Bleach (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1: Includes vols. 1, 2 & 3

Bleach: Omnibus #1

by Tite Kubo, Joe Yamazaki (Translator)

Death & Strawberry

Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts, but this ability doesn't change his life nearly as much as his close encounter with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and member of the mysterious Soul Society. While fighting a Hollow, an evil spirit that preys on humans who display psychic energy, Rukia attempts to lend Ichigo some of her powers so that he can save his family; but much to her surprise, Ichigo absorbs every last drop of her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns that the world he inhabits is one full of dangerous spirits, and along with Rukia--who is slowly regaining her powers--it's Ichigo's job to protect the innocent from Hollows and help the spirits themselves find peace.

The paranormal action-adventure begins now!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics, Shonen, Paranormal

569 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 7, 2011

About the author

Noriaki Kubo, known professionally as Tite Kubo ( 久保帯人), is a Japanese manga artist and character designer. His manga series Bleach (2001–2016) had over 130 million copies in circulation as of 2022.

Reviews

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1st volume provides the overview of what a soul reaper is and the evil hollows. It was fun and provided enough story to keep the plot flowing. The 2nd volume just continued the same type of story, more hollows, little more description and world building, and some new characters. The 3rd volume was some backstory about the protagonists mum and more world buidling. I felt this volume became a little confusing. The action art was cool, the plotting/world buidling initially was great but then became a little stale for me. I think my biggest issue is that I didnt care too much about any of the characters.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man I forgot how much Bleach felt like Yu Yu Hakusho-lite at the start.

So what's it about? Ichigo is just a regular high school student or so you think. Once a Hollow, a dead evil spirit, begins attacking people he steps up to the plate to become a soul reaper after the original one who was sent, Rukia, was injured. He takes her power and becomes a brand new one. This is kind of like a Green Lantern opening! From then on the rest of the 3 in 1 volume has mostly stories of Ichigo hallow haunting and taking down big bads for people.

Good: The art is pretty solid. I like the design, always had. Kind of fun and goofy but with some badass shots, and the hollows look pretty cool. I also thought Ichigo and Rukia's relationship was always well balanced and of course the begining is classic.

Bad: The stories start to drag as they go. Something wrong happens, Ichigo comes and saves the day, kills the hollow, the end. While first half is fun, it starts to get on your last nerve.

I watched Bleach when I was young and LOVED it. Now? It's good but nothing special. However, the arc I REALLY enjoyed was Soul Society so let's hope that holds up. This is a 3 out of 5.

[Siona Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction. You can kinda see a different potential for the series than how it turned out. I wonder what it would have been like if the soul society stuff never happened and we focused more on Ichigo’s friends at school (who eventually just became background fodder aside from Orihime).

Anyways, I decided to read the series again. I tried a few years ago but lost interest, but I’ve been watching the 1000 Year Blood War arc on Hulu on and off recently and it’s renewed my interest in the series.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been around 11 years since I've read Bleach, and I've decided to actually try and finish the series this time. The first 3 volumes, whilst home to a few really good moments, is far from perfect. Most of the main characters and dynamics are well set up, especially Ichigo and Rukia, but a lot of the supporting cast have a long way to go. The premise holds up as well as remembered, but there are a few flaws in the pacing and the cyclical nature of the stories. Since I know that it gets better, I'm not deterred by the first 3 volumes, and I urge people who aren't fully convinced to stick with it!

[Fariha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revisiting this as an adult, and I know it's gonna get amazing when it's the soul society arc, but the earlier volumes of build up are a little slow.

It does all the necessary explaining and introducing of hollows and what the soul reapers do, but very briefly. Some funny mini stories and hollows to defeat, a truly tragic story involving a possed parakeet in vol. 2, and vol. 3 really sets up some great character work for Ichigo.

I'll be rating these as omnibuses because there's just so damn many.

(rewatching the anime at the same time and having a rip roaring time)

[quynh-anh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

ichigo.. you're becoming my son. also this set the general plot and world up well. i'm excited. i also have until the end of the month to read this entire series. so

[the bard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

fantastic art with a fantastic story to match.

vol 1 -- 5 stars
vol 2 -- 4 stars
vol 3 -- 4.5 stars

[Holly Fetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga is constantly being checked out at the library where I work, so I decided to check out (literally) the 3-in-1 manga and the first volume anime to see what the fuss was about. Well. Now I'm obsessed.
The storyline is interesting, and I haven't come across any annoying characters yet (which us amazing, in my cranky opinion). The female characters are...normal...thank God,not helpless little flowers eating to be rescued, or over the top butch characters.
Unless something drastic happens to the storyline or the character development goes down the crapper, this is a series I will continue to (binge)read. Annnnd since this is an ongoing series with 60 issues so far, I will have something to look forward to reading for quite a while. Hopefully.

[Michael Cuervo · Rating 3 out of 5]

…I was in Japan and wanted something fun to read on the trains give me a break

[Joss · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so good! Can't believe it took me so long to start reading this!

[ダンカン · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard about Bleach, it was one of the 'other' (Naruto) popular manga title that was released in 2001. I have no idea what Bleach was all about until I read the first volume and it was kind of interesting. I did follow-up with the rest of the volumes and soon, I love reading it. Bleach 3-in-1 Edition Vol.1 is an omnibus edition collecting the first three volumes.

If you haven't read Bleach, this is actually a story about a young high school boy named Ichigo Kurosaki, also known as 'Strawberry' due to his natural orange hair color who can see ghosts. Due to this ability, he can't ignore what is happening around him until he met a Soul Reaper name Rukia Kuchiki, a young girl who reaps evil spirits called 'Hollows' and banished them from Human Society. When a hollow was too strong for Rukia, she lend her powers to Ichigo, little did she know that he has extra-ordinary abilities that questions the mystery of who Ichigo really is. So begins the story of Bleach

.

The first volume basically is an introduction of Ichigo and Rukia and his life in Karakura Town, his adventures banishing Hollows and of course, meeting other important characters like Orihime Inoue and Yasutora 'Chad' Sado. The second volume delves into the lives of Ichigo's school mates and of course, Kon, a defective soul (called Konpaku) that later become a comic relief in the series and the third volume is on a personal of a death in the family of Kurosaki. Not a bad start for this first omnibus volume.

To me, Bleach isn't exactly I personally would love it. Its good but not really that great. It has a momentum that keeps me as a reader going and the action is fast-paced. Although the comic relief side is not always funny, overall Bleach do appeal to certain group of readers and hence, why it is popular. The art by Tite Kubo (who also wrote it) has its own stand ground that is recognize by fans who read them. I can personally say its a good acceptance for this story (since this is his second created-own series) but where does it lead, well... more reviews to come.

[Stefan Popovici · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bleach follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who can see ghosts and who unexpectedly gets the powers of a Soul Reaper, a group of warriors tasked with fighting Hollows, the mad souls of humans who have died.

The series wastes no time getting started with Ichigo fighting and defeating his first Hollow right away, and this leads into my main gripe with Bleach, the fact that the main character right off the bat is overpowered and goes from a random teenager to a mighty warrior capable of holding his own and defeating Hollows. Granted, he is stated multiple times to have a strange amount of power and I assume that going forward this will be a plot point, but it was quite jarring.

The cast of characters is quite diverse and interesting, with Ichigo's family (two sisters and his father), his colleagues from school (including a girl comically in love with him and an abnormally strong dude called Chad) as well as the Soul Reaper who gives him his powers, Rukia. They are a very wholesome group, both funny and close-knit, each with their own short arcs and stories which introduce them.

The panels used are mostly standard, nothing really out of the ordinary or special. The art is never something that I feel very comfortable reviewing but in my untrained opinion I found it similar to Fullmetal Alchemist, not quite on the level of Berserk and One Piece which I particularly enjoyed.

Overall I liked this first incursion into the world of Bleach. It knows when to be funny and when to be serious, it tells some very poignant stories and has some interesting characters. I am curious and intrigued to read more, and since it is a finished manga it's much less daunting than One Piece.

[Yonal Wickramarachchi]

The book that I read this month is a manga called Bleach by Tite Kubo. It started with us finding out that the main character Ichigo can see ghosts and also talk to them. We later find out that because of his power monsters want to kill him. So a soul reaper called Rukia tries to protect him but fails so he takes her powers and kills the Hollows/monster. Now he has to protect multiple people from Hollows/monsters. I really like how this story is going. I hope that the monsters don't kill him. The manga has a good story, but when I finished the book it felt like I was left on a cliffhanger. I’m thinking about watching the anime later because the manga really piqued my interest.

I have read and watched some other stories leaving the reader on a cliffhanger, but after a while I didn't really care to finish or see what happens. So the way this story is portrayed to keep me hooked is sort of a new feeling. I was reading a fight scene one time and Ichigo was fighting a Hollow. He was bleeding and really hurt but on the contrary the monster was fine, so I wanted to see how he would win or lose. I felt so engaged reading that I decided not to put the book down and kept reading until it was done. In the end he won with the help of his friend Chad. I was feeling relieved that he made it through and defeated the Hollow.

So if an opportunity ever crosses my path I would love to start this anime because the manga was very exciting. In my own opinion I think that people that like fighting anime will love to read this manga and the rest of the series. I also like that type of genre so I would say this is similar to the ones I used to watch. To people that don't like this genre I would still recommend reading this manga.

[Emmer Wilde · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMG, I JUST TOSSLED WITH THE BLEACH 3-IN-1 EDITION (VOL. 1) AND IT WAS SUCH A MOOD BUT DEFINITELY A SLOW START! 3 STARS because having Volumes 1, 2, and 3 all in one big book is a total steal, but the early pacing felt a little like running in circles! ⚔️👻📉 I was literally screaming for Ichigo to just accept his destiny—Rukia is literally giving him everything and he’s still acting like it's a chore!

Getting three volumes in one means you get the whole intro, the school drama, AND the tragic Grand Fisher backstory in one go, which is peak value! 😭👺 The "Substitute Shinigami" vibes are immaculate, and seeing those early Hollow designs had me clutching the pages! But honestly, by the time I hit the third volume in the set, the "monster of the week" formula started feeling a bit repetitive. I needed more lore and less "Ichigo hits a ghost with a big stick!" 💤📖

It’s a solid 3-star because the value is a 10/10, but the story is still just finding its feet! If you want to dive into the Soul Society saga without breaking the bank, go snag this chunky boy at VIZ Media or Amazon and start your journey! 2026 IS THE YEAR OF THE REAPER, I guess.✨⚔️🔥📉

[Sophie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. It was fun learning about Soul Reaping and following Ichigo and Rukia on their adventures whilst they took down hollows. The drawings were great and out of the manga’s I’ve read this one was more text heavy. The text made it easier to follow the plot and learn a lot about the characters.

Each mini adventure was fun to read and I enjoyed learning about the different holllow stories. My favourite was definitely the one which included the parakeet. That story was sad but had such a nice ending. I was invested in seeing that story through. Bleach is a rich universe with a lot to offer.

However, once you’ve fought one hollow you have kind of fought them all. It was repetitive in nature and the constant battling felt exhausting! The relationship between Ichigo and his dad was slightly confusing as they always seemed to be fighting each other aggressively but they weren’t really??? I don’t know... that relationship confused me. Orhime also was a weird character as she had quite a large role in the manga but after her hollow encounter she seemed a bit redundant but kept reappearing just to remind the reader that everyone lusts after her apart from Ichigo? Weird plot mechanic.

Bleach is fun and diverse. It takes you through some dark stories and Ichigo is a likeable hero even though he plays the bad boy. Rukia is mysterious and gloomy. They are a perfect storm of MC’s which helps drive the plot forward.

The constant fights did exhaust me but I might real Vol 4+ if it crosses my desk in the future.

[Denver C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOSTALGIC, MOODY AND THRILLING… BLEACH IS STILL AS GREAT AS EVER.

I have always loved Bleach. It’s been my favorite manga for years and years, with some of the most memorable moments I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.

That said, it has been a VERY long time since I’ve actually gone back and read the beginning of the series. And wow, I forgot just how incredible of a start it had.

From the immediate establishment of the world through perfect stakes-setting conflict, to the sort of brooding, dark yet hopeful story beats it gives us, this first Bleach Omnibus is a perfect capsule of what makes the series so memorable.

Combined with a broad, enjoyable cast centered by unforgettable protagonists, there is a lot to love here. While this doesn’t quite hit the highest highs Bleach reaches later on, I would say that this is not quite but nearly a perfect start.

If you’re a fan of spirits, find stories about the afterlife intriguing, and like the idea of a protagonist who hunts monstrous demon-like creatures called Hollows who in turn hunt the spirits of the deceased, this is absolutely the manga for you.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two volumes of Bleach are a good set-up for the world and characters, while the last of the three volumes in this compendium succeeds in introducing emotional pay-offs and tension that were lacking in the previous ones. Here Kubo's art is well-drawn, but is yet to mature into its more recognisable style from later volumes. Overall a good introduction to the series, with lots of room for story and art development.

[Hannah]

I enjoyed the moments of goofy humor and the excitement of the fights, but feel like I'd probably enjoy the anime more--it was hard to keep track of the characters in black and white (when your protagonist's defining physical trait is his orange hair, it's a shame to keep him in monochrome), and it was so action-packed that sometimes I couldn't tell what was happening in the battles.

Anyway, the main reason I read this is because in 2009 I discovered that Ichigo and I were hair twins, so I've always been mildly curious about the series. Now I know, and I'm only a little sad about the missed cosplay opportunity.

[Dadol · Rating 5 out of 5]

funny book

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ I love this! I can’t wait to read more.

[Christopher Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd rate this as perfect even if it wasn't my favorite. It blows the mind, and leaves you with a sense of joy. Beauty and pain... it's simply wonderful.

[Melanie Rodriguez Sosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Volumen 1 -> 3☆
Volumen 2 -> 3☆
Volumen 3 -> 4☆

[Dinnu Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not bad! Perhaps I should watch the anime as well! :)

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm finally starting my Bleach journey. I was going to start with the anime, but my local library had this on the shelf. I'm headed to pick up the next one!

[Madimadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUN. 🎉 (5/5)

[MissAnnThrope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: * * * * 1/2

Bleach nicely blends the serious with the silly. It leaves you waxing philosophically about the afterlife and then, seconds later, gives you a fit of the giggles with its hilarious comedic moments. I love the combo of wacky humor interspersed with truly awesome ginormous sword-wielding fight scenes. This manga is one of the funniest out there and it always manages to make me smile.

There are so, so many characters in this series. Their personalities are all very unique, and they each have endearing qualities that make them all incredibly likable. Bleach has enjoyed such long-running success due in part to the huge cast and elaborate character development. I haven't read another manga series that has quite the lengthy list of characters as this one has.

Ichigo is moody but insanely honorable. He sacrifices everything to protect those he loves, and he even goes out of his way to save the lives of innocent strangers too. The dynamic between him and his father is one of the most amusing aspects of this manga. I can't get enough of them abusing each other. I find it so funny that the Kurosaki kids refer to their dad as "goat face". A couple of my other favorite characters are Kisuke (Mr. Hat-and-Clogs) and Kon. Seriously, a perverted stuffed animal?! That shiz is hilarious!! Actually, this series has quite a few goofy perverted characters.

The art is ah-mazing and seems to get better with each volume! I have to admit, there are moments when this series feels pretty redundant but, for the most part, the silliness more than compensates for that. Bleach is a ridiculously fun series and leaves you addicted.

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was such a fun reread!

I decided, just because I was so bored and had nothing else better to do, to reread Bleach. I have heard rumors online about the new season of Bleach coming out which is totally exciting and I wonder if they’re true.

It’s 75 volumes in total and if you get the 3-in-1 versions (like my library did), it’s around 25 books. But it’s a deep and complex story, so it goes slower than expected.

The art style has a really interesting beginning. It’s shown to have all these sharp angles on the jaws of everyone. The lines are clean and thin, with some shading lines used alongside the tone.

The art is what I remembered most about Bleach but the story blew me away for a second time. It’s done in such a detailed way. With my knowledge of the whole series, I can see foreshadowing for the rest of the series. It’s also funny because Ichigo is so weak and slow compared to his Ultimate Version.

Putting all that aside, the first few pages did a fairly good job of drawing me in and the full first chapter really got me hooked to it. It’s a fighting/swords/reaper manga and the violence and gore is evident on the second page. It talks about heavy stuff, like death and abandonment, but it’s approached well.

My biggest question that has been in my mind ever since I finished this is, “Why do they call Ichigo ‘Strawberry’ when he has orange hair??”.

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished watching the 32 available dvds of Bleach and I'm so ridiculously fascinated (i.e. obsessed) with the series that I'm now going through the manga.
There are a few things that grab me about this series: it's hilarious yet manages a seriousness that is, at once, angst riddled, philosophical, and touching. There is artistic and character ephemera that is giggle inducing and awesome for its ability to hook into and endearing the reader to the varied personalities of the series. Of course, I realize that I write this after being thoroughly absorbed by the anime. So, perhaps I appreciate the extras as a more in-depth look into the characters and plot.
I watched a portion of the episode where Ichigo uses his bankai for the first time ages ago and felt a bit cavalier and thought that maybe I'd get into the series sometime. Now that I've gotten into it, well, I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention earlier- there's a hell of a lot of manga to get through!
I'm not really complaining...I love it!

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vou ser sincera: comecei a ler o manga por ter adorado o anime. Como muita gente começa.
Está bastante bom, este começo. Não é tão espetacular como sei que ainda se tornará, mas está muito bom.
O que adoro especialmente é o detalhe dos desenhos e os pormenores da história, que num anime nunca aparecem a menos que sejam tremendamente necessários para o desenvolvimento da mesma.

Vou continuar a seguir os próximos volumes, sem dúvida.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains volumes 1-3 of Bleach

***

Volume 1

Volume 1 covers chapters 1-7

Ichigo is a feisty punk with a heart of gold. Despite his rock-star attitude and crude demeanor, he cares about the suffering of others quite a bit. He has the ability to see ghosts and he does everything he can to protect them from being harmed by the bad behavior of humans and help them cross over peacefully. His family owns a hospital where he experiences encounters with death often.

His life begins to change when a dangerous spirit invades his home looking for fresh blood, and Rukia, a Soul Reaper, charges in swinging. Soul Reapers can freely cross between the human world and spirit world, charged with sending wayward souls that have gone rogue to Soul Society, where they can be judged and sent to a proper resting place so they can no longer wreak havoc on earth.

Ichigo awakens the potential to become a great Soul Reaper given his natural innate talent of communicating with the dead and being a hardheaded fighter. He learns to balance his daily school life with family drama, blooming romance and dealing with ghosts and the spirit realm.

Pretty good start. I like Ichigo as a protagonist. The main plot and the rest of the cast hasn’t grown on me that much yet but I’m sure that will change later on.

3/5

***

Volume 2

Volume 2 covers chapters 8-16

Volume 2 delves more into just how dangerous and cruel hollows can be, preying on the vulnerability of other lost souls and ruining the lives of the living. A buff and friendly young man named Chad adopts a parakeet that has the soul of a young boy trapped inside of it, making him the target of a sadistic hollow that preys on anyone that comes near it. Ichigo and Rukia team up with Chad to save the boy’s soul from the monster.

While all this is going on, Ichigo leaves his body behind to do some Soul Reaper business in the spirit realm. A temporary spirit takes over his body so no one knows about his second identity, only for that spirit to turn rogue and start causing havoc while wearing his face. Ichigo battles against the spirit that takes over his body and learns about the deeper moral conundrums of Soul Society in the process, learning that not all jobs as a Soul Reaper are straightforward or black and white.

Not quite as good as the first volume but introduces new aspects of the world I liked. I enjoy the main characters but I think a lot of the minor supporting cast are annoying and take away from the main plot at times.

3/5

***

Volume 3 covers chapters 17-25

I enjoyed this a lot more than the first two volumes. There’s a much higher focus on emotional introspection when it comes to dealing with death, guilt and the afterlife.

It’s the death anniversary of Ichigo’s mother, and he begins to recall his happy memories with her before a paranormal experience stole her away from him and the rest of his family. He blames himself because the hollows are attracted to him and he thinks his mother’s death is his fault, which is why his desire to protect others from similar supernatural tragedies is so strong. Now that he has the powers of a Soul Reaper, Ichigo has the chance to face off against the hollow that killed his mother while visiting her grave.

Ichigo and his whole family get a lot more depth and nuance to them in this volume and it made me appreciate the supporting cast a lot more. I think his blooming romance with Orihime makes more sense now since they both have experienced the loss of a parental figure that was the source of most of their happiness at a young age.

On a lighter note, Kon, the spirit that took over Ichigo’s body last volume was spared and is now living comfortably in the body of a stuffed lion doll. He went from being a tragic victim ready to die to a cute plushy mascot with all the freedom in the world. Good for him.

4/5