Bleach ep.3

October 21, 2004 | 5 Comments

Well, this is more like it. I can't believe how powerful this episode turned out to be. Don't get me wrong, I still suffered from those washed-out color palettes but if the story is this good, I think I'd be able to endure it. In fact, I think there was a tear or two at one point in my eyes and then at the end, I was laughing out loud because of Rukia's antics. However, I have to attribute most of it to Orihime's VA, Matsuoka Yuki, who manages to show Orihime's true personality underneath that spaced out expression of hers. I've always wonder if Orihime's happy personality is actually a facade to hide her true emotions because if one looks at her past, she hasn't always been the happy girl that she is now. This is definitely the episode that I'd recommend to anyone who wants to start watching this series.

Continuing from previous episode, Ichigo and Rukia are seen recovering from the Hollow's attack. Ichigo wonders why Hollows have been attacking him. Rukia theorises that a very powerful Hollow probably intend to devour him and uses other lost soul to do his bidding. This is a major diversion from the manga which is actually quite interesting for me. I guess Kubo Tite is trying to tied up loose ends on the manga. It seems in the anime, all of the Hollows that Ichigo has to fight are under Grand Fisher's command. Anyway, Rukia warns Ichigo that if they don't hurry up, there is a chance that Orihime will be in danger. True enough, back at Orihime's place, Orihime and Tatsuki are immediately attacked by the Hollow. Orihime went unconscious immediately while Tatsuki tries her best to fend off the Hollow's attack even though she can't see it. After a while, Orihime regains her consciousness and tries to defend Tatsuki from the Hollow but strangely, Tatsuki can't hear her.

Orihime also realises that there is another version of herself lying on the floor while her own body is linked to that version with a heavy chain. Before she can think about it, however, the Hollow tells her that Tatsuki can't see neither of them. Orihime is confused and wonders how the Hollow knows her name. In response to her confusion, the Hollow becomes mad and tells her in anger that he's sad and tries to strike her. Thankfully before Orihime becomes a mince meat, Ichigo arrives to stop the Hollow. Ichigo never the less is surprised when he realises that Orihime can see him, especially after Rukia explained to him beforehand that normal people can see him. He doesn't need to find the answer because the Hollow then appears again to inform him that Orihime can see him because she's already dead. The Hollow then proceeds to kick Ichigo out of Orihime's apartment.

While Ichigo tries to recover on the street, the Hollow informs Orihime that he is actually her brother. Orihime at first doesn't believe that her brother is capable of such act but then he explained how lonely he was because Orihime slowly begin to forget about him. He told her how after he died, she used to pray at his shrine but ever since she became friends with Tatsuki and go to high school, she prayed less. The Hollow then becomes berserk again, claiming that Orihime is his because he's been taking care of her ever since the two of them were abandoned by their parents. Ichigo, however, disagree with that. He thinks that older brother/sister born first so that they can protect their little brothers/sisters. The two then start to fight again but it's obvious that Ichigo is losing this battle. Just when Orihime's brother is about to chomp Ichigo, Orihime stands in between the two so that her brother bites her own shoulder instead of Ichigo's.

Orihime tells her brother that she's sorry that she was so reliant on him even after he died. She knows all along that her brother were watching over her. In fact, she knows that he was the one who saved her from being hit by the car the other day, thus explaining the Hollow mark on her leg. She tells him that having said that, she knows that if she keeps relying on him, he can't rest in peace, so she tries to show him how happy she is so he knows that she's all right. But that seems to make him lonely. Upon hearing this, Orihime's brother somehow manages to struggle out of his Hollow body. Rukia then tells Ichigo and Orihime's brother that Orihime can still be saved because her soul is still linked by the chain of fate to her body. Orihime's brother then kills himself after bidding goodbye to Orihime. The next day, Orihime doesn't remember what happened to her mostly because Rukia has done something hilarious to her memory.

Impression:

Anyone who have read the manga will know that there are some modifications to the story. I actually like most of it except the part where Orihime's brother turning into Hollow because of Grand Fisher's action and not because he's one twisted bastard with a minor sis-con. I like that Grand Fisher is somehow behind this machination but doesn't like the implication it has on Orihime's brother. Having said that, I like how the anime tries to explain that it was her brother who saved Orihime from getting hit by a car, thus causing the mark on her leg. And the heartfelt emotion that Orihime shown in her confession really got to me even more so than the one in the manga. And I'm impressed how the anime manages to create the transition between the sad scenes to the hilarious ending scene with Ichigo and Rukia. For those of you who are still not convinced, let me just say that this incident is not a throaway episode. It'll form a major arc later on in the series.

© memento 2003