Bleach

A very good adaptation of the first arc of Bleach(well half of it anyway). Just go see this movie when you can.

This is my first time to write a movie review. Note that I have read/watched all chapters/episodes of Bleach before I watch this movie.

Let's be honest, everything in this movie is excellent in terms of live action adaptation! CGI of the special effects are done very well (the Hollows are too!). But of course there's no such thing as perfection out there especially when we are talking about anime live action movie. I can only complain two things here.

The portrayal of Byakuya and Renji, I think they could be way much better, especially at their hair style. The last from me, and one of the most important aspects of movie success, is the music. Throughout the entire movie, I don't feel the big hype with the music as much as when I'm watching the anime. I really hope they will bring some aspects from the anime OST to the sequel and that will be a huge yes from me!

7.5/10 👏

Taking into account how much live action movies based on manga have disappointed me in the past, I came into "Bleach" with low expectations (probably not the only one). However, this movie adaptation is funny, with acceptable action set pieces and relatable characters (on top of not stretching its running time endlessly and pointlessly (even if it falls a little bit into this trap in its third act)). And, even if you don't know anything about the manga, it is easy to jump into the story, as the movie does a great job of introducing the world and building it up from scratch. Totally worth watching!

The movie focused on the 1st arc of the anime-- it remained loyal to the story, but changed some things too, so there's something to look forward to. Acting was not that great, but decent. Some plot holes and underutilized characters, but those can be forgiven. However those who haven't watched the anime / read the manga will have difficulty in understanding certain parts of the story because some of the explanations were incomplete (I think the writers assume viewers should have at least watched the anime already before watching the movie). When I first saw the trailer months back, I was worried that the CGI will be disappointing, but I was wrong. CGI was excellent and the hollows were awesome! This is a must watch for anime / manga fans!

Yeah sure, there were things I disliked and casting that I couldn't quite digest (Byakuya and Renji look like home made cosplay, I won't go there), but It was fun watching this movie. I have mixed feelings, but the "good old Bleach feeling" is there. It's certainly better than most, if not all, anime/manga live action adaptation, it's not quite on Rurouni Kenshin live action level, but I like it. I also think, when doing live action, that they have to respect certain absolute things in manga/anime storyline, but also change a few things, and that's exactly what this live action adaptation of Bleach did. I also hope there will be sequel since the whole saving Rukia and soul society arc is the best arc in Bleach.