Bleach: The Lost Agent Part 1

Episodes 343-354

Over a year has passed since Ichigo lost his powers and he and his friends are doing the usual things seventeen-year-old high school kids do: part-time jobs; mooching around; hanging out… Until one day Ichigo, as chivalrous as ever, interrupts a mugging and retrieves a stolen backpack for the victim. The stranger introduces himself as Kugo Ginjo and hands Ichigo a card bearing the name Xcution, telling him to get in touch. Just a coincidence?

Meanwhile, Chad has stopped coming to school and both Uryu and Orihime have been sensing the existence of an unusual spiritual pressure. So when Uryu is brutally attacked, Ichigo suspects that his friend has been targeted to attract his attention. Will Orihime be next? Driven at last by his concerns for his friends to use the card to make contact with Xcution, he meets an unusual and strangely assorted group of people. Ginjo explains to him that all the members of Xcution are humans gifted/cursed with unusual powers called Fullbring which lets them manipulate the souls that exist in all physical matter. They want to be rid of these powers – and the only way, it seems, is to restore Ichigo’s Soul Reaper powers; a mutually beneficial arrangement. So will Ichigo say yes? This seems far too good to be true – and Ichigo refuses the offer. But a menacing presence seems to be shadowing Ichigo and the attacks on Ichigo’s friends continue. Can Ginjo be trusted? What will Ichigo decide to do?

This is it. The final arc for Bleach the TV series. The manga is still ongoing, but if you’ve developed an affection for – or addiction to – the animated version, by the end of the second part of this set, it will all be over. And what a marathon it’s been! The good news is that the creative team have not stinted on the budget to give Bleach a decent send-off and even though the scripts are back to following Tite Kubo’s manga, there’s little in the way here of pointlessly extended duelling or endless flashbacks to drag things out. The improvements in pacing and scripting noted in the previous arc ‘The Invading Army’ are still much in evidence with some impressive fights, making this a really enjoyable watch. There are also some delightful touches (Bleach humour can be a little hit-and-miss at times), especially one where Orihime, invited into Ichigo’s bedroom, goes into confused teenage girl with a massive crush mode which – when you consider how much these two have gone through together – is rather endearing. Also, the names of the Fullbringers’ powers are classic inspired Tite Kubo craziness: ‘Dirty Boots’; ‘Invaders Must Die’; ‘Dollhouse’.

The explanation as to how Ichigo can regain his powers is just a little bit too…convenient, but that’s swiftly passed over, so you don’t have too much time to call out, “Hey – how exactly did you say this Fullbring thing works?” However, the determined, headstrong way Ichigo deals with the challenge is absolutely in character. And, most fittingly of all, the story is back where it all began, in Karakura Town, focusing on Ichigo and the friends who have supported him on his great adventure, giving a satisfying sense of coming full circle. Episode 354 ends – most appropriately – on a cliffhanger.  

New Opening Theme is “HARUKAZE” by SCANDAL and makes a stirring opening to the new arc, set to an action-packed montage of the Fullbringers. The new Ending Theme is the more soulful “Re:pray”, poignantly sung by Aimer over a rather charming series of snapshots of Ichigo’s family and friends. These – as usual with Bleach releases– are the only extras.

Newcomer Travis Willingham gives a convincing portrayal of  ‘can he be trusted?’ Ginjo Kudo in the US dub (the English script is full, as ever, of nice little comic tweakings of the original.)

In Summary

Entertaining and well-paced, the first twelve episodes of ‘The Lost Agent’ arc slip by all too swiftly, reminding us that now – there are only twelve more episodes left to go. Cherish them, fellow Bleach fans!