PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.

Overall | Bleach-Volume 01 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 02 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 03 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 04 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 05 (2004)

PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Bleach-Box 1: Agent of the Soul Reaper (2004)

Bleach-Box 1: Agent of the Soul Reaper (2004)

If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVD

Released 10-Jun-2008

Cover Art

This review is sponsored by
BUY IT

Overall Package

    Bleach is one of the most addictive anime series currently in production. Blending action, melodrama and a touch of humour, this samurai psychopomp series should appeal most fans of offbeat supernatural drama, such as Dead Like Me, as well as most anime fans.

    The complete first season of Bleach is captured in this box set.

    An excellent value package, despite the dearth of decent extras. Certainly the best way to purchase the series at present - one volume is unlikely to be enough to satisfy most viewers!

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Adam Gould (Totally Biolicious!)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Other Reviews NONE
Overall | Bleach-Volume 01 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 02 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 03 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 04 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 05 (2004)

PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Bleach-Volume 01 (2004)

Bleach-Volume 01 (2004)

If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVD

Released 11-Apr-2007

Cover Art

This review is sponsored by
BUY IT

Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Anime Main Menu Audio
Gallery-Production Art
Featurette-Clean Closing Credits
Rating Rated PG
Year Of Production 2004
Running Time 91:52 (Case: 100)
RSDL / Flipper RSDL (45:55) Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Noriyuki Abe
Studio
Distributor
Viz Media
Madman Entertainment
Starring None Given
Case Amaray-Transparent
RPI ? Music Shirô Sagisu
Junichi Uematsu
Natsuko Suzuki


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Full Frame Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures Yes
Subtitles English Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits Yes, Trailer for following episode

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    Bleach: Agent of the Soul Reaper comes from the pages of Shonen Jump, the same variety manga that spawned Naruto. It tells the ongoing saga of Ichigo Kurosaki, a fifteen year old high school student in present day Japan (more or less) who has been able to see ghosts since he was a child. Ichigo assumes the role of a soul reaper (hence the subtitle of the show), a sort of samurai psychopomp, when he comes across a young female soul reaper named Rukia Kuchiki who is wounded in battle. In this world, soul reapers have two roles, one being to guide souls that have failed to cross over, called Wholes, to the "Soul Society" on their way and the other being to battle "hollows", souls that have lost their humanity and run around eating other souls (both of the living and the dead).

    Unsurprisingly, Bleach is similar to Naruto in many ways, particularly the animation style and formula to its plotting, though it is aimed at more mature viewers than Naruto and features both more mature concepts and a bit more violence (though it is still fairly tame stuff). In many ways, Bleach is the anime equivalent to a soap opera - a reasonably steady ongoing plot (though whole story arcs generally run 2-3 episodes) and no firm end in sight at any point (in fact, the show has run for more than 200 episodes in a weekly format since it premiered in Japan in 2004). The concepts in the show are frequently involved, but rarely over-complicated. Most similarly, Bleach is addictive stuff.

    This disc features four episodes. They are:

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

    The show is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and is, rightfully, not 16x9 enhanced. The video generally looks very good.

    The image is sharp and clear throughout. The animation is reasonably basic, maintaining generally maintaining static or simple backgrounds with limited character animation, but its simplicity evokes a good feel for the manga upon which the series is based. There is no noticeable grain or low-level noise in the image.

    The colour in the transfer is bright and appropriately cartoonish. Colour levels are consistent throughout the show.

    Interlacing artefacts are present every third or fourth frame, but they are never really noticeable due to the fairly basic animation style of the show. No compression-related artefacts or film artefacts are noticeable at any point in the transfer.

    Bright Yellow English subtitles are present for the show. The subtitles are a direct translation of the Japanese audio and occasionally present a slightly different emphasis to the English dialogue, however the story is fundamentally the same despite these minor differences.

    This is a RSDL disc. The layer break occurs between the second and third episodes at 45:55 and was not noticeable on my equipment.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    A Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track and an English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track are present for the film.

    Both tracks sound crisp and clear. The audio is generally well enough synchronised to the video, less so the English than the Japanese.

    The series features a great opening theme from J-Rock band Orange Range and fairly stock orchestral stabs throughout the show itself.

    There is no noticeable surround or subwoofer usage.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Textless Closing (1:01)

    The closing credits without credits. More or less a dull music video for the closing credits song Life is Like a Boat by Rie Fu.

Production Art Gallery

    A so-so collection of character sketches and background art images.

Reversible Cover

    Identical to the regular cover, minus the classification warning that many see as an eyesore.

Madman Trailers

    Following a skippable anti-piracy trailer, there are trailers for spectobes, Elemental Gelade and Eureka Seven.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    The US Region 1 release of Bleach is identical to the Region 4 edition, save for PAL/NTSC formatting and a handful of trailers for other anime releases that are featured on the Region 4 edition.

    A box set is available in both regions that collects the first 5 discs in the series, including this one, which is the most economical way to purchase the series.

Summary

    A highly addictive anime series that strikes a good balance between action, melodrama and weird afterworld-related storyline.

    The video and audio are very good, though not the sort of stuff you would look at as demo material. The extras are negligible.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Adam Gould (Totally Biolicious!)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Review Equipment
DVDSony Playstation 3, using HDMI output
Display Samsung 116cm LA46M81BD. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 576i (PAL).
Audio DecoderPioneer VSX2016AVS. Calibrated with Video Essentials/Digital Video Essentials.
AmplificationPioneer VSX2016AVS
Speakers150W DTX front speakers, 100W centre and 4 surround/rear speakers, 12 inch PSB Image 6i powered sub

Other Reviews NONE
Overall | Bleach-Volume 01 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 02 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 03 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 04 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 05 (2004)

PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Bleach-Volume 02 (2004)

Bleach-Volume 02 (2004)

If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVD

Released 2-May-2007

Cover Art

This review is sponsored by
BUY IT

Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Anime Main Menu Audio
Gallery-Production Art
Featurette-Clean Closing Credits
Trailer-Madman Trailers
Rating Rated PG
Year Of Production 2004
Running Time 91:44 (Case: 100)
RSDL / Flipper RSDL (56:54) Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Noriyuki Abe
Studio
Distributor
Viz Media
Madman Entertainment
Starring None Given
Case Amaray-Transparent
RPI ? Music Shirô Sagisu
Junichi Uematsu
Natsuko Suzuki


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Full Frame Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures Yes
Subtitles English Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits Yes, Trailer for following episode

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

Bleach: Agent of the Soul Reaper, the first volume of which is reviewed here, continues. The story picks up immediately where the episodes on the first disc left off.

The episodes on this disc present episodes that are still very much setting up the world and introducing significant side characters to the story. Most notably in this lot is the hat and clog wearing Kisuke Urahara, who runs a magical shop, and a Hollow that may have been involved in the death of Ichigo's mother.

This disc features four episodes. They are:

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

The show is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and is, rightfully, not 16x9 enhanced. The video generally looks very good.

The image is sharp and clear throughout. The animation is reasonably basic, maintaining generally maintaining static or simple backgrounds with limited character animation, but its simplicity evokes a good feel for the manga upon which the series is based. There is no noticeable grain or low-level noise in the image.

The colour in the transfer is bright and appropriately cartoonish. Colour levels are consistent throughout the show.

Interlacing artefacts are present every third or fourth frame, but they are never really noticeable due to the fairly basic animation style of the show. No compression-related artefacts or film artefacts are noticeable at any point in the transfer.

Bright Yellow English subtitles are present for the show. The subtitles are a direct translation of the Japanese audio and occasionally present a slightly different emphasis to the English dialogue, however the story is fundamentally the same despite these minor differences.

This is a RSDL disc. The layer break occurs mid-way through the third episode at 56:54 but was not noticeable on my equipment.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

A Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track and an English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track are present for the film.

Both tracks sound crisp and clear. The audio is generally well enough synchronised to the video, less so the English than the Japanese.

The series features a great opening theme from J-Rock band Orange Range and fairly stock orchestral stabs throughout the show itself.

There is no noticeable surround or subwoofer usage.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Textless Closing (1:01)

The closing credits without credits. More or less a dull music video for the closing credits song Life is Like a Boat by Rie Fu. Identical to the featurette of the same title on the first volume of Bleach.

Production Art Gallery

A so-so collection of character sketches and background art images. This gallery is similar to that found on the first volume, but the images themselves are different.

Reversible Cover

Identical to the regular cover, minus the classification warning that many see as an eyesore.

Madman Trailers

Following a skippable anti-piracy trailer, there are trailers for Spectobes, Full Metal Panic and Eureka Seven.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

The US Region 1 release of Bleach (this volume, at any rate) is identical to the Region 4 edition, save for PAL/NTSC formatting and a handful of trailers for other anime releases that are featured on the Region 4 edition.

A box set is available in both regions that collects the first 5 discs in the series, including this one, which is the most economical way to purchase the series.

Summary

A highly addictive anime series that strikes a good balance between action, melodrama and weird afterworld-related storyline. This second volume sees the series still very much in the introductory stage.

The video and audio are very good, though not the sort of stuff you would look at as demo material. The extras are negligible.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Adam Gould (Totally Biolicious!)
Friday, August 22, 2008
Review Equipment
DVDSony Playstation 3, using HDMI output
Display Samsung 116cm LA46M81BD. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 576i (PAL).
Audio DecoderPioneer VSX2016AVS. Calibrated with Video Essentials/Digital Video Essentials.
AmplificationPioneer VSX2016AVS
Speakers150W DTX front speakers, 100W centre and 4 surround/rear speakers, 12 inch PSB Image 6i powered sub

Other Reviews NONE
Overall | Bleach-Volume 01 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 02 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 03 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 04 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 05 (2004)

PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Bleach-Volume 03 (2004)

Bleach-Volume 03 (2004)

If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVD

Released 2-May-2007

Cover Art

This review is sponsored by
BUY IT

Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Anime Main Menu Audio
Gallery-Production Art
Featurette-Clean Closing Credits
Trailer-Madman Trailers
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2004
Running Time 91:52 (Case: 100)
RSDL / Flipper RSDL (45:55) Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Noriyuki Abe
Studio
Distributor
Viz Media
Madman Entertainment
Starring None Given
Case Amaray-Transparent
RPI ? Music Shirô Sagisu
Junichi Uematsu
Natsuko Suzuki


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Full Frame Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures Yes
Subtitles English Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    Bleach: Agent of the Soul Reaper, the first volume of which is reviewed here, continues. The story picks up immediately where the last episodes on the second volume left off.

    This third volume features a little more ongoing plot than the first couple of volumes, though the show is still in the process of introducing significant characters. The most notable addition in this volume is Uryu Ishida, a rival Hollow-hunter who calls himself a Quincy - a brotherhood of human Hollow hunters long thought to have died out.

    This disc features four episodes. They are:

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

    The show is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and is, rightfully, not 16x9 enhanced. The video generally looks very good.

    The image is sharp and clear throughout. The animation is reasonably basic, maintaining generally maintaining static or simple backgrounds with limited character animation, but its simplicity evokes a good feel for the manga upon which the series is based. There is no noticeable grain or low-level noise in the image.

    The colour in the transfer is bright and appropriately cartoonish. Colour levels are consistent throughout the show.

    Interlacing artefacts are present every third or fourth frame, but they are never really noticeable due to the fairly basic animation style of the show. No compression-related artefacts or film artefacts are noticeable at any point in the transfer.

    Bright Yellow English subtitles are present for the show. The subtitles are a direct translation of the Japanese audio and occasionally present a slightly different emphasis to the English dialogue, however the story is fundamentally the same despite these minor differences.

    This is a RSDL disc. The layer break occurs between the second and third episodes at 45:55 and was not noticeable on my equipment.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    A Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track and an English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track are present for the film.

    Both tracks sound crisp and clear. The audio is generally well enough synchronised to the video, less so the English than the Japanese.

    The series features a great opening theme from J-Rock band Orange Range and fairly stock orchestral stabs throughout the show itself.

    There is no noticeable surround or subwoofer usage.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Textless Closing (1:01)

    The closing credits without credits. More or less a dull music video for the closing credits song Life is Like a Boat by Rie Fu. Identical to the featurette that appears on the first two volumes of the series.

Production Art Gallery

    A so-so collection of character sketches and background art images. The images themselves are similar, but different, to the ones on the first two volumes of the series.

Reversible Cover

    Identical to the regular cover, minus the classification warning that many see as an eyesore.

Madman Trailers

    Following a skippable anti-piracy trailer, there are trailers for Fate/Stay Night, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Le Chevalier D'Eon.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    The US Region 1 release of Bleach (this volume, at any rate) is identical to the Region 4 edition, save for PAL/NTSC formatting and a handful of trailers for other anime releases that are featured on the Region 4 edition.

    A box set is available in both regions that collects the first 5 discs in the series, including this one, which is the most economical way to purchase the series.

Summary

    A highly addictive anime series that strikes a good balance between action, melodrama and weird afterworld-related storyline. This third volume progresses the story substantially, but is still busy introducing the surrounding world.

    The video and audio are very good, though not the sort of stuff you would look at as demo material. The extras are negligible.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Adam Gould (Totally Biolicious!)
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Review Equipment
DVDSony Playstation 3, using HDMI output
Display Samsung 116cm LA46M81BD. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 576i (PAL).
Audio DecoderPioneer VSX2016AVS. Calibrated with Video Essentials/Digital Video Essentials.
AmplificationPioneer VSX2016AVS
Speakers150W DTX front speakers, 100W centre and 4 surround/rear speakers, 12 inch PSB Image 6i powered sub

Other Reviews NONE
Overall | Bleach-Volume 01 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 02 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 03 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 04 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 05 (2004)

PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Bleach-Volume 04 (2004)

Bleach-Volume 04 (2004)

If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVD

Released 2-May-2007

Cover Art

This review is sponsored by
BUY IT

Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Anime Main Menu Audio
Gallery-Production Art
Featurette-Clean Closing Credits
Trailer-Madman Trailers
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2004
Running Time 91:36 (Case: 100)
RSDL / Flipper RSDL (45:50) Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Noriyuki Abe
Studio
Distributor
Viz Media
Madman Entertainment
Starring None Given
Case Amaray-Transparent
RPI ? Music Shirô Sagisu
Junichi Uematsu
Natsuko Suzuki


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Full Frame Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures Yes
Subtitles English Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits Yes

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    Bleach: Agent of the Soul Reaper, the first volume of which is reviewed here, continues. The story picks up immediately where the last episodes on the third volume left off.

    This fourth volume sees the show well into an ongoing storyline that explores the mythology of the series.

    This disc features four episodes. They are:

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

    The show is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and is, rightfully, not 16x9 enhanced. The video generally looks very good.

    The image is sharp and clear throughout. The animation is reasonably basic, maintaining generally maintaining static or simple backgrounds with limited character animation, but its simplicity evokes a good feel for the manga upon which the series is based. There is no noticeable grain or low-level noise in the image.

    The colour in the transfer is bright and appropriately cartoonish. Colour levels are consistent throughout the show.

    Interlacing artefacts are present every third or fourth frame, but they are never really noticeable due to the fairly basic animation style of the show. No compression-related artefacts or film artefacts are noticeable at any point in the transfer.

    Bright Yellow English subtitles are present for the show. The subtitles are a direct translation of the Japanese audio and occasionally present a slightly different emphasis to the English dialogue, however the story is fundamentally the same despite these minor differences.

    This is a RSDL disc. The layer break occurs between the second and third episodes at 45:50 and was not noticeable on my equipment.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    A Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track and an English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track are present for the film.

    Both tracks sound crisp and clear. The audio is generally well enough synchronised to the video, less so the English than the Japanese.

    The series features a great opening theme from J-Rock band Orange Range and fairly stock orchestral stabs throughout the show itself.

    There is no noticeable surround or subwoofer usage.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Textless Closing (1:01)

    The closing credits without credits. More or less a dull music video for the closing credits song Thank You! by Home Made Kazoku, which plays on the closing credits from the 14th episode onwards.

Production Art Gallery

    A so-so collection of character sketches and background art images. The images themselves are similar, but different, to the ones on the first two volumes of the series.

Reversible Cover

    Identical to the regular cover, minus the classification warning that many see as an eyesore.

Madman Trailers

    Following a skippable anti-piracy trailer, there are trailers for Solty Rei, Highlander: Search For Vengeance and Le Chevalier D'Eon.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    The US Region 1 release of Bleach (this volume, at any rate) is identical to the Region 4 edition, save for PAL/NTSC formatting and a handful of trailers for other anime releases that are featured on the Region 4 edition.

    A box set is available in both regions that collects the first 5 discs in the series, including this one, which is the most economical way to purchase the series.

Summary

    A highly addictive anime series that strikes a good balance between action, melodrama and weird afterworld-related storyline. This fourth volume sees the show's ongoing story arc in full swing.

    The video and audio are very good, though not the sort of stuff you would look at as demo material. The extras are negligible.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Adam Gould (Totally Biolicious!)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Review Equipment
DVDSony Playstation 3, using HDMI output
Display Samsung 116cm LA46M81BD. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 576i (PAL).
Audio DecoderPioneer VSX2016AVS. Calibrated with Video Essentials/Digital Video Essentials.
AmplificationPioneer VSX2016AVS
Speakers150W DTX front speakers, 100W centre and 4 surround/rear speakers, 12 inch PSB Image 6i powered sub

Other Reviews NONE
Overall | Bleach-Volume 01 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 02 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 03 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 04 (2004) | Bleach-Volume 05 (2004)

PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Bleach-Volume 05 (2004)

Bleach-Volume 05 (2004)

If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVD

Released 2-May-2007

Cover Art

This review is sponsored by
BUY IT

Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Anime Main Menu Audio
Gallery-Production Art
Featurette-Clean Closing Credits
Trailer-Madman Trailers
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2004
Running Time 91:31 (Case: 100)
RSDL / Flipper RSDL (68:37) Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Noriyuki Abe
Studio
Distributor
Viz Media
Madman Entertainment
Starring None Given
Case Amaray-Transparent
RPI ? Music Shirô Sagisu
Junichi Uematsu
Natsuko Suzuki


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Full Frame Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures Yes
Subtitles English Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits Yes

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    Bleach: Agent of the Soul Reaper, the first volume of which is reviewed here, continues. The story picks up immediately where the last episodes on the fourth volume left off.

    This fifth volume rounds out the first season of the show. The story sees a significant shift in the show's dynamic, bringing the feudal Soul Society into the mix a lot more than previous episodes, and leads to a major cliffhanger to cap the series off.

    This disc features four episodes. They are:

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

    The show is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and is, rightfully, not 16x9 enhanced. The video generally looks very good.

    The image is sharp and clear throughout. The animation is reasonably basic, maintaining generally maintaining static or simple backgrounds with limited character animation, but its simplicity evokes a good feel for the manga upon which the series is based. There is no noticeable grain or low-level noise in the image.

    The colour in the transfer is bright and appropriately cartoonish. Colour levels are consistent throughout the show.

    Interlacing artefacts are present every third or fourth frame, but they are never really noticeable due to the fairly basic animation style of the show. No compression-related artefacts or film artefacts are noticeable at any point in the transfer.

    Bright Yellow English subtitles are present for the show. The subtitles are a direct translation of the Japanese audio and occasionally present a slightly different emphasis to the English dialogue, however the story is fundamentally the same despite these minor differences.

    This is a RSDL disc. The layer break occurs between the third and fourth episodes at 68:37 but was not noticeable on my equipment.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    A Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track and an English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 Kbps) audio track are present for the film.

    Both tracks sound crisp and clear. The audio is generally well enough synchronised to the video, less so the English than the Japanese.

    The series features a great opening theme from J-Rock band Orange Range and fairly stock orchestral stabs throughout the show itself.

    There is no noticeable surround or subwoofer usage.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Textless Closing (1:01)

    The closing credits without credits. More or less a dull music video for the closing credits song Thank You! by Home Made Kazoku. This is identical to the featurette of the same title on the fourth volume.

Production Art Gallery

    A so-so collection of character sketches and background art images. The images themselves are similar, but different, to the ones on the first two volumes of the series.

Reversible Cover

    Identical to the regular cover, minus the classification warning that many see as an eyesore.

Madman Trailers

    Following a skippable anti-piracy trailer, there are trailers for Solty Rei, Highlander: Search For Vengeance and Le Chevalier D'Eon.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    The US Region 1 release of Bleach (this volume, at any rate) is identical to the Region 4 edition, save for PAL/NTSC formatting and a handful of trailers for other anime releases that are featured on the Region 4 edition.

    A box set is available in both regions that collects the first 5 discs in the series, including this one, which is the most economical way to purchase the series.

Summary

    A highly addictive anime series that strikes a good balance between action, melodrama and weird afterworld-related storyline. This fifth volume brings the first season plot-arc to a close with a tense cliffhanger.

    The video and audio are very good, though not the sort of stuff you would look at as demo material. The extras are negligible.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Adam Gould (Totally Biolicious!)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Review Equipment
DVDSony Playstation 3, using HDMI output
Display Samsung 116cm LA46M81BD. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 576i (PAL).
Audio DecoderPioneer VSX2016AVS. Calibrated with Video Essentials/Digital Video Essentials.
AmplificationPioneer VSX2016AVS
Speakers150W DTX front speakers, 100W centre and 4 surround/rear speakers, 12 inch PSB Image 6i powered sub

Other Reviews NONE