Bleach: the movie

Ok, I'm not talking about a movie dedicated to Clorox. If you thought that, you are not a fan of anime or manga. But if you are a fan you are definitely a bit happier.

For those that don't know, Bleach is an anime (an adult cartoon essentially) based on a 15 year old that gets mixed up with the spirit world and protecting regular people from the bad spirits. It's got elements of samurai, cowboy western philosophy, comedy, drama, and of course complete fantasy all mixed together. It has a huge cast of characters, yet the series (showing on Saturdays on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim) plays out like a soap opera, so it's not too difficult for new viewers to catch up. The show is wildly popular.

Part of the popularity comes from the inner battles many of the main characters go through. Most notably is the struggle of the lead Ichigo Kurosaki. Not only must he battle the various bad guys of the series, but he is in a constant battle with his own inner demon. An inner power that constantly tries to consume him, and is a danger to anyone in its reach when it gets unleashed.

So popular is the show that there is no lack of fan made videos celebrating each character and many of the story arcs. Here is an example of much of the above, specifically the inner demon partially released.



So now that you have a taste of what all the fuss is about, imagine this kind of a story in a movie theater. I can't wait. It has the inner journey, the desire and challenges of being a hero, the damsel(s) in distress, the epic battles of good and evil, and cool effects. If you like action, you enjoy drama, what else are you looking for?

Now here is the kicker. This won't be an anime movie. It is planned as a live action film. That means people doing what the cartoon has shown. The CGI technology exists, so it is possible. If this is done right the fights will be spectacular. If it's done wrong this will be Dragonball: Evolution.

Bleach the movie will be fantastic, as long as the Hollywood machine does not decide to turn this into a GI Joe movie. If they water down the material, go for the kids and make it a long Saturday morning cartoon made live they will lose their investment. But if they just let it be what it is, an adult movie with serious and at times humorous themes originating in an unusual (for Americans) format, it will do well.

Which movie will be made? Well, we will see soon enough.