Kubo And The Two Strings (2016) Review

Kubo and the Two Strings, another epic adventure and experience from Studio Laika

Like a refreshing breeze awakening one from the habitual blur of the mundane. Kubo and The Two Strings breathes life into this film season with its moving and sincere story following the adventure of a young boy who goes on a journey to locate 3 pieces of mythical armor/weaponry. Simple yet deep, colourful yet mature and all around full of fun and inspiration, you will without doubt find yourself smiling and inspired by the end. I recommend everyone to see this film, it is without question, a beautiful piece of cinema.

Bleach Personality Quiz

Which are you?

Which Bleach character are you? Personality quiz:

Example:
Birthday is 12th of April 1980 → 1+9+8+0+4+12=25  →  2+5=7
7 and if your blood type is B, you are like Rukia

Bleach Unmasked – The Missing Pieces

Harribel the Pirate Queen? Hmmmm...

I’m in shock…she is actually still alive!!! So clinging onto that small small hope that she was still alive actually paid off big time!! Ah Kubo, I was in a maelstrom of believing and doubting you on whether you would reveal she wasn’t dead, and it turns out that I was a fool to doubt you. The “she” I’m referring to is Tier Harribel. I’ve been wanting to make this entry for a while (months now…) – I found out about her still being alive early September but I ended up getting distracted and pushing writing (and drawing the picture) for later.

Bleach Chapter 461 – The Results Of Change

Ichigo and his allies from Gotei 13 - by GTcolors (http://gtcolors.deviantart.com)

Such a contrast in personality when Ichigo has power and when he doesn’t have power. When he has power, he is able to believe and push himself to defeat his opponent, but when he doesn’t, he just caves in as we’ve seen through this arc. Awesome to see Ichigo back and even being sarcastic when he missed Kuugo =P. Anyway turns out Kuugo will be a much more significant character in Bleach.

Bleach Chapter 460 – The Full Moon Approaches

About time someone knocked some sense into Ichigo! - by amethystxamber (http://amethystxamber.deviantart.com)

Finally! I’ve been waiting for this scene for a while, thank you Rukia, you managed to drag Ichigo out of the pitiful state he was in for the past 36 chapters. And it does seem the chapters filled with uneasiness and trolling are over and the point where Ichigo lays down a beating on someone is at hand (just like Aizen found out last arc). Poor Kuugo, he finally gets to see just what a REAL Getsuga Tensho is…but unfortunately for him, he is the target…I wonder if Kubo will have Kuugo die now, or will he lead this situation onto a whole new bigger situation ie. a new saga or arc? Well whatever happens, I am interested in finding out the answers to some of the questions I accumulated over the course of this arc O.o.

Bleach Chapter 459 – Hey My Friend

A smile warm enough to melt the misery and despair freezing Ichigo's heart - coloured by benderZz (http://benderzz.deviantart.com)

So that’s how it is, Ginjou and Tsukishima were actually working together, guess I was wrong in predicting that the two weren’t in league with one another, but that’s fine, I like how things turned out. Rather than more mystery and twist, it’s great the arc is finally getting into heart of things and finally revealing just what direction it intends to travel towards. Ichigo just isn’t the same without Rukia around, I have come to realise this arc that Rukia served as much more than just a friend to Ichigo. Just as Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo were part of Ichigo, Rukia’s presence served as something equally important. With Rukia around, Ichigo can be the Ichigo that is the hero of Bleach, rather than some whiney manipulated boy which he was during this arc (completely and utterly manipulated by Ginjou and Tsukishima without putting up much resistance).

Bleach Chapter 456-458 – Memories Of You

Don’t worry, I’ll be your friend

Oh wow, twist and turns and even trolling, Bleach finally getting into the groove of things these chapters. This arc may be about Ichigo getting his Shinigami powers back, but the developments that are overshadowing this is the Kuugo and Tsukishima relationship. Ichigo’s training seems to be so far just caught up in the middle of whatever is happening between Kuugo and Tsukishima, though the developments with Kisuke and Isshin seem more important, but we hardly have anything substantial to go with (we have vague ideas but that’s it).

Bleach Chapter 455 – Lamenting Circumstances

Tsukishima, guess he really was unarmed...

Oh Ichigo, its amusing watching your roller coaster of reactions, from completely terrified to strangely terrifying – he is ready to kill a human!! And unlike in his Shinigami form where he is actually cleansing (aka Bleaching) the soul of Hollow (doesn’t seem like that to me when the Gotei 13 slash away at their enemies with smirks on their faces – so much for liberating the corrupted), here he has a real sword, that really cuts the flesh and bone, that does real damage, and that really does kill. Walking the road of killer requires more thought than what Ichigo is putting in, especially since he is only a teenager (17)!!

Bleach Chapter 454 – The Breaking Point Of Sanity

Ichigo's twisting sanity leads him to a desire to kill - coloured by Silvercore94 (http://silvercore94.deviantart.com)

Isshin and Kisuke finally get some coverage…but it’s only for two pages and it only shows them walking down the street with grim expressions on their faces with Isshin carrying some sword emanating a strange sort of energy – is that a form of reiatsu that will help kick-start the Shinigami powers in Ichigo and awaken Zangetsu? Well whatever is happening with Isshin and Kisuke, we’ll have to wait until they are covered again – probably in 3 or so chapters time…hopefully the next time they are covered, more substance is revealed…

Bleach Chapter 453 – The Puppeteer And The Marionette

Scared, confused and isolated, Ichigo's mind crumbles...

Oh Ichigo, I remember when you were the star of Bleach, shining so brightly that nothing was impossible for you and even an otherworldly organisation boasting insane levels of power like Gotei 13 couldn’t wall off your desires and conviction. But now Ichigo, truly sadly now, in most situations you are no more the star of Bleach, but instead the darkness in the background that brightens and emphasises the “star”. Throughout this arc, rather than Ichigo grabbing hold of his conviction to get his Shinigami powers back, he has instead been thrown around like a ragged doll, pushed and pulled, manipulated and fooled, Ichigo has become nothing more than a string-puppet being controlled by the new mind-manipulating characters in Bleach – Ginjou and Tsukishima.