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Bleach #35
Bleach, Vol. 35: Higher Than the Moon
While the Soul Reapers are entrenched in bloody one-on-one battles with the Espadas, their sworn enemy Aizen is preparing to make the next move in his elaborate plan. The battlefields of Hueco Mundo will soon give way to another battlefield where the price of losing will prove to be infinitely higher.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
April 4, 2022
This is mostly Zenpachi fighting and it's pretty great, cause this fucking dude is crazy.
Just basically slashing back and forth, blood everywhere, till there's one victor. Thing is, didn't care about the villains. The villains are REALLY weak this arc. None of them are very interesting. But luckily the ending steps up as the big bad make their move but the Soul Reapers have a counter measure to that. How will the big brawl go down next volume? Guess we shall see.
Just basically slashing back and forth, blood everywhere, till there's one victor. Thing is, didn't care about the villains. The villains are REALLY weak this arc. None of them are very interesting. But luckily the ending steps up as the big bad make their move but the Soul Reapers have a counter measure to that. How will the big brawl go down next volume? Guess we shall see.
July 17, 2024
"Captain Kurotsuchi."
"What is it?"
"Please, heal me first!"
"Why?"
"I want to return to the battle. The others have encountered Espadas as well. If I don't get to them in time..."
"He doesn't need your help."
"What?"
"The only one still fighting is Zaraki. He's headed for Ichigo Kurosaki. That ruffian doesn't need your help. Besides, you should know better. When he's on battlefield, he's like a wolf with the scent of blood in its nostrils. You get in his way and he'll eat you too. To be devoured by a beast is a foolish way to die, don't you think?"
With Szayelaporro and Zoomari out of the way, the only enemy that's still standing is Nnoitora. It seems like with Zaraki being present, he had found his match in the battle. They both are giving their all, but only one can win.
"I was just thinking. One of those four arms of yours was bound to block my attack. That wouldn't have been fun. So I tried to think of a way to prevent that. But I couldn't come up with anything clever. So I decided to cut all of your arms off one by one instead."
"But he can't fight if you cut all his arms off, Ken-chan."
"Huh? Good point. I take that back. I'll leave you with one."
Kenpachi is definitely not only one of the coolest Soul Reapers, but also one of the coolest anime characters ever. He's a crazy maniac, but we love to see it! I was waiting for his big entrance in Hueco Mundo (which had happened in the previous volume) and I was really excited to see the manga version of the famous Kenny vs Nnoitora battle. I was not disappointed. Volume 35 in general focuses mostly on this fight. It could've been boring, but with this kind of characters and this kind of visuals that the author came up with, you cannot feel different than be immersed in the scene.
"I swe no purpose in your battles."
"Oh, I have one. Fighting is my purpose."
"I don't understand. Why do you keep fighting?"
"Because I want to die. I want to die in battle. That's why I've become what I am. The stronger I get, the more I can fight. I want to eat battle, to breath it."
Both Nnoitora and Kenpachi love to fight. A battle is their purpose of life, so naturally, neither of them had given up easily when they crossed swords (I know that Nnoitora's weapon is not a sword, but you know what I mean). They both were truly amazing. I don't like Nnoitora, but I have to admire him for his strength and his fierceness. And Kenpachi is just, well, Kenpachi. He's incredible whenever he shows up, especially in the battle against Nnoitora where his enemy transformed into his Resurrection form while Kenpachi still fought with the same style as before. And despite all the injures he got, he still kept his maniacal grin on his face. I feel like if he had ever died, he would die standing, with the grin never leaving his face.
"I want life to fled my body before it hits the ground. That's how I want to die."
I could say that Nnoitora got what he deserved, like Szayelaporro did, but the truth is that... Well, I think that it was kind of beautiful that in the moment of his death, his greatest wish came true. He wanted to die in a thrilling fight against the greatest opponent and it was exactly what he got. And I think it's something poetic in the fact that the last person he had land his eyes on, before his last breath left his body, was Nel.
"Smile. We all get sad when the sky darkens. All you have to do is smile and wait here for a little while. Just until... we wipe out Karakura Town."
After long time no see, Aizen is finally back and made his move. With all the gargantas sealed, there's no way for our heroes to get out of Hueco Mundo. Orihime's been abducted again and all the deceptive captains with three remaining Espadas are currently in the Karakura Town. It seems like the war will begin any minute now. Ichigo's out trying to save Orihime once again. Will he succeed this time as well or will he meet his doom? Are all the enemies defeated? How will our heroes get out of the Hueco Mundo? What about the war in the Karakura Town - it seems like the Soul Reapers made their preparations, but will it be enough to stop Aizen?
"Kenpachi, you said earlier that it was my job to protect Katakura Town. You're wrong. My job is to protect my friends."
Some of my thoughts while reading: (beware of the spoilers)
~ I'm glad that the manga didn't show the way Mayuri brought Nemu back to life (but it implied how it had happened). Ew.
~ I just now realized that the two figures hanging from the ceiling in Szayelaporro's lab are Cirucci and Dordoni 😔
~ The scene with Mayuri trying to "fix" Ishida with the help of Nemu was supposed to be funny - and it was - but I can't shake the feeling of creepiness coming out of Mayuri. He has too invasive personality. He is always using opportunities to experiment on people and it's disgusting.
~ Renji's such an angel for wanting to be back in shape ASAP so he could get back to the battlefield and help Ichigo. Yes, Ichigo. It was heavily implied by Mayuri that it was Ichigo Renji meant when he asked him to be healed first. You can laugh at how he thought that he can be of any help, because he's not as strong as the other characters, but I admire him for always doing his best and never giving up.
~ I could not help, but smile through the whole Kenpachi vs Nnoitora fight, because it was clear as a day that Kenpachi had the time of his life.
~ Orihime had finally acted on her own will without waiting for someone to tell her what to do! We cheer!
~ The image of Nnoitora and the enormous skull made by Kenpachi's spiritual pressure was SICK! It reminded me of the image with Ichigo surrounded by a skeleton of death - which happened while fighting Kenpachi, no less!
~ The fact that Kenny wanted to leave without killing Nnoitora, but Nnoitora pressured him to end the fight...
~ Tesla's tears when Nnoitora died 😔
~ I'm both excited and worried about what is coming. I LOVE the Winter War arc where everyone shows up and we finally got the final battle between our MC and the big bad, it's exciting, but it also makes me anxious, because I know how painful it will be 🥺
"What is it?"
"Please, heal me first!"
"Why?"
"I want to return to the battle. The others have encountered Espadas as well. If I don't get to them in time..."
"He doesn't need your help."
"What?"
"The only one still fighting is Zaraki. He's headed for Ichigo Kurosaki. That ruffian doesn't need your help. Besides, you should know better. When he's on battlefield, he's like a wolf with the scent of blood in its nostrils. You get in his way and he'll eat you too. To be devoured by a beast is a foolish way to die, don't you think?"
With Szayelaporro and Zoomari out of the way, the only enemy that's still standing is Nnoitora. It seems like with Zaraki being present, he had found his match in the battle. They both are giving their all, but only one can win.
"I was just thinking. One of those four arms of yours was bound to block my attack. That wouldn't have been fun. So I tried to think of a way to prevent that. But I couldn't come up with anything clever. So I decided to cut all of your arms off one by one instead."
"But he can't fight if you cut all his arms off, Ken-chan."
"Huh? Good point. I take that back. I'll leave you with one."
Kenpachi is definitely not only one of the coolest Soul Reapers, but also one of the coolest anime characters ever. He's a crazy maniac, but we love to see it! I was waiting for his big entrance in Hueco Mundo (which had happened in the previous volume) and I was really excited to see the manga version of the famous Kenny vs Nnoitora battle. I was not disappointed. Volume 35 in general focuses mostly on this fight. It could've been boring, but with this kind of characters and this kind of visuals that the author came up with, you cannot feel different than be immersed in the scene.
"I swe no purpose in your battles."
"Oh, I have one. Fighting is my purpose."
"I don't understand. Why do you keep fighting?"
"Because I want to die. I want to die in battle. That's why I've become what I am. The stronger I get, the more I can fight. I want to eat battle, to breath it."
Both Nnoitora and Kenpachi love to fight. A battle is their purpose of life, so naturally, neither of them had given up easily when they crossed swords (I know that Nnoitora's weapon is not a sword, but you know what I mean). They both were truly amazing. I don't like Nnoitora, but I have to admire him for his strength and his fierceness. And Kenpachi is just, well, Kenpachi. He's incredible whenever he shows up, especially in the battle against Nnoitora where his enemy transformed into his Resurrection form while Kenpachi still fought with the same style as before. And despite all the injures he got, he still kept his maniacal grin on his face. I feel like if he had ever died, he would die standing, with the grin never leaving his face.
"I want life to fled my body before it hits the ground. That's how I want to die."
I could say that Nnoitora got what he deserved, like Szayelaporro did, but the truth is that... Well, I think that it was kind of beautiful that in the moment of his death, his greatest wish came true. He wanted to die in a thrilling fight against the greatest opponent and it was exactly what he got. And I think it's something poetic in the fact that the last person he had land his eyes on, before his last breath left his body, was Nel.
"Smile. We all get sad when the sky darkens. All you have to do is smile and wait here for a little while. Just until... we wipe out Karakura Town."
After long time no see, Aizen is finally back and made his move. With all the gargantas sealed, there's no way for our heroes to get out of Hueco Mundo. Orihime's been abducted again and all the deceptive captains with three remaining Espadas are currently in the Karakura Town. It seems like the war will begin any minute now. Ichigo's out trying to save Orihime once again. Will he succeed this time as well or will he meet his doom? Are all the enemies defeated? How will our heroes get out of the Hueco Mundo? What about the war in the Karakura Town - it seems like the Soul Reapers made their preparations, but will it be enough to stop Aizen?
"Kenpachi, you said earlier that it was my job to protect Katakura Town. You're wrong. My job is to protect my friends."
Some of my thoughts while reading: (beware of the spoilers)
~ I'm glad that the manga didn't show the way Mayuri brought Nemu back to life (but it implied how it had happened). Ew.
~ I just now realized that the two figures hanging from the ceiling in Szayelaporro's lab are Cirucci and Dordoni 😔
~ The scene with Mayuri trying to "fix" Ishida with the help of Nemu was supposed to be funny - and it was - but I can't shake the feeling of creepiness coming out of Mayuri. He has too invasive personality. He is always using opportunities to experiment on people and it's disgusting.
~ Renji's such an angel for wanting to be back in shape ASAP so he could get back to the battlefield and help Ichigo. Yes, Ichigo. It was heavily implied by Mayuri that it was Ichigo Renji meant when he asked him to be healed first. You can laugh at how he thought that he can be of any help, because he's not as strong as the other characters, but I admire him for always doing his best and never giving up.
~ I could not help, but smile through the whole Kenpachi vs Nnoitora fight, because it was clear as a day that Kenpachi had the time of his life.
~ Orihime had finally acted on her own will without waiting for someone to tell her what to do! We cheer!
~ The image of Nnoitora and the enormous skull made by Kenpachi's spiritual pressure was SICK! It reminded me of the image with Ichigo surrounded by a skeleton of death - which happened while fighting Kenpachi, no less!
~ The fact that Kenny wanted to leave without killing Nnoitora, but Nnoitora pressured him to end the fight...
~ Tesla's tears when Nnoitora died 😔
~ I'm both excited and worried about what is coming. I LOVE the Winter War arc where everyone shows up and we finally got the final battle between our MC and the big bad, it's exciting, but it also makes me anxious, because I know how painful it will be 🥺
August 9, 2014
The one where I realize I'm fucking 35 volumes in and I still don't actually remember all the Captain's names. Captain Causally Drunk Guy, Captain Bucketmask Wolfhead, ASSEMBLE.
August 19, 2023
So the fight between Kenpachi and the Espada Nnoitra has finally come to an end. It was a good fight that most consisted of a lot of swinging and cutting. Now Aizen is planning to destroy Karakura town, but things are not going as planned for him. Now there is about to be a big battle between the Captains and the Espadas and a battle between Ichigo and Ulquiorra. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
July 23, 2021
و اینم از جلد سی و پنجم مانگاbleach...
این جلد خیلی از جلد قبل بهتر بود و فایت های دلچسبی داشت البته دو چپتر اول رو دوست نداشتم اما به خاطر چپتر های بعدیش ازش چشم پوشی کردم و پایان خوبی داشت و امیدوارم که خوب پیش بره....
در مورد طرح جلدی که داره باید بگم که فقط چند چپترش به شخصیت روی جلد اختصاص داره و بیشترش نبرد زاراکی در مقابل اسپادا چهارمه...
آرت خیلی خوبی داشت ومشکل فضاسازی به ندرت توی این جلد دیده میشد البته اگر یکم به طراحی ها عمق میداد بهتر هم میشد.....
بعضی ها میگن که مجموعه بلیچ فقط و فقط فایت و فایت و..هست و کاملا درست میگن چون بلیچ روی همین فایت هاش میچرخه ولی هم فایت های خوب داره هم بد(بد مثل جلد۳۴)ولی حتی بدهاش هم اونقدر ها سطح پایینی نداره که امتیاز زیر سه بگیره .....
امیدوارم حتما این مانگا رو بخونید....
این جلد خیلی از جلد قبل بهتر بود و فایت های دلچسبی داشت البته دو چپتر اول رو دوست نداشتم اما به خاطر چپتر های بعدیش ازش چشم پوشی کردم و پایان خوبی داشت و امیدوارم که خوب پیش بره....
در مورد طرح جلدی که داره باید بگم که فقط چند چپترش به شخصیت روی جلد اختصاص داره و بیشترش نبرد زاراکی در مقابل اسپادا چهارمه...
آرت خیلی خوبی داشت ومشکل فضاسازی به ندرت توی این جلد دیده میشد البته اگر یکم به طراحی ها عمق میداد بهتر هم میشد.....
بعضی ها میگن که مجموعه بلیچ فقط و فقط فایت و فایت و..هست و کاملا درست میگن چون بلیچ روی همین فایت هاش میچرخه ولی هم فایت های خوب داره هم بد(بد مثل جلد۳۴)ولی حتی بدهاش هم اونقدر ها سطح پایینی نداره که امتیاز زیر سه بگیره .....
امیدوارم حتما این مانگا رو بخونید....
March 17, 2020
This story arc brings to a close the battle against Arrancar Nnoitra Gilga while also squeezing in his origin story. What follows is what was missing for a while now: an element that moved the plot forward instead of bathing in the status quo.
Now that Aizen's plan is finally taking a certain form, mangaka Tite Kubo sets the table for the next batch of epic battles to come which will undoubtedly allow him to give some of his secondary characters the chance to shine.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
Now that Aizen's plan is finally taking a certain form, mangaka Tite Kubo sets the table for the next batch of epic battles to come which will undoubtedly allow him to give some of his secondary characters the chance to shine.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
October 31, 2022
Probably the most hype volume in the series so far. I am LOVING this so much!!
May 20, 2021
Kurotsuchi has shut down Szayelaporro for a long time to come, stretching time to an infinitesimal slowness as he waits in agony for the sword to pierce his chest. So, that being done, on to other things. Meanwhile, Nnoitora and Kenpachi are still going at it. The Espada is confident that nothing Kenpachi can do will harm him. Can the Soul Reaper have met his match?
At one time, Nnoitora and Nelliel worked together for Aizen, but there is no love lost between them. Memories of their antagonism flow through his brain as the battle with Kenpachi reaches an end…
But wait… the regularly scheduled program is being interrupted by an announcement from former Captain Aizen. First, he is done with Orihime and has no further use for her. Secondly… he is about to destroy Karakura Town. He gives the location where he has put Orihime, but a choice must be made. Save the girl or save the town. Can’t be both.
Tick tock, tick tock, the clock is ticking the time away. What to do, what to do, what to do?
What would Ichigo do?
A great deal of this volume of Bleach is concerned with the battle between Kenpachi and Nnoitora, and it’s not always clear who will prevail. The part with Kurotsuchi tickles me, as Uryu and Renji watch in horror at the way he is able to revive Nemu. I must say that Kurotsuchi is very… different. And not in an entirely bad way. Still, I wouldn’t want to hang out with him.
And now we’re getting ready for the next arc, in which the Soul Society, along with Ichigo, work to save Karakura Town, as well as Orihime, and some other heroes are about to take to the stage.
Another great volume of Bleach, looking forward to more.
At one time, Nnoitora and Nelliel worked together for Aizen, but there is no love lost between them. Memories of their antagonism flow through his brain as the battle with Kenpachi reaches an end…
But wait… the regularly scheduled program is being interrupted by an announcement from former Captain Aizen. First, he is done with Orihime and has no further use for her. Secondly… he is about to destroy Karakura Town. He gives the location where he has put Orihime, but a choice must be made. Save the girl or save the town. Can’t be both.
Tick tock, tick tock, the clock is ticking the time away. What to do, what to do, what to do?
What would Ichigo do?
A great deal of this volume of Bleach is concerned with the battle between Kenpachi and Nnoitora, and it’s not always clear who will prevail. The part with Kurotsuchi tickles me, as Uryu and Renji watch in horror at the way he is able to revive Nemu. I must say that Kurotsuchi is very… different. And not in an entirely bad way. Still, I wouldn’t want to hang out with him.
And now we’re getting ready for the next arc, in which the Soul Society, along with Ichigo, work to save Karakura Town, as well as Orihime, and some other heroes are about to take to the stage.
Another great volume of Bleach, looking forward to more.
March 30, 2025
Kenny is such a monster. I don't even love him that much but it's easy to see why he's so popular. The guy is such a beast and a great fight from him against an espada came in this volume. Also the final volume showing aizen and Yamamoto putting their pieces in play was AWESOME. Exciting times ahead man. (From the volume preview I know the next one takes back in time to when Urahara and Shinji were captain's - i am incredibly excited.)
September 8, 2023
Kenpachi VS Nnoitra nella top 3 degli scontri più belli di 'sto Manga, graziepregociao.
February 17, 2023
I seriously have the fucking hots for Kenpachi.
Insane volume.
Insane volume.
August 23, 2019
Bleach, Vol. 35 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next ten chapters (306–315) of the on-going manga series.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi stabs Szayel Aporro Granz, who perceives the slow pain to be an eternity from his perspective, through his hand and heart. Mayuri denounces Szayel Aporro as a scientist for his vainglory as he breaks the blade and proceeds to help himself to the Espada's research.
Meanwhile, Kenpachi Zaraki has difficulty fighting Nnoitra Gilga before he assumes his released form. Kenpachi eventually reveals he is one the verge of death and uses resorts to using kendo to severely injure Nnoitra. Kenpachi attempts to leave before Nnoitra, reminded of how Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck spared him for his weakness, insists to finish their battle. Kenpachi accepts and inflicts the finishing blow at this charging opponent.
Soon after, Orihime Inoue is spirited off by the Primera Espada Coyote Stark as she is brought before Sōsuke Aizen. Using Kaname Tōsen's kidō to contact everyone present, Aizen reveals that the abduction of Orihime, which everyone thought was to increase the Hōgyoku's power, was actually a means to weaken the Soul Society's forces.
Leaving Ulquiorra Cifer to oversee Las Noches in his absence as he places the fortress in shutdown, Aizen departs for Karakura Town with Gin Ichimaru, Tōsen, and the Espadas Stark, Halibel, Baraggan Louisenbairn and their Fracciones. However, the group is met by the remaining captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and their lieutenants in what is revealed to be a fake Karakura Town as Ichigo Kurosaki races to Las Noches to save Orihime.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. Finally, the narrative moves forward as Sōsuke Aizen moves forward with his plan. Apparently, the incursion into Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime Inoue was a distraction to weaken the forces of Soul Society, while his real plans have to do with Karakura Town – the home town of Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends. Fortunately, the rest of the Soul Society was waiting for him. It appears that an even bigger battle is about to begin.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 35 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi stabs Szayel Aporro Granz, who perceives the slow pain to be an eternity from his perspective, through his hand and heart. Mayuri denounces Szayel Aporro as a scientist for his vainglory as he breaks the blade and proceeds to help himself to the Espada's research.
Meanwhile, Kenpachi Zaraki has difficulty fighting Nnoitra Gilga before he assumes his released form. Kenpachi eventually reveals he is one the verge of death and uses resorts to using kendo to severely injure Nnoitra. Kenpachi attempts to leave before Nnoitra, reminded of how Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck spared him for his weakness, insists to finish their battle. Kenpachi accepts and inflicts the finishing blow at this charging opponent.
Soon after, Orihime Inoue is spirited off by the Primera Espada Coyote Stark as she is brought before Sōsuke Aizen. Using Kaname Tōsen's kidō to contact everyone present, Aizen reveals that the abduction of Orihime, which everyone thought was to increase the Hōgyoku's power, was actually a means to weaken the Soul Society's forces.
Leaving Ulquiorra Cifer to oversee Las Noches in his absence as he places the fortress in shutdown, Aizen departs for Karakura Town with Gin Ichimaru, Tōsen, and the Espadas Stark, Halibel, Baraggan Louisenbairn and their Fracciones. However, the group is met by the remaining captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and their lieutenants in what is revealed to be a fake Karakura Town as Ichigo Kurosaki races to Las Noches to save Orihime.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. Finally, the narrative moves forward as Sōsuke Aizen moves forward with his plan. Apparently, the incursion into Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime Inoue was a distraction to weaken the forces of Soul Society, while his real plans have to do with Karakura Town – the home town of Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends. Fortunately, the rest of the Soul Society was waiting for him. It appears that an even bigger battle is about to begin.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 35 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
March 19, 2025
I think my time with bleach is over. A few enjoyable moments for sure (albeit none recently).
The series tries to be something it isn’t and would do better if it knew the lane it was in. A similar problem JJK runs into as well.
The arcs are VERY repetitive with the overarching goal being almost comically similar.
I also would prefer the series to develop characters more over throwing so many at us. A million characters doesn’t equate to satisfying depth. A handful of really well developed characters sure can though.
Ultimately I would say don’t bother with this series. Watch/read HxH instead.
The series tries to be something it isn’t and would do better if it knew the lane it was in. A similar problem JJK runs into as well.
The arcs are VERY repetitive with the overarching goal being almost comically similar.
I also would prefer the series to develop characters more over throwing so many at us. A million characters doesn’t equate to satisfying depth. A handful of really well developed characters sure can though.
Ultimately I would say don’t bother with this series. Watch/read HxH instead.
December 5, 2020
Good volume and here we mostly have the battle between Kenpachi and Nnoitra and its brutal and we get to see some flash back of what happened to the latter and his relationship with Neliel and then the real fight and its something, both one upping the other and when it seems he will lose, he unleashes his true power and comes out on top, he is the captain after all! Aizen and all make their way to Karakura town ready to take it to make the royal key but the captains of soul society have their own plans!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2021
Review to come soon! I'm actually getting tired
January 30, 2024
It’s giving filler. It’s giving this is gonna be epic. “The end is near” “the end is far”
March 31, 2025
Is Kenpachi the coolest manga character ever drawn? Probably.
Also the most unhinged.
Also the most unhinged.
September 10, 2025
¿Me sé perfectamente la historia? Sí
¿Estaba chillando con el final del tomo? Sí
Gallina de piel 🐔
My other husband is back. 🙈🥹
¿Estaba chillando con el final del tomo? Sí
Gallina de piel 🐔
My other husband is back. 🙈🥹
December 14, 2012
14 December 2012
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Ahh yisss ... this, along with the last volume, is what I have been waiting for. Bleach, Volume 35: Higher Than the Moon makes it allllllllll worth the wait! The Soul Reaper dynamic is what makes this series so freakin' addictive. They should never disappear from the action.
At the start of this volume, Mayuri's battle with Szayelaporro comes to an end. Surprisingly, I didn't find Mayuri as annoying as I had previously. He even provided some pretty funny moments. He still isn't one of my favorites, but he's slowly growing on me ... like a fungus.
Oh, Kenpachi, how I love your crazy mutha'ucka badassery!
The ending left me dying to pick up the next volume! I am so excited for the Soul Reaper captains to take on Aizen and his minions. Woohoo! It's about to get really good!
Aside from the cliffhanger ending, the last moment with Ulquiorra had me so excited. His quiet strength reminds me a lot of Byakuya.
And if that wasn't enough to stop your heart while you wait for the next book, the preview for the next volume looks AH-mazing!
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Ahh yisss ... this, along with the last volume, is what I have been waiting for. Bleach, Volume 35: Higher Than the Moon makes it allllllllll worth the wait! The Soul Reaper dynamic is what makes this series so freakin' addictive. They should never disappear from the action.
At the start of this volume, Mayuri's battle with Szayelaporro comes to an end. Surprisingly, I didn't find Mayuri as annoying as I had previously. He even provided some pretty funny moments. He still isn't one of my favorites, but he's slowly growing on me ... like a fungus.
Oh, Kenpachi, how I love your crazy mutha'ucka badassery!
The ending left me dying to pick up the next volume! I am so excited for the Soul Reaper captains to take on Aizen and his minions. Woohoo! It's about to get really good!
Aside from the cliffhanger ending, the last moment with Ulquiorra had me so excited. His quiet strength reminds me a lot of Byakuya.
And if that wasn't enough to stop your heart while you wait for the next book, the preview for the next volume looks AH-mazing!
July 13, 2011
Ah, Szayel Aporro Grantz. The Mayuri of Hueco Mundo. Naturally, the two of them were destined to rumble to the death in the sands of the world of Espada. It’s a shame that his time in this volume is so devastatingly short. Meanwhile, poor Renji and Ishida are forced to only watch, too creeped out by Mayuri to lend a hand. While they duke it out scientist to scientist, Kenpachi and Nnoitora are also battling it out while Yachiru, Orihime, and Ichigo stand on the sidelines. Like the other dueling pair, Nnoitora and Kenpachi seem well-matched - so much that Kenpachi is forced to shed his eye patch, thus releasing the seal on his energy and making him much stronger than before.
You can read the rest of this review at Nagareboshi Reviews!
You can read the rest of this review at Nagareboshi Reviews!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2011
I didnt know this book was in the U.S. (yes i'm a little slow sometimes. who isn't :/) and when I saw it I freaked out! I read the whole thing in the store like a freak. Thats the problem with this series. There are no fans... just superfans <3 =D
April 11, 2022
“...is perfection really desirable? It’s empty. Stagnant. Perfection is a dead end. It leaves no room for innovation or improvement... or for wisdom or talent.”
BUM BUM BUM. It’s getting spicy y’all. I can’t wait to see the captains take on the cult of Aizen!
BUM BUM BUM. It’s getting spicy y’all. I can’t wait to see the captains take on the cult of Aizen!
May 17, 2021
This one would probably make for better anime.
Summary:
Kenpachi fights the number 5 and wins. Aizen reveals he's ready to attack the town and create the key... but the captains are there waiting for him.
Summary:
Kenpachi fights the number 5 and wins. Aizen reveals he's ready to attack the town and create the key... but the captains are there waiting for him.
July 21, 2011
I don't even remember the last Bleach volume that took me more than 25 minutes to read.
December 8, 2012
Nnoitra vs Kenpachi ^_^
October 5, 2015
Ichigo ended up fighting in Heuco Mundo to save Orihime. When he discovers that Aizen is planning on attacking Kankura Town.
I liked the action in this volume.
I liked the action in this volume.
Read
December 28, 2022kenpachi has made his spot as my third favorite bleach character that man is insane
August 23, 2022
The fight was so long, Finally we got to it's end.
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.
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