Beautiful Bleach ED 26

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

I'm verklempt!

Among rumors that the Bleach anime was ending or at the very least going hiatus, ROOKiEZisPUNK‘D premiered new music today for a Bleach ED that plays fan nostalgia for all its worth. "Song for..." was billed in a television ad as "a love song for a special woman," but then when the ED premiered it was a Bleach retrospective told from Rukia's point of view. Rukia doesn't appear in the ending--she's a Hell butterfly flitting over a montage of the nakama and mostly Ichigo.

The scene where Ichigo pops Rukia lightly on the forehead KILLED ME DEAD and apparently others watching as well because there was fanart in cyberspace right after the airing.

Scene where he pops her on the forehead:






Art by Larva






The current OP is my favorite, and while "Echoes" was my favorite of the EDs (the one with the war-weary nakama gathering after the Arrancar battles), this one surpasses it by far. It makes me remember why I love Bleach, and like the chapter "Farewell Swords" now renamed "Bleach My Soul" in the volume, it's a fitting marker for an anniversary.

It's also overwhelmingly IchiRuki. Like I wrote in the IR FC at BA this morning,the montage of images are so wonderful, not only because they are so nostalgic Bleach-wise but because they are from Rukia's POV--and in a wonderful parallel the song and scenes also show us Ichigo's feelings for Rukia. There are three key expressions featured before the gates close: 1) the look on Ichigo's face as he lies helpless on the ground the first time Rukia is taken by Byakuya and Renji to Soul Society 2) the look on Ichigo's face when he stands before the great bird of fire in his most heroic moment in the whole bleach manga to rescue Rukia--a man and no longer a boy and 3) that wistful look of longing and gratitude on his face as Rukia disappears in the last chapter--that moment that marks a relationship's vector point--there's a quiet epiphany here. The anime adds a blush on Ichigo's face in the ED and I'm not that impressed with it--blushes don't equal romance in my book (Renji blushed over Orihime's words in the last anime episode) and peoples' faces get red in cold weather. For me what is more important are the expressions in the characters' eyes when Kubo draws them, and in the case of this ED, the juxtaposition of romantic lyrics, nostalgic scenes, and two characters POVs.

I don't know how anyone can watch this ending and not see a love story, but then again people can read the last panels of "Bleach my Soul" and go okay, okay, move along, nothing to see here, they're just friends, just friends, just GOOD GOOD GOOD CLOSE FRIENDS.

Keep telling yourself that.

Whatever it is to you, in this ED the beauty of the Ichigo and Rukia relationship shines bright as a tear.

Oh and the crack!ep was awesome. So much Ishida goodness. He was an anemic vampire, rotflmao. And I got some IchiIshi love <3 and RenIshi to boot tooooooo! <3


eta: translation by pikeish  of heartbreaking description (oh dear lord I'm beyond verklempt now--I'm all a fan googly mess!) of the song by ROOKiEZisPUNK‘D (Thanks Syn for infos):
:

"In (the album) "Complication", dedicated to a girl that has always been by his side, supporting the guy that has been struggling to shine, could be, so to speak a piece of work that was done with all might, as a continuation of "Complication". Is the important thing from this on forth for the both of our lives, to continue this relationship? Or to say goodbye! It is no doubt that in the final season, this will resonate across many couples who are drawing near to this ultimate choice. Warmth and hopelessness, a spectacle and devastation, hope and despair, put together in this work"

This was the band description for "Song for..." here.

ETA:  SGKK translated the lyrics in their subs
You can find them here. The lyrics include, curiously, Kubo's quote about Rukia's meaning to Ichigo:

I'll pull down the single ray of light

What's more curious is that it's an old song, never released but only performed at concerts yet it was so fitting.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

This ED is the best ED ever. OMG I can't believe how we are. It's obviously romantic, and I can't wait to see the lyrics, even if some translations in the Ichiruki FC already make my day. 'I promise I will always make you happy' OMG how romantic and beautiful that is !!!
Tatai

[(Anonymous)]

I mean, "what we have*", of course.

[selenityshiroi.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched the Bleach anime in ages. I only brought the season 4 boxset because amazon.co.uk were selling it for £7.99, so it doesn't bother me if it ends or not. As long as we still have the manga!

However, that ED is beautiful! The song is nice, too, but the video made me tear up! It's such a wonderful look at Rukia's life on Earth and what she's leaving behind. And the relationship between her and Ichigo shines through.

*whimper*

[nehalenia.livejournal.com]

Oh dear god. I just watched this without the sound (because I'm in my office at school with other folks around) and I'm doing my best not to cry.
Whether you want to see the ED as romantic or not, it definitely shows the depth and significance of the Ichigo/Rukia relationship. The impression I'm left with is this: back on Soukyoku Hill, Orihime said that Rukia wasn't just Ichigo's nakama because she had changed his world. I see this ED as a response to that because it shows how much Ichigo changed Rukia's world.

I can't remember the last time I've seen anything so touching and beautiful. Now officially my favorite ED.

The anime had better come back! *weeps*

[iselinka.livejournal.com]

Oh my... Ichigo's expressions are so soft,so full of love I dare say <3

[nightshade-ave.livejournal.com]

Absolutely stunning ED, I love it. <3<3<3

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that sequence feels like a Good-bye. Wonder if they'll come back with a renamed series after Kubo has finished more work, or if this is more like Inuyasha situation, where the anime just stopped. (Come to think on it, Ranma was another multi-season anime ended before the manga series did.)

And I had to blink back tears. Not just for the IchiRuki of the ending, but for all Rukia's friends that she has to say goodbye to.

[hinodeh.livejournal.com]

The Inu Yasha anime eventually returned and the end chapters were animated.

[hinodeh.livejournal.com]

This ED is incrediblly touching. I like turning points like this, when a character remembers all the good times and bad times, and longs for the past. Never fails to move me. I am really impressed by how well the visuals alone portray Rukia's feelings.

Thank for sharing that IchiRuki fanart, it's adorable.

[animeangel4eva.livejournal.com]

Wow. Stunning and beautiful ED, I love how they did it!

[qchanlover.livejournal.com]

ishida dishida and daddys kyaaaaaa I still screaming like crazy XDDD heheheehehehehehe

[(Anonymous)]

Oh jeez this is too sad, now it makes me even want rukia's return faster T.T RUKIAA COME BAAACK D;
I hope Kubo didn't made it Rukia's real farewell O.O

[peca-06.livejournal.com]

Well... That made me cry T_____________T. Gawd! I miss THEM and miss their dynamic soooo much . Gah! It just emphasizes their strong bond and it was genius to make it from Rukia's POV, standing/walking beside him every step of the way, to see the different expressions of Ichigo and several highlights of their journey, different scenes from the mundane to situations in battle, in bad times, in good times, their separation ... Their beautiful growing bond.

The anime team really played my heart strings there. I love the pop, l love the way Rukia saw him standing in front of her, so heroic and larger than life in the SS rescue scene, the way he stood in tatters before facing Yammy, when he was bleeding on the ground, etc... So nostalgic, so pretty...
OK, I'm at work, and I can't be sobbing like an idiot lol (good thing I have my own office) got to go :P.

[saiechan.livejournal.com]

I didn't I was going to tear up until I saw the last memory..."Oh maaan, why did they have to show that one!!"

It really is a beautiful ending. *tear* Thank you for posting this!!

On a side note, it can be either be romantic or not. It simply shows the development of the strong and precious bond formed between Ichigo and Rukia. Gah, his face on the last scene, *stabs my heart*.

[pony-rocks.livejournal.com]

Very beautiful ending.

Episode was wondeful, too. Uryuu is so stubborn. XD

[tsubaki99.livejournal.com]

D-Damn...it made me tear up...

[miss-ragdoll.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, and so touching... I was the whole time expecting to see Rukia, since in the beginning you get to see her shadow, but the effect of Ichigo touching her in the video has been amazingly caring. And the end... well, I cannot say anything else besides touching. I cried in the manga, and I still have to watch the last chapter, so... I don't know how I'll do it X_D but it leaves me with butterflies and knots in the guts the whole time, I hope they keep on with the anime and this is just an hiatus, because this kind of ending surely deserves a counterpart :DD

[patcchi.livejournal.com]

I feel like crying now... this ED pretty much summarizes Ichigo's and Rukia's relationship since the moment they met.

[lovely-chance.livejournal.com]

Oh Rukiaaaaa....T^T I love heart-warming nostalgic EDs like this one. It really gave the feeling that Bleach (anime) might be ending which made me sad.

BTW, this is the first time I ever liked an IchiRuki ending, sad to say I didn't like the others as much.

[unwritten-icons.livejournal.com]

What I like best is that this can be read in both ways - the romantic bond they have developed over the course of the series, and the importance of Rukia's friends (although second to Ichigo's own importance) - or how their (Ichigo and Rukia's) friendship has developed alongside everyone else.

I personally can't 100% decide on which I'd like to interpret it as, but it was a beautiful ending, not only for showing such a strong bond, but because of the animation, too. Spot on. Ichigo's softer expressions and ESPECIALLY the head poke just made me melt.

[sugary-nitemare.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree. This ending has so many mixed emotions. I can't exactly tell all the things going on in Rukia's head at the time, but without a doubt, there are some romantic thoughts. *Stares lovingly at Ichigo* =3

Sometimes, I myself am jealous of Rukia... she has Ichigo, Renji, and Byakuya to protect [even though she doesn't like it] and watch over her. I personally want my own Ichi, but I think MANY fans could agree with me! >3< Life's not fair [all the time]! She also has so many people surrounding her. :)

Enough of my ramblings! Anyways, the head poke made me squeal and almost pass out. It's plain ol' sweet X3, very cute. I was happy until I read a comment from a fan saying that this ending wasn't IchiRuki and that it was only Rukia's 'obsession' over Ichigo. I didn't reply, but that me awfully mad. I was ready to bite someone's head off. >:(

[shuryou.livejournal.com]

What I wanted from this ending the most was for it to be an Arrancar Arc version of "Life", and for the most part that's what I got, and I am very happy.

[pogo2468.livejournal.com]

Precious ED. There was such a warmth to it. Damn, this one got me close to crying.

*watches ED for the millionth time XD*

[sugary-nitemare.livejournal.com]

Mimi's gonna cry T^T... this ending shows memories and a romantic story. I can almost feel Rukia's emotions, it's just too sad. Having all these wonderful memories, but having to leave. T^T :(

I can't wait till Rukia comes back into the manga :3. It will make my day! *Eyes sparkle*

[fa-ying.livejournal.com]

;___________________;

[ryfee.livejournal.com]

This. T_________________T

[cyanglow]

Excellent ED. Fitting for the end of Deicide and a break (end?) from the anime.

[summelbaerli.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, yes, YES!! Ive been ranting for hours on skype with fellow IchiRuki-lovers right now xDD
Can't stop watching this ED *w* And can't wait to edit with it! ^o^

[velvetsword.livejournal.com]

Wow, there's a lot of dust in the air in my house apparently.

Or it's raining.

[escarboucle.livejournal.com]

It's dust. I know I have the same in my eyes since this afternoon. Damn annoying :/