“Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” - Episode 5 Review

Story posted November 15, 2022 in Arts & Entertainment by Will Anderson.

“Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” Episode 5, entitled “Wrath as a Lightning” is an intense episode, in which Soul Society’s most formidable warriors struggle to fend off the overwhelming force of the Quincy army.

At the end of Episode 4, Ichigo found himself trapped inside an inescapable prison when he tried to make his way from Hueco Mundo to Soul Society. Trapped between two worlds, we see him desperately trying to escape at the beginning of Episode 5.

Urahara, Inoue and Sado are shown in critical condition back in Hueco Mundo. Their luck seems to have run out, as J raises his blade to cut them down permanently. But before he has the chance to finish them off, the trio is saved by a good samaritan whose face isn’t revealed to the audience.

Meanwhile, things aren’t going so well for the defenders of Soul Society. After having his bankai stolen, Byakuya struggles to maintain his composure against the Quincy known as “F”. Renji is forced to stand by and watch as his Captain forces himself to remain standing.

It’s then revealed that once a Quincy has stolen a Soul Reaper’s bankai, they are able to wield the abilities provided by them as if they were their own. F releases Byakuya’s bankai against him, rendering his blade shattered, along with his physical and mental state. Byakuya lies against a wall, unable to continue the fight.

The leader of the Quincy finally makes his way to the front lines, before coming face to face with Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, who carries the bodies of 3 incapacitated Quincy on his shoulder. Kenpachi charges the mysterious Quincy, who effortlessly stops Kenpachi’s blade with nothing but his bare arm.

The battle is seemingly lost, with multiple of Soul Society’s finest incapacitated and even more dead, the few who remain standing begin to accept their defeat. Even Ichigo feels their despair as he continues to try and escape imprisonment to no avail.

In an unexpected twist, Head Captain Yamamoto, who rarely fights, makes his way to the battlefield. His arrival gives the dismayed Soul Reapers the motivation to continue fighting against the fearsome Quincy army

The leader of the Quincy (whose name is revealed to be Yhwach) has seemingly defeated Kenpachi. He nearly finishes him off before being stopped by Yamamoto, who states his intentions to cut down the dastardly King of the Quincy once and for all.

Episode 5 succeeds in conveying the desperation felt by the Soul Reapers to the audience. It’s shocking to see characters like Byakuya who are typically shown to be dominant in every situation in a state of despair and hopelessness.

“Thousand-Year Blood War” continues to be expertly paced in this week’s Episode. The point of view shifts from Ichigo, Byakuya, Rukia, Kenpachi, Yamamoto and more, without any scene feeling too lengthy or too short.

The score and animation also continue to shine in Episode 5. The battle between F and Byakuya was animated beautifully, and the hopelessness felt by the fearless Captain and his faithful Lieutenant was emphasized by the soundtrack accompanying the scene.

Episode 5 of “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” is another action packed episode, which sees some fan favorite characters at their lowest. The ending teases a cataclysmic face off between the King of the Quincy and the leader of Soul Society to take place in next week's episode.

Rating: 3/5

Will Anderson is a first-year majoring in communications. To contact him, email: wda5053@psu.edu.