Even though he has the ability to see spirits, Ichigo Kurosaki strives to live as an ordinary high school student in Karakura Town, Japan. His life takes a drastic turn when he must obtain the powers of a Soul Reaper, which he receives from Rukia Kuchiki, to cleanse evil spirits known as Hollows. With these mysterious powers, he embarks on a journey to protect his loved ones and discovers hidden parts of the world and himself.
Characters and Pacing
Each character has unique thematic elements and distinct philosophies which make them stand out to me, although some aren’t obvious at first glance. Also, the character designs are super cool! Bleach is the type of manga where each page must be read carefully while taking the time for reflection, as it may be easy to overlook crucial details that give deeper insight into a character’s actions and agency.
The intense battle scenes and violence aren’t just for hype moments, but reflect conflicting ideals between its participants. Throughout his battles, Ichigo not only forms and strengthens bonds with those around him, but he gradually learns to accept the darkest and most vulnerable parts of himself.
Compared to the anime, the manga’s pacing is faster and much more consistent, though it might make the fighting scenes a little boring and anticlimactic.
Not to mention, there are some amazing antagonists and plot twists! I would’ve liked to include my top favorites in this post, but revealing their existence spoils the surprise.
However, I personally find the emotional development and impact to be lacking, as the series focuses more on presenting ideals and battles.
World Building and Themes
Much of Bleach’s world building and themes are predicated on the concepts of life and death, and encourages the reader to ponder not only the meaning behind the characters’ actions, but how those same ideas exist and can be applied to our modern society. Yes, the existence of multiple supernatural realms is fascinating, but they serve more as narrative mechanisms to demonstrate how the balance between life and death is delicate and how accepting both gives meaning to our existence.
There are more poems like this at the end of each volume, and they really tie everything together.
Afterword
This is one of my favorite series ever, and I recommend it to older folks. It is highly advised that the manga be read first before watching the anime, as there are pacing issues in the animated version.
If you are planning to watch the anime, it’s okay to only watch the Thousand Year Blood War arc since there’s additional content which wasn’t in the manga.
…That’s it!
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 