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Bleach #64
Bleach―ブリーチ― 64 [Burīchi 64]
刀を解放させたやちるの前に、新たに現れた星十字騎士団のグレミィ。その笑みの下に隠された本性が少しずつ、やちるへと襲いかかっていく！？ その時、無双の名を受け継ぎし、あの男が戦場に降り立つ――！
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2014
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November 10, 2024
"Sheesh. We speak badly about those who have only imagination and can't do anything. But once you see somebody who can do anything with just their imagination... It shows how much easier it is to not have that power." [Askin]
THE STRONGEST QUINCY VS THE STRONGEST SHINIGAMI
Is Gremmy truly the strongest Quincy? No. Is Kenny truly the strongest Shinigami? No. But who cares? They gave us a spectacular battle that was stunning in both visual and emotional way, and that's what matters. To be honest, I don't think I appreciated it enough when I watched it in the anime version. The visuals were incredible, but this fight didn't mattered to me much. It seemed like just another battle that I needed to get through, hoping that my favorite character will get out of it alive. And Grammy seemed just like another bad guy who I needed to get rid of as soon as possible. I feel like back then I was too stressed about the war to properly pay attention to everything. The manga changed my perspective, maybe because I already knew what will happen and, because of that, I was prepared for it and could focus on everything else (that wasn't a possibility of my fav's ending up dying).
"The power of imagination is the most powerful thing in the world. Everything I imagine becomes reality."
Gremmy wasn't just another Sternritter that we needed to get rid of. He wasn't an easily likeable person, by far, but the more the battle continued, the more I sympathized with him. I was still cheering Kenny's win, obviously, and celebrated when that happened, but I also ended up feeling sorrow for Gremmy. Through the encounter with Kenny, he found a joy in fight. Before that, he went through life convinced that he's the strongest. Never thought about proving his power to anybody. Then Kenny appeared, and, for the first time in his life, Gremmy felt the need to win against somebody.
"Come at me, Kenpachi Zaraki. I'm not even going to say I'll take you on with just one finger. I won't even use my fingers. I'll kill you using only my head."
Through the fight Gremmy let himself genuinely smile and continued to do so to the very end. Don't get me wrong. He was an incredibly dangerous opponent. A quite crazy one, actually. If Kenny wasn't Kenny, he would've been quickly brought to his knees and die. I can't say I liked his attitude. He seemed kind of bratty, really. But he was also just a kid. A kid who didn't had much of experience or just any happiness, or so it seemed to me (we didn't get his backstory, so I can only speculate). Heck, I can't even confirm if he was a real person or not (if you know, you know) and this fact makes me want to cry on his behalf.
"Aw... Seems like my imagination's at its limit. It'll be so sad. Imagining a world where I can no longer imagine anything..."
I wish we could spend more time with him. I wish I could see what else he could do with the incredible power of his. And I hope that he found himself in some nice place, where he could use his mind freely and create a life he always wanted to have.
"This is what it means to be helpless, Kenpachi Zaraki."
"Helpless? Yeah... You probably are."
And Kenny? I could just say that he was a beast, as always, and did some insane stuff, as always, but this battle wasn't like any of his other battles. Not just because of his sword (DID YOU SEE THAT THING?? Remember how big Ichigo's sword was when he first got Soul Reaper powers? Well, it was absolutely NOTHING in comparison to the size of Kenny's sword!!), no (the sword is absolutely awesome, though!). Kenny was always a confident fellow. Considering the amount of spiritual pressure he had been born with and his raw strength he had build through hundreds of fights, he has every right to be. But in the battle against Gremmy he seemed to be different. His confidence seemed to be different. Deeper. And higher. I don't know if I make sense here, but that's how if felt to me.
"There is nothing I can't cut."
Despite facing an incredibly dangerous opponent, Kenny seemed invincible. I don't know if it was because of his sword, or because of his fight with Unohana, but something had awakened in him. Something had definitely changed for the better and I'm so excited to see what else he will show us. I am sure that Bambietta's minions would have been absolutely destroyed by him if he wasn't not only hurt and exhausted from his previous fight, but also distracted by his loss.
Before I will go to my usual "things I want to talk about" part of my BLEACH reviews, I want to say that I wish Bambietta's minions would get destroyed by Kenny. Giselle is the one I hate the most (if you know this arc, you know why), but the others are also monsters that I simply can't tolerate. The way they murdered all the Soul Reapers... You could say that all the victims were nameless and didn't matter, so who cares? But it was a cold murder. A brutal murder. An insane cruelty that only happened because the girls needed to show (to Kenny? To us? To themselves? Idk) how powerful they were. For me it's unforgivable. You can say that it's a war so no holds barred. I don't care. There are lines that shouldn't be crossed.
Anyways, I'm jumping into the next volume right away. It's gonna start with one of my favorite (if not the favorite) TYBW moments and I'm incredibly excited to see it in the manga version (I choose not to think about what it means that Giselle is on its cover...).
Some things I need to talk about: (as usual, beware of the spoilers)
~ Did the eyes deceive me or did both Gremmy and Gwenael get the "V" schrift? If so, what does it mean? Considering Gremmy's words, I think that Gwenael was never real (a being that came from Gremmy's imagination) and that it was Gremmy who was the actual Sternritter "V". But, at the same time, the fact that it was only a brain that was left of him on the end, means that Gremmy was also never real ... ? 🤔
~ How is possible that Yachiru just vanished? She was still there when Kenny went to cut the meteor. She went through the flashback of her first encounter with him. And then she disappeared. How am I supposed to understand it? Did she vanish because Kenny had awakened his sword? But it doesn't make sense, she couldn't be his Zanpakuto, right?? It's has to be a crazy theory, right?? How could she be there with him all this time as a human?? It doesn't make sense... does it? Besides, she does have her own sword! I'm so confused! 😵💫
~ I love the fact that Yachiru's sword is pink! It fits her perfectly ☺️ (but why did she kept it in a box...?)
~ Yachiru's Zanpakuto's manifestation is both cute and scary, just like her. She and her beasts reminded me of the fun dynamic between Nel, Pesche and Dondochakka ☺️
~ Why the hell did Gremmy said that Kensei and Rose are dead?! And Isane confirmed it?! They cannot be dead!! I refuse to believe it! 😭
~ Gremmy's power of imagination is my favorite Quincy power, for sure.
~ I love the fact that the only reason Kenny came to to Isane's infirmary is because he felt Yachiru's spiritual pressure get "wobbly". Usually he would went after Gremmy just because he considered him the strongest. But it was Yachiru who brought him there. Their bond is one of the most precious things in BLEACH (and now Kenny had lost her 😥).
~ The way the life came back to Yachiru's eyes at the sight of Kenny 😭
~ "She's dead."
"I... see."
"I sliced her down. If you hate me for it, feel free to slice me down." - First of all, my heart breaks for Isane. Second of all, would Kenny just let her slice him ? I cannot imagine that, to be honest.
~ I couldn't stop my laughter at the sight of Askin sitting on a couch and just chilling, lmao 😂 What an unbothered guy 😂
~ "DRINK, NOZARASHI!!" - CHILLS ALL OVER!! 🔥
THE STRONGEST QUINCY VS THE STRONGEST SHINIGAMI
Is Gremmy truly the strongest Quincy? No. Is Kenny truly the strongest Shinigami? No. But who cares? They gave us a spectacular battle that was stunning in both visual and emotional way, and that's what matters. To be honest, I don't think I appreciated it enough when I watched it in the anime version. The visuals were incredible, but this fight didn't mattered to me much. It seemed like just another battle that I needed to get through, hoping that my favorite character will get out of it alive. And Grammy seemed just like another bad guy who I needed to get rid of as soon as possible. I feel like back then I was too stressed about the war to properly pay attention to everything. The manga changed my perspective, maybe because I already knew what will happen and, because of that, I was prepared for it and could focus on everything else (that wasn't a possibility of my fav's ending up dying).
"The power of imagination is the most powerful thing in the world. Everything I imagine becomes reality."
Gremmy wasn't just another Sternritter that we needed to get rid of. He wasn't an easily likeable person, by far, but the more the battle continued, the more I sympathized with him. I was still cheering Kenny's win, obviously, and celebrated when that happened, but I also ended up feeling sorrow for Gremmy. Through the encounter with Kenny, he found a joy in fight. Before that, he went through life convinced that he's the strongest. Never thought about proving his power to anybody. Then Kenny appeared, and, for the first time in his life, Gremmy felt the need to win against somebody.
"Come at me, Kenpachi Zaraki. I'm not even going to say I'll take you on with just one finger. I won't even use my fingers. I'll kill you using only my head."
Through the fight Gremmy let himself genuinely smile and continued to do so to the very end. Don't get me wrong. He was an incredibly dangerous opponent. A quite crazy one, actually. If Kenny wasn't Kenny, he would've been quickly brought to his knees and die. I can't say I liked his attitude. He seemed kind of bratty, really. But he was also just a kid. A kid who didn't had much of experience or just any happiness, or so it seemed to me (we didn't get his backstory, so I can only speculate). Heck, I can't even confirm if he was a real person or not (if you know, you know) and this fact makes me want to cry on his behalf.
"Aw... Seems like my imagination's at its limit. It'll be so sad. Imagining a world where I can no longer imagine anything..."
I wish we could spend more time with him. I wish I could see what else he could do with the incredible power of his. And I hope that he found himself in some nice place, where he could use his mind freely and create a life he always wanted to have.
"This is what it means to be helpless, Kenpachi Zaraki."
"Helpless? Yeah... You probably are."
And Kenny? I could just say that he was a beast, as always, and did some insane stuff, as always, but this battle wasn't like any of his other battles. Not just because of his sword (DID YOU SEE THAT THING?? Remember how big Ichigo's sword was when he first got Soul Reaper powers? Well, it was absolutely NOTHING in comparison to the size of Kenny's sword!!), no (the sword is absolutely awesome, though!). Kenny was always a confident fellow. Considering the amount of spiritual pressure he had been born with and his raw strength he had build through hundreds of fights, he has every right to be. But in the battle against Gremmy he seemed to be different. His confidence seemed to be different. Deeper. And higher. I don't know if I make sense here, but that's how if felt to me.
"There is nothing I can't cut."
Despite facing an incredibly dangerous opponent, Kenny seemed invincible. I don't know if it was because of his sword, or because of his fight with Unohana, but something had awakened in him. Something had definitely changed for the better and I'm so excited to see what else he will show us. I am sure that Bambietta's minions would have been absolutely destroyed by him if he wasn't not only hurt and exhausted from his previous fight, but also distracted by his loss.
Before I will go to my usual "things I want to talk about" part of my BLEACH reviews, I want to say that I wish Bambietta's minions would get destroyed by Kenny. Giselle is the one I hate the most (if you know this arc, you know why), but the others are also monsters that I simply can't tolerate. The way they murdered all the Soul Reapers... You could say that all the victims were nameless and didn't matter, so who cares? But it was a cold murder. A brutal murder. An insane cruelty that only happened because the girls needed to show (to Kenny? To us? To themselves? Idk) how powerful they were. For me it's unforgivable. You can say that it's a war so no holds barred. I don't care. There are lines that shouldn't be crossed.
Anyways, I'm jumping into the next volume right away. It's gonna start with one of my favorite (if not the favorite) TYBW moments and I'm incredibly excited to see it in the manga version (I choose not to think about what it means that Giselle is on its cover...).
Some things I need to talk about: (as usual, beware of the spoilers)
~ Did the eyes deceive me or did both Gremmy and Gwenael get the "V" schrift? If so, what does it mean? Considering Gremmy's words, I think that Gwenael was never real (a being that came from Gremmy's imagination) and that it was Gremmy who was the actual Sternritter "V". But, at the same time, the fact that it was only a brain that was left of him on the end, means that Gremmy was also never real ... ? 🤔
~ How is possible that Yachiru just vanished? She was still there when Kenny went to cut the meteor. She went through the flashback of her first encounter with him. And then she disappeared. How am I supposed to understand it? Did she vanish because Kenny had awakened his sword? But it doesn't make sense, she couldn't be his Zanpakuto, right?? It's has to be a crazy theory, right?? How could she be there with him all this time as a human?? It doesn't make sense... does it? Besides, she does have her own sword! I'm so confused! 😵💫
~ I love the fact that Yachiru's sword is pink! It fits her perfectly ☺️ (but why did she kept it in a box...?)
~ Yachiru's Zanpakuto's manifestation is both cute and scary, just like her. She and her beasts reminded me of the fun dynamic between Nel, Pesche and Dondochakka ☺️
~ Why the hell did Gremmy said that Kensei and Rose are dead?! And Isane confirmed it?! They cannot be dead!! I refuse to believe it! 😭
~ Gremmy's power of imagination is my favorite Quincy power, for sure.
~ I love the fact that the only reason Kenny came to to Isane's infirmary is because he felt Yachiru's spiritual pressure get "wobbly". Usually he would went after Gremmy just because he considered him the strongest. But it was Yachiru who brought him there. Their bond is one of the most precious things in BLEACH (and now Kenny had lost her 😥).
~ The way the life came back to Yachiru's eyes at the sight of Kenny 😭
~ "She's dead."
"I... see."
"I sliced her down. If you hate me for it, feel free to slice me down." - First of all, my heart breaks for Isane. Second of all, would Kenny just let her slice him ? I cannot imagine that, to be honest.
~ I couldn't stop my laughter at the sight of Askin sitting on a couch and just chilling, lmao 😂 What an unbothered guy 😂
~ "DRINK, NOZARASHI!!" - CHILLS ALL OVER!! 🔥
June 11, 2015
I love that *Bleach* is back to sticking with action-filled plots. I really enjoyed this volume.
June 22, 2020
I'm not entertained by any of these new villains that are being introduced and quickly dealt with as each volume presents and concludes a different battle just to showcase a new battle form for beloved characters (I mean, who even saw Kenpachi go THERE?).
Sure, the heroes might be getting some interesting designs, but the execution is terrible. And the terrible villains make things harder to enjoy.
Again, this volume continues to stretch out the narrative as the invasion continues and Ichigo is slowly making his way to save the day.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
Sure, the heroes might be getting some interesting designs, but the execution is terrible. And the terrible villains make things harder to enjoy.
Again, this volume continues to stretch out the narrative as the invasion continues and Ichigo is slowly making his way to save the day.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
September 24, 2016
The one in which I fondly remember the days when I thought Zangetsu was a stupidly large sword. It turns out that Kenpachi was meant to wield a meat cleaver the size of Texas that can apparently cut anything. I can't think of a more blatant way of saying a character is unbeatable because he's your buff Mary Sue.
November 10, 2022
Imagination dude was terrifying!!
June 23, 2022
I like the imagination power and also the weakness of it. This was a good volume full of great fight scenes.
December 7, 2020
This was a good volume and shows Yachiru at first and how she defeats some disappearing uy and then comes the main villain of this volume aka Gremmy "The Visionary". And so to rescue her comes Kenpachi Zaraki and he has activated his bankai too after his battle with UNOHANA and they fight. He can imagine anything and throws everything at him even a meteorite and throws him in space, but he still trumps them all and just shows what a monstrously powerful guy he is. Its amazing to see this and like his power is just awesome but then the 4 girls aka Thunderbolt, Glutton, Power and Zombie come in and their fight will be interesting. Good volume, great focus on Kenpachi.
February 3, 2024
The imagination thing was cool. Finally seeing what Yachiru could do was cool too. And so was Kenpachi actually using his weapon
July 16, 2025
★★★½
Kenpachi fights are always super entertaining, but the plot didn’t move forward much this volume. Though it was cool finally seeing Yachiru in action.
Kenpachi fights are always super entertaining, but the plot didn’t move forward much this volume. Though it was cool finally seeing Yachiru in action.
January 13, 2026
YACHIRU!!! ZARAKI KENPACHIIII!!!!!
volume bomba
volume bomba
February 1, 2021
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
In this volume we encounter another Quincy, another creeper (not as horrifying as the last guy though), but one with an interesting power. Isane and Yachiru team up for this fight. From what I remember of the anime, I don’t think we’ve ever seen Yachiru really fight, so it was really cool seeing her in action. We also got to see her sword and what it can do, plus her shikai! Which was super cute, just like her. Lol. I love her! She is another of my favorite characters!
Then Kenpachi makes an appearance as well! He’s crazy and such a savage, but I love him. Lol. His fight with the Quincy he went up against (Gremmy Thoumeaux) was very interesting. It’s one of my favorites just because it was really creative. It was basically an imagination vs brute strength fight and honestly, it was really cool. I loved the contrast and how Kenny had to fight against this Quincy with such a weird but cool power. Also, Kenny used shikai!!!! OMG! He did a thing! And it was awesome! He released his sword! Omg! And the thing it can do... it’s very fitting for Kenpachi.
This was another violent, gruesome volume and I loved it! Yachiru and Kenpachi are complete opposites yet their relationship somehow works. I love that and I love them as a duo! It’s why I liked that this volume was centered around them. Plus, their fights were very interesting. I really enjoyed this one!
In this volume we encounter another Quincy, another creeper (not as horrifying as the last guy though), but one with an interesting power. Isane and Yachiru team up for this fight. From what I remember of the anime, I don’t think we’ve ever seen Yachiru really fight, so it was really cool seeing her in action. We also got to see her sword and what it can do, plus her shikai! Which was super cute, just like her. Lol. I love her! She is another of my favorite characters!
Then Kenpachi makes an appearance as well! He’s crazy and such a savage, but I love him. Lol. His fight with the Quincy he went up against (Gremmy Thoumeaux) was very interesting. It’s one of my favorites just because it was really creative. It was basically an imagination vs brute strength fight and honestly, it was really cool. I loved the contrast and how Kenny had to fight against this Quincy with such a weird but cool power. Also, Kenny used shikai!!!! OMG! He did a thing! And it was awesome! He released his sword! Omg! And the thing it can do... it’s very fitting for Kenpachi.
This was another violent, gruesome volume and I loved it! Yachiru and Kenpachi are complete opposites yet their relationship somehow works. I love that and I love them as a duo! It’s why I liked that this volume was centered around them. Plus, their fights were very interesting. I really enjoyed this one!
April 19, 2022
I can't decide if Gremmy falls into the "comically overpowered" category or if he was a villain who would have benefited from more time on the page rather than just a brief single volume introduction. In many ways, he reminds me more of one of the Fullbrings. He's fine, I guess. Not really memorable, but not as annoying as some of the others.
But, oh God, this volume gives us Candice Catnipp, Liltotto Lamperd, Meninas Mcallon, and Giselle Gewelle and they are everything I hate about the Sternritter as a whole. They're personality is to be as cocky as possible, and that's it. (Except for Giselle who is actually disgusting, but that's not in this volume so we'll get to that.) They feel like off-brand Menoly and Loly with a dash of knock off Tres Bestias.
But, oh God, this volume gives us Candice Catnipp, Liltotto Lamperd, Meninas Mcallon, and Giselle Gewelle and they are everything I hate about the Sternritter as a whole. They're personality is to be as cocky as possible, and that's it. (Except for Giselle who is actually disgusting, but that's not in this volume so we'll get to that.) They feel like off-brand Menoly and Loly with a dash of knock off Tres Bestias.
December 11, 2016
OMG!! Finally at last Zaraki unleashes his zanpaktou's true form!!
And the volume ends quoting "suddenly a blast shakes the skies!! it's!!"
??????
And the volume ends quoting "suddenly a blast shakes the skies!! it's!!"
??????
March 22, 2022
These random villains are so hard to keep up with
May 1, 2024
Kenny’s zanpakuto is straight up monstrous 😭 I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less from this man
October 24, 2025
TBA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2015
Kenpachi is too cool
September 28, 2015
Not bad. I can't say I enjoy the way the art's changed though.
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 74 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.
August 25, 2024
VOLUME 64: CHAPTER 571-580
Arc 11: The Thousand Year Blood War
Sternritter V, Guenael Lee (Vanishing Point) appears. He can make his own shape and existence disappear at will and disappearing from someone's sight and memories. Kusajishi released her Shikai: Sanpo Kenjuu and instantly slashed Guenael. Suddenly, the true Sternritter V, Gremmy Thomeaux (The Visionary) appears. Everything he imagined can become reality. Guenael is one of his imagination and he then erased Guenael from his imagination. He killed Kensei and Rōjūrō who are under Isane's treatmenr. Gremmy fight Kusajishi and he imagined all bones in Kusajishi body is a cookie. Kusajishi bones crumbled like a cookie.
Suddenly, Zaraki appears. Gremmy called himself as the strongest Quincy and that's why before this he is locked up. Zaraki fought Gremmy but Gremmy still can imagined his wound is heal and everything become reality. Zaraki asked him why he didn't kill anyone who is stronger than him and suddenly Gremmy have the urge to kill Zaraki. Gremmy created his otherself. Right now, the power of imagination is doubled. A meteorite appears over the sky that will hit and destroy Seireitei. Zaraki released his new acquired Shikai: Nozarashi and destroyed the meteorite with one slash. Gremmy created more of his self and a space appear to swallow Zaraki. Zaraki is too strong to be defeated. Gremmy imagined he wants to be far stronger than Zaraki. Gremmy's body cannot withstand to be stronger. He ended tore up his body and died.
Kusajishi diappeared and Zaraki asked his 11th Division members to find Kusajishi. Suddenly, a thunderbolt strucked them. Sternritter T, Candice Catnipp (The Thunderbolt) is the one who strucked down them. Zaraki attacked her but he was also strucked down by the thunderbolt. Sternritter G, Liltotto Lamperd (The Glutton) can transformed her mouth into a giant form eat the 11th Division. Sternritter P, Meninas McAllon (The Power) lifted a block of building and throw it to the other 11th Division. Sternritter Z, Giselle Gewelle (The Zombie) cut herself and her blood pour out to the 11th Division. The ones who smeared with her blood will be controlled by her. She ordered them to commit suicide.
Zaraki cannot move and the four Sternritter are ready to kill him. Suddenly, a spark appears on the sky.
Arc 11: The Thousand Year Blood War
Sternritter V, Guenael Lee (Vanishing Point) appears. He can make his own shape and existence disappear at will and disappearing from someone's sight and memories. Kusajishi released her Shikai: Sanpo Kenjuu and instantly slashed Guenael. Suddenly, the true Sternritter V, Gremmy Thomeaux (The Visionary) appears. Everything he imagined can become reality. Guenael is one of his imagination and he then erased Guenael from his imagination. He killed Kensei and Rōjūrō who are under Isane's treatmenr. Gremmy fight Kusajishi and he imagined all bones in Kusajishi body is a cookie. Kusajishi bones crumbled like a cookie.
Suddenly, Zaraki appears. Gremmy called himself as the strongest Quincy and that's why before this he is locked up. Zaraki fought Gremmy but Gremmy still can imagined his wound is heal and everything become reality. Zaraki asked him why he didn't kill anyone who is stronger than him and suddenly Gremmy have the urge to kill Zaraki. Gremmy created his otherself. Right now, the power of imagination is doubled. A meteorite appears over the sky that will hit and destroy Seireitei. Zaraki released his new acquired Shikai: Nozarashi and destroyed the meteorite with one slash. Gremmy created more of his self and a space appear to swallow Zaraki. Zaraki is too strong to be defeated. Gremmy imagined he wants to be far stronger than Zaraki. Gremmy's body cannot withstand to be stronger. He ended tore up his body and died.
Kusajishi diappeared and Zaraki asked his 11th Division members to find Kusajishi. Suddenly, a thunderbolt strucked them. Sternritter T, Candice Catnipp (The Thunderbolt) is the one who strucked down them. Zaraki attacked her but he was also strucked down by the thunderbolt. Sternritter G, Liltotto Lamperd (The Glutton) can transformed her mouth into a giant form eat the 11th Division. Sternritter P, Meninas McAllon (The Power) lifted a block of building and throw it to the other 11th Division. Sternritter Z, Giselle Gewelle (The Zombie) cut herself and her blood pour out to the 11th Division. The ones who smeared with her blood will be controlled by her. She ordered them to commit suicide.
Zaraki cannot move and the four Sternritter are ready to kill him. Suddenly, a spark appears on the sky.
June 19, 2022
Isane and Yachiru seem to be facing an invisible foe. He turns out to be Stern Ritter V – “Vanishing Point” Gwenael Lee. He tells them he can’t be seen, felt… or remembered. That doesn’t deter Yachiru, who continues to fight, with surprising results. Another Stern Ritter appears unexpectedly, claiming Lee is just a product of his imagination. His name is Gremmy Thoumeaux, and he manipulates what people imagine into reality. Having noticed Yachiru’s spiritual pressure is down, Kenpachi makes an appearance. This is the first time they have been together since he fought with Unohana. He finds himself facing what appears to be a little kid.
Gremmy seems to be impressed by the idea that Kenpachi is now the Kenpachi from Zaraki, and thinks he needs a grand stage so he erects a large block of stone for that purpose. Gremmy then boasts that he will kill Zaraki without lifting a finger, just by using what’s in his head. Kenpachi tells Yachiru to flee but she doesn’t move. Gremmy says it’s because he’s made her think her bones are made of chocolate chip cookies and will break if she moves.
Some of the other Stern Ritter believe that Gremmy should not have been released, the guy is far too unstable. And he proves them right by unleashing a meteor that is headed right toward them through the use of his imagination. But the meteor is real enough! Can Kenpachi handle this thing or is everyone doomed?
Most of the action in this volume centers around Kenpachi and Yachiru, and I, for one, am happy to see that. Especially Yachiru who is a great character but gets little story time. She and Kenny make a great pair! It’s always great to see the big guy in action. These Stern Ritter really get on my nerves. I will be so glad to see the last of them. Fun volume, looking forward to the next one, and biting my nails!
Gremmy seems to be impressed by the idea that Kenpachi is now the Kenpachi from Zaraki, and thinks he needs a grand stage so he erects a large block of stone for that purpose. Gremmy then boasts that he will kill Zaraki without lifting a finger, just by using what’s in his head. Kenpachi tells Yachiru to flee but she doesn’t move. Gremmy says it’s because he’s made her think her bones are made of chocolate chip cookies and will break if she moves.
Some of the other Stern Ritter believe that Gremmy should not have been released, the guy is far too unstable. And he proves them right by unleashing a meteor that is headed right toward them through the use of his imagination. But the meteor is real enough! Can Kenpachi handle this thing or is everyone doomed?
Most of the action in this volume centers around Kenpachi and Yachiru, and I, for one, am happy to see that. Especially Yachiru who is a great character but gets little story time. She and Kenny make a great pair! It’s always great to see the big guy in action. These Stern Ritter really get on my nerves. I will be so glad to see the last of them. Fun volume, looking forward to the next one, and biting my nails!
November 17, 2019
Bleach, Vol. 64 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next ten chapters (571–580) of the on-going manga series.
After being confronted by Yachiru Kusajishi with her Shikai Sanpo Kenjū, Guenael Lee is revealed to be a creation of the real Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux, who used his imagination to create a distraction so he can kill off Kensei Muguruma and Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi. Gremmy Thoumeaux proceeds to overwhelm Yachiru before facing Kenpachi Zaraki in a battle.
At one point of the battle, Gremmy summons a meteorite over Soul Society, but Kenpachi uses his Shikai "Nozarashi" to destroy it. Seeing that he can't defeat him, Gremmy decides to imagine himself powerful as him, but ends up being killed by his own imagination. However, Kenpachi's victory is short-lived when he and his Squad 11 subordinates are ambushed by Giselle Gewelle, revealed to be Sternritter "Z", and her three associates Sternritters "T" Candice Catnipp, "G" Liltotto Lamperd, and "P" Meninas McAllon.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The tankōbon continues the second invasion of the Seireitei by the Sternritter. The battles featuring secondary characters of the Seireitei and Sternritter continues with this being the third tankōbon in a row of these battles that doesn’t star any of the main protagonists' story and is beginning to get somewhat tiresome.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 64 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
After being confronted by Yachiru Kusajishi with her Shikai Sanpo Kenjū, Guenael Lee is revealed to be a creation of the real Sternritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux, who used his imagination to create a distraction so he can kill off Kensei Muguruma and Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi. Gremmy Thoumeaux proceeds to overwhelm Yachiru before facing Kenpachi Zaraki in a battle.
At one point of the battle, Gremmy summons a meteorite over Soul Society, but Kenpachi uses his Shikai "Nozarashi" to destroy it. Seeing that he can't defeat him, Gremmy decides to imagine himself powerful as him, but ends up being killed by his own imagination. However, Kenpachi's victory is short-lived when he and his Squad 11 subordinates are ambushed by Giselle Gewelle, revealed to be Sternritter "Z", and her three associates Sternritters "T" Candice Catnipp, "G" Liltotto Lamperd, and "P" Meninas McAllon.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The tankōbon continues the second invasion of the Seireitei by the Sternritter. The battles featuring secondary characters of the Seireitei and Sternritter continues with this being the third tankōbon in a row of these battles that doesn’t star any of the main protagonists' story and is beginning to get somewhat tiresome.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 64 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
September 13, 2020
A new enemy that uses weird "imagination" powers to fight steps up to go up against Kenpachi Zaraki, who... cuts things. That's it, he's the least "imagination" character in the series. So it's an interesting fight! But it's still just a fight, against a disposable villain, and even if the new villain's powers are interesting there's nothing about him that sticks with you and makes you engage with him. It's cool to see Zaraki fight but I wish the big reveal of his new shikai was in a fight that actually felt important.
Oh, and the big downside to this volume... the art. There are, of course, some nice shots of big epic powers and wonderfully detailed faces, but towards the end of the volume... the art starts to get bad. When characters show up they don't get some classic big splash page that's highly detailed and menacing, they looks like cardboard cut-outs tacked onto a bland gradient background. Tite Kubo hasn't always been the best at female character designs but there's now shadows, no depth to the images, it looks like a rough draft that got rushed out. Which is unfortunate, but as the series goes on this is going to start happening more and more often. Kubo draws great characters- but now all the Quincies are dressed in plain white and aren't that distinct (and there are so many Sternritter that show up and die within on battle so who cares enough to differentiate them). Kubo draws great faces- but now they look stoic. The art is slipping and that's been the major highlight of the series that holds it up when the story is a repetitive mess.
Oh, and the big downside to this volume... the art. There are, of course, some nice shots of big epic powers and wonderfully detailed faces, but towards the end of the volume... the art starts to get bad. When characters show up they don't get some classic big splash page that's highly detailed and menacing, they looks like cardboard cut-outs tacked onto a bland gradient background. Tite Kubo hasn't always been the best at female character designs but there's now shadows, no depth to the images, it looks like a rough draft that got rushed out. Which is unfortunate, but as the series goes on this is going to start happening more and more often. Kubo draws great characters- but now all the Quincies are dressed in plain white and aren't that distinct (and there are so many Sternritter that show up and die within on battle so who cares enough to differentiate them). Kubo draws great faces- but now they look stoic. The art is slipping and that's been the major highlight of the series that holds it up when the story is a repetitive mess.
March 19, 2023
At first I was a little apprehensive about these new Quincies and how their powers were so odd and unique. I would have assumed that Quincies would have evolved to use different forms of weapons after just using arrows, like guns, axes and swords. This volume made me appreciate how their powers are so creative and abstract. I loved seeing the two Quincies in this volume, one being able to vanish from existence and memory, and one who is able to reality warp. I think it was smart to be so creative with the Quincies powers, it gave the author much more flexibility with their imagination and where to take the story and these characters. I loved seeing Yachiru’s brief fight and her sword’s power, I love how this new story arc is fleshing out the secondary Soul Reaper characters and characters we never really had enough time with. Gremmy’s reality warping powers were interesting, and I love how his character design makes him look like a child, he reminded me of elementary school days where kids would play imagination games and make up new rules and powers on the spot to out play each other. Gremmy was probably one of my favourite Sternritter characters so far, he was a very creative character and I loved how his whole personality and being revolves around imagination. I liked how we got to see so many creative powers in this volume and I’m excited to see how they all come into play and what will come next.
May 27, 2024
At first I was a little apprehensive about these new Quincies and how their powers were so odd and unique. I would have assumed that Quincies would have evolved to use different forms of weapons after just using arrows, like guns, axes and swords. This volume made me appreciate how their powers are so creative and abstract. I loved seeing the two Quincies in this volume, one being able to vanish from existence and memory, and one who is able to reality warp. I think it was smart to be so creative with the Quincies powers, it gave the author much more flexibility with their imagination and where to take the story and these characters. I loved seeing Yachiru’s brief fight and her sword’s power, I love how this new story arc is fleshing out the secondary Soul Reaper characters and characters we never really had enough time with. Gremmy’s reality warping powers were interesting, and I love how his character design makes him look like a child, he reminded me of elementary school days where kids would play imagination games and make up new rules and powers on the spot to out play each other. Gremmy was probably one of my favourite Sternritter characters so far, he was a very creative character and I loved how his whole personality and being revolves around imagination. I liked how we got to see so many creative powers in this volume and I’m excited to see how they all come into play and what will come next.
March 13, 2023
It's getting hard to keep up with all these ridiculous characters. I really just can't stand the Sternritters. I love Kenpachi but like bruh. This fight felt like something out of the Fullbringer arc and honestly I just don't care too much for these villains. And now I'm gonna have to put up with Giselle and her dumb bullshit for a second time 😒.
Also, why the fuck is Momo still a vice captain?? Why was she ever there? I literally forget about her all the time and whenever she shows up she contributes nothing.
I understand this was written for Shonen and it's 15 years old but you really couldn't have women having more Ws? I've seen a thousand Kenpachi fights. I'm over it. Kinda feel like giving this a 2.5 tbh
Also, why the fuck is Momo still a vice captain?? Why was she ever there? I literally forget about her all the time and whenever she shows up she contributes nothing.
I understand this was written for Shonen and it's 15 years old but you really couldn't have women having more Ws? I've seen a thousand Kenpachi fights. I'm over it. Kinda feel like giving this a 2.5 tbh
March 27, 2024
And now I present a summary of this volume through the lens of the fears of The Magnus Archive:
- Avatar of the spiral/stranger
- then they yap for a bit and I come to the conclusion that we have entered the land of the too OP to be that enjoyable
- more of the spiral
- a bit of the slaughter
- the end
- the vast
- and the end again
And then we were introduced to an interesting assortment of ladies:
This was boring, everyone was too OP for there to be any stakes that matters in the slightest at any point in this volume.
- Avatar of the spiral/stranger
- then they yap for a bit and I come to the conclusion that we have entered the land of the too OP to be that enjoyable
- more of the spiral
- a bit of the slaughter
- the end
- the vast
- and the end again
And then we were introduced to an interesting assortment of ladies:
This was boring, everyone was too OP for there to be any stakes that matters in the slightest at any point in this volume.
January 30, 2025
The War continues to wage on between the Soul Reapers and the Quincies. Tite Kubo pushes some of the boundaries that he has created over the series and makes us sit tight on this rollercoaster ride of battles! Captain Zaraki’s to me is the pivotal battle of this volume. Not saying others aren’t significant, but it really felt impactful and seriously tough. This battle isn’t the greatest we have seen, but it definitely is impactful, jaw dropping and makes the book pages fly by. Another solid volume.
October 11, 2021
This arc was much more interesting than the Fullbring arc. We saw more from characters I care about more, and the deeper history of Soul Society was more interesting. I was disappointed in Uryu's limited role (greatly). I still think the Aizen arc was the way it should have ended, but this at least answered a few more critical questions and gave readers the ending they were really looking for, which might have been the point of these arcs to begin with.
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