ALARIS' REVIEWS

22nd November 2009
Bleach: Fade to Black (2008)

Yes, I've been watching a lot of Bleach (2004) lately.

Fade to Black is the third movie based on the improbably long-running anime series, Bleach, and it's a bit of a mixed bag. While the first movie - Memories of Nobody (2006) - was uniformly weak, the second - The Diamond Dust Rebellion (2007) - was consistently well crafted.

Fade to Black begins with a classic catalyst - schoolboy protagonist, Ichigo, wakes up to discover his close friend, Rukia, gone, and all the people around him have no memory of her existence. This kind of setup can drive me crazy, in the same way that I can't stand shape-shifters, but thankfully the story doesn't wallow in 'Why won't anyone believe me?!' territory for long.

Fade to Black gets a fair bit right. It jumps straight into the story, without bothering to explain.well, anything at all. The lack of awkward, waffly exposition is perfect for fans, who will enjoy getting rapidly to their favourite characters (unless you happen to be a fan of Ishida, Orihime or Chad, who seem to have quietly fallen off the face of the planet).

Unfortunately, Fade to Black takes a lack of exposition and runs with it.and keeps running.and disappears into the distance. Parts of the movie remind me of those surreal anime, where you're not sure if a scene is face-value action, or a dream sequence, or a metaphor, or if you missed something important when you went to turn your omelette.

As a consequence, some of the movie is confusing. Especially since the animation style changes inexplicably in patches, and not in an arty way. However, the characters are written fairly true to their anime incarnations, and there are some cute exchanges. The story is reasonably engaging, and there are some downright cool action scenes in typical, over-the-top Bleach style.

The story isn't as tight or coherent or thoughtful as The Diamond Dust Rebellion, but it's still enjoyable for fans. Non-fans will be utterly lost from the word 'go' - and they'll probably only get more confused from there.

Verdict: Not a great action movie, but an enjoyable instalment of Bleach for fans.