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Bleach #37
Bleach―ブリーチ― 37 [Burīchi 37]
魂魄消失事件の首謀者は、副隊長・藍染であった！！ 隊長・平子が倒れた直後に駆けつけた浦原は、そこで恐るべき光景を目撃する。仲間達を救うため禁術行使を決意するが…！？ そして舞台は再び現世の空座町へ！！
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
July 22, 2024
People are not beautiful to me, but flowers are. People are only like flowers when they are cut down. [Yumichika]
We start Volume 37 with the continuation of the events that happened in the past. The previous volume ended with the reveal of the big betrayal. All of Shinji's companions are down, laying helplessly on the floor and turning into Hollows. Shinji's not any better. Aizen looks at him, smirking, like he had already won. And it seems like he did. Who's there to stop him?
"Remember this. Transparent treachery is nothing to fear. What's truly frightening is treachery that can't be detected." [Aizen]
It's quickly obvious to everyone that Aizen had everything precisely prepared and he wouldn't be charged of anything. In the eyes of Central 46 and the Seireitei he's as pure as a baby. The only ones who knows the truth are sentenced either to prison, to banishment, or to death. Our heroes escape, but none of them is safe. It's time for them to fight for justice. And for revenge.
The Karakura Town.
"The enemy's plan, as I understand it, was to use the power in those four pillars to swap the real town for the fake one. Therefore... what if those pillars are destroyed?" [Barragan]
With the three treacherous captains being captured in a cage of Genryuusai's flames, it's up to the three Espada members to challenge the Soul Society fighters. Barragan immediately calls himself a new leader and decides to send some Hollows to destroy the pillars prepared by the Soul Reapers to protect the Karakura Town. But none of the captains or lieutenants move. Why is that? Because the pillars had their protectors already.
The first wave of Hollows is easily destroyed by the four heroes: Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kira and Hisagi. After the failure of wave one, Barragan sends his Fracciones to deal with "the ants". An enormous fighter called Poww stands against Ikkaku, a "beautiful" Chuhlhourne finds his match in Yumichika, a strong Abirama chooses Kira, and a blond Findorr is send against Hisagi. This is how the battle for the pillars starts. We spend most of the time jumping between the fighters, but the focus is pulled on the battle between Yumichika and Chuhlhourne. Everyone's paired up pretty nicely, but Yumichika and Chuhlhourne are the perfect match. They both love themselves enormously and are always fishing for compliments on their good looks (Yumichika is good-looking, but Chuhlhourne... not so much. But it doesn't stop him from thinking that he's pretty.)
"What's... What's this?"
"Rosa Blanca. It's my most beautiful and cruelest technique. Within this black mass of thorns where no one else can see you, you will die surrounded by white petals."
"Where no one... can see me?"
"That's right. Your death won't leave an imprint on anybody's retinas. Can you imagine a crueler fate for someone who's prides himself on his good looks?"
Their fight is completely ridiculous, but also strangely entertaining most of the time. The easy-going atmosphere changes when Chuhlhourne uses his strongest technique. He believes that, to such narcissistic creature like Yumichika, a death away from people is the greatest fear and the biggest doom. It seems like he's right. But to Yumichika his cruel technique is not his greatest fear, but a miracle. He wins this fight because of that miracle, which means that his pillar is safe. The other battles had also started, but will they end in a good way like Yumichika's did or will the Soul Reapers have a problem?
Hueco Mundo.
"I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd draw your sword so easily. I thought I'd have to make you draw it. Does it mean you recognize me as an equal?"
"It means I recognize you as someone who must be destroyed."
"Works for me."
While the events of Hueco Mundo aren't the focus of Volume 37, we do get to see what was happening there while the battle of the pillars started in the Katakura Town. After the (another) kidnapping of Orihime, Ichigo was on his way to save her (once again). He was flawlessly destroying every Hollow that dared to stand in his way, but he was suddenly stopped by the Exequias and their leader, Rudobôn. When Renji, Chad and Rukia came to his rescue, Ichigo was free to continue his way to the palace. But Orihime wasn't alone. The palace's greatest guardian, Ulquiorra, came back, which means that round 2 of the Ichigo vs Ulquiorra fight will happen any minute.
We end the volume with the battle between Kira and Abirama. Will Kira win? What about Ikkaku and Hisagi? Does Ichigo stand a chance against Ulquiorra or will he (once again) meet his doom? We will see in the next volume!
Some of my thoughts while reading: (beware of the spoilers)
~ The fact that Aizen had the guts to say that Shinji of all people should apologize to his companions for what had happened to them like it was his fault and not Aizen's makes me sick.
~ The little Gin was so cute!
~ The image of the Vizards helplessly laying on the ground and changing into Hollows broke me.
~ What kind of power does Aizen have over Tousen? I cannot tell if he's ruling by respect or if he's ruling by fear.
~ In the past events Aizen had shown a glimpse of his true power and, honestly, he was already an extraordinary being. Why the hell did he need more power?
~ Ryujin Jakka's flames are magnificent. Frightening, true, but magnificent nonetheless.
~ ORIHIME JUST FREAKING STOOD THERE LIKE A DUMBASS INSTEAD OF RUNNING AWAY. Girl, are you dumb?? "I'm not afraid. My friends will come and save me." - safe yourself, maybe? You had a great opportunity to do so when Aizen left (and before Ulquiorra came back), but you didn't use it!
~ Ichigo's happy smiles when he realized that Chad and Rukia are alive! 🥹
~ Ichigo and Rukia exchanging glances before Ichigo left to rescue Orihime and Rukia's fond smile were everything to me (before anyone will come at me, no, I'm not shipping them romantically)
~ HISAGI IS BACK! AND HE'S HOT! 🤩
~ My first appearance in so long... - Hisagi's drawing on the end of one of the chapters make me laugh so hard (I'm so sorry, love!)
~ Chuhlhourne must be one of the most ridiculous (if not the most ridiculous) characters in Bleach, honestly 😂
~ "I just pray you're as strong as you look."
"Pray? To what? You Soul Reapers have a god greater than yourselves?"
"What? Now that you mention it... I'm not sure who I'd pray to." - umm, what about the Soul King? Isn't he like a god in this universe?
~ Abirama's ritual of inspiration made me laugh while Kira only cringed lmao 😂
~ Through Abirama mentioning Gin we saw how cold (or dark) Kira can be. I got goosebumps.
~ "Wow."
"What is it, Gin?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just surprised at how angry Izuru is."
"Worried about the subordinate you left behind?"
"Nah. I'm just glad he's doing so well." - NOOOOO, GINNNNN!! 😭
~ The fact that Yumichika was willing to die just to not show his true power is as admirable as it's frightening. His loyalty to Ikkaku, Zaraki and Squad 11 is great, but I don't like the fact that he would rather die than reveal that he has a kido-type Zanpakuto. His fall would also mean the fall of one of the pillars that protect the Karakura Town!
~ I think that's amazing that all the protectors of the pillars found their perfect opponents in Barragan's Fracciones.
We start Volume 37 with the continuation of the events that happened in the past. The previous volume ended with the reveal of the big betrayal. All of Shinji's companions are down, laying helplessly on the floor and turning into Hollows. Shinji's not any better. Aizen looks at him, smirking, like he had already won. And it seems like he did. Who's there to stop him?
"Remember this. Transparent treachery is nothing to fear. What's truly frightening is treachery that can't be detected." [Aizen]
It's quickly obvious to everyone that Aizen had everything precisely prepared and he wouldn't be charged of anything. In the eyes of Central 46 and the Seireitei he's as pure as a baby. The only ones who knows the truth are sentenced either to prison, to banishment, or to death. Our heroes escape, but none of them is safe. It's time for them to fight for justice. And for revenge.
The Karakura Town.
"The enemy's plan, as I understand it, was to use the power in those four pillars to swap the real town for the fake one. Therefore... what if those pillars are destroyed?" [Barragan]
With the three treacherous captains being captured in a cage of Genryuusai's flames, it's up to the three Espada members to challenge the Soul Society fighters. Barragan immediately calls himself a new leader and decides to send some Hollows to destroy the pillars prepared by the Soul Reapers to protect the Karakura Town. But none of the captains or lieutenants move. Why is that? Because the pillars had their protectors already.
The first wave of Hollows is easily destroyed by the four heroes: Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kira and Hisagi. After the failure of wave one, Barragan sends his Fracciones to deal with "the ants". An enormous fighter called Poww stands against Ikkaku, a "beautiful" Chuhlhourne finds his match in Yumichika, a strong Abirama chooses Kira, and a blond Findorr is send against Hisagi. This is how the battle for the pillars starts. We spend most of the time jumping between the fighters, but the focus is pulled on the battle between Yumichika and Chuhlhourne. Everyone's paired up pretty nicely, but Yumichika and Chuhlhourne are the perfect match. They both love themselves enormously and are always fishing for compliments on their good looks (Yumichika is good-looking, but Chuhlhourne... not so much. But it doesn't stop him from thinking that he's pretty.)
"What's... What's this?"
"Rosa Blanca. It's my most beautiful and cruelest technique. Within this black mass of thorns where no one else can see you, you will die surrounded by white petals."
"Where no one... can see me?"
"That's right. Your death won't leave an imprint on anybody's retinas. Can you imagine a crueler fate for someone who's prides himself on his good looks?"
Their fight is completely ridiculous, but also strangely entertaining most of the time. The easy-going atmosphere changes when Chuhlhourne uses his strongest technique. He believes that, to such narcissistic creature like Yumichika, a death away from people is the greatest fear and the biggest doom. It seems like he's right. But to Yumichika his cruel technique is not his greatest fear, but a miracle. He wins this fight because of that miracle, which means that his pillar is safe. The other battles had also started, but will they end in a good way like Yumichika's did or will the Soul Reapers have a problem?
Hueco Mundo.
"I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd draw your sword so easily. I thought I'd have to make you draw it. Does it mean you recognize me as an equal?"
"It means I recognize you as someone who must be destroyed."
"Works for me."
While the events of Hueco Mundo aren't the focus of Volume 37, we do get to see what was happening there while the battle of the pillars started in the Katakura Town. After the (another) kidnapping of Orihime, Ichigo was on his way to save her (once again). He was flawlessly destroying every Hollow that dared to stand in his way, but he was suddenly stopped by the Exequias and their leader, Rudobôn. When Renji, Chad and Rukia came to his rescue, Ichigo was free to continue his way to the palace. But Orihime wasn't alone. The palace's greatest guardian, Ulquiorra, came back, which means that round 2 of the Ichigo vs Ulquiorra fight will happen any minute.
We end the volume with the battle between Kira and Abirama. Will Kira win? What about Ikkaku and Hisagi? Does Ichigo stand a chance against Ulquiorra or will he (once again) meet his doom? We will see in the next volume!
Some of my thoughts while reading: (beware of the spoilers)
~ The fact that Aizen had the guts to say that Shinji of all people should apologize to his companions for what had happened to them like it was his fault and not Aizen's makes me sick.
~ The little Gin was so cute!
~ The image of the Vizards helplessly laying on the ground and changing into Hollows broke me.
~ What kind of power does Aizen have over Tousen? I cannot tell if he's ruling by respect or if he's ruling by fear.
~ In the past events Aizen had shown a glimpse of his true power and, honestly, he was already an extraordinary being. Why the hell did he need more power?
~ Ryujin Jakka's flames are magnificent. Frightening, true, but magnificent nonetheless.
~ ORIHIME JUST FREAKING STOOD THERE LIKE A DUMBASS INSTEAD OF RUNNING AWAY. Girl, are you dumb?? "I'm not afraid. My friends will come and save me." - safe yourself, maybe? You had a great opportunity to do so when Aizen left (and before Ulquiorra came back), but you didn't use it!
~ Ichigo's happy smiles when he realized that Chad and Rukia are alive! 🥹
~ Ichigo and Rukia exchanging glances before Ichigo left to rescue Orihime and Rukia's fond smile were everything to me (before anyone will come at me, no, I'm not shipping them romantically)
~ HISAGI IS BACK! AND HE'S HOT! 🤩
~ My first appearance in so long... - Hisagi's drawing on the end of one of the chapters make me laugh so hard (I'm so sorry, love!)
~ Chuhlhourne must be one of the most ridiculous (if not the most ridiculous) characters in Bleach, honestly 😂
~ "I just pray you're as strong as you look."
"Pray? To what? You Soul Reapers have a god greater than yourselves?"
"What? Now that you mention it... I'm not sure who I'd pray to." - umm, what about the Soul King? Isn't he like a god in this universe?
~ Abirama's ritual of inspiration made me laugh while Kira only cringed lmao 😂
~ Through Abirama mentioning Gin we saw how cold (or dark) Kira can be. I got goosebumps.
~ "Wow."
"What is it, Gin?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just surprised at how angry Izuru is."
"Worried about the subordinate you left behind?"
"Nah. I'm just glad he's doing so well." - NOOOOO, GINNNNN!! 😭
~ The fact that Yumichika was willing to die just to not show his true power is as admirable as it's frightening. His loyalty to Ikkaku, Zaraki and Squad 11 is great, but I don't like the fact that he would rather die than reveal that he has a kido-type Zanpakuto. His fall would also mean the fall of one of the pillars that protect the Karakura Town!
~ I think that's amazing that all the protectors of the pillars found their perfect opponents in Barragan's Fracciones.
July 23, 2021
و اینم از جلد سی و هفتم مجموعه مانگایbleach.....
این جلد کلا اتفاقات نبرد بین گروه ایزن و گروه سول سوسایتی(کاپیتان ها و معاون ها)رو دنبال میکرد که. خیلی فایتی بین اونها به چشم نخورد و فقط سه فایت دیگه رو کاور میکرد که تمرکزش روی فایت یومیچیکا(یکی از اعضای گروه زاراکی)و کول هورن(یک ارانکار زیردست یک اسپادا رده بالا)بود که فایت قشنگی بود با اینکه خیلی هنر شمشیر زنی نداشت اما تکنیک ها و کیدو هایی که هر دو طرف استفاده میکردن خیلی زیبا طراحی شده بود....
آرت این جلد هم به اندازه جلد قبلی خوب بود و توی قسمت هایی که حالت ازاد شده شمشیر یک ارانکار یا تکنیک یک شینیگامی رو نشون میداد خیلی بهتر می شد و واقعا من از این موضوع حیرت زده هستم که مانگاکا چجوری تونسته این همه تکنیک های متنوع رو با فقط خیال پردازی بسازه و همچین فایت هایی رو خلق کنه...
حتما این مانگای زیبا رو بخونید....
این جلد کلا اتفاقات نبرد بین گروه ایزن و گروه سول سوسایتی(کاپیتان ها و معاون ها)رو دنبال میکرد که. خیلی فایتی بین اونها به چشم نخورد و فقط سه فایت دیگه رو کاور میکرد که تمرکزش روی فایت یومیچیکا(یکی از اعضای گروه زاراکی)و کول هورن(یک ارانکار زیردست یک اسپادا رده بالا)بود که فایت قشنگی بود با اینکه خیلی هنر شمشیر زنی نداشت اما تکنیک ها و کیدو هایی که هر دو طرف استفاده میکردن خیلی زیبا طراحی شده بود....
آرت این جلد هم به اندازه جلد قبلی خوب بود و توی قسمت هایی که حالت ازاد شده شمشیر یک ارانکار یا تکنیک یک شینیگامی رو نشون میداد خیلی بهتر می شد و واقعا من از این موضوع حیرت زده هستم که مانگاکا چجوری تونسته این همه تکنیک های متنوع رو با فقط خیال پردازی بسازه و همچین فایت هایی رو خلق کنه...
حتما این مانگای زیبا رو بخونید....
August 23, 2023
The things some people in Soul Society will do to make sure people don’t see how strong they are is insane and incredible! Yumichika was somebody I actually didn’t expect to win because he didn’t seem like the strong type, but he proved me wrong with that zanpakuto. I can’t wait to see what the others do in the next volume.
August 8, 2016
I had a bit of a hard time remembering the names of all the captains and assistant captains but when I got into it I really enjoyed the fights. They were funny. I hope we won't lose any of our dear characters in the fights to come.
August 27, 2019
Bleach, Vol. 37 concludes the flashback story "Turn Back the Pendulum" and continues the main story colleting the next seven chapters (316–322) of the on-going manga series.
Sōsuke Aizen reveals that he was behind the Soul Reaper disappearances while telling Shinji Hirako that his distrust made it easy for him to place his captain under the effects of his zanpakutō to make it seem like he was following Shinji the whole time. Holding to himself as the others start to hollowfy, Shinji was about to be killed by Aizen when Kisuke Urahara arrives with Tessai Tsukabishi of the Kidō Corps.
After Aizen flees, Urahara has Tessai bring Shinji and the others to his lab where he uses the Hōgyoku he developed to save them. However, Aizen uses Central Room Forty-Six to arrest Urahara and Tessai for his crimes while sentencing the Vizards to death. Luckily, Yoruichi Shihōin frees Urahara and Tessai as they and the Vizards decide to escapes into the world of the living.
In the present, Ichigo Kurosaki reaches Orihime Inoue and Ulquiorra Cifer with his friends holding off Rudbornn Chelute. At the fake Karakura Town, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto traps Aizen, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen in a fire prison so his forces can focus on the Arrancars. The Espada Baraggan Louisenbairn takes over the invasion as he sends four of his loyal Fracciones to destroy the four pillars protecting Karakura Town.
However, it leads to a fight with Izuzu Kira facing Avirama Redder, Ikkaku Madarame battling Choe Neng Poww, and Squad Nine lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi dealing with Findor Calius. Yumichika Ayasegawa finds himself in a person battle with Charlotte Chuhlhourne, only managing by defeating his opponent by being able to use the true form of his Zanpakutō without compromising himself as a member of Squad Eleven.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The first third of the tankōbon concludes how Sōsuke Aizen has set-up events that would lead to how the story began one hundred and ten years later. The rest of the tankōbon focuses on the invasion of Karakura Town with Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen having been subdued so the rest of the Soul Society members would focus on the Arrancar Army he brought.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 37 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
Sōsuke Aizen reveals that he was behind the Soul Reaper disappearances while telling Shinji Hirako that his distrust made it easy for him to place his captain under the effects of his zanpakutō to make it seem like he was following Shinji the whole time. Holding to himself as the others start to hollowfy, Shinji was about to be killed by Aizen when Kisuke Urahara arrives with Tessai Tsukabishi of the Kidō Corps.
After Aizen flees, Urahara has Tessai bring Shinji and the others to his lab where he uses the Hōgyoku he developed to save them. However, Aizen uses Central Room Forty-Six to arrest Urahara and Tessai for his crimes while sentencing the Vizards to death. Luckily, Yoruichi Shihōin frees Urahara and Tessai as they and the Vizards decide to escapes into the world of the living.
In the present, Ichigo Kurosaki reaches Orihime Inoue and Ulquiorra Cifer with his friends holding off Rudbornn Chelute. At the fake Karakura Town, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto traps Aizen, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen in a fire prison so his forces can focus on the Arrancars. The Espada Baraggan Louisenbairn takes over the invasion as he sends four of his loyal Fracciones to destroy the four pillars protecting Karakura Town.
However, it leads to a fight with Izuzu Kira facing Avirama Redder, Ikkaku Madarame battling Choe Neng Poww, and Squad Nine lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi dealing with Findor Calius. Yumichika Ayasegawa finds himself in a person battle with Charlotte Chuhlhourne, only managing by defeating his opponent by being able to use the true form of his Zanpakutō without compromising himself as a member of Squad Eleven.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The first third of the tankōbon concludes how Sōsuke Aizen has set-up events that would lead to how the story began one hundred and ten years later. The rest of the tankōbon focuses on the invasion of Karakura Town with Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen having been subdued so the rest of the Soul Society members would focus on the Arrancar Army he brought.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 37 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
April 13, 2025
The ending of the flashback was amazing, and this volume also had one of the funniest battles I’ve seen.
July 31, 2021
This volume was great! Ichigo and Ulquiorra are about to start fighting. This also features one of the quotes I put on my pillow. Orihime also knew that the others were going to come rescue her. She says there hearts beat as one. Also, Captain Yamato trapped Aizen, Kaname, and Gin in fire. Barragan an Espada decides to take over for a bit. He wants to destroy the four pillars. They have guards at the four pillars. (The pillars are protecting Katakura town.) They have Ikkou, Yumichika, Kira, and Hisage as guards of the pillar. Barragan sends his fracciones to fight them. Yumichika laughs at his opponent. His opponent traps him in a space where it's dark. Yumichika unleashes the true power of his zanpaktu. He zaps the energy from his opponent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2020
Wrapping up the previous flashback story arc by exposing the very incident that exiled many of the key mysterious characters that have made an impact in Ichigo Kurosaki's life so far, this volume then looks into starting the first battles between the Thirteen Court Guard Companies and the Espadas.
The war feels like a massive chess game as they send out the pawns to do some heavy-duty work first. Look forward to the exciting action sequences to come now though.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
The war feels like a massive chess game as they send out the pawns to do some heavy-duty work first. Look forward to the exciting action sequences to come now though.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
September 14, 2023
Il vero potere di Yumichika ✨🔝✨
April 6, 2025
Loved the rest of the flashback!
April 26, 2015
Finally that flashback story is over. So anoying reading the filler story. Just keep working on the main story line for once.
April 19, 2019
Action packed
November 13, 2025
There’s one sincere criticism I could make for this arc: timing. It’s a bit ballsy to shove a flashback in right as a war is about to start. But, I don’t raise this criticism, because I think that the timing adds much-needed depth, much-needed history to the characters involved. Also, it’s colors a lot of characters in completely different shades. Aloof Captain Shinji? Angry child Byakuya? Sign me up, I wanna see all of it.
Turn Back the Pendulum goes back ~100 years and shows the fall from grace of the Karakura-bound Soul Reapers/Visored’s, and the evil seeds sown by Aizen. It’s a great rewrite on the Soul Society and makes each big player a deeper character. As much as Kubo relies and reuses tropes, he writes a pretty nice “whodunnit” Soul Society mystery… for the second time. 🔥
The payoff: some sympathy for the Visored’s, a whole lot of love for Urahara and Yoruichi, and a reignited love/hate for Aizen. He’s so bad but he’s so, so good. All according to plan. 😌
The war begins and hype builds. Assistant captain’s get some shine while the tension builds for other players to start moving. Heaaat!! 🔥
Turn Back the Pendulum goes back ~100 years and shows the fall from grace of the Karakura-bound Soul Reapers/Visored’s, and the evil seeds sown by Aizen. It’s a great rewrite on the Soul Society and makes each big player a deeper character. As much as Kubo relies and reuses tropes, he writes a pretty nice “whodunnit” Soul Society mystery… for the second time. 🔥
The payoff: some sympathy for the Visored’s, a whole lot of love for Urahara and Yoruichi, and a reignited love/hate for Aizen. He’s so bad but he’s so, so good. All according to plan. 😌
The war begins and hype builds. Assistant captain’s get some shine while the tension builds for other players to start moving. Heaaat!! 🔥
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2021
Flash back continues, and new fights begin. Loved this one. Expanded on the back story and had a sweet fight
Summary:
Shinji Hollowfies and Aizen says that it was all part of his plan. Out of nowhere Urahara cuts off Aizens arm band. Aizen gets away. Urahara and his shop keep (commander of the kido corp 110 years ago) grab the gang being hollowfied and Urahara tries to save them. Urahara and His shop keep get called in by the council of 46 and are kicked out of the soul society. Yoruichi saves them from their fate. Shop keep grabs the bodies of the people that were getting hollowfied and Urahara swears to save them. Present day vizards are gearing up to fight.
Captain General Yama strikes first at the Arancars and Aizen with a massive flame. Back in the hollow world Ichego Fights Rudobon. Renji, Chad, and Rukia back him up. They tell him to go save Orihime. He fights Uulioqu
The arrancar attack the 4 pillars that are keeping them from attacking the real town. Each pillar is guarded by a soul reaper: Izuru, Ikkuka, Shuhei, Yumichika. Yuumichika defeats his arrancar.
Summary:
Shinji Hollowfies and Aizen says that it was all part of his plan. Out of nowhere Urahara cuts off Aizens arm band. Aizen gets away. Urahara and his shop keep (commander of the kido corp 110 years ago) grab the gang being hollowfied and Urahara tries to save them. Urahara and His shop keep get called in by the council of 46 and are kicked out of the soul society. Yoruichi saves them from their fate. Shop keep grabs the bodies of the people that were getting hollowfied and Urahara swears to save them. Present day vizards are gearing up to fight.
Captain General Yama strikes first at the Arancars and Aizen with a massive flame. Back in the hollow world Ichego Fights Rudobon. Renji, Chad, and Rukia back him up. They tell him to go save Orihime. He fights Uulioqu
The arrancar attack the 4 pillars that are keeping them from attacking the real town. Each pillar is guarded by a soul reaper: Izuru, Ikkuka, Shuhei, Yumichika. Yuumichika defeats his arrancar.
May 1, 2022
The first half finishes up the backstory while second half goes into more battles and Ichigo finally reaches his loved one.
See, first half actually wasn't bad. Not we know how everyone was tricked by the bastard Aizen. And it's kind of screwed up how much they trusted this loser. But anyway that part is the best part of the volume, and Ichigo finally making it to his beloved. But the battles at the end with the captains, or rank down captains, was just okay. I didn't really care for these battles.
A 3 out of 5.
See, first half actually wasn't bad. Not we know how everyone was tricked by the bastard Aizen. And it's kind of screwed up how much they trusted this loser. But anyway that part is the best part of the volume, and Ichigo finally making it to his beloved. But the battles at the end with the captains, or rank down captains, was just okay. I didn't really care for these battles.
A 3 out of 5.
December 5, 2020
Its an alright volume as Aizens team fights Shinigamis, like there is Yumichika vs Coolhorn and that fight was so weird but we get some interesting revelations about Bankai of Yumi and then Kira is fighting Avirama. They have to defend the pillars. Meanwhile Ichigo is fighting Ulquiora next and its gonna be brutal. This volume was okayish just continuing the motions of the big war coming up next!
March 9, 2023
A decent volume. Wraps up the flashback and sheds light on the past, that did intrigue me. Back in the present, several assistant captains fight the Espada lackies, and maybe it's just me, but I was underwhelmed with their contests.
October 31, 2022
The end of the fantastic turn back the pendulum arc! And we start to see the beginning of the invasion! The minor fights are interesting but I am so excited for Ichigo v. Ulqiorra like nothing else
January 30, 2024
I would like more of the assistant captain of the ninth company to be put in please
April 1, 2025
Even though we're just seeing the assistant captain's fight these fights have been very well put together and are awesome to read.
August 6, 2021
it was a pretty good book i enjoyed it and i hope to read many more like this this year
August 12, 2025
An even bigger mess happens when the remaining Espada invade Karakura town. It sounds so simple at first. All they have to do is go to a town, and create a key for invading Soul Society. Then Kubo wanted to make it seem like there are tactics in his manga. Turns out that town is fake. Also there are 4 pillars you have to destroy so the real town will appear or something. And Aizen gets trapped behind some fire that he can’t pass for some reason despite being the most powerful in the world. Why didn’t they use that ability for trapping him back in Soul Society? Why isn’t he using that Menos Grande shield for escaping? Did he forget about it? Oh, and let’s not overlook Aizen’s amazing plan of trapping four of the captains back at his base by sacrificing seven of his Espada and 95% of his soldiers. What an amazing ratio. Kubo did it again, Bleach is a really smart manga.
The fake Karakura Town battle continues to prove how incompetent Kubo is as a writer. First he creates way too many characters that are not relevant to the plot. Then he thinks they are going to be relevant if they get to fight someone. And then instead of having most of the minor characters using teamwork for taking out a powerful Espada, he just creates dozens of minor Arrancar that exist just for fighting a minor Soul Reaper and to then disappear from the plot. The result is hundreds of chapters where nobodies are fighting nobodies and the plot going nowhere. The bleachtards will claim these fights are actually pretty deep because the soul reapers are facing their dark counterparts. Ah yes, a staple of Bleach is how everyone is always conveniently fighting someone who is like him but evil. If he is a scientist, he fights a scientist. If he’s a berserker, he fights a berserker, and so on. They spend most of the fight in talking about their emotions and ideals and the good guy always wins in the end because he has more resolve. It sounds like it’s smart, but down to it it’s completely artificial. Why do they always accidentally fight their evil counterparts? And how does that affect the plot again? Oh, that’s right, it doesn’t, it’s a waste of time. Also that means every Arrancar exists only to be a dark counterpart and not its own character, which is why it disappears from the plot as soon as it’s defeated. Well done Kubo, your entire cast for this arc is all fodders.
The fake Karakura Town battle continues to prove how incompetent Kubo is as a writer. First he creates way too many characters that are not relevant to the plot. Then he thinks they are going to be relevant if they get to fight someone. And then instead of having most of the minor characters using teamwork for taking out a powerful Espada, he just creates dozens of minor Arrancar that exist just for fighting a minor Soul Reaper and to then disappear from the plot. The result is hundreds of chapters where nobodies are fighting nobodies and the plot going nowhere. The bleachtards will claim these fights are actually pretty deep because the soul reapers are facing their dark counterparts. Ah yes, a staple of Bleach is how everyone is always conveniently fighting someone who is like him but evil. If he is a scientist, he fights a scientist. If he’s a berserker, he fights a berserker, and so on. They spend most of the fight in talking about their emotions and ideals and the good guy always wins in the end because he has more resolve. It sounds like it’s smart, but down to it it’s completely artificial. Why do they always accidentally fight their evil counterparts? And how does that affect the plot again? Oh, that’s right, it doesn’t, it’s a waste of time. Also that means every Arrancar exists only to be a dark counterpart and not its own character, which is why it disappears from the plot as soon as it’s defeated. Well done Kubo, your entire cast for this arc is all fodders.
August 15, 2014
Even in the midst of battle, this volume made me laugh so hard! Yumichika (AKA Mr. Pretty boy) against Charlotte Chuhl-Hourne (AKA Trans-genderish Mr. Pretty girl II) had more of an intense verbal battle before they actually fought with their weapons. We assume that Yumichika has finished his Diva opponent by the end of the volume, after using his Ruri Iro Kujaku inside of Charlotte Chuhl-Hourne's Rosa Blanca where no one can see his Kidô type Zanpaku-tô and called a coward for it.
Ichigo reaches the point where Orihime is kept with Ulquiorra, and a battle is stirring in Las Noches.
Old man Yama contains majority of the enemy in a fire, but several still are not contained.
I haven't seen much of Chad, but I assume he's doing the same thing as everyone else.
Obviously Yumichika's battle isn't the only one, but it was the main featured one of this volume.
While all of this is happening in the present, we also finish up what happened 101 years ago, and we figure out that Tôsen, Aizen, and Gin were working together even at that time. Aizen is in charge already, Tôsen is basically like his slave, and Gin is his buddy. It looks so weird how small Gin is, but yet Aizen appears exactly the same as he does now, (at least before he ditched the glasses and changed his hair style...) Aizen has Tôsen begin the Hollowfication process, and Kisuke and Tessai appear in order to stop them. They escape, but don't run away from the Seiretei, but Kisuke and Tessai are intercepted by the council of 46, and got their spiritual powers taken away, (at least Kisuke did) and was to be sent to the world of the living. Yoruichi helps them escape though, and Kisuke makes special Gigai's for everyone, including the ones who were Hollowfyed. He says he will hide out in the World of the Living until he figures things out, and I assume that's how he and Tessai became buds!! :3
I feel like the main history part of this series is now done with, but you never know, there might be a little more in the next couple of volumes. Oh well, I'll find out!
Ichigo reaches the point where Orihime is kept with Ulquiorra, and a battle is stirring in Las Noches.
Old man Yama contains majority of the enemy in a fire, but several still are not contained.
I haven't seen much of Chad, but I assume he's doing the same thing as everyone else.
Obviously Yumichika's battle isn't the only one, but it was the main featured one of this volume.
While all of this is happening in the present, we also finish up what happened 101 years ago, and we figure out that Tôsen, Aizen, and Gin were working together even at that time. Aizen is in charge already, Tôsen is basically like his slave, and Gin is his buddy. It looks so weird how small Gin is, but yet Aizen appears exactly the same as he does now, (at least before he ditched the glasses and changed his hair style...) Aizen has Tôsen begin the Hollowfication process, and Kisuke and Tessai appear in order to stop them. They escape, but don't run away from the Seiretei, but Kisuke and Tessai are intercepted by the council of 46, and got their spiritual powers taken away, (at least Kisuke did) and was to be sent to the world of the living. Yoruichi helps them escape though, and Kisuke makes special Gigai's for everyone, including the ones who were Hollowfyed. He says he will hide out in the World of the Living until he figures things out, and I assume that's how he and Tessai became buds!! :3
I feel like the main history part of this series is now done with, but you never know, there might be a little more in the next couple of volumes. Oh well, I'll find out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2012
Alright my return to collecting the Bleach manga is back on. I bought the digital edition of this volume because A) I'm running out of room for books in my room, B) It was cheaper than physical copy and C) I quite like reading my manga on the computer.
The first three chapters of this volume are the rest of the TBTP gaiden and I really enjoyed it. Aizen. You despicable bastard. Even now some two hundred chapters away from this one, you are still trolling people. Bravo my friend.
The rest of the volume takes place partly in Hueco Mundo where Ichigo and Co reunite (And my OTP has some eye smex :P) and where Ulquiorra continues to try to mind fuck Orihime (Which is hot, I admit. Don't judge me.) The heart speech was really beautiful as always.
The other part takes place in Fake Karakura Town. I must have missed Gin talking about Kira, but that little moment just possibly made me ship Gin/Kira. Although Kira kind of gets on my nerves half the time.
There were funny moments all throughout the last few chapters. I like that and reminds me what initially attracted me to the series.
I give this volume four stars. I left a star off because besides the cover, pages that were supposed to have color did not in the Web Viewer. They might still be there in other versions. That kind of pissed me off because before I got my smartphone (And without knowing I could view on the Web) I couldn't download the manga on the BN website because I don't have a Nook Color or a Nook Tablet (I have a the 1st edition of the Nook, which I bought for my 21st birthday and it immediately went down in price before being discontinued.) If there are no color pages, then why can't the other devices handle them? For comics, I could see it, but manga without the color pages? I can't. So yeah that's my little beef with Viz Media and Barnes and Noble. Still an enjoyable volume though. I will continue to acquire my manga this way for the foreseeable future.
The first three chapters of this volume are the rest of the TBTP gaiden and I really enjoyed it. Aizen. You despicable bastard. Even now some two hundred chapters away from this one, you are still trolling people. Bravo my friend.
The rest of the volume takes place partly in Hueco Mundo where Ichigo and Co reunite (And my OTP has some eye smex :P) and where Ulquiorra continues to try to mind fuck Orihime (Which is hot, I admit. Don't judge me.) The heart speech was really beautiful as always.
The other part takes place in Fake Karakura Town. I must have missed Gin talking about Kira, but that little moment just possibly made me ship Gin/Kira. Although Kira kind of gets on my nerves half the time.
There were funny moments all throughout the last few chapters. I like that and reminds me what initially attracted me to the series.
I give this volume four stars. I left a star off because besides the cover, pages that were supposed to have color did not in the Web Viewer. They might still be there in other versions. That kind of pissed me off because before I got my smartphone (And without knowing I could view on the Web) I couldn't download the manga on the BN website because I don't have a Nook Color or a Nook Tablet (I have a the 1st edition of the Nook, which I bought for my 21st birthday and it immediately went down in price before being discontinued.) If there are no color pages, then why can't the other devices handle them? For comics, I could see it, but manga without the color pages? I can't. So yeah that's my little beef with Viz Media and Barnes and Noble. Still an enjoyable volume though. I will continue to acquire my manga this way for the foreseeable future.
June 17, 2017
Amazing!!!! The battles were great. My favorite scene is of Yumichika and Chuhlhourne, "I try not to look at ugly things. It's my policy." Fucking hilarious and their fight was great. How Yumichika defeated him using the true form of his zanpakuto. Finding out the rest of the story of the Vizards was terrible. The sentence of death that they got was horrible even though they didn't do anything and they didn't ask to be hollowfied. It really is getting good and I can't wait to read the rest of the fights/battles to come between the Espadas and the Soul Reapers.
May 30, 2020
Given that Manga, and especially Shonen is split up into bigger arcs as composed to volumes I will be analyzing and reviewing this by Arc. I also reread this manga over the span of 2 months, some days reading as much as 100 chapters a day. It would be quite tedious for me to review each 7-8 chapter volume. So this will be copy and pasted throughout all of the 72 manga volumes. That being said, if you're looking at this without having viewed the series...spoiler warning. I don't recap anything, but I also mention things that happen. If you want me to answer the question "Should I pick this up?" Yes. Even if you stop at the end of the Soul Society Arc. It's worth it.
Karakura Town Arc - Chapters 1-56 - Rating: 7/10
(The official page lumps this in with the Soul Society Arc however I feel as if they are two very separate arcs with two very separate themes)
- A fun introduction.
-An interesting premise on the idea of ghosts and demons (Hollows)
-Does a good job of introducing the characters and I especially enjoyed the love for characters like Chad, Orihime and Uryu as these characters would later lose more and more spotlight as the series went on.
-It is a bit of a monster of the week. When it works, like with Chad's introduction story. It works. But Characters like Don Kanonji felt superficial and very gimmicky. Which, fair. I didn't enjoy them as much.
Soul Society Arc - Chapters 57-182 - Rating: 10/10
-The height of Bleach
-Establishes an afterlife seemingly perfectly. Later on revealed to be full of plot holes and never fleshed out but hey! That's not an issue in THIS arc. The fights are top tier, the themes of Ichigo owing a life debt to Rukia and his passion and determination to rise above literally God's army is inspiring and to this day is why I love Ichigo so much. He doesn't have some grandiose plan. He doesn't have a major goal to accomplish. He is a protector by heart, losing his mother has made him sour to failing to protect those he cares about and he'll do anything in his power never to feel that helpless again. Very powerful stuff.
-The twist near the end of this arc is revolutionary and would make waves for the next 200 chapters onward. A perfect ending and set up for the forthcoming arc.
-The only issues I have for this arc would be Ichigo's lightning speed progression. The guy goes from being able to barely defeat a third seat to besting multiple captains in roughly 100 or less chapters. I get that that is the point and him defeating captains was more of a struck of luck, but progression and pacing wise it feels very unearned and a factor of "for the plot he needed to be this strong" It only seems as fast as it is because Ichigo's progression slows drastically down for the rest of the story moving foreword so it's only now that I make that criticism.
-Also, and this will be an issue in most Shonen. There are 13 Captains with 13 Vice Captains and seats that branch all the way to 10 I believe? Regardless, there's a fudge ton of characters that are introduced here and it can get a little jarring at times. Luckily, Kubo does a great job at making their designs and characters unique despite such a large cast.
Hueco Mundo Arc - Chapters 183-423 - Rating 7/10
-This is another arc where personally I would split it up into two separate arcs. But for the sake of this review I will simply refer to the first half of the arc and the later half of the arc. First Half 9/10. Second Half. 5/10.
-The first half of this arc is a great continuation of the last. Ichigo now struggles with his inner demons and it affects his ability to protect the ones he loves. We are also introduced to a deadly unknown new villains. The Arrancars/Espada to this day remain one of my favorite villain factions in all of manga enemies.
-Just so you're aware I would say the first half of this arc ends right around the point of Ichigo vs Grimmjow. Grimmjow is one of the first Arrancar that Ichigo faces. And he's also one of two Espada that he faces three times. The conclusion of that fight shows Ichigo conquering his inner demons. Where Grimmjow is very much fighting to establish himself. Grimmjow has to fight Ichigo to prove to his fallen comrades that he is as good as he says he is. He doesn't care about Aizen, he doesn't care about the rest of the Espada. It is very personal for him. For Ichigo, Orohime is within his grasp of saving and he views this as his "final" battle. It's my favorite fight in all of Bleach.
-However, this is where things start to take a bit of dip in quality in my opinion. We had a goal and we were striving towards that goal. Each character of the original cast coming to repay the debt they made to their friend who had risked her life to save them in the Soul society arc. But somewhere along the way it seems we just had a fighter fest. Captains would face enemies with no themes or character revelations. The Espadas got a little light but nothing that made their fights compelling. You almost just feel bad for the Espada as they were monsters turned into a military force by an unstoppable tyrant. But even that wasn't enough to make half of the fights interesting. Now, that's with knowing the outcome. These fights played little importance in the larger scheme of things. Where at least in the Hueco Mundo fights each match up had the protagonists striving for a goal. Rukia to defeat Aaroneiro to free her former superiors soul. Byakuya to defend Rukia. Renji and Uryu teamwork. Nel to protect Ichigo and get revenge on Nnoitra. Whereas Stark fought Kyoraku.....cause.....and Hitsugaya fought Halibel because Water vs Ice would be cool.
-This leaves me to the end. I won't say it wasn't satisfying that Ichigo was able to defeat Aizen. And yes, I do feel like his new power was earned. 3 months of training. But this was clearly a last minute decision to save Aizen for a later date and the show must go on. I do feel like it wasn't as satisfying as 200+ chapter buildup needed to be.
The Fullbring Arc - Chapters 424-479 - Rating: 8/10
-A very underrated arc. And yes, I acknowledge that rating wise I think the Fullbring arc is superior to the Hueco Mundo arc. That is mostly true. Though I like the first half of the Hueco Mundo Arc more than the Fullbring arc. The end of the HM arc really brought it down for me. The Fullbring Arc is much more concise and is actually the shortest arc in the series and works as a glorified Ichigo getting his powers back arc. But that doesn't mean its bad.
-When I read it originally back when it was coming out in 2010. (Cause I'm Old) It wasn't phenomenal. In fact, I hated it. But wouldn't you? It took just short of a year to get to the point that we were at. But upon rereading it, it gave much deserved love to the characters who hadn't been shown love in quite some time. The original cast. It was a very character focused arc. Ichigo never seemed more human. And despite me hating it before for taking so long, reading weekly can sometimes hurt these mystery based arcs. The twist is heavily foreshadowed and I really appreciated it.
-That being said, the end was super rushed. This was a big bummer for me. The villains this time around were humans. And the ones who had the most exposure and relations with these characters were the original cast who again....were humans. So to have the soul reapers, who have no connection to the fullbringers show up and basically no diff most of the fullbringers felt very forced and fanservicey to me. This very well could have not been Kubo's call. As the community was very vocal about their dislike for this arc as it was going on. But I appreciate it now much more as I appreciate character and story over big sword fights. Lol.
The Thousand Year Blood War Arc - Chapters 424-689 - Rating: 5/10
-And we're finally here. The final and largest arc within the Bleach story. And man...does it not stick the landing.
-That being said, this arc has phenomenal moments. Kenpachi's Shikai and Bankai. Ichigo's double swords. Renji's true Bankai. Rukia's Bankai. And many more. However, they are put together against the most break neck speed arc that I have ever read. Kubo was very ambitious when he introduced 26 new villains. However, most of them got barely any screen time and a lot of them even got off screened by higher level captains. This was unlike the Espada who each got a full double page spread for their Resurrections.
-Yhwach himself was a phenomenal villain but was dealt with swiftly and imo dirty. They did him dirty.
-There was just something off. The mood changed and it was very apparent. The villains had random powers instead of the powers reflecting their personalities or needs. The finale felt so underwhelming.
-Ichigo gets to be the strongest he's ever been....but he doesn't defeat a single person besides the main villain despite being in several fights.
-It isn't a good arc. In fact, I would say it's the worst. Hopefully the anime does a better job with this already mammoth of a story. 260 chapters is no joke.
This gives the story of Bleach an Overall rating of 7.4/10. Which to me is above average. It has it's ups and downs. It's not perfect. But when it's high, it's peak shonen. But when it's low, it's very forgettable.
Karakura Town Arc - Chapters 1-56 - Rating: 7/10
(The official page lumps this in with the Soul Society Arc however I feel as if they are two very separate arcs with two very separate themes)
- A fun introduction.
-An interesting premise on the idea of ghosts and demons (Hollows)
-Does a good job of introducing the characters and I especially enjoyed the love for characters like Chad, Orihime and Uryu as these characters would later lose more and more spotlight as the series went on.
-It is a bit of a monster of the week. When it works, like with Chad's introduction story. It works. But Characters like Don Kanonji felt superficial and very gimmicky. Which, fair. I didn't enjoy them as much.
Soul Society Arc - Chapters 57-182 - Rating: 10/10
-The height of Bleach
-Establishes an afterlife seemingly perfectly. Later on revealed to be full of plot holes and never fleshed out but hey! That's not an issue in THIS arc. The fights are top tier, the themes of Ichigo owing a life debt to Rukia and his passion and determination to rise above literally God's army is inspiring and to this day is why I love Ichigo so much. He doesn't have some grandiose plan. He doesn't have a major goal to accomplish. He is a protector by heart, losing his mother has made him sour to failing to protect those he cares about and he'll do anything in his power never to feel that helpless again. Very powerful stuff.
-The twist near the end of this arc is revolutionary and would make waves for the next 200 chapters onward. A perfect ending and set up for the forthcoming arc.
-The only issues I have for this arc would be Ichigo's lightning speed progression. The guy goes from being able to barely defeat a third seat to besting multiple captains in roughly 100 or less chapters. I get that that is the point and him defeating captains was more of a struck of luck, but progression and pacing wise it feels very unearned and a factor of "for the plot he needed to be this strong" It only seems as fast as it is because Ichigo's progression slows drastically down for the rest of the story moving foreword so it's only now that I make that criticism.
-Also, and this will be an issue in most Shonen. There are 13 Captains with 13 Vice Captains and seats that branch all the way to 10 I believe? Regardless, there's a fudge ton of characters that are introduced here and it can get a little jarring at times. Luckily, Kubo does a great job at making their designs and characters unique despite such a large cast.
Hueco Mundo Arc - Chapters 183-423 - Rating 7/10
-This is another arc where personally I would split it up into two separate arcs. But for the sake of this review I will simply refer to the first half of the arc and the later half of the arc. First Half 9/10. Second Half. 5/10.
-The first half of this arc is a great continuation of the last. Ichigo now struggles with his inner demons and it affects his ability to protect the ones he loves. We are also introduced to a deadly unknown new villains. The Arrancars/Espada to this day remain one of my favorite villain factions in all of manga enemies.
-Just so you're aware I would say the first half of this arc ends right around the point of Ichigo vs Grimmjow. Grimmjow is one of the first Arrancar that Ichigo faces. And he's also one of two Espada that he faces three times. The conclusion of that fight shows Ichigo conquering his inner demons. Where Grimmjow is very much fighting to establish himself. Grimmjow has to fight Ichigo to prove to his fallen comrades that he is as good as he says he is. He doesn't care about Aizen, he doesn't care about the rest of the Espada. It is very personal for him. For Ichigo, Orohime is within his grasp of saving and he views this as his "final" battle. It's my favorite fight in all of Bleach.
-However, this is where things start to take a bit of dip in quality in my opinion. We had a goal and we were striving towards that goal. Each character of the original cast coming to repay the debt they made to their friend who had risked her life to save them in the Soul society arc. But somewhere along the way it seems we just had a fighter fest. Captains would face enemies with no themes or character revelations. The Espadas got a little light but nothing that made their fights compelling. You almost just feel bad for the Espada as they were monsters turned into a military force by an unstoppable tyrant. But even that wasn't enough to make half of the fights interesting. Now, that's with knowing the outcome. These fights played little importance in the larger scheme of things. Where at least in the Hueco Mundo fights each match up had the protagonists striving for a goal. Rukia to defeat Aaroneiro to free her former superiors soul. Byakuya to defend Rukia. Renji and Uryu teamwork. Nel to protect Ichigo and get revenge on Nnoitra. Whereas Stark fought Kyoraku.....cause.....and Hitsugaya fought Halibel because Water vs Ice would be cool.
-This leaves me to the end. I won't say it wasn't satisfying that Ichigo was able to defeat Aizen. And yes, I do feel like his new power was earned. 3 months of training. But this was clearly a last minute decision to save Aizen for a later date and the show must go on. I do feel like it wasn't as satisfying as 200+ chapter buildup needed to be.
The Fullbring Arc - Chapters 424-479 - Rating: 8/10
-A very underrated arc. And yes, I acknowledge that rating wise I think the Fullbring arc is superior to the Hueco Mundo arc. That is mostly true. Though I like the first half of the Hueco Mundo Arc more than the Fullbring arc. The end of the HM arc really brought it down for me. The Fullbring Arc is much more concise and is actually the shortest arc in the series and works as a glorified Ichigo getting his powers back arc. But that doesn't mean its bad.
-When I read it originally back when it was coming out in 2010. (Cause I'm Old) It wasn't phenomenal. In fact, I hated it. But wouldn't you? It took just short of a year to get to the point that we were at. But upon rereading it, it gave much deserved love to the characters who hadn't been shown love in quite some time. The original cast. It was a very character focused arc. Ichigo never seemed more human. And despite me hating it before for taking so long, reading weekly can sometimes hurt these mystery based arcs. The twist is heavily foreshadowed and I really appreciated it.
-That being said, the end was super rushed. This was a big bummer for me. The villains this time around were humans. And the ones who had the most exposure and relations with these characters were the original cast who again....were humans. So to have the soul reapers, who have no connection to the fullbringers show up and basically no diff most of the fullbringers felt very forced and fanservicey to me. This very well could have not been Kubo's call. As the community was very vocal about their dislike for this arc as it was going on. But I appreciate it now much more as I appreciate character and story over big sword fights. Lol.
The Thousand Year Blood War Arc - Chapters 424-689 - Rating: 5/10
-And we're finally here. The final and largest arc within the Bleach story. And man...does it not stick the landing.
-That being said, this arc has phenomenal moments. Kenpachi's Shikai and Bankai. Ichigo's double swords. Renji's true Bankai. Rukia's Bankai. And many more. However, they are put together against the most break neck speed arc that I have ever read. Kubo was very ambitious when he introduced 26 new villains. However, most of them got barely any screen time and a lot of them even got off screened by higher level captains. This was unlike the Espada who each got a full double page spread for their Resurrections.
-Yhwach himself was a phenomenal villain but was dealt with swiftly and imo dirty. They did him dirty.
-There was just something off. The mood changed and it was very apparent. The villains had random powers instead of the powers reflecting their personalities or needs. The finale felt so underwhelming.
-Ichigo gets to be the strongest he's ever been....but he doesn't defeat a single person besides the main villain despite being in several fights.
-It isn't a good arc. In fact, I would say it's the worst. Hopefully the anime does a better job with this already mammoth of a story. 260 chapters is no joke.
This gives the story of Bleach an Overall rating of 7.4/10. Which to me is above average. It has it's ups and downs. It's not perfect. But when it's high, it's peak shonen. But when it's low, it's very forgettable.
January 8, 2026
4/5 (Review is for the series as a whole and does not contain spoilers)
Ichigo Kurosaki is a high school student who can see ghosts. When an evil spirit, called a hollow, attacks his family, he meets Rukia, a soul reaper tasked with fighting against hollows. But when Rukia is injured, Ichigo must make the decision to take over the role of soul reaper to help fight against hollows to save his hometown.
Bleach is a classic manga and one of the more popular options for those starting out in the genre/format. It features themes of friendship, growing up and changing, and never giving up. One of the most enjoyable elements of this series is watching the progression as the characters learn and evolve. Ichigo has a tendency to be really cocky, especially at the start of the series, but as time goes on and he learns more about the world he’s in, he changes and becomes more willing to listen to the advice given to him by other characters. His friends also continue to grow and progress along with him. Additionally, there is a change in the art style of the characters as the story progresses, which makes it easy to see how they have changed as they all get older. There were two elements about this series that I disliked. The first was that I felt the ending was a bit rushed, and there were some things that I was a bit confused about. However, I recognize that the author was sick and so that attributed to the way things ended. The other element that I disliked was the sheer number of characters in the series by the end. Many of the characters that I thought were dead or gone ended up coming back, and I had to try and remember who they all were. I definitely think I needed to make myself a character sheet with information about each character to help me remember everyone in the end. In terms of assessing age appropriateness for this series, I would say that it’s an okay series for middle school and up. A couple of considerations to keep in mind when deciding if it’s right for you: 1. There is some violence (which is common for shonen mangas), including some elements of body horror, but it’s not too bad. 2. There is no sexual content, although many of the women are drawn disproportionately (which is common in manga written by men). 3. The main character is fifteen years old at the start of the series and only gets older as it progresses. And 4. The themes are a bit mature in that they require some deeper level thinking in order to fully understand them all. Overall, I enjoyed this series for its interesting premise, and would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy the traditional shonen manga.
Ichigo Kurosaki is a high school student who can see ghosts. When an evil spirit, called a hollow, attacks his family, he meets Rukia, a soul reaper tasked with fighting against hollows. But when Rukia is injured, Ichigo must make the decision to take over the role of soul reaper to help fight against hollows to save his hometown.
Bleach is a classic manga and one of the more popular options for those starting out in the genre/format. It features themes of friendship, growing up and changing, and never giving up. One of the most enjoyable elements of this series is watching the progression as the characters learn and evolve. Ichigo has a tendency to be really cocky, especially at the start of the series, but as time goes on and he learns more about the world he’s in, he changes and becomes more willing to listen to the advice given to him by other characters. His friends also continue to grow and progress along with him. Additionally, there is a change in the art style of the characters as the story progresses, which makes it easy to see how they have changed as they all get older. There were two elements about this series that I disliked. The first was that I felt the ending was a bit rushed, and there were some things that I was a bit confused about. However, I recognize that the author was sick and so that attributed to the way things ended. The other element that I disliked was the sheer number of characters in the series by the end. Many of the characters that I thought were dead or gone ended up coming back, and I had to try and remember who they all were. I definitely think I needed to make myself a character sheet with information about each character to help me remember everyone in the end. In terms of assessing age appropriateness for this series, I would say that it’s an okay series for middle school and up. A couple of considerations to keep in mind when deciding if it’s right for you: 1. There is some violence (which is common for shonen mangas), including some elements of body horror, but it’s not too bad. 2. There is no sexual content, although many of the women are drawn disproportionately (which is common in manga written by men). 3. The main character is fifteen years old at the start of the series and only gets older as it progresses. And 4. The themes are a bit mature in that they require some deeper level thinking in order to fully understand them all. Overall, I enjoyed this series for its interesting premise, and would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy the traditional shonen manga.
June 21, 2021
The unimaginable has happened to the Soul Reapers of Soul Society! They have a traitor in their midst. Traitors, even. None other than Aizen, Tosen, and Ichimaru. Shinji is not surprised, having been suspicious of Aizen from the start, which is why he made him his assistant captain. To keep an eye on him. But Aizen realized that and set Shinji up in a way he could not have foreseen.
Before Aizen and his cohorts can finish off Shinji and the others, Kisuke Uruhara and Tessai arrive. Kisuke is confused at what he sees, recognizing hollowfication when he sees it. Tessai tries to attack Aizen and his pals, but they manage to slip away and Kisuke tells him they need to focus on Shinji and his people for now. Good thing he has something prepared for this – none other than the Hogyoku!
When Kisuke and Tessai are unexpectedly arrested, things are not looking good. The Council has determined to destroy Shinji and the others, as being Hollows, and send Kiskue into permanent exile in the World of the Living, but the arrival of a deus ex machine changes things, hopefully for the better.
Back in the present, the Soul Reapers realize that Aizen et al know about the fake Karakura Town, and have made their own plans. The Old Man Captain has anticipated them and has set four trusted Soul Reapers at the four corners of the infrastructure of the fake town – Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kira, and Hisagi. To keep Aizen at bay, the old man surrounds the traitors with a huge wall of fire. It’ll take them time to get out of this in order to aid their subordinates.
Let the battles begin!
Watching the past, and seeing what happened to Shinji and the others, is just heartbreaking. Makes you want to see Aizen suffer greatly for what he did, the heartless, gutless coward. Good thing they have Kisuke on their side, and he is nothing if not brilliant. Still, makes you wonder about what might have been.
I love the battles between the lieutenants and the Fraccions, each memorable in its own way. I laughed at Ikkaku’s comment that he thought he heard Yumichika laugh, but surely not in the middle of a battle.
The scenes with Alquiorra and Orihime are great. He informs her that Aizen no longer needs her and that she will die there, but she insists that her friends will save her. He scoffs, but she tells him, “My heart is already with them.” And of course Ichigo proves her correct by his arrival.
The battles have already begun, but these are powerful enemies. Can these four handle them, or will the captains need to step in? Another great volume, looking forward to the next one!
Before Aizen and his cohorts can finish off Shinji and the others, Kisuke Uruhara and Tessai arrive. Kisuke is confused at what he sees, recognizing hollowfication when he sees it. Tessai tries to attack Aizen and his pals, but they manage to slip away and Kisuke tells him they need to focus on Shinji and his people for now. Good thing he has something prepared for this – none other than the Hogyoku!
When Kisuke and Tessai are unexpectedly arrested, things are not looking good. The Council has determined to destroy Shinji and the others, as being Hollows, and send Kiskue into permanent exile in the World of the Living, but the arrival of a deus ex machine changes things, hopefully for the better.
Back in the present, the Soul Reapers realize that Aizen et al know about the fake Karakura Town, and have made their own plans. The Old Man Captain has anticipated them and has set four trusted Soul Reapers at the four corners of the infrastructure of the fake town – Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kira, and Hisagi. To keep Aizen at bay, the old man surrounds the traitors with a huge wall of fire. It’ll take them time to get out of this in order to aid their subordinates.
Let the battles begin!
Watching the past, and seeing what happened to Shinji and the others, is just heartbreaking. Makes you want to see Aizen suffer greatly for what he did, the heartless, gutless coward. Good thing they have Kisuke on their side, and he is nothing if not brilliant. Still, makes you wonder about what might have been.
I love the battles between the lieutenants and the Fraccions, each memorable in its own way. I laughed at Ikkaku’s comment that he thought he heard Yumichika laugh, but surely not in the middle of a battle.
The scenes with Alquiorra and Orihime are great. He informs her that Aizen no longer needs her and that she will die there, but she insists that her friends will save her. He scoffs, but she tells him, “My heart is already with them.” And of course Ichigo proves her correct by his arrival.
The battles have already begun, but these are powerful enemies. Can these four handle them, or will the captains need to step in? Another great volume, looking forward to the next one!
August 11, 2024
VOLUME 37: TURN BACK THE PENDULUM 10-12
CHAPTER 316-322
Arc 8: Arrancar: Decisive Battle of Karakura
Shinji and the others have turned into Hollow. Aizen used his Zanpakutou: Kyouka Suigetsu to hypnosis everyone. Aizen revealed that he is doing a research called Hollowification. Urahara and Tessai arrived to save Shinji and the others. Aizen, Tosen and Gin escaped from the scene. Tessai used forbidden technique to bring them to 12th Division base. Urahara used Hogyouku to heal them from Hollowification. On the next day, Urahara and Tessai were called by Chamber 46. Tessai was punished to a prison after using the forbideen technique and Urahara was exiled to human world due to his experiment of Hollowification. The 8 Captains and Vice Captains that become Hollow were recognized as Hollow. Yoruichi sneak into the Chamber 46 and saved Urahara and Tessai and the others.
Back to the present, the Vizard were ready to fight Aizen. Ichigo dashed to Inoue's place. He stopped by the Exequias. Suddenly, Renji, Chad and Rukia appears to help him. Ichigo arrived at Las Noches to confront Ulquirra.
Yamamoto burn down the entrance from the Hueco Mundo to Karakura Town. Aizen, Tosen and Gin trapped in there. The remaining Espadas instructed the Hollows to destroy the four pillars that become a portal for the swapping of the real Karakura Town. Yamamoto already deployed capable Vice Captains; Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kira and Shūhei. Barragan instructed his Fracciones to attack the Vice Captains;
- Yumichika vs Arrancar 20 Charlotte Chulhourne (Reina De Rosas)
- Kira vs Arrancar 22 Abirama Redder (Águila)
- Shūhei vs Arrancar 24 Findorr Calius (Pinza Aguda)
- Arrancar 25 Choe Neng Pow (Calderón)
Yumichika used his true form of his Zanpakutou: Ruri-Iro Kujaku to defeat Charlotte.
CHAPTER 316-322
Arc 8: Arrancar: Decisive Battle of Karakura
Shinji and the others have turned into Hollow. Aizen used his Zanpakutou: Kyouka Suigetsu to hypnosis everyone. Aizen revealed that he is doing a research called Hollowification. Urahara and Tessai arrived to save Shinji and the others. Aizen, Tosen and Gin escaped from the scene. Tessai used forbidden technique to bring them to 12th Division base. Urahara used Hogyouku to heal them from Hollowification. On the next day, Urahara and Tessai were called by Chamber 46. Tessai was punished to a prison after using the forbideen technique and Urahara was exiled to human world due to his experiment of Hollowification. The 8 Captains and Vice Captains that become Hollow were recognized as Hollow. Yoruichi sneak into the Chamber 46 and saved Urahara and Tessai and the others.
Back to the present, the Vizard were ready to fight Aizen. Ichigo dashed to Inoue's place. He stopped by the Exequias. Suddenly, Renji, Chad and Rukia appears to help him. Ichigo arrived at Las Noches to confront Ulquirra.
Yamamoto burn down the entrance from the Hueco Mundo to Karakura Town. Aizen, Tosen and Gin trapped in there. The remaining Espadas instructed the Hollows to destroy the four pillars that become a portal for the swapping of the real Karakura Town. Yamamoto already deployed capable Vice Captains; Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kira and Shūhei. Barragan instructed his Fracciones to attack the Vice Captains;
- Yumichika vs Arrancar 20 Charlotte Chulhourne (Reina De Rosas)
- Kira vs Arrancar 22 Abirama Redder (Águila)
- Shūhei vs Arrancar 24 Findorr Calius (Pinza Aguda)
- Arrancar 25 Choe Neng Pow (Calderón)
Yumichika used his true form of his Zanpakutou: Ruri-Iro Kujaku to defeat Charlotte.
August 2, 2020
Volume 37 concludes the fantastic Turn Back the Pendulum arc which added some much-needed backstory for many of Bleach's vast supporting cast of characters. It's an arc with barely any fighting and mainly just politics, character motivations, and exploring the relationships between characters who in the modern/current time of Bleach had basically never met. As that story comes to a close Tite Kubo shifts focus to the fight between the Soul Reapers and Aizan's group of Arrancars over the fake Karakura town. The fight match-ups feature interesting clashes of personality, with some of the younger Soul Reapers (the ones not featured in the Turn Back the Pendulum arc) getting a chance to display their personalities and perspectives on battle. As cool as their abilities look, and as insightful as their philosophies are, the battles act like filler and at least the primary battle in this volume doesn't get enough time for the reader to become adequately invested in.
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