YOUth Review: Bleach by Tite Kubo

The last of the big three, Bleach written by Tite Kubo has garnered a reputation of being… Sub-par. A reputation that I believe, is false for the most part. Bleach is most likely the most “shonen” out of the big three. It follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a normal boy who meets a Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki and in turn gains her powers, as well as the responsibility to protect the world from beasts known as Hollows.

As said I before, Bleach is the most shonen of the big three. Bar its first arc, it focuses almost purely on various battles between various interesting characters. Kubo’s style, while generic, produces some of the best action in the medium. Fights are always bombastic and flashy, making great use of individual character’s abilities and ideals. Speaking of, many of the characters of Bleach are incredibly well done and distinct. Many side characters get their moments to shine as well as main characters, and there are few characters I would consider to be outright awful.

Despite its positives, Bleach comes with a large number of flaws. Perhaps its biggest flaw in my opinion also happens to be one of its strengths. The amount of fights. As said before, Bleach boasts a huge roster of fights, somewhat to its detriment. With all the focus on fighting, it’s possible for these fights to become stale and formulaic after a while. All the fighting also takes away from other facets of the story, such as the worldbuilding which in particular is incredibly lax.

All in all, Bleach definitely has its flaws. But would I call it sub-par like most others would? Absolutely not. If you’re interested in Shonen, particularly flashy and bombastic fights, Bleach is easily the series for you. It may not be the pinnacle of its genre but it was an incredibly fun read, and I hope others will come to appreciate it as I do.

Eythan