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General Interest > Spirituality & Mysticism
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Bleach and the Mystical Experience
    #13274677 -

(Edited because Enpo was right!)
I really have too much time on my hands waiting for grad school to start, this is long so you might want to stop reading now if you have never heard of Bleach.

I have been thinking about the anime series Bleach and why I (as a 26 year old man child) enjoy it. I think the themes underlying some of the plot refer to mystical experience.

The protagonist in Bleach is Kurosaki Ichigo, a teenager who becomes a Shinigami (death god or soul reaper) which is sort of like the grim reaper, defending humans from evil spirits (Hollows) and guiding departed souls to the afterlife.

A Hollow is a spirit that becomes an evil incarnation of itself. When the soul loses its Chain of Fate, the link to its physical body, and is overcome with negative emotions, it transforms into a skeletal monster with a large mask (an ego perhaps or thanatos?).

The Shinigami live in Soul Society, a sort of city state within heaven with an organized hierarchy of military style ranks. The hollows live within Hueco Mundo (like a hellish desert), they feed on one another becoming stronger. The Hollows occasionally break into the world of the living, where the Shinigami will try to prevent them from hurting humans or consuming less harmful spirits.

The universe at the beginning of the series appears very dualistic, Shinigami good organized/Hollows bad chaotic and evil. As the plot develops Ichigo begins to be troubled by the presence of an insane Hollow version of himself within his own Spirit which threatens to take over his mind and challenges him for control of his body. When the Hollow takes over he has tremendous power, chaotic and vital, but he is also dangerous and has no boundaries.

Eventually a group of spirits in a similar predicament as Ichigo are revealed who are referred to as Vizards. This group are former Shinigami (100 years previously) who as a result of an experiment by the evil character from the series (Aizen) had also been hollowfied. The Soul Society regarded them as tragic, dangerous and corrupt and intended to execute them. They escaped however to the human world. This group  differs from Ichigo in that instead of fearing their inner Hollow they have through mental training integrated into their experience, it has become a source of strength and is called upon during battles. The group teaches Ichigo to integrate his Hollow and to call it out at will without losing control of himself.

I was musing on the parallels between the Vizards and the Mystics. Using Soul Society as an example of a hierarchical Ju-deo Christian society (or any other dualistic world view) and hollowfication as a mystical experience (psychadelic induced or otherwise). This mystical experience breaking down the dualism of the world within them as individuals. The break down causing them to be outcasts of Soul Society and therefore outside its hierarchical structure. Has anyone noticed similar parallels or have I sailed off the map completely?

Edited by Andy21 (10/01/10 02:21 PM)

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Re: Bleach and the Mystical Experience [Re: Andy21]
    #13274775 -

You don't want me to show you my Bankai. :grin:
But yes, you are right. I have not watched all that much of a Bleach but I can say that all many of these anime series have certain mystical and so, symbolism. The makers are presenting this symbolism and archetypes within a cartoon, and add details and things which would attract a little kids as much as big kids to follow(watch) the path of protagonist spiritual and any other development. So you cant get off the map here, cuz IMO there is so many things included here, so there is no way you could make only one point.


--------------------
Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. - Nietzsche

I've never faked a sarcasm in my life. True story.

Edited by ivander (10/01/10 02:31 PM)

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Re: Bleach and the Mystical Experience [Re: ivander]
    #13275466 -

wall of text, are you trying to kill me or something

break it up a bit plz animeman

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Re: Bleach and the Mystical Experience [Re: Buckthorn]
    #13283114 -

I agree. Been looking to get into another manga besides naruto and you just turned me in the right direction.

Manga > anime by far in my opinion. 

Anyway I think many videogames share this kind of dualism and tearing down of structured thinking.  Think about almost any RPG! It seems you kill "god" or the  oppressed society's illusion of some prick posing to be god at the end. FFX anyone? Shinra?  Legend of Dragoon?  JRPGs are obsessed with eradicating world-stifling presences for the happy ending.


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Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.
- Chinese Proverb

:teleport:

:yinyang: Beauty & Simplicity

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General Interest > Spirituality & Mysticism
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