Customer Reviews

Bleach, Vol. 1 (Collector's Edition)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My attempts at making this a good, well written review have turned into long essays about the aesthetic qualities of the work. Thus, I reduce the facts to bulletpoints:
- Bleach has amazing (well, by manga standards) artwork, going for a more angular style reminiscent of Trigun, where even the tiny illustrations of the characters have a special look to them.
- The storyline is interesting, focusing on not just the development of the main character, Ichigo, but the characters around him that grow (not so much in this volume, but the foundations of the series rest on this volume. It ends on a cliffhanger by the way, expect to buy more volumes.
- Tite Kubo likes to keep character bios and diagrams with his mangas, like in his previous book, ZombiePowder. It is not lacking in Bleach, but I have the feeling some of the bios were altered so that americans could emphasize a little better (at least with favorite song).
Overall, Bleach is amazing, and a great alternative to getting punched in the gut.

I'm not an avid manga reader or anime watcher. However, after catching an episode of Bleach on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, I was hooked!

I decided to see what the roots of the TV show was like and checked out the first volume of Bleach, the manga. I was shocked at how closely the show followed this novel. It is a storyboard for everything that happens in the anime, right down to the sometimes-hilarious facial expressions and situations. The tried and true statement of 'the book is always better' holds up here; small details in the manga don't often make it on the air.

The art is very well done and I appreciated being able to read it in the right-to-left manner intended by its author. Another plus to reading the manga is that you can see the full range of sketches that inspire the 'Death God - Picture Book' short that is found at the end of many of the episodes in the series.

15-year old Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki has a special ability right out of The Sixth Sense. He can see dead people. He tries to help out the spirits when he can but his homelife is pretty hectic because his father runs the Kurosaki Clinic along with his two little sisters Yuzu and Karin. His life gets even more complicated when a pretty girl dressed in samurai robes and bearing a sword appears in his room! Her name is Rukia and she is a "Soul Reaper", an agent of the "Soul Society" sent to destroy "Hollows", which refers to the spirits of dead people which feed on the souls of the living and the dead. Apparently, Ichigo is like a beacon to the Hollows because his spirit energy is so powerful and one shows up to devour him. In the midst of battle Rukia decides to transfer some of her power to Ichigo but the problem is that ALL of her power goes to him! Will he be skilled enough to save not only himself and Rukia, but also his family?

Bleach was a little too slapstick for me at first, but once it settled down into telling its story, it got quite good. There are some moments that are quite cheesy, but nothing damaging. The art is nice and clean and the characters are charismatic and likeable. It is quite funny but can also have sequences that are touching. Overall, this is a good start but I hope the following volumes continue to build on the plot.

Now why would I compare Bleach to Dragonball Z. Well basically they are the same basic plotline if you take it distilled. The main character, while initially weak, clueless, plus stubborn, becomes stronger, and stronger, as the increasingly difficult challenges to him demand it. Like the Super Saiyen level transformations in DBZ, there are transformation levels for him, and his sword as well. The power increases are exponential. Like DBZ, you have to wonder what the practical limit of all that power is, they just keep upping the limits. Another strong DBZ tie is the story arc takes place over many, many episodes. You can almost lose sight of the initial goal in the time it takes the plot to get to them.

Now the good news. There are fights, but it doesn't take six to ten episodes of posturing to defeat someone. Fights draw blood and appear to inflict some real damage. Plus characterization which was almost nil in DBZ save a few side episodes, is rich and well developed. At least until the last few episodes the side characters are well rendered, they don't just come off as the heroes weak little support partners.

Bleach an a more interesting plot as well. Rather than someone who just likes to fight aka: Goku in DBZ, the main character here would initially rather avoid it all together. It takes his original mentor, Rukia, a female who gives him soul reaping powers, a lot of work to convince him to help others. He doesn't want to just run off like superman everytime a call comes in, but as she finds out if he sees someone in trouble, he really can't resist not helping. This reluctance makes a more believable hero, as least as much believability as you can really have in fantasy of this type.

This series has great characterization but the action does not get going until they enter the realm of the "soul reapers" or more accurately from the Japanese translation "Death Gods". While it seems to take forever to finish this arc, at least the story is not just filler along the way. You can only take so many power-up scenes in an anime, of rocks, water and trees being stirred up, swirling around. All while under the energy driven, influence of someones power up, or ones natural fighting aura. There's a little of that here, but they treat it as an end, not a means. What I mean to say is that it's short, and adds to the drama, it does not linger till you get bored with the effect.

Now it may be obvious that I'm reviewing an anime here and not necessarily the manga. I've seen the manga and like some but not all manga the anime follows the same line. The anime is available by fansubs and is a nice supplement once you've read some of the manga stories. Whats unique about this series is the interesting take on sword transformations. I've never seen so many ways to use a sword as are described in this series. As an old fan of the "Highlander", I just had to keep reading.

Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki is just your average teenage boy... except that he can see spirits wherever he goes. Ghosts, evil spirits, accident victims, all kinds.

So it's not exactly surprising that he gets involved in wild, dangerous adventures, at the start of the humorous, action-packed "Bleach." Since this is just the first volume, Tite Kubo's art and plotting experience some basic growing pangs, but the stories are fast-paced, amusing and sometimes incredibly poignant. And the spiky-haired Ichigo has the makings of a great manga hero.

One night a strange girl appears in Ichigo's bedroom, and is shocked when he can see her. She explains that she's a Soul Reaper, who helps the dead pass on to the Soul Society (a sort of afterlife... thing), and purifies evil spirits called Hollows.

But when Rukia is injured in a fight with a Hollow, all her powers are transferred to Ichigo -- and with them, the responsibility of killing Hollows all over his town. Ichigo is not enthusiastic about his new role, but he can't pass up the opportunity to help innocent spirits. And he finds out that it isn't easy juggling his new responsibilities with his everyday life -- especially since the powerless Rukia is now attending his school in a fake body, and living in his closet.

Even worse, his extra duties with Hollows are affecting his friends. First pretty, flaky Orihime is stalked by a Hollow she is very familiar with -- someone who was closer to her than anyone else. And Ichigo's enormous, mostly-silent pal Chad is given a "cursed parakeet," and immediately dangerous things start happening to him -- what is the parakeet's "curse," why is a Hollow pursing Chad, and why does his new pet seem to be intelligent?

The first volume of a manga series is usually the bumpiest ride, since the author/artist is busy introducing the characters and the main storyline. So it's not surprising that "Bleach's" first volume has a few bumps in the road, especially in the first couple chapters -- getting Ichigo into the whole Soul Reaper situation, introducing about half of the main cast, and to the whole worldview of this particular series. Things get much more complex later on, but at this point Kubo is just laying out the groundwork.

The artwork is also rather sketchy in the first few chapters -- Ichigo looks almost prepubescent and a bit thuggish in the first chapter, and the action panels look abrupt. Fortunately by the time Orihime's storyline rolls around, Kubo's art has settled into a smoother, more even style -- if still a bit rough around the edges.

Primarily this is an action manga, with lots of monster-slaying with swords (in Ichigo's case, a freakishly huge one) and a complex battle between Ichigo and a grief-maddened Hollow. But Kubo fills these scenes with a sense of pathos, such as Chad's fondness for the little parakeet, or Orihime's fond memories of her older brother, who saved her as a baby from their horrible parents.

Don't worry, there are a lot of comedic moments too -- Rukia's awful drawing skills, Ichigo playing baseball with pepper bombs, and Ichigo's kooky classmates and family. Not to mention Chad's quiet explanations ("Yesterday... I collided with a motorcycle").

This is our first introduction to the various characters, but Ichigo "Strawberry" is a pretty good hero, albeit in the mold of most action-anime heroes -- rough, fight-prone, determinedly lonerish, but very good-hearted. He doesn't want to go out and just be heroic, but he can't pass up a person who needs his help. The smart, prickly Rukia and sweetly flaky Orihime round out the cast, although gentle giant Chad hasn't been explored much yet.

The first volume of Tite Kubo's "Bleach" is a warmup for the bestselling series, but Kubo really hits his stride -- with art and story -- in the second half. Definitely worth getting, if nothing else to acquaint you with the world of the Soul Reapers.

Bleach has become very popular so it may become easy to over look it as over hyped, but it really is a fantastic Manga. The characters are extremely well developed and nuanced for a "boy" or "action" manga, that being said the action is still great. Ichigo (strawberry) has to be one of my all time favorite characters as is Chad a big guy who like all things cute. Bleach is worth the investment such a long series entails.

Ok, so, when I first started reading the series, it was because a friend of mine had loaned it to me, and I had nothing better to read. After the first book, I thought, well, it's so-so, a fairly good book but nowhere near as good as say, Naruto.
After the second book, I was interested, and after the third book, I was hopelessly addicted. This series is so good that it has become a very difficult addiction. Ironically, I rather didn't like the artwork that much, and almost all of the characters I found to be annoying. And then, the more I saw them, and as each character developed, I liked it more and more. Aside from Ichigo, Rukia, and Orihime, (and later on Yuruichi), I really didn't like any new character as they were introduced... and yet, the more I knew of them, the more I liked them, and then started to like them even more for the things I initially disliked.... I have grown to love these edgy and unique characters and artwork....(ah, how confusing!) After inhaling the first twelve books in the space of only two days, I simply could not get enough of this series. The anime is absolutely fantastic as well; after watching over 76 episodes of sub-titles (and I must add that I HATE subtitles) It has become one of my all-time favorites, requiring complete wallpaper changes for my computers and my cell-phone, as well as my ringtone and music selection. This series is good enough to make we want to learn Japanese to fully appreciate the original form. Don't take this as the ravings of some mad-Otaku, no, I have never been one of those. This could happen to you, too. It's just simply that good. Rukia and Ichigo have become almost the cornerstones of my life. Thank you Tite Kubo; thank you.

The first volume of Bleach is a very well planned out opening for the series. Kubo Taito introduces several key characters in the first volume of Bleach, such as Kurosaki Ichigo (the protagonist) and his family, the shinigami Rukia, Inoue, Sado (aka Chad), and a handful of Ichigo's friends. The detail of the characters is very well developed, and if one pays close attention... Kubo Taito introduces somes characters in the manga even before they run into Ichigo.

The plot is original and intricate, and it improves as the series progresses. In volume one, Kubo Taito introduces the reader to Kurosaki Ichigo: an orange-haired high schooler who sees spirits. He encounters Kuchiki Rukia, a shinigami who sends good souls to Soul Society or destroys Hollows (souls that have lost their heart and eat souls and spirits). Through a twist of fate, Ichigo inherits Rukia's shinigami powers and thus, her duty to destroy hollows.

If you are already amazed by Kubo Taito's artwork in the first few volumes of Bleach, pay close attention to how it changes as the series continues. The only reason why I gave this first volume four stars is due to the fact that his art greatly develops in later volumes and because I'm not particularly fond of the translations, but the essence of Bleach remains intact and virtually unflawed.

Kubo Taito has many surprises up his sleeve in the later volumes of Bleach; pay close attention to details in the manga and you'll see.

I've read Zombie Powder and several volumes of Bleach already, so I was happy to know that Viz wanted to bring it to the english-speaking audience.
The concept of shinigami (soul reapers) is something that keeps this series interesting. Kubo Tite builds his manga by introducing Ichigo, a high school student who sees ghosts. Then he intoduces a situation where Ichigo is thrust into the role of a soul reaper. Meanwhile, we're given glimpses of interesting characters that interact with Ichigo daily, as well as this entire new world of spirits and the rules of life after death.
Kubo Tite's style is refreshingly modern and energetic. He gives small profiles of the characters with each volume, noting things like their favorite type of clothing and foods. He also gives them a theme song.
Contrary to what another reviewer said, those listed theme songs were in the original manga. The only thing that is really altered in Viz's treatment is the background sound effects, which are now completely written in english.
Kubo Tite also has a cool unique style to his character's wardrobe. He also seems to like western pop culture.
This is a great manga that is appealing to both shonen and shoujo fans. Sure, it's got action and drama, but it also has tons of interesting and quirky characters.

From what I'm hearing, Bleach is one great manga. It has had a long run in Shonen Jump in Japan, has already spawned an anime as well as a theatrical movie, and it's catching on pretty quick here in the States as well. So, though I'm not a huge fan of Shonen Jump manga (Naruto is excellent, though), I thought I had to give this a try. And at first I wondered, while reading the opening chapter, why in the world people were so attached to this manga. I mean, read one volume of Shonen Jump and you have everything that Bleach is; Shaman King, Yu-Yu Hakusho, Hikaru No Go, and yes, even Naruto all seem to have had some influence on Bleach.

I'm not a quitter, though, so I continued to read, and slowly I started to understand. I'm not completely sure yet that this manga is as big as everyone says it is, but I certainly found myself entertained, despite the severe lack of originality. The main thing that kept me reading was the art; it wasn't unique, but it was well-done. Plus, the story was pretty good, if rehashed. It follows a young, orange-haired kid named Ichigo, a.k.a. Strawberry, as he goes about his everyday life of being a student as well as being a freelance exorcist. For Ichigo can see ghosts as well as he can see the living, and talk to them too. But for some reason, his power has attracted the negative attention of a hollow, an evil ghost that feeds off of spirits, and Ichigo finds himself in the middle of a battle between a Soul Reaper and the hollow. Of course, the inevitable happens and Ichigo, later on, ends up in the Soul Reaper role and goes about exorcising the dead in a much more physical way.

When finally I finished this first volume, I was sure that Bleach had the capability of being as special as everyone says it is. But I'm no follower, and I do see some of the negatives in this series, one being the aforementioned unoriginality. The other problem was the slow character introduction. All I knew about Ichigo was that he loves his family, is a tough guy, and can see ghosts. Beyond that, you aren't given very much to judge him by as a person, making him difficult to connect with early on. Still, though, this is a decent start to a manga, and I won't crush Bleach completely. I've already purchased the second volume and plan on reviewing that as well, so check back. And I'd still recommend this manga to anyone who really loves the Shonen Jump manga like Naruto and Shaman King. I just believe that it can't truly be judged by this first volume alone.