ShangLuda
Admirable film.
Voxitype
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
axopnk
The bleach movie is basically a long filler episode but nonetheless, a good filler episode.First off, the animation is superb. I disagree with what critics and others are saying that the animation backgrounds are stagnant and characters look stiff. The animation backgrounds are the best i've seen so far in the bleach series and characters look fluent and move even more realistic. Second, the soundtrack and voice actors were also great. It's great to hear the familiar voices and music that make Bleach so good.The only two problems i really have are the characters used and the storyline. Basically, it's almost the same problems i had with the bount storyline.The storyline seemed intriguing in the beginning because you really are trying to figure out this mystery of what blank souls are. Then we find out it's some evil clan that was banished who wants revenge on the Soul society. It's disappointing that there was no plot twist. That's bad for either a bleach fan or a non fan because it just looks too simplistic. Evil clan wants to destroy good clan because they were banished. That's it? Yup that's it. Other parts were a bit confusing and some parts could have been cut out.Second, i still don't see the point of throwing in certain characters. Granted, obviously Ichigo and Rukia are a must for the whole movie, but was Izuru Kira or any of the other soul society Lt's needed? What about Chad, or Orihime? Nope not necessary since they really didn't do anything. Again, as a fan, i appreciate that they tried to throw in familiar faces, but again, i would not throw in a face if they don't even matter.Lastly, of course the big problem with filler episodes/movies is character attachment. Granted i did like Senna, but ultimately we all knew she wasn't going to be around. Neither were any of the Evil ones.So basically we knew they would no longer be seen in any form in the main bleach storyline. Overall though, i still give it a 7 because as much as the storyline and characters could be flawed, from a pure entertainment value, it did it's job. I liked that the Evil ones would be killed quickly instead of being long and drawn out like the bount storyline. I like that Senna had enough backstory for you to care about her but not too much that you wouldn't get attached and be completely bummed out that she was never in any other Bleach story. Finally i like that the storyline was simplistic to follow and not a convoluted, dragged out mess like the bount storyline. Strait and to the point.
droctagon-638-646664
Just quickly I think it's relevant to say that I'm a huge fan of the Bleach manga and a moderate fan of the TV series (except the filler sagas). This review assumes that people are familiar with the Bleach manga and/ or TV series. I would advise against watching this movie if you're not.You know the great thing about making a movie follow up to a TV series or movie that is already popular? You can put in a fairly minimal amount of effort and still be guaranteed to make at least a decent amount of money, so long as you've conducted enough market research to give the fans of the original what they want. I watched the TV series until half way through the bount saga, then stopped and started reading the manga because the series had become slow moving and unimaginative. I subsequently found out that the bount saga wasn't part of the manga (a "filler" saga) and was made to make money rather than for the sake of art. Memories of Nobody is basically the same thing; a 90 minute filler episode. Memories of Nobody is not a complete waste of space though. The voice acting (in the English dubbed version which I'm reviewing) is quite frankly excellent. The plot - while inferior to Tite Kubo's masterpiece - is better than what you'd get from a lot of action movies and fits with the tone of the TV series without clashing with it.And what about the characters? Joining Ichigo and Rukia is a third main character - a mysterious young girl named Senna. (Mysterious young girls in anime?!? No way!!) Senna is a hyperactive demi-loli who runs around giggling and annoying Ichigo. She is given a sob story background to try to force an emotional attachment from the viewers, but unfortunately that's about as far as the character development goes and so she's very one dimensional. This means the character really isn't believable, which means we don't get the emotional attachment, which means we fail to care. Ouch.All the most popular characters from the series make appearances which should make the fans happy, but they haven't gone to the effort of properly integrating them into the main story and so they just end up feeling like cameo appearances (you're guaranteed to make money so long as you give the fans what they want, remember?)The movie could have (should have) built upon the series by riding it's strengths while providing better quality animation and getting rid of the super-cheesy music, but the animation quality hasn't noticeably improved and they've kept the same cheesy music from the series. It has its good points and bad points, but all the bad points easily outweigh the good ones. For example: It's a Bleach movie! YAY! The animation is TV series quality! BOO! It's got Kenpachi in it! YAY! The main character is about as deep as a puddle! BOO! Etc.Basically Memories of Nobody only ever aspired to provide a pleasant experience for the existing Bleach fans and because of this it was never going to be a great movie in it's own right. Even for fans of the show this is definitely "rent before you buy" material.
xamtaro
The first feature length animated project based on the popular Shonen Jump manga proves to be a forgettable and redundant entry into the Bleach anime franchise. Instead of weaving an epic tale that would be a crucial turning point for the beloved Bleach characters and do justice to a heightened movie-styled animation budget, the production team decides to churn out what is in essence an extended TV series episode in which, rather conveniently thanks to a plot twist, nothing that happens in this movie has any place or effect in the main anime storyline. One could easily find a better way to spend 90 minutes and not miss a thing.The story begins during a routine "Hollow" hunting when Ichigo and Ruika encounter strange spirits know as "Blanks". Initially confused by their sudden appearance, the plot thickens with the appearance of a mysterious new Soul Reaper named Senna who quickly befriends Ichigo. Slowly, the nature of Senna and the strange appearances of the spirits are revealed culminating with Ichigo and gang having to stop a age old feud by a group of Soul Reaper exiles who intend on destroying the world and the Soul society.Face it, "Bleach: Memories of Nobody" is just an extended filler episode of the popular Bleach anime series. None of the characters get any further development and the cast of new characters do not add much to the soup. Senna especially was no doubt written to be a spunky yet likable girl with a carefree outlook on life, but thanks to either the script or the seiyuu (Japanese voice actress), she comes across as quite an irritant with her "sad" back story feeling forced into place to milk a few tears from the audience. Thankfully the returning cast from the TV series all deliver some adequate performances that fit their character personalities.(note: i have only watched the Japanese version thus far but i hear that the English dub has had much positive reception)Despite having a movie sized budget, the animation still suffers from the same flaws that plague the TV series. Stiff character motion, flat backgrounds and frequent use of lazy looking animation short-cuts make this movie look even more like a glorified episode of the TV series. There are even a couple of scenes with very obvious "off-model" or disproportionate character art. Along with the overly bright cheery color scheme and minimally detailed artwork, the only "improvement" there is seems to be a greater usage of CGI for some backgrounds and special power effects.Unless you are an existing fan of Bleach, this movie would fail to satisfy. As if the story were not confusing enough, No introductions or exposition is given hence newcomers would find it really difficult to watch this show and understand the various terms and Bleach lingo. As an anime movie, the production standards are sub-par and the story is plagued by some pacing issues. Top it off with one major cop-out ending(no it was not all a dream, but it is something close to that), and what you get is one major disappointment.Basically, if you thought the TV series was good, "Bleach: Memories of Nobody" would not change your mind, but neither would it be increasing your impression about Bleach as a whole. If you thought the TV series was not up to expectations, this movie would only prove you right once more as you will find the same flaws here. A real treat for hardcore Bleach fanatics, and a real let down for fans of good anime movies.
Teranoid
I had never seen the Bleach series before, but I kept hearing great things about it. I got the opportunity to see this movie and was completely blown away. I was a little confused on some elements of the story, but they were easily cleared up by watching the first episode of the series.The voice acting is incredible here, as is the animation. Everything about the movie is really well done. The story keeps you gripped the entire time, and you will wish to see more when the credits start to roll.Definitely check this out, whether you are a big Bleach fan, or haven't dabbled in the series yet. It's a great film.