Buffy versus Bleach

 

This time it isn't Mr. Dad versus the Boys, but Mr. Dad versus Mommy. In december we bought a new (second hand) TV for our bedroom. Since then we often take early showers and watch movies and TV series in bed. We've become even more lazy than before. The Covid-19 year of 2020 didn't bring that much new movies and series, so we looked for other/older entertainment. As I said in the introduction post of this blog, Mommy likes to watch Anime TV series and the series of DC Comics (Arrow, The Flash, Lucifer). Mr. Dad is more into Marvel TV shows and cartoons, as well as a broad range of other series.

So we decided to try out some Anime, to see if Mr. Dad could get into that. We started with the 2019 Anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Like a lot of Anime (Japanese cartoon) series, it's based on a Manga (Japanese comic book). The story is about a boy called Tanjiro Kamado, who's whole family is slaughtered by a demon, except for his sister Nezuko, who is turned into a demon. Nezuko is able to withstand the urge to eat human souls like other demons. Tanjiro is determined to turn his sister back into a human. To do this, he sets out to become a demon slayer (hence the title) and find a cure. Along the way he battles multiple demons and befriends other demon slayers like the scared Zenitsu and the shiort-tempered, boar-headed Inosuke.

We watched the first season of this series (which by the way is available on Netflix starting January 22, 2021) and I liked most of it. The main characters, brother and sister Tanjiro and Nezuko are very likable. Most of the suporting cast as well, although as in a lot of Anime they are sometimes over the top and they keep that going too long for my taste. The second half of the season got a bit slower and there wasn't too much action, which I liked less. Also there were a lot of new characters introduced which did not add that much to the story. So along the way it lost my interest a bit. I am however looking forward to the next season, if that ever happens, because I'm interested in what happens with the big bad from the series, a very powerful demon who looks like Michael Jackson in his smooth criminal costume.

Anyway, we watched the first Anime series together and were thinking about what to watch next. One of Mommy's favorite Anime's is Bleach, so we decided to watch that. In return I said: "Then also let's watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer", which has been one of my favorite series for years. So we did. Eventhough the series are completely different, I also found a lot of similairities between the two.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a TV series which was on the air from 1997 to 2003 and ran for 7 seasons. It was created by Joss Whedon and was based on his movie with the same name from 1992 with Kristy Swanson in the titular role. Whedon was later resposible for series like Dollhouse, Firefly and Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. Also he wrote and directed several movies like Cabin in the Woods, Alien Resurrection, the Marvel movies The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron and in 2017 took over DC's Justice League from Zack Snyder. In 2020 he would get some backlash from the actors of that movie about unacceptable behaviour on set. He also wrote for Marvel Comics (X-Men) and Dark Horse comics. After the end of the Buffy TV series, a 8th season was published in comicbook form by Dark Horse.

The series follows Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a highschool student who is also a  vampire slayer. In the first season she moves to the town of Sunnydale after some (vampire-slaying-related) incidents on her old school. She meets the school librarian Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) who is a Watcher, a vampire slayer trainer. Also she befriends the shy redheaded Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and her joke cracking friend (Xander Nicholas Brendon). Minor roles are there for the mean girl Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and the mysterious Angel (David Boreanaz). The last mentioned character would later get a spin-off series called Angel, which ran from 1999 to 2004.

Rewatching this season after so many years (and probably for the third or fourth time), it occured to me that it's actually not very good. In my memory the series was witty and had good stories and great monsters. But the first season is not very good yet. With The Master (the 1st seasons big baddie) and episode 8's Moloch it had some cool monsters, but they were not used that well. The 'dusting' of the vampires looked rather cheap and a lot of episodes were cut in a way that the monsters were defeated in an instand after a long build-up and then the next scene everything was normal again. Also I always was frustrated with the acting 'skills' of David Boreanaz in this first season. Although he's a character that doesn't appear that much, when he does, it's not that good. From what I understood Boreanaz didn't have that much experience then and was mainly cast for his looks. He gets better in later seasons and in his own spin-off, but man, the delivery of that first few lines was (as the boys say) 'cringe'!

BLEACH is an Anime series that ran from 2004 to 2012. It was made by the Japanese Studio Pierrot, which is known for other well-known Anime series like Naruto and Tokyo Ghoul. It is based on the Manga of the same name by Tite Kubo. The first 3 (of 16!) seasons are available on Netflix.

The story of Bleach is about a highschool boy called Ichigo Kurosaki. Ichigo was always able to see ghosts and sometimes helps them finishing their business on Earth. Early in the series he is attacked by a Hollow, a demon who wants to devour his spirit energy. He and his sisters are rescued by Rukia, a soul reaper who lends him her powers. It starts him on a journey to become a soul reaper himself and avenge his mother's death. Several of his classmates, like Yasutora Sado ("Chad"), the shy, redheaded (sounds familiar?) Orihime and Uryū Ishida also have or develop power during the first season.

I liked the first season, although I found the Hollow often a bit boring and I didn't like their white masks. Also it's a pity that some of the characters from the first season which I liked, like Ichigo's sister Karin and Orihime's friend Tatsuki, seem to be left behind after that first season and instead some more outlandish characters are introduced. (After a bit of searching it seems that they might return in later seasons/episodes). I also didn't like the character Uryū that much, who Mommy told me was a 'cool guy'. I thought he was rather snobish and annoying. I did like Kon, a substitute soul in the form of a pill which takes over Ichigo's body when he transfers to a soul reaper spirit form. Kon was later placed in a teddy bear, which was quite funny.

Conclusion

Like I said, there's a lot of similarities between the two series (and even a few with the Demon Slayer Anime). Both series are about 'regular' 15/16 year old highschool kids batteling demons. They all have demon slayer teachers and friends who help them fighting evil. The redheaded Willow and Orihime are also a lot alike, there are multiple comedic characters in both series and family is an important aspect in both series. Of course with the drawn style it is cheaper to do a lot of special effects than in a live-action series.

After watching the first season of Bleach and rewatching the first season of Buffy (almost, still 2 episodes to go), I have to give this one to Mommy, making it 0-2 for Mr. Dad versus the Boys (and Mommy). I have high hopes for season two and onward of Buffy though and I don't know if I can keep up with the over-the-top crazyness of Japanese Anime for 15 more seasons. But the first season of both shows has a clear winner: Bleach.