Ichiruki in Songs: OP & ED, pt. 3 (D-technoLife & Ichirin no hana)
Tsunaida kimi no te wo/Your hand that I held...
D-technolife is the second opening, used for the SS arc, and is sung by Uverworld. I remember that I played it for my friends. They didn’t watch Bleach, nor really liked anime or manga, but they supported me and went along with my passions xD I was a strange thing to be around, back then.
FUN FACT:
DID YOU KNOW THAT ICHIGO AND RUKIA WERE SUPPOSED TO HOLD HANDS WHEN THE TITLE CARD APPEARED???????????????!!!!!!!!!!!! (click)
Yeah, that’s how OBVIOUS thei relationship looked to the staff’s eyes. Holding hands is a big fucking deal. Even without that, this opening is already a dream.
Ichigo and Rukia sitting back-to-back, worlds apart, but together in spirit. They look so forlorn. Ichigo was so passionate during this arc. Always shouting her name, asking “Where is she?! Where is my waifu?!”. Rukia so sad, caged in that tower. I adore that little nice touch of Rukia’s hair falling forward, while she is watching the bird. This is my favourite arc, hands down. Kubo developed it a exciting way, it was well structured, it had depth and a powerful final plot twist (seriously, I didn’t foresee Aizen at all! But then it made so much sense. See, Kubo, that’s how a plot twist look like. You know how to write them). I adore adore adoreeee how everyone kept asking Ichigo “Why do you want to save her though? What is she to you?” And he went “I owe her, she saved my life and now I want give back the favour, she gave the power to protect, she saved my life etc” then, in the end, the real reason was so simple, so pure “I want to give you the freedom to do what you want. I want to see your smile. I want you to come back home, with me”
*cries*
ienai itami kanashimi de kizu tsuita kimi yo
kesenai kako mo seoi atte ikou ikiru koto wo nage dasanai de
Injured with pain and sadness, the you that cannot be healed
Shoulder the burden of the past that cannot be erased; don't throw away your will to live
Ichirin no hana by High and Mighty Color is a damn cool opening. It is universally liked, from what I can gather by informal online polls xD But yeah, it is such a good song. The singer is amazing, the rhythm is right. Images show captains and vice captains in rapid order. It was still a time when we still didn’t quite know them, and we needed to remember them. Seiretei was still foreign, and scary. We didn’t know what the commanding officers were capable of, if they were friends or foes. It was the serious and dark part of SS arc.
The dark background, the scream, Ichigo’s face slowly slipping into Whitey...yes, it is a damn cool opening, I’ll say it again. Of course, that last Ichiruki sequence is a nice touch ;) Ichigo is waiting for Rukia, they talk and bicker, then start walking together again. Unaware of the danger laying ahead. Ichirin no hana followed the SS arc until it ended, and it was perfect, it fit the context like a glow. A good opening, indeed!
Kimi wa kimi dake shika inai yo
Ima made mo kore kara saki ni mo
Tatoe kimi igai no subete no hito wo
Teki ni mawasu toki ga kite mo
Kimi no koto mamori nuku kara
Makenai de ichirin no hana
You are the only "you"
Till now and from now on
Even if there comes a time
When the whole world becomes our enemy
I'll protect you
So don't give up, single flower
Today’s song in the lineup is D-Technolife, the second opening song for Bleach, sung by Uverworld
I have Bleach to thank for introducing me to Uverworld, which is a fantastic band. This is such a high energy song, and it doesn’t let up the entire time. Instead, at the chorus, it gets even punchier, which I love. The kind of…
