Thread: Bleach - The DiamondDust Rebellion (Zweiter Film)

Story: I don't want to give any spoilers, but basically if you've seen the trailer, you've seen the majority of the plot. It's not that the plot was bad at all; there were just a few random plot devices that were a bit strange, especially in the beginning with Ichigo's initial involvement in the story. If one compares it to the first Bleach movie (which of course is inevitable), this movie's plot was much better. There were a good amount of flashbacks which were done nicely as well.

...> Art: You can really see the difference here between the TV series and the movie. There were some excellent camera angles, scene changes, and special effects. At times, the camera took Ichigo's viewpoint; other times it took a grand, panoramic view of the scene. Of course, other movies have done that, but with such camera work/framing it gave the movie a more serious, artsy feel to it. It's good if you're like me and like that stuff.

Sound: It has all the major themes of the series, plus a choral piece that gave me shivers, and several distinctly Japanese pieces that set the tone of the film exactly right. The seamless blending of sound and sight was perhaps the best part of the movie for me.

Character: Well, of course all of the Bleach characters are in character...with almost every soul society member and human (and quincy) making at least a cameo appearance. The villain was suitably well developed and somewhat sympathetic since he is featured in most of the flashbacks. Hitsugaya fans will enjoy getting a glimpse under his "icey" exterior during the flashbacks as well. I wasn't so fond of how emo he was, but it was at least tolerable and not too overdone.

Enjoyment: The reason why I didn't give a 10 for enjoyment (and why the overall score is a 9) is because there's not very many good battles in the movie. Let's face it, one reason Bleach is so great is because of the epic fights. I went to the movie specifically in the theater to see that epic quality on the big screen, and was a bit disappointed. There were a few somewhat boring "henchmen" fights, and the final battle was kind of anti-climactic. However, I did like the fact that the climax took place in Soul Society, where the captains could show off their full powers (though again, you don't get to see anything new or really exciting stuff happen).

In all, however, I very much recommend seeing this movie, whether you be a die hard fan or new to Bleach, or even if you don't like the series very much. This movie takes most of the good points from the series and puts it into 1 and a half hours of good entertainment.