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Reviewed by Michael Aronson Ichigo Kurosaki thought that Soul Reapers were the only ones hunting Hollows, but he was wrong. Enter Uryu Ishida, a Quincy, and possibly the last member of a powerful clan that died out over 200 years ago. Unlike Soul Reapers who strive to cleanse Hollows of their sins and send them to the Soul Society, Quincies adopt a more direct approach – they kill Hollows without hesitation. To demonstrate the supremacy of the Quincies’ ways, Uryu challenges Ichigo to a contest – bait is spread around the city, attracting a large number of unstable Hollows. Whoever defeats the most wins, regardless of the danger. Rather than the contest between Ichigo and Uryu, the main point of interest this time out is Ichigo’s supporting cast, most notably Chad and Orihime. Whether Ichigo’s doing or simply influence from his present, his friends have all begun to develop extrasensory abilities, most notably the ability to perceive the shape and form of Hollows. The implication is that once these senses develop further, they will also gain awareness of Ichigo’s special powers and he will likely have to take them into his confidence. Considering that his friends have been a pleasant and fun supporting cast thus far, I’m thrilled by this new development. Unfortunately, a few sequences in this volume seem superfluous and don’t really work. We’re introduced to Orihime’s “fairy friends” who serve a useful function but their explanation seems overly indulgent, especially in the heat of a battle in which Orihime is totally outnumbered and outclassed. Chad’s scene with Ichigo’s sister is nice, but why is a Hollow more interested in her than in Chad, whose own powers are developing? And considering the influx of Hollows, is it safe to rest after one short battle? And whatever happened to Ichigo? The pacing of the volume doesn’t allow for his branch of the plot to see completion. Not a bad volume, and despite its shortcomings, the setup for further storylines is fantastic. Comment on this review of Bleach v5 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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