Bleach DVD Set Seventeen, episodes 243-255, chronicles the conclusion to the Zanpakuto arc. These episodes reveal more about the Zanpakuto of the 13 Court Guard Squads. By introducing the “weapons” of Soul Reapers personified, the Zanpakuto, in turn, reflect hidden facets of their masters, partners and wielders.

Let’s backtrack. The Zanpakuto. Its unique shape and abilities are defined by its soul reaper. A Soul Reaper is able to harness the power of the Zanpakuto by learning its name and forming a synergistic unit. The Zanpakuto is born with its Soul Reaper and dies with its Soul Reaper. That is the existence of a Zanpakuto. Yes, after watching the opening before nearly every episode, I have this excerpt just about memorized. Good luck trying to get the opening theme song out of your head (especially the “chuuu~” part at the end)! Waaay too catchy.

I’m not gonna lie—there are a few Zanpakuto I would’ve been happier not seeing (you know who you are, creepy baby!!). However, the diversity in both appearance and personality of the Zanpakuto, for the most part, was fun to see. I was pretty satisfied with most of the Zanpakuto’s unique character designs. Witnessing their motivations and interactions with each other and former wielders was entertaining and a great “side quest”, if you will, from the main Bleach storyline.

One highlight of these episodes I enjoyed was the shifting battles between Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto. Multiple battles occur throughout the Sereitei as Soul Reapers combat the chaos inflicted by their independent Zanpakuto. Scenes weave in and out from one battle to the next, revealing the complexities of the relationships between weapon and wielder—whether a Zanpakuto is used as merely a tool in battle or a true partner of its Soul Reaper. Dialogue is just as important as physical attacks in these battles. Combatants attempt to psyche each other out through battle banter, exposing secrets unique to their relationship—facts only those who have faced countless battles together could know.

Episode 250 introduces the true ‘zan’ behind the ‘pakuto’, if you will: Muramasa, leader of the awakened Zanpakuto, reveals his true intentions behind the rebellion. Through a flashback, we witness the relationship between Muramasa and his own Soul Reaper, Koga Kuchiki! Whaaaaat. Koga’s "Whisper Muramasa" is a chilling technique that turns Zanpakuto against wielder, granting Koga a huge advantage against fellow Soul Reapers in battle. But we see all too well the price Koga pays for this power.

This flashback, with its focus on character, is a nice shift from the previous battle heavy episodes. The disintegration and corruption of Koga’s relationship with Muramasa is a tragic tale—shedding a sad light on Muramasa’s eternal devotion to his unworthy master. One noteworthy character in this flashback is Ginrei, grandfather of Byakuya. His interactions with Koga as he suffers from doubt and is eventually overwhelmed by the power he wields, reveal Ginrei’s wisdom and unwavering strength as a warrior. You can see where Byakuya inherited his Kuchiki-calm from!

While there are plenty of exciting battles throughout this arc, my favorite, hands down, has to be Byakuya’s battle in episode 252. The animation quality noticeably improves. Character movements are loose and sleek as they face off in a mid-air fight, relentlessly striking out at each other, hair and robes whipping back and forth, blades slashing and slicing! I don’t think even the finale topped this fight!

This DVD set is a great conclusion to the Zanpakuto arc, especially as Muramasa’s true objectives are revealed. We learn a lot about our favorite Soul Reapers from watching them interact with their Zanpakuto; many dynamic battles result when the two clash. Muramasa’s devotion was touching and his backstory, waiting for a call that never came, induced some major sniffles. Overall, this arc reveals a lot about the bonds between Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto and gives a handy life lesson about the ills of blind devotion and the old “power: use it don’t abuse it” proverb.

Don’t forget to check out the extras; Zanpakuto character art is a great chance to see concept art for characters that were always moving in the episodes, and I guarantee you’ll get a laugh (or at least a generous chuckle) out of the Omake. Now, I’m off to dream up my own Zanpakuto!

English & Japanese 2.0 Audio / English Subtitles
Episodes: 243–255

Special Features: Omake, Production Art

Bleach DVD Set 17 is available here! 

© Tite Kubo/Shueisha, TV TOKYO, dentsu, Pierrot

by Cat Rechsteiner