Reviews for Bleach

Bleach is a truly cohesive work that plays to the strengths of the battle series genre with little fluff and fat. The characters are always moving forward, the story is engaging and iterates on itself smartly, it's constantly refining and executing on its themes, it's a near perfect showing of the battle genre. It pays off on investing in side characters, it rewards thinking about the themes and visual/textual metaphor with a deceptive amount of depth. It employs a mature cast and a strong grasp on real, tangibly complex emotion to great effect.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Back when I was just beginning to watch anime and read manga, Bleach was one of the first subbed anime that I picked up. I eventually started reading the manga and I really enjoyed it. However, after the end of the arc where Ichigo manages to save Rukia, everything went downhill from there. The story was very good up to the end of the Soul Society arc as it was always very suspenseful and the fights were well-contrived. However, after that arc was done, you have a plethora of new characters and new plot devices stuffed down your throat and you are neverquite given the opportunity to find out about anyone's backstory except for a few of the main characters. You eventually end up reading a manga where the sole focus is on Ichigo and how he gains power-ups in order to save the damsel-in-distress. In the Hueco Mundo arc of the series, everyone is turned into a fraction of what they were in the Soul Society arc, especially Renji. You can't help but feel mad that characters such as Renji and Chad are virtually useless. The story follows a very sequential and contrived plot where if there are a number of fights, the fights are shown one by one and after the 5th or 6th fight in a row you just want to stop reading.

While the manga art is good at times, in most fight scenes you end up with frames that you don't even know what's going on in the frame; it just looks like one big blotch of ink. It isn't just one or two frames per fight that uses this technique, there are half a dozen or more frames within a fight where the frames don't give any detail at all; they just give you the illusion that the characters involved are moving very fast. Not only that, but Tite Kubo can also use up a whole page to draw one frame, or a whole page to draw three or less meaningless frames that don't move the plot forward at all. He also uses wide margins so that his frames use up less ink. This isn't good art, and this isn't a good manga and you can very much tell that Tite Kubo is bored with his creation.

The series is dying and it doesn't look like it'll be revived anytime soon. It's a one-way trip to Heuco Mundo for this once-decent manga.

Bleach is a like a roller coaster ride. It has its dull moments but also has its exciting moments. If you are an avid reader, you will know what i am talking about, If this is your first time reading Bleach then i hope you give it a chance and see what this wonderful manga is about. Sure it has the typical Shounen components, but it is more original than you would think. Bleach has many mysteries that have yet to be revealed, keeping you always wondering and wanting more. Give it a try if you have not already and see for yourself since everyonehas different perspectives and tastes.

Dubbed as one of Jump's "Unholy Trinity", Bleach epitomizes the typical action shonen manga--fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, and did I say fighting? Brainless power level tripe. To be fair, fighting manga can also be great, if it could be balanced with a well-crafted plot and sublime character development. Too bad Bleach also epitomizes the term "mediocrity" and what's more, wallows in it in an almost deliberate fashion(Despite being my gateway back to being an active fan of manga and anime in general). Bleach's story is generic shonen tripe. Boy lives a normal high school life, girl pops up out of nowhere, turns out the boy hasa special ability(how original), some funny meeting occurs, girl gives boy supernatural powers to defeat some monster that conveniently appears, then aptly gives the boy some new mission in life. There, not so complicated now , is it? People keep comparing Bleach to Yu Yu Hakusho, which is rightfully so, what with the almost carbon copy formula of shinigami and evil monsters(at least YYH was many leagues better than Bleach--even for a power level fighting manga). The story moves too slowly and sometimes loses focus. One time it tries to be a slice-of-life action comedy, and another it gives the illusion of actual depth through snappy one-liners and meaningless monologues. At times it almost feels like it's just going with the motions, delivering the occasional plot twist here and the eye candy fight there.

And now it's like watching a marathon of a pro wrestling show with its never ending choreographed fights. What's worse is, Bleach just doesn't want to end--despite reaching its peak a long long time ago(SS arc, anyone?).

Its art though is what's keeping it afloat. Kubo designs some good monsters--not too grotesque and not too cartoon y. While swords can look bland after a while, Kubo's design of their special abilities help prevent that. Clothing design is also good although it can only be found in color pages, calendars and posters. Character design is unique, his style is distinctly different from many shonen mangaka--although many characters look alike. One major flaw, however, is the background art. There is such a thing as too much white and too much black. Many panels follow the same structure. Character posing in the middle or in the corner with either a black background or none at all. Even if it's a black and white manga, those spots of laziness is just plain inexcusable.

What Kubo lacks in backgrounds he makes up in characters. And not in a good way. There's just too many characters that anyone could write a spin-off series with any one of them--and it would still be better than the main story. It would have been fine if most of them have a purpose in the main plot, but sadly they don't. They're just there to make the other, more popular characters shine while they themselves rot into obscurity. Almost all of them are one-dimensional, too. It's like Kubo just took different shonen archetypes then copy-pasted them to different characters. Character development in Bleach consists of looking cool one moment, getting beaten the next, then winning through some ridiculous plot device. Rinse and repeat. Also, Kubo's characters seem to have some magic armor protecting them from certain death, like getting cut in half. "No one dies in Bleach", indeed.

Bleach, as terrible as it is, works great as a gateway for people who want to get into the manga and anime fandom. Simple characters, easy-to-digest plot lines and good-looking action sequences should be fine for a newbie. Just because it takes itself too seriously doesn't mean you should, too. Soak in all the eye-candy, turn off your brain and revel in its mediocrity for a quick dose of mindless entertainment--that is, if you CAN be entertained. With mediocrity as its middle name, Bleach is only good for 2 minutes of pretty pictures, snappy one-liners, Kubo-styled plot twists, and ridiculous amounts of plot devices. And coming from a once avid Bleach fan, that's already saying something.

OMGZ ANOTHER BLEACH REVIEW. At least I'm not giving out mostly 10s for some strange reason! *Chapter 355 is the latest chapter, excluding all sidestories such as the Hitsugaya sidestory and the Pendulum Arc* Bleach is an on-going manga by Kubo Tite. It is part of the holy trinity of never-ending shounen manga (along with Naruto and One Piece). I haven't read One Piece but I believe Bleach is superior to Naruto in many ways. It does not feature orange jumpsuits or straw hats but a black robed GOD OF DEATH AKA a Shinigami. The anime is mediocre at best but like every other show based onnever-ending manga, this show has its fair share of fillers.

Story: The story flows through two main arcs, with several smaller arcs in between. The first arc, called the Soul Society arc, introduces the readers to the world of Bleach and its many supporting characters and lore. It pits our protagonist characters against the denizens of Soul Society in what seems to be a rescue mission with an ulterior motive by some of the other central key figures.

The second main arc (which is still going on) however, seems like a rehash of the first arc but there is yet to be seen if some huge plot twist will occur or not.

The pacing of the story at times can get dragged on but that is to be expected in a shounen manga that has yet to end. There is plenty of dialogue and sometimes there's too much of it. Same can be said of the action. Countless battles one after another gets a bit tiring but it's acceptable once Kubo Tite inserts a twist here and there.

The story basically stars Kurosaki Ichigo, who at an early age, can see spirits. He gets attacked by a corrupted spirit called a Hollow and is saved by a Shinigami named Kuchiki Rukia. With a little help from Rukia, Ichigo manages to become a Shinigami himself. His Shinigami influence gives birth to unique latent powers to two of his friends, Yasutora Sado (Chad), and Inoue Orihime. Along with the Quincy (a group of humans who possess supernatural powers now nearly extinct) Ishida Uryuu, the four of them enter Soul Society to rescue Rukia after she was questionably imprisoned by the Soul Society government.

Art: The art in this manga is probably some of the best I've seen. They have a unique appearance that is quite recognizable and the characters are very detailed on their own. From huge bulking muscles on the body of the old Shinigami commander to the large chested females running around, each character has their own distinct appeal. Not to mention Kubo Tite really likes to draw large chested women... not that it's THAT bad of a thing.

Character: Like every other never-ending shounen, Bleach has a very large cast of characters. The manga focuses mainly on about 5 or 6 of these characters but the other supporting cast gets a fair amount of screentime when the moment comes. In the more recent chapters, several of the supporting characters are finally getting their 15 minutes of fame in battle.

There is quite an amount of development for many of the characters in Bleach. There's pretty much every character archetype possibly found in Bleach. Whether you like the short tempered guy who always starts the fights, or the arrogant looking guy that doesn't say much, to the flirtatious endowed women, there is enough personality to go around.

Enjoyment/Overall: Bleach is one of those shounen manga that gets the heat for being generic and never ends with crappy plot or ridiculous characters. Even if that may be true to some eyes, Bleach is also a manga that caters to the fans. It's filled with action (although somewhat dragged on sometimes) and it has its fill of dramatic and emotional moments. I enjoy Bleach much more than I do Naruto because it simply catches on for me with its artistic style.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. This is about the most perfect manga you will ever read. For those fans of the Bleach anime, I know you're like me, waiting around for more stupid fillers about a dumb princess that no one cares about. I invite you to delve into the world that is the Bleach manga. No fillers, SO much more movement and SO much more story. This is where its at. Story: 10/10 I rarely rate an anime or manga with a story above 8. I hate to say it, but most animes/mangas these days follow too closely after their predecessors, and end up being almost identical clones ofthe original. Bleach may not be completely original, but it is so throroughly engaging that you won't even give it a second glance. After being a fan of the anime, I found myself gawking at certain frames in the manga, thinking "Why in the world was this NOT in the anime????" and furiously reading on. There is never, and I mean never, a boring section in this manga. Bleach is what all mangakas should look to as an example. It does what a manga should: It truly entertains people. The story is not completely original, but it doesn't seem to matter. I'm always waiting eagerly for the next chapter to come out.

ART: 10/10

Fantastic work from Kubo Tite in this section. It's almost always clear what is happening in battles, clarity that most mangas lack. The characters are defined and unique looking, and each panel is well thought out. The landscapes and buildings also have lots of creativity packed into them

CHARACTER: 10/10

Again, amazing work here. Theres a character for everyone to enjoy, and each person has their own unique traits. There are enough characters to keep the story interesting, and they are almost all developing as the story goes on. It just all makes a whole lot of sense, see?

ENJOYMENT: 10/10

I cannot express how enjoyable this anime has been to read. I started reading where the anime awkwardly broke away, and before I knew it I had read 40 chapters and it was 12:00 AM. Perfect balance between action, comedy, and that sense that you don't know something very important. Tite never leaves you hanging for too long, however, and whenever a secret is unearthed, you will find yourself making astounded noises at your book/computer screen. If you like the action, if you like surprises, definitely, definitely read this manga.

OVERALL: 10/10

Bleach manages to keep a perfect balance between action and story, and it is truly a one-of-a-kind manga. You will always be on the edge of your seat, not knowing what to do while waiting for the next episode to come out. Timing, which is one of the crucial things in an anime/manga, is mastered wonderfully in each chapter. It really doesn't get much better than this, and it deserves the one and only full 10 score I will probably ever give to any manga/anime. Definitely give this a try, no matter what you like.

Ok so I’m pretty new to the wide world of manga and admit that I primarily read shonen manga and anime. However I do not like what I read in the reviews and would like to throw in my 2 cents. Story: The story most people seem to think has 2 arcs. I personally break it into smaller pieces. The first being Ichigo Kurosaki as the substitute shinigami. He fights hollows with the powers he stole from shinigami Rukia Kuchiki. His friends Chad, Orihime, and Ishida have obtained their own powers and can also fight hollows. They are all helped by the mysterious Urahara and his crew.This is the first arc. I think so anyway this is before the multiple sword forms and giant cast of characters. The story takes a turn for the awesome with the introduction of other shinigami and the kidnapping of Rukia. The Soul Society was a wonderful place that brought a lot of new characters, concepts, plot that fueled my delight right and wrong were blurred and the intrigue of the going ons of the soul society were fascinating. The ending twist was fantastic and perfect and I was ready for the next arc. This is where most critics of the manga and even the fans say the series died and ruined it for them. I disagree I missed fighting hollows and now the shinigami had a real reason to use their zanpakto's abilities that was not directed at other shinigami. The arrancar were real threats to the soul society and was a perfect opposite. They would finally force those who were too powerful to fight at their fullest back in the soul society. Aizen was terrifying and magnificent and lead a front that made the series amazing and I wait with baited breath to see what comes up next. The story is not without problems things drag sometimes and there are a lot of characters who don’t get enough screen time and those who get too much and yes the characters tend to be generic. But I’m looking for that in a shonen manga and it helps that I think the concept is amazing. Tite Kubo is not only writing a story he is creating a world.

Art:

I dont know much about drawing but i would say Mr. Kubo does a great job of displaying things clearly and smoothly his style is appealing and his concepts are really original.

Characters:

Good. There are alot of them and they never die. This leads to characters getting left on the side of the road with little to no use. Best example Chad. He had alot of potentail but is just nowhere near what the lead characters are. He is basically Krillin. This is happening more and more in the manga which is unfourtunate. He is working on the back story on some characters but only those who were mentioned to be uber powerful beforehand. Overall problematic but i like it.

Enjoyment:

Well I like it and the other people i have introduced it to like it as well. Obviously people like it or Bleach would not be as main stream as it is.

Overall:

I understand why people are complaining about some things. However not a big deal in the overall to the story but they make it seem like a damning offence. Then there are people who i dont know why they read this long manga all the way through to bitch about it. Unless there is a golden vault of shonen manga im missing out on. If so please refer me to it otherwise stop trolling Bleach cause quite frankly it feels out of place to read

*THIS REVIEW DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS* Like a flutter of a butterfly’s wing, Kubo has created the dynamic of a life after death scenario, twisting people’s minds and imaginations throughout its journey with surprises, questions, and a bold statement of what happens after we leave this world. Invisible forces play into the scenes, grasping a hold of reality and raining out a massive event that not even humans can comprehend. Sparks fly as metal swords clash. Tears fall down pale cheeks. Romances bloom like a soft flower petal in the spring. People think there is nothing after life, but they are wrong. Death is only the beginning. Story:Taking place in modern Japan and broken into five major arcs, Bleach is unique between the “Big 3” and Shounen itself. It shaped itself in the first few chapters as a typical run of the mill high school themed manga with the characters having special powers. Over that period, the scenes and chapters just repeat itself. Nothing special happens. However, things change, and it was this that made Bleach become over the top famous.

The next arc is what made Bleach what it is. Surprises and twists make the plot shake. The only way to read this is to think about it being opposite day. The many characters introduced help shape this manga and create the new world it was made to be in. There are no cheats into reading this. Every word, every panel of this arc is crucial. Like the stairway to heaven to introduce what will happen in the coming chapters. Expect the unexpected or nobody will figure out what will happen. Pay attention to detail closely in the words spoken, the plot can be easily lost. Easter eggs are a bonus and can lead to mysteries in future chapters.

Now onto the serious bit. Bleach’s plot isn’t the best plot out there. It’s filled with plot holes and unanswered questions that probably will never get answered. The way it was shaped was anti-climactic and it was very, very unorganized. Seriously, pay attention. I found myself getting lost during the mess of the arcs following after the Soul Society. Although it was suspenseful and I found myself excited about what would happen next, I would often find myself disappointed in the result. The symbolism used, like the Hell Butterfly, weren’t explained as fully as I wanted it to be. Chapters also became a repetitive thing. Unnecessary events slowed the pace exponentially. And when something awesome happened, the pace moved quickly, almost as if someone was embarrassed about a performance and needed to get off the stage.

It wasn’t good.

Art:

One thing Bleach was very famous for was the artwork. Between the first chapter and the last, the improvements of the drawings were incredible. It was surprising how far Kubo has gone since starting out in this manga. The art is what I would like to call adorable, but not too over the top with the crazy, stereotypical eyes or Japanese character design. The character’s designs seem to make their own form of uniqueness never seen before. Kubo had made it his own and has even inspired many new artists around the world. The detail placed into the characters and the way he brought the fight scenes to life is what saved this manga into going into the trash bin at the beginning. With each panel drawn, there is always a story in them. Some panels are left blank or black to create the atmosphere and effect of the scene drawn ahead. Some are simple and build to what is happening in the chapter. Then there are those with great intense detail and quite strange designs that make the reader question what is happening in the Kubo’s mind during the process of drawing it. Plus, the colour pages that sometimes appear, come out simple with pastel-like colours placed into the page, making the tone of the chapter pop more. Take a moment and just admire the work placed into these pages. It’s something totally rare to find.

Characters:

Three words: Too many characters!

First, long-running manga, I get it. But there is a limit to how many should be placed into a story. One rule is that characters that have a role in the story should have a backstory on how they got there. They need a purpose and need to be figured out once it ends. One problem with Bleach is that Kubo created these characters without realizing what he would have to do near the end. Many of these characters don’t seem to have a proper fight scene and when they do, it’s either very rushed or off-screened. Plus, many don’t get a backstory and are left under the rubble. Literally. Don’t be surprised if you wonder where someone is for over one hundred chapters. Chances are they are either lying unconscious somewhere or dead. Remember though, Kubo doesn’t forget characters even though it seems that he does.

Second, not enough character deaths. Oh my word, yes, I said it. I wish there were more deaths than there were. Even though I am deeply upset about the loss of my favourite fictional character, Ukitake-taicho, it made sense for his passing. It made the plot move on. There are characters that were supposed to die, ie. Byakuya, that didn’t end up happen due to popularity issues. No! There needs to be a balance. If a character doesn’t die when they’re supposed to, their role in the rest of the plot becomes useless and also can change the original plot drastically.

Lastly, the main cast wasn’t very good. Yup, I said it too, I disliked the main characters. Why? They were useless, over-powered, and plain annoying. Rukia seemed to be the only one I was content with, but the other’s…honestly, I could really do without Orihime and Chad. They were a waste of time. Orihime’s powers weren’t explained and she landed in the typical damsel in destress, and Chad’s were just not over-powered enough to keep up with the other characters. And Ichigo and Ishida…I got strange Naruto vibes from those two. There needed to be a development in these characters and there wasn’t enough of it.

Enjoyment:

There are things out there that take me awhile to give my opinion. A dark moment in a life where light just doesn’t shine even after a bottle of wine been finished. After Bleach ended, I really didn’t know what to do. I was like a child after all their Halloween candy was gone. I couldn’t grasp the reality that after fifteen years, this huge manga was over. I was waiting, as if some being would come down and say “HAPPY APRIL FOOLS IN AUGUST!” or something. But no.

No.

It was never meant to be.

Even after all of this, I did enjoy Bleach exponentially and it is considered one of my most favourite enjoyed manga, but I needed more. It was a buzz I got every Thursday morning when I woke up. I would freak out in my room whenever something major occurred. But now…that morning will be empty and will be filled with memories of what it used to. Just kidding…I’ve got other things to read now. But all seriousness, this manga was one of the firsts I picked up and will always be special in my heart.

Bleach is an epic journey. Filled with action, suspense and several possible romances, it a roller coaster ride of emotions and amazing fights. Nothing compares to this manga.

Nothing.

I give this manga 50% on the soul cleansing scale.

It's addictive (I won't comment on what others had said). There are two arc.(s) till now as the manga is still on-going. While some may not fancy this Espada saga compared to the Soul Society arc. I, on the other hand, think that this arc is just as great as the previous ones. The fights, the sacrifice, the hardship. Basically, what I think is that the author is trying to create the different points of view in each of the characters. Like "they feel the pinch when another is suffering" and stuffs like that. Also in this (Espada) arc in the manga, it creates aspace of each battles and their distance from each other, seeing that their perseverance and determination to get to their comrades side once more is remarkable even though they know that they won't stand against the captain-level Espadas.We also get to know about how they really feel for each other. Such as when Rukia fights, she thinks and puts herself in Inoue's place and takes the effort to say that 'she won't be alone for long'. It's stretchy and a very long-winded way of bringing that effect. Also, we get the captains to show their points of view. As boring as it seems, the manga has truly brought the word 'comrade' in place and at good use.

One of the best manga (s) I have read.

Bleach has been in the top rated manga/anime charts for years, its success is even known by people who arent huge nerds like us ;). Being someone who has been reading and watching for most of my life, I was always a little curious as to what all the hype was about. Finally my curiosity got the best of me and I picked up the manga for the first time. I didn't put it down. For all the popularity and discussion this was a read that definitely did not disappoint. Story-10: The general idea of the story is about Ichigo, a high school boy who has aparticular ability, and also, well, a loud personality :). He, of course, encounters a life changing incident that takes him to unimaginable places, and leads him to make complicated decisions. The manga itself is over 500 chapters and supposedly not even halfway over yet. The development is a tad bit slow, but the plot is always interesting and the fighting is pretty intense. Its definitely a great shounen manga storyline, interesting enough to capture readers of all ages and gender.

Art-8: I suppose 8 is a bit harsh considering that the characters are pretty well drawn and there are some pretty epic designs for many of the characteristics in the manga. The characters were all very distinguishable and unique, and their clothing, weapons, and 'masks' were all awesome and drawn nicely. However, the backgrounds in the manga are usually pretty lacking, sometimes nonexistent, and since the manga started over a decade ago, the art is of course something that took time to improve. Overall the art is great, and I hope this doesn't deter you from reading this manga.

Character-9: There are so many interesting personalities in this manga! Very loyal friends, family that does anything for eachother, funny and serious characters, you name it! But that, I suppose, is the small flaw I find in the characters of this manga, there are SO many. The development of each one is absolutely perfect! They spend just enough time to let you get to know each character and a bit of their story. But with there being so many, you might come to like a character and then not see them for another 100 chapters. Once again, this really isn't something to worry about if your wondering if this manga is worth the read; all of the characters become part of the Bleach world that you will immerse yourself into as soon as you pick up the manga...

Enjoyment-9: I expected a bit more comedy, because everyone I asked to recommend me a funny manga told me Bleach. For me it was a little to shounen-ish and not enough comedy to suit my taste, but for anyone who loves action and being on the edge of your seat, you wont be disappointed!

Overall-9: This is exactly what your looking for in an action, shounen manga! The hype isn't for nothing, and even if it is overrated, its still a pretty amazing read! Make sure you have a long weekend and your fridge is stocked because once you pick it up, you wont put it down!

Now Im just going to say it, Bleach is my favorite Manga, ever. But Im going to write this review unbiased. I try to look at everything individually, not the Manga as a whole. Tite Kubo is an excellent writer, Im sure if he had gone into writing outside of Manga, he would be excellent. Bleach's story itself is not the greatest, however Kubo's ability in creating characters is great. He has a very large supporting cast, and with large casts characters often get forgotten and are one demensional. All of Kubos charaters are unique and he manages to alwayskeep his back characters in our mind, and each and everyone of them has a backstory that Kubo masterfully works into the storyline without making a big deal about it. As for his art, it starts out as most art in manga does, poor. It gets better, and better, and towards the end of the story, many mangaka have begun drawing their characters oddly, and the art is almost unrecognizable. Kubos remains excellent, and his eyes are soo detailed and each characters eyes are their own. His style is very unique. Yes there is alot of fighting, but its a shounen, thats what shounens focus on. If you dont like it, read shoujos. I would certainly take my time to read this manga, its funny and though the story isnt very well developed, I assure you its worth your time.

Bleach started out as a very promising character-driven manga with several great arcs. It’s a massive shame it didn’t keep up. The story starts with a bang, builds and builds, wraps up the first few arcs in a satisfying manner and then trips over itself, rolls down a hill, into the ocean and sinks into the abyss. I can say I was thoroughly disappointed with the way it ended after the potential it showed at first. I've been reading this manga since I was 13. The story was never really anything special, but it was fun. Initially, the characters were interesting and dynamic, they felt importantand the threats felt like something they needed to overcome, to grow and to protect each other and their family. I loved seeing the way everything was depicted - supernatural or not - and the absolute creativity of some of the designs hypnotized me.

The plot, simple at first, evolves and escalates, jumping through several arcs and then begins to degrade after a specific point rather rapidly. More characters ended up introduced than it felt was needed, and often there was so much focus on the new characters that there was no room for anyone else. Ichigo (our main character) in particular was a black hole for focus, and the side characters may as well have not existed. Their motivations were paper thin, felt reused or just plain didn’t go anywhere. After a while it felt like I'd seen the same characters come along several times and not really add anything, and just questioned why they were even included in the story.

Boring, throwaway villains, silly misunderstandings, pointless trips, unclear motivations. The last arc has been particularly shameless with making the final big bad just… the worst the manga has ever seen even amongst the minor henchmen. He had little to no personality, nothing relatable, charming or fascinating about him and more or less just felt like a silly plot device to try to prove how strong Ichigo was and /try/ to reinforce that he has an amazing relationship with the people he's met on his journey.

Sadly, the message of friendship and being together as humans is undermined constantly and almost the entirety of the manga makes it a pointless aesop. Ichigo is impossibly strong and unfailingly virtuous, with just enough flaws to add a bit of depth to his character, but he is the main character who rises so far above his friends that he doesn't ever truly seem to connect with them. His friends who began as interesting become quickly underpowered compared to him and to the enemies he faces.

Having a character who is miles above the rest in terms of power can be pulled off successfully, provided that he shares a deep enough emotional connection with at least some of the cast and that doesn’t lower the stakes of the story. Unfortunately, Bleach does not succeed in this and most of the initial friends Ichigo made get the same treatment as much of the side characters from Dragon Ball Z, becoming completely unable to compete on any level, or even keep up, with our main character.

It was a true shame to once again have a shounen series fall victim to this. It left a terrible aftertaste.

For anyone willing to read things before the downfall, up to chapter 182 was a great exciting adventure with plenty of characters to enjoy (but not too many), and a fairly well balanced character driven story. Or up to chapter 423 where it was still...complicated and interesting but beginning to feel a little bit samey.

For those willing to continue reading past that point, I would advise that you prepare yourselves for disappointment. I don't know what Kubo was thinking with the majority of the later plot, but much of it felt flat or just plain not impactful. A common and well-deserved complaint was how cheap many of the plot devices were and how little things seemed to actually matter in the long run. Another complaint was the over build up for many a lacklustre reveal.

As for the art - it was clean and fairly well executed. Later on a lot of the scenes become hard to follow, with too many effects and cluttered panels, but the character designs and environments were overall of an acceptable level. You could however argue that, barring a few, Kubo falls into same face syndrome much like many manga authors, reusing the same general faces for specific types of characters with marginal alterations. It wasn’t the most amazing art ever but it was definitely above average.

In summary, Bleach started its run as a pleasant experience with more ambition than it knew what to do with, and it eventually caved in under the weight of its enormous but underdeveloped cast, disproportionate focus on a single character whose importance was poorly justified with increasingly contrived plot twists, and an overabundance of questionable creative decisions.

Sorry if this is kind of all over the place, it's my first review and I wanted people to know this manga started well, but still ended terribly. I mostly want to save anyone else from reading the next 200-300 chapters because it isn't worth it.

Bleach Bleach as a whole was an amazing read. i loved everything from the phenomenal cast, filled with top tier characters like aizen, ulquiorra, nnoitora, Tosen, Urahara, Shunsui, Tokinada, and of course its protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki, to the phenomenal Art which could be considered on of the best in all of shonen Manga. Bleach deals with very profound themes such as death, fear, Despair, self realization and more. Thw arcs each have their own appeal and all have a very different feel to them. Bleach also has one of the best shonen arcs in all of Shonen with the arrancar saga. A lot of the Thingshold against Bleach usually come from a place of misunderstanding, as bleach can be very subtle in its Writing an storytelling. This is however not say that it is a story without flaws. In some instances certain events feel as though they could´ve used more foreshadowing or explanaition(like Mugetsu or the Still silver arrow). I do however this aspect is heavily exaggerated by People. My biggest Complaint about Bleach would be The later Part of the TYBW as it felt very rushed and incomplete. This however will most likely be fixed when the anime returns

All things considered i´d say Bleach is comfortably A-S Tier shonen Manga

Well... A prime example of how looks can be deceiving. Bleach looked good, oh so very good. In the long run it is one of the few manga I have regrets about reading. Bleach is another overrated Shounen manga. Sucked in by another promising plot Bleach follows a young man named Kurosaki Ichigo, a high school boy who can see spirits. One day a girl who claims shes a shinigami comes into his life and everything changes. This grabbed my attention for the first little while until the story started getting repetitive. The author of this manga goes through the same process twice over and that hasmade up what the series is so far. I believe that the latest arc has been going on for roughly 3 years now.

Ichigo only knows one move and he takes no effort to learn new moves. but instead of fixing his weakness of having one move he powers up that one move so he will be unstoppable.

His training methods consist of losing a fight then training in the midst of battle (which isn't exactly the best way to do things)

On a lighter note Bleach does have some pretty interesting characters such as Chad: The burly friend of Ichigo who is kind and extremely powerful even without powers. Uryuu: Spirit bow wielding bad ass. As well as other interesting characters that I'm not at liberty to speak about at risk of spoilers.

Bleach would be a better manga if it changed things up a bit. The story has gotten dry and I find my self losing the thrill I once had reading it.

Overall rating:

6/10

STORY: 5/10 So this is a shonen manga, and in my opinion it's a bad one. If you've seen Inuyasha, Dragonball Z, or Yu Yu Hakusho then theres no point in reading this. Bleach pulls absolutely everything it has from those other series. flying and energy blasts from dragonball Z, spirit energy (yes, they actually call it the exact same thing) from Yu Yu Hakusho. And the miain character has a Man-sized sword that can shoot waves of energy just like Inuyasha. If i could rate the originality i would give it a 0. The story goes on forever. First one girl gets captured andthey go and save her. Then to move the story along guess what the mangaka did? A different girl got captured and they had to go and save her. HE HAS SO FEW IDEAS HE'S COPYING HIS OWN FREAKING WORK!

ART: 3/10

Now to the art. When they're standing still its not so terible...but this is an action manga. I can't tell whats going on in half the panels during the fight scenes. It doesn't help that the mangaka uses only a pure white and pure black. Theres very little shading so it's hard to make out whats what a lot of the time.

CHARACTER: 4/10

Character development: theres none. Theres a gooft girl, a serious guy, a smart guy, a quite guy, and a serious girl. When one adjective can describe each character thats a bad sign. Theres also about 60-70 characters. I prefer quality over quantity.

ENJOYMENT: 5/10

There is some enjoyment in the manga. I actually laughed out loud at some of the comedy twords the begining of the series. But once you get about 25% into the manga the comedy becomes a lot less frequent, and a lot less funny. I couldn't really understand what was going on in most of the action scenes so i can't really judge those. It gets a 5 just because of the comedy at the begining.

OVERALL: 4/10

Overall i would give this manga a 4 because theres absolutely NOTHING original. Heres a prime example for people who've read it: Remember when the big guy and ulili-something came to ichigo's town? That scene is identical from when vegita and nappa came to earth in dragonballZ. no difference. How people rate this manga above a 5 is beyond me.

I think my 4 is pretty generous

Ah Bleach, the most middling of the big three. What can be said about Bleach that hasn't already been said? It's dragged out, repetitive, kind of a rip off of Yu Yu Hakusho, has a bland magic magic system, and Ichigo isn't what most writers would call a compelling character. So what does it have going for it? It's cool factor? I was a teenager when Bleach was coming out, and managed to miss it at the time, so I don't have any nostalgia for its particular style, but my girlfriend watched it as it was broadcasting, and she just cringes whenever she sees the characterdesigns or hears the dialogue now, so I'm not sure how well it's coolness has aged.

Story:

It's Yu Yu Hakusho. Boy gets spirit powers, fights demonic entities, fights other spirit detectives, etc etc. As for the arcs themselves, they vary wildly in terms of quality.

The 1st one (spirit detective): You get introduced to the characters, Ichigo gets his call to action, learns some new skills and eventually Rukia's brother shows up and drags her back to spirit society. It's pretty bland overall, but it's fun for the most part. Some characters like Kon and Ichigo's dad drag it down, but over all the arc is made up of small stories that generally build well off each other.

Soul Society: It's in the second arc where cracks begin to form. It's long and it all takes place in a single location that has very little in terms of visual identity. My girlfriend remembered it as being "the part in the maze", and I can't say she's wrong. Volume after volume of fights in the same corridors, with low white walls, fighting characters with samurai swords wearing black robes. It's tedious at best, soul grinding at worst. The plot here is dependent on the leader of the Soul Reapers being a complete moron, an issue that will be exacerbated in later arcs, with him just blindly following edicts from a poorly explained governing committee that he never actually interacts with. Eventually the secret villain is revealed, Ichigo gets a new costume, and Rukia is saved.

Hueco Mundo: it's Soul Society....again.

They go to hell to save Orihime who was kidnapped, just like Rukia in the last arc.

We meet all the Arancarr captains and fight them, just like the Soul Reaper captains in the last arc. Ichigo gets a new costume and power up to beat the guy who kidnapped the girl again. The big bad was Aizen, again (but at least this time his motivations are revealed). This arc is brutally bad. It's a longer version of Soul Society but without the conspiracy plot to occasionally switch up the pacing. So instead it just has more endless fights in sterile white rooms against enemies who all wear white robes (unlike the black robes in Soul Society).

This the arc where I had to fully accept that I didn't get what people liked about Bleach. It's style didn't work for me, it's characters were boring, and it's magic system was filled standard shounen powers (if I have to see unlimited blade works in another anime or manga, I'll die.)

In the end, Ichigo beats Aizen, loses his powers, and the series wraps up most of its plot points. I was content, not happy, but content that the series was over.

"Nope" said my girlfriend, with a sadistic gleam in her eye. "There are two arcs left."

"Impossible, the main villain was defeated. Ichigo's character arc sort of finished. Anymore would be pointless."

She laughed at my ignorance. "You have roughly 30 more volumes to read."

Full bringer arc: Ichigo gets his powers back. Chad's powers get explained (unlike Orihime's powers)....... There's not much else to say about this arc. It was quick at least, so I didn't have time to get bored. It's the second best arc of the series.

Thousand Year Blood War: This arc starts so strong. Soul Society gets crushed by Nazi's led by Jesus and fire captain gets killed like a chump in the best fight of the series. And then it keeps going and going, and just repeats the exact same formula of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. Ichigo gets a new power up and new costume. A black robbed soul reaper fights a white clad Nazi in an empty void, and once that's done another set gets to do the same thing. And then they introduce the way to kill Jesus five chapters before the end.

And so Bleach ends on a whimper, much like it's more successful competitor Naruto.

Characters:

I'm going to focus on main characters and supporting characters who left an impact. For the sake of authenticity, I will use the nomenclature my gf and I use while discussing the series.

Ichigo: ichigo suffers in comparison to his equivalents in the other two of the big three by not having much in the way of a goal. Now having a repeatedly stated goal isn't exactly subtle writing, but in media aimed at children it does allow for an effective baseline of characterization. Ichigo starts with a basic goal of avenging his mother, but that plot point is solved without him long after he had stopped being concerned with the average Hollow on earth. As a result, Ichigo comes across as as an incredibly reactive character, being pushed and pulled by the whims of the plot with little agency of his own. He's a bit of a marysue, allowing the audience to imprint their own personality onto him.

Aizen: Aizen is a genius manipulator, with his genius predicated on the stupidity of everyone around him. However as the end goal of his plan is to kill God, he is able to fulfill basic anime tropes to a level I found kind of entertaining.

Ywhach: Jesus, but he wants to kill God (hey that's what Aizen wanted too). There's not much to his plan, as he and his Nazi cosplayers are just going to brute force their way through Soul Society. But I can't argue that he has presence. His character design really stands out compared to a lot of shounen villains.

Chad: deserved better. He had to listen to Ichigo's dumb speech about being persecuted due to his strawberry hair, while being a mixed race person in Japan.

Rukia/Orihime: To be honest, I kept forgetting that these two were separate characters. They both exist to get damselled, and beyond that have little identifiable character or impact on the plot. They're both basically the worse version of Sakura from Naruto.

Bucket hat: the best mad scientist of the series. And he's got a fun hat.

Fire Captain: I love characters that are repeatedly said to be the strongest character in their organizations, and then lose every single conflict they're involved in. He gets beaten by Aizen strategically in Soul Society, physically beaten by him in Heuco Mundo, and then folded by Jesus in thousand year blood war. The guy is pathetic and it's hard to take the Soul Reapers seriously due to their reverence of this moron.

Rukia's brother: his Bankai is Unlimited Blade Works. I wonder if people die when they're killed by it.

The Soul Reaper Captains: the big guy who thinks bankai are pointless is a stand out, I really feel his vibe.

The big dog is definitely a big dog.

The guy who dress like samurai had a pretty fun bankai, the children's shadow tag game was very different from the rest of the captains.

The ice kid is so forgettable that my girlfriend was convinced I was trying gaslight her about his existence. She had no memory of him whatsoever, and refused to believe she had forgotten a fan favorite character like him.

The rest of the captains are there, not much more to say about them.

The Arrancar/Quincy Captains: they're the soul reaper captains, but in white and are (debatably) more evil. Most of them are introduced to be killed off in a few chapters, and most of their gimmicks aren't that memorable.

The Cat: 10/10 no notes, 2nd best character.

Pesche: G.O.A.T. I love him. I read this series for him. I made a mood board that was just images of him. He should've been the lead. I relate to him because I also find Ichigo forgettable. Also he's voiced by Dio in the anime so he has a sensuality that you wouldn't expect from a hollow.

The rest of the characters could probably be removed from the story without much change to the plot.

World Building:

The world building in the first arc is pretty good (until we find out that hell and Hueco Mundo are apparently different things). Each little story introduced something new, and we get a good handle on the balance between Soul Reapers and Hollows.

And then Soul Society happens. Soul Society is the afterlife (for only Japan?), run by the Soul Reapers. The Soul Reapers are also eventually revealed to be a different species from humanity, which begs the question where do their souls go when they die. In Soul Society, Soul Reapers just police the slums inhabited by the souls of humanities dead, who eventually reincarnate back into the human world. It's a poorly explained version of feudal Japan, and the Soul Reapers are Samurai. It also makes them massive dick heads, a problem the series never recovers from. Every villain that wants to destroy them is justified, tear down the system and build something new.

By Hueco Mundo, Kubo had given up. It's basically the neither world from Beetlejuice, hollows eat each other until they become sentient, and then they go to the big Arrancar tower. There's no depth to this.

The Quincy empire is so oddly explained. Is it in a pocket dimension? Did they conquer part of earth five hundred years ago in Nazi outfits? Kubo doesn't care and neither do I.

Art:

I'm going to cover this real quick. I don't think most of the character designs work real well. The Captains of the respective factions mostly blend together since they all share a basic aesthetic. A lot of Kubo's faces are incredibly similar, and his backgrounds are at best lazy and usually just white empty voids.

However, Kubo can actually draw black people, which is almost unheard of in Japan, so I was really impressed by that.

Themes:

The main issue with Ichigo being such a reactive character is that hypothetically his motivations should change arc to arc predicated on whatever external conflict he's faced with, however due to Bleach's repetitive story structure, he basically just repeats the same character arc four times. Become strong to defend your friends and protect the week. This isn't an inherently bad theme, but there's not much in the way of exploring it, making Bleach feel a little Hollow.

Final thoughts:

Do I think Bleach is particularly bad? No, it's fine as it doesn't excel at anything, but also isn't especially bad at anything other than pacing and repetitive story structure. I don't know if I would feel differently if I had started reading or watching Bleach when I was a teenager, but I have to admit that I doubt it, due to Bleach's greatest issue. It's far too long for what it is. It doesn't have the depth to sustain 74 volumes. If it had been shorter, 20 to 30, it would've been fast enough to keep me engaged, like equally simple series such Demon Slayer or JJK. But as it is, it's a slog to get through.

[MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS] Bleach- also known as "Blah" Intro: Basic story starter. "____ is your typical high school student but one day his life is changed forever when he meets a "mysterious" girl who gives him the power to defend and save humanity. In the process he is practically dragged into her world and has no choice but to interfere." Does this sound cliche to you? No duh. Story: Above Average --> Disappointing --> Nonexistent Plot like most long running shounen follow the arc-based-plot. Okay.. I have to admit it the first quarter of the plot was good. Ichigo's introduction to the world of Shinigami's was quite amusing and entertaining.The Soul Society arc was imaginative and great in terms of fighting, suspense, dialogue and plot. But somehow in the end it turned out just about average. Along the way Kubo decided to throw in more cliches and glitches: the mystifying sensei, the damesel in distress, random super main character power ups, multiple transformations and the ever popular "Half-Demon-Half-Human" trope. Please don't tell me "well yeah... its a shounen." Let me say this, Shounens can be unique and special, take FMA and Death Note for example. Not all of them have to follow the "norm". Nevertheless the arc was again above average. Unfortunately it was the peek of the series. And this is where Kubo should have ended the series.

Everything after the the SS arc was honestly a waste of paper and ink. Kubo must havebeen thinking, "since, the SS arc did so great, why don`t I do it again but with a different premise..." Thanks Kubo. If you read past the SS arc, you know that Rukia gets captured right... well this time its Orhime's turn. The damsel in distress situation, how times have you seen that? This formula for this arc follows: Insane Powerful Villain Apears--->Ichigo gets owned---> Train--->Insane Power Up/Transformation--->Ichigo Owns--->Cycle Repeats

Boss battle after boss battle. Team A/Hero A vs. Villain A/Team Villain A. Another thing that is just pure idiocy is the fact that at the end of some chapters, we see someone seemingly "defeat" Aizen. But no, at the beginning of the next chapter he comes back unscathed and defeats that individual. Kubo does this for 3-4 chapters.. seriously talk about wasting your time. The ending of the Aizen arc is predictable and unsatisfying. "The Main Character Loses his powers in the end." I had someone ask me "Do you think he'll get his powers back?" "......." was all I said.

Characters/Development:

There is no major character development at all. If you count the "I want to protect friends and family" or "I want to be stronger to blah blah blah.." as development then your talking about the typical character development you would expect from this type of shounen. To be blunt most of the characters are one-dimensional and quite forgettable. Ichigo, the hotblooded, brave, strong, stubborn, hero. Yawn. Orhime, the useless heroine, Mary Sue and damsel. Chad, the strong yet gentle type. Ishida, the smart, tactical "rival". Azien, the god modding final boss. Yawn. And off course characters for fan service (Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, Hisagi.. etc). The only memorable, uniques ones are Kon, Grimmjaw, Ururu, Kisuke, Karin, and Chizuru. Too many characters does not equal good Kubo, especially when you completely forget about them (cough Nell, Kon, Grimmjaw..etc). Like what happened to everyone after the fight with Aizen? Characters are definitely not the strong point.

Art:

Looks decent. Although the environments are pretty bland and lifeless. Artwork changes overtime to a more mature look for the characters. Plus one for Kubo.

Enjoyment:

Mediocre. I keep telling myself it will get better, but I'm not sure anymore.

Overall:

My score would have been higher if the series ended at the SS arc with all the lose ends tied up. Right now, Kubo is miliking this cow for its worth.

This manga/anime makes me feel so much, I don't think I've ever felt so amazing in my life. The morals and the experience you get from this is just out of this world. My life feels so different now. I've read plenty of manga before you list me as a casual, view my profile. Was never bored once, Kubo took a realistic setting with relatable characters and mixed in a fictional world. Art was phenomenal and so were fights. Sometimes there was little character development but this manga was so fucking entertaining that I don't care. Not a dull moment. Don't listen to what others have saidabout Bleach. Experience it for yourself, most hatred comes from ets.litis

Its my first review on MAL. About Ichigo. Sumary: Bleech is a freakin teenager that doesnt wants to grow up, just like u was in highschool; and thats what makes him so relactable and such a great character. His friends are great too: Rukia is a freakin death scythe Orihime is the B00BS girl PueñoFuerte és uno luchador supinpa, muy guay GlassesGuy is a fucking nerd, he uses that bow things that nobody rlly strong uses in anime or any other midia.Anyway he gots a magic sword that can makes him a real emo,

daking his clothes and stuff.

Great metaphore for the darkness into the void of human existence.

This is a fuckin mastapeace;

Great story,

Great Characters,

Great Art.

Its the best manga Yoshihiro Togashi has ever made.

10/10.

So Bleach.Or like we fans like to call it; Blah, Plotkai, The Troller's Guide to the Fandom, Rinse. Story: Well it's really great.Too bad same things happens 17 times with different characters.Or alternatively with same characters who has new haircut or new costume.The Bold and The Beautiful, if it were anime/manga it name would be Bleach. Characters: Yes, there is a lot of those.Really great one, like Inoue Orihime.Lets just say if Yagami Light knew her, her name would be written really quickly.Art:

At the beginning, there was one.It was messy and reader didn't always get what was happening.So it got fix'd and turned into "lines."No ink is wasted anymore.You can really see how white those manga sides are before they are filled with things..And after that too.

Enjoyment:

Oh yes. If you see a guy who isn't moving anywhere but spinning at his place and says he is going home - that's quality entertainment. How about Bleach. Well, it's like that guy but all he does is say he is going home. After many years it gets little annoying.

My score was 10 for long time after the start.After that it has keep coming down little by little just like the story has improved.It's now 3.I'm looking forward to the future. :)