So with all the recent hype surrounding Bleach due to the anime coming back, I decided to finally read it. Just finished the Fake Karakura Town arc and man this shit is fire. The conclusion for so many characters towards the end was phenomenal. Turn back the Pendulum, Ulquiorra's death, the tragic conclusion to Tousn and Gin, Starks demise and the final conflict between Ichigo and Aizen. While the final getsuga felt like an asspull, I didn't care much as the way Kubo made Ichigo and Aizen perfect mirrors to one another, one surpassing his limits and going under a natural evolution by coming to a better understanding of his powers while the other using another object to undergo a forced evolution which became meaningless by the end as we see it while Aizen is being sealed was peak storytelling. Rukia Vs Aarronearo, Ichigo vs Grimmjow, Mayuri vs Espada 8, Kenpachi vs Nnoitora, Soifon and Hachi vs Barragan were also pretty good. There are some misses like Yammy, and Espada 7 being shit, Harribel and to an extent even stark not being utilized enough. The vice captain fights being not as interesting, same with the initial stage espadas Ichigo and co. face at the beginning of the Hueco Mundo. It's still my favourite arc so far.
Most people consider SS arc to be the best, but for me overall the highs of the arrancar arc are just better.
So far Substitute Shinigami - 7.5/10 Soul Society - 8.5/10 Hueco Mundo - 8/10 Fake Karakura Town - 9/10
I hope the next arcs reveal the truth about Ichigo's family, what the soul king is and how Ichigo gets his powers back. Some say Bleach should have ended here but I don't think a battle shounen is supposed to end with the MC losing all of his powers. Looking forward to the next arcs.
Also Bleach has some of the best art in shounen period. The only one who can compete with Kubo are Murata and Oh Great.
Knowing Bleach's reputation on the internet especially in the west and my experience with it so far, I don't understand the slander it gets. Even by shounen standards its an 8/10 series so far, much better than the new gen series in jump from the last decade.
Jack Nelson
Bleachfag here. The next arc is a bit dull but it has interesting things about it. The final arc will reveal more stuff to you though. Don't expect to learn everything about the Soul King though, it remains kinda mysterious by the end of the manga but you will still get details and a better understanding of it.
Jaxson White
Mein negro. Can't say I am a fan of the early stuff, the designs just get so much sleeker into the fake karakura town arc. Fights are flashier in a good way, everyone showing their trump cards and creative abilities.
Sebastian Peterson
nice pasta
Ethan Fisher
>Don't expect to learn everything about the Soul King though That's sad. I have heard that the ending is rushed. Any chance of the anime fixing it?
Elijah Edwards
>Ulquiorra >Character Being sonic tier cool does not equate to being a character.
Cooper Wood
I seriously can't FUCKIN believe that there are people on this board who haven't already seen /read bleach before. Yea Forums is dead
Levi Wright
>liking Fake Karakura town and Hueco Mundo I hate when people try and pretend Bleach was an underrated gem that people shat on for no reason, rather than a series everyone wanted to like because it could look so fucking cool but Kubo just wasn't interested in telling a coherent story and fucked around with pacing regularly.
Gabriel Collins
His character arc of finding meaning in human desires was quiet great. The way Ichigo and him pretty much switch roles by the end of the fight was phenomenal. Heck the way Kubo flips the theme of the heart from Rukia to Ulquiorra was great, we see that again in Komamura's final moments with Tousen.
Daniel Baker
I can understand people getting board with the pacing during these arcs, especially for the fake karakura town. But reading them by volumes isn't that bad.
Carter Gonzalez
holy shittaste bleach was only good until soul society, everything is trash after that
Easton Thompson
t. John
Jayden Nelson
Jump asked Kubo to extend the arc more than expected because the espada were super popular.
Asher Evans
Why do I get the sensation that OP is underage
Luke Hernandez
I am 26.
Ethan Walker
>OP explains his reasons for calling it good >I-It's trash okay! kek
Cameron Baker
Be sure to check out the anime's ost. Also all the OPs and EDs are great.
Carson Long
What hype?
Leo Smith
Why does Bleachfag make gross spams one after another?
The anime's coming back. Bleach has been having a year long exhibition since December, first in Shibuya, then Osaka and now Akita. New chapter dropped which is teasing a whole new arc on hell.
Landon Williams
3 years, reaching 4.
Cooper Garcia
Yea Forums was invaded by newfags long ago.
Ryder Long
I'm also reading Bleach right now and really didn't care for any of the Arrancar arc. Everything up until it was pretty fun though, and the last arc is okay so far. Fullbring was silly but I enjoyed that it brought back the urban feel of the first arc. I've also finally accepted that Ichigo's friends will forever be useless.
Oliver Jones
Based OP. Pic related is the objective peak of Bleach.
>I've also finally accepted that Ichigo's friends will forever be useless. The manga became super popular because of the captains and stayed super popular for a long time because of the espadas. Nips didn't care about Ichigo's friends or the fullbtingers. Not sure about the sternritters.
Lincoln Anderson
>New chapter dropped which is teasing a whole new arc on hell. I am more hyped about that than the anime. This toddler is a sociopath.
>The vice captain fights being not as interesting hisagi vs findorr was awesome in my opinion. aside from that, i guess a lot of the hate is overblown. most people on this board read bleach back when it was still being released weekly, and calling it a massive drag would be an understatement, especially in the final arc. it's a much better read when you can pace it yourself. other than that, the xcution arc is hated by most because it brings nothing interesting to the table and feels like another genre of manga entirely, save for the end. the last chapter explains a lot, but raises a ton of new questions, some of which are answered in the light novels as far as i know. bleach is a very good series though and remains as one of my favorites even with the way it ended. don't be too disappointed by it, just a heads up. i sincerely hope that the arc will get some justice in the anime.
ts orihime and ts rukia on my dick would be heaven
Ryan Edwards
One of the most common criticisms that Bleach has received during its run is that both the Soul Society arc and the Hueco Mundo arc are the same. This is not just a very cursory observation of history, but a misunderstanding of why Kubo found himself giving these two bow similarities in the first place. The underlying theme of both arcs is very different from each other. The Soul Society arc is mostly about questioning a flawed system and its sense of justice, gaining powers, and changing its point of view. Where the Hueco Mundo arc has "understanding oneself", the struggle with one's inner demon and coming to realize the consequences of not controlling them while also accepting those demons (the latter enters the narrative during the Fake Karakura Town but since it's online, I thought it should be mentioned). Human reasoning plays a fundamental role in the conflict associated with the Soul Society arc, where the animal instinct within oneself is an important aspect when it comes to the Hueco Mundo arc, as the conflict with the inner demon of one builds on them (White's speech to Ichigo during Vizord training) In order for the characters in these two arcs to play into these themes, Kubo differentiates the shinigami's swords from their origins by associating them with different animals/insects. Like Grimmjow with Panther, Harribel with Shark, Nnoitora with Mantis, Nel as a horse/goat, Ulquiorra with a mix of Bat and mammel (since his resurrection also has a tail), Stark's ceros are shaped like wolves and so on.
Austin Sullivan
Where, as in the Soul Society arc, the Shinigami's powers have a certain grace and are more in line with the human ego than the animal instincts depicted in the sword's resurrection forms. Byakuya's bankai are sakura flowers that represent beauty, but also the fact that people are also buried under the Sakura tree (Hisana), Tousen's Bankai frees the opponent of all his senses, except touch, by Just like Tousen is blind, Komamura's bankai is a Japanese soldier dressed in full armor, just like Komamura whose face was always hidden inside armor, Yamamoto's shikai is fire showing power and strict rule over the system, Gin's bankai is a long-bladed venomous snake like his nature, Aizen's shikai is pure hyponis and delusions as if his entire external personality is a lie. Even though Renji's zanpakuto is in the form of a monkey/snake, it is more in line with his personal arc of taking on nobles and the system despite being a street rat, as Kubo's doodles show. at the end of the chapter. Throughout the Soul Society arc, Ichigo has been shown to be achieving powers through his training to become a Shinigami and then achieving Bankai with his Zanpakuto (Old Man) helping him do so. Where, like in the Hueco Mundo arc, those very powers (Blanco) serve as a conflict for him to overcome, not only physically but later by coming to terms with them. Uryu's fight with Mayuri is about his pride as a fifteen-year-old and also the issue of fatherhood plays an important role. Nemu, despite being abused by Mayuri, has a certain level of understanding of him, while Uryu is completely out of touch with Ryuuken. Both "fathers" are quite cruel, but rather seen from a different perspective through their artificial and human children.
Blake Phillips
Uryu even apologizes to Souken saying that he doesn't understand his father and that he still has to use the ultimate technique. Although Mayuri escapes, he is defeated by Uryu who is ultimately saved by Nemu who gave him the vaccine to stop the poisoning. Uryu's fight with Szayel begins with him basically helping Renji defeat him, and despite all their new techniques, they both fail to defeat Szayel and are ultimately saved by Mayuri, who gives his famous speech about perfection and why he did it. hates, completely in contrast to Szayel's desire to become a perfect being. But Mayuri's same hatred for perfection will later haunt him in the last arc, as he also feels despair over the loss of Nemu, who he subconsciously came to believe is a perfect artificial soul with his own beliefs and desires, eventually breaking the limits with which she was created. Ultimately, he will come to understand how much Nemu means to him. While Szayel comes to taunt him in his mind that he achieved the same perfection (creating a perfect human soul) that he loathed. Kubo shows the contradiction in Mayuri's thinking and actions. Same with Uryu, finally understanding what Ryuuken wanted to protect all along, his reasons, and following his father's path by becoming a doctor (something he disdained after seeing Ryuuken dissect his mother). I went a little too far here basically towards the end of the manga, but that's because this narrative of parenthood is very much tied to Mayuri and Uryu until the very end and isn't resolved until then. Kubo masterfully inverts these arcs by showing the contradiction between the understanding of human compassion when dealing with a shinigami and a hollow, aka a pure soul that was saved and a corrupt one that was left to rot consumed by its negative desires.
Carson Hernandez
Hanataro comes to recognize Rukia as a good person through her conversations and the kindness she shows him, while Loly and Menoly see Orihime as a monster for showing them kindness and compassion. Even at the end, while Hanataro actively helps Ichigo save Rukia, Loly protecting Orihime was more about self-preservation against Yami. Ichigo's fight with Renji is more about Renji finally coming to an understanding about what he wants to do when it comes to Rukia. His fight against Ichigo serves to change his personal point of view on the conflict, following his heart instead of the system, even if he is no match for that system. His views change through Ichigo's resolve. The flashback given to Renji here highlights his reason for abandoning Rukia all those years ago due to his own helplessness in the face of the system in contrast to Ichigo's resolve. Ichigo's fight with Grimmjow has more to do with Ichigo finally accepting his animal instincts and overcoming his guilt of having to fight with hollow powers that make his eyes resemble Sora's, which makes Orihime afraid of him. . Here, Orihime's acceptance of his struggles and contempt for his method of protecting her as long as he is is what helps him get past Grimmjow. Here it is Grimmjow who helps Ichigo come to terms with his animal instincts, while it is Orihime's emotional support that ultimately helps him overcome his subconscious fear of his inner demon. The flashback given to Grimmjow also helps to bring out the contrast in his journey compared to Ichigo. Since Grimmjow was asked to eat his own comrades to further evolve,
Nicholas Walker
Another interesting way that Kubo uses to invert the narrative in these two arcs is through Yoruichi and Nel and how these two characters' personal narrative with others (Soi fon and Nnoitora) completely differs at the end. Soi-fon's emotional conflict with Yoruichi is about her feeling betrayed by being left behind and eventually reconciling with Yoruichi, while Nnoitora's conflict with Nel is about her hatred for being seen as the Bottom and mocked as one. by Nel in her own way. (The reason she follows him is because she likes to put him down and remind him of his inferiority) and it ends with Nnoitora staying true to this hatred while getting the death she always wanted from Kenpachi. And finally, Kubo basically makes his intention to reverse these two arcs very clear by contrasting the Ichigo vs Byakuya and Ichigo vs Ulquiorra fight in the most obvious way possible. Ichigo wins his fight against Byakuya not only physically, but he also wins the ideological conflict, and he wins it by defeating the demon within him and winning as himself. Byakuya finally accepts being wrong and respects Ichigo and his determination. He is changed by Ichigo's resolve. Ichigo wins his fight against Ulquiorra in name only because it was won at the expense of the ideals he upheld against Byakuya. Here Ichigo finally gives in to his inner demon (against his choice since he was basically dead) that he was able to defeat against Byakuya, he turns into a monster, kills an enemy, nearly kills a friend with said friend ironically being saved by him. enemy than him. was fighting against. After his fight with Byakuya, Ichigo shouts his victory with Joy but here he only shouts in embarrassment for the victory to be fulfilled. Here Ulquiorra's nihilistic outlook is changed not by Ichigo's victory but by his and Orihime's downfall.
Juan Lewis
In conclusion, Kubo wanted to give these two arcs some similarities on the surface while giving the character completely different personal narratives with the protagonist coming to two completely different conclusions at the end of the main final fights in these two respective arcs, and he masterfully succeeded. There's also the "The Heart" aspect conveyed through Rukia's fight against Aaroenaro and Ulquiorra's fight against Ichigo. Where Rukia finally realizes that even though she faces Kaien in body and mind (AA has his memories too), his heart will belong to her, while Ulquiorra realizes in his last moments that even after all the suffering, he made Orihime leave. Regardless, she wasn't afraid of him and she understood him, what he held in his hand was exactly what Kaien spoke of people holding in the palm of their hands when it came to their understanding of others. Kubo masterfully connects this "The Heart" theme from Rukia (someone who helps Ichigo) to Ulquiorra (who opposes Ichigo) in brilliant fashion.
Kayden Perez
The vast lord plays a pivotal role in the narrative until the end of the Arrancar arc, it is the center of Ichigo's fear and what he has to overcome to face Aizen. It is his instinct personified with a loss of himself, that is, a regression. Dangai and Mugetsu show Ichigo merging with his powers in a harmonious way as he faces his fears. Go back to progression. As Aizen goes from a cocoon, a fly to a hollow (the black hollow form is very similar to the vast lord in aesthetics), instincts take over reason, his third eye opens more from rage and rage than from fear. the lighting. progression to regression. Aizen discards his origin to reach new heights. He's talking to the hougyoku, not his zanpakuto.
Knowing how much Kubo loves making appealing black characters( Tousen, Yoruichi, Harribel, Nimaiya) I was surprised how big of a jobber Zommari turned out to be.
Ian Reyes
>Knowing how much Kubo loves making appealing black characters( jobber, jobber, jobber, jobber) I was surprised how big of a jobber Zommari turned out to be.
Dominic Flores
Come on user, those 4 were far more appealing and had things going for them compared to Zommari.
Adrian Wright
Weren't all the espada jobbers? Maybe the exception being Ulquiorra. They were hyped up as being as strong as captains yet most of them didn't even require a bankai to be beaten. Sad.
Dominic James
Jobbers The only espada that didn't fight a bankai were Aaronierro, Nnoitra and Starrk
Hudson Hughes
Kenpachi is an exception.
Blake King
>the "no .1" Espada doesn't even require a bankai to be defeated Sad.
