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.
"This is a battle. Inequality is to be expected. Battle is a monster born of inequality and intolerance. "I can't stand that guy." "I think I can beat him." "I'll never forgive him." We make enemies for all kinds of reasons. And the moment we do... even breathing becomes part of the struggle. You think you can cause a ruckus in your enemy's backyard without being noticed? Now that's a bad joke."
I'm so relieved that the Nnoitra storyline wasn't overshadowed by the Ishida and Renji vs Szayelaporro battle! In the contrary, Nnoitra is the focus of this volume and I'm so, so glad! It's not like I'm a Nnoitra fan - I'M NOT! - it's just that I knew that Nnoitra's presence meant that a certain flashback will be shown and some truths will come out.
Anyways, we finished the previous volume with a surprise attack from Nnoitra on Grimmjow. Grimmjow, after his defeat in the fight against Ichigo, is down. Completely helpless and defenceless, seems like an easy prey for his bloodthirsty Espada colleague. But Ichigo, furious that someone dared to attack a defenceless man, stops Nnoitra's weapon from reaching its' target. Thereby he becomes Nnoitra's new prey. Ichigo's strong, very strong, but, sadly, not Nnoitra's equal, and it shows. He was already badly injured because of his fight against Grimmjow, and gets even more badly injured in his battle against Nnoitra. There is more chance that he will be killed than he will get out of this battle as a victor.
But, suddenly, a distraction shows up, because Nnoitra notices Nel. What does the child have in common with Nnoitra? How does he know her and why he suddenly switches his bloodlust from Ichigo to Nel?
"This is a duel! Finish it!" "You mean finish you?" "What else?!" "No. And don't use that tone with me. We were humans who became Hollows, then regained our reason by becoming Arrancars. Rational beings need a reason to kill. And you don't have one." "Oh, I have a reason! I don't like you!" "That's not a reason. It's an instinct. You're a beast. I don't recognize you as a warrior. And I refuse to burden myself with your life."
Volume 33 does not shy away from all the bloody details of the Nnoitra's and Nel's shared past. As an anime watcher, I already knew what happened, of course, but it was still a shock to me to see it in the manga version. For me, Nnoitra is not the worst Espada member (this title easily goes to Szayelaporro), but he's definitely one of the worst characters in Bleach. He's a pure villain, killing everything just because he can and just because he wants to. He's a total narcissist who's convinced of his strength to be the best (he's no. 5, but acts like he's no. 1). He does not stand weaklings and does not stand anyone who seems to be stronger than him, especially Nel, who's, well, a woman.
"But Master Nelliel is just one of many Espadas. Why her?" "I can't stand the idea of a woman defeating a man in a battle."
Nnoitra's not only a total narcissist, but also a total sexist. He's obsessed with Nel and did everything in his power first to defeat her in a battle, and then, when his first plan didn't work, to get rid of her.
Nelliel... It's not strength that separates us. It's experience. And by the time your wounds have healed and you come crawling back to Las Noches, I'll have risen above you so high your sword won't be able to reach me." [Nnoitra]
It's truly awful what kind of plan he had put into motion. He not only hurt Nel - who did absolutely nothing, except existing (and being stronger than him) - but he hurt others as well, in the worst possible way. Now he tried to hurt another person Nel cared about - Ichigo. While she couldn't do anything to protect her friends before, now she could. And that's exactly what she (bless her!) did. She's handling herself well against Nnoitra so far, but will she be strong enough to win?
"Welcome back. Did you enjoy your little jaunt? Now then, shall we begin the second act?" [Szayelaporro]
Renji, Ishida, Pesche and Dondochakka try to use the fact that their opponent had vanished, to escape, but very quickly realize what kind of hopeless situation they are in. Szayelaporro's only now is showing all his cards. Our heroes' situation wasn't the best, but it becomes even more unlucky.
"A little teasing, a little surprise and they all lose perspective. It's always the same. They're like children. Humans, Soul Reapers, Quincies... they're equally vile. If there's one reason why Lord Aizen should exterminate all of you it's the sin of vileness." [Szayelaporro]
Szayelaporro shows his Resurrection form and the situation from unlucky becomes hopeless. That's it. Both Ishida and Renji seem to be doomed. I never hid the fact that I'm not a fan of this fight and I'm relieved that it's not the focus of the story. I love both Ishida and Renji, but Szayelaporro just irritates the hell out of me every time he shows up (no matter if it's the anime or the manga) and, honestly, the whole fight seems very dumb to me. If Szayelaporro wasn't a show-off, both Renji and Ishida would've dead a long time ago already. His technique seems to be kind of dumb, but no one can say that it's ineffective. It might be dumb, but it's also scary. In normal circumstances Szayelaporro would have been invincible (but we know what happens!) and we should've said our goodbye's to Renji and Ishida. But, despite being in a very bad situation, they are still not dead. And if they are not dead, there is still hope ;)
We finished Volume 33 with quite a surprise attack on Szayelaporro, but the question is - will the attack succeed and free Ishida and Renji from their opponent's deadly clutches? Nel's now fighting against Nnoitra, seem to be the stronger one, but is it really so? Will she win or are she, Ichigo and Orihime doomed? What's happening with Rukia and Chad, are they really dead? We will see in the next volume!
Some of my thoughts while reading:
~ I really love the fact that Ichigo stood up against Nnoitra to protect Grimmjow. Boyfriends 4ever! 🏳️🌈 ~ Orihime didn't repeatedly scream "Kurosaki-kun!" in the manga like she did in the anime. What a relief. (but her screaming his name knowing that he's being attacked, was not needed at all) ~ The image of Szayelaporro eating his sword freaked me the heck out. Yuck! ~ While I hate the whole concept of Szayelaporro's clones, it was kind of funny to see the heroes' struggles to find out who's real and who's not (like it wasn't obvious!) 😂 ~ Ichigo immediately believing Nel when she was accused of betrayal (and his fond face expression when he looked at her!) 😭 ~ Ichigo protecting Nel 🤝 Nel protecting Ichigo ❤️ ~ The scene of Nel jumping on Ichigo and nearly crushing his bones in a hug was so funny 😂 Her love for him is endearing in both the anime and the manga! ~ While both Pesche and Dondochakka have both annoying and impressive moments, the last one in Volume 33 shows how awesome these characters truly are. I really love their bond with Nel. They tried so hard to protect her and shield her away from the fights, but when she decided to fight, they fought with her. ~ The image of Bawabawa standing above Szayelaporro was so awesome! I never thought that the Arrancar is so big!
Let’s go Nel! We’re finally seeing her true form and it turns out she was a former Espada. We also learned about her and the other’s past. I can’t wait to see what she does next and I wonder how Uryu and the others are gonna beat that guy because he is strong and smart.
Three volumes in a row of fight after fight you begin to wonder if there's ANY character development happening anywhere?
The fight with Renji is utterly boring and anything we switch to him I just want to skip it. It's not doing anything new or fun. ichigo fight atleast is interesting as he's in a weaken state and his enemy is a real piece of shit. Then got Nel...who surprise surprise isn't who she seems. And if we learned anything from a cat, it's about to transform into something similar to...WHOA big titty warrior with very little clothes on.
Yeah, as expected lol. But least the fights are entertaining...kind of. I dunno. This series starting to go into a downward spiral.
As Nel returns to her true form, we see exactly what happened between Neliel and Nnoitra to make her this way and like other history and all, and their fight is epic and both one upping the another but not giving up. Its something and when all seems like down, the other battle vs Granz is happening and he reveals his vampire-esque form and thats something but not the best, it kinda gets boring seeing the same fight over and over. This arc is starting to feel a lot stretched out.
Alright, I love Nel. She went back to her true self in this volume. I love her so much. She's such a sweetie pie. She's also just a fun character in general. Seeing Ichigo almost get hurt is what pushed her to go back to her true self. Plus, Ichigo was always protecting her. She pretty much wanted to return the favor.
Nel also had a history with Nnoitora. He wanted to always fight her. He found her annoying because she wouldn't finish him off after defeating him. He also was disgusted because women shouldn't defeat men. (Nnoitora is a sexist pig, pretty much.) I don't hate him, but he needs to learn some manners.
Also Nnoitora made fun of Grimmjow because Ichigo protected him. Nnoitora going after someone injured wasn't right either. (This happened before Nel returned to her old self.)
Also I feel even worse for Renji and Uryu now. They were brought back to same room they got out of. Szayelaporro also released his zanpakuto. It started raining sludge on Uryu and Renji. The sludge created doubles of them. Renji did bankai in Szayelaporro's palace. It brought the palace down. Then Szayelaporro showed off his real power. He caught Uryu in his weird body. It created a doll of Uryu. Inside the doll were little pills with body parts and organs. He destroyed Uryu's stomach. He also destroyed Renji's achilles tendon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Just shy of a 4 id say thought I might amend it and raise it to a 4. Nels reveal was pretty cool and even though nnoitra is a dosser Szzayel is very interesting and presents fun fights, fights in which Renji reminds us all why he's cold af (i will tolerate no Renji slander).
Bleach, Vol. 33 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next nine chapters (287–295) of the on-going manga series.
Revealed to be Quinta Espada, Nnoitra Gilga battles an exhausted Ichigo Kurosaki when he comes to an injured Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's aid. Meanwhile, Uryū Ishida and Renji Abarai face Szayel Aporro Grantz as he returns and assumes his released state.
After Tesla Lindocruz captures Orihime Inoue once again, Nnoitra recognizes the terrified Nel and reveals that she is actually the former Espada Three Nelliel Tu Oderschvanck. Ichigo still attempts to protect Nel, but is pinned to the ground. As Nnoitra prepares to break Ichigo's arm, the intensity of Nel's emotions causes her to assume her original adult form. As it revealed that Nelliel's exile was caused by Nnoitra damaging her hollow mask for her moral code, she assumes her Resurrección state to settle things with her opponent.
At the same time, after Uryū and Renji manage to destroy their clones, Szayel Aporro creates voodoo dolls to injure them while Dondochakka and Pesche, revealed to be Nelliel's Fracciones, attempt to aid their Soul Reaper allies.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The entire tankōbon covers two fights simultaneously – the match between Ichigo Kurosaki and Espada Nnoitra Gilga and the match with Uryū Ishida and Renji Abarai against Szayel Aporro Grantz. The secret behind Nel is revealed as she was a former Espada, but was exiled, because of her moral code.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 33 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
I really loved this volume because it was pretty layered. As Ichigo is fighting, we learn some things that are relevant to Renji's fight, and so forth. At the end, things are tied up beautifully and we get the full history of a few of our new villians.
So, we start this volume with the battle between Ichigo and Nnoitora. Dude, this guy is creapy with all that tongue action (ha). As they are fighting, Nnoitora sees Nel hiding and beins to fight her. We find out that Nel used to be a former Espada but she lost all of her memories in a fight with Nnoitora. While he is attacking Nel, she regains her true form and her memories (the silly Hollows that she was with where protecting her- it was a sweet flashback at the end). So, she turns into the a boobalicious tarzan girl that kicks ass! Seriously, her boobs are ridiculously ginormous. But because Ichigo saved her and has been nice to her, she fights for him and protects him (even though she nearly kills him in a hug). They are still battling at the end of the volume.
Renji and Uryû are still battling the oh-so-disturbing Szayelaporro. This dude is one sick mothafucka. They have to fight clones of each other, voodoo dolls are made of themselves and organs crushed one-by-one, and so forth. The guy is sick and nearly invincible. When will the serious Soul Reapers arrive to kick some nasty Arrancar butt?? At the end of the volume, one of the silly Hollows protecting Nel, Dondochakka, spits out Bawabawa so that he can end the battle. I nearly died with laughter!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Initially, I didn't think I was going to enjoy Bleach, Vol. 33: The Bad Joke because it features battles with two of my most disliked Espadas. I cannot stand Szayelaporro and his strange voodoo-doll powers. His creepiness is much like Mayuri Kurotsuchi, whom I can't stand as well. Their stories bore me to tears.
But things started to look up when Ichigo was in trouble with Nnoitra Gilga and then this happened...
I was looking forward to Nel's backstory so much since I forgot a lot about it from the anime. And of course Ichigo and Inoue's reaction to her. I loved this volume.
It also reaffirms my opinion about Bleach scientists. Renji is delightfully himself and Ishida realizing that he's too much like Ichigo 😂
و اینم از جلد سوم مجموعه مانگای bleach.... این جلد روی شخصیت های ایچیگو و نل و اینوئه و ابارای و اوریو تمرکز داشت که توی هر چپتر به هر دو پرداخته میشد و این به نظرم یکی از تکنیک های نویسنده هست که خواننده رو وادار کنه که ادامه داستان رو بخونه و این موضوع واقعا روی اعصاب بود و چقدر بهتر میشد که بجای این کار هر چپتر روی یک گروه تمرکز می داشت.... اتفاق غیر منتظره(و همچنان حال گیرانه)ای که در اخر جلد قبل اتفاق افتاد؛ مانگاکا خوب ازش استفاده کرد و شکل حقیقی نل رو نشون داد که واقعا خیلی خفن بود و من اصلا به این موضوع که نل انقدر خفن باشه فکر نمی کردم.... یک موضوع دیگه در مورد طرح جلدهای جدید که از جلد۳۱این تغییر شروع شد اینه که به نظرم طراحی بهتر و مدرن تری نسبت به سبک طراحی قبلی دارن و مناسب تر هستن برای محتوا مجموعه .... امیدوارم حتما این مجموعه رو بخونید.... پ.ن:اسپادای چهارم واقعا ادم مزخرف و نژاد پرستیه و یکی از منفور ترین شخصیت هاست؛واقعا ازش متنفرم...
Now enters Nnoitra Gilga as he comes to steal the loot (an exhausted Ichigo Kurosaki in this case) but a surprise awaits him as he sets in motion the origin story for Nel.
The volume also continues the battle between Renji, Uryu, and their Arrancar. Can't lie that it is one of the most cringiest and unstimulating battle.
The fights have stretched out a bit too long and new reveals are less and less impressive. Mangaka Tite Kubo will have to get back to plotting soon.
I liked Nel’s fight with Nnoitra and the flashback to their pasts. I liked the reveal of Nel being the former third Espada and her resolve to protect Ichigo after all he’s done for her. I liked seeing Nel’s character in the flashback and how loyal her Fracción were to her even after she lost her memories and powers. One of my favourite tropes in all of fiction is when comedic characters become serious or reveal a deeper or darker inner depths, so this volume really satisfied me and held some of my favourite moments from this arc. I loved the ending and the lead up to the next volume.
Summary: Ichego takes on Espada #5. Uryu and Renji went to run away and end up in the same room with the same espada they were fighting before. That espada releases his special ability and clones Renji and Uryu and they have to fight themselves. Espada 5 reveals he is the one that cracked Nel's mask. Nel transforms into a woman and reveals herself to be the Espada #3 and says she owes Ichego. Nel's family goes to save Uryu and Renji
This book was cover-to-cover action with only a brief break for some much needed flashbacks into Nel's past - yes, Nel, the little girl with big secrets whose life has now been propelled into the main story. Funny enough, I found the fight of Szayel vs Renji and Ishida, especially when the dolls were pulled out. A nice, rollicking volume with a very delicious cliffhanger for volume 34 - too bad Viz couldn't give us even a tentative release date for the actual GN!
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.
4/5 (Review is for the series as a whole and does not contain spoilers)
Ichigo Kurosaki is a high school student who can see ghosts. When an evil spirit, called a hollow, attacks his family, he meets Rukia, a soul reaper tasked with fighting against hollows. But when Rukia is injured, Ichigo must make the decision to take over the role of soul reaper to help fight against hollows to save his hometown.
Bleach is a classic manga and one of the more popular options for those starting out in the genre/format. It features themes of friendship, growing up and changing, and never giving up. One of the most enjoyable elements of this series is watching the progression as the characters learn and evolve. Ichigo has a tendency to be really cocky, especially at the start of the series, but as time goes on and he learns more about the world he’s in, he changes and becomes more willing to listen to the advice given to him by other characters. His friends also continue to grow and progress along with him. Additionally, there is a change in the art style of the characters as the story progresses, which makes it easy to see how they have changed as they all get older. There were two elements about this series that I disliked. The first was that I felt the ending was a bit rushed, and there were some things that I was a bit confused about. However, I recognize that the author was sick and so that attributed to the way things ended. The other element that I disliked was the sheer number of characters in the series by the end. Many of the characters that I thought were dead or gone ended up coming back, and I had to try and remember who they all were. I definitely think I needed to make myself a character sheet with information about each character to help me remember everyone in the end. In terms of assessing age appropriateness for this series, I would say that it’s an okay series for middle school and up. A couple of considerations to keep in mind when deciding if it’s right for you: 1. There is some violence (which is common for shonen mangas), including some elements of body horror, but it’s not too bad. 2. There is no sexual content, although many of the women are drawn disproportionately (which is common in manga written by men). 3. The main character is fifteen years old at the start of the series and only gets older as it progresses. And 4. The themes are a bit mature in that they require some deeper level thinking in order to fully understand them all. Overall, I enjoyed this series for its interesting premise, and would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy the traditional shonen manga.
Ichigo has defeated Grimmjow, but another Espada is waiting to take him on, Nnitoira. Contemptuous of Grimmjow, and baffled as to why Ichigo would defend his fallen foe, Nnitoira orders his second-in-command Tesla to keep Orihime close to him. (Will these people never learn? Nothing makes Ichigo fight hard than when one of his friends is in trouble, particularly Orihime).
Meanwhile, Uryu and Renji, having thought they’d escaped the cluthes of Szayelaporro, find themselves back where they started, to their frustration. Besides his disturbing habit of eating his minions in order to regain health, apparently he has the ability to manipulate the inside of his palace to his satisfaction, thus sending the boys on a loop right back to him. “Shall we begin the Second Act?” he queries.
And oh, he has other tricks up his sleeves. Even nastier ones.
Orihime is powerless to do anything to help Ichigo. Although Aizen has made it clear she is not to be harmed, all bets are off if she has her Rikka attack. Tesla wonders where the small Arrancar has gone. When she is found cowering on the ground, Nnitoira recognizes her, to his surprise. Ichigo wonders how an Espada knows a simple Arrancar, and a child at that. Nel recognizes Nnitoira… and still doesn’t like him. But what is Nel’s secret? And for how much longer can she hide it?
Renji, Uryu, Pesche, and Dondochakka have their own problems. With multiple versions of each of them running around, it’s difficult to know who is real and who is an imposter. But again, things can get worse… and they do.
This volume of Bleach is divided between two battles—that of Ichigo and Nnitoira and that of Uryu and Renji vs Szayelaporro. Not sure where Rukia is at this point, but Orihime is being held hostage, a witness to Ichigo’s battle. The surprise here is not Ichigo, but Nel, as we learn her back story, and as she transforms into what she once was. Who saw this coming? Certainly not Ichigo, who never expected to encounter a fully grown former Espada once named Nelliel. Her story is very touching, as is the story of her friends, Pesche and Dondochakka, who prove themselves to be much more than comic relief. They are true subordinates and faithful friends. As for Uryu and Renji, they are being tortured by the devious Szayaleporro. Getting out of this sticky wicket will be a problem. If I had to guess, it will be Uryu’s quick thinking and calm demeanor that will get them through this but we won’t know until the next volume. Likewise, how will the encounter with Nel and Nnitoira end? Gotta wait and see.
Another good volume of Bleach, looking forward to the next one!
Reviewing these in 2-volume format so this includes volume 32:
This is what you’ve been waiting for since about 10 volumes ago when Grimmjow first shows up and starts running amok in Karakura. Kubo knows this and doesn’t skimp out. There’s about 160 pages detailing this skirmish.
Ichigo goes Visored, Grimmjow goes full-release into his pretty sick Pantera form. Hell yeah, shonen! And then Orihime/Nel have this kinda flat “don’t die!!” power-of-friendship moment. Boo, shonen. (I don’t hate all “friendship” moments, you lowbrow nerds. Just ones that suck. Yuji inspired by Todo is a phenomenal example. “Don’t die!!” sucks and always will suck.)
The fight kicks butt. Swordplay, cero’s, all that stuff you read Bleach for. Ichigo has typical aura-farming moments, and Grimmjow hates Ichigo just for the love of the game. Grimmjow gets a backstory that hypes him up but doesn’t really mean much outside of his own sphere.
Then, Nel is given her origin which is one of the better ones. It’s short and sweet, but packs some discussion on morality and strength. Nnoitra is cool but ain’t no Grimmjow. Szayelapporo v Renji/Uryu continues to stutter and stammer alongside and loses its significance because it’s told intermittently between. way better Ichigo chapters. Dondochakka and Pesche redemption arc coming??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
VOLUME 33: CHAPTER 287-295 Arc 7: Arrancar vs. Shinigami
Inoue being abducted by Tesla Lindocruz. Ichigo fights with Nnoitra. Nnoitra revealed that Nel is the former Espada. Nnoitra is the one who cracked Nel's skull so that Nel didn't remembered anything. After Ichigo being cornered, Nel transformed into her adult version. Nel is former Arrancar 3 and she easily overwhelmed Nnoitra.
Renji and Ishida coming back to Szayelaporro for a rematch. Szayelaporro released his Resurrecion: Fornicarás. He can create a clone of his enemy. Renji and Ishida must fight their clones. Renji used Bankai and all his clones also used Bankai resulting in destroying Szayelaporro's place. Szayelaporro then retreated the clones and used another power. He created a doll that resembles Renji and Ishida. He can break and destroy any organ and bones of Ishida and Renji by using that doll. Dondochakka and Pesche take the doll and ready to fight as Nel's will to fight is coming back.
I liked Nel’s fight with Nnoitra and the flashback to their pasts. I liked the reveal of Nel being the former third Espada and her resolve to protect Ichigo after all he’s done for her. I liked seeing Nel’s character in the flashback and how loyal her Fracción were to her even after she lost her memories and powers. One of my favourite tropes in all of fiction is when comedic characters become serious or reveal a deeper or darker inner depths, so this volume really satisfied me and held some of my favourite moments from this arc. I loved the ending and the lead up to the next volume.
Bleach volume 33 brings new meaning to the phrase "running the gauntlet"! Ichigo must fight back-to-back baddies of the highest level and is pressed to his limits! Just when all seems lost, Ichigo's little friend steps in to assist. Nell is full of surprises and leads to a very entertaining and rewarding volume. The bloodshed in Bleach makes it a candidate for hidden characters in a Mortal Kombat game but the suspense and story keep you glued.