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| Bleach Uncut Season1 Box Set (Standard Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Na
Actor: Bleach
Studio: VIZ VIDEO
Category: DVD
List Price: $49.98
Buy New: $27.99
You Save: $21.99 (44%)
New (23) Used (8) from $25.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 2698
Format: Animated, Box Set, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Japanese (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 5
Running Time: 500
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.6 x 1.4
MPN: DBHBS001
UPC: 782009238546
EAN: 0782009238546
ASIN: B0015XHQUS
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
For as long as he can remember Ichigo Kurosaki has been able to see ghosts. But when he meets Rukia a Soul Reaper who battles evil spirits known as Hollows he finds his life is changed forever. Now with a newfound wealth of spiritual energy Ichigo discovers his true calling: to protect the living and the dead from evil. And when he vows to defend Rukia from the ruthless justice of the Soul Society he and his friends must cross over and do battle in the spirit world...Contains episodes 1-20.System Requirements:Running Time: 500 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ANIME UPC: 782009238546 Manufacturer No: DBHBS001
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 I'm a soul reaper March 20, 2008
18 out of 25 found this review helpful
Ichigo Kurosaki is just your average teenage boy... except that he can see spirits.
So it's not exactly surprising that he gets involved in wild, dangerous adventures, in the first season of the hilarious, action-packed "Bleach." It starts off a bit slow, but rapidly winds into a thrilling, expansive adventure story, with lots of big swords, roaring monsters, and TV psychics.
One night a strange girl appears in Ichigo's bedroom, and is shocked when he can see her. She explains that she's a Soul Reaper, who helps the dead pass on to the Soul Society, and destroys evil spirits called Hollows.
But when Rukia is injured in a fight with a Hollow, all her powers are transferred to Ichigo -- and with them, the responsibility of killing Hollows. Ichigo soon finds out that it isn't easy juggling his new responsibilities with his normal, everyday life -- especially since the powerless Rukia is now attending his school, and living in his closet.
Even more distressing, his new powers are attracting all sorts of trouble: the Hollow who murdered his mother, the now-monstrous brother of his ditzy friend Orihime, an outspoken "mod-soul," and classmate Uryu-- the last of the Quincys, sworn enemies of Soul Reapers. Moreover, Orihime and the gentle giant Chad start developing spiritual powers of their own.
But then two powerful Soul Reapers show up to arrest Rukia. Ichigo is left mortally wounded and robbed of his powers, while Rukia is taken back to the Soul Society to be executed. To rescue Rukia, Ichigo agrees to undergo a terribly training regimen that could leave him worse than dead... and the journey into the Soul Society may be even worse...
Most long-running series run out their welcome pretty quickly, or start following a formula. But "Bleach" has that magical mix of complex plot, kinetic action, likable characters and kooky comedy. Not only does it click, but the results are sort of a mad hybrid of "Yu Yu Hakusho" and "Inuyasha." Its biggest problem? The first season ends with a cliffhanger the size of the Grand Canyon.
To keep us entertained, there's lots of action, monsters, blood, giant magical swords, spirit arrows and even a skyscraper-sized Hollow. But the writers keep an eye on the characters, and the first arc is used to establish them -- we get to see their pasts, their motivations, and why they want to fight Hollows. Even if it's simply a desire to do what's right and protect others.
And just as important important -- comedy. Every episode of "Bleach" has some comedy, whether it's crazy friends and/or relatives, TV appearances, or the wacky dialogue ("OH NO! I'M FRIENDS WITH A NERD! Maybe you need some thick nerd glasses..."). Even Ichigo produces some hilarious moments, such as his bloodcurdling scream when he wakes in Urahara's house.
Ichigo himself is the pivot of the whole series -- like many a good anime hero, he is rough, brash, sensitive and fights for those he loves. And though he's incredibly powerful, he still has a lot of training, fighting and learning to do, though he tends to jump in without thinking about it.
And he's backed by a colourful squad of characters: the prickly Uryu, quiet Chad, ditzy love interest Orihime, and the mysterious "Mr. Hat and Clogs" who trains Ichigo to be a full-fledged Soul Reaper. Not to mention Kon, a living lion doll who provides plenty of comic relief, whether he's getting bounced around the room or dressed as Marie Antoinette.
"Bleach's" first season introduces viewers to a brilliant series, full of hilarity, tears, blood and big, bad monsters. Definitely a must-see, for anyone who likes any of the above.
 Cream of the shonen anime crop June 10, 2008
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
For the uninitiated, Bleach is one of the newest shows in a long line of Shonen (for males) anime. The normal Shonen anime plot usually revolves around a boy (most often teenage) that has special abilities, and that uses them to overcome some sort of challenge. In the tradition of Yu Yu Hakusho and Dragonball (also Dragonball Z) this means that the show normally turns into a lengthy coming-of-age action anime in which the protagonist (hero) and antagonists (villains) constantly one up each other in a seemingly never ending cycle of power shifts that are interwoven between something resembling a plot. You can look forward to good action, comedy, and decently thought out characters, but you've also got to expect that the story might only serve as a vehicle for the flashy action sequences. This is where Bleach sets itself apart from other shonen anime such as Naruto and Dragonball Z; The plot is thick with political intrigue (thick for a shonen anime anyway) and with dark twists and turns that easily set it on a mantle as the premiere shonen anime (in the action category) of it's day.
Someone above went over the synopsis of the story, so I'll leave that out. I will say that you can expect good characters, an interesting setting, great action, and passable (great at times) humor from the characters. This boxed set is referred to as season 1, and that seems to have upset one of the other reviewers, since it doesn't really feel like a "season" at all. This is because most shonen anime aren't separated into seasons in the American sense. Shonen anime (by design) run hundreds of episodes, with story arcs that can range anywhere from 60 to 100 episodes. Bleach's first story arc is 60ish episodes, so really you could call this boxed set "Arc 1 part 1 of 3" though I'm sure "Season 1" sounds a whole lot better.
In the box, you get 20 episodes on 5 discs, with extras such as production art (on the DVD's) and textless versions of the endings. Both Japanese and English audio are on the discs, with English subtitles. Inside the box is a book-style DVD case with 1 DVD per side (nice compared to the two discs on top of each other in boxed sets such as the DBZ season sets) and the original case art from the single DVD releases inset. Rounding it out is a poster of Rukia and Ichigo, as well as images of Kon and a hollow mask printed inside the outer box (a very nice touch indeed. I was surprised to see Kon looking up at me from the box). Overall, this is probably the highest quality (value) boxed set I've ever bought. When I say value, I mean a boxed set that is just the DVD's, and not a "Limited Edition" set (which usually come with full length posters, stickers, pencils, OST's etc). The addition of the poster in the box was more than I was expecting for a set as low priced as this, and truthfully, most boxed sets you buy don't even have little extras like that.
In conclusion, if you go into a shonen anime seeking something as deep and dark as an anime such as Monster or Elfen Lied, then you probably need to rethink the genre you are going into. I would argue however that by the time you've seen the end of the 60 episode first arc of Bleach, you would agree that the story in a shonen anime can absolutely transcend the genre, and become something that coexists with the action, instead of being something that exists only as a distraction between excellent fights (of which there are many in Bleach). Bleach destroys it's peers in the shonen genre (such as Naruto, and One Piece), and I'd say it's definitely worth the buy if you liked such shows as Yu Yu Hakusho or Dragonball Z.
 Another Slow-Moving Open-Ending Brawler Sitcom June 9, 2008
2 out of 27 found this review helpful
First of all, this isn't a complete story. I've seen through episode 28 or so and I wouldn't be able to really tell you where "Season 1" ended. As near as I can tell, the whole series is one continuous and ongoing storyline. So don't be surprised if you get to the end of the last episode in season 1 and are wondering "What the heck happens next?"
In general, Bleach could have been a decent, albeit rather cliche, chunk of anime if it weren't for the fact that it moves astonishingly slowly. If you're a fan of the open-ended series that tend to have two episodes per fight (with "fight" being what characters do best) along the lines of Inu Yasha, Ruroni Kenshin, Dragonball Z or 12 Kingdoms, this may be an amusing and lighthearted romp for you. I prefer the series that start wherever they start, bound about a bit and then deliver a plotline to a suitable conclusion some 13-26ish episodes later -- Lain, Slayers (by season), Trigun, Read or Die, Last Exile, Samurai Champloo -- and Bleach just didn't work for me. As far as I'm concerned, when you can skip through every other episode and just watch the re-caps without missing anything of any significance, you know your time isn't being well-spent by the show.
... June 24, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was pretty cynical about the whole Bleach thing. It is Shonen Jump, and Shonen Jump doesn't really have a good reputation among hardcore anime fans. However, I watched through the most recent episode via fansubs and realized I liked it enough to acquire the DVDs.
First of all, the current price ($28) is hard to beat. You get the first 20 episodes, which unfortunately aren't the best (things really pick up in the next few boxsets)... but do serve as an important introduction to the series. As far as the actual boxset goes, this one is really nice. Unlike the crappy Naruto Uncut boxes (I mean, I love Naruto and get those box sets, but you don't look at those and say, wowie, what a well-designed box!), the Bleach box has fantastic little touches that fans appreciate and enjoy. (Plus, it includes a poster... which is much more useful than those pointless books that come packaged with Naruto).
Bleach is highly overrated simply due to its popularity. But that doesn't mean it is a bad series. Sure, I wish shows like Elfin Lied or Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi got the same kind of attention, but I've never been one to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
(I will say I find Viz's use of "soul reaper" instead of the fansubber's use of "shinigami" quite obnoxious. But oh well, it is to be expected.)
Bleach Uncut Season 1 Box Set July 22, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Bleach Uncut Season1 Box Set (Standard Edition)
I will admit that when I was first exposed to Bleach, I was not a fan. About a year or so after it first began airing I managed to sit down and watch an episode. Since that episode, I haven't stopped. The only regret I had was not watching Bleach from the beginning.
This is one of the first anime I have come across where both the characters and storyline develop with each episode. It also has one of the largest collections of characters that I have seen to date. (I am just getting into anime now, a little at a time; so there may be others out there that invalidate what I am saying but I haven't encountered them yet.)
Bleach centers around a 15 year old boy named Ichigo Kurosaki (known as Strawberry in the manga) who can see ghosts. One night he has an encounter with a soul reaper - Rukia Kuchiki - and both of their lives are changed forever. Ichigo is forced to become a substitute soul reaper and as a result not only has to prevent hollows from attacking humans but also his friends, who also become entangled in Ichigo's new found adventures.
Season 1 is an excellent opportunity to learn about the characters, their relationships, their powers and their lives as it culminates with an unbelievable season finale, which sets things up beautifully for Season 2, which will not only introduce a new plane of existence but also an even larger cast. This is not your typical monster of the week anime like some of the others.
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