Bleach Series 10 Part 1
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 12
Running Time: 900 Mins
Audio: English & Japanese DD 2.0
Release Date: Out 2/7/2012

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Now that the Amagai arc is over, the story gets back onto cannon continuing Ichigo's fight with Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. For viewers who might not remember the plot several discs back, a narrator fills in the gaps on what  happened in the previous arc, and gets on with the rest of the story. All the characters are in a different situation with each of the Arrancars. Ichigo is busy with Grimmjow, Uryu and Renji have Szayel to deal with while Peche and Dondochakka stand back and watch.
Since this arc started, Ichigo and his friends have been faced with an endless onslaught from their enemies. Each episode Ichigo and co have to battle some of the cruelest enemies ever. Forget the Bounts from previous episodes or Hollows, these are the best of the best, the Espada. Even though Ichigo is the hero, when he is in trouble, his friends are there to help him out, and this time they team up to give them a hand even though their chances of surviving look bad.

From the time they had originally been ryoka invading the Soul Society, the Captain General has been indebted to them for their resolve to save Rukia, and now he has sent a few Soul Reapers out to Hueco Mundo to repay the debt in order to save Orihime when they need them most.

Friends aren't the only ones who want to help them; those who were considered enemies want to give them a hand. Nel proves that she is more than a comedy character as the first disc reveals a lot about her and her two friends. Bleach tends to run on comedic characters like Renji, Kon, Hanataro, and even Yammy can be seen as funny in his own way, but Bleach can be all things as it's a shonen action anime. Nel and her friends look harmless, but they do have certain powers that can make them formidable foe, at least in these episodes.

Other characters who can show that Ichigo isn't the only strong one in the series is Szayel Apporo Grantz. He is another who looks harmless, but acts insane, and his release mode is very unusual  He is an Espada who has experimented with humans and Hollows and his release enables him to torture  his victims - very slowly. Uryu and Renji are currently at his mercy and at a loss as to how to defeat him as he is a higher level Espada. Aizen knows he is not far from realizing his dream of destroying Karakura town and making the king's key, and only Ichigo can prevent him. The series is comprised of continual battles that take the characters up the ladder of low ranking Arrancars and Espada to a conclusion at some point. The arc is an enjoyable one which is a mix of comedy, tragedy and serious conflict between two factions.

Bonus Material: Art Gallery and Clean Opening and Closing Songs.

Verdict: Bleach is back on form with this new set - get ready for more action.