For me Bleach has always been at the top of the Big 3, by miles and miles. Mainly because Ichigo was someone I understood. No major goals, but a direction I want to go. And the fact he actually has/deals with depression regularly and it isn’t something that's brushed aside after an arc. Honestly, its a series I can't get enough of.
I really shouldn't care (or even know this lol), but Agamotto started his Bleach journey before Mespy. But yeah it's great to see a lot of people coming to Bleach with an open mind and actually get what it's trying to do on a deeper level than just "Wow cool art and fights".
What made me feel Bleach was something Special was chapter 25 where Ichigo sulks in the rain and asks his dad why doesn’t he blame him for what happened to his mom but his dad simply says it’s dumb become the real thing to focus on was that he’s actually proud of the woman he loved, his wife doing her duty protecting their child and reminding Ichigo that was him she saved. Helping motivate him to lift his head and get stronger just like her. Entirely changing his perspective on the matter. It was very sweet and I don’t see much loving father moments especially in Shonen so Ichigo having that support is very special
Bleach was both my first manga and first anime and it's a story that has stayed with me long into my adulthood. The themes of family, grief, duty, responsibility and perseverance are so beautifully woven through the story and then you have Kubo's incredible character design and power system to top it all off.
A note on character names, Uryu is pronounced liked ooh-ree-you, Byakuya like bee-yah-coo-yah and Renji like wren-gee. Loved your analysis and excited to see you read more!
I LOVED reading this! I get so happy when an older series still captures the attention of those who have a history with the series! It makes me even more excited to continue journeying through the story! Also, thank you soooo much for the help with the name pronunciations! It is greatly appreciated!
Wow, thank you for ready my number 1 series. With Bleach I’ve notice a ton of people having misconceptions. For starters going in, Kubo’s writing is VERY subtle and full of nuance. Bleach thrives off its thematic elements, poetic depth, nuanced writing, symbolism and character writing etc. One Piece and Naruto thrive off the storytelling but Bleach takes a completely different route on its character writing and poetic depth It’s written very differently to a normal shonen, information isn’t spoonfed to the viewers in fact Kubo himself said you will need to re read it to catch bits of foreshadowing and other things to use some deduction to piece together the story a lot of people completely disregard Bleach and just read it at the surface level so they come to the false conclusion of “Bleach is generic and basic”etc Kubo loves to leave things open ended which you’ll notice he also doesn’t use a lot of backstories for characters, a common tool in literature he lets the character writing speak for itself I’m not trying to say BLEACH is totally perfect but I HOPE you read it thoroughly and catch the little subtleties and amazing writing. Even TotallyNotMark another reviewer missed A LOT of the subtleties because he read it at the surface level and didn’t understand the depth and symbolism. I have a feeling you’ll appreciate Bleach’s writing though Bleach gets a bad rep by a lot of false misconceptions with its writing and story There are also light novels for Bleach which I hope you read too as they are canon and add a ton of lore and answers but those happen later into the story. My ranking of the Big 3 is BLEACH OP Naruto Excited for you to delve into this!!
Bleach is one of those that gets better every time you read it, so much of the story is told through real world themes/ philosophies and aesthetic choices rather than blunt statements, every time you go back with the full context you will find cool little things hidden in the background or only implied through subtext on first read. As for how dark it is right from the beginning, I can only imagine how creepy some of those early chaps (Shrieker) would be if Kubo when back a redrew them with his current skill and creative license within Jump. they would be straight up supernatural horror/ thriller.
Kubos use of callbacks (not retcons) is really strong as well. He often sets up a lot of different elements that eventually end up paying off, even if it's hundreds of chapters later.
@@sharogengaming7716 Yesss. 😏 & let me give u a little spoiler for future in 2027 maybe 😅 (someone took the brain from the floor) Shuhei Hisagi is the Main character now 🔥😈🔥
Most people who say Bleach writing is inferior to the other 2 judge it on surface level, the themes and ideas presented in Bleach are often a bit more under the surface. The later arcs are a particularly good example of this. Also, just a heads up, if you plan to read the manga before watching the anime, the final arc is far more fleshed out in the anime, Kubo was dealing with health issues and editor/publisher issues that caused the arc to be rushed particularly towards the end.
Finally someone analyzing bleach in it’s complete depth. One side note read the last arc simultaneously to the tybw anime because tite kubo is changing a lot (since he had health issues and had to shorten the manga) and therefore at the end the anime part will be more canon than the manga
Thank you for this great information! I was going to switch to the anime based on the comments, but you made me realize I can just do both when I get to that point!
Best to do both, some moments are still better done in the manga than in the anime. Although all in all the last arc will probably be better once the anime is finished in the end.
I love Bleach bc details in this arc will still come up in later chapters and when it happens you have this epiphanies of "ohhh, that's what they were referencing in that dialogue". Some parts that seems like throw away moment, actually matter later!
I really loved Bleach back in the day but never actually got around to finishing it! It's been so long since I read it that I'm honestly a little fuzzy on how I initially felt about the first arc, but I definitely remember the Arrancar arcs being my favorites. I also thought Ichigo was kind of refreshing and different as a shounen protagonist. It's been too long for me to really speak on the storytelling, but I do think Kubo created a really interesting world and power system, and you'll see he had no shortage of interesting characters. It's really a joy to see the way Kubo's art style developed as Bleach went on, and he did some really stunning work with just the black and white color palette imo. I also always loved Kubo's love for fashion and the fun color spreads he would draw! I hope you enjoy your time reading Bleach, looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
14:26 I started watching bleach when I was around 9-10 years old and yeah some of the things in it terrified kid me, the creepy soundtracks of the anime didn't help much either Bleach was definitely the hardest of the big 3 to get into as a kid but to this day Bleach is still one of my favorite stories ever told
I appreciate you sharing this! Every time I read these series as an adult, I am beyond curious to know how these stories were perceived by adults my age back then! It’s great to know that despite that stuff, the story is still something that you really enjoy!
Last month, RUclips recommended a video essay about my favorite character in Bleach (you'll meet her soon, but that's all I'll say), now it recommends a video of someone's venturing into Bleach and I'm ECSTATIC to see how you'll feel about the rest of the series! I only got into the series two years ago and fell in love with it INSTANTLY (even though it was by accident, as in I was watching parts of the final arc of the anime), I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Very well done video!!! ^^
its refreshing to see someone newly discovering bleach it takes me back to when it was first airing on adult swim. I would love to hear your opinions evolve all the way up to the thousand year bloodwar
Okay... let me just warn you about the final arc i.e The Thousand Year Blood-War arc. You should read it and then watch it before making a final judgment about it because Kubo fell ill during writing it and had to rush it. So right now he is working closely with the anime team to fill out and include things he was not able to include while writing the arc.
Glad to see you enjoying Bleach. I've been into it since like 2003 as a kid (same with Naruto and One Piece) and yeah, it's definitely worthy of discussing. It's first arc is one of my favorite "first anime arcs" and one reason that is is due to the style of it. Modern with a mix of supernatural but also it's vibe. If you ever get around to just checking out the first anime opening for it you'll see what I mean. It's got this vibrant dope vibe to it but with a sense of style that works well when you mix that in with it's story, characters and themes. Overall it's a really great series!
"Modern with a mix of supernatural" is an excellent way to describe this arc! I think that's one of the reasons that it kept me so invested! I look forward to watching the anime opening! I heard the music in the Bleach anime is supposed to be great!
Just throwing it out there the only reason Byakuya and Renji leave Ichigo to lie there is because Byakuya had struck Ichigo in a precise spot which is deadly to any other soul reaper and even if he could survive he would loose his powers. This establishes that Byakuya is scarier than you think because for him to have that speed and precision is just horrifying.
Bleach is incredible! Hope you enjoy the ride. I recommend listening to the music while you read, the Bleach OST is the Best of the Big 3! Eventually, when you reach the final arc of the manga, switch to the anime, it is truly fantastic! 😊
I love _Bleach_ so much! I would highly recommend, after the Fullbring Arc switching to the anime for the Thousand Year Blood War because the Thousand Year Blood War anime is very different from the manga. AND GET MERPHY TO READ THIS SERIES TOO!!!
The bleach anime has my favorite OST of all. I feel it adds so much to the story. Please consider watching the animated arc after finishing the corresponding manga arc.
No Spoliers: I don't know if you know this or if someone in comments has said this already, but when you get To the final arc of the series, Tite Kubo has been working with the anime studio to make changes in the anime. MAJOR changes. Thought would be useful to know incase your only reading the manga. Found your channel through this video, so I hope you enjoy my favorite manga series :)
Bleach is interesting you have to really pay attention to all the details in every chapter. Because there are lots and lots of foreshadowing in Kubo’s work
Early Bleach had my attention with the monsters and cool artstyle but Ichigo made me stay for the long haul. He handles and deals with stressful and emotional moments so realistically and the way he becomes depressed and self-conscious of his own ability to help his loved ones. Ichigo wants to be strong for his family and be their protector even when he can't help himself which struck a chord for a lot of brothers out there that hold themselves responsible for the safety of their siblings, including myself. Ichigo isn't a hero or some all-powerful god but just a guy that will save anyone and everyone he possible can. if you want to protect something so will Ichigo.
Glad to see another person enjoying Bleach. Welcome to the community. If you do anymore videos on Bleach I will be glad to drop some lore without spoiling anything but definitely hinting at stuff. There's A LOT of foreshadowing in Bleach that you've already read past without knowing. There's still stuff that we're figuring out now Thanks to Tite Kubo's Klubhouse Outside Q&A where Kubo himself answers questions us fans have about Bleach so everything he says is official. Though I will advise not reading anything from Klubhouse Outside as of yet for yourself bcus it will very likely spoil stuff to come. But as I said if you continue to do videos for Bleach I will drop Lore and that includes stuff that was clarified on in Klubhouse Outside for the specific stuff you've read so far Edit: I will advise after reading the Soul Society Arc that you watch the Bleach Movie "Memories of Nobody" as it's the only Bleach Movie that's Canon to the material. It takes place after Soul Society but before the Arc after Soul Society. It's an in between Arc that is a key plot point later on in Bleach during the Thousand Year Blood War (TYBW) Arc but more specifically the Anime. The TYBW Arc Anime is the more Canon representation of the Manga as Kubo is adding New Material that wasn't in the Manga originally. So whether you're an Anime only person or Manga only person a fair amount of stuff is changed and you won't fully know what's going on if at all. Right now the TYBW is 4 Cours (Seasons) and we're at the end of Cour 3 right now. Also just so you know ahead of time the Anime is very much so censored (except the TYBW) for certain things. Hair Colors are changed, certain power colors are changed etc
4:35 The main reason I personally love Bleach so much is because they introduce a large amount of characters so fast, especially in the Soul Society arc. I know it's probably a hack to make you feel like it's "world building" while in reality it's not, but it makes up for it by actually developing those characters. In the most recent arc (TYBW), we even get to know tertiary characters like Nanao and Nemuri. By the end of the series you get characters that are developed as much as the main characters, and there's so many of them. I don't know any other series that can do that, maybe except for Berserk.
my favorite thing about bleach is seeing people like you: people who read carefully, empathize, and reflect on how new developments recontextualize the story + characters. Love hearing your thoughts and can't wait for more!
Specially he wanted to include Tatsuki more yeah. And I know some people are pretty disappointed that she isn't included more, but personally I do feel like there is enough characters already.
@@Dragonpuncher123no he did not say that, kubo isn't the type to change his bision either. He infact said this in a interview that he doesn't let his editor change anything.
@@luffys_ He didn't let them change anything later once he got more autonomy and success. Nobody walks into Shonen Jump without a big success in the baggage and refuses to listen to their editor from day 1. Simply not how things are done and that would only cause issues for you. Did he want more Tatsuki in early specifically? That is what I remember reading, but I'm not gonna go look it up now. Just know that what Kubo what able to get away with after he achieved his huge success is very different from what he could get away with in the beginning.
Its great you're enjoying Bleach, its in my personal top 3 animanga of all time One clarification tho: "The reason Byakuya (Rukia's brother) and Renji left Ichigo alive is because Byakuya didn't know Ichigo had his OWN spiritual power, they thought all of that power he had came from Rukia herself
When it comes to peoples favorite arcs in Bleach arc one is rarely in the discussion but it means a lot to me and I like to go back and read it on it's own. I think it offers something unique that many stories just don't do.
Bleach is Interesting to me because- All throughout my early life- and in the 2010's I refused to watch it. and when I tried to get into it because my friends were I couldn't. then on a whim earlier this year I bought the first box-set and- I can't lie I was hooked immediately. Bleach is really special to me. It's paradoxically both Lowkey AND loud with It's themes in a way that many other shounen aren't. I really like the first arc, and find myself wishing that there was more of it.
Bleach is definitely a series that disproportionately benefits from re-reads. So much stuff you think is inconsequential on the first read through just *isn't.*
i remember starting the bleach anime back in 8th grade in like '06-'07, and it was my second anime ever after getting deep into naruto. i remember loving it so much because of the things you mentioned here, especially with how cool ichigo was as a main character compared to naruto (no hate at all, he's just different). i remember only getting about 70ish episodes in and dropping it when the filler arcs hit and i found other anime to grab my interest. its been almost two decades since setting eyes on the series, but the other day i saw something online that made me really, REALLY want to give it another shot and start from the beginning, but with the manga. the youtube algorithm must be trying to give me the final push to start it, and im not mad about it.
First video I've seen of yours and it was amazing, I loved all the talk, can never get enough of Bleach and its interesting how no matter how many different individuals I hear from about Bleach, they always have at least one different thing to say/perspective than the last person. Like + sub! Also, I'm not familiar with all the kinds of videos you do but perhaps a character ranking after each ark could be fun, although this discussion pretty much revealed what that would look like for this arc.
Uryu: (Ooo + Re + You) Byakuya: (Be + Ya + Coo + Ya) Don't worry if you have trouble remembering or pronouncing certain characters names. It takes time as there are a lot of characters to remember.
oh im going to love these discussion videos just as you will love bleach! a rare occurrence to see a fresh bleach manga discussion and im subscribing for these ASAP lol
So about Byakuya leaving Ichigo alive... Even if he wouldn't die there was no way to get his powers back so he was irrelevant and Byakuya had no idea that Ichigo has his own power... He was using rukia's powers when he fought... Also Shinigami shouldn't really kill humans without permission....
Super duper looking forward to you talking about the next arc it is one of the best in anime and the story writing and characters really expand in the further arcs
Just finished the video and it was pretty good, don't think I've watched this channel before. I'm a big Bleach fan, it's by a decent margin my favorite big 3 member and based on what you've said far I think you'll appreciate the later arcs a lot.
I always thought that Bleach is really good in displaying how death affects people in different ways. I specially feel for Ichigo about how he copes with his mother's death. Reading his story is how I got to embrace my own grief over the death of my mother. Both blamjng themselves for the death of the sun of their family.
Bleach and Naruto is the only of the Big 3 I’ve read/watched and Bleach is still one of my favorite mangas and anime of all time. I think people got to appreciate Bleach more and more the older they got. Specifically because there is a lot of symbolism, subtext, character depth, etc.
One thing i really like about ishin (Ichigo's dad) is that tho it's not super focused on (because it's not what the show is about) you can see how he adapts to the death of not just his wife but the death of the mother of his kids With his daughters he tries to make them laugh and is very doting and protective (although they are growing up and seemingly he's not ready), he knows how Ichigo feels about his mom and his "failure to protect her" so he roughhouses with him to keep him on his toes so that he never fails to protect someone again, he allowed yuzu to take up the stuff her mom did bc he knows she needs to, he knows how they all feel so he allows all of them to help him on the clinic, he really comes across as a dad trying his best and failing but he is also allowing them to cope however they feel like they need to cope and he's helping them to do so in a way that they don't notice because if they did they'd probably reject it since what they need to feel is that they aren't being a burden on him and the family in general
If you love Kon, you might enjoy a lot of the filler episodes in the anime. The filler ARCS are one thing, but many of the individual or 2-part eps star Kon. Also keep the "Gotei 13 Invasion" arc in mind. It's a filler arc that happens before the "final" canon arc (i.e. the final arc of the first series before Blood War). In an interview from a couple years ago, Tite Kubo said that one of his favorite parts of the anime was that filler arc. There are many reasons to love it, but one of them is that Kon is a central player in the plot! 😁
Out of the big 3 I love Bleach the most because Ichigo is so relatable and grounded. I feel like the other two main protagonists are definitely fictional ideals but Ichigo is just like you and me. If he didn't have powers he'd be your average teenager who's a little vain about his clothes, actually studies and does well at school and have nerdy hobbies (he likes reading Shakespeare). While the first arc might seem a little unfocused, you might want to reread it after some future arcs because there's actually a lot of foreshadowing scattered in there, some of which gets payoff hundreds of chapters later. There's actually a ton of nuance and planning being built up from the first arc. You're going to see some good developments in the next arc so i hope you continue reading.
Glad to see you enjoy it off the bat Amber. The more I linger on things and revisit the series the more I feel I can take away, especially with the manga. Ichigo is one of my favorite protagonists and he and most of the story I feel only got better over time❤️🔥❤️🔥you nailed it with his relatability
LET'S GOOOO!!! 🔥🔥 Bleach isnt my favorite series, but it I still like it alot and enjoyed what it brought to the table. Ichigo is my favorite of the big 3 protags though
Your going to absolutely love the Bleach manga it’s a very unique style of story telling with visuals subtext cover poems n artistic panelings and designs. Kubo is not a mangaka that spoon feeds the audiences the first arc is amazing cause it lays the groundwork for a lot of the series best moments and plot twist.
@@AmberAlise thank you one Bleach’s best example of visual storytelling is the “rain” rain is used in Bleach to show Ichigo’s despair. The day his mother died it was raining, the day he figured out Grand Fisher killed his mother it was raining, when Rukia was abducted by Renji n Byakuya n left Ichigo in a pool of his own blood it was raining. Ichigo is a character with huge survivors guilt he blames himself for his mothers death and now with his new Shinigami powers he wants to protect people however even with this power he could not save Rukia almost reliving his trauma. So I found it very beautiful n symbolic that when Kisuke arrived he put his umbrella over Ichigo’s lifeless body shielding him from the rain(despair). One of my favorite panels in all of Bleach. Also the poems at the start of every volume is being said by the characters on the covers of the volume. The poem usually represents the characters ideology’s or something the character is about to experience.
My biggest thing about Bleach is the subtleties. There are a lot of hidden messages and a back reason on why character act or say specific words. There's a reason why Isshin acts goofy or why he started running on his hands, why he constantly "train" ichigo or why he put up a poster of his wife instead of a picture like Orihime etc. I hope you pick on the small moments that means a lot more (especially in hind sight). There is no other series like Bleach out there. Small moments in Bleach a lot of times means a lot but u kind of have to think about it.
The thing to keep in mind about Byakuya sparing Ichigo is that Shinigami are supposed to involve themselves in the World of the Living as little as possible. Byakuya thinks that Ichigo's power is just Rukia's, so destroying Rukia's powers and leaving Ichigo alive is technically the cleanest way to handle it by their laws. Some of this will be expanded on later, but we already saw how stringent the Shinigami are due to Rukia being set up for execution for giving her powers to a human. Also... when it comes to the critique of Bleach introducing a lot of characters really quickly... that doesn't really go away, Tite Kubo straight up admitted that he likes creating characters as a way to tie the more difficult plot beats together. Sometimes the cast introduction can work really well. Other times it can leave a lot of characters feeling underdeveloped.
Despite Bleach being my proper introduction to the Big 3, I never really considered it as one of my favorites. I definitely had a soft spot, for sure, but I didn’t hold it up that high, especially after I started getting into One Piece. And then me and my friends decided to rewatch it, and that’s when I became OBSESSED. It’s now my personal favorite of the Big 3. I think what made this arc so special for me is not just Ichigo, but also his relationship with Rukia (I see you, future commenters, this is not an war invitation, I like them both romantically AND platonically, there’s nothing you can say to get under my skin, I’ve heard it all). It’s a fantastically written friendship, and the connection they made in this arc only makes the next one all the better. I wish you great times in your Bleach journey! The next arc is my favorite arc!
@luffys_ Sure could’ve fooled me, what with all the poems and Shakespearean lines spoken about their connection that’s so strong, Orihime got jealous over it.
I watched 2 out of the Big 3 so far (Bleach & One Piece) , imo l kinda prefer lchigo more over Luffy , due to being slightly more on the intelligent side .
14:26 all peoples of different age groups enjoys Bleach a lot & when i say all i mean all. (12-60/70). Kubo told media in an interview that he recives a lots of letter from fans & many of them were peoples a lt older then him who keeps reading manga 😅 Even when i Watched the anime in my 18 not being that much good in English i realised I was a bit young & a bit immature 😅 to understand Bleach cause ot does goes deeper then the other shows.
Bleach is definitely a comfort anime first and foremost. I think to some degree every bleach fan kinda knows… this definitely is the weakest writing wise out of the big 3. For me I’ve always said it’s not the best out of the big 3 but it sure as hell is my favourite. It’s just so fun. The first ark is just sheer vibes, when you watch the anime you’re gunna feel that nostalgia. It’s really good at invoking that feeling to me even though I never had the experience of watching it on toonami like most kids. And that opening song my gawd!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥 I can’t wait for you to read the next ark. Cause that’s the arlong park or hidden mist of bleach it is the turning point of the series. Please make sure you go into it blind. It is one of my all time favourite anime moments of all time and experiencing the next ark unfold knowing absolutely nothing is a once in a lifetime experience you can never get back and it is just incredible.
While I firmly disagree with you about the writing, Soul Society being BLEACH's Arlong Park is - in some way - a very apt description! I don't think I've ever experienced this much sheer wide-eyed awe reading/watching anything other than the ending part of SS. Arlong Park/Hidden MIst majorly differ from Soul Society in the feelings they give the reader, though they're by no means any less impressive in their own right. I just prefer it when an author fully expects you to read into things, which is why I appreciate BLEACH (and later parts of One Piece) so much in the first place. Thought I'd add my measly two cents!
22:29 well the thing is while he's not even a threat to Byakuya or any captain the move he did was supposed to leave Ichigo permanently spiritually crippled, for all he knew Ichigo had been permanently dealt with
Idk if you read with music on but reading bleach with its ost playing in the bg, you should try it, it's not only great but I'd say it's a level of enhancement you don't get with every manga and ost pairing
For when you see words with y like uryu or byakuya, first try reading it this way: oo-ree-yoo, bee-yah-koo-yah, once you get used to it, get rid of the "ee"s You did a good job in reading Kisuke and Orihime, I'm assuming the struggle boils down to Japanese words with y in them :v Anyway, my first experience with bleach was with the anime when I was still in elementary school. I was drawn in to it at first because of the sword, I loved swords, so I stuck around after I saw the first episode that aired. But another reason for why I stuck around with Bleach was because I liked Ichigo a lot more than Naruto. I was a bullied kid back in elementary, I grew more reserved and.. overall more like an Ichigo than a Naruto. So I felt more of a connection there. -Not to mention my bullies liked Naruto, so I just had a weird distaste for it and wanted to like something different.- I was an emotional kid, so I was able to more or less understand several of the things some of the characters went through and that carried me through the first arc. By the time I was in middle school I was obsessed with Bleach, and by the time I was in highschool, thanks to a fated meeting with someone online, I was inspired to start making my own fictional world, with Bleach being one of the influences on it.
Good luck on this journey. For people that engage with the story on a deeper level Bleach is really the gift that keeps on giving. The reason that fans of Bleach REALLY like Bleach is because the story has a lot of deeper levels that you need to dig at to understand and there's so much subtile foreshadowing. On the whole anime vs manga debate I just have to give my two cents since it is such a diverse subject in the Fandom right now. The TYBW anime is an amazing adaptation, but it has had what I would call a paradigme shift in the view of the other material with views that tendency to go a little far. For example the original anime have started getting a worse rep now. It is still generally a great adaptation. Just use a filler just a skip every filler and you are in for a great time. The music and voice acting is legit some of the best of any Shonen. And the TYBW manga has also gotten a lot worse rep to the point that people act like the whole arc is rushed. It isn't at all. The actual rushed part is only really at the final stretch. Overall it has some of the best art and moments in all of the series. So yeah the TYBW anime is overall a better adaptation since there's some clear story improvements, but don't cheat yourself out of experiencing the final arc in the manga, it is much much better than people give it credit for.
They explain why they leave Ichigo just cuz Not only was he bleeding out, Byakuya also stabbed out the part of his spirit that gives him power. So even if he indeed survived he'd be a normal human again. Hence why Kisuke had to almost make Ichigo a hollow to give him his powers back.
@@AmberAlise Unfortunately, it's mostly newer series that tend to avoid fanservice like that- and even then, it feels like the most recent wave is returning to those roots.
Keep in mind Tite Kubo had an injured shoulder towards the final arcs, and it was rumors Shonen Jump rushed him to end the series. So, the final arc has more depth in the anime because he can expand the lore. Notice I said lore. This is one of the biggest reasons fans love the series. The more you get into the series the more insane you see how the world is, nothing in the series is accidental. It all makes sense in lore.
I see Amber is continuing the streak of never finishing stories and starting new ones. xd All kidding aside i hope you enjoy bleach. I have an interesting opinion on it that ull probably disagree with, but well see :)
As someone said, "Give these kids some therapies, and therapists who are normal adults not adults like Urahara", I laughed at this sentence sometimes and also think: For real
To help you understand why they left Ichigo: Byakuya pierced a few unique locations on Ichigo that, under ordinary circumstances, complwtely rob someone of their Soul Reaper powers. So, them leaving Ichigo is because he's basically dead already and even if he somehow survived, he wouldn't usually have any spiritual power anymore. Basically, it's the first in a long line of eyebrow-raising moments that make you think maybe Ichigo is something special after all
I'll say that I'm personally not the biggest fan of Bleach. I had trouble getting emotionally invested in the characters. But even so, the ART in this series blows the other Big 3 manga out of the water! I found myself consistently floored by Kubo's art and paneling
Amber! I'm curious what happened to your Shonen manga channel? I recently discovered it and was planning to watch all the vids after Thanksgiving break, only to find that everything is NUKED 😭.
Terry! I'm sorry about that! I have finally figured out the direction that I want this channel to go, so I took down the other channel so that I can do everything here! I may upload some of that content here in an unlisted playlist, but I haven't decided yet!
lol the big group of characters arnt introduced slowly because Ichigo is already friends with them at the point we start following his story. try to read it as a documentary rather then an artists neatened and dramatized retelling of events, there is no real omniscient story telling or views here, its all generally more 'organic' feeling* in its view point and how events unfold, without specific regard structuring it to be easily understood or adding character info/backstory that we the reader nor the main cast we are following/ looking through the eyes of have reason to know as of yet.
Bleach manga is much better than the anime overall because of how Kubo uses paneling and how expressive his character art is. Though I'd suggest you watch the new anime (from 2022 on) once you finish the series, a lot of stuff got extended in the new anime.
Hey Amber "Happy Thursday". I hope your day is going well. It great that you're reading Bleach. Even tho I haven't read the manga only the anime. But Bleach is a good series. The art style is amazing. The story is good. I would say when it comes to the big 3. Bleach is last place with Naruto number 2 and One Piece being number 1. Same with my rankings of the main characters with Luffy number 1, Naruto number 2 and Ichigo number 3. While Ichigo isn't a bad character. But he isn't my favorite. But overall his character is okay. I find Ichigo dad Isshin is hilarious. Especially when the two has their moments of fights. Ichigo and Rukia relationship is great. Especially when Rukia explained things like souls to Ichigo. But one of my favorite character is Kisuke Urahara. But anyway great review Amber. And I hope you have a lovely day. Stay safe, stay positive, stay blessed, take care and stay amazing Soul Reaper Amber 😁
If/when u watch the bleach anime I HIGHLY implore u to watch eps 147-149 as while they're not in the manga they R eps that were based on a mini-arc kubo wrote but never got to put in the manga. So he asked the anime staff to add it & they did. They're canon to the manga so if u want more bleach from kubo & an excuse to jus watch the old anime that's 1
The reason why the characters are rushed in the story is because the company that author works for runs on a hectic schedule to the point where the authors half to pump out pages weekly
Bleach has different type of writing Then generic battle shonen Bleach don't spoonfeed like db, op, Naruto Bleach is not for everyone Unlike other two In big 3 Thats why it is last in big 3 when it comes to big Popularity and fanbase Because shonen is mainly for kids and teens
Oh you're going to LOVE Bleach. The character writing is subtle but some of the best work in shonen. Not to mention the art, and the style.
For me Bleach has always been at the top of the Big 3, by miles and miles. Mainly because Ichigo was someone I understood. No major goals, but a direction I want to go. And the fact he actually has/deals with depression regularly and it isn’t something that's brushed aside after an arc. Honestly, its a series I can't get enough of.
Yes!! Ichigo is such a wonderful character! The plot is already intriguing, but he takes the story to the next level!
i love Bleach. for me My top of the list is whichever of the Big 3 im looking at
YESSIR 😊
First Mespy, then Agamotto, and now this…yeah I’m ready for this journey 🙌
I really shouldn't care (or even know this lol), but Agamotto started his Bleach journey before Mespy.
But yeah it's great to see a lot of people coming to Bleach with an open mind and actually get what it's trying to do on a deeper level than just "Wow cool art and fights".
Agamotto is the goat honestly, mepsy is like how most of the guys are gonna enjoy the story so i like him too.
What made me feel Bleach was something Special was chapter 25 where Ichigo sulks in the rain and asks his dad why doesn’t he blame him for what happened to his mom but his dad simply says it’s dumb become the real thing to focus on was that he’s actually proud of the woman he loved, his wife doing her duty protecting their child and reminding Ichigo that was him she saved. Helping motivate him to lift his head and get stronger just like her. Entirely changing his perspective on the matter. It was very sweet and I don’t see much loving father moments especially in Shonen so Ichigo having that support is very special
Bleach has such a melancholic vibe which resonated so much with me when i read this at the age i read it.
From the start to arrancar saga, the melancholic vibes were strong that is why fullbringer arc hits so hard. It was bursting with emotions
Bleach was both my first manga and first anime and it's a story that has stayed with me long into my adulthood. The themes of family, grief, duty, responsibility and perseverance are so beautifully woven through the story and then you have Kubo's incredible character design and power system to top it all off.
A note on character names, Uryu is pronounced liked ooh-ree-you, Byakuya like bee-yah-coo-yah and Renji like wren-gee. Loved your analysis and excited to see you read more!
I LOVED reading this! I get so happy when an older series still captures the attention of those who have a history with the series! It makes me even more excited to continue journeying through the story!
Also, thank you soooo much for the help with the name pronunciations! It is greatly appreciated!
It's always a joy to welcome a new reader into this glorious manga, enjoy the ride!
Wow, thank you for ready my number 1 series. With Bleach I’ve notice a ton of people having misconceptions. For starters going in, Kubo’s writing is VERY subtle and full of nuance. Bleach thrives off its thematic elements, poetic depth, nuanced writing, symbolism and character writing etc. One Piece and Naruto thrive off the storytelling but Bleach takes a completely different route on its character writing and poetic depth
It’s written very differently to a normal shonen, information isn’t spoonfed to the viewers in fact Kubo himself said you will need to re read it to catch bits of foreshadowing and other things to use some deduction to piece together the story a lot of people completely disregard Bleach and just read it at the surface level so they come to the false conclusion of “Bleach is generic and basic”etc Kubo loves to leave things open ended which you’ll notice he also doesn’t use a lot of backstories for characters, a common tool in literature he lets the character writing speak for itself
I’m not trying to say BLEACH is totally perfect but I HOPE you read it thoroughly and catch the little subtleties and amazing writing. Even TotallyNotMark another reviewer missed A LOT of the subtleties because he read it at the surface level and didn’t understand the depth and symbolism. I have a feeling you’ll appreciate Bleach’s writing though
Bleach gets a bad rep by a lot of false misconceptions with its writing and story
There are also light novels for Bleach which I hope you read too as they are canon and add a ton of lore and answers but those happen later into the story.
My ranking of the Big 3 is
BLEACH
OP
Naruto
Excited for you to delve into this!!
Poems, Nuance Writing, Melancholy, Unique approach to ''death'' GOATED series
Bleach is one of those that gets better every time you read it, so much of the story is told through real world themes/ philosophies and aesthetic choices rather than blunt statements, every time you go back with the full context you will find cool little things hidden in the background or only implied through subtext on first read. As for how dark it is right from the beginning, I can only imagine how creepy some of those early chaps (Shrieker) would be if Kubo when back a redrew them with his current skill and creative license within Jump. they would be straight up supernatural horror/ thriller.
Kubos use of callbacks (not retcons) is really strong as well. He often sets up a lot of different elements that eventually end up paying off, even if it's hundreds of chapters later.
@@sharogengaming7716
Yesss. 😏
& let me give u a little spoiler for future in 2027 maybe 😅 (someone took the brain from the floor)
Shuhei Hisagi is the Main character now
🔥😈🔥
Most people who say Bleach writing is inferior to the other 2 judge it on surface level, the themes and ideas presented in Bleach are often a bit more under the surface. The later arcs are a particularly good example of this. Also, just a heads up, if you plan to read the manga before watching the anime, the final arc is far more fleshed out in the anime, Kubo was dealing with health issues and editor/publisher issues that caused the arc to be rushed particularly towards the end.
Rukia's brother's name is Bee-Ya-Ku-Ya. Pronounced very similar to the Byakugan from Naruto.
Ohhh! Thank you!!
Finally someone analyzing bleach in it’s complete depth. One side note read the last arc simultaneously to the tybw anime because tite kubo is changing a lot (since he had health issues and had to shorten the manga) and therefore at the end the anime part will be more canon than the manga
Thank you for this great information! I was going to switch to the anime based on the comments, but you made me realize I can just do both when I get to that point!
Best to do both, some moments are still better done in the manga than in the anime. Although all in all the last arc will probably be better once the anime is finished in the end.
The Manga should be the main priority throughout, but TYBW (starts at around Volume 55) should be when you take the Anime into account as well
I love Bleach bc details in this arc will still come up in later chapters and when it happens you have this epiphanies of "ohhh, that's what they were referencing in that dialogue". Some parts that seems like throw away moment, actually matter later!
I really loved Bleach back in the day but never actually got around to finishing it! It's been so long since I read it that I'm honestly a little fuzzy on how I initially felt about the first arc, but I definitely remember the Arrancar arcs being my favorites. I also thought Ichigo was kind of refreshing and different as a shounen protagonist. It's been too long for me to really speak on the storytelling, but I do think Kubo created a really interesting world and power system, and you'll see he had no shortage of interesting characters.
It's really a joy to see the way Kubo's art style developed as Bleach went on, and he did some really stunning work with just the black and white color palette imo. I also always loved Kubo's love for fashion and the fun color spreads he would draw!
I hope you enjoy your time reading Bleach, looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Thank you! It's always so much fun reading other people's experiences with these stories! I will be looking out for the Arrancar arcs!
14:26 I started watching bleach when I was around 9-10 years old and yeah some of the things in it terrified kid me, the creepy soundtracks of the anime didn't help much either Bleach was definitely the hardest of the big 3 to get into as a kid but to this day Bleach is still one of my favorite stories ever told
I appreciate you sharing this! Every time I read these series as an adult, I am beyond curious to know how these stories were perceived by adults my age back then! It’s great to know that despite that stuff, the story is still something that you really enjoy!
Last month, RUclips recommended a video essay about my favorite character in Bleach (you'll meet her soon, but that's all I'll say), now it recommends a video of someone's venturing into Bleach and I'm ECSTATIC to see how you'll feel about the rest of the series!
I only got into the series two years ago and fell in love with it INSTANTLY (even though it was by accident, as in I was watching parts of the final arc of the anime), I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Very well done video!!! ^^
its refreshing to see someone newly discovering bleach it takes me back to when it was first airing on adult swim.
I would love to hear your opinions evolve all the way up to the thousand year bloodwar
Okay... let me just warn you about the final arc i.e The Thousand Year Blood-War arc.
You should read it and then watch it before making a final judgment about it because Kubo fell ill during writing it and had to rush it. So right now he is working closely with the anime team to fill out and include things he was not able to include while writing the arc.
Oh wow! Noted! Thank you for letting me know that!
I'm glad to see you are liking it so far. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series!
Glad to see you enjoying Bleach. I've been into it since like 2003 as a kid (same with Naruto and One Piece) and yeah, it's definitely worthy of discussing. It's first arc is one of my favorite "first anime arcs" and one reason that is is due to the style of it. Modern with a mix of supernatural but also it's vibe. If you ever get around to just checking out the first anime opening for it you'll see what I mean. It's got this vibrant dope vibe to it but with a sense of style that works well when you mix that in with it's story, characters and themes. Overall it's a really great series!
"Modern with a mix of supernatural" is an excellent way to describe this arc! I think that's one of the reasons that it kept me so invested! I look forward to watching the anime opening! I heard the music in the Bleach anime is supposed to be great!
Just throwing it out there the only reason Byakuya and Renji leave Ichigo to lie there is because Byakuya had struck Ichigo in a precise spot which is deadly to any other soul reaper and even if he could survive he would loose his powers. This establishes that Byakuya is scarier than you think because for him to have that speed and precision is just horrifying.
Bleach is incredible! Hope you enjoy the ride.
I recommend listening to the music while you read, the Bleach OST is the Best of the Big 3!
Eventually, when you reach the final arc of the manga, switch to the anime, it is truly fantastic! 😊
I love _Bleach_ so much! I would highly recommend, after the Fullbring Arc switching to the anime for the Thousand Year Blood War because the Thousand Year Blood War anime is very different from the manga. AND GET MERPHY TO READ THIS SERIES TOO!!!
Loved Bleach from the beginning but I started with the anime.
looking forward to more of your thoughts on the later arcs
Thank you John!
The bleach anime has my favorite OST of all. I feel it adds so much to the story. Please consider watching the animated arc after finishing the corresponding manga arc.
No Spoliers: I don't know if you know this or if someone in comments has said this already, but when you get To the final arc of the series, Tite Kubo has been working with the anime studio to make changes in the anime. MAJOR changes. Thought would be useful to know incase your only reading the manga. Found your channel through this video, so I hope you enjoy my favorite manga series :)
Bleach is interesting you have to really pay attention to all the details in every chapter. Because there are lots and lots of foreshadowing in Kubo’s work
Amber you can't do this to us..we need a regular catching up with you vid...Hi btw 🗿
😂 My apologies!! Hello! I hope that you are doing amazing! I’ll definitely make sure to catch up with you guys! ☺️
Early Bleach had my attention with the monsters and cool artstyle but Ichigo made me stay for the long haul. He handles and deals with stressful and emotional moments so realistically and the way he becomes depressed and self-conscious of his own ability to help his loved ones.
Ichigo wants to be strong for his family and be their protector even when he can't help himself which struck a chord for a lot of brothers out there that hold themselves responsible for the safety of their siblings, including myself.
Ichigo isn't a hero or some all-powerful god but just a guy that will save anyone and everyone he possible can. if you want to protect something so will Ichigo.
Glad to see another person enjoying Bleach. Welcome to the community.
If you do anymore videos on Bleach I will be glad to drop some lore without spoiling anything but definitely hinting at stuff. There's A LOT of foreshadowing in Bleach that you've already read past without knowing. There's still stuff that we're figuring out now Thanks to Tite Kubo's Klubhouse Outside Q&A where Kubo himself answers questions us fans have about Bleach so everything he says is official. Though I will advise not reading anything from Klubhouse Outside as of yet for yourself bcus it will very likely spoil stuff to come. But as I said if you continue to do videos for Bleach I will drop Lore and that includes stuff that was clarified on in Klubhouse Outside for the specific stuff you've read so far
Edit: I will advise after reading the Soul Society Arc that you watch the Bleach Movie "Memories of Nobody" as it's the only Bleach Movie that's Canon to the material. It takes place after Soul Society but before the Arc after Soul Society. It's an in between Arc that is a key plot point later on in Bleach during the Thousand Year Blood War (TYBW) Arc but more specifically the Anime. The TYBW Arc Anime is the more Canon representation of the Manga as Kubo is adding New Material that wasn't in the Manga originally. So whether you're an Anime only person or Manga only person a fair amount of stuff is changed and you won't fully know what's going on if at all. Right now the TYBW is 4 Cours (Seasons) and we're at the end of Cour 3 right now. Also just so you know ahead of time the Anime is very much so censored (except the TYBW) for certain things. Hair Colors are changed, certain power colors are changed etc
4:35 The main reason I personally love Bleach so much is because they introduce a large amount of characters so fast, especially in the Soul Society arc.
I know it's probably a hack to make you feel like it's "world building" while in reality it's not, but it makes up for it by actually developing those characters.
In the most recent arc (TYBW), we even get to know tertiary characters like Nanao and Nemuri.
By the end of the series you get characters that are developed as much as the main characters, and there's so many of them.
I don't know any other series that can do that, maybe except for Berserk.
my favorite thing about bleach is seeing people like you: people who read carefully, empathize, and reflect on how new developments recontextualize the story + characters. Love hearing your thoughts and can't wait for more!
I heard that kubo wanted to write more stories surrounding ichigo’s friends but they told him to hurry up and get to the soul society arc
Oh really?? That would make a lot of sense!
Specially he wanted to include Tatsuki more yeah.
And I know some people are pretty disappointed that she isn't included more, but personally I do feel like there is enough characters already.
@@Dragonpuncher123no he did not say that, kubo isn't the type to change his bision either. He infact said this in a interview that he doesn't let his editor change anything.
@@luffys_ He didn't let them change anything later once he got more autonomy and success. Nobody walks into Shonen Jump without a big success in the baggage and refuses to listen to their editor from day 1. Simply not how things are done and that would only cause issues for you.
Did he want more Tatsuki in early specifically? That is what I remember reading, but I'm not gonna go look it up now. Just know that what Kubo what able to get away with after he achieved his huge success is very different from what he could get away with in the beginning.
Its great you're enjoying Bleach, its in my personal top 3 animanga of all time
One clarification tho: "The reason Byakuya (Rukia's brother) and Renji left Ichigo alive is because Byakuya didn't know Ichigo had his OWN spiritual power, they thought all of that power he had came from Rukia herself
You all have no idea how helpful you are by explaining these things! Thank you!
When it comes to peoples favorite arcs in Bleach arc one is rarely in the discussion but it means a lot to me and I like to go back and read it on it's own. I think it offers something unique that many stories just don't do.
Bleach is Interesting to me because- All throughout my early life- and in the 2010's I refused to watch it. and when I tried to get into it because my friends were I couldn't. then on a whim earlier this year I bought the first box-set and- I can't lie I was hooked immediately.
Bleach is really special to me. It's paradoxically both Lowkey AND loud with It's themes in a way that many other shounen aren't. I really like the first arc, and find myself wishing that there was more of it.
Its a great review ! Lots of things said & done in this arc come full circle with events from the final arc .
Bleach is definitely a series that disproportionately benefits from re-reads. So much stuff you think is inconsequential on the first read through just *isn't.*
Oh cool! That’s great to know!
Oh Hell yeah! *wink wink*
No exaggeration, THE most re-readable story I've ever come across!
i remember starting the bleach anime back in 8th grade in like '06-'07, and it was my second anime ever after getting deep into naruto. i remember loving it so much because of the things you mentioned here, especially with how cool ichigo was as a main character compared to naruto (no hate at all, he's just different). i remember only getting about 70ish episodes in and dropping it when the filler arcs hit and i found other anime to grab my interest. its been almost two decades since setting eyes on the series, but the other day i saw something online that made me really, REALLY want to give it another shot and start from the beginning, but with the manga.
the youtube algorithm must be trying to give me the final push to start it, and im not mad about it.
First video I've seen of yours and it was amazing, I loved all the talk, can never get enough of Bleach and its interesting how no matter how many different individuals I hear from about Bleach, they always have at least one different thing to say/perspective than the last person. Like + sub!
Also, I'm not familiar with all the kinds of videos you do but perhaps a character ranking after each ark could be fun, although this discussion pretty much revealed what that would look like for this arc.
Uryu: (Ooo + Re + You)
Byakuya: (Be + Ya + Coo + Ya)
Don't worry if you have trouble remembering or pronouncing certain characters names. It takes time as there are a lot of characters to remember.
Ooh boy, if you don’t like many characters being introduced quickly, well umm.. let’s just say it’s one of Kubo’s signatures😂
Oh no, 😂. If it’s something that he does often though, I’ll probably get used to it over time!
I love when someone appreciates bleach!
oh im going to love these discussion videos just as you will love bleach!
a rare occurrence to see a fresh bleach manga discussion and im subscribing for these ASAP lol
I'm excited for your Bleach journey!
So about Byakuya leaving Ichigo alive... Even if he wouldn't die there was no way to get his powers back so he was irrelevant and Byakuya had no idea that Ichigo has his own power... He was using rukia's powers when he fought... Also Shinigami shouldn't really kill humans without permission....
Ahhh, that makes sense! Thank you for taking the time to explain that!
great video
Thank you!
Oh yessss!!!!! Bleach WELL PUT YOU THROUGH IT!!! Yes, bleach is definitely apart of the BIG 3…for sureeeee!
This was a great review.
Thanks so much for checking out Bleach.
Super duper looking forward to you talking about the next arc it is one of the best in anime and the story writing and characters really expand in the further arcs
Hope you love orihime
Just finished the video and it was pretty good, don't think I've watched this channel before. I'm a big Bleach fan, it's by a decent margin my favorite big 3 member and based on what you've said far I think you'll appreciate the later arcs a lot.
I always thought that Bleach is really good in displaying how death affects people in different ways. I specially feel for Ichigo about how he copes with his mother's death. Reading his story is how I got to embrace my own grief over the death of my mother.
Both blamjng themselves for the death of the sun of their family.
Bleach and Naruto is the only of the Big 3 I’ve read/watched and Bleach is still one of my favorite mangas and anime of all time.
I think people got to appreciate Bleach more and more the older they got. Specifically because there is a lot of symbolism, subtext, character depth, etc.
Nice! My favorite part of the early volumes are the character bios. Particularly each characters anthem. Got into a lot of cool music that way
One thing i really like about ishin (Ichigo's dad) is that tho it's not super focused on (because it's not what the show is about) you can see how he adapts to the death of not just his wife but the death of the mother of his kids
With his daughters he tries to make them laugh and is very doting and protective (although they are growing up and seemingly he's not ready), he knows how Ichigo feels about his mom and his "failure to protect her" so he roughhouses with him to keep him on his toes so that he never fails to protect someone again, he allowed yuzu to take up the stuff her mom did bc he knows she needs to, he knows how they all feel so he allows all of them to help him on the clinic, he really comes across as a dad trying his best and failing but he is also allowing them to cope however they feel like they need to cope and he's helping them to do so in a way that they don't notice because if they did they'd probably reject it since what they need to feel is that they aren't being a burden on him and the family in general
If you love Kon, you might enjoy a lot of the filler episodes in the anime. The filler ARCS are one thing, but many of the individual or 2-part eps star Kon. Also keep the "Gotei 13 Invasion" arc in mind. It's a filler arc that happens before the "final" canon arc (i.e. the final arc of the first series before Blood War). In an interview from a couple years ago, Tite Kubo said that one of his favorite parts of the anime was that filler arc. There are many reasons to love it, but one of them is that Kon is a central player in the plot! 😁
Out of the big 3 I love Bleach the most because Ichigo is so relatable and grounded. I feel like the other two main protagonists are definitely fictional ideals but Ichigo is just like you and me. If he didn't have powers he'd be your average teenager who's a little vain about his clothes, actually studies and does well at school and have nerdy hobbies (he likes reading Shakespeare).
While the first arc might seem a little unfocused, you might want to reread it after some future arcs because there's actually a lot of foreshadowing scattered in there, some of which gets payoff hundreds of chapters later. There's actually a ton of nuance and planning being built up from the first arc. You're going to see some good developments in the next arc so i hope you continue reading.
Glad to see you enjoy it off the bat Amber. The more I linger on things and revisit the series the more I feel I can take away, especially with the manga. Ichigo is one of my favorite protagonists and he and most of the story I feel only got better over time❤️🔥❤️🔥you nailed it with his relatability
LET'S GOOOO!!! 🔥🔥
Bleach isnt my favorite series, but it I still like it alot and enjoyed what it brought to the table.
Ichigo is my favorite of the big 3 protags though
Your going to absolutely love the Bleach manga it’s a very unique style of story telling with visuals subtext cover poems n artistic panelings and designs. Kubo is not a mangaka that spoon feeds the audiences the first arc is amazing cause it lays the groundwork for a lot of the series best moments and plot twist.
They should use your comment to advertise for Bleach! This was lovely to read and has me eager to continue the series!
@@AmberAlise thank you one Bleach’s best example of visual storytelling is the “rain” rain is used in Bleach to show Ichigo’s despair. The day his mother died it was raining, the day he figured out Grand Fisher killed his mother it was raining, when Rukia was abducted by Renji n Byakuya n left Ichigo in a pool of his own blood it was raining. Ichigo is a character with huge survivors guilt he blames himself for his mothers death and now with his new Shinigami powers he wants to protect people however even with this power he could not save Rukia almost reliving his trauma. So I found it very beautiful n symbolic that when Kisuke arrived he put his umbrella over Ichigo’s lifeless body shielding him from the rain(despair). One of my favorite panels in all of Bleach. Also the poems at the start of every volume is being said by the characters on the covers of the volume. The poem usually represents the characters ideology’s or something the character is about to experience.
My biggest thing about Bleach is the subtleties. There are a lot of hidden messages and a back reason on why character act or say specific words. There's a reason why Isshin acts goofy or why he started running on his hands, why he constantly "train" ichigo or why he put up a poster of his wife instead of a picture like Orihime etc. I hope you pick on the small moments that means a lot more (especially in hind sight). There is no other series like Bleach out there. Small moments in Bleach a lot of times means a lot but u kind of have to think about it.
Keep up with bleach
The thing to keep in mind about Byakuya sparing Ichigo is that Shinigami are supposed to involve themselves in the World of the Living as little as possible. Byakuya thinks that Ichigo's power is just Rukia's, so destroying Rukia's powers and leaving Ichigo alive is technically the cleanest way to handle it by their laws. Some of this will be expanded on later, but we already saw how stringent the Shinigami are due to Rukia being set up for execution for giving her powers to a human.
Also... when it comes to the critique of Bleach introducing a lot of characters really quickly... that doesn't really go away, Tite Kubo straight up admitted that he likes creating characters as a way to tie the more difficult plot beats together. Sometimes the cast introduction can work really well. Other times it can leave a lot of characters feeling underdeveloped.
Despite Bleach being my proper introduction to the Big 3, I never really considered it as one of my favorites. I definitely had a soft spot, for sure, but I didn’t hold it up that high, especially after I started getting into One Piece. And then me and my friends decided to rewatch it, and that’s when I became OBSESSED. It’s now my personal favorite of the Big 3.
I think what made this arc so special for me is not just Ichigo, but also his relationship with Rukia (I see you, future commenters, this is not an war invitation, I like them both romantically AND platonically, there’s nothing you can say to get under my skin, I’ve heard it all). It’s a fantastically written friendship, and the connection they made in this arc only makes the next one all the better.
I wish you great times in your Bleach journey! The next arc is my favorite arc!
Well as long as you understand that it was never romantic
@luffys_
Sure could’ve fooled me, what with all the poems and Shakespearean lines spoken about their connection that’s so strong, Orihime got jealous over it.
I was sold on Bleach literally on a Rukia design
I watched 2 out of the Big 3 so far (Bleach & One Piece) , imo l kinda prefer lchigo more over Luffy , due to being slightly more on the intelligent side .
14:26 all peoples of different age groups enjoys Bleach a lot & when i say all i mean all.
(12-60/70).
Kubo told media in an interview that he recives a lots of letter from fans & many of them were peoples a lt older then him who keeps reading manga 😅
Even when i Watched the anime in my 18 not being that much good in English i realised I was a bit young & a bit immature 😅 to understand Bleach cause ot does goes deeper then the other shows.
Bleach is definitely a comfort anime first and foremost. I think to some degree every bleach fan kinda knows… this definitely is the weakest writing wise out of the big 3. For me I’ve always said it’s not the best out of the big 3 but it sure as hell is my favourite. It’s just so fun. The first ark is just sheer vibes, when you watch the anime you’re gunna feel that nostalgia. It’s really good at invoking that feeling to me even though I never had the experience of watching it on toonami like most kids. And that opening song my gawd!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥
I can’t wait for you to read the next ark. Cause that’s the arlong park or hidden mist of bleach it is the turning point of the series. Please make sure you go into it blind. It is one of my all time favourite anime moments of all time and experiencing the next ark unfold knowing absolutely nothing is a once in a lifetime experience you can never get back and it is just incredible.
The next Arlong Park?! I may have to start reading immediately after reading your comment!
While I firmly disagree with you about the writing, Soul Society being BLEACH's Arlong Park is - in some way - a very apt description! I don't think I've ever experienced this much sheer wide-eyed awe reading/watching anything other than the ending part of SS. Arlong Park/Hidden MIst majorly differ from Soul Society in the feelings they give the reader, though they're by no means any less impressive in their own right. I just prefer it when an author fully expects you to read into things, which is why I appreciate BLEACH (and later parts of One Piece) so much in the first place. Thought I'd add my measly two cents!
22:29 well the thing is while he's not even a threat to Byakuya or any captain the move he did was supposed to leave Ichigo permanently spiritually crippled, for all he knew Ichigo had been permanently dealt with
Idk if you read with music on but reading bleach with its ost playing in the bg, you should try it, it's not only great but I'd say it's a level of enhancement you don't get with every manga and ost pairing
For when you see words with y like uryu or byakuya, first try reading it this way: oo-ree-yoo, bee-yah-koo-yah, once you get used to it, get rid of the "ee"s
You did a good job in reading Kisuke and Orihime, I'm assuming the struggle boils down to Japanese words with y in them :v
Anyway, my first experience with bleach was with the anime when I was still in elementary school. I was drawn in to it at first because of the sword, I loved swords, so I stuck around after I saw the first episode that aired. But another reason for why I stuck around with Bleach was because I liked Ichigo a lot more than Naruto. I was a bullied kid back in elementary, I grew more reserved and.. overall more like an Ichigo than a Naruto. So I felt more of a connection there. -Not to mention my bullies liked Naruto, so I just had a weird distaste for it and wanted to like something different.- I was an emotional kid, so I was able to more or less understand several of the things some of the characters went through and that carried me through the first arc. By the time I was in middle school I was obsessed with Bleach, and by the time I was in highschool, thanks to a fated meeting with someone online, I was inspired to start making my own fictional world, with Bleach being one of the influences on it.
Heck yeah! Bleach greatness. 👏👏👏
Good luck on this journey. For people that engage with the story on a deeper level Bleach is really the gift that keeps on giving. The reason that fans of Bleach REALLY like Bleach is because the story has a lot of deeper levels that you need to dig at to understand and there's so much subtile foreshadowing.
On the whole anime vs manga debate I just have to give my two cents since it is such a diverse subject in the Fandom right now.
The TYBW anime is an amazing adaptation, but it has had what I would call a paradigme shift in the view of the other material with views that tendency to go a little far.
For example the original anime have started getting a worse rep now. It is still generally a great adaptation. Just use a filler just a skip every filler and you are in for a great time. The music and voice acting is legit some of the best of any Shonen.
And the TYBW manga has also gotten a lot worse rep to the point that people act like the whole arc is rushed. It isn't at all. The actual rushed part is only really at the final stretch. Overall it has some of the best art and moments in all of the series. So yeah the TYBW anime is overall a better adaptation since there's some clear story improvements, but don't cheat yourself out of experiencing the final arc in the manga, it is much much better than people give it credit for.
They explain why they leave Ichigo just cuz
Not only was he bleeding out, Byakuya also stabbed out the part of his spirit that gives him power.
So even if he indeed survived he'd be a normal human again.
Hence why Kisuke had to almost make Ichigo a hollow to give him his powers back.
Love Bleach, but Kubo can be as thirsty as Oda so be prepared
Oh goodness, lol. I already got a small glimpse of it, but I was hopeful that it would die down 🙃. Thank you for the warning!
@@AmberAlise Unfortunately, it's mostly newer series that tend to avoid fanservice like that- and even then, it feels like the most recent wave is returning to those roots.
You will love Bleach
i'm seated for more
Keep in mind Tite Kubo had an injured shoulder towards the final arcs, and it was rumors Shonen Jump rushed him to end the series. So, the final arc has more depth in the anime because he can expand the lore.
Notice I said lore. This is one of the biggest reasons fans love the series. The more you get into the series the more insane you see how the world is, nothing in the series is accidental. It all makes sense in lore.
I see Amber is continuing the streak of never finishing stories and starting new ones. xd All kidding aside i hope you enjoy bleach. I have an interesting opinion on it that ull probably disagree with, but well see :)
😂😂 Great comment! I have to stay on brand, lol. We tend to be on opposing sides, lol, so I will definitely be looking forward to your Bleach takes!
Got my sub 🔥
As someone said, "Give these kids some therapies, and therapists who are normal adults not adults like Urahara", I laughed at this sentence sometimes and also think: For real
To help you understand why they left Ichigo: Byakuya pierced a few unique locations on Ichigo that, under ordinary circumstances, complwtely rob someone of their Soul Reaper powers. So, them leaving Ichigo is because he's basically dead already and even if he somehow survived, he wouldn't usually have any spiritual power anymore. Basically, it's the first in a long line of eyebrow-raising moments that make you think maybe Ichigo is something special after all
The re-readability of this arc is off through the roof if you're fully caught up. One question are you reading the short stories and novels as well.
yay!!!!!
I'll say that I'm personally not the biggest fan of Bleach. I had trouble getting emotionally invested in the characters. But even so, the ART in this series blows the other Big 3 manga out of the water! I found myself consistently floored by Kubo's art and paneling
Thank you for bringing up the art, because I don't even think I mentioned that! It is sooooo good and refreshing!
Amber! I'm curious what happened to your Shonen manga channel? I recently discovered it and was planning to watch all the vids after Thanksgiving break, only to find that everything is NUKED 😭.
Terry! I'm sorry about that! I have finally figured out the direction that I want this channel to go, so I took down the other channel so that I can do everything here! I may upload some of that content here in an unlisted playlist, but I haven't decided yet!
@@AmberAlise Thanks for the reply Amber! Just bad timing on my part hahah. Glad you feel like you know what to do with the channel split.
lol the big group of characters arnt introduced slowly because Ichigo is already friends with them at the point we start following his story. try to read it as a documentary rather then an artists neatened and dramatized retelling of events, there is no real omniscient story telling or views here, its all generally more 'organic' feeling* in its view point and how events unfold, without specific regard structuring it to be easily understood or adding character info/backstory that we the reader nor the main cast we are following/ looking through the eyes of have reason to know as of yet.
The reason Byakuya let Ichigo live is because he got rid of the shinigami power Rukia gave him and he didn't know that Ichigo had his own powers.
You gotta read or watch YU YU Hakusho too, my all time MC’s right there
Bleach manga is much better than the anime overall because of how Kubo uses paneling and how expressive his character art is. Though I'd suggest you watch the new anime (from 2022 on) once you finish the series, a lot of stuff got extended in the new anime.
Hey Amber "Happy Thursday". I hope your day is going well. It great that you're reading Bleach. Even tho I haven't read the manga only the anime. But Bleach is a good series. The art style is amazing. The story is good. I would say when it comes to the big 3. Bleach is last place with Naruto number 2 and One Piece being number 1. Same with my rankings of the main characters with Luffy number 1, Naruto number 2 and Ichigo number 3.
While Ichigo isn't a bad character. But he isn't my favorite. But overall his character is okay. I find Ichigo dad Isshin is hilarious. Especially when the two has their moments of fights. Ichigo and Rukia relationship is great. Especially when Rukia explained things like souls to Ichigo. But one of my favorite character is Kisuke Urahara. But anyway great review Amber. And I hope you have a lovely day. Stay safe, stay positive, stay blessed, take care and stay amazing Soul Reaper Amber 😁
Thank you Rob! Nice ranking! I am looking forward to seeing how the anime compares to the manga!
@AmberAlise You're welcome and looking forward to your thoughts. But I hope the rest of your day is enjoyable Amber.
Oh man she is not ready
For me I watched one piece and naruto but bleach stuck with me more it felt more homie and chill compared to the two.
If/when u watch the bleach anime I HIGHLY implore u to watch eps 147-149 as while they're not in the manga they R eps that were based on a mini-arc kubo wrote but never got to put in the manga. So he asked the anime staff to add it & they did. They're canon to the manga so if u want more bleach from kubo & an excuse to jus watch the old anime that's 1
The reason why the characters are rushed in the story is because the company that author works for runs on a hectic schedule to the point where the authors half to pump out pages weekly
People that dont love bleach have never tried to read it and instead just watched the painful and pointless filler arcs.
Bleach has different type of writing
Then generic battle shonen
Bleach don't spoonfeed like db, op, Naruto
Bleach is not for everyone
Unlike other two In big 3
Thats why it is last in big 3 when it comes to big Popularity and fanbase
Because shonen is mainly for kids and teens