Katsumara]

The full opening, thank GOD!

[Obi]

WOOOOO they kept it!

[Swag Jenkins]

But really I'm mostly curious what the episode will be rated. It might be TV-14 but I think they could scare by with TV-PG-LV.

No, it's TV-14.

[Dr. Daedalus]

All right, time to see what all the fuss is about. :)

[.Automatisch]

Awesome, they kept the OP.

[Timmay]

Even though I've read up to the Soul Society arc, I've never actually watched a minute of the anime.

[Katsumara]

Now to judge if the dubbing is crappy or not by one episode.

[v1cious]

they kept the intro... wonder how long that will last.

[FlyByNite77]

Holy crap a FULL OP????

Although this makes me worried about the ED because I don't want the 2nd ED (Houki Boushi) to get trimmed.

[Spike Mcdougal]

Full Asterisk, nice:D

[Beat]

Ichigo reminds me of a better-animated Yusuke. Not necessarily a bad thing.

[Timmay]

Ichigo reminds me of a better-animated Yusuke. Not necessarily a bad thing.This reminds me of your comment in the Trinity Blood thread (not necessarily a good or bad thing).

[Obi]

The voices are perfect so far. Goat face!

[Swag Jenkins]

Ichigo seems to be a mix of Yusuke, Recca, Ranma, and Inuyasha. Not necessarily a bad thing.

[Jedah Dohma]

Awesome, the full Asterisk opening ftw! :anime:

Great voices so far. That's really the dub voice I was expecting from Ichigo.

[Beat]

Thanks for showing why this show isn't necessarily Toonami-material 8 minutes in. Is violence as bad when it's against 8 legged Oni?

[Swag Jenkins]

When Rukia was slicing up the demon, I thought to myself, "Well that's why it's TV-14."

[Obi]

I'm so glad they didn't go with Richard Cox for Ichigo, which is what I kept imagining they would do.

[Katsumara]

Aw, only a little blood. >.>

[Swag Jenkins]

I'm so glad they didn't go with Richard Cox for Ichigo, which is what I kept imagining they would do.

Well, that's if you're assuming that Viz would have used Ocean Studios to dub Bleach.

Then again, Richard Cox seems to play the bad boy characters. First Ranma, Kai Shiden, and Inuyasha.

[.Automatisch]

Dub is pretty solid... I'm actually glad it turned out that well, since it could've been a hell of a lot worse. Compared to the JP episode, this one's not bad at all...

[Katsumara]

OMG they kept the names of the demon magic!!

[Swag Jenkins]

Rukia is awesome and I love Michelle Ruff's voice for her.

Edit: You know, if 4Kids had licensed this show, the kanji would have been replaced with unintelligable text.:p

[Railith]

It's a good dub so far, and Bleach just gets better from here for people that haven't seen or read it.

[Dr. Daedalus]

Ichigo actually reminded me of Seiji from Midori Days somewhat, especially in the first few minutes when he pummels those thugs. And the two characters' spiked hair is similar, too.

Definitely the better of the two premieres. I just liked the concept better in general- vampires are kinda "meh" to me. And the animation was very respectable, though does it keep up the quality for the majority of the show's episodes?

[Carlos]

Hey, Ichigo has his own Tetsaguia(sp.).:anime:

[Obi]

Kooooooooon!

[.Automatisch]

Wow. They actually did a GOOD job with this, through and through. Viz could've b0rked this up really badly...

[Beat]

Wow. That ruled. The first episode combined a certain cynical humor that I usually associate with Western comedies with a lot of old fashioned ass-kicking. Now, please, oh please, let it stay this good.

Bleach Episode 1 gets a B+.

[Katsumara]

Ending seemed pretty nice. Zanpakuto was pronounced awesomely (Yes I just made up a word) and Kon sounded decent. XD All and all, two thumbs up on the debut of the dub for the US.

[Railith]

KON!

I didn't see that one coming.

[Grenzer]

This dub is good, it captures the spirit (pun intended) of the orginal version. JYB is a far better Ichigo then I could have imagined, and Michelle Ruff is Rukia. Kon was pretty good too, through I am not sure who is voicing him.

[Kazuya Prower]

This beats the Naruto dub. The only thing cut was the eyecatch.

[NahMan85]

Now, please, oh please, let it stay this good.
You do know that no anime has ever done that right?

[jv2k]

Well I didn't like how they translated the one thing I didn't mind being in japanese(shingami) but translated the soul cutters and demon arts. Over all though this dub was great, and the animation is strong.

One problem though, I thought Ichigo had bleach blond hair(hence the name), why is it orange in the anime?

[Carlos]

You do know that no anime has ever done that right?

There are plenty of animes that have stayed good from beginning to end.

[Obi]

One problem though, I thought Ichigo had bleach blond hair(hence the name), why is it orange in the anime?

It's always been orange.

[NahMan85]

There are plenty of animes that have stayed good from beginning to end.
Let me correct myself than, MOST anime don't do that. *Looks at Carlos*Better.

[Katsumara]

This beats the Naruto dub. The only thing cut was the eyecatch.

Eyecatch? >.>

[Tash]

Well I didn't like how they translated the one thing I didn't mind being in japanese(shingami) but translated the soul cutters and demon arts. Over all though this dub was great, and the animation is strong.

One problem though, I thought Ichigo had bleach blond hair(hence the name), why is it orange in the anime?
Have you ever seen an asian person bleach their hair? It turns Orange/copper. (Ayumi Hamasaki is known for it)

[RomanMack]

Full opening and ending. Nice.

Very good dub. Ichigo and Rukia sounded spot-on. Can't wait for more episodes.

Heh. Seems like saturday night has turned into Shonen Jump day, even if technically this is on Sunday and One Piece's dub sucks. But still, Shonen Jump is getting it's pimp on. :p

[Demonic Raven]

Between "Spirit Energy", Demons (or Hollows), and Ichigo himself (plus some other elements, such as the main character becoming a demon hunter of sorts)...this was very reminiscent of Yu Yu Hakusho. Believe me, that's a VERY good thing.

Very good for a first episode as well. Only a couple of characters were revealed, but a lot of them seem very likeable. Ichigo of course kick lots of ass, Rukia seems cool enough, and the Dad is really weird.

Very enjoyable.

9/10

[Scirel]

Well I didn't like how they translated the one thing I didn't mind being in japanese(shingami) but translated the soul cutters and demon arts. Over all though this dub was great, and the animation is strong.

One problem though, I thought Ichigo had bleach blond hair(hence the name), why is it orange in the anime?

all the manga covers have it orange, and they even say it in the show later on. It's a minor plot point actually.

[Baseball]

One problem though, I thought Ichigo had bleach blond hair(hence the name), why is it orange in the anime?
It's orange in the manga too.

Awesome dub. I'll definitely be watching this every week.

[Timmay]

There are plenty of animes that have stayed good from beginning to end.No way that's gonna happen with a lengthy series like this though.

[Beat]

Between "Spirit Energy", Demons (or Hollows), and Ichigo himself (plus some other elements, such as the main character becoming a demon hunter of sorts)...this was very reminiscent of Yu Yu Hakusho. Believe me, that's a VERY good thing.9/10
I'm just hoping this stays on Adult Swim. The blood gysers from Episode 1 have justified it being there.


No way that's gonna happen with a lengthy series like this though.

That's the problem. Even One Piece (The Good version) strains under filler arcs, so I worry for this show as well.

[Captain Highwind]

Ah, my first Japanese Anime to English transition series. (Naruto doesn't count. >.>)

I have no problems with Ichigo, Rukia,* Isshin, or Karin and Yuzu. The Hollows need some more special effects to make their voices more metallic and otherworldly sounding, not so much the fault of the VAs. And then Kon's voice pops out of nowhere...he sounds like Viewtiful Joe when it should be Gilbert Gottfried-like. :(

And finally, Number One on network television. :D

And this board needs some Rukia Bunny smilies.



*(Aw crap, they do pronounce it Rukia not Lukia. But then why do they pronounce Karin's r with an l when it sounds all right with an English pronounciation...)

[Swag Jenkins]

Let me correct myself than, MOST anime don't do that. *Looks at Carlos*Better.

"Now why you wanna go and do that love huh?" - Q-Tip:p


Anyway, this episode was very good. The action was awesome and I already like Rukia. The dub was great. Dare I say it's better than the Naruto dub? I wonder how a FUNi or Ocean dub would turn out...

[Kazamuki]

very very nice. I already liked bleach, so I was hopefully optimistic about the dub. I am easy when it comes to anime, but I thought that the voices were perfect. I thought the first rukia Drawing scene was awesome XD.

for all who don't follow this show, it gets TONS better, total bad-ass.

so I guess my sats are taking up for the next few months @_@.

animation is fantastic, I am so glad they left in the gore I hope they keep that through...

is there a way to see how a show is doing in ratings? cause I would like to see if bleach did as good as I thought it should.

all in all, fantastic, cannot wait til next week!

[NahMan85]

No way that's gonna happen with a lengthy series like this though.Yeah I was thinking the same thing but wasn't sure, it could have been one that slips through the cracks and actually does that well. But that's just me being optimistic

[Swag Jenkins]

I'm just hoping this stays on Adult Swim. The blood gysers from Episode 1 have justified it being there.





Sketch and Kuwabaratheman would like a word with you.;)

[Scirel]

This should really, really air at 11:30 instead of 12:30.

BTW if you thought the blood was bad now..heh.. if it`s anything like the manga, there will be buckets upon buckets.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Full opening and ending. Well that's a nice change.

TV-14, also interesting. The blood spray got it there I guess.

Great voices all around. Kon though I can't put my finger on who that is...

[Beat]

This should really, really air at 11:30 instead of 12:30.

BTW if you thought the blood was bad now..heh.. if it`s anything like the manga, there will be buckets upon buckets.

Quoted for truth. And with that, I'm off to bed.

Come on. This is one of those shows that could easily become a big hit for Adult Swim...if and only if it's promoted correctly. The fan hype should be big enough, but it's not enough just to rely on that.

[v1cious]

it depends on your definition of "better". (not a spoiler, but i'll tag it anyway) later it becomes more about the fights than the plot. i'd say it's more like Dragon Ball Z with better animation.

[Katsumara]

I agree Beat. If promoted right, this show could do quite well here on AS where a lot of anime has failed. Then again.. AS promotes Inuyasha a lot, yet no one likes it. Wonder why. =p

[Kazamuki]

it depends on your definition of "better". (not a spoiler, but i'll tag it anyway) later it becomes about the fights than the plot.



how much later are you talkin?
the soul society arc? or the huge filler with the bound? good fights tho..

[Kazamuki]

I agree Beat. If promoted right, this show could do quite well here on AS where a lot of anime has failed. Then again.. AS promotes Inuyasha a lot, yet no one likes it. Wonder why. =p

hey, I liek that show!...well if I can catch one of the new episodes..but I guess I just want to see how it ends now more then how much I want Naraku (sp?) dead.. XD

[JMorgan]

Okay, this dub is excellent. The voices are top-notch; there's none I didn't like, except maybe the ghost girl, but her spotlight is a very fleeting and short-lived one. Kon sounds excellent--most the characters sound similar, at least to a point, to their Japanese counterparts, but Kon is almost completely opposite... and yet still really really good. The FULL, UNHINDERED intro and ending.. wow, I can't wait for the later ones, like Thank You!, Abandoned Star, D-tecnolife, Ichirin no Hana, etc. -- it's a REAL treat seeing full, uncut versions on American television. The dialogue is excellent--it's not often you hear swearing at least equal to the amount on the Japanese, and dialogue such as "why do your drawings suck?" in a shounen dub, even though, being on AS, I shouldn't be shocked. And they even kept the next episode segment completely intact.

I love how they treated the names of things, and pronounciations, too, though something confuses me. They call Shinigamis Soul Reapers (which IMO is a LOT better sounding than 'Death Gods') but they call Zanpakutos... well, Zanpakutos, instead of Spirit Blades or something like that. Wait... when I think about it, weren't Zanpakutos themselves called Soul Reapers in one of the popular Bleach subs? Verrrry interesting... and confusing.

[v1cious]

how much later are you talkin?
the soul society arc? or the huge filler with the bound? good fights tho..

the Soul Society arc. i haven't seen any of the filler arc yet, but i hear it's good.

[Scirel]

I agree Beat. If promoted right, this show could do quite well here on AS where a lot of anime has failed. Then again.. AS promotes Inuyasha a lot, yet no one likes it. Wonder why. =p

Well, Inuyasha's plot never really progresses after the first 50 or so eps.

This one has major arcs and follows the YYH theme essentially of having the first 15 eps being "case files" while introducing the main cast, followed by a major arc.

[Vermunium]

I'm sold. I really like the animation style for the series, and the voices are excellent. It's just too bad I know what happens. I'd like to see a filler episode or two though, just to see what they're like.

[JMorgan]

how much later are you talkin?
the soul society arc? or the huge filler with the bound? good fights tho..

I think he means Soul Society, where most Bleach watchers say the show (or readers; manga) gets 'crappy and DBZ-ish', though IMHO not only are the fights very excellent, but the story keeps going strong. Adding some action doesn't completely delete the story; there are enough twists and turns and interesting things going on that it stays excellent. Though I understand how some people would have preferred the cast stay on Earth and keep struggling against increasingly more fearsome Hollows, keep the whole 'creepy, slightly horror-tinged' vibe, etc.

[Kazamuki]

the Soul Society arc. i haven't seen any of the filler arc yet, but i hear it's good.
Hmm... I thought that was great. but I guess there IS a lot of fighting like with ichigo and that barbarian-ish captain *too lazy to look up name* but I thought that it was a great way to show how much ichigo would go through for her... DETERMINATION!!!

whew, have not had a good chat on the forums for a bit...

EDIT::

I think he means Soul Society, where most Bleach watchers say the show (or readers; manga) gets 'crappy and DBZ-ish', though IMHO not only are the fights very excellent, but the story keeps going strong. Adding some action doesn't completely delete the story; there are enough twists and turns and interesting things going on that it stays excellent. Though I understand how some people would have preferred the cast stay on Earth and keep struggling against increasingly more fearsome Hollows, keep the whole 'creepy, slightly horror-tinged' vibe, etc.

totally just said what I was thinking, and it DOES seems DBZ like, how he needs to get a more ultimate power to beat the next bad guy, but yeah I thought his fights were awesome (and I still think that his swords avatar is bad-ass to the max XD) really made you wonder what was gonna happen next... cause it was possible for him to *GASP* LOSE...heh

[GWOtaku]

Bosch has Ichigo nailed, and so far there is not one bad cast for this show. In fact, the acting is really good. We got the full opening, and this first episode is a great opener and a good reminder of why I got hooked on this series in the first place. And I agree, Ichigo is like a modern, bigger and better version of Yusuke.

Solid grade A job right here.

[Levon]

Eyecatch? >.>


You know, durring the middle of an episode where they goto a commercial break & show like the logo or something. Sort of like bumps that AS has.

[David Lucas]

I have to agree with a lot of people here, this is eerily reminiscent of Yu Yu Hakusho.

I also have to agree with a lot of people here that this is in no way a bad thing.

I've been hearing about Bleach for a while now, mainly from these boards from people who wont stop going on and on about it. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Trinity Blood bored me through and through, even if it was the first episode, it's always been my opinion that if an anime can't have an series premiere that peaks my interest, it just can't be great.

Trigun did it. Bebop did it. FMA did it. Escaflowne did it. A few others I can't think of right now slightly pulled it off, and Bleach is definitely on the higher end of that list.

I really liked it. I like the designs, the animation, and I never get tired of hearing Johnny Yong Bosch as a VA. Although I do get tired of the anime cliche where someone who's an ultra bad ass comes across someone that they assume is completely "normal" and then we get a long "This is impossible, he/she shouldn't be able to do that. I clearly underestimated him/her, he/she must be the chosen one." or something along those lines.

As tired as I get of that, as long as the anime goes about it in an entertaining way, it always keeps me smiling.

Adult Swim really is an inner-nerd's paradise when it comes to being introduced to new, quality television.

And what a very colorful opening sequence.....

[Levon]

The director of Bleach was also the director of Yu Yu Hakusho.

[Kazamuki]

And what a very colorful opening sequence.....

yeah, strange how colorful it is with the starting themes for this show XD

but I loved the music..now if only I can skip it every other episode (so as not to get tired of it)

[Lachesis]

Word. Bosch as Ichigo sounds nothing like Bosch as Renton.

I'm absolutely thrilled that the names are being pronounced right (which drove me bananas with Inuyasha). Love the humor, and I hope it lasts.

I haven't seen more than a few eps of this one, so thanks for using the spoiler boxes.

[Captain Highwind]

And what a very colorful opening sequence.....

And it's the best one of em all. :cool:

So whatever major malfunctions may (or MAY NOT) occur at AS, at least we've got this one gem.


I have to agree with a lot of people here, this is eerily reminiscent of Yu Yu Hakusho.

Even though I've only read the first volume, I get the same vibe from Buso Renkin. I guess monster-hunting main characters with short female sidekick/mentors are a big staple in shonen manga.

[Invader_Spooch]

Quite a great start for the series stateside, and I was pleasantly surprised by the casting/performances so far. I actually liked the comedic parts moreso than the Japanese track (I guess it isn't as annoying the way it was done in the dub).

On a side note, who played Masaki Kurosaki? ANN doesn't have a listing, and it sounded like Brett Weaver to me (Nadesico, Sorcerer Hunters, etc)...

He was really likable as Ichigo's dad, I just wonder who he definitely is..

[Katsumara]

You know, durring the middle of an episode where they goto a commercial break & show like the logo or something. Sort of like bumps that AS has.

Wow, I'm retarded.. Sorry about that moment of stupidity. ><

Also, Kazamuki Kenpachi Zaraki is his name.

Either way.. I say again I loved how the dubs did it. I can't believe I'm excited over a dub..

[Kazamuki]

Word. Bosch as Ichigo sounds nothing like Bosch as Renton.

I'm absolutely thrilled that the names are being pronounced right (which drove me bananas with Inuyasha). Love the humor, and I hope it lasts.

I haven't seen more than a few eps of this one, so thanks for using the spoiler boxes.

No prob, I thought it was funny to see huge blocks of black for half the page XD

and yes, this show kicks ass with moments of action and lots of humor added in. thus is why it rocks so much. hehe

[FlyByNite77]

Quite a great start for the series stateside, and I was pleasantly surprised by the casting/performances so far. I actually liked the comedic parts moreso than the Japanese track (I guess it isn't as annoying the way it was done in the dub).

On a side note, who played Masaki Kurosaki? ANN doesn't have a listing, and it sounded like Brett Weaver to me (Nadesico, Sorcerer Hunters, etc)...

He was really likable as Ichigo's dad, I just wonder who he definitely is..

That's Isshin Kurosaki actually, Masaki is the name of their Mom.

so he's listed on ANN as being played by Patrick Seitz who I also see will be popping up on Eureka 7 in a couple weeks in another role.

[Pacman729]

This is the first time I'm seeing the Bleach Anime. It is good so far. Can't wait for the next one.

[Tenku]

Yay, Full OP and ED.

And, the voices are spot-on, especially Ichigo's. And Asterisk is the most colorful of the OPs so far. I'm surprised they kept the episode bump, as they are awesome as well.

It does remind me of YYH but in a good way. Well, it's pretty much the Sensui arc with the Bounto right now, but that's wayyyyyyyy down the line.

[JMorgan]

And it's the best one of em all. :cool:



Oh, I beg to differ.

Asterisk is easily the most STYLISH opening, which is great, and it's a good song, but all Bleach's openings are awesome in their own way. D-Tecnolife (2nd op) is the most action-packed; Ichirin no Hana is very surprising and works very well (though near the end is a little silly); and Tonight, Tonight, Tonight is my personal favorite, easily the best song of all 4 in my humble opinion, the the opening itself is just well-done (ESPECIALLY the part with the CD's, that's so neat).

I hope discussing intros isn't spoiler-worthy :p

[Kazamuki]

Well, it's pretty much the Sensui arc with the Bounto right now, but that's wayyyyyyyy down the line.

bahaha, what 90 some odd episodes early? I wonder if [AS] will do any "vampire hour" bumps for trinity blood and this arc when it comes around?

[Grenzer]

Quite a great start for the series stateside, and I was pleasantly surprised by the casting/performances so far. I actually liked the comedic parts moreso than the Japanese track (I guess it isn't as annoying the way it was done in the dub).

On a side note, who played Masaki Kurosaki? ANN doesn't have a listing, and it sounded like Brett Weaver to me (Nadesico, Sorcerer Hunters, etc)...

He was really likable as Ichigo's dad, I just wonder who he definitely is..

Just to clear things up...

Ichigo's Dad is named Isshin, his VA is Patrick Seitz.

Ichigo's (Deceased) Mother is Masaki, we do not know who is voicing her yet.

[Katsumara]

Wow, 5 pages after the first showing. That's pretty damn good!

[PickHut]

Good first episode. It did a good job introducing you to some of the main characters and the world they're in. Had some good humor in it, too. I'd say more, but in a thread that's 80-some posts long, it's hard to come up with anything new to say:sweat: .

I give ASIB a B.

[Captain Highwind]

Oh, I beg to differ.

But after listening to all of em enough times by now, Asterisk seems to have the most staying power IMO.

[Kazamuki]

Good first episode. It did a good job introducing you to some of the main characters and the world they're in. Had some good humor in it, too. I'd say more, but in a thread that's 80-some posts long, it's hard to come up with anything new to say:sweat: .
you can blame me and a few others for our spoiler talk for that too haha. besides, you can talk about what YOU thought of the VA and the openings and such. maybe talk about what you thought of the gore or something.. hah. like I said earlier the concept of this show just is awesome.
EDIT::


But after listening to all of em enough times by now, Asterisk seems to have the most staying power IMO. dude, the all english intro with its awsome engrish is freakin sweet! I hope they keep that..

LAST EDIT: I ask again tho--is there a site out there that shows the ratings of a show? how its doing and such?

[Kitschensyngk]

Bleach has arrived.

Thoughts passed through my mind prior to its premiere. Thoughts like "Inuyasha's successor" and "answer to Toonami's Naruto".

Not that I didn't have high hopes for it, I just like to think things like that.

Rukia is an interesting character, and I see some potential chemistry between her and Ichigo.

[Hyper Shadow X]

Nice casting job.

[Roman Legion]

Dang, count me among the amazed that the full opening and ending are present. I'll put a pessimistic spin on this, though... it's only going to hurt that much more if / when they do start cutting. How dare they give us hope. :sweat: I just wish the progression of the first OP were kept; the little changes were fun to follow.

As for the dub... that was much worse than expected. They came so close to greatness that every little deviation is gonna bug me all the way to heck (for a while, anyway).

Seems I was right about Michelle Ruff; when she takes a deeper done (than in the promo), she sounds downright flawless. She even pulled off Rukia's "militant tomboy" mode. I'd say at least half her lines were perfect. Personally, I thought her performance wavered a little, and some lines were kinda flubbed, but darnit, the potential is there. I'm pleased.

Bosch as Ichigo isn't quite as good, but it does the job. I think I'll get over it quickly enough. Karin's voice worked, but I'm not liking Yuzu too much. Isshin could be better, but he's acceptable. The hollow's voice was ok, but the delivery was off. Not liking what we heard from Kon. Pronunciations seem solid. Overall, not bad.

My biggest complaint is what Viz chooses to translate and not translate for Bleach's terminology, but that opinion carries over from the manga. I want "Plus", not "Whole", darnit. Ah well. I'll complain more about that in coming weeks. Yay!



it depends on your definition of "better". (not a spoiler, but i'll tag it anyway) later it becomes more about the fights than the plot. i'd say it's more like Dragon Ball Z with better animation.
As far as your typical shounen fighting arcs go, Soul Society is great... too bad I liked the living-world setup 10x better.

--Romey

[Fresh V]

Hell yes, Full OP and ED!! That's one benefit to this being on AS: original OP and ED. But that doesn't mean I prefer it on AS....

The dub is friggin' awesome! All the voices are perfect. Ichigo's voice sounded kinda weird when I first heard it in the promo, but maybe that was just 'cause the Japanese voice sounded so different. Now that I've watched the first episode, Bosch sounds excellent as Ichigo, and so do all the other characters. The only voice that sounded kinda bad was the ghost girl, but she's a minor character who never shows up again, so yeah. Ichigo's dad, Isshin, sounded just like I expected him to. Kon... not what I expected, but actually pretty good. I'm very impressed with the voices.

Strange, I thought this episode could get by with a TV-PG. Guess that blood spray made it TV-14.

Now about the episode itself, I love it! Bleach has the perfect mix of action and comedy. The action scenes are awesome, and even in very serious situations, it can be funny. And you just gotta love Rukia's horrible drawings. :P And don't worry, they'll return! I love how when Ichigo first encounter's the hollow in the morning, the black butterfly flutters across his face, and the next thing you see is Rukia about to strike the hollow. And right before the credits start, I love that text (Hair Color: Orange, etc.) on the screen on top of that awesome image of Ichigo after killing the Hollow. Tite Kubo does the same thing in the manga, just at the beginning of the first chapter instead of at the end.

Bleach also has great style, as you can see from the opening. It's one of the most stylish manga's I've read. I love picking up the manga volumes and just looking at all the chapter covers, which are awesome.

Weird, most people hate the first episodes (not me, I friggin' love them) and gave up on the series, but you guys seemed to like this. And IMO, the series does not go down in quality during the Soul Society Arc. Sure, it's a very, very long arc, but just 'cause it's long does not mean it's bad.

So, yeah. I was really impressed with this dub. And it could really become a great hit on AS, with enough promotion. I really want this show to succeed. Go Bleach!

Holy crap, that took a long time to write.

More!: You know these first episodes really have a ton of... light... ness... You know, they're very bright and lighted, for some odd reason. And then, later on in the series, it becomes normal. I'd just like to point that out. It's weird...

[PickHut]

you can talk about what YOU thought of the VA and the openings and such. maybe talk about what you thought of the gore or something.. Well, I thought the intro was nice and stylish, and the VA was pretty solid. Didn't think much about the gore, though.

[Captain Zechs]

Wow, a year ago I watched this show at Otakon, and I gotta say...watching it again just makes me think it to be even worse. Honestly, it's so damn cliched, basically all they do is throw Inuyasha, Naruto and YYH and bam, there's BLEACH for ya.

At least all 3 of those animes are pretty decent, maybe not so much Inuyasha, but BLEACH is just plain terrible.

Now, let's go to the characters...

Wow, how many times have we seen an anime where the main character is a "street" fighter, or some tough guy? To many, I say, to many and that character almost always gets his "powers" by either he/she getting hurt or someone else getting hurt. Its pathetic, and really I think the Soul Reaper is just a moron, if she were smart she could have just taken him out of that damn paralysis(sp?) herself, but noooo, they had to go and wait just standing there like idiots.

And seriously, I think the whole idea of this entire storyline is rather cheezy, especially "I have to stab you through the heart," I hate those kind of things because they are used over and over again.

I just can't see why anyone would like this show, when 1) It's pretty much the most cliched storyline you could ever get and 2) Its cheezy.

But Ill keep watching, mainly because I want to see if this actually gets better (Though at Otakon I saw the first 5 episodes I believe).

Oh and the OP and ED really didn't do anything to help the series out.

[Duke]

God, I just can't get over the opening. Not just the opening theme (which pales in comparison so much to Viva Rock), but the first few minutes. How the anime staff could screw up the freaking awesome first chapter of the manga so badly I have no clue. This is why I was turned off from the anime when it first started airing.

Otherwise, I guess the episode was OK.

[Grenzer]

Wow, a year ago I watched this show at Otakon, and I gotta say...watching it again just makes me think it to be even worse. Honestly, it's so damn cliched, basically all they do is throw Inuyasha, Naruto and YYH and bam, there's BLEACH for ya.

At least all 3 of those animes are pretty decent, maybe not so much Inuyasha, but BLEACH is just plain terrible.

Now, let's go to the characters...

Wow, how many times have we seen an anime where the main character is a "street" fighter, or some tough guy? To many, I say, to many and that character almost always gets his "powers" by either he/she getting hurt or someone else getting hurt. Its pathetic, and really I think the Soul Reaper is just a moron, if she were smart she could have just taken him out of that damn paralysis(sp?) herself, but noooo, they had to go and wait just standing there like idiots.

And seriously, I think the whole idea of this entire storyline is rather cheezy, especially "I have to stab you through the heart," I hate those kind of things because they are used over and over again.

I just can't see why anyone would like this show, when 1) It's pretty much the most cliched storyline you could ever get and 2) Its cheezy.

But Ill keep watching, mainly because I want to see if this actually gets better (Though at Otakon I saw the first 5 episodes I believe).

Oh and the OP and ED really didn't do anything to help the series out.

I would keep watching, Bleach has such a huge cast of characters, you will eventually find one to connect with. Besides, Ichigo may at first seem like he was cut from the same cloth as Inuyasha/Yusuke/Generic Tough Kid but he really develops over time.

[Conan-san]

bahaha, what 90 some odd episodes early? I wonder if [AS] will do any "vampire hour" bumps for trinity blood and this arc when it comes around? ...um, wouln't TB be well past gone by that point?

Whilst we're at it, where are we geting the names of the episodes? Cause all you see in the epiosdes themsevles are episode numbers.

Honestly? I wuold of gone with the manga's "Death and the strawberry" myself.

[straw_hat]

Well besides toning down some of the violence and the extra padding, which is typical of some animated adapations, I didn't have a problem with the episode. Of course if they screw up chapters 3-6 then I'll be ticked.

[Neo Ultra Mike]

The Yu-Yu Hakusho comparisions for this are jusitified, and it's not just because Ichigo is a lot like Yusuke or the whole seeing ghost, but rather both had really entertaining first episodes. Like some of the best first episodes I've seen of an anime. The moment I knew Bleach was special was when after Ichigo saves the teenage girl's ghost spirit, he gets into the house and gets smacked down by his father, who he proceeds to beat him up in the background while the sisters chat amongst themselves. Now that's anime comedy done right, and the introduction of Ruika, the Soul Society and the concept of Hollows was also done very well. Just a whole lot of good to come from this episode and very few bad (a couple of issues with Shonen pacing, even though the animation is loads better then most shonen shows: the plot seems a bit borrowed from other stories at this moment; yeah the whole "OMG how can Ichigo do this I've never met any human this strong before how can it be, HOW CAN IT BEM?!") but even that's forgiven by a good, intro, ending and preview. (Heh it's not often you bash a character who hasn't appeared in the show yet. Way to raise that bar, Bleach). So yeah very solid first episode that defintley makes me look forward to more.

[The Myst]

Getting a Yu Yu Hakusho vibe. Not a good thing.

EDIT: 8 minutes in and this totally belongs on Toonami. The only thing keeping it away is a little bit of blood. I say, edit the blood out and send it over there.

EDIT 2: I'm also tired of hearing Bosch in every new anime acquisition on AS. Find someone new to voice all the main characters. He's in so much I actually know his name and his voice is starting to get on my nerves.

EDIT 3: Why do all anime dubs have to have stupid grunting and moaning during fights? It's annoying.

EDIT 4: Look at that scene when Ichigo wants to take the sword from Rukia just before she tells him her name and gives it to him. How she's holding the sword. That's ****ing awesome.

EDIT 5: Well, the only good part was the scene where she holds the sword that way. That was just amazingly unintentionally hilarious. Outside of that... meh.

[Jedah Dohma]

What a dub. Excellent voice acting. JYB did Ichigo well and I honestly expected this out of an American dub Ichigo. Ruff did Rukia well. Yuzu's was okay and I liked Karin's VA.

A big hell yes to the OP/ED. I'm glad the full versions were there.

The first episode is just as I how remembered it. A good blend of action and comedy. But, I don't want to repeat anybody. I think I speak for most of you folks.

Ichigo, Soul Reapers, Hollows, etc. I've been hooked on this series for the past year.

Definitely YYH's successor in my view.

8.5/10 for the debut episode.

EDIT: Ok, I didn't get to hear Kon's voice the first time since I got caught up by a phone call. I caught my DVR recording and I have to say I'm a bit disappointed with his voice. That's my only complaint really.

[Paul_Cousins]

Good episode, good dub. I am glad Adult Swim put this between Trinity Blood and Eureka 7.

[v1cious]

Getting a Yu Yu Hakusho vibe. Not a good thing.

EDIT: 8 minutes in and this totally belongs on Toonami. The only thing keeping it away is a little bit of blood. I say, edit the blood out and send it over there.

the blood gets much much worse later

[dawnyoshi]

The show is a relatively interesting premise that is completely destroyed by terrible pacing. The characters themsleves appear interesting, but when a show tries as hard as this one does to introduce everything we need to know like it did tonight, it's kind of like the show itself is saying "Okay, here are the main characters and this is the plot. ENJOY!".


Unfortunately every Shonen Jump animated program suffers from this (sans Naruto's first episode, which somehow got away with it due to the mixture of humor and semi-rushed plot). I'm obviously going to give the show a chance with the first 3 months, but it's not an impressive start. (I gave Eureka about 5 weeks before I was just plain sick of it).

[The Myst]

Wow, a year ago I watched this show at Otakon, and I gotta say...watching it again just makes me think it to be even worse. Honestly, it's so damn cliched, basically all they do is throw Inuyasha, Naruto and YYH and bam, there's BLEACH for ya.

At least all 3 of those animes are pretty decent, maybe not so much Inuyasha, but BLEACH is just plain terrible.

Now, let's go to the characters...

Wow, how many times have we seen an anime where the main character is a "street" fighter, or some tough guy? To many, I say, to many and that character almost always gets his "powers" by either he/she getting hurt or someone else getting hurt. Its pathetic, and really I think the Soul Reaper is just a moron, if she were smart she could have just taken him out of that damn paralysis(sp?) herself, but noooo, they had to go and wait just standing there like idiots.

And seriously, I think the whole idea of this entire storyline is rather cheezy, especially "I have to stab you through the heart," I hate those kind of things because they are used over and over again.

I just can't see why anyone would like this show, when 1) It's pretty much the most cliched storyline you could ever get and 2) Its cheezy.

But Ill keep watching, mainly because I want to see if this actually gets better (Though at Otakon I saw the first 5 episodes I believe).

Oh and the OP and ED really didn't do anything to help the series out.

I'm not alone! This is exactly how I feel about it.

[Zero Kagayaki]

What a dub. Excellent voice acting. JYB did Ichigo well and I honestly expected this out of an American dub Ichigo.

big plus on full OP/ED just how I rembered it since last year

And i was amaze at JYB too ^^

[Nin-Nin69]

Ok nobody who's watched the show before it was licenced has complained about this yet? The sight gags like Ichigo throwing the table, Rukia's drawings, and the "Big Zanpaktou" comment were all done horribly. The line change for Ichigo throwing the table wasn't funny and the line he should've said was done before that scene. Rukia's VA didn't put much *umph* into talking while showing off her drawings. So unless you've seen the show before, it wasn't really that "HAHAHA" funny like the first time. The "Big Zanpaktou" line wasn't supose to be read as a serious comment, but a "OH MY GAH THAT'S CRAZY" comment.

And Kon's voice. KON'S VOICE!! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/Nin-Nin69/emot-pwnonk.gifWow I never imagined it would be that far off.

[v1cious]

Ok nobody who's watched the show before it was licenced has complained about this yet? The sight gags like Ichigo throwing the table, Rukia's drawings, and the "Big Zanpaktou" comment were all done horribly. The line change for Ichigo throwing the table wasn't funny and the line he should've said was done before that scene. Rukia's VA didn't put much *umph* into talking while showing off her drawings. So unless you've seen the show before, it wasn't really that "HAHAHA" funny like the first time. The "Big Zanpaktou" line wasn't supose to be read as a serious comment, but a "OH MY GAH THAT'S CRAZY" comment.

And Kon's voice. KON'S VOICE!! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/Nin-Nin69/emot-pwnonk.gifWow I never imagined it would be that far off.

that's the only one complaint i have so far. and that's that Michelle Ruff's voice doesn't seem to have any emotion to it all.

[Nin-Nin69]

that's the only one complaint i have so far. and that's that Michelle Ruff's voice doesn't seem to have any emotion to it all.

I have no complains for everything else, but those just stood out like a sore thumb. Anyone who's watched Bleach before should went :ack: after hearing Kon's English voice. It's neither funny or sassy. In fact it works better for a Shinigami.

[Shurakokoro]

Voice Acting
While they all spoke perfectly clearly, the actual "acting" part really is sub-par compared to the Japanese version. Did these people even watch and study the undubbed Bleach? I'm sorry but the Japanese are much more skilled in using emphasis in their voice with different situations, especially when doing a "battle-cry". Completely unsatisfied with Ichigo's voice. Rukia's voice was pretty decent but the acting was really way too depressed sounding from the original Rukia. Karin and Yuzu were okay. I'm glad they kept the Hollow's screams the same, however the VA could of been better if they synthesized (sp?) their voices to make them sound at least a little bit more demonic. The only VA I liked was Ichigo's father. So far the only talented VA in the dubbed series. And Kon's voice at the end... really was just... bad...

Changes
"Soul Reaper" - I'm sorry, but that really, really, sounds dumbed down. They kept zanpakutou, so why not Shinigami?

"Subtitling" - I'm find and dandy with the idea of showing the translations of text, however the integration of the text seemed quite amateur.

"Translation" - While being able to listen to them speak in english is nice, it would of been much better that they make it a true translation and not change around what is actually said. (Like in some of the comidec lines mentioned in an earlier post).

Overall
I'm glad they decided to make a dubb of such a great anime, however if they're going to "dumb it down" (in a synical sense), so to speak, I think I'll stick to my source for watching Fan-Subbed episodes and keep the original japanese voices.

My rating: 2/5

[email2003]

So this is the famous Bleach everyone is talking about before it was dubbed. It's a fair series. I'm expecting lots more out of it but good so far for its 1st episode.

Now we have another Yu Yu Hakusho series on Adult Swim!:D

[Neo-Era]

Have to agree with Captain Zechs. Like Eureka Seven, the premiere left me with the feeling I had already seen this show 4 or 5 times even though I've never watched it before now. Inbetween the needlessly wordy exposition, we even get the insincere scene where one character looks on at the protagonist in awe and says, "Unbelievable! He did Amazing Thing X!! Nobody's ever done Amazing Thing X before!!!" That's just in case we didn't realize the main character was totally unique and amazing before when he single-handedly beat up four guys. Or when he told us he could see dead people. But, by the end of the episode, we really, really realize that he's totally unique and amazing because now he's been granted supernatural powers. In addition to the ones he already had, I mean.

Looks like just another shounen anime.

[ChibiGoku]

Getting a Yu Yu Hakusho vibe. Not a good thing.

EDIT: 8 minutes in and this totally belongs on Toonami. The only thing keeping it away is a little bit of blood. I say, edit the blood out and send it over there.


The blood gets alot worse as the series goes on, and not to mention the fact there's skin tearing, that wouldn't go well over on Toonami.

[Funkatron]

Loved the Dub. Full Asterik! And full "Life is a Boat"! AND The up next bump wioth KON!! There's hope for Kon's corner and Shinagami Cup Golden!

Man, I actually almost gave this show up ladt year when it started in Japan. The first ten eps were meh-ish for me. On ce it gets to te teens, hopwever, it quickly gets into really high gear. I suggest anyone who doesn't like the first ep to stick with this show a bit, the good stuff is coming.

Now, all I wanna here is who they have for Don and Kenpachi. "The spirits are always with you! BWahahahahah!"

[WolfieKiwi]

Wow. That had to be the fastest 22 minutes of my life. I guess I was really into the dub...maybe too much.

Anyway,the voices are all great except for that Hollow; and then there's Kon, who by the way scared the crap out of me with his...voice.

If Bleach becomes a hit Viz'll have a field day. :D

[Furu]

Changes
"Soul Reaper" - I'm sorry, but that really, really, sounds dumbed down. They kept zanpakutou, so why not Shinigami?


That's because whenever Shinigami is written in English, be it in the manga or OSTs or whatever, it's written as "Soul Reaper". When the manga-ka is writing it I'm pretty sure it's okay to use.

Now, I personally love the show and I thought the dub was great, but I can see why some people would have problems with either, and I just hope these talkbacks don't become an endless cycle of "blahblahblah generic shonen action show blah seen it all before".

[jv2k]

I liked the dub, it wasn't as bloody as the manga and they added some filler but over all it was good. The voices were fitting, and I quess I forgot his real hair color after 200 something black and white issues...

Still it was a good introduction episode. Oh, and am I the only one who gets a ranma vibe off his family?

[Kagetsu]

Hmm, my expectations were that this was going to be good,,, and so far I'm not disappointed.

YuYu Hakusho,,, yes, if it were done right. That show lost me when it went "dragonball"

Samurai style reapers, decent looking demons, and a nice amount of comedy. the lion puppet at the end has me a little worried though.

I wonder why the little girl spirit had the chain,,, she didn't have it at first that I remember.

[Nftnat]

Another new show (or episode), another thread on which to occasionally comment. First, can someone please explain what this show has to do with bleach the cleaning product? If nothing, why the name?

Very pop art-y. Wait, now it's street art / ghetto, no, now it's Cowboy Bebop-ish, well, it's just a melange of all styles, isn't it? And that's just the opening credits!

Kind of a statement of faith, a creed or credo. You know me, you know I can relate.

Hmm, is that hood from Canada, based on his shirt?

Wha-? Sasami? Well, she could be her sister, and I don't mean Ayeka.

Now, this is derivative of FLCL.

"So we just let the bad guys take each other out?" "God willing." - Training Day.

Sullen teenager, I'm just a bit jaded on that score. Reading Zits every day for years will do that.

I wonder if 'Dad' ever gets onto the women letting their guard down? Something tells me he doesn't dare.

Soul reaper, is it? Or is it soul reaver? Wait, are the two the same?

The ordinary human with extraordinary talents, who is continually underestimated by those of different spiritual planes. Anyone who's seen Yu Yu Hakusho has seen it.

Just keep telling yourself that thing that has you in its grip doesn't exist. You've always chosen to not believe in spirits, let that unbelief save you now.

So you're saying he has a huge sword. (Sorry, just couldn't resist.)

Life is like a boat? Certain gospel songs come to mind, like The Lifeboat, or anything referring to the Ship of Zion.

And where did that bear thingy come from? That Kiro character from Cardcaptors?

To sum up, wow, this is an anime melting pot, isn't it? I think I'm hooked, but I won't know for sure until next week.

To be continued on the Eureka Seven thread.

[Malex]

Hmm, my expectations were that this was going to be good,,, and so far I'm not disappointed.

YuYu Hakusho,,, yes, if it were done right. That show lost me when it went "dragonball"

Samurai style reapers, decent looking demons, and a nice amount of comedy. the lion puppet at the end has me a little worried though.

I wonder why the little girl spirit had the chain,,, she didn't have it at first that I remember.

The little girl always had the chain, which is known as a soul chain. You will learn more about the soul chain and its significance. Also, don't worry about Kon.

[Redi]

I've been watching Bleach since if premiered in Japan, so I only watched to hear the dub. Its not bad. Rukia's voice doesn't sound serious enough but that might change in a few episodes.

[2dalchemist]

i think the story was named after a nirvana album and not the cleaning product just to let you people who dont know know.It said it in a shonen jump once also theres a poster in ichigos room its supposed to be al pachino i think it showed it on the anime too.

[2dalchemist]

also i hate it when people compare it to Yu Yu Hakusho there are some simmalerites but they are compleatly diffrent

[K-S-O]

Though I've never been a big fan of Bleach, I do admit that I like the dub.

Don't know if I'll watch the entire run though.

[J'onn J'onzz]

Well, the dub wasn't as terrible as I thought it'd be.It was actually good.

The bad: Rukia's hair. It's too big in the anime version of Bleach.

9.5/10.

[Tenku]

There's hope for Kon's corner and Shinagami Cup Golden!



Aw yeah...I totally forgot those.

[AkirQueen]

I've seen the first episode before, along with maybe 2 or 3 other episodes of the series. I can't stand the hype for the show, I really can't (I was the same with Naruto), especially as a cosplayer/convention-goer who sees Bleach EVERYWHERE. My friends tell me that the reason there is hype is because its a good series; I can understand that perfectly because I can see reasons why. But I'm just the kinda person who refuses to be a part of big-hype shows (also veering away from Ouran Host Club) :sweat:

Anyways, I'm glad the dub isn't getting bashed to all hell, like Naruto's was last year. I like the voices, and I'm glad Michelle Ruff has grabbed a role as a main character in a big series. Tho sometimes she loses the "Rukia" and reverts to her normal voice; that's my only complaint with her. Tho hopefully after reading all the reviews and whatnot from fans, she may change.
Everyone else sounded good.
I'm anxious to hear more~ Especially Ishida.

[Fresh V]

About the Bleach and Yu Yu Hakusho similarities, I read on one Bleach site that when Tite Kubo started making the manga, Shonen Jump rejected it because it was too similar to Yu Yu Hakusho. Not sure if that's true, though.

[Swag Jenkins]

About the Bleach and Yu Yu Hakusho similarities, I read on one Bleach site that when Tite Kubo started making the manga, Shonen Jump rejected it because it was too similar to Yu Yu Hakusho. Not sure if that's true, though.
Bleach similar to Bleach? That can't be.:D

Edit: Dammit, you edited it when I made the joke. =(

[Carlos]

Ichigo seems to be a mix of Yusuke, Recca, Ranma, and Inuyasha. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Yeah, I agree, although I hadn't thought of Ranma and Recca. What would be their similarities?

[Swag Jenkins]

Yeah, I agree, although I hadn't thought of Ranma and Recca. What would be their similarities?

Well, the way Ichigo was arguing with his father reminded me of Ranma and Genma. And with Recca, well same thing.:p

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Wow, Bosch's Ichigo sounds terrible. He sounds like a punk. The fact that people are drawing comparisons to Yusuke, Inuyasha, and Ranma shows how bad the voice is.

Ichigo is supposed to be a polite guy who fights only to protect others. Not the low grade punk the dub is making him. He sounds way to gruff in the dub.

Isshin and Karin sound really good. Yuzu sounds too fake.

Karin calling Ichigo "Ichigo" = insta fail.

Ruff's Rukia is just as awful as I feared. Thank god Rukia doesn't get that much screen time. Way too soft a voice normally. And when she gets 'feisty' it just sounds terrible, like a mid 20's villainess rather then the boy she's supposed to sound like. Rukia's voice just doesn't fit at all in any way, shape, or form. Whoever cast this dub was an idiot.

Why change Plus to Whole? When 'Plus' is written there plainly in Katakana anyways?

All the humor from the drawing scene was lost thanks to neither of the voices being able to act in any way or capture the characters they're trying to portray. Kon's voice was horrid as well.

Why, oh why didn't they have O'Brien, or Hebert, or Blum, or Erholtz, or Freeman, or pretty much anyone else voicing Ichigo?


On the plus side, they kept in the full Opening and Ending and all the music, but that should be expected.

This is probably one of the worst dubs in the last 5 years that 4Kids and Saban weren't connected to in any way so far.

Just getting through the first episode was a chore.

And I'm a very pro-dub person. Everyone who worked on this should be ashamed. I'm glad they're keeping this off Toonami if the first episode is an indication of what's to come.

[Redi]

also i hate it when people compare it to Yu Yu Hakusho there are some simmalerites but they are compleatly diffrentI never connected the two. I can see the similarities but thats really just the genre of anime.

[herbkir]

I'd say this first ep. of Bleach was a very good intro to the series. The intrafamily fighting was very Ranma-esque, the whole boy-sees-spirits thing very YYH, and the Ichigo-Rukia interaction kinda like a reversed Inuyasha, with Ichigo being the Kagome of the duo, plus he gets a really big sword. With all this going for it, how can Bleach miss?

Okay, maybe this show is reminiscent of other Shonen Jump properties, but so what? They are entertaining stories, and each develops its own personality over time. And I think Bleach is off to a teriffic start. There was nothing in the dub to make me cringe.

I saw some griping about Michelle Ruffs's interpretation of Rukia, and I think it's misplaced. Rukia's actually been doing this Soul Reaping for some 600 years. Ruff's voice fit perfectly the part of someone who's seen it all, but still keeps going into the fray.

I eagerly await next Saturday's episode. And I hope this show pulls in great adult ratings. AS needs a breakout anime hit. (^_*)

[purplehairedwonder]

First time seeing the anime, though I've read into the teens in the manga. Overall, loved it. When I first read the manga I immediately got YYH vibes, and that's definitely a good thing, IMO.

I'm still getting used to JYB as Ichigo, though I really do think it's going to work. His voice isn't what I had thought of as Ichigo's, but I'm sure it'll grow on me.

Ruki I'm up in the air on. On the one hand, the voice seems real fitting for her character, but on the other hand it just feels so emotionless. But again, I think it'll grow on me. Dubs tend to have that effect on me.

The episode itself I really liked. Zanpakuto, yay. I love the scene when he comes home and is immediately attacked by his father while Yuzu and Karin continue talking. Cracks me up to no end. Also love when Ruki appears in his room and he kicks her - her wtf reaction is priceless.

KON!

Overall, I liked it a lot, but I don't think it's quite up to Naruto's level yet.

7.5/10

[Duke]

Why change Plus to Whole? When 'Plus' is written there plainly in Katakana anyways?
Unlike Naruto, they seem to be using the same terms as the manga. So whatever the manga uses, the anime will likely use.

And guys? Please remember that "That Video Site" is off-limits.

[Captain Highwind]

Unlike Naruto, they seem to be using the same terms as the manga. So whatever the manga uses, the anime will likely use.

Do they even refer to a plus beyond this episode?

And whole: hollow works much better than plus: hollow as far as analogies go.

As long as they're not calling them Negatives or Minus instead of Hollows I don't really mind.

[Czar Gato]

Not bad; I liked it, but perhaps not as much as I was expecting to. Admittedly I had a difficult time paying attention through the entire episode but I think I got the gist of what was going on. It has managed to pique my interest in the manga, which I haven't read yet. The dub was great, Viz did a good job with this one. It didn't quite live up to the expectations I had based on the word of mouth, but I'll keep watching and may give the manga a try now.

[Daikun]

I was neutral to this show's premiere. I'm not sure whether I liked it or not. Trinity Blood was pretty good, but this show...not so much. I'll keep watching and see if it gets any better.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

I saw some griping about Michelle Ruffs's interpretation of Rukia, and I think it's misplaced. Rukia's actually been doing this Soul Reaping for some 600 years. Ruff's voice fit perfectly the part of someone who's seen it all, but still keeps going into the fray.

Rukia may be 150 or so years old(10x Ichigo, as she says in this episode), but she's only been a Shinigami for less then 50 years.

The voice doesn't work for the character. It sounds too feminine, and it doesn't have the clueless side that Rukia's Japanese voice has during some scenes. All the humor will fall flat in the dub with Ruff's terrible 'acting'.

[Khurath]

(First experience with anything Bleach-related)

Fairly neat show. Anything involving swordfighters slaying large monsters is worth following for at least a bit. Is it just me, or do they say the word "soul" a lot? Soul eaters, soul societies, soul reapers... eh, minor nitpick though.

I know there are a lot of people making comparisons to YYH in this thread as well as people saying the two are actually quite different, but for my rather limited exposure to this so far I would have to side with the former. It might change in future episodes, but had Kuwabara randomly jumped on screen in this episode I would not have been terribly fazed.

For now, I think this is worth watching.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Certainly there are Yu Yu Hakusho similarities, but mostly on a cosmetic level. The characters themselves are pretty different(Ishida/Hiei is the closest comparison probably).

[Roman Legion]

I was expecting the YYH comparisons eventually, but not this early or this much. The similarities so far are pretty superficial, so far. You could probably say a lot of the same things no matter what the show was like, so long as it's a shounen action / fighting series with strong afterlife elements. Luckily, Ichigo's general personality isn't that much like Yusuke's... at least not at school or at home, where we'll be for a while.

--Romey

[Swag Jenkins]

Wow, Bosch's Ichigo sounds terrible. He sounds like a punk. The fact that people are drawing comparisons to Yusuke, Inuyasha, and Ranma shows how bad the voice is.



So the whole "fighting with the father" isn't a Ranma trait?

[Scirel]

Ishida/Hiei is the closest comparison probably).

I was just about to say that. :sweat:

of course Ishida is much more of a softie than Hiei on the inside.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

So the whole "fighting with the father" isn't a Ranma trait?

That's a fair comparison, but I mean that people seem to get the impression that the character's personality are similar which seems to stem from Bosch's terrible performance.

Besides, fathers and sons fighting has been going on for years.

[GWOtaku]

posted by Kuwabaratheman:

Wow, Bosch's Ichigo sounds terrible. He sounds like a punk.

Ichigo is supposed to be a polite guy who fights only to protect others. Not the low grade punk the dub is making him. He sounds way to gruff in the dub.
Polite? Don't confuse being a good-natured person with being polite. Ichigo's not a "punk" like Yusuke but he is a tough guy personality, and if you know anything about the show then you should know that Ichigo talks to a lot of people in an aggressive, confrontational way. You seem to want him cast more mellow or meek or what have you, which is just not the way he is.

As for Rukia, I have no issues with a girl character sounding like one. Yes, its different in Japanese, but this is the English translation and a realistic voice is the way to go.


This is probably one of the worst dubs in the last 5 years that 4Kids and Saban weren't connected to in any way so far.
And that's just far too extreme. Putting aside the fact that anyone could point out terrible, much worse acting jobs done in the past, you can't judge the dub based on one episode. Acting adapts as time goes on, and the vast majority of the cast hasn't even appeared yet. You ought to give it a chance before you crucify it.

[Scirel]

IMO, I never, ever imagined ichigo as a mellow charchter.

He is and was always a tough, no-nonsense type of guy. I don`t recall him ever having a smile or a blank expression as much as his usual scowl.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Polite? Don't confuse being a good-natured person with being polite. Ichigo's not a "punk" like Yusuke but he is a tough guy personality, and if you know anything about the show then you should know that Ichigo talks to a lot of people in an aggressive, confrontational way. You seem to want him cast more mellow or meek or what have you, which is just not the way he is. Ichigo is pretty polite. He talks rudely towards Keigo(his friend), Ishida(his rival), and his enemies, but when he's talking to family members, or aquantainces(Orihime, Urahara, etc) he's always rather polite. I don't want him to be soft spoken, just capture that Ichigo is a rather polite person.

He's tough and polite and the same time, and that juxtaposition is what makes his character so strong.


As for Rukia, I have no issues with a girl character sounding like one. Yes, its different in Japanese, but this is the English translation and a realistic voice is the way to go. Her sounding like a boy is part of her personality. The dub voice just doesn't work.



And that's just far too extreme. Putting aside the fact that anyone could point out terrible, much worse acting jobs done in the past, you can't judge the dub based on one episode. Acting adapts as time goes on, and the vast majority of the cast hasn't even appeared yet. You ought to give it a chance before you crucify it.
I said based on the first episode. I'll wait to see how the rest turns out, but with the main character being horribly miscast.

And I challenge anyone to point out worse actinig in recent years not done by 4Kids or Saban.


IMO, I never, ever imagined ichigo as a mellow charchter.

He is and was always a tough, no-nonsense type of guy. I don`t recall him ever having a smile or a blank expression as much as his usual scowl.
Say wha? Scowling is not typical of Ichigo, except in really dire situations. Even then he usually has a more determined look. In normal situations he has a typical expression.

He almost never scowls unless he's really pissed though.

[Swag Jenkins]

And I challenge anyone to point out worse actinig in recent years not done by 4Kids or Saban.



G Gundam
Z Gundam
Sailor Moon
Samurai X OVAs and Movie(the ADV cast)
Blue Water DB and DBGT
Viewtiful Joe
Fantastic Children
Love Hina

[GWOtaku]

posted by Kuwabaratheman:

And I challenge anyone to point out worse acting in recent years not done by 4Kids or Saban.
Rave Master and (especially) Ai Yori Aoshi. Coincidentally, Michelle Ruff happens to play the lead female in both.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

G Gundam Good dub


Z Gundam Excellent dub. Zeta was an amazing dub.


Sailor Moon Debuted more then 5 years ago. I'd hardly call Sailor Moon a 'recent' dub.


Samurai X OVAs and Movie(the ADV cast)
Blue Water DB and DBGT
Viewtiful Joe
Fantastic Children I haven't seen any of those, so I can't comment.

[Roman Legion]

As for Rukia, I have no issues with a girl character sounding like one. Yes, its different in Japanese, but this is the English translation and a realistic voice is the way to go.Err... there's nothing terribly unrealistic about her original voice. Some girls actually do have deeper voices. You just don't hear deep voiced females around Rukia's physical age in anime, what with everyone trying to sound squeeky. Besides, her voice being like it is is a fairly important part of her character and background... and that's even more critical in next week's episode.

--Romey

[Swag Jenkins]

Good dub
Excellent dub. Zeta was an amazing dub.
Debuted more then 5 years ago. I'd hardly call Sailor Moon a 'recent' dub.
I haven't seen any of those, so I can't comment.
G Gundam had way too much overacting. It's like the VA director told Mark Gatha to scream every single line.

Also, I was talking about Cloverway's dub for Sailor Moon. Which was done in 2000.

[GWOtaku]

posted by Definitely Not Romey:

Err... there's nothing terribly unrealistic about her original voice. Some girls actually do have deeper voices. You just don't hear deep voiced females around Rukia's age in anime, what with everyone trying to sound squeeky. Besides, her voice being like it is is a fairly important part of her character and background... and that's even more important in next week's episode.
Not saying its unrealistic, just that when I watch a dub I want men to sound like men and women to sound like women. I also want actors to find their own character, rather then go out of their way to imitate the original. My litmus test for dubs isn't how the voices compare to the Japanese ones, but whether I can be made to believe that the English voices belong to their characters.

So far I don't think the voices sound out of place, and we don't yet know the range of acting Bosch and Ruff have to offer for their roles.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

G Gundam had way too much overacting. It's like the VA director told Mark Gatha to scream every single line.

Also, I was talking about Cloverway's dub for Sailor Moon. Which was done in 2000. G Gundam wouldn't have been as good without that. Mark Gatha did a great job. And Cloverway's dub was still six years ago. I don't necesarily think that qualifies as recent.


My litmus test for dubs isn't how the voices compare to the Japanese ones, but whether I can be made to believe that the English voices belong to their characters.
And Rukia's dub voice doesn't fit the character, who is supposed to sound like a boy. Not because the Japanese version does, but because character's have said Rukia sounds like a boy. Its part of her personality, that the dubbers ignored in their concentrated effort to turn in an inferior product.

[Swag Jenkins]

G Gundam wouldn't have been as good without that. Mark Gatha did a great job. And Cloverway's dub was still six years ago. I don't necesarily think that qualifies as recent.

Well, you never defined "recent" so I was assuming anything dubbed 2000 and beyond.

Also, Love Hina was pretty bad.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

I have heard Love Hina's dub is pretty bad. I've only seen the sub, though.

Still, the fact remains that Bleach's first episode doesn't inspire much confidence. Even if Orhime, Ishida, Renji, Hitsugaya, Ikkaku, Kenpachi, etc are all perfectly cast, we've still got a terribly miscast Ichigo.:crying:

[Roman Legion]

When I watch a dub I want men to sound like men and women to sound like women....absolute madness, you speak.


I also want actors to find their own character, rather then go out of their way to imitate the original.Every now and then, there's good reason that a character sounds the way they do, such that whoever else takes on the role will need to follow as best they can. This point isn't a comment on Ruff, I'm just saying...

--Romey

[Swag Jenkins]

I have heard Love Hina's dub is pretty bad. I've only seen the sub, though.

Still, the fact remains that Bleach's first episode doesn't inspire much confidence. Even if Orhime, Ishida, Renji, Hitsugaya, Ikkaku, Kenpachi, etc are all perfectly cast, we've still got a terribly miscast Ichigo.:crying:
You preferred if FUNi, New York or Ocean dubbed it?

[GWOtaku]

posted by Kuwabaratheman:

Its part of her personality, that the dubbers ignored in their concentrated effort to turn in an inferior product.

A focused effort to create an inferior product? Your posts are usually very well reasoned and thought out, so I doubt you really believe this.

Its clear we won't be reaching any sort of agreement. I'll simply say give it a few weeks, then come back and talk about how bad or good the acting is. We haven't even made it to Inoue and Chad yet. There is yet time for Ruff's Rukia to show this side you're looking for, although from my standpoint I generally have no complaints.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

You preferred if FUNi, New York or Ocean dubbed it?
Not necessarily. I love plenty of LA dubs. This one has just missed the mark. Liam O'Brien and Kyle Hebert both auditioned for Ichigo and were apparently turned down, which makes no sense. They fit so much better then Bosch. So would Erholtz, Blum, Freeman, and countless other voice actors.

Michelle Ruff is just terribly misdirected as Rukia. Its not as big a deal since Rukia is a relatively minor character, but its still annoying.


A focused effort to create an inferior product? Your posts are usually very well reasoned and thought out, so I doubt you really believe this.

Its clear we won't be reaching any sort of agreement. I'll simply say give it a few weeks, then come back and talk about how bad or good the acting is. We haven't even made it to Inoue and Chad yet. There is yet time for Ruff's Rukia to show this side you're looking for, although from my standpoint I generally have no complaints.

Obviously that was a bit of an exaggeration/joke on my part, but I'm really pissed off at how lackluster the casting was so far. I've said I'll keep watching, but so far the dub has been a huge letdown. I had a lot of faith after how they handled Naruto, and even Prince of Tennis(inspite of the few mispronunciations we got), but this has just been pretty bad so far.

It just seems like whoever was casting the dub doesn't understand the characters.

[GWOtaku]

...absolute madness, you speak.

--Romey

Its not like there can't be a middle ground, but yeah, when its an English dub I prefer that they sound like a normal English-speaking person. What can I say, I like what I'm used to.

[Grenzer]

I want to clear this up once and for all. Rukia does not sound like a boy in the Japanese version, her voice is deep but feminine. I went back to the manga chapter where Kuwabara said Renji described Rukia's voice as manly, and I carefully reread it. What Renji said was that Rukia spoke like a boy, in the sense that she used male pronouns and vocabulary that most Japanese girls would not unless they wanted to be labled a tomboy. It was her choice of words, not the deepness of her voice that he was commenting on. While I can understand why Kuwabara was confused by this, it is a rather foreign concept to Westerners like ourselves, the confusion that it is creating is geting blown way out of proportion.

And for the record, Michelle Ruff was always my first choice for Rukia, long before she was officially announced for the role. Her performance really is great and should not be dismissed because she does not slavishly imitate Fumiko Orikasa (who has a rather high pitched voice in real life, she tones it down to play Rukia).

[Roman Legion]

I want to clear this up once and for all. Rukia does not sound like a boy in the Japanese version...Wrong, wrong, wrong. She sounds like a female doing a young boy's voice. In other words, a girl who's used to speaking at a low note. Even Ruff hit that tone at a few spots (just not often enough).


...her voice is deep but feminine....which doesn't contradict sounding boy-ish.


I went back to the manga chapter where Kuwabara said Renji described Rukia's voice as manly, and I carefully reread it. What Renji said was that Rukia spoke like a boy, in the sense that she used male pronouns and vocabulary that most Japanese girls would not unless they wanted to be labled a tomboy....and one couldn't already tell that just by listening to her lines? =x

--Romey

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Somehow I have a hard time immagining someone using masculine words while talking in a feminine sounding voice, but that's just me.;)

[Grenzer]

Wrong, wrong, wrong. She sounds like a female doing a young boy's voice. In other words, a girl who's used to speaking at a low note. Even Ruff hit that tone at a few spots (just not often enough).

That is a broad statement, the line between sounding womanly and boyish is not as clean cut as you make it seem. There are boys with reedy high pitched voices who can sound like little girls, and there are girls who can sound like boys, but the whole argument is rather pointless because the pitch and tone of a voice is a poor indication of gender.


...which doesn't contradict sounding boy-ish.

I can agree with that, but I was a boy once and I sounded nothing like Rukia, neither did a lot of boys I knew. Again see my above statement.


...and one couldn't already tell that just by listening to her lines? =x

--Romey

Well it was far more clear in the Japanese, I had to read translator notes to get the full picture myself. We don't have concepts like conjugating verbs and pronouns based on gender or politeness in English, so without a proper frame of reference, you might believe a character was saying Rukia literally sounds like a man.


Somehow I have a hard time immagining someone using masculine words while talking in a feminine sounding voice, but that's just me.

It is totally possible to do so in Japanese however. Take Akeno (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=6844) Watanabe for example. She voices her fair share of young boys (as most female VAs end up doing at some point) but her natural voice would be considered "feminine" (like Robin from WHR). Watanabe-san also just happens in real life to refer to herself in pronouns that would be considered "manly". She does not change her voice to sound like a man when doing this, it is just a personal preference on her part, something to distinguish herself from others. Rukia often does the same thing in Bleach.

[HellCat]

Good dub

KAMILLE PUNCH!
G Gundam's dub was flat and hammy, a lifeless, poorly casted mess.

Anyway, on to the real reason I was replying...

This is the only episode of the show I've seen and that was a few months ago. From what I remember I liked the comedy, especially the "Why do your drawings suck?" bit. Other than that...I generally agree with that "Awesome thing X" example. It's angle which for each generation is new at some point but eventually becomes overdone. I don't think anyone sees a scene like that and knows it'll go:

"Stop struggling, you're too weak to fight back"
"...You're right, I'm boned!"

From what a friend who's hooked on it told me, it only brings in more such elements later on

[Roman Legion]

That is a broad statement, the line between sounding womanly and boyish is not as clean cut as you make it seem.I'm not trying to make it sound clean cut. =P


There are boys with reedy high pitched voices who can sound like little girls, and there are girls who can sound like boys, but the whole argument is rather pointless because the pitch and tone of a voice is a poor indication of gender.Missing the point entirely.


We don't have concepts like conjugating verbs and pronouns based on gender or politeness in English, so without a proper frame of reference, you might believe a character was saying Rukia literally sounds like a man.An honest mistake that wouldn't be taken so literally if her voice wasn't atypical to begin with. Think about it. ;-)


It is totally possible to do so in Japanese however.Certainly. I could name other examples, too. But that's still beside the point we're at here and now, with Rukia.


I don't think anyone sees a scene like that and knows it'll go:

"Stop struggling, you're too weak to fight back"
"...You're right, I'm boned!"

From what a friend who's hooked on it told me, it only brings in more such elements later on.But, but, but... we've still got a while to go before all the posturing, power-upping, and the "OMGWTF, so strong, he can't be!!!!1111one lololz" (Thankfully!)

--Romey

[JTurner954]

Add me to the list of people who liked it. I really enjoyed the interaction with all the characters (After seeing the commercial, I was surprised at how much I laughed during this) and I liked how everything just flowed smoothly.

The voices are fine. I was a little worried because a few of the lines during the commercial sounded awkward ("I'm a soul reaver" and "Time to eat ... your soul") but I'm sure they sound better when used at the right time.

Minor complaints: The ending felt abrupt and I'm not fond of the opening theme song.

Overall grade: A-

My ratings for AS 2006 thus far: Metalocalypse > Bleach > Trinity Blood > Crayon Shin Chan

[Freedom Fighter]

Kinda went as expected for me... not too thrilling, but did what it needed to impress me... and keep me awake the whole half hour.

At least in the whole 'beating up guys' department, Ichigo is just like Yusuke (YYH), but that's where the similarities end. Ichigo's definitely the most colorful character (at least, from what I gathered from the manga), though obviously the first episode had very few examples of it.

Not sure how I feel about Rukia, but what do you expect from a character that's dark and serious all the time?

Still love it when Isshin pummels Ichigo, the way they show their love (or lack of it) is awesome. I expected Karin to be a whole lot more versed in the 'sarcastic wit' department... wasn't really feeling it. On the same token, I expected Yuzu to be on the exact opposite end of the spectrum, and she also too fell short... not as cute and sugarcoat-y.

Favorite moment: Rukia says "It's (the hollow) getting closer," and then suddenly Ichigo kicks her. :p

This isn't a runaway hit to me, at least after one episode. It does what it needed to keep me awake, which is not much to ask for with a show running so late, but I expected a little bit more. Thankfully, if the manga's any indication, the anime gets better later on.

I will say, though, that I liked the 1st episode of 'Naruto' more than I liked this, and remember I stated how much the 'Naruto' manga bored me. Flipping positions, i.e. 'Bleach' anime not all that? Too early to tell...

6.5 out of 10 for "A Shinigami is Born."

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Johnny's doing a great job as Ichigo I fail to see how it's a bad choice. Liam O' Brien and Kyle Hebert wouldn't sound as natural and mind you I like both those VAs in many roles.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

The blood gets alot worse as the series goes on, and not to mention the fact there's skin tearing, that wouldn't go well over on Toonami.

What skin tearing are you talking about. Because I don't recall any of that for the first 2 arcs. So please elaborate.

But the blood editing couldnt' be downplayed. That's a heck of a lot of blood editing to do.

And Beatdigga... I assure you, you haven't seen the gysers yet. The stuff in episode 1 is a sprinkle compared to other stuff.

[Furu]

Johnny's doing a great job as Ichigo I fail to see how it's a bad choice.
Apparently voice actors aren't supposed to do anything but copy the original Japanese seiyuu exactly.

Seriously, Kuwabaratheman, from what I've seen in my little time here, you always seem right on, but you're being way too nitpicky about this dub.

[Conan-san]

Hahah! Joe's Kon...

Oh, that's Rofl'burger on so many levels.

[MeggieMay]

Hmm, is that hood from Canada, based on his shirt?
hehehe - I had the same thought. Then I realize on second airing it was more likely that wasn't a Maple leaf but a edit and that leaf was probably green and had nothing to do with a tree to begin with (though the edit may have happened on the original verison that aired in Japan) :sweat:.

[2dalchemist]

man why did i say that Yu Yu Hakusho thing now everyones saying oh now i get Yu Yu Hakusho vibes oh well cant do anything it just annoys me

[Funkatron]

I mean, here are superficial similarities to the 2 shows: punk with a heart of gold fights off supernatural beings from the afterlife. The stories are very different though

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Johnny's doing a great job as Ichigo I fail to see how it's a bad choice. Liam O' Brien and Kyle Hebert wouldn't sound as natural and mind you I like both those VAs in many roles.

He sounds too gruff and too old. Bosch can't do young voices right unless they're really young voices like Renton or Ichi.

Hebert is good at doing voices that sound tough, but still have a smooth sound to them(kind of like Morita's Ichigo). O'Brien can also do a good teen voice like that.

[Conan-san]

I'm going to be the bastard that grinds againt the grain and say I actualy like Bosh's Ichigo. Actualy reminds me of Scot Mcnelle's work more than anything else and I think most of the acting translated well, in pacuar the whole "table flip" incident.

Um...I never realy took note of Rukia's voiceing to be honest and she sounds fine here, however, they haven't brought forth her overtly polite way of speaking though (it was ether polite or constantly calling Ichi a bastard and I doubt that).

[Captain Zechs]

I mean, here are superficial similarities to the 2 shows: punk with a heart of gold fights off supernatural beings from the afterlife. The stories are very different though

How are the stories different? They both deal with spirits, they both fight demons, they both had to have something done to get their spirit powers or whatever. The difference? YYH is actually enjoyable.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Bleach is far more like Dragonball then Yu Yu Hakusho. I'd call it Dragonball with more interesting characters. The Yu Yu Hakusho similarities are cosmetic at best. Ichigo is nothing like Yusuke, Chad is only sort of comparable to Kuwabara.

Once Bleach hits the great stuff(starting around Episode 15, although there is plenty of good stuff before then), the similarities pretty much disappear entirely.

[HellCat]

The problem with shows like this is it can sometimes be difficult to get an informed but non-biased overview. There's a girl I know and consider fairly intelligent, yet she insists I'm the only person in the world who thinks Naruto (anime and manga) has dropped in quality.

[Swag Jenkins]

He sounds too gruff and too old. Bosch can't do young voices right unless they're really young voices like Renton or Ichi.



What about his voice for Kaneda in the new Akira dub?

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Well, no one who has a correct opinion thinks Naruto's manga has declined in quality.;)


What about his voice for Kaneda in the new Akira dub?

I've never seen it, so I can't comment on it.

[Beat]

The problem with shows like this is it can sometimes be difficult to get an informed but non-biased overview. There's a girl I know and consider fairly intelligent, yet she insists I'm the only person in the world who thinks Naruto (anime and manga) has dropped in quality.

True.

I deliberately avoided this show because I knew it was going to be a major TV hit. When it first started, I wanted to see it with something of an open mind.

[Conan-san]

What about his voice for Kaneda in the new Akira dub? Ah that explains it, I thought Kaneda sounded like Mcnelle too.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I don't see how he sound too old at all. He sounds like a teenage boy of 15ish to me. IMO Ichi sounded older in Japan.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

He sounded like he was in his 30s to me.

Japanese Ichigo sounds around 16 or so.

[Dr. Daedalus]

And I challenge anyone to point out worse actinig in recent years not done by 4Kids or Saban. Worse dubs from 5 years or newer? Let's see...
-Mouse
-Sakura Diaries re-dub
-Stratos 4
-My-Hime

I switched to the Japanese audio for all of these (in Mouse's case, right after episode 1).

[Rurouni Kenshin]

I really enjoyed it, reminded me a lot of Yu-Yu which is a good thing in my book. I just hope this show will finally bring in the much needed ratings for ASA.

[Redi]

He sounded like he was in his 30s to me.

Japanese Ichigo sounds around 16 or so.I can't agree with that. He sounds like an adult to me.

[Scirel]

The problem with shows like this is it can sometimes be difficult to get an informed but non-biased overview. There's a girl I know and consider fairly intelligent, yet she insists I'm the only person in the world who thinks Naruto (anime and manga) has dropped in quality.

WTF? I thought eveybody hated the anime now(in the japanese run) because of the endless filler from hell.

The manga thing is news to me though.

About Ichigo, I always pictured him with a mature voice. He's more muscular and built that basically any shonen hero without being 'over-muscled' . Top that off with him being usually either serious or annoyed, and I can't pciture him with a boyishs voice.

[Fresh V]

He sounded like he was in his 30s to me.

Japanese Ichigo sounds around 16 or so. You're kidding. His 30's? Holy crap, man. Are you hearing the same dub as the rest of us? He sounds like a teen to me, and definately much younger sounding than the Japanese VA.

And you think this is the worst dub excluding 4Kids in the past 5 years? Uh, hell no it isn't, and you can't say that after just seeing the first episode.

[Captain Zechs]

I agree with V, I even think he sounds like a teen and that he sounds younger than the Japanese guy, he sounded mid-20's easily.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

You're kidding. His 30's? Holy crap, man. Are you hearing the same dub as the rest of us? He sounds like a teen to me, and definately much younger sounding than the Japanese VA.

And you think this is the worst dub excluding 4Kids in the past 5 years? Uh, hell no it isn't, and you can't say that after just seeing the first episode.

I've never met a single teen who sounds like that. I'd have a hard time even immaging someone in their 20s with such an old soundiing voice.

He sounds like your average adult male to me. In fact, Ichigo and Isshin couldl be mistaken for brothers based on their dub voices.

I personally know several people with voices not that far off from Morita's portrayal of Ichigo, none older then 18.

And I said based on the first episode. You can't tell a whole lot, but with the main character so horribly miscast, the dub will be mediocre at best even if Chad, Hitsugaya, Renji, etc are all perfectly cast and the script is dead acurate.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I can't agree that it's a horrible mis-cast if it even is a mis-cast. I don't believe any of the other LA guys would do Ichigo more justice.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

I can't agree that it's a horrible mis-cast if it even is a mis-cast. I don't believe any of the other LA guys would do Ichigo more justice.

And I believe that at least 5 guys(who I already named) would have been perfect for Ichigo.

But I suppose we'll have to just agree to disagree on this.

Hopefully next week the voices for Keigo, Mizuiro, Orihime, and Tatsuki will be good.

[Katsumara]

Post 200 to the topic ftw! (Also, page 11 mine. :o)

I'm one who can't stand many dubs put out, but I can deal with this one. I mean.. the voices aren't as irritating as say Naruto's.. >.>; but that's Toonami and this is [AS] so meh. I say just by one episode that we can't judge it. We need ~3 episodes before we can judge. (Give or take.)

[Andrew T. Hingson]

In a similar way that you consider Momo's voice by Erholtz to be good (or at least decent) and I really don't like it at all.

Though IMO nobody in LA is "perfect" for Ichigo. I really wanted FUNimation so Robert McCollom could voice him. Oh well...

[wingdarkness]

In a similar way that you consider Momo's voice by Erholtz to be good (or at least decent) and I really don't like it at all.

Though IMO nobody in LA is "perfect" for Ichigo. I really wanted FUNimation so Robert McCollom could voice him. Oh well...

I also agree with that....I can usually always immediatley know in my mind who in the industry would fit a character but with Ichigo it was really hard... No VA came into my mind right off the bat as best for him...The reason I was like pro Blum was because when in doubt Blum can usually deliver a non-bad performance if not an excellent one... Who did Robert McCollom voice?

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Most people know him as Sensui on YYH but the reason I suggest him is he's also Baki Hanma on Baki the Grappler and that's a very convincing teenage voice with enough umph for the screams that doesn't sound too gruff or too light depending on a few things.

[wingdarkness]

Most people know him as Sensui on YYH but the reason I suggest him is he's also Baki Hanma on Baki the Grappler and that's a very convincing teenage voice with enough umph for the screams that doesn't sound too gruff or too light depending on a few things.

Yeah Sensui was awesome....His VA was good, but I do think Sensui's voice would have been a bit too mature for Ichigo, and Yusuke's VA was perfect for him but not for Ichi...so I can't be too mad because if it took us having to really search for names I can only imagine what less informed suits at Viz thought would be best...Ichigo is one of those rare characters hard to figure out in an english version...There's not one guy who you can just say, "Yeah that's the guy who should be Ichigo.." So I'm gonna give JYB a chance...Although his voice doesn't truly fit he seems to be a good actor when it comes to voicing...

[mikestorm]

I loved the premier. My only complaint (and this is against the anime in general, not against the English dub) is after 95 episodes in Japan, the score hasn't changed one bit.

The 'lighter' background music when we are witnessing a comedic scene.
The 'female yell' when an action scene ramps up.
The Michael Jackson 'Beat It' sounds when something ominous is about to happen.

[Funkatron]

I loved the premier. My only complaint (and this is against the anime in general, not against the English dub) is after 95 episodes in Japan, the score hasn't changed one bit.

The 'lighter' background music when we are witnessing a comedic scene.
The 'female yell' when an action scene ramps up.
The Michael Jackson 'Beat It' sounds when something ominous is about to happen.

The song is called "Number 1". It seems to be very Galvanizing: some people love it, some people loath it. I personally, love the song: gets me pumped up whenever Ichigo is ready to lay the smackdown

[Conan-san]

Speaking of Number 1, uh...did they screw around with the track so they vocals didn't get played? I can't be sure if they play the whole theme in ep 1.

[spidl]

This show looks to be average at best. It is watchable, but nothing special.

[Tenku]

The song is called "Number 1". It seems to be very Galvanizing: some people love it, some people loath it. I personally, love the song: gets me pumped up whenever Ichigo is ready to lay the smackdown

I hated it at first, but you learn to love it after a while - you know something's up when you hear it though.

[Captain Highwind]

I loved the premier. My only complaint (and this is against the anime in general, not against the English dub) is after 95 episodes in Japan, the score hasn't changed one bit.

They're trying new stuff out in the current filler season, but I really hope they have another library of new stock music for the upcoming arc.

[wingdarkness]

This show looks to be average at best. It is watchable, but nothing special.

That's why i wished for once [as] would air it more than once a week (preferably 3 times mon-wed), because BLEACH doesn't kick it up a gear until about episode 14, 15 when Byakuya and Renji show up...It's basically a High School action comedy until the training for Soul Society arc...Alot of first time watchers are gonna be confused on what this show is really about until then, but the smart ones will stick it out and get rewarded...

[Funkatron]

That's why i wished for once [as] would air it more than once a week (preferably 3 times mon-wed), because BLEACH doesn't kick it up a gear until about episode 14, 15 when Byakuya and Renji show up...It's basically a High School action comedy until the training for Soul Society arc...Alot of first time watchers are gonna be confused on what this show is really about until then, but the smart ones will stick it out and get rewarded...

Seconded. I almost gave this show up untill the teens, which pretty much sucked me in and hasn't let me go yet. Not thats its bad, it just didn't catch me yet.

Don't give it up till you get into the early teens, then make your opinion

[Dark Fact]

Wow, Bosch's Ichigo sounds terrible. He sounds like a punk. The fact that people are drawing comparisons to Yusuke, Inuyasha, and Ranma shows how bad the voice is.

Ichigo is supposed to be a polite guy who fights only to protect others. Not the low grade punk the dub is making him. He sounds way to gruff in the dub.

Isshin and Karin sound really good. Yuzu sounds too fake.

Karin calling Ichigo "Ichigo" = insta fail.

Ruff's Rukia is just as awful as I feared. Thank god Rukia doesn't get that much screen time. Way too soft a voice normally. And when she gets 'feisty' it just sounds terrible, like a mid 20's villainess rather then the boy she's supposed to sound like. Rukia's voice just doesn't fit at all in any way, shape, or form. Whoever cast this dub was an idiot.

Why change Plus to Whole? When 'Plus' is written there plainly in Katakana anyways?

All the humor from the drawing scene was lost thanks to neither of the voices being able to act in any way or capture the characters they're trying to portray. Kon's voice was horrid as well.

Why, oh why didn't they have O'Brien, or Hebert, or Blum, or Erholtz, or Freeman, or pretty much anyone else voicing Ichigo?


On the plus side, they kept in the full Opening and Ending and all the music, but that should be expected.

This is probably one of the worst dubs in the last 5 years that 4Kids and Saban weren't connected to in any way so far.

Just getting through the first episode was a chore.

And I'm a very pro-dub person. Everyone who worked on this should be ashamed. I'm glad they're keeping this off Toonami if the first episode is an indication of what's to come.
What? No way! I'm really pissed! There goes my Bleach fandom! I hope Bleach dies! :mad:
http://www.ranmafans.net/forum/images/avatars/172788853144b96ff701d21.gif

[Vallen Valiant]

What? No way! I'm really pissed! There goes my Bleach fandom! I hope Bleach dies! :mad:
http://www.ranmafans.net/forum/images/avatars/172788853144b96ff701d21.gif
Err... Have you thought about watching it yourself before making a decision to cursing an entire franchise?

Kuwabaratheman has the right to express his own opinions, of course. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't make up your mind using your own ears, does it?

If I was to follow the opinion of everyone on the net without deciding for myself, I would probably soon become penniless and be dying in a sewer somewhere.

[Dark Fact]

Does that mean Kuwabaratheman will become penniless and die in a sewer for reviewing Bleach?

[Vallen Valiant]

Does that mean Kuwabaratheman will become penniless and die in a sewer for reviewing Bleach?

Not at all. Kuwabaratheman has his own opinions and isn't easly fooled.

I am saying it is a bad idea to accept other people's opinions as your own without filtering first. It might be harmless to do that with anime selection, but applying that line of thinking to real life means your life expectancy would be lowered.

[Mirai]

What I am curious about is why the quoted poster above took the loudest (I don't mean that in a bad way) dissenting opinion on the dub, when the thread has mostly glowing reviews of the dub, and made it his own.

[gentle teasing] The mind works in strange ways. :)

That said, my own opinion? I have no quibbles with the dub. I thought Rukia and Ichigo were perfect not only for their roles but their pronounciations. Now, I don't want to get a bunch of people moaning about how zanpukatou was pronounced wrong.

Please get over it because these are people who are English and who can, will, and should (at times) be allowed to say a Japanese word with and English accent, because English is their first language and Japanese is not likely to be their second (or third, fourth, or fifth). :)

I never hear people whine when the reverse happens (Japanese accent on an English word). I am just sayin'.

And as for the ep itself? I don't understand the compliant of the exposition nor of Bleach being formuliac.

The exposition was there was so everyone would know why this strange midget woman in dark robes would understand that this is not some nutcase in dark robes coming through people's windows at random.

It was to explain the basic motivation of any given Hollow from here on out and the need for shinigami. Now if if Rukia hadn't given the explanation then people watching this series for the very first time would have been:

Why's the Hollow chasin' after this little girl?
What's that chick supposed to be?
Where'd that ghost go?

Yes, it seems simple. But for some people, its really not that simple.

As for formuliac? Character x finds character y and character x is amazed character y can do thing x?

Yes, it used a lot. But if they didn't do it, would anyone watch a series where the main character is constantly overshadowed and shafted because of the inability to do thing x amazingly?

Oh, wait lots, of people watch Naruto... :)

Anyhoo, just settle down. As Toonami used to say, "Good things come to those who wait." :D

My grade for Bleach ep 1 (I've seen up to the latest ep, obviously): B

[Nin-Nin69]

The song is called "Number 1". It seems to be very Galvanizing: some people love it, some people loath it. I personally, love the song: gets me pumped up whenever Ichigo is ready to lay the smackdown
Yeah I never really cared for the song until Episode 54.

Everyone who's seen the show before should know what scene I'm talking about. ;)

[Dark Fact]

What I am curious about is why the quoted poster above took the loudest (I don't mean that in a bad way) dissenting opinion on the dub, when the thread has mostly glowing reviews of the dub, and made it his own.
The way you word it, it sounds like I'm plaigarizing Kuwabara. :sweat:

Hey Kuwabara, how about you take a little trip to Williams Street and deliver some righteous ass kicking to those that have scorned you?

[KuwabaraTheMan]

The way you word it, it sounds like I'm plaigarizing Kuwabara. :sweat:

Hey Kuwabara, how about you take a little trip to Williams Street and deliver some righteous ass kicking to those that have scorned you?

I'd rather go to Stuidopolis. For once I have no beef with WS, they've promoted the show relatively well(at all is an improvement).

But like I said, I'm waiting to see how the rest of the cast turns out. The dub just is off to a really bad start so far.

[Mirai]

I am sorry, I didn't mean to accuse you of plagarizing. It just seemed weird you latched on the loudest dissenter who thought the Bleach dub was shotty. :)

Also, if the majority of ASA fans can't do anything with [as], don't count on a solo act. ;)

Whoops. That last bit was part of a brain fart. Meant for another thread, on another forum, on another site. Sorry.

[Dark Fact]

I'd rather go to Stuidopolis. For once I have no beef with WS, they've promoted the show relatively well(at all is an improvement).

But like I said, I'm waiting to see how the rest of the cast turns out. The dub just is off to a really bad start so far.
What about flame-broiled Frankie? Surely you see how pissed off he is with the dub. :sweat:

[Fresh V]

The song is called "Number 1". It seems to be very Galvanizing: some people love it, some people loath it. I personally, love the song: gets me pumped up whenever Ichigo is ready to lay the smackdown True. At first, I hated the song. I was like "WTF is this crap?" when I heard it during the first episode. But as time went on I started liking it. But for the guys that hate it, they almost never use it, so don't worry.

And I love the Bleach BGM. It's unique and frickin' awesome. Gets me pumped up during the action scenes. But dammit, the current filler BGM ain't that good. They have gotta make some better ones for the next arc.

[ChaosMeowth]

Perfect. One of the best dubs I've ever seen.

I'm going to go as far as to say this beats the japanese cast. *gasp*

Of course that could always change for future characters, but for now...it's perfect.

[djthomp]

All right, time to see what all the fuss is about. :)
Yup. The first episode seemed pretty good.