In the world of action manga, three titles are often referred to as the "Big 3." Among these, one series particularly stood out for me by starting off incredibly strong but unfortunately losing much of its momentum over time.
**Story:**
- **Agent of the Shinigami/Soul Society Arc (10/10):** This arc was nothing short of spectacular. It had everything you could ask for in an action-packed story: a compelling protagonist who must grow stronger to overcome challenges, characters that need saving, and subplots that weave together beautifully towards the climax.
- **Arrancar/Hueco Mundo Arc (7/10):** While not bad per se, this arc couldn't quite live up to the high standards set by the earlier arcs. The excitement began to wane, and it felt like the story was dragging on longer than necessary.
- **Turn Back the Pendulum Mini-Series (8.2/10):** This mini-series was interesting because it delved into the backstories of key characters, making them more relatable and likable.
- **Fake Karakura Town Arc (2/10):** This is where the series took a significant nosedive. Despite a massive buildup, the arc's climax was anticlimactic and disappointing. The main antagonist's defeat felt forced and unsatisfying.
- **Fullbring Arc (0.1/10):** This arc was a complete disaster. The villains were bland and uninteresting, and the storyline was confusing and dull.
- **Ending Arcs (5/10):** The final arcs felt rushed and lacked the excitement of the earlier parts of the series. Character development at this point seemed unnecessary and didn't add much value to the overall narrative.
Bleach is a rollercoaster of a ride. It starts with a bang, maintains that excitement for a while, but then gradually loses steam. Fans universally agree that the Fake Karakura Town Arc was the turning point where the series started to falter. Instead of ending on a decent note, the Fullbring Arc further disappointed readers with its lackluster plot and characters.
**Artwork: 7/10**
The artwork in Bleach has always been unique and visually appealing. However, as the series progressed, the quality began to decline. Backgrounds became simpler and less detailed, detracting from the overall experience.
**Characters: 6/10**
Bleach features a vast array of characters, many of whom are unique and well-developed. However, there are also several characters who feel unnecessary and hinder the flow of the story. The villains in the middle arcs, in particular, were a letdown, becoming bland and uninteresting over time.
**Overall: 6/10**
While Bleach has its share of problems, it still offers many enjoyable moments. If you can overlook the flaws in the middle arcs, it's worth reading for the engaging story and memorable characters. Even though fans often criticize the series' shortcomings, they would still revisit it for the good times.
**Enjoyment: 7/10**
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed my writing style or want to see more reviews, feel free to stop by my page!
Sincerely,
Awesome Drummer
The initial arcs are truly captivating, with fun characters and an intriguing, exciting setting that keeps you engaged. As the series progresses, the artwork improves significantly, showcasing some of the best illustrations in shounen battle manga of its era. The characters and their abilities are also remarkably cool and stylish. However, the story takes a sharp downturn. The manga essentially transforms into a prolonged sequence of battles. If you strip away the battles from the latter half of the series, you'll find that very little substance remains in the narrative. In essence, it prioritizes style over substance.
Bleach resonates deeply, weaving themes of inner conflict, balance, and human connection that transcend its stunning visuals and epic battles. Each character embodies a unique struggle, mirroring Ichigo’s journey of self-discovery. While initially captivating with intricate character designs, thrilling battles, and an iconic OST, Bleach’s true strength lies in its deeper narrative: the quest for inner balance.
Ichigo’s path is at the heart of this exploration. His internal war between light and darkness reflects the universal human struggle to accept every facet of oneself. He must integrate his human, Hollow, and Shinigami sides—forces in constant tension—to achieve harmony. This journey of self-acceptance, balancing inner contradictions, speaks to something profoundly personal. Just as Shinigami maintain the equilibrium of souls across realms, Ichigo must find a similar balance within, blending black and white to reach a state of “grey”—the true essence of Bleach.
Many characters undergo similar transformative arcs. Rukia’s battle with the No. 9 Espada is a powerful example, as she confronts her guilt and comes to terms with her past, ultimately growing stronger through acceptance. Hitsugaya’s struggle to balance his cold exterior with the warmth he feels for those he cares about is another instance of internal conflict yielding strength. Renji, Byakuya, and even antagonists like Ulquiorra grapple with understanding themselves and their values, enriching the central theme of equilibrium.
Bleach, ultimately, is a story about embracing one’s entirety—strengths, flaws, and all—and finding the courage to confront and harmonize these opposing forces. It’s a tale that lingers, urging you to reflect on the balance needed in your own life, making it far more than just a story of good versus evil, but one of self-discovery and human connection at its core.
Bleach is my all-time favorite piece of fiction. I already loved its elements from character designs, writing, plot, OST, and animation upon first watching the anime, but that was only on the surface level. Now, it resides within my heart on a deeper, more personal level.
Here we go again. I'm going to make this review quick because I have already reviewed the manga. The first two arcs were amazing with an interesting story, memorable characters, and great fight scenes. However, shortly after the Soul Society Arc, Bleach saw a rapid decline in quality. The creativity that defined the early arcs disappeared. What remained was a poorly written story, stagnant character development, and art so lazily executed that backgrounds were often missing.
The situation only worsened as the series progressed. Both the Fullbringer and the 1,000 Year Blood War arcs were chaotic and unsatisfying. The Fullbringer Arc felt uninteresting and rushed, lacking the depth and excitement of earlier parts. In the 1,000 Year Blood War arc, nearly every battle was resolved through convenient plot devices, making the outcomes feel contrived. The pacing was erratic, making it difficult to follow the narrative, especially towards the end. Overall, the latter parts of Bleach failed to live up to the promise of its early arcs.
Review may have some spoilers, but mostly talks about issues with writing and storytelling in a generic way. The intent is to help prospective readers decide if it's worth reading 700+ chapters of manga.
I started watching and reading Bleach the same year it released. Let me introduce you firsthand to the suffering of many Bleach fans such as myself after this ordeal of 15 years.
Are you having a bad day by any chance? Or a bad week or even a month? Whatever it is, be thankful that you are at least not Tite Kubo, who essentially retconned his entire career worth of creative work down the drain, for seemingly no good reason. Let's begin!
What made Bleach popular:
This might be outdated 15 years later, so if you start Bleach today none of it might even hold true anymore because manga/anime has changed so much since then. Bleach in its own time was revolutionary. From the style of character designs, to the concept of Soul Society, to the distinctly emotionally intelligent/melancholic way the characters expressed themselves, to a huge lineup of characters with amazing powers and untapped potential, Bleach had it all. And boy did it deliver! Bleach's Soul Society arc is one of the best (maybe even the best) battle manga I came across in my time at least. The fight scenes were amazing, the characters were unique, the momentum of storytelling was explosive. Could you ask for more in shounen? You couldn't, but Kubo delivered even more! The complex relationship dynamics between the characters, be it Rukia and Ichigo, or Byakuya and Renji or Rukia and Byakuya or Soifon and Yoruichi (SPECIALLY these two, because yuri hints in shounen in those times were an anomaly), it was these dynamics that made readers invested in the series like no other shounen. Readers wanted to know if Ichigo can master an attack, but more than that they also wanted to know what he is feeling in his heart. Even the relationship between Ichigo and the soul of his zanpakuto is very dramatic and full of mysteries.
What led to the slowdown:
Now comes the period when Soul Society arc is over. Kubo has pretty exhausted all the awesome plot devices and character designs he started out with and needs to come up with a new story. In the meantime, he still had bonus material to work with like Ichigo's hollow transformation. The real issue begins with Hueco Mundo arc, from completely unoriginal plot to long dragged-out fights, to gazillions of unfleshed characters with the same faces/personalities to seemingly non-stop ass-pull winning moves, the dominoes started to crumble one after the other. The exhaustion of not being able to write compelling scenes or develop the characters was clearly apparent in Kubo's writing. He would still pull his magic here and there, but we could see a genuine decline in the story as well as a drop in the quality of drawing.
What utterly destroyed Bleach:
I don't know why, in a shounen to boot, Kubo came up with a plot device for the hero to lose everything to make the bad guy stop once (not even kill him, just restrain him) but I think that was the definite moment Bleach tanked fully because there was no saving it from this dead end. Now in order to make Bleach progress in any way, Ichigo needed his powers back, so Kubo had to come up with an entire ass-pull arc to provide a premise for Rukia to give Ichigo powers for a second time. The entire arc focused more on the development of Rukia and Ichigo's relationship, isolating Ichigo from all other characters except Rukia, than it did on creating any meaningful plot that justified the existence of the Fullbringers in the first place. Anyway, we can understand. Kubo did a major oopsie with the end of HM arc and needed something to fix it. And Ichigo needed some mature/romantic development. Gotcha! So now Bleach is on track! And what does Kubo do in the next arc? Utterly destroy and retcon every single character of the manga including the MC. It's not even a shounen at this point; it's a tragedy. If he had known any better, he would have stopped Bleach at HM arc. If he didn't want to completely throw Bleach into the dustbin, he would have at least stopped at Fullbring arc. But making of the last arc required him to undo essentially the entirety of Bleach and play with the bonds characters share with their fans, because he had no other ideas to create "wow factor" at this point to stir the pot. Bleach was already failing for years at this point and a large fraction of readers were passive or had zoned out completely. So here goes - What's that? An established villain? Let's make him a good guy and save the hero. A dead person? Revive him. Revive ten of them actually, then kill and revive them again. Let's create an utterly useless sidekick fight for 10 chapters and finish the series in one chapter which doesn't connect to anything that happened in the 699 chapters before. NOTHING in the last arc makes sense. The ending chapter is so OOC you might as well insert a fanfic there and it won't make a difference because there was no prelude whatsoever leading to the blank period. In fact, the final boss battle ended mid-fight with no conclusion. If you were reading a physical manga, you would think someone ripped a few pages off the chapter because it ends that abruptly. What's worse, by the end of the series, every character and plot development regressed back to zero, essentially making the whole point of the manga NADA ZILCH ZERO. If you were to ask today why did Kubo write Bleach or what was the purpose of it, what were the goals the MC wanted to achieve, I can bet Kubo cannot answer. Somewhere during this clusterfuck of keeping a failing plot alive by nonsense plot devices, he forgot why he was writing. He forgot who these characters were. He forgot who is reading this manga, who is the core demographic. He forgot the message Ichigo was going to tell. But most of all, he forgot to respect his own creation and giving it the closure it deserved. And so Bleach is a story that tells itself in the first half and reverses itself in the second half, and if this sentence made no sense to you, congratulations, you figured out exactly what Bleach manga is.
Bleach is not the first and will not be the last manga with superior potential that tanked due to poor writing. What makes Bleach unique is how monumentally bad the fall was and how truly crazy Tite Kubo is to knowingly bring his manga back to square one. I wish I could say it was the mad hatter kind of crazy for those of you who love chaos and lack of logic, but with 700+ chapters of mediocrity, slow reading, and lack of plot, it's the kind of crazy you don't want to deal with.
With that, this Bleach fan... oops.. this EX Bleach fan, signs off.
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 system, and Ichigo isn't what most writers would call a compelling character.
So what does it have going for it? Its 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. My girlfriend watched it as it was broadcasting, and she just cringes whenever she sees the character designs or hears the dialogue now, so I'm not sure how well its 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 fun for the most part. Some characters like Kon and Ichigo’s dad drag it down, but overall, 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 all takes place in a single location with very little 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—blindly following edicts from a poorly explained governing committee he never 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 Arrancar 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. 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 is the arc where I had to fully accept that I didn't get what people liked about Bleach. Its style didn't work for me, its characters were boring, and its magic system was filled with 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."
**Fullbringer 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 Nazis 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, repeating the exact same formula of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. Ichigo gets a new power-up and new costume. A black-robed 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 its more successful competitor Naruto.
**Characters:**
I’m going to focus on main characters and supporting characters who left an impact. For authenticity, I’ll use the nomenclature my girlfriend 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 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 Mary Sue, 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.
**Yhwach:** 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 damseled 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 Hueco 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 standout; I really feel his vibe. The big dog is definitely a big dog. The guy who dresses like a 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 to 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, second-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 you wouldn’t expect from a hollow.
**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 humanity’s 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 dickheads, 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 neitherworld 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 very 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 based 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 weak. 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 as Demon Slayer or JJK. But as it is, it’s a slog to get through.
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 two cents.
**Story:**
The story, as most people seem to think, has two arcs. Personally, I 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 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, and plot twists that fueled my delight. Right and wrong were blurred, and the intrigue of the goings-on in the Soul Society was fascinating. The ending twist was fantastic and perfect, and I was ready for the next arc.
This is where many critics of the manga, and even some fans, say the series died and ruined it for them. I disagree. I missed fighting hollows, but now the shinigami had a real reason to use their zanpakuto's abilities that were not directed at other shinigami. The arrancar were real threats to the Soul Society and were 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, leading a front that made the series amazing. I wait with bated 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, while others get too much. 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 don’t 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 a lot of them, and they never die. This leads to characters getting left on the side of the road with little to no use. The best example is Chad. He had a lot of potential but is nowhere near what the lead characters are. He is basically Krillin. This is happening more and more in the manga, which is unfortunate. He is working on the backstory of some characters, but only those who were mentioned to be uber powerful beforehand. Overall, problematic but I still 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 mainstream as it is.
**Overall:**
I understand why people are complaining about some things. However, these issues are not a big deal in the overall story but make it seem like a damning offense. Then there are people who, I don't know why, read this long manga all the way through just to complain about it. Unless there is a golden vault of shonen manga I'm missing out on, if so, please refer me to it. Otherwise, stop trolling Bleach because, quite frankly, it feels out of place to read.
Definitely THE BEST manga ever!!!! The story, the art, the fights, the characters, and most of all, THE FRIGGIN' ATTITUDE!!! Tite Kubo is an awesome mangaka, and this is truly a masterpiece....
Though you might feel it's not worth it in the first few episodes, be patient and keep watching—you'll fall in love. The concept of "Soul Reapers" really worked out very well. The fights are on a whole new level (especially in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc). Kubo manages to add such a grave demeanor to the fights that you can't help but feel... #RESPECT.
The most captivating aspect is the swords, called Zanpakutos. Each Zanpakuto reflects a person's soul and is totally unique with crazy powers. Even the Shinigami arts are so mesmerizing that they leave you in awe.
Also, the villains are super bad-ass, and you literally can't predict what will happen next. You could almost call it a suspense manga.
So, Fight + Sword + Mythical Arts + Bad Ass + Baffling Storyline + Beautiful Art + ATTITUDE = BLEACH
This series thrives on its bold and energetic style. The narrative can feel quite chaotic, but it’s hard to mind too much when every fight scene is so intense. The series doesn’t really hit its stride until the Soul Society arc begins, and unfortunately, it never quite reaches that same level of quality afterward. The Soul Society arc delivers everything I could want from a series. The stakes are high, and you genuinely root for the protagonists to win. There’s an excellent twist at the end that turns everything you thought you knew about Soul Society upside down. If you’re new to Bleach, try to avoid spoilers because this twist will completely change your perspective. Characters grow stronger in ways that feel earned, though occasionally something comes out of nowhere, yet it feels more justified here than in later parts of the series.
While I still enjoy the Arrancar arc, it lacks the polish of Soul Society. The enemies are established as overwhelmingly powerful, which should make them superior to the heroes. However, Kubo seems to forget this, and the good guys somehow end up on equal footing without any clear explanation. The twist in this arc is less satisfying as it resolves the storyline rather than setting up new directions. More tension could have been created with better foreshadowing, making viewers second-guess everything until the reveal. Despite these flaws, I still found the ride enjoyable.
If Bleach had ended with the Arrancar arc, I would probably rate it an 8. Unfortunately, we get the Lost Agent and Thousand Year Blood War arcs. Lost Agent undoes some developments from the Arrancar arc, undermining previous decisions. Moments that should have hit hard now feel less impactful knowing they don’t carry lasting consequences. Lost Agent expands the world in interesting ways, but it’s abandoned too quickly to leave a lasting impression. Then comes the arc that brings this series down to a 6.
The Thousand Year Blood War arc highlights the major issues I’ve outlined with the series. The villains overpower the heroes so dramatically at the start that victory seems impossible. This changes through convenient plot devices, which I accept in one and a half cases. Kenpachi solving problems by hitting things harder is always fun, and Kisuke having a plan for everything fits his character, but some solutions just don’t work for me. It’s hard to pinpoint why, but sometimes things just are the way they are. This arc also features a twist introduced too late to be effective, contributing to the protagonists’ victory rather than setting up new narrative paths. While it’s set up earlier than in the Arrancar arc, it still arrives too late for my taste.
In conclusion, this series is a lot of fun if you’re looking for exciting fight scenes. However, if you prioritize narrative coherence and world-building, you might find it lacking. I know people who love Bleach, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations. Still, I recommend giving it a shot; there’s definitely a version of this story that I would have enjoyed much more.
Bleach started off strong but gradually declined in quality as the series progressed. Initially, it moves at a slow pace, but things pick up significantly with the Soul Society arc, which is where the series truly shines. This arc introduces compelling characters like the Gotei 13 and the Visored, and features the rescue mission for Rukia. It's also when we first encounter Soul Society and see the formation of Ichigo's group, including Orihime, Chad, and Uryuu. The main antagonist, Aizen, is introduced here and becomes a major focus.
The Hueco Mundo arc follows, another rescue mission that introduces new species and provides more information about Aizen. While this arc felt somewhat repetitive, it still had its moments. Throughout Hueco Mundo and the Fake Karakura Town arc, we see more of the Gotei 13's powers on display. In the climactic battle in Fake Karakura Town, Ichigo sacrifices his Shinigami powers to defeat Aizen. At this point, the manga could have ended satisfactorily, but it continued into what many consider the most boring arc, the Fullbringer arc. Its sole purpose was to restore Ichigo's powers.
Next comes the Thousand-Year Blood War (TYBW) arc, which overall was quite good. Here, we're introduced to the Quincy and the second major villain, Yhwach. While some aspects of the Quincy seemed overpowered, particularly the top executives of Yhwach's army, the arc also introduces Division 0, or the Royal Guard, a group of elite Shinigami with impressive abilities and achievements. Unfortunately, many of these characters were quickly killed off by Yhwach and his executive Quincy, which was disappointing given their potential.
The TYBW arc brings back several characters from previous arcs for brief appearances, which was a nice touch. However, the ending left much to be desired, with many unresolved plot points that left fans, including myself, confused. Despite this, I found the conclusion satisfying overall.
This is my honest opinion, and I am not being contrarian just because this is one of the most famous manga.
- Cons
Bleach is mostly boring. The manga consists of 95% fighting, 5% training, and slice-of-life (SOL) moments. While this might appeal to some who prefer non-stop action, it's a significant flaw. The sheer volume of fights is overwhelming, and they are often predictable and tedious. Many fights could be removed without affecting the plot at all. Moreover, the fights follow an irritating pattern: "Bad guy powers up, Good guy powers up too, Bad guy powers up again, Good guy powers up again, Bad Guy reveals a hidden power/move, but it turns out all along the Good guy had a secret move as well, making him overpowered from the start." This fake tension and repetitive escalation drag on endlessly, pulling you out of the experience. Additionally, Ichigo's training scenes are rushed, showing minimal effort or struggle compared to other series like Dragon Ball. Bleach struggles outside of its fight scenes, with arcs feeling overly long and lacking substance. This manga put me to sleep multiple times, yet I still managed to binge it in less than ten days. The ending was notoriously bad, partly due to the abrupt cancellation and Kubo’s health issues, leaving a sour taste.
- Pros
The only exceptional aspect of this manga is its characters. Despite having little time for development due to constant fighting, Tite Kubo has created unique and memorable characters, each with distinct ambitions and strengths. You may forget the fights, but you won't forget the characters. Some mystery elements and world-building are intriguing, though not as compelling as in Naruto or One Piece. Character designs are cool and meaningful, and the music associated with specific characters adds depth. Although most fights are dull, there are a few genuinely great ones. Some comedic moments are funny, and the art is generally good, sometimes excellent.
- Overall Thoughts
Bleach is the last of the BIG 3 that I read, and it baffles me how it's considered equal to Naruto and One Piece. If you enjoy endless, mindless fights with no substance, give it a try. Otherwise, steer clear of this boring slog.
Last time, I was wondering what kind of story Bleach really is. I thought it wouldn't be that great, but my opinion changed when I started reading it. It was truly enjoyable, though sometimes a bit hard to understand, but still fun. The author put a lot of effort into naming the swords like Zangetsu and Zabimaru. Characters such as Ichigo and Rukia are well-developed. Give it a read; you'll enjoy it.
Popular Reviews
The initial arcs are truly captivating, with fun characters and an intriguing, exciting setting that keeps you engaged. As the series progresses, the artwork improves significantly, showcasing some of the best illustrations in shounen battle manga of its era. The characters and their abilities are also remarkably cool and stylish. However, the story takes a sharp downturn. The manga essentially transforms into a prolonged sequence of battles. If you strip away the battles from the latter half of the series, you'll find that very little substance remains in the narrative. In essence, it prioritizes style over substance.
Bleach resonates deeply, weaving themes of inner conflict, balance, and human connection that transcend its stunning visuals and epic battles. Each character embodies a unique struggle, mirroring Ichigo’s journey of self-discovery. While initially captivating with intricate character designs, thrilling battles, and an iconic OST, Bleach’s true strength lies in its deeper narrative: the quest for inner balance.
Ichigo’s path is at the heart of this exploration. His internal war between light and darkness reflects the universal human struggle to accept every facet of oneself. He must integrate his human, Hollow, and Shinigami sides—forces in constant tension—to achieve harmony. This journey of self-acceptance, balancing inner contradictions, speaks to something profoundly personal. Just as Shinigami maintain the equilibrium of souls across realms, Ichigo must find a similar balance within, blending black and white to reach a state of “grey”—the true essence of Bleach.
Many characters undergo similar transformative arcs. Rukia’s battle with the No. 9 Espada is a powerful example, as she confronts her guilt and comes to terms with her past, ultimately growing stronger through acceptance. Hitsugaya’s struggle to balance his cold exterior with the warmth he feels for those he cares about is another instance of internal conflict yielding strength. Renji, Byakuya, and even antagonists like Ulquiorra grapple with understanding themselves and their values, enriching the central theme of equilibrium.
Bleach, ultimately, is a story about embracing one’s entirety—strengths, flaws, and all—and finding the courage to confront and harmonize these opposing forces. It’s a tale that lingers, urging you to reflect on the balance needed in your own life, making it far more than just a story of good versus evil, but one of self-discovery and human connection at its core.
Bleach is my all-time favorite piece of fiction. I already loved its elements from character designs, writing, plot, OST, and animation upon first watching the anime, but that was only on the surface level. Now, it resides within my heart on a deeper, more personal level.
Here we go again. I'm going to make this review quick because I have already reviewed the manga. The first two arcs were amazing with an interesting story, memorable characters, and great fight scenes. However, shortly after the Soul Society Arc, Bleach saw a rapid decline in quality. The creativity that defined the early arcs disappeared. What remained was a poorly written story, stagnant character development, and art so lazily executed that backgrounds were often missing.
The situation only worsened as the series progressed. Both the Fullbringer and the 1,000 Year Blood War arcs were chaotic and unsatisfying. The Fullbringer Arc felt uninteresting and rushed, lacking the depth and excitement of earlier parts. In the 1,000 Year Blood War arc, nearly every battle was resolved through convenient plot devices, making the outcomes feel contrived. The pacing was erratic, making it difficult to follow the narrative, especially towards the end. Overall, the latter parts of Bleach failed to live up to the promise of its early arcs.
Review may have some spoilers, but mostly talks about issues with writing and storytelling in a generic way. The intent is to help prospective readers decide if it's worth reading 700+ chapters of manga.
I started watching and reading Bleach the same year it released. Let me introduce you firsthand to the suffering of many Bleach fans such as myself after this ordeal of 15 years.
Are you having a bad day by any chance? Or a bad week or even a month? Whatever it is, be thankful that you are at least not Tite Kubo, who essentially retconned his entire career worth of creative work down the drain, for seemingly no good reason. Let's begin!
What made Bleach popular:
This might be outdated 15 years later, so if you start Bleach today none of it might even hold true anymore because manga/anime has changed so much since then. Bleach in its own time was revolutionary. From the style of character designs, to the concept of Soul Society, to the distinctly emotionally intelligent/melancholic way the characters expressed themselves, to a huge lineup of characters with amazing powers and untapped potential, Bleach had it all. And boy did it deliver! Bleach's Soul Society arc is one of the best (maybe even the best) battle manga I came across in my time at least. The fight scenes were amazing, the characters were unique, the momentum of storytelling was explosive. Could you ask for more in shounen? You couldn't, but Kubo delivered even more! The complex relationship dynamics between the characters, be it Rukia and Ichigo, or Byakuya and Renji or Rukia and Byakuya or Soifon and Yoruichi (SPECIALLY these two, because yuri hints in shounen in those times were an anomaly), it was these dynamics that made readers invested in the series like no other shounen. Readers wanted to know if Ichigo can master an attack, but more than that they also wanted to know what he is feeling in his heart. Even the relationship between Ichigo and the soul of his zanpakuto is very dramatic and full of mysteries.
What led to the slowdown:
Now comes the period when Soul Society arc is over. Kubo has pretty exhausted all the awesome plot devices and character designs he started out with and needs to come up with a new story. In the meantime, he still had bonus material to work with like Ichigo's hollow transformation. The real issue begins with Hueco Mundo arc, from completely unoriginal plot to long dragged-out fights, to gazillions of unfleshed characters with the same faces/personalities to seemingly non-stop ass-pull winning moves, the dominoes started to crumble one after the other. The exhaustion of not being able to write compelling scenes or develop the characters was clearly apparent in Kubo's writing. He would still pull his magic here and there, but we could see a genuine decline in the story as well as a drop in the quality of drawing.
What utterly destroyed Bleach:
I don't know why, in a shounen to boot, Kubo came up with a plot device for the hero to lose everything to make the bad guy stop once (not even kill him, just restrain him) but I think that was the definite moment Bleach tanked fully because there was no saving it from this dead end. Now in order to make Bleach progress in any way, Ichigo needed his powers back, so Kubo had to come up with an entire ass-pull arc to provide a premise for Rukia to give Ichigo powers for a second time. The entire arc focused more on the development of Rukia and Ichigo's relationship, isolating Ichigo from all other characters except Rukia, than it did on creating any meaningful plot that justified the existence of the Fullbringers in the first place. Anyway, we can understand. Kubo did a major oopsie with the end of HM arc and needed something to fix it. And Ichigo needed some mature/romantic development. Gotcha! So now Bleach is on track! And what does Kubo do in the next arc? Utterly destroy and retcon every single character of the manga including the MC. It's not even a shounen at this point; it's a tragedy. If he had known any better, he would have stopped Bleach at HM arc. If he didn't want to completely throw Bleach into the dustbin, he would have at least stopped at Fullbring arc. But making of the last arc required him to undo essentially the entirety of Bleach and play with the bonds characters share with their fans, because he had no other ideas to create "wow factor" at this point to stir the pot. Bleach was already failing for years at this point and a large fraction of readers were passive or had zoned out completely. So here goes - What's that? An established villain? Let's make him a good guy and save the hero. A dead person? Revive him. Revive ten of them actually, then kill and revive them again. Let's create an utterly useless sidekick fight for 10 chapters and finish the series in one chapter which doesn't connect to anything that happened in the 699 chapters before. NOTHING in the last arc makes sense. The ending chapter is so OOC you might as well insert a fanfic there and it won't make a difference because there was no prelude whatsoever leading to the blank period. In fact, the final boss battle ended mid-fight with no conclusion. If you were reading a physical manga, you would think someone ripped a few pages off the chapter because it ends that abruptly. What's worse, by the end of the series, every character and plot development regressed back to zero, essentially making the whole point of the manga NADA ZILCH ZERO. If you were to ask today why did Kubo write Bleach or what was the purpose of it, what were the goals the MC wanted to achieve, I can bet Kubo cannot answer. Somewhere during this clusterfuck of keeping a failing plot alive by nonsense plot devices, he forgot why he was writing. He forgot who these characters were. He forgot who is reading this manga, who is the core demographic. He forgot the message Ichigo was going to tell. But most of all, he forgot to respect his own creation and giving it the closure it deserved. And so Bleach is a story that tells itself in the first half and reverses itself in the second half, and if this sentence made no sense to you, congratulations, you figured out exactly what Bleach manga is.
Bleach is not the first and will not be the last manga with superior potential that tanked due to poor writing. What makes Bleach unique is how monumentally bad the fall was and how truly crazy Tite Kubo is to knowingly bring his manga back to square one. I wish I could say it was the mad hatter kind of crazy for those of you who love chaos and lack of logic, but with 700+ chapters of mediocrity, slow reading, and lack of plot, it's the kind of crazy you don't want to deal with.
With that, this Bleach fan... oops.. this EX Bleach fan, signs off.
Bleach!!! Bleeaach!!! Bllllllllleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccchhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Definitely THE BEST manga ever!!!! The story, the art, the fights, the characters, and most of all, THE FRIGGIN' ATTITUDE!!! Tite Kubo is an awesome mangaka, and this is truly a masterpiece....
Though you might feel it's not worth it in the first few episodes, be patient and keep watching—you'll fall in love. The concept of "Soul Reapers" really worked out very well. The fights are on a whole new level (especially in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc). Kubo manages to add such a grave demeanor to the fights that you can't help but feel... #RESPECT.
The most captivating aspect is the swords, called Zanpakutos. Each Zanpakuto reflects a person's soul and is totally unique with crazy powers. Even the Shinigami arts are so mesmerizing that they leave you in awe.
Also, the villains are super bad-ass, and you literally can't predict what will happen next. You could almost call it a suspense manga.
So, Fight + Sword + Mythical Arts + Bad Ass + Baffling Storyline + Beautiful Art + ATTITUDE = BLEACH
MUST READ OF ALL TIME!!!
This series thrives on its bold and energetic style. The narrative can feel quite chaotic, but it’s hard to mind too much when every fight scene is so intense. The series doesn’t really hit its stride until the Soul Society arc begins, and unfortunately, it never quite reaches that same level of quality afterward. The Soul Society arc delivers everything I could want from a series. The stakes are high, and you genuinely root for the protagonists to win. There’s an excellent twist at the end that turns everything you thought you knew about Soul Society upside down. If you’re new to Bleach, try to avoid spoilers because this twist will completely change your perspective. Characters grow stronger in ways that feel earned, though occasionally something comes out of nowhere, yet it feels more justified here than in later parts of the series.
While I still enjoy the Arrancar arc, it lacks the polish of Soul Society. The enemies are established as overwhelmingly powerful, which should make them superior to the heroes. However, Kubo seems to forget this, and the good guys somehow end up on equal footing without any clear explanation. The twist in this arc is less satisfying as it resolves the storyline rather than setting up new directions. More tension could have been created with better foreshadowing, making viewers second-guess everything until the reveal. Despite these flaws, I still found the ride enjoyable.
If Bleach had ended with the Arrancar arc, I would probably rate it an 8. Unfortunately, we get the Lost Agent and Thousand Year Blood War arcs. Lost Agent undoes some developments from the Arrancar arc, undermining previous decisions. Moments that should have hit hard now feel less impactful knowing they don’t carry lasting consequences. Lost Agent expands the world in interesting ways, but it’s abandoned too quickly to leave a lasting impression. Then comes the arc that brings this series down to a 6.
The Thousand Year Blood War arc highlights the major issues I’ve outlined with the series. The villains overpower the heroes so dramatically at the start that victory seems impossible. This changes through convenient plot devices, which I accept in one and a half cases. Kenpachi solving problems by hitting things harder is always fun, and Kisuke having a plan for everything fits his character, but some solutions just don’t work for me. It’s hard to pinpoint why, but sometimes things just are the way they are. This arc also features a twist introduced too late to be effective, contributing to the protagonists’ victory rather than setting up new narrative paths. While it’s set up earlier than in the Arrancar arc, it still arrives too late for my taste.
In conclusion, this series is a lot of fun if you’re looking for exciting fight scenes. However, if you prioritize narrative coherence and world-building, you might find it lacking. I know people who love Bleach, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations. Still, I recommend giving it a shot; there’s definitely a version of this story that I would have enjoyed much more.
Bleach started off strong but gradually declined in quality as the series progressed. Initially, it moves at a slow pace, but things pick up significantly with the Soul Society arc, which is where the series truly shines. This arc introduces compelling characters like the Gotei 13 and the Visored, and features the rescue mission for Rukia. It's also when we first encounter Soul Society and see the formation of Ichigo's group, including Orihime, Chad, and Uryuu. The main antagonist, Aizen, is introduced here and becomes a major focus.
The Hueco Mundo arc follows, another rescue mission that introduces new species and provides more information about Aizen. While this arc felt somewhat repetitive, it still had its moments. Throughout Hueco Mundo and the Fake Karakura Town arc, we see more of the Gotei 13's powers on display. In the climactic battle in Fake Karakura Town, Ichigo sacrifices his Shinigami powers to defeat Aizen. At this point, the manga could have ended satisfactorily, but it continued into what many consider the most boring arc, the Fullbringer arc. Its sole purpose was to restore Ichigo's powers.
Next comes the Thousand-Year Blood War (TYBW) arc, which overall was quite good. Here, we're introduced to the Quincy and the second major villain, Yhwach. While some aspects of the Quincy seemed overpowered, particularly the top executives of Yhwach's army, the arc also introduces Division 0, or the Royal Guard, a group of elite Shinigami with impressive abilities and achievements. Unfortunately, many of these characters were quickly killed off by Yhwach and his executive Quincy, which was disappointing given their potential.
The TYBW arc brings back several characters from previous arcs for brief appearances, which was a nice touch. However, the ending left much to be desired, with many unresolved plot points that left fans, including myself, confused. Despite this, I found the conclusion satisfying overall.
4/10
This is my honest opinion, and I am not being contrarian just because this is one of the most famous manga.
- Cons
Bleach is mostly boring. The manga consists of 95% fighting, 5% training, and slice-of-life (SOL) moments. While this might appeal to some who prefer non-stop action, it's a significant flaw. The sheer volume of fights is overwhelming, and they are often predictable and tedious. Many fights could be removed without affecting the plot at all. Moreover, the fights follow an irritating pattern: "Bad guy powers up, Good guy powers up too, Bad guy powers up again, Good guy powers up again, Bad Guy reveals a hidden power/move, but it turns out all along the Good guy had a secret move as well, making him overpowered from the start." This fake tension and repetitive escalation drag on endlessly, pulling you out of the experience. Additionally, Ichigo's training scenes are rushed, showing minimal effort or struggle compared to other series like Dragon Ball. Bleach struggles outside of its fight scenes, with arcs feeling overly long and lacking substance. This manga put me to sleep multiple times, yet I still managed to binge it in less than ten days. The ending was notoriously bad, partly due to the abrupt cancellation and Kubo’s health issues, leaving a sour taste.
- Pros
The only exceptional aspect of this manga is its characters. Despite having little time for development due to constant fighting, Tite Kubo has created unique and memorable characters, each with distinct ambitions and strengths. You may forget the fights, but you won't forget the characters. Some mystery elements and world-building are intriguing, though not as compelling as in Naruto or One Piece. Character designs are cool and meaningful, and the music associated with specific characters adds depth. Although most fights are dull, there are a few genuinely great ones. Some comedic moments are funny, and the art is generally good, sometimes excellent.
- Overall Thoughts
Bleach is the last of the BIG 3 that I read, and it baffles me how it's considered equal to Naruto and One Piece. If you enjoy endless, mindless fights with no substance, give it a try. Otherwise, steer clear of this boring slog.
Last time, I was wondering what kind of story Bleach really is. I thought it wouldn't be that great, but my opinion changed when I started reading it. It was truly enjoyable, though sometimes a bit hard to understand, but still fun. The author put a lot of effort into naming the swords like Zangetsu and Zabimaru. Characters such as Ichigo and Rukia are well-developed. Give it a read; you'll enjoy it.
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