Bleach 1: The Death and the Strawberry

Bleach #1

by Tite Kubo

Adolescent de quinze ans, Ichigo Kurosaki possède un don particulier : celui de voir les esprits. Un jour, il croise la route d'une belle Shinigami (un être spirituel) en train de pourchasser une "âme perdue", un esprit maléfique qui hante notre monde et n'arrive pas à trouver le repos.Mise en difficulté par son ennemi, la jeune fille décide alors de prêter une partie de ses pouvoirs à Ichigo, mais ce dernier hérite finalement de toute la puissance du Shinigami. Contraint d'assumer son nouveau statut, Ichigo va devoir gérer ses deux vies : celle de lycéen ordinaire, et celle de chasseur de démons... Bleach est l'oeuvre d'un mangaka prometteur, Taito Kubo, et le dernier succès des Editions Shueisha. Manga d'action au rythme trépidant, au graphisme soigné et à l'intrigue palpitante, Bleach est la nouvelle bonne surprise du manga au pays du Soleil Levant.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Young Adult, Comics Manga

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2002

About the author

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

Reviews

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga series is absolutely amazing! Anyone considering whether or not to read this manga, read it now! And for those of you currently reading the series but not yet finished with all the books, you will be blown away by Tite Kubo's advancement in skill! The beginning of bleach has amazing artwork, and at the end there's such an incredible improvement in the way he draws the characters... Even when I thought (after reading the first book) there was no room for Tite Kubo to improve, since he was already such an amazing mangaka. The storyline is truly amazing (and still ongoing, might I add) and blew me away! And, even though I don't usually dwell on things like clothes, the clothes are absolutely amazing! All the different designs he's thought up... In all previous mangas I've read, the mangaka will stick to a few sets of outfits for his characters to wear, but Tite Kubo goes all out! Especially in the filler sketches... I feel as if I am rambling, but the point is, this is a truly amazing manga, and that it should be read right away!

[Sana⁷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Give me the sword, Shinigami! Let's give your idea a try!"
"It is not Shinigami. It is Kuchiki Rukia."
"I see... I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. Let's pray this doesn't become the last greeting... for both of us."


What word should I use to describe the enormous amount of love I have for Bleach? I truly think that whatever I would use, it wouldn't fully express my feelings. It's an incredibly special story for me and its' MC, Ichigo Kurosaki, is incredibly special person to me (if there was one fictional character I could die for, it would've been him - I'm serious). After re-watching the anime over and over again and dreaming about reading the manga, I FINALLY got an opportunity to do so. I hoped to love it as much as I love the anime. Heck, I was SURE that I will love it as much.

And I did.

After finishing reading volume 1, I'm shocked how bloody the story looks like in the manga. It's something I did not expect at all (I probably should, but didn't). I am also very surprised by the other differences. To this day I lived with a conviction that the anime is a faithful adaptation of the manga - and it mostly is, but there are some things that either were changed or weren't even shown in the anime. And to be honest, I'm overjoyed to see all those differences, especially when it comes to the additional scenes. It's a story I know and love, but it's like I'm exploring it for the very first time. It's exciting! I'm looking forward to read the next volumes, it's so much fun 🥰

P.S. I LOVE the fact that the anime did such an amazing job with portraying Ichigo's face expression. My boy is HILARIOUS and his face expressions are pure gold! 😂

P.P.S. Both Ichigo and I were born in July! This little info gave me an enormous amount of joy, so thank you so very much, dear author! ❤️

[Lauren Lanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga is so effortlessly cool, I'm pumped to finally get around to it.

The "Thousand Year Blood War" trailer was randomly recommended to me on YouTube, which must have been fate, because I was instantly hit with what I knew to be years of epic manga and anime I'd missed. I'm so happy to say that this opening volume was freaking awesome!! Ichigo and Rukia invented badassery, and Tite Kubo's dialogue is somehow even funnier than the anime makes it out to be. Plus, his art. The sharp lines and edgy style are everything. Cannot wait to binge this manga.

[Scottsdale Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

High-schooler Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see and hear ghosts, but when a ghost-eating monster attacks him, a mysterious woman shows up to fight it. Their encounter imbues him with the power to destroy such monsters, but also embroils him in the long-running plots and grudges of several secret societies that govern the dead.

This long-running action manga is full of conflict, humor, intrigue, and its own unique cosmology, and is well worth the read. -- Hillary D.

[Igel :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely see the potential of the series and I really enjoyed this volume 😊

[Paige Bookdragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read up to Volume 570+

Right. So it's been years since I've watched Bleach and let me tell you, THIS IS STILL ONE OF THE BEST ANIME/MANGA EVAH EVAH EVAH

I can't post too much spoilers because that would be unfair to the others but here are some of my favorites characters in the new arc:

Kuchiki Byakuya

I have such an intensive crush on this bastard and he has wonderful scenes on this ARC. I also love how he gives insults to people like diz,



And damn if that didn't tingle the things that should tingle in me.

Ichigo Kurosaki

What I really like about Ichigo is that he really grew up in this series. He used to be brash and cocky (he still is) but he lost that idiocy stuff that most main characters have.Unlike Naruto whom I never liked (the character, not the anime) because I find him annoying even in Shippuden, Ichigo became more cool and thoughtful and I'm like having orgasm when he fights with some bad guys in the latest Arc.

Kisuke Uruhara

100 out of 100. He's the weirdest yet most amazing thing ever.

Other things:

There are some mind-blowing secrets in this one and major major major changes happened in the latest ARC. I don't know how Kubo would fix it or how the series would go on, but DAMN, I can't wait for the series to continue.

[Case · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Bleach probably about a year ago, just before they began to syndicate the American version on Cartoon Network. I started off with the anime, but I was so impressed I went out and bought the manga, too. Being whole-heartedly American, I like my comics to have bright, flashy colors, but to make up for that, Bleach has given me plenty of chestily-endowed women to make up for the lack of flesh tones. The first few volumes / story arcs of Bleach are excellent, though it does begin to stagnate after awhile. Never, however, does it venture into the realm of unreadable (though the last few episodes of the anime have been nearly unwatchable). If you're a comics fan, or a anime fan, or a manga fan, or just looking for an interesting, out-of-this world story along the lines of DBZ or a number of other similarly themed Japanese titles, give Bleach a try. Just be careful: between this and the anime, one could invest a whole lot of time in this series.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Souls Day read about soul-reaping.

Not my preferred art style, but well executed.

No idea what the title signifies.

Looking forward to finding out what's going on with the possessed parakeet.

[Angela Auten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bleach Volume 1 Review

Manga Rating: 5 stars out of 5.

Story: 5 stars out of 5. I loved reading this so much. It was just as hilarious as the anime is. I started reading it because I just finished the anime. I really hated the ending to the anime because it was not satisfying at all. The anime was also cancelled. I feel it was because of filler. At least most of the Bleach filler is actually good. There was only one filler season that absolutely sucked, but oh well. I know the manga continued on so I wanted to start reading it. It reminds me of when I first started watching the anime years ago. This volume makes me want to watch the anime from the beginning again. I can't wait to finish this series. I want to see Ichigo's real ending...although I already know what it is! Oh well. I'm still happy to be starting this manga! (For this review only I will write about the actual story line in the character section!)

Characters: 5 stars out of 5. I love Ichigo! He may look mean on the outside, but to be honest he isn't. Ichigo can see ghosts for as long as he can remember. He lives with his sisters: Yuzu and Karin and father. His mother died when he was younger. Later, he meets Rukia Kuchiki who explains that there are good and evil spirits. Wholes are the good spirits and hollows are the bad. When Ichigo's family gets attacked by hollows. He wants to save them. Rukia had bound him with kido which he ended up breaking. Rukia was shocked. She never saw any human do that. Ichigo goes after the hollow. He isn't able to do anything to protect his sister. Rukia ends up saving him, but gets hurt. She tells Ichigo he can become a soul reaper. She lends him power, but he takes half of it. Ichigo becomes a substitute soul reaper! Rukia later appears to him in the real world. She tells him that he needs to fight the hollows. That it is his duty. He tells her he doesn't want to. They see a little ghost boy being attacked by a hollow. Ichigo decides to save him and sends him to the soul society. Now he decides to protect everyone. Ichigo is my favorite character throughout the whole series. I loved watching him grow and develop throughout the anime. I can't wait to see him do that in the manga!

Rukia is alright. She isn't my favorite character. She is the soul reaper of Karakura Town. She is there to protect people from the hollows. You don't really learn too much about her. All you learn is that she is a soul reaper.

His sister's are really cute!

And his father is a little bit eccentric...(but I already know a lot about him!)

Also in the volume you get to meet Orihime Inoue. She is one of Ichigo's classmates. Her brother was killed in a car accident when she was younger. He is watching over her as a ghost. He gets devoured by a few other hollows and turns into a hollow himself. Orihime is almost hit by a car, but her brother pulls her out of the way.

Ichigo and Rukia run into her. Rukia notices the cut on her leg. Ichigo tells Rukia he remembers the incident. Her brother was brought to his families clinic.

When Orihime and Tatsuki are attacked by a hollow Ichigo comes to save them. Orihime is able to see him because her soul was taken out of her body. Ichigo hits the hollow, but he escapes. He saw the face of the hollow...which was Orihime's brother. Ichigo is shocked.

Later her brother explains to her that he was so lonely without her. She stopped praying for him. She just wanted to show him that she was happy. She didn't want him to think she wasn't okay. She wanted him to rest peacefully. Her brother fights the hollow form and disappears. It was a really sad ending.

Another character you get to meet is Chad! Chad is a pretty quiet character. I love Chad though. He inherits a cursed parakeet. He talks to Chad. Chad decides to protect him. At the very end he gets attacked by a hollow. He is brought to Ichigo's clinic.

12/1 update: Now I understand where the training in the live action came from. The online translations really missed a lot of pages. I'm glad I bought the box sets. I can't wait to read volume 2 next week. I'm glad I decided to restart! I love it again

[aleksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

So far, just fine? Let’s hope I’ll like it more with each volume.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifteen year old Ichigo Kurosaki has the ability to see, touch, and talk to spirits. Ichigo has been able to communicate with them since he was a little kid. Ichigo lives with his two sisters and his father. The important part in this book is when he meets Rukia Kuchiki. Rukia is a Soul Reaper that changes his life.

......................................................................


It was love at first sight. I loved the book the moment I read it. The drawings are nice as well as the plot. There's even anime to go with it. All the characters are unique in their own way. It's one of my favorite manga. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's into the action genre.

[Zahra · Rating 1 out of 5]

با انتظار برزرک رفتم ولی با یه چیزی مثل hunter x hunter مواجه شدم😞😞

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the start it was pretty good and i hope that next part will be even better.

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 2 out of 5]

T/W- Violence, Gore

Bleach certainly didn’t hold back from the amount of violence, gore and blood. Yuck! As someone who is relatively new to reading manga, Bleach was a title that I came across one day on Instagram. It follows a young character called Ichigo, who is fifteen and can see spirits that don’t settle down and haunt the minds and bodies of others. Connecting with a soul reaper called Rukia, the two of them work together until she gets injured and Ichigo must take over. It was a really interesting premise but sadly, the graphic content of the illustrations was far too gory for my liking.

[Ishi Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Bleach so much <3 glad to be re-reading it

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, I loved this book! This is one of the best manga series I've ever read. Kurosaki Ichigo has quickly become one of my top favorite manga characters, as well. I loved his selflessness in protecting his family. I think the part where he stabbed himself with the Rukia's zanbakutou (sword) was very poignant. To me, it was a foreshadowing of all the times Ichigo would willingly risk his life to protect someone else. Action sequences are great; story is unique and gripping; art very good. I'd definitely recommend it.

[灰 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m not ready to commit to this. I might just run next time stuff gets hectic. I can’t promise I’ll always be willing to risk my life for a stranger but … I’ll help you out”

MY KINDA GUY! ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆

I had so much fun reading this first volume and I can’t really explain why. It’s so raw, so wholesome, and full of potential!

If you see me reading the entire series in a few days with no sleep, no you don’t … hahaha

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Ichigo Kurosaki: I see dead people."

Tite Kubo has made some errors in the pacing, but the first volume of Bleach is still a fun and interesting read.

[harper *ੈ✩‧₊˚ (ia)]

trying out something new…

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed reading Tsugumi Ohba and Taskeshi Obata's Death Note: Black Edition series in 2011/12, I've been interested in finding another good manga series to follow. One such series I identified in 2011 (based on ratings and comments at Goodreads) was Bleach but it wasn't until six days ago that I found the first volume, Strawberry and the Soul Reapers in my local book shop's manga section. Unlike Death Note and certain other manga titles, Bleach isn't listed in 500 Essential Graphic Novels, but I was pleasantly surprised in reading this series' first volume.

The eponymous character, a fifteen-year-old redhead boy (whose hair colour is natural, not bleached) named Ichigo Kurosaki, has the ability to see and speak with ghosts. (Coincidentally, I'd only finished reading Kealan Patrick Burke's unrelated novella The Turtle Boy the day before, in which another boy, Timmy Quinn, discovers his own ability to see and interact with ghosts!) No explanation is given for Ichigo's unusual talent but we are introduced to him beating up a bunch of thugs on behalf of a ghost. His apparent kick-boxing ability seems to derive from the training his eccentric father gives him on a daily basis, ambushing him randomly like Inspector Clouseau's butler, Cato, in The Pink Panther movies!

Although Ichigo's talent would make an interesting basis for a graphic novel in its own right, it is his even more unusual ability to see and interact with a shinigami or soul reaper named Rukia Kuchiki that forms the basis for this novel. Again, no explanation is offered for this ability except, perhaps, that he has unusually strong 'spirit energy', and Rukia is shocked by Ichigo's supernatural abilities. Unlike Ryuk, the apple-eating shinigami in the Death Note series, with his frightful skull-like face, sutured flesh and towering body, Rukia appears to be an ordinary fifteen-year-old girl, yet she has already lived ten of Ichigo's lifetimes (p. 21). Her purpose is to perform konso, or 'soul funeral', to send whole (good) spirits to the Soul Society and hollow (evil) spirits to oblivion (pp. 22-5). 'Hollows' prey on humans and 'wholes' alike but are particularly attracted to individuals like Ichigo who bear so much psychic energy. When one homes in on him, Rukia offers half her power to Ichigo to help him fight it but he absorbs all of her power instead, leaving him to confront the hollow on his own.

Now a half-human, half-shinigami, Ichigo reluctantly forms a partnership with Rukia to help her fight other hollows while she slowly regains her power in the guise of a new classmate at Ichigo's school.

Although not as dark as Death Note, in which a teenager is corrupted by the power to kill people with the use of a mysterious notebook, Bleach is more like a superhero story with some very creepy-looking monsters! I like that hollows are not merely speechless horrors for soul reapers to dispatch but can express feelings and regrets. I also like the occasional humour and sarcastic banter between Ichigo, Rukia and some of his friends and family members, which many teens will relate to. From time to time, we are reminded that there is a big age gap between Rukia and Ichigo. In one case, Ichigo wonders what Rukia means by 'opportunistically' (p. 39), while Rukia curtsies when greeting another girl (p. 92) and struggles to learn about present-day popular expressions and drinking juice (pp. 87-8, 172-4).

The artwork is not bad although there is some variation in the realism of the characters' appearance - generally, they are more realistic when faces are shown close-up but sometines this order is reversed (e.g. on p. 100, Ichigo is more realistically portrayed in the middle frame of the top panel compared with his distorted expression in the large middle panel or his toddler-like head in the righthand frame of the bottom panel). However, the storyline and the artwork are good enough that it's easy to ignore these artistic discrepancies.

Overall, it's an interesting story, with a new take on the shinigami, plenty of action, a sprinkling of humour and the presence of both good and evil spirits. I'll be interested to see where the story goes in future volumes of the series.

[D.M. Dutcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you review this solely reading the first volume and planning to read nothing else, you can easily add one or two more stars to it. The initial concept is fine, as is the art: Ichigo can see ghosts, and is more or less okay with that. He's a bit of a street punk with a good heart. It's similar to YuYu Hakusho: Goodbye, Material World!, Vol. 1 but with better art and better characters.

He then runs into Rukia, a girl dressed all in black in an old style uniform, chasing what's called a Hollow. Ichigo manages to steal her powers, and has to take her place fighting Hollows. It's not a bad premise at all, and for this volume it holds up nicely.

The problem is that the series itself diverges so wildly from its premise and is bloated and filled with endless story arcs, manga volumes that record events lasting a few seconds for a whole chapter, and constant "power-ups." It's actually worse than Dragon Ball Z in terms of filler, and it shows no signs of stopping or getting better. Endless circular battles that have none of the charm or the purpose of this first volume but exist just to waste space. This is what's called "The Shonen Jump Curse" as every manga that seems to be released in the States in Shonen Jump magazine suffers from it. But Bleach is the worst of the lot, even more so than One Piece, Vol. 1: Romance Dawn.

So while I can say this first volume is good, I can't rate it highly because the series as a whole quickly moves away from the premise and invalidates what could have been a great manga. It's also becoming a poster child for what is wrong in manga today.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those series I've heard so much about but put off diving into mainly due to the first few pages I always read in the store never snagging my interest enough but I took the plunge anyways and I am glad I did. The story is about high school students and it is targeted at high school students so for me to complain about the story and characters being juvenile would be useless but I'll do it anyways. I grew tired of Rukia constantly calling Ichigo a fool and I am not a fan of the big-boobed-sweet-and-innocent-girl tactic. Yet the story still sucked me in and once Ichigo had some time to grow on me (and decrease in annoyance) I was devouring the final pages and wondering how long until I can get my hands on Volume 2.

Ichigo can see ghosts and after inadvertently stealing the powers of Rukia, he becomes a reluctant Soul Reaper. Even during the short length of this first volume, Ichigo grew immensely as a character and that is the main reason why I wish to continue the story. I am excited to see how he progresses. The writing is also good, with exceptional pacing and a wonderful build in plot with each chapter. I have the feeling that jumping into this series out of order would be a bad idea. I am not sure how long the series is (I'm guessing it is one of those never ending publications) but this will more than do for now while I await my favorite (grown-up) Vagabond. The two are not even comparable but this was fun down time. 3 1/2 stars.

[ferdi &#x1f349; · Rating 5 out of 5]

i got the 20th anniversary version of bleach vol 1 immediately after finding out about it and used it as a chance to finally start reading the manga series.

i honestly really loved it and i love the art used for the anniversary cover; it really brings you back to tite kubo’s original art style and how much it has changed and improved throughout the years that bleach has been running.

the pacing is so weird, though. i was already used to the way the anime divided up the arcs and chapters (i got into bleach through the anime, oops), but it was still enjoyable to read and look back to where it all started. it’s honestly funny seeing ichigo in the first volume and comparing him to where he’s at now.

[Bookaholic (reads every mortal thing) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Okay, I really liked this and all, but now freaking way am I reading all 600+ and counting chapters of this. So, I read till as much as I could take at once (chapter 137). Maybe I'll continue this in the future *shrug*

Not much to say, actually. The concept is not something I'm completely unfamiliar of and the characters were pretty good. I liked Ichigo and his band of friends, and I liked the humor they created together.

[clea · Rating 4 out of 5]

oohh i was skeptical ab reading this at first but holy cowww its good!!! i didnt realize ive already finished the 1st volume 😆

[Jim Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just picked this up at the library because it caught my eye. I am currently watching the Bleach anime, I know I am behind of the times. I wanted to see how the manga compares to the show. I am happy to say they are pretty much the same, with some very minor differences that are more to color the story than to change. I am always happy to see when a TV show or movie based on a book, or in this case magna, stays true to the original. I will definitely pick up the other ones my library has to read as well.

[Rusty Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phew! It was a long journey . Took me a little over six months to complete the whole bleach manga . But it was worth it . I don't need to say much about this series (there's been already said enough). I love everything about bleach . It's setting , it's characters , the slick art , Uber action scenes . There's a reason it is considered as one of the best shounen mangas after all . Bleach's ending might've been a little lackluster but it can't take away the fact that it's still epic . Recommend this to people who love mangas and are ready to commit to a big series .

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ichigo Kurosaki is a 15 year old (why are they always 15???) student that has the ability to see, hear, and touch spirits. His ability leads soul reaper, Rukia, to him. When she is injured in battle she unknowingly transfers her soul reaping powers to him and thus begins his adventure.

This has such an interesting story and seeing as it is amazingly popular I'm hoping/assuming the author does great things with it. In this first volume I was a little confused by what felt like silly and senseless violence (like when Ichigo's father beats him for being late for dinner) but maybe this manga just isn't aimed at me as an audience, I don't know. It gets better as it goes along. The story is excellent, as I said, and each chapter builds up the world in tantalizing tidbits. I very much disliked Ichigo's whining and selfish act (it felt very cardboard and fake to me) but I'm guessing he gets over that as he turns into super awesome badass Soul Reaper Man. I hope.

Very much enjoyed. Onto the next.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I read this, I had heard of Bleach, but had never read it before.

Yeah, THAT was a mistake. This was so amazing! I am most definitely going to be reading the rest and recommending this in the store, though I think I may have been the only person living under a rock for the last 20 years, lol.

Lots of action, clear artwork and believable characters. I like the mystery of what is happening and want to see how the story progresses.

5, highly recommended, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bleach is very popular, and it's easy to see why. There's some very cool paranormal elements, plenty of action, and mostly likeable characters. I just didn't get into the story enough to stick around for the 40+ volumes to follow.