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Bleach #23
Bleach 23: Mala Suerte!
Die Situation spitzt sich zu: Aizen plant seinen nächsten Schachzug und möchte Ichigo für seine Zwecke gewinnen. Doch nicht alle Arrancar sind auf seiner Seite und verfolgen ihre ganz eigenen Pläne. Es scheint, als sei eine Konfrontation zwischen Shinigami und Arrancar unausweichlich geworden...
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2006
106 people are currently reading
1260 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
June 22, 2023
Rukia and Ikkaku are awesome!! The Arrancars are in town and they’re wreaking havoc going after anybody with spiritual pressure!! They’re underestimating Ichigo and the others, but they’ll soon figure out they made a mistake.
June 21, 2024
"Everybody ready? There's no need to hold back. If they have any spiritual pressure at all... Kill them. Spare no one!"
Now that Ulquiorra and Yammy left, it seems like there will be some time to regroup, train, and think of a plan. After Ichigo said no to the idea of all of the Soul Society delegation squad sleeping in his house, they split up - Matsumoto (and Hitsugaya) left to bother Orihime, Renji went to Urahara's shop and Ikkaku and Yumichika left who knows where. The only one who stayed is Rukia. The atmosphere is quiet and peaceful - like silence before the storm.
The situation gets dangerous once again when an Arrancar named Grimmjow Jeagerjaques (and his squad) shows up. Just like Ulquiorra and Yammy before him, Grimmjow is no ordinary Hollow. He's one of the Espada members. It's not only Ichigo, Rukia and the other Soul Reapers who's in danger now. All of Ichigo's closest friends seem to be on the Arrancars' hit list.
"Arrancar no. 6, Grimmjow! Nice to meet you, Soul Reaper!"
I have to admit that it's a big joy for me to see Grimmjow 🥰 He's a bad guy, there is no doubt about it, but I can't help, but really like him. He's not only one of my favorite Hollow characters, he's also one of my favorite Bleach characters in general. He's kind of like Zaraki, but on the Hollow side 😆 They share the same brain cell when it comes to the need of fighting and the instinct of finding the strongest opponent. You can say that an other certain Espada member is more like Zaraki, but, despite also sharing the need to fight, the Espada member, that shall be not named yet (no spoilers, don't worry), is cruel, while Zaraki is not. Grimmjow isn't either. There is also one thing that both Grimmjow and Zaraki share - the obsession with fighting against Ichigo 😂
"What if he dies?!"
"Then I suppose... he'll die happy."
Anyways, while Grimmjow and his squad appear in the Karakura Town and the fights start, Volume 23 mostly focuses on the battle between Ikkaku and an Arrancar named Edorad. It shows not only how insane Ikkaku is (and looks) when he fights, or how strong Ikkaku truly is, but also how the Hollow Zanpakuto release looks like. Everything in the manga seem to be more impressive in comparison to the anime and this fight isn't an exception. I'm very excited to see the rest of the fights (especially the Ichigo vs Grimmjow one!) in the manga version, so I'm jumping into Volume 24 immediately! 🤩
P.S.
I can see ghosts. I can touch them and speak to them. They just disappear like this sometimes. I never know what happens to them. There's something they leave behind... spots of blood that only I can see... and the faint smell of fear. No matter how strong I get, I can't protect them. The realization cuts my heart like a cold steel.
Volume 23 also has two little side stories - one with Ichigo, and other with Rukia and Renji. The one with Ichigo killed me. While I remember the one with Rukia and Renji, I do not remember the Ichigo one being in the anime. It probably wasn't animated because of the change they made in the first episode (with the ghost girl instead of the ghost boy that was in the manga). Anyways, all I want to say is that, I did not think that I could love Ichigo more than I did, but the little manga moments like this one proves me wrong. And I have a message for all the Ichigo haters out there - you all should be ashamed of yourself. How can you think that it's a shame for an MC to not have any big dream and just want to protect the one in need?
Some of my thoughts I like to share: (feel free to ignore)
~ The scene of Ulquiorra taking out his eye creeped me out much more in the manga than it did in the anime 🫣
~ The fact that Ulquiorra didn't receive the order to kill Ichigo immediately, is Aizen's biggest mistake 🤭
~ Rukia doing a whole theater performance to make Isshin and Yuzu agree for her to stay in their house (and Ichigo's deadpan face) was hilarious. When will she receive her Oscar nomination, ha? 😂
~ SHE WANTED TO SLEEP IN HIS CLOSET AGAIN, NOOOOOO *tears* *tears* *tears*
~ Orihime having a whole scene having a breakdown in front of Matsumoto should make me feel sorry for her... except it didn't. Why is she focusing on Ichigo and Rukia? Doesn't she have any other (and way bigger) problems to think about? 🤨 She's living all alone, without anyone to share her burdens with. Her brother is dead, while her parents were abusive. Ishida lost his powers and could be all dying of depression now (she does not know that he had found a way to become a Quincy again), and Chad got beaten up. Why isn't she focusing on that? Also, also the big danger is coming for both the world of living and the Soul Society. Shouldn't her main priority be, I don't know, TRAINING maybe, instead of crying in the bathroom over something she does not have any control over? 😐 Btw, she did notice that Ichigo had been feeling down, but did absolutely nothing with it, just making sad faces and throwing sad glances in his direction. If it wasn't for Rukia's intervention, Ichigo would still be drowning in guilt 🙄
~ Did anyone notice that, when Grimmjow refered to people with any spiritual pressure, the only focus of the Arrancars were Ichigo and his friends? Karakura is the town with the highest amount of people with spiritual pressure (it's confirmed later on when the war starts) and all the bad guys focus on are Ichigo and his friends only? 🤨
~ Poor Chad. I get that he wanted to help, but he really wasn't in any condition to fight. Heck, even if he was fully healed, he wouldn't be much of a help for Ichigo.
~ Why didn't Rukia stop Chappy when she basically tried to break Ichigo's arms off? My poor boy 😂
~ I find it amazing that Rukia's sword is white while Ichigo's (in the Bankai mode) is black. They are like Ying and Yang!
~ I admire Yumichika for just standing back and watching, while his best friend is fighting for his life. He knew that a battle is Ikkaku's joy of life and that's why he didn't interfere, but still, it had to be very hard to stand back.
Now that Ulquiorra and Yammy left, it seems like there will be some time to regroup, train, and think of a plan. After Ichigo said no to the idea of all of the Soul Society delegation squad sleeping in his house, they split up - Matsumoto (and Hitsugaya) left to bother Orihime, Renji went to Urahara's shop and Ikkaku and Yumichika left who knows where. The only one who stayed is Rukia. The atmosphere is quiet and peaceful - like silence before the storm.
The situation gets dangerous once again when an Arrancar named Grimmjow Jeagerjaques (and his squad) shows up. Just like Ulquiorra and Yammy before him, Grimmjow is no ordinary Hollow. He's one of the Espada members. It's not only Ichigo, Rukia and the other Soul Reapers who's in danger now. All of Ichigo's closest friends seem to be on the Arrancars' hit list.
"Arrancar no. 6, Grimmjow! Nice to meet you, Soul Reaper!"
I have to admit that it's a big joy for me to see Grimmjow 🥰 He's a bad guy, there is no doubt about it, but I can't help, but really like him. He's not only one of my favorite Hollow characters, he's also one of my favorite Bleach characters in general. He's kind of like Zaraki, but on the Hollow side 😆 They share the same brain cell when it comes to the need of fighting and the instinct of finding the strongest opponent. You can say that an other certain Espada member is more like Zaraki, but, despite also sharing the need to fight, the Espada member, that shall be not named yet (no spoilers, don't worry), is cruel, while Zaraki is not. Grimmjow isn't either. There is also one thing that both Grimmjow and Zaraki share - the obsession with fighting against Ichigo 😂
"What if he dies?!"
"Then I suppose... he'll die happy."
Anyways, while Grimmjow and his squad appear in the Karakura Town and the fights start, Volume 23 mostly focuses on the battle between Ikkaku and an Arrancar named Edorad. It shows not only how insane Ikkaku is (and looks) when he fights, or how strong Ikkaku truly is, but also how the Hollow Zanpakuto release looks like. Everything in the manga seem to be more impressive in comparison to the anime and this fight isn't an exception. I'm very excited to see the rest of the fights (especially the Ichigo vs Grimmjow one!) in the manga version, so I'm jumping into Volume 24 immediately! 🤩
P.S.
I can see ghosts. I can touch them and speak to them. They just disappear like this sometimes. I never know what happens to them. There's something they leave behind... spots of blood that only I can see... and the faint smell of fear. No matter how strong I get, I can't protect them. The realization cuts my heart like a cold steel.
Volume 23 also has two little side stories - one with Ichigo, and other with Rukia and Renji. The one with Ichigo killed me. While I remember the one with Rukia and Renji, I do not remember the Ichigo one being in the anime. It probably wasn't animated because of the change they made in the first episode (with the ghost girl instead of the ghost boy that was in the manga). Anyways, all I want to say is that, I did not think that I could love Ichigo more than I did, but the little manga moments like this one proves me wrong. And I have a message for all the Ichigo haters out there - you all should be ashamed of yourself. How can you think that it's a shame for an MC to not have any big dream and just want to protect the one in need?
Some of my thoughts I like to share: (feel free to ignore)
~ The scene of Ulquiorra taking out his eye creeped me out much more in the manga than it did in the anime 🫣
~ The fact that Ulquiorra didn't receive the order to kill Ichigo immediately, is Aizen's biggest mistake 🤭
~ Rukia doing a whole theater performance to make Isshin and Yuzu agree for her to stay in their house (and Ichigo's deadpan face) was hilarious. When will she receive her Oscar nomination, ha? 😂
~ SHE WANTED TO SLEEP IN HIS CLOSET AGAIN, NOOOOOO *tears* *tears* *tears*
~ Orihime having a whole scene having a breakdown in front of Matsumoto should make me feel sorry for her... except it didn't. Why is she focusing on Ichigo and Rukia? Doesn't she have any other (and way bigger) problems to think about? 🤨 She's living all alone, without anyone to share her burdens with. Her brother is dead, while her parents were abusive. Ishida lost his powers and could be all dying of depression now (she does not know that he had found a way to become a Quincy again), and Chad got beaten up. Why isn't she focusing on that? Also, also the big danger is coming for both the world of living and the Soul Society. Shouldn't her main priority be, I don't know, TRAINING maybe, instead of crying in the bathroom over something she does not have any control over? 😐 Btw, she did notice that Ichigo had been feeling down, but did absolutely nothing with it, just making sad faces and throwing sad glances in his direction. If it wasn't for Rukia's intervention, Ichigo would still be drowning in guilt 🙄
~ Did anyone notice that, when Grimmjow refered to people with any spiritual pressure, the only focus of the Arrancars were Ichigo and his friends? Karakura is the town with the highest amount of people with spiritual pressure (it's confirmed later on when the war starts) and all the bad guys focus on are Ichigo and his friends only? 🤨
~ Poor Chad. I get that he wanted to help, but he really wasn't in any condition to fight. Heck, even if he was fully healed, he wouldn't be much of a help for Ichigo.
~ Why didn't Rukia stop Chappy when she basically tried to break Ichigo's arms off? My poor boy 😂
~ I find it amazing that Rukia's sword is white while Ichigo's (in the Bankai mode) is black. They are like Ying and Yang!
~ I admire Yumichika for just standing back and watching, while his best friend is fighting for his life. He knew that a battle is Ikkaku's joy of life and that's why he didn't interfere, but still, it had to be very hard to stand back.
April 18, 2021
I love reading this manga so much. I loved this volume. I'm also happy that the filler seasons were not included...so now I am technically in season 5. Reading this still makes me want to rewatch the show...but I just finished it last year. Gonna wait a while and then do a rewatch. I know they are making a live action movie...hopefully that gets people interested in the anime enough for them to make more episodes. I'm annoyed that this show was cancelled. I love Bleach so much! Well anyway...review to come eventually. (P.S. All the volumes are running together for me now. When I may have to reread details for the volumes I read earlier.)
December 9, 2020
Well Grimjaw shows up and shit gets real.
Grimjaw brings a bunch of his psycho friends to kill everyone with spirit energy. Rukia and Ichigo work together as well as other fighters spread across the city. Big battles happen here, Rukia showing off her weapon, and a brutal one on one that ends in a explosive finale. Overall, this is pure action volume but one that is entertaining throughout. A 4 out of 5.
Grimjaw brings a bunch of his psycho friends to kill everyone with spirit energy. Rukia and Ichigo work together as well as other fighters spread across the city. Big battles happen here, Rukia showing off her weapon, and a brutal one on one that ends in a explosive finale. Overall, this is pure action volume but one that is entertaining throughout. A 4 out of 5.
August 9, 2022
only like 200 chapters in to see rukia do the thing, it’s fine, I’m fine
August 31, 2023
Gli Arrancar sono davvero tanta roba 🔝❤️🔥
October 26, 2022
These Arrancar are strong!! Also absolutely love Ikkaku.
December 28, 2025
If I cannot protect them from the wheel... then give me a strong blade... and enough strength to shatter fate.
This volume was so fun! I loved to see the new characters!
This volume was so fun! I loved to see the new characters!
December 17, 2016
I can't believe I've read like 23 volumes of this manga! I've always wanted to read something this long! :)
July 30, 2019
Bleach, Vol. 23 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next eight chapters (198–205) of the on-going manga series with two additional bonus stories.
After Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Riyalgo are debrief their mission to Sōsuke Aizen and his inner circle, including other high-ranked Arrancars known as Espada, the impulsive Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez decides to invade Karakura Town to kill any spiritual powered human with his fracción subordinates: Arrancar 12 Shawlong Qufang, Arrancar 13 Edorad Leones, Arrancar 14 Ilfort Grantz, Arrancar 15 Nakim Greendina and Arrancar 16 D-Roy Linker.
Yasutora "Chad" Sado is attacked by D-Roy, who quickly is killed by Rukia Kuchiki with her restored Soul Reaper powers and her zanpakutō "Sode no Shirayuki". However, Grimmjow arrives and easily defeats Rukia before Ichigo Kurosaki takes over the fight.
Meanwhile, Ichigo's classmate Keigo Asano ends up witnessing Ikkaku Madarame's fight against Edorad as the confident and self-determined Soul Reaper is forced to use his Bankai: Ryūmon Hōzukimaru.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. It delves further into the structure of the Arrancar society and how they are grouped – numeric order of powers where the lower the number the stronger the Arrancar. It is rather interesting enemy for the Soul Reapers – an evolution of the Hallow, which they have been fighting for a long time.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 23 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
After Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Riyalgo are debrief their mission to Sōsuke Aizen and his inner circle, including other high-ranked Arrancars known as Espada, the impulsive Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez decides to invade Karakura Town to kill any spiritual powered human with his fracción subordinates: Arrancar 12 Shawlong Qufang, Arrancar 13 Edorad Leones, Arrancar 14 Ilfort Grantz, Arrancar 15 Nakim Greendina and Arrancar 16 D-Roy Linker.
Yasutora "Chad" Sado is attacked by D-Roy, who quickly is killed by Rukia Kuchiki with her restored Soul Reaper powers and her zanpakutō "Sode no Shirayuki". However, Grimmjow arrives and easily defeats Rukia before Ichigo Kurosaki takes over the fight.
Meanwhile, Ichigo's classmate Keigo Asano ends up witnessing Ikkaku Madarame's fight against Edorad as the confident and self-determined Soul Reaper is forced to use his Bankai: Ryūmon Hōzukimaru.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. It delves further into the structure of the Arrancar society and how they are grouped – numeric order of powers where the lower the number the stronger the Arrancar. It is rather interesting enemy for the Soul Reapers – an evolution of the Hallow, which they have been fighting for a long time.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 23 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
August 7, 2025
After a very short 2.5 year hiatus… whoops… I’ve made a return to Bleach!
Hot off the trailblazing ending of the Soul Society arc and an introduction of the Visored’s, we’re ushered into what I think is the pinnacle of Bleach. Soul Society is special, Fake Karakura Town is special, but when I think of Bleach… I think of the Arrancar arc. I think of the Soul Reaper captain’s all standing next to each other at a meeting in the SS Arc being paralleled by the Arrancar all sitting around a table in Hueco Mundo in the Arrancar arc. Can’t have what Bleach is and later becomes without this arc and these characters. Prepare for shameless, biased glazing.
A lot to chew on. On the forefront, Visored’s and Arrancar shake up the hierarchy of power. Yammy and Edorad get the most screen time but Ulquiorra and Grimmjow are given their first appearances and that’s the real highlight. Also, Rukia and Ikkaku’s bankai. Heck yeah.
Underneath is the oft overlooked subplots that Kubo subtly cooks - Ichigo struggling with White and the fact he couldn’t protect others. Orihime being jealous of Rukia also takes clearer form here. It’s needed for Orihime’s character to not just be a brainlet. My two cents: she should be jealous of Rukia, my raven-haired queen.
Things shape up for the next big arc and this is everything you read Bleach for - big swords, big monsters, fighting in the sky that levels buildings and creates plumes of smoke. All wonderfully drawn by Kubo. Feels good to be back.
Hot off the trailblazing ending of the Soul Society arc and an introduction of the Visored’s, we’re ushered into what I think is the pinnacle of Bleach. Soul Society is special, Fake Karakura Town is special, but when I think of Bleach… I think of the Arrancar arc. I think of the Soul Reaper captain’s all standing next to each other at a meeting in the SS Arc being paralleled by the Arrancar all sitting around a table in Hueco Mundo in the Arrancar arc. Can’t have what Bleach is and later becomes without this arc and these characters. Prepare for shameless, biased glazing.
A lot to chew on. On the forefront, Visored’s and Arrancar shake up the hierarchy of power. Yammy and Edorad get the most screen time but Ulquiorra and Grimmjow are given their first appearances and that’s the real highlight. Also, Rukia and Ikkaku’s bankai. Heck yeah.
Underneath is the oft overlooked subplots that Kubo subtly cooks - Ichigo struggling with White and the fact he couldn’t protect others. Orihime being jealous of Rukia also takes clearer form here. It’s needed for Orihime’s character to not just be a brainlet. My two cents: she should be jealous of Rukia, my raven-haired queen.
Things shape up for the next big arc and this is everything you read Bleach for - big swords, big monsters, fighting in the sky that levels buildings and creates plumes of smoke. All wonderfully drawn by Kubo. Feels good to be back.
July 17, 2025
Ha estado bien, pero el final ha sido un poco anticlimático. Es como los extras que ponían al final del ending en el anime 🤣🤣🤣. De hecho estoy segura de que eso se adaptó.
Esta parte es de mis favoritas del arco de Hueco Mundo. Es la primera toma de contacto con los arrancar (lo de Ulquiorra y Yami no cuenta porque no pelean de verdad) y los buenos parecen muy impotentes ante la situación. So exciting!!!
Esta parte es de mis favoritas del arco de Hueco Mundo. Es la primera toma de contacto con los arrancar (lo de Ulquiorra y Yami no cuenta porque no pelean de verdad) y los buenos parecen muy impotentes ante la situación. So exciting!!!
December 22, 2025
This volume was fire! We have the arrancars coming to town and wreaking havoc but Rukia and Ikkaku are kicking serious butt.
Ichigo and the rest of the team are starting to get into the heat of the battle as well, and Grimmjow has stepped on to the scene.
Super excited for the next volume!
Ichigo and the rest of the team are starting to get into the heat of the battle as well, and Grimmjow has stepped on to the scene.
Super excited for the next volume!
October 19, 2022
I’m excited to see how the arankar challenge everyone.
January 24, 2023
God Kubo really wants me to ship the two girls w big titties huh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2024
The arrancars artwork is STUNNING. How can you not be obsessed. I loved finally seeing some of Rukia’s “powers”. And we love a good bankai being revealed
September 2, 2024
I didn’t really understand how this ended. Rukia was great in this, very badass and cool but I felt lost the last like 1/4th.
October 7, 2022
Badass.
Finally we see Grim, ugh <3
Finally we see Grim, ugh <3
July 19, 2025
ikkaku hairline 🤫
February 12, 2025
This volume starts out slow with characters pairing off to spend the night together, err I mean find a place to sleep or live as the Soul Reapers visiting the world of the living might be there a while. Rukia is sad to learn she is expected to sleep in the girls room. Rangiku heads over to Orihime's place (she is to nice to turn Rangiku away). Rangiku takes a bath and then while nude tickle attacks Orihime.
Then a group of actual Arrancars show up. The fighting commences "for real" this time. It is a good bit of fighting and we learn a bit about the new villains and the visiting soul reapers. It is not going well for the good guys.
Then a group of actual Arrancars show up. The fighting commences "for real" this time. It is a good bit of fighting and we learn a bit about the new villains and the visiting soul reapers. It is not going well for the good guys.
June 25, 2019
OMG so many ships!
- Ichigo + Orihime
- Orihime + Uryu
- Renji + Rukia (my OTP 😆)
- Rukia + Ichigo
*sighhh how amazing 😍😍 Plus there is always the amazing art ❤️❤️ I love Bleach 🙌
- Ichigo + Orihime
- Orihime + Uryu
- Renji + Rukia (my OTP 😆)
- Rukia + Ichigo
*sighhh how amazing 😍😍 Plus there is always the amazing art ❤️❤️ I love Bleach 🙌
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2024
VOLUME 23: CHAPTER 198-205
Arc 4: Arrancar: The Arrival
After hearing Ulquiorra's report, Arrancar 6, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez dispatched to human world along with other 5 Fracciónes:
i. Arrancar 11: Shawlong Koufang
ii. Arrancar 13: Edorad Leones
iii. Arrancar 14: Nakeem Grindina
iv. Arrancar 15: Ilfort Grantz
v. Arrancar 16: Di Roy Rinker.
Hitsugaya and Rangiku confronted Shawlong and Nakeem. Renji confronted Ilfort. Chad confronted Di Roy but Ichigo appears to save him. Rukia fights Di Roy instead and she released her Shikai: Sode no Shirayuki. Instantly, Rukia defeats Di Roy. Suddenly, Grimmjow appears before them.
Ikkaku confronted Edorad. Edorad released his Zanpakutou: Volcánica. When an Arrancar release their Zanpakutou, it will release their true power and true form. Ikkaku was beaten and then he released his Bankai: Ryuumon Houzukimaru.
Arc 4: Arrancar: The Arrival
After hearing Ulquiorra's report, Arrancar 6, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez dispatched to human world along with other 5 Fracciónes:
i. Arrancar 11: Shawlong Koufang
ii. Arrancar 13: Edorad Leones
iii. Arrancar 14: Nakeem Grindina
iv. Arrancar 15: Ilfort Grantz
v. Arrancar 16: Di Roy Rinker.
Hitsugaya and Rangiku confronted Shawlong and Nakeem. Renji confronted Ilfort. Chad confronted Di Roy but Ichigo appears to save him. Rukia fights Di Roy instead and she released her Shikai: Sode no Shirayuki. Instantly, Rukia defeats Di Roy. Suddenly, Grimmjow appears before them.
Ikkaku confronted Edorad. Edorad released his Zanpakutou: Volcánica. When an Arrancar release their Zanpakutou, it will release their true power and true form. Ikkaku was beaten and then he released his Bankai: Ryuumon Houzukimaru.
December 5, 2020
Its a good start, as the Arankaru start to appear in Karakura town, its upto the Soul Reapers to defend the city from them and we get some interesting revelations about them and who they are. Plus Ikkaku has a great moment where he is fighting EDORADO and unleashes his Ban kai just showing his real power and its crazy. Also we have two prequel point issues about Rukia and Ichigo before they meet and next up: Ichigo vs Grimjow! Good volume and has some solid moments!
May 25, 2015
Můj přítel (dle knižního tagu) se tu pěkně rozjel a konečně ukázal svůj bankai. Bravo, Ikkaku. Tyhle části si neuvěřitelně užívám, protože je konečně na scéně Grimmíček a můžu si užít i Szayelova bratra Ilforta. Grimmy box do Jahody se blíží ♥
April 9, 2020
Grimmjow the type I would beg for a dm back
January 12, 2025
The cliffhanger in those extra chapters at the end was cruel 😭
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.
October 15, 2020
All is not well with Aizen’s group, when Ulquiorra makes his report, explaining why he did not kill Ichigo and the others. Grimmjow maintains that he is weak, perhaps afraid, while Ulquiorra maintains that perhaps Ichigo will be of use to them in the future.
Back in the World of the Living, Ichigo informs the Soul Reapers that they are not welcome to stay in his tiny room (or his home) and they are responsible for finding their own digs for as long as they are on assignment there. Matsumoto asks Orihime if she can stay with her, Ikkaku and Yumichika strike out on their own, and Renji decides to head to Uruhara’s place. Ichigo explains to Rukia why she can’t stay with him anymore, since his family have seen her, but she manages to circumvent his objection and get herself invited to stay, to his chagrin.
Aware of the presence of the Soul Reapers in Kakura Town, Grimmjow receives the orders he was hoping for—take a few of the other Arrancars and kill anyone with even a hint of spiritual pressure. When Ichigo and Rukia come face to face with their first Arrancar, Ichigo makes the startling discovery that Rukia has her spiritual pressure back! She proceeds to demonstrate what she can do with her unusual white sword.
The Arrancars have split up to pursue individual targets, and Ikkaku finds himself fighting Edarod, a fight which he swears will be to the death, whether his or the other’s. Yumichiki contacts the Soul Society to give them certain instructions, including orders for Ikkaku’s funeral!
In bonus stories, we get glimpses of the characters set prior to this time, and we get our first look at the Society of Female Soul Reapers.
The plot thickens as the Arrancars, aka Aizen’s Dream Team, are thrown into the mix. And they have just begun… I keep wondering what makes Aizen so appealing that people just automatically do what he tells them? And yet they do.
I love the scene with Rukia and Ichigo’s family where she sweet talks them into letting her stay there. I notice that in the manga there is more about Orihime’s feelings for Ichigo then in the anime, at least in my opinion. In fact, she is very jealous of Rukia and how close they seem. I wonder if that will end differently in the manga, since nothing happened in the anime in that regard.
There is an ongoing story between chapters involving Kon, who being Kon, has taken over Hanamoto’s body. I love this characterization of Ichigo: “No matter how strong I get, I can’t protect them (in reference to the spirits he can see). The realization cuts my heart like cold steel.” This is Ichigo all over, and is probably the largest motivating factor for everything he has done or will do, his overwhelming need to protect everyone, especially his friends and family. This is what drives him, what keeps him going… and what ensures he will never give up, never surrender.
Also in the bonus stories is a teaser concerning Renji and Rukia that I hope to see more of. Another great volume of bleach, looking forward to the next one!
Back in the World of the Living, Ichigo informs the Soul Reapers that they are not welcome to stay in his tiny room (or his home) and they are responsible for finding their own digs for as long as they are on assignment there. Matsumoto asks Orihime if she can stay with her, Ikkaku and Yumichika strike out on their own, and Renji decides to head to Uruhara’s place. Ichigo explains to Rukia why she can’t stay with him anymore, since his family have seen her, but she manages to circumvent his objection and get herself invited to stay, to his chagrin.
Aware of the presence of the Soul Reapers in Kakura Town, Grimmjow receives the orders he was hoping for—take a few of the other Arrancars and kill anyone with even a hint of spiritual pressure. When Ichigo and Rukia come face to face with their first Arrancar, Ichigo makes the startling discovery that Rukia has her spiritual pressure back! She proceeds to demonstrate what she can do with her unusual white sword.
The Arrancars have split up to pursue individual targets, and Ikkaku finds himself fighting Edarod, a fight which he swears will be to the death, whether his or the other’s. Yumichiki contacts the Soul Society to give them certain instructions, including orders for Ikkaku’s funeral!
In bonus stories, we get glimpses of the characters set prior to this time, and we get our first look at the Society of Female Soul Reapers.
The plot thickens as the Arrancars, aka Aizen’s Dream Team, are thrown into the mix. And they have just begun… I keep wondering what makes Aizen so appealing that people just automatically do what he tells them? And yet they do.
I love the scene with Rukia and Ichigo’s family where she sweet talks them into letting her stay there. I notice that in the manga there is more about Orihime’s feelings for Ichigo then in the anime, at least in my opinion. In fact, she is very jealous of Rukia and how close they seem. I wonder if that will end differently in the manga, since nothing happened in the anime in that regard.
There is an ongoing story between chapters involving Kon, who being Kon, has taken over Hanamoto’s body. I love this characterization of Ichigo: “No matter how strong I get, I can’t protect them (in reference to the spirits he can see). The realization cuts my heart like cold steel.” This is Ichigo all over, and is probably the largest motivating factor for everything he has done or will do, his overwhelming need to protect everyone, especially his friends and family. This is what drives him, what keeps him going… and what ensures he will never give up, never surrender.
Also in the bonus stories is a teaser concerning Renji and Rukia that I hope to see more of. Another great volume of bleach, looking forward to the next one!
April 25, 2020
This Bleach arc, which has been pretty lowkey the last few volumes, finally feels like it kicks off for real here in v.23. This has always been an arc I love, and it's nice to start getting into the meat of things.
A rogue group of Arrancars decide it's time to eradicate anyone with a hint of spiritual power. That, of course, includes most of our regular stable of heroes (Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, and their broader circle of acquaintances), and, with the arrival of soul reapers from Soul Society (who appeared in v.22), automatically includes them as well. This volume gets some additional prelim stuff out of the way, brings on the Arrancars, and divvies them up between our protagonists.
We do get a couple of battles here. It's great to see Rukia in action again, seeing her talents against higher level foes for the first time. Whatshisname (the baldy on the cover; too lazy too look up his actual name) gets into a pretty spicy battle and we get to see his bankai. It's a tantalizing start to a series of battles with a group of protagonists I adore.
There's also some friendship tension here between Ichigo and Chad that I'm curious to see play out. It's an understandable tension, given our understanding of their respective levels--and Ichigo's inability to see unspoken signs.
A really good volume that finally puts us back in the heat of the moment--which is, of course, Bleach's bread and butter.
A rogue group of Arrancars decide it's time to eradicate anyone with a hint of spiritual power. That, of course, includes most of our regular stable of heroes (Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, and their broader circle of acquaintances), and, with the arrival of soul reapers from Soul Society (who appeared in v.22), automatically includes them as well. This volume gets some additional prelim stuff out of the way, brings on the Arrancars, and divvies them up between our protagonists.
We do get a couple of battles here. It's great to see Rukia in action again, seeing her talents against higher level foes for the first time. Whatshisname (the baldy on the cover; too lazy too look up his actual name) gets into a pretty spicy battle and we get to see his bankai. It's a tantalizing start to a series of battles with a group of protagonists I adore.
There's also some friendship tension here between Ichigo and Chad that I'm curious to see play out. It's an understandable tension, given our understanding of their respective levels--and Ichigo's inability to see unspoken signs.
A really good volume that finally puts us back in the heat of the moment--which is, of course, Bleach's bread and butter.
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