Product Details

• Actors: Johnny Yong Bosch, Michelle Ruff, Stephanie Sheh, Jamieson Price, Masakazu Morita
• Writers: Tite Kubo
• Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Viz Media
• DVD Release Date: November 28, 2006
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000HIP456
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,898 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Bleach, Volume 1: The Substitute (Episodes 1-4)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Taking On the Afterlife, One Soul at a Time!

Fifteen-year-old Ichigo Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts—he was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow—a malevolent lost soul—Ichigo encounters a Soul Reaper and absorbs her powers. Now, he’s dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace.

Bleach anime premiers on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim time block September 9th!

Bleach Manga also available from Amazon and Viz Media.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Next Big Anime - be prepared, September 6, 2006

By 

Michael Sinatra "UCSB History/Japanese Major" (Santa Barbara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bleach, Volume 1: The Substitute (Episodes 1-4) (DVD)

Yet another juggernaut has made its way across the Pacific - and this time, it has attitude. Another mega-hit manga adapted into a mega-hit Anime series, Bleach brings a whole new definition to the word "Action-Adventure" - and does it with style.

Young Anime artist Kubo Noriaki's (also known as "Kubotite") "Bleach" is the story of 15-year old Ichigo Kurosaki, who is ANYTHING but an ordinary high-school student. Possessing superhuman "Reiatsu" (loosely translated as "spirit force/ability"), he has the ability to see and communicate with Spirits of the recently deceased. However, Ichigo's life is changed forever when an evil-spirit, a "Hollow" threatens his family and friends. In the process, he encounters a young Soul Reaper named Rukia, who after being gravely wounded, entrusts Ichigo with her powers. Becoming a "substitute", Ichigo unwittingly receives the task of performing Rukia's duties on Earth, which include vanquishing Hollows, and "burying" good spirits by sending them to "Soul Society" (a kind of Japanese "Heaven"). And so begins the saga of Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soul Reaper.

Considering the immense fan-base in the US, as well as Japan, it seemed as though it was only a matter of time that "Bleach" The Anime made it overseas. Already a major hit with internet viewers, as well as a best-selling translated-English manga, Bleach takes traditional Japanese culture and heritage and sends it smashing into bold, hip, modern style - and with surprisingly fantastic results. Almost every character in Bleach is interesting, developed, and well-defined. Writing is top-notch, and viewers will certainly find themselves gasping in awe one moment, and breaking out laughing the next.

Refreshing, original, and genre-defining, Bleach is a gem among 21st century Anime. Although a uniquely Japanese anime, this show should prove to win over even the most skeptical viewers in the States - as long as you remember not to judge a book by its bleached cover.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bleach is King Among New Anime, October 3, 2006

By 

D. K. Hu "Eternal Night Alchemist" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bleach, Volume 1: The Substitute (Episodes 1-4) (DVD)

Other than Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist, hardly any other series can contend for the best recently released anime straight from Japan. Though personally, I think Bleach is the FREAKIN' BEST!!! Naruto has been an incredible force in the anime crowd in America, but I think Bleach is better, when you compare all the arcs. (Naruto Fillers < Bleach Bountou Arc)

I am so buying this whole series, assuming the dubbing was well done. I haven't seen the Adult Swim version yet, so I don't actually know. I expect that they won't cut out the bloody scenes and the shorts >XD

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What can I say? It's beyond words., September 24, 2006

By 

Francis M. Laidler - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bleach, Volume 1: The Substitute (Episodes 1-4) (DVD)

When I was at Anime Expo in Anaheim back in '05 people were going nuts over the mention of the word Bleach. I really had no effing idea what they were on about, and frankly, I'm not too keen on crazily hyped up anime, since they NEVER live up to it. Then, early the next year, my friend and fellow anima freek and I saw it. Suffice to say we were utterly blown away. It really is a fun, action filled ad venture. And though some arcs have suspiciously Dragon Ball Z like figh sequences (going on for 20 epidones or something like it) it's made entertaining and fresh enough so one doesn't really notice it. And it's really a series of fights anyway. Really more like Yu Yu Hakusho with a better plot and characters. However, my friend says there is a later filler season (they're up to something around 172 episodes or something like that) where the manga has run out and needs to catch up, however it seems to pick up later on. ANyay, this is a worthwhile long haul action, adventure, and comedy stuffed ride which is worth the long term investment.