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Bleach #14
Bleach, Volume 14
White Tower Rocks
Ichigo and Yoruichi race to save Ichigo's friends from Rukia's cold-blooded brother, Byakuya Kukichi. They arrive to find Ganju in tatters, and Rukia with him. Ichigo is bent on defeating her brother this time, but he is nowhere near prepared. Can he learn decades' worth of skill in just a matter of days?
Ichigo and Yoruichi race to save Ichigo's friends from Rukia's cold-blooded brother, Byakuya Kukichi. They arrive to find Ganju in tatters, and Rukia with him. Ichigo is bent on defeating her brother this time, but he is nowhere near prepared. Can he learn decades' worth of skill in just a matter of days?
208 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2006
116 people are currently reading
2683 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
June 8, 2023
Ichigo was so close, but he’s not ready so it’s time to learn how to achieve Bankai in three days. Mayuri Kurotsuchi has got to be the most evil captain we’ve seen so far and Uryū is not gonna let this go after what he did. Let’s go Uryū!!
June 3, 2024
"Three days. I'll make him stronger than you in three days. I know it's self-serving, but I'm declaring a truce until then. Chase me if you wish. "Flash Master" Yoruichi will not be captured by the likes of you."
Volume 14 has some incredibly emotional moments. All of them were known by me since I watched the anime, but despite that fact, it still had a bit impact on me, even bigger than when I saw it in the anime.
"Are you deaf? I told you to disappear."
"Save it, rich boy! I don't care if you are some hotshot nobleman! I'm a Shiba! There isn't a coward among us, who'd be scared off that easily!"
"A Shiba? So you're one of them. Then I apologize for dismissing you. You will not leave here alive."
I have a deep admiration for both Ganju and Hanataro. They risked all for Ichigo (and vice versa) and now, after realizing what a great danger they found themselves in (in the form of Byakuya), they were both ready to fight, despite being scared out of their minds. At first, Ganju wanted to let go of the mission of saving Rukia and beg for his life, but after seeing Hanataro bravely standing up to the upcoming danger (and knowing that he doesn't stand a chance), he changed his mind and decided to protect Hanataro and Rukia with his life. There was no way of escape, so he didn't have any choice anyway, but it's still incredibly admirable, if you remember what a big hatred he has for the Soul Reapers. Now he was ready to protect not only one, but two of them while putting his own life in the line. And his opponent was no one else than one of the most powerful Soul Reapers alive.
P.S. why is Byakuya having a beef with the Shiba family? I never understood it his utter hatred for members of this family.
"Wait, Ichigo! What are you going to do?!"
"Ganju and Hanataro were heading there! If I don't go, who's gonna save them?!"
First of all, Yoruichi's true form got revealed. I know that most of the people will say how sexy she is, and I agree, but, please, guys, do not overlook the fact that she's also very, very adorable! I never thought of her this way while watching the anime - for me she was an incredibly powerful Soul Reaper that Ichigo's lucky to have by his side - but she's so cute in the manga! I love it!
Second of all, the Ichigo/Yoruichi scene when Yoruichi revealed her true form, was hilarious. My poor boy nearly got a nose bleed!
Third of all, this is such an Ichigo thing to do that, even after being heavily injured, he got up and took off to save his friends. Again, he was HEAVILY INJURED (after his fight with Zaraki), NEARLY DIED, and decided to involve himself in a fight ONCE AGAIN, just because he knew that his friends are in danger. He couldn't do much against a Captain, that had to be obvious to him, but he still decided to fight. This is the guy I'm in love with, people!
Four of all, ICHIGO'S ENTRANCES ARE ALWAYS ICONIC, BOTH IN THE ANIME AND THE MANGA. The "Number One" (my current favorite) song played in my head immediately! So, so cool!
"Rukia... I've come to rescue you."
ICHIGO AND RUKIA REUNION HAPPENED!! I knew that it was coming (of course), but I still got incredibly emotional when I saw them together again! But, hey, where is Ichigo's iconic "Yo"? Is this word only reserved for the anime? :(
"What's with that face?! I came all the way here to help you! You could at least smile."
"You fool. I told you not to come. I told you not to come after me!"
Ichigo's and Rukia's face expressions after they met each other again killed me. And their bickering scene was not only hilarious, but it also made me laugh through tears. I missed these two and their dynamic so much.
P.S. the little scene of Rukia seeing Kaien in Ichigo is very special to me. I know why it was there - because of the future Rukia storyline that will show her background - but now that I know some spoilers, I couldn't help, but cry even more than I originally did. I wish that Ichigo and Kaien met. I wish that things were different :(
"It can't be helped. Once a grenade is thrown... it shouldn't come flying back."
DID I ALREADY SAY THAT MAYURI IS A DISGUSTING PIECE OF SH!T?! BECAUSE HE IS A DISGUSTING PIECE OF SH!T!
Sorry for the curses, but ABSOLUTELY HATE this person! He's one of the few Bleach characters that I would cut out of the story without a blink of an eye. He's disgusting and terrifying and I hate him! How is Soul Society tolerating this individual is truly beyond me. He's more ruthless than Zaraki and has the guts to make disgusting faces when Zaraki is around!
Somehow I completely forgot about the Ishida vs Mayuri fight and got shocked when Mayuri had showed up. It's one of the best Bleach fights, I should be truly ashamed! Anyways, while I already saw it and knew what will happen, this fight still had shaken me to the core. The anime, being much less bloody than the manga, didn't show the true gruesome events that happened because of Mayuri's intervention. I mean, the nameless Soul Reapers from Squad 10 had still blown up, but I WAS NOT READY FOR THE BLOODY DETAILS. It was awful, awful, truly truly awful to see and I cried along with Orihime, because no one, absolutely no one deserves a death like this. And the little image of Ishida's master reflected on Uryuu's glasses (because of the photo)?! It was not shown in the anime and for the first time I'm grateful that something was cut! I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE! I REALLY DIDN'T WANT! I DIDN'T WANNA KNOW THE DETAILS! Poor, poor grandfather! 😰
Now that Ichigo's got saved from an instant death by Byakuya's hand, he will have to get through an intense training with Yoruichi as his master. He has only three days to get stronger, so he could save not only Rukia, but all his friends. Both Ganju and Hanataro are now taken by the Soul Reapers while Ishida is fighting Mayuri (and Chad's state is unknown). Will Ichigo make it? Will Ishida win against the crazy Captain? Will Rukia be saved? (I already know all the answers to these questions, but I'm still excited to see it in the manga! ;))
Volume 14 has some incredibly emotional moments. All of them were known by me since I watched the anime, but despite that fact, it still had a bit impact on me, even bigger than when I saw it in the anime.
"Are you deaf? I told you to disappear."
"Save it, rich boy! I don't care if you are some hotshot nobleman! I'm a Shiba! There isn't a coward among us, who'd be scared off that easily!"
"A Shiba? So you're one of them. Then I apologize for dismissing you. You will not leave here alive."
I have a deep admiration for both Ganju and Hanataro. They risked all for Ichigo (and vice versa) and now, after realizing what a great danger they found themselves in (in the form of Byakuya), they were both ready to fight, despite being scared out of their minds. At first, Ganju wanted to let go of the mission of saving Rukia and beg for his life, but after seeing Hanataro bravely standing up to the upcoming danger (and knowing that he doesn't stand a chance), he changed his mind and decided to protect Hanataro and Rukia with his life. There was no way of escape, so he didn't have any choice anyway, but it's still incredibly admirable, if you remember what a big hatred he has for the Soul Reapers. Now he was ready to protect not only one, but two of them while putting his own life in the line. And his opponent was no one else than one of the most powerful Soul Reapers alive.
P.S. why is Byakuya having a beef with the Shiba family? I never understood it his utter hatred for members of this family.
"Wait, Ichigo! What are you going to do?!"
"Ganju and Hanataro were heading there! If I don't go, who's gonna save them?!"
First of all, Yoruichi's true form got revealed. I know that most of the people will say how sexy she is, and I agree, but, please, guys, do not overlook the fact that she's also very, very adorable! I never thought of her this way while watching the anime - for me she was an incredibly powerful Soul Reaper that Ichigo's lucky to have by his side - but she's so cute in the manga! I love it!
Second of all, the Ichigo/Yoruichi scene when Yoruichi revealed her true form, was hilarious. My poor boy nearly got a nose bleed!
Third of all, this is such an Ichigo thing to do that, even after being heavily injured, he got up and took off to save his friends. Again, he was HEAVILY INJURED (after his fight with Zaraki), NEARLY DIED, and decided to involve himself in a fight ONCE AGAIN, just because he knew that his friends are in danger. He couldn't do much against a Captain, that had to be obvious to him, but he still decided to fight. This is the guy I'm in love with, people!
Four of all, ICHIGO'S ENTRANCES ARE ALWAYS ICONIC, BOTH IN THE ANIME AND THE MANGA. The "Number One" (my current favorite) song played in my head immediately! So, so cool!
"Rukia... I've come to rescue you."
ICHIGO AND RUKIA REUNION HAPPENED!! I knew that it was coming (of course), but I still got incredibly emotional when I saw them together again! But, hey, where is Ichigo's iconic "Yo"? Is this word only reserved for the anime? :(
"What's with that face?! I came all the way here to help you! You could at least smile."
"You fool. I told you not to come. I told you not to come after me!"
Ichigo's and Rukia's face expressions after they met each other again killed me. And their bickering scene was not only hilarious, but it also made me laugh through tears. I missed these two and their dynamic so much.
P.S. the little scene of Rukia seeing Kaien in Ichigo is very special to me. I know why it was there - because of the future Rukia storyline that will show her background - but now that I know some spoilers, I couldn't help, but cry even more than I originally did. I wish that Ichigo and Kaien met. I wish that things were different :(
"It can't be helped. Once a grenade is thrown... it shouldn't come flying back."
DID I ALREADY SAY THAT MAYURI IS A DISGUSTING PIECE OF SH!T?! BECAUSE HE IS A DISGUSTING PIECE OF SH!T!
Sorry for the curses, but ABSOLUTELY HATE this person! He's one of the few Bleach characters that I would cut out of the story without a blink of an eye. He's disgusting and terrifying and I hate him! How is Soul Society tolerating this individual is truly beyond me. He's more ruthless than Zaraki and has the guts to make disgusting faces when Zaraki is around!
Somehow I completely forgot about the Ishida vs Mayuri fight and got shocked when Mayuri had showed up. It's one of the best Bleach fights, I should be truly ashamed! Anyways, while I already saw it and knew what will happen, this fight still had shaken me to the core. The anime, being much less bloody than the manga, didn't show the true gruesome events that happened because of Mayuri's intervention. I mean, the nameless Soul Reapers from Squad 10 had still blown up, but I WAS NOT READY FOR THE BLOODY DETAILS. It was awful, awful, truly truly awful to see and I cried along with Orihime, because no one, absolutely no one deserves a death like this. And the little image of Ishida's master reflected on Uryuu's glasses (because of the photo)?! It was not shown in the anime and for the first time I'm grateful that something was cut! I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE! I REALLY DIDN'T WANT! I DIDN'T WANNA KNOW THE DETAILS! Poor, poor grandfather! 😰
Now that Ichigo's got saved from an instant death by Byakuya's hand, he will have to get through an intense training with Yoruichi as his master. He has only three days to get stronger, so he could save not only Rukia, but all his friends. Both Ganju and Hanataro are now taken by the Soul Reapers while Ishida is fighting Mayuri (and Chad's state is unknown). Will Ichigo make it? Will Ishida win against the crazy Captain? Will Rukia be saved? (I already know all the answers to these questions, but I'm still excited to see it in the manga! ;))
October 23, 2017
I truly enjoy this series. The action and characters are engaging, and the scope of the story is exponential. It is a great and fast-paced read.
I am a little bored with the "fight-get hurt-recover-fight again but stronger" scheme, but I still enjoy the series!
I am a little bored with the "fight-get hurt-recover-fight again but stronger" scheme, but I still enjoy the series!
December 4, 2020
It was a decent volume, Ichigo and co go in to save Rukia but meet Byakuya and his spiritual pressure is something, also Ms Yoruichi reveals her true self and battles those people and then takes Ichigo to his training. Meanwhile Ishida and Orihime break into something and they battle shinigamis there and then they meet Kurotsuchi Mayuri and this man is a lethal scientist and when he tells what he did to Quincies and all, wow he is next level evil and the fight between him and Ishida will be a big one! Great start to this part of the arc and the epic battle is coming!
June 24, 2024
Mayuri is one over-the-top bastard.
August 20, 2020
There's actually a lot of great moments here.
Rukia is about to be saved but her brother says "hell no" and marches towards her cell. That's when Ichigo shows up and challenges him. After a badss meeting we get a pretty one sided battle and then a new character is revealed and her powerset. On top of that we get some qunicy action as our favorite bow and arrow user goes head to head with a evil sick fuck.
Overall, super fun arc and I always said Tite Kubo did a great job with pacing and action in this arc. I can't wait to get into more. A 4 out of 5.
Rukia is about to be saved but her brother says "hell no" and marches towards her cell. That's when Ichigo shows up and challenges him. After a badss meeting we get a pretty one sided battle and then a new character is revealed and her powerset. On top of that we get some qunicy action as our favorite bow and arrow user goes head to head with a evil sick fuck.
Overall, super fun arc and I always said Tite Kubo did a great job with pacing and action in this arc. I can't wait to get into more. A 4 out of 5.
February 15, 2024
We finally meet 13th captain
Byakuya has indeed shown up and hanataro decided to fight him to keep him away so Rukia can escape. Gandhi refuses to help but takes pity seeing hanataro and puts himself in the line of fire.
Ichigo wakes up and finds that mr yoruichi has saved him and bandaged up his wounds. Ichigo questions how and Yoruichi reveals his true form - actually a woman.
Ichigo hollow mask was found in his pocket again despite telling yoruichi that he threw it away into the sewers, yoruichi asks him to give it to them.
Yoruichi reveals that they flew using a cool rare item. He feels byakuyas spiristuak pressure and gets up despite his wounds to grab the flying rod and runs off. Yoruichi follows him.
Rukia tries to stop Byakuya but she can’t before Ganju gets absolute destroyed by his Bankai.
Captain Ukitake (cap 13) shows up and stops Byakuya from killing Ganju. They feel massive spiritual pressure and Ichigo shows up and basically tells Rukia she’s being rescued whether she likes it or not. He’s going to fight Byakuya again and this time he is much stronger.
Ukitake mentions he is reminded of someone by Ichigo and Byakuya claims they’re not related and he’ll take care of him.
He manages to avoid the shun-po (basically misty step ) unlike last time but he’s about to use his bankai and Yoruichi shows up and stops him.
Back in the lock up, Renji speaks with his zanpakto Zabimaru and tells him Ichigo is not the enemy anymore.
We find out more about Yoruichi - she was supreme commander of the secret remote squad and the general
Corps leader of the first division punishment force. She’s been gone for over 100 years and she clearly knows Ukitake and Byakuya. She then knocks out Ichigo and runs off with him saying she’ll train him to be good enough to fight Byakuya in 3 days. Then Byakuya leaves.
Ukitake is left to sort Rukia out and has his third seats (there’s two of them) take Rukia back inside and the other to go and request help from 4th division to heal Ganju. He admits to Hanataro he won’t turn him in since he was trying to help Rukia (he basically says she was in his division).
Meanwhile Orihime and Uruyu are dressed in stolen soil reaper clothes and trying to blend in lol
At some point we hear from mayuki (cap of 12) and he’s pissed to hear Aizen is dead. We see he has managed to find Orehime and Uruyu and is following them like a lil
Chameleon.
Yoruichi is going to train Ichigo to use bankai which is the second form of the zanpakto. Only kenpachi out of all the captains can’t use it - this is why I love him.
Anyways, Orihime and Uruyu get accosted by an 11th division dude and he questions which division they are and they say 11th and he points out their insignia is 12th. Some people from 12th show up and beat him up and are nice to them. Uruyu is suspicious and tries to get Orehime away in time for a bunch of the guys to blow up.
Turns out captain Kurotsuchi sent them to get blown up possibly from the inside out - I really hate this dude.
We even get a little back story for one of the guys he blows up…
So thankfully Orihime has used her shield ability to block the blow and managed to protect the guy from 11th as well. Mayuri wants to take her as a research subject and Uruyu demands the guy from 11th escapes with her. He grudgingly runs off with her since she protected him.
Mayuri shows how much of a nasty piece of shit he is by torturing Uruyu, stabbing and beating up his assistant captain who is his daughter her created in his research and telling him he’s the reason all the other Quincy are dead including Uruyu’s grandpa.
Now Uruyu has murder in his soul 👏🏻
That’s all folks
Byakuya has indeed shown up and hanataro decided to fight him to keep him away so Rukia can escape. Gandhi refuses to help but takes pity seeing hanataro and puts himself in the line of fire.
Ichigo wakes up and finds that mr yoruichi has saved him and bandaged up his wounds. Ichigo questions how and Yoruichi reveals his true form - actually a woman.
Ichigo hollow mask was found in his pocket again despite telling yoruichi that he threw it away into the sewers, yoruichi asks him to give it to them.
Yoruichi reveals that they flew using a cool rare item. He feels byakuyas spiristuak pressure and gets up despite his wounds to grab the flying rod and runs off. Yoruichi follows him.
Rukia tries to stop Byakuya but she can’t before Ganju gets absolute destroyed by his Bankai.
Captain Ukitake (cap 13) shows up and stops Byakuya from killing Ganju. They feel massive spiritual pressure and Ichigo shows up and basically tells Rukia she’s being rescued whether she likes it or not. He’s going to fight Byakuya again and this time he is much stronger.
Ukitake mentions he is reminded of someone by Ichigo and Byakuya claims they’re not related and he’ll take care of him.
He manages to avoid the shun-po (basically misty step ) unlike last time but he’s about to use his bankai and Yoruichi shows up and stops him.
Back in the lock up, Renji speaks with his zanpakto Zabimaru and tells him Ichigo is not the enemy anymore.
We find out more about Yoruichi - she was supreme commander of the secret remote squad and the general
Corps leader of the first division punishment force. She’s been gone for over 100 years and she clearly knows Ukitake and Byakuya. She then knocks out Ichigo and runs off with him saying she’ll train him to be good enough to fight Byakuya in 3 days. Then Byakuya leaves.
Ukitake is left to sort Rukia out and has his third seats (there’s two of them) take Rukia back inside and the other to go and request help from 4th division to heal Ganju. He admits to Hanataro he won’t turn him in since he was trying to help Rukia (he basically says she was in his division).
Meanwhile Orihime and Uruyu are dressed in stolen soil reaper clothes and trying to blend in lol
At some point we hear from mayuki (cap of 12) and he’s pissed to hear Aizen is dead. We see he has managed to find Orehime and Uruyu and is following them like a lil
Chameleon.
Yoruichi is going to train Ichigo to use bankai which is the second form of the zanpakto. Only kenpachi out of all the captains can’t use it - this is why I love him.
Anyways, Orihime and Uruyu get accosted by an 11th division dude and he questions which division they are and they say 11th and he points out their insignia is 12th. Some people from 12th show up and beat him up and are nice to them. Uruyu is suspicious and tries to get Orehime away in time for a bunch of the guys to blow up.
Turns out captain Kurotsuchi sent them to get blown up possibly from the inside out - I really hate this dude.
We even get a little back story for one of the guys he blows up…
So thankfully Orihime has used her shield ability to block the blow and managed to protect the guy from 11th as well. Mayuri wants to take her as a research subject and Uruyu demands the guy from 11th escapes with her. He grudgingly runs off with her since she protected him.
Mayuri shows how much of a nasty piece of shit he is by torturing Uruyu, stabbing and beating up his assistant captain who is his daughter her created in his research and telling him he’s the reason all the other Quincy are dead including Uruyu’s grandpa.
Now Uruyu has murder in his soul 👏🏻
That’s all folks
January 28, 2020
So many new elements introduced in this volume. From special teleportation techniques to character reveals, this is the kind of volumes that gets me pumped up for what's to come.
While Ichigo undergoes extra training as he discovers the existence of bankai, the story shifts its attention to Uryu and Orihime. The latest captain is a disgusting monster and it is so fitting that Uryu is the one to teach him a lesson.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
While Ichigo undergoes extra training as he discovers the existence of bankai, the story shifts its attention to Uryu and Orihime. The latest captain is a disgusting monster and it is so fitting that Uryu is the one to teach him a lesson.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
August 28, 2023
Uryuu VS Mayuri penso uno tra gli scontri più belli fino ad ora.
July 13, 2017
The section with Ms. Yoruichi and Ichigo was so hilarious! Following Uryu and Orihme was a lot of fun. I'm curious about the "second release" and shikai/bankai Yoruichi was talking about.
December 15, 2025
Taking on the afterlife one soul at a time.
Yoruichi is so freaking great. Not only is she a badass, she knows her stuff and finally introduced us to the concept of bankai. Uryu and Orihime are such a fun duo and Uryu’s personality keeps growing on me with each volume.
No need to say that I’m completely addicted to this manga!
Yoruichi is so freaking great. Not only is she a badass, she knows her stuff and finally introduced us to the concept of bankai. Uryu and Orihime are such a fun duo and Uryu’s personality keeps growing on me with each volume.
No need to say that I’m completely addicted to this manga!
February 22, 2022
The Quincy guy is hot
June 24, 2019
Bleach, Vol. 14 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next eight chapters (116–123) of the on-going manga series.
Ichigo Kurosaki awakens after his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki and learns that Yoruichi Shihōin is actually a woman. Meanwhile, confronted by Byakuya Kuchiki when he arrived to the prison Ganju Shiba faces the Soul Reaper captain and almost got killed as Jūshirō Ukitake, the Captain of Squad Thirteen and Rukia Kuchiki's superior, intervened. Though Ichigo arrives to face Byakuya, Yoruichi knocks Ichigo out and spirits him away. After Ichigo regains consciousness, Yoruichi tells him that she will train him to use his zanpakutō's bankai state.
Meanwhile, on their way to Rukia, Orihime Inoue and Uryū Ishida are attacked by Squad 12's Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. A depraved scientist willing to sacrifice his own men, Mayuri reveals that he has experimented on many other Quincies, including Uryū's grandfather Sōken Ishida whose death he was indirectly responsible for.
This tankobon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The incursion into the Seireitei to save Rukia Kuchiki continues. It is interesting to see the narration return to the Orihime Inoue and Uryū Ishida and to see what happened to them while Ichigo Kurosaki and his invasion group as they get closer to Rukia Kuchiki. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi is an interesting creepy character who has connection to Uryū as his grandfather was experimented on by Kurotsuchi.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 14 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
Ichigo Kurosaki awakens after his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki and learns that Yoruichi Shihōin is actually a woman. Meanwhile, confronted by Byakuya Kuchiki when he arrived to the prison Ganju Shiba faces the Soul Reaper captain and almost got killed as Jūshirō Ukitake, the Captain of Squad Thirteen and Rukia Kuchiki's superior, intervened. Though Ichigo arrives to face Byakuya, Yoruichi knocks Ichigo out and spirits him away. After Ichigo regains consciousness, Yoruichi tells him that she will train him to use his zanpakutō's bankai state.
Meanwhile, on their way to Rukia, Orihime Inoue and Uryū Ishida are attacked by Squad 12's Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. A depraved scientist willing to sacrifice his own men, Mayuri reveals that he has experimented on many other Quincies, including Uryū's grandfather Sōken Ishida whose death he was indirectly responsible for.
This tankobon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The incursion into the Seireitei to save Rukia Kuchiki continues. It is interesting to see the narration return to the Orihime Inoue and Uryū Ishida and to see what happened to them while Ichigo Kurosaki and his invasion group as they get closer to Rukia Kuchiki. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi is an interesting creepy character who has connection to Uryū as his grandfather was experimented on by Kurotsuchi.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 14 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
March 13, 2025
This was nonstop action. Yoruichi now has to train Ichigo for three days to learn the Bankai and Uryū is tackling a diabolical villain of his own. I feel like the next volume is really going to lean into Uryū's POV and I'm here for it. I didn't really like him when we were first introduced to him, but he's definitely growing on me!
March 10, 2024
This was better than the previous few books. Orihime had some great scenes and the ending with the Quincy vs mad scientist was great. I’m ready to be done with the soil society arch but this had a great ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2019
I have to give 5 because I love Bleach; I always feel so excited to learn about what happens next so I can’t put it down 😂😂
April 10, 2022
It's been like 20 years and I still love Uryu
June 9, 2022
Hanatarō you’re the best boi
October 13, 2022
Imma keep it short: FUCK KUROTSUCHI. I HATE THAT GUY SO MUCH.
January 24, 2024
I am at the edge of my seat. These soul reaper captains and assistant captains are so cool and no joke. Also Kenny’s and Yachiru’s slice of a backstory makes me sad
September 1, 2020
I'm late to the bandwagon but at least I'm trying
April 6, 2009
Meh... on the one hand, this volume has lots of Byakuya, whom I like even when he's being a big old conflicted jerk. On the other hand, it has lots of Mayuri, who I do not like, because he is a demented psycho. He's totally disgusting and gives me the shivers whenever he's on screen, but I think he was toned down after this first battle. I mean, he's nowhere near as bad anywhere else as he is here, talking about making people burn their children, and digging holes in their skulls, then taunting Ishida with a photo of his grandfather after torture. Jesus.
I know it was just filler in the anime, but I find it interesting that in the arc about the Kasumi-Ooji family, the newly appointed third seat of the third squad complains that he couldn't get anywhere in the ranks of the gotei 13 because he didn't care enough about his fellow shinigami to protect them from death. Yet, in this volume we see a man who has risen to the rank of Captain who cares so little about his subordinates that he will throw their lives away without a care. I doubt his research and scientific abilities are really that great that Soul Society can afford to overlook the fact that he is a TOTAL PSYCHO.
Oh, we also learn about Yoruichi's true form here, and that she and Byakuya like(d) to play tag. Whee!
I know it was just filler in the anime, but I find it interesting that in the arc about the Kasumi-Ooji family, the newly appointed third seat of the third squad complains that he couldn't get anywhere in the ranks of the gotei 13 because he didn't care enough about his fellow shinigami to protect them from death. Yet, in this volume we see a man who has risen to the rank of Captain who cares so little about his subordinates that he will throw their lives away without a care. I doubt his research and scientific abilities are really that great that Soul Society can afford to overlook the fact that he is a TOTAL PSYCHO.
Oh, we also learn about Yoruichi's true form here, and that she and Byakuya like(d) to play tag. Whee!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2015
"Ichigo and Yoruichi race to save Ichigo's friends from Rukia's cold-blooded brother, Byakuya Kukichi. They arrive to find Ganju in tatters, and Rukia with him. Ichigo is bent on defeating her brother this time, but he is nowhere near prepared. Can he learn decades' worth of skill in just a matter of days?"
You bet he can! Because he's Ichigo! I'm struggling to understand why this manga is so successful. I just don't get it.
You bet he can! Because he's Ichigo! I'm struggling to understand why this manga is so successful. I just don't get it.
December 15, 2008
The talking cat turns into a naked woman. Of course. Should have seen it coming, what was I thinking?
Also, they are executing someone for having her powers unintentionally stolen, and yet they let another guy use other Reapers as grenades? Odd.
Also, they are executing someone for having her powers unintentionally stolen, and yet they let another guy use other Reapers as grenades? Odd.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2014
There were some interesting plot twists in the volume! Mr. Yoruichi, the cat, not actually being a cat was surprising and extremely interesting. Uryû battle was pretty intense as well. I'm looking forward to see who this all works out for him :)
February 8, 2017
Ichigo must continue to fight his way up. Rukia has been thrown back into her cell after they got her out b/c Ichigo must go into training. He has three days to train for the level of strength that should take years to acquire.
April 15, 2018
That fight scene.
That ending
😗
That ending
😗
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.
June 11, 2019
One of the panels in the beginning with Byakuya alone and slightly at a distance on the bridge walking towards Ganju, Hana, and Rukia is just magnificent. Then there was the super cool pages of Rukia and Ichigo seeing each other again, and later a page of Byakuya dissing Ichigo with the next panel having him gone from the bridge. I don't know why the paneling seemed so good this volume but I just noticed it a lot and loved it.
Art wise there was also some awesome eye details I noticed in this volume. With Rukia we can slightly see Ichigo within her eyes, and then later the same is true for Ishida as he looks at the photo of his grandfather. Not groundbreaking art or anything but details I loved.
In regards to characters, I still love Hanataro and Ganju together. Hana was ready to take on Byakuya but Ganju steps in not because of Rukia but because of this dweeby, sweet soul reaper he just met. Also, Orihime's character is broadened even if she's only in about half of the volume with Ishida. We know she's the one that came up with the disguise plan, and through some of Ishida's thoughts and her response to Mayuri's explosive people, we know she's not a fighter and she cares about people. I don't think, in regards to Ishida's thoughts on Orihime, he means this as a bad thing. He seems to respect her a lot in regards to her strength, cleverness, hardworking nature, and want to protect/heal others. There's nothing wrong with not being a fighter, something I believe I also mentioned when Hana first came into the story.
This volume also brought us Mayuri (12th division captain) in a bigger way, and he's probably one of the characters I hate the most within the entire manga/anime. Granted I never got to the very end (with my last memories being of the arrancar/hueco mundo arc though even that's foggy). He just seems so completely irredeemable to me, which may have been the point. There's just so many characters that are bad in some way, especially due to this arc, like Byakuya, but they have a goodness to them that becomes known. Mayuri just seems way too cruel to ever have a goodness within him. He does spice up our character list, since we always need those characters we just hate, but honestly, I'd be pretty happy if he just died.
Art wise there was also some awesome eye details I noticed in this volume. With Rukia we can slightly see Ichigo within her eyes, and then later the same is true for Ishida as he looks at the photo of his grandfather. Not groundbreaking art or anything but details I loved.
In regards to characters, I still love Hanataro and Ganju together. Hana was ready to take on Byakuya but Ganju steps in not because of Rukia but because of this dweeby, sweet soul reaper he just met. Also, Orihime's character is broadened even if she's only in about half of the volume with Ishida. We know she's the one that came up with the disguise plan, and through some of Ishida's thoughts and her response to Mayuri's explosive people, we know she's not a fighter and she cares about people. I don't think, in regards to Ishida's thoughts on Orihime, he means this as a bad thing. He seems to respect her a lot in regards to her strength, cleverness, hardworking nature, and want to protect/heal others. There's nothing wrong with not being a fighter, something I believe I also mentioned when Hana first came into the story.
This volume also brought us Mayuri (12th division captain) in a bigger way, and he's probably one of the characters I hate the most within the entire manga/anime. Granted I never got to the very end (with my last memories being of the arrancar/hueco mundo arc though even that's foggy). He just seems so completely irredeemable to me, which may have been the point. There's just so many characters that are bad in some way, especially due to this arc, like Byakuya, but they have a goodness to them that becomes known. Mayuri just seems way too cruel to ever have a goodness within him. He does spice up our character list, since we always need those characters we just hate, but honestly, I'd be pretty happy if he just died.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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