Product Details

• Actors: Bleach
• Directors: naSpe
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: VIZ VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: August 19, 2008
• Run Time: 525 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B001ASQ9N8
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,593 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Special Collector's Figurine of Ichigo included!

Ichigo and his friends make the perilous journey to the Soul Society and are promptly set upon by the guardians of the spirit world. As they dodge one foe after another, they gradually draw nearer their goal: to rescue Rukia from the tower cell where she awaits her death sentence. But their presence threatens the very order of the Soul Society itself, and they must face the ultimate opponents--the captains of the guard squads whose Spiritual Pressure is unmatched, even by Ichigo himself!

Special Features Include:
* Bonus Materials: Behind the Scenes of BLEACH
* Bilingual (Japanese & English)
* Contains Episode 21-41 (Original and Uncut)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entryways, June 25, 2008

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The first season of "Bleach" ended with Ichigo, Uryu, Chad, Orihime and the cat Yoruichi leaving the living world for the Soul Society, intent on saving Rukia.

But getting there isn't the least of their problems. The second major arc of the "Bleach" series -- called "The Entry" -- continues our heroes' quest to rescue Rukia from a death sentence, but they run into a new set of obstacles. It's pretty divided between action, slapstick and exposition, as well as a series of mysteries and conspiracies -- and a lot of likable new characters.

Ichigo and Co. narrowly make it into the Soul Society, almost losing Uryu along the way. And unfortunately -- between lethal captains and a building-sized Gatekeeper -- it's almost impossible to get inside the Soul Reapers' fortress, the Seireitei. Their only way inside is to ask an eccentric friend of Yoruichi's, a fireworks expert called Kukaku Shiba, to blast them (and her rough-edged brother Ganju) inside the Seireitei from the sky.

But surprisingly, being shot into orbit with a giant cannon isn't the worst thing that happens. The little group gets split apart -- and Ichigo finds himself facing an increasingly strong series of opponents, including the enraged Renji Abarai and the battle-hungry Captain Zaraki. Facing defeat and death, Ichigo is forced to call upon an ally he never knew he had -- and face a horrible inner enemy.

When a murder is committed in the Seireitei, the Soul Reapers are thrown into chaos, as they automatically blame the "ryoka" intruders for the death of one of their own. Orihime, Chad and Uryu are trying to fight their way in, but it's Ganju and the timid Soul Reaper medic Hanataro who make it to Rukia's cell -- only to reveal a horrifying secret from her past.

If the first season of "Bleach" was all about introducing the main characters and the concept of Soul Reapers, then the second season is all about Ichigo and Co. causing as much mayhem as possible in the Soul Society. Well, the Soul Society is not as pleasant and peaceful as Rukia led us to believe -- in fact, it has even more weirdos than Ichigo's hometown.

And while the storytelling is well-balanced, the second season is much more violent -- there's floods of blood, massive near-fatal injuries, and Byakuya Kuchiki's ability to shred opponents from a distance with tiny "cherry blossom" pieces of metal. And the storyline takes an unexpected twist halfway through, when a character is apparently murdered and the lieutenants start turning against each other. And since there are hints of a conspiracy involving Rukia, it's pretty obvious that something is rotten in the state of the Soul Society. Just what it is remains to be seen, but it promises to cause even more chaos in the Seireitei.

But not all is doom and blood in the second "Bleach" season -- it's still liberally peppered with funny dialogue ("That's a pretty cute name for someone who takes himself so seriously." "MY NAME IS NOT CUTE!") and physical goofery (Yoruichi's true form is revealed to Ichigo). Though our heroes spend a lot of time running around causing mayhem, they also create a lot of humor as well -- such as when Ichigo screams for Ganju, only to realize that he just alerted several off-duty Soul Reapers to his location.

Ichigo has to learn a bunch of new skills in this season, including getting closer to his inner, um, sword. Uryu's chivalrous side gets a workout when Orihime is threatened. And Chad's history is finally revealed in full, such as how this gentle giant became determined never to fight for his own sake, and how he became fast friends with Ichigo.

There are a couple of new characters too: we get to see Renji's miserable youth with Rukia, and why he's hellbent on defeating Ichigo. And our heroes team up with an adorably timid Soul Reaper medic named Hanataro, who serves as tour guide/comic relief for much of the season ("See how full of life and energy and vitality I am?") as well as the boar-riding Ganju.

While most of the Soul Reapers aren't fleshed out, they are given enough quirks and personality to seem very realistic -- narcissists, child prodigies, bookworms, battle-o-philes, bombshells and little creepy girls with pink hair. Two particular standouts are a laid-back, sake-chugging captain named Shunsui Kyoraku, and Rukia's captain, a sickly hunk named Ukitake.

The second "Bleach" season takes our heroes straight into the heart of the Soul Society, and a lot of new trouble as well. Definitely worth checking out -- but expect one heckuva cliffhanger.