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Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World #1
Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World Vol. 1
Hisagi must throw himself into a new fight as the mystery that Kaname Tōsen left behind resurfaces. The story reveals more details about the four Noble Houses, the Soul King, Arrancar and Fullbringers.
276 pages
First published August 4, 2017
261 people are currently reading
1108 people want to read
About the author
Ryohgo Narita
349 books383 followersRyohgo Narita (成田 良悟, Narita Ryōgo) is a Japanese light novelist. He won the Gold Prize in the 9th Dengeki Novel Prize for Baccano!, which was made into a TV anime in 2007.[1] His series Durarara!! was also made into a TV anime, which began airing January 2010
There are two traits found in most of Narita's works:
* Narita writes extremely fast, one volume a month if he wishes - with tons of spelling errors and missing words as a tradeoff. The editors like to leave them sometimes just for fun, though.
* His work titles often have an exclamation mark at the end (i.e. Baccano!, Vamp!, Durarara!!, etc.).
Kanji names: 成田 良悟 & 成田良悟.
There are two traits found in most of Narita's works:
* Narita writes extremely fast, one volume a month if he wishes - with tons of spelling errors and missing words as a tradeoff. The editors like to leave them sometimes just for fun, though.
* His work titles often have an exclamation mark at the end (i.e. Baccano!, Vamp!, Durarara!!, etc.).
Kanji names: 成田 良悟 & 成田良悟.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
January 17, 2025
"If you want to see through to the truth, you must flounder and sacrifice your own flesh, blood, and soul. At least that's what Kaname Tousen did. Maybe you should know that?" [Aizen]
This book was a huge surprise for me. Starting from the first page I was stuck between "WOW!", "WHAT?!" and "AIN'T NO WAY" up till the end of the story.
After watching the anime (multiple times) and after reading the manga (all 74 volumes last year), I was DYING to know what had happened to my favorite characters after the end of the last arc, the Thousand-Year Blood War. The last volume of BLEACH kind of showed that, but it was only a "10 years later" segment. There was nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about what had happened between the final showdown against Yhwach (the antagonist of TYBW) and that particular segment. It was a huge gap. For me the absence of this part felt bizarre and I ended up not feeling as satisfied with the ending like I imagined to be.
BLEACH: Can't Fear Your Own World novels were supposed to become my opportunity to see what I was denied to see and an opportunity to find answers to all of the questions I had been left with. I'll be honest, Vol. 1 wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be. I need to make one thing clear, before anyone will jump into wrong conclusions - I AM satisfied with most of the story. I am. Truly! I had so much fun reading this volume! But there had been some parts that I am not satisfied with and some parts that straight up irritated me to no end.
"You saw it at the Reiokyu, didn't you? You saw the Soul Society's original sin." [Aizen]
The story gripped me from its very first pages. I have to admit that I was confused to what the first prologue was referring to, but it's because I'm dumb and don't catch things as quick as I should 😂 From that point I was HOOKED! The writing doesn't have the best quality and some of the translations felt wrong, yes, but I decided to ignore this little issue. It didn't felt important, not when I was (finally!) getting the opportunity to see what happened with all my favorite characters were up to after TYBW. And we jumped right into the Reiokyu palace after the Ichigo vs Yhwach battle had ended! CFYOW overall takes place six months after the great war, but the beginning of the volume covers a little bit of the time after the final showdown. Through the story we find out some incredibly interesting things about the characters we get to know and love through the original BLEACH and about how the Soul Society works now (and, well, how it had always worked...). We already knew some dark truths about Central 46, for example, but CFYOW illuminates new threads. It also shows us some of the information about about Reio, the noble families and their (unexpected) connection. It kind of brings a new light on what both Aizen and Yhwach tried to do through their arcs. For me, respectfully, it was a shock to find out what's the truth behind Reio. Not so much when it comes to the noble families, considering the fact how the Shiba clan had been treated and what had happened with Tousen's best friend.
She had been the one bringing light to the world, and now she was forever lost.
We (finally!) found out what Tousen's friend's name is! Yay! I also have to mention that after reading the quote I've put above, Kakyo's character reminded me of Masaki and I couldn't get the parallels between these two women out of my head.
Kakyo = the light
Masaki = the sun
Both of them died a horrible death and both were mourned by the people close to them (like Tousen, Ichigo, Isshin). Both made the world a better place and the instant they were gone, there was a huge, irreplaceable gap and both Tousen and Ichigo had trouble to move on. The difference is that Tousen choose the path of darkness (we know how that ended) while Ichigo didn't lose himself in the feeling of despair and the need of revenge and became the hero of the universe.
Anyways, what I wanted to say, before I interrupted my flow of thoughts, was that CFYOW brings us back to the tragic story of Kaname Tousen, the fellow captain of Squad 9, who lost himself in the need of revenge after the loss of his best friend, a woman named Kakyo. We already knew that Kakyo died by the hand of her husband and that, because the lack of justice for her murder, Tousen turned his back on the Soul Society and became Aizen's loyal servant. What we didn't know until now - and what's one of the things that CFYOW focuses on - is who was Kikyo's husband and why Tousen couldn't bring him to justice. While I knew who was the bad guy before picking up Vol. 1, I did NOT thought that its bad guy is the same person who killed Kakyo. I had NO IDEA that we will get back to Tousen's story, but it actually makes sense, considering who the MC of CFYOW is (Shuuhei Hisagi - Tousen's lieutenant). I was deeply surprised by that and what also surprised me was how engaged I felt into the story. CFYOW did what I thought of as impossible - it made me feel for Kaname Tousen. I am curious how the storyline will be continued in the next volumes!
"Eventually the time will come when you will understand. The Soul Society, the Soul Reapers themselves, are based on nothing more than a treacherous fantasy." [Aizen]
*ALEXA, PLAY "TREACHERY" BY SAGISU SHIRO*
Hahaha, jokes aside (you really should listen to this song if you don't know it yet!), when we're on the topic of the bad guy, I have to say that I'm amazed how the author mixed the plot of Tousen's story with Ginjou's one through one person. Or wait, I should say that I FEEL like these two stories are mixed through one person. I have no proof for it, though! But it would make perfect sense, considering who the bad guy is, doesn't it? I hope I'm not wrong! 😅
Okay, okay. The bad guy. This is where we're getting into a, hm, quite sore subject. I already knew who the bad guy will be, and I imagined him being on the same level as the previous villains. But... he's... uh, not? It didn't felt that way to me, that is. Everything he kept on doing was making those 'vulgar', 'wicked' and 'malicious' smiles and provoking all characters he shared scenes with (except for the child) while nonchalantly speaking about his crimes and death in particular. Don't punch me for this, but he kind of felt like a cartoony villain. You know, the kind that is evil for the sake of being evil, looks evil and behaves evil, and everyone around him feel that he's evil, kept on being suspicious of him and of his intentions, but also let him do what he wants to do. I didn't like that. I understand (okay, kind of) why he's still going around and doing what his heart desires, but aren't we in a new world already, with new head captain and new Central 46? Why he still cannot be stopped? He's not even hiding his "malicious" spiritual pressure, he's a snake that everyone once believed of Gin to be, and no one, absolutely no one, keeps an eye on him? Really?
Also what I want to say is that the guy is the meanest person ever for jumping into action now, after the great war had ended. I know that six months had passed after TYBW, but the Soul Society doesn't feel like they got over the massacre that happened due to Yhwach's attack. It's proved by Hisagi's mission to write a proper story about what had happened during the war so the people of Soul Society will let go of their fear of the war happening again.
Just watch, Captain Tousen. I'll illuminate the path for everyone in the Soul Society in my own way. Just like you did for me. [Hisagi]
First of all, I smiled widely when I realized that Hisagi is the MC of this story. Why? Fun fact: when I was watching BLEACH for the first time, Hisagi landed at the position of no. 2 on the list of my favorite characters (right after Ichigo). I had a ton of images of him on my phone! And now he's the MC of the story! Of course, I miss Ichigo. He's my favorite person. But I think that the torch had to be passed at some point and the time for it came. Besides, I'm happy and relieved that Ichigo Kurosaki was safe now.. I need more, of course, I will always need more of him. But for now I'm satisfied with the fact that he's safe.
Anyways, I think that Hisagi will carry the story well. He didn't do much in Vol. 1, though, just going around, trying his best to gain informations about the war. But I know that he will be an excellent MC. He had proved already to be a reliable person and a strong warrior (his fight with Findor is one of my favs from the original story). He just didn't get the opportunity to truly shine (especially not in TYBW, unfortunately). I need to see him in action so badly! I also want to see his Bankai! I know that he has one! I also have to say that, despite the fact that I never particularly liked Tousen, I admire Hisagi's loyalty to him. I don't think Tousen deserves it, though, but it's admirable nonetheless. But I wish for more scenes between Hisagi and Kensei (his current captain). I had fallen in love with their relationship after Hisagi had been saved by Kensei when he was a child - it's because of that incident Hisagi decided to become a Soul Reaper. But I don't think I will see it 😭
Now. The one issue I had with this volume (and with the nest one as well, I'm afraid) was the presence of two Sternritters. Guys. I was so sure that these two are dead. Every Sternritter seemed dead after TYBW ended, even the ones I actually liked, and I made peace with that. But here I am, raging once again over the presence of the two Quincies that somehow survived the war. Out of all Sternritters, it had to be these two? Really? REALLY?! I was so angry that I wanted to cry! I didn't want to see them here! No, just no! I don't care about them! They should've stayed dead, why are they needed here? 😭 Fortunately, their presence didn't destroy my enjoyment of reading the book, but their scenes felt very unpleasant for me. I love most of the characters, so I'm fine. But I did spent some time sharing angry tears.
Before I will end this review, I also have to say that ICHIBE IS LUCKY THAT HIS SCENARIO DIDN'T HAPPEN, BECAUSE I WOULD THROW HANDS AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD. PERMANENTLY THIS TIME. I SWEAR.
If I will remember something to write on (I'm sure that I will), I will edit this review, but for now it's the end. I'm so excited for volume 2! I wonder what other things will be revealed in that book and how will the bad guy's plan progress. Also, I wonder how is the new religious group tied up with everything? Are they somehow working with the bad guy? Could it be true? 🧐
This book was a huge surprise for me. Starting from the first page I was stuck between "WOW!", "WHAT?!" and "AIN'T NO WAY" up till the end of the story.
After watching the anime (multiple times) and after reading the manga (all 74 volumes last year), I was DYING to know what had happened to my favorite characters after the end of the last arc, the Thousand-Year Blood War. The last volume of BLEACH kind of showed that, but it was only a "10 years later" segment. There was nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about what had happened between the final showdown against Yhwach (the antagonist of TYBW) and that particular segment. It was a huge gap. For me the absence of this part felt bizarre and I ended up not feeling as satisfied with the ending like I imagined to be.
BLEACH: Can't Fear Your Own World novels were supposed to become my opportunity to see what I was denied to see and an opportunity to find answers to all of the questions I had been left with. I'll be honest, Vol. 1 wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be. I need to make one thing clear, before anyone will jump into wrong conclusions - I AM satisfied with most of the story. I am. Truly! I had so much fun reading this volume! But there had been some parts that I am not satisfied with and some parts that straight up irritated me to no end.
"You saw it at the Reiokyu, didn't you? You saw the Soul Society's original sin." [Aizen]
The story gripped me from its very first pages. I have to admit that I was confused to what the first prologue was referring to, but it's because I'm dumb and don't catch things as quick as I should 😂 From that point I was HOOKED! The writing doesn't have the best quality and some of the translations felt wrong, yes, but I decided to ignore this little issue. It didn't felt important, not when I was (finally!) getting the opportunity to see what happened with all my favorite characters were up to after TYBW. And we jumped right into the Reiokyu palace after the Ichigo vs Yhwach battle had ended! CFYOW overall takes place six months after the great war, but the beginning of the volume covers a little bit of the time after the final showdown. Through the story we find out some incredibly interesting things about the characters we get to know and love through the original BLEACH and about how the Soul Society works now (and, well, how it had always worked...). We already knew some dark truths about Central 46, for example, but CFYOW illuminates new threads. It also shows us some of the information about about Reio, the noble families and their (unexpected) connection. It kind of brings a new light on what both Aizen and Yhwach tried to do through their arcs. For me, respectfully, it was a shock to find out what's the truth behind Reio. Not so much when it comes to the noble families, considering the fact how the Shiba clan had been treated and what had happened with Tousen's best friend.
She had been the one bringing light to the world, and now she was forever lost.
We (finally!) found out what Tousen's friend's name is! Yay! I also have to mention that after reading the quote I've put above, Kakyo's character reminded me of Masaki and I couldn't get the parallels between these two women out of my head.
Kakyo = the light
Masaki = the sun
Both of them died a horrible death and both were mourned by the people close to them (like Tousen, Ichigo, Isshin). Both made the world a better place and the instant they were gone, there was a huge, irreplaceable gap and both Tousen and Ichigo had trouble to move on. The difference is that Tousen choose the path of darkness (we know how that ended) while Ichigo didn't lose himself in the feeling of despair and the need of revenge and became the hero of the universe.
Anyways, what I wanted to say, before I interrupted my flow of thoughts, was that CFYOW brings us back to the tragic story of Kaname Tousen, the fellow captain of Squad 9, who lost himself in the need of revenge after the loss of his best friend, a woman named Kakyo. We already knew that Kakyo died by the hand of her husband and that, because the lack of justice for her murder, Tousen turned his back on the Soul Society and became Aizen's loyal servant. What we didn't know until now - and what's one of the things that CFYOW focuses on - is who was Kikyo's husband and why Tousen couldn't bring him to justice. While I knew who was the bad guy before picking up Vol. 1, I did NOT thought that its bad guy is the same person who killed Kakyo. I had NO IDEA that we will get back to Tousen's story, but it actually makes sense, considering who the MC of CFYOW is (Shuuhei Hisagi - Tousen's lieutenant). I was deeply surprised by that and what also surprised me was how engaged I felt into the story. CFYOW did what I thought of as impossible - it made me feel for Kaname Tousen. I am curious how the storyline will be continued in the next volumes!
"Eventually the time will come when you will understand. The Soul Society, the Soul Reapers themselves, are based on nothing more than a treacherous fantasy." [Aizen]
*ALEXA, PLAY "TREACHERY" BY SAGISU SHIRO*
Hahaha, jokes aside (you really should listen to this song if you don't know it yet!), when we're on the topic of the bad guy, I have to say that I'm amazed how the author mixed the plot of Tousen's story with Ginjou's one through one person. Or wait, I should say that I FEEL like these two stories are mixed through one person. I have no proof for it, though! But it would make perfect sense, considering who the bad guy is, doesn't it? I hope I'm not wrong! 😅
Okay, okay. The bad guy. This is where we're getting into a, hm, quite sore subject. I already knew who the bad guy will be, and I imagined him being on the same level as the previous villains. But... he's... uh, not? It didn't felt that way to me, that is. Everything he kept on doing was making those 'vulgar', 'wicked' and 'malicious' smiles and provoking all characters he shared scenes with (except for the child) while nonchalantly speaking about his crimes and death in particular. Don't punch me for this, but he kind of felt like a cartoony villain. You know, the kind that is evil for the sake of being evil, looks evil and behaves evil, and everyone around him feel that he's evil, kept on being suspicious of him and of his intentions, but also let him do what he wants to do. I didn't like that. I understand (okay, kind of) why he's still going around and doing what his heart desires, but aren't we in a new world already, with new head captain and new Central 46? Why he still cannot be stopped? He's not even hiding his "malicious" spiritual pressure, he's a snake that everyone once believed of Gin to be, and no one, absolutely no one, keeps an eye on him? Really?
Also what I want to say is that the guy is the meanest person ever for jumping into action now, after the great war had ended. I know that six months had passed after TYBW, but the Soul Society doesn't feel like they got over the massacre that happened due to Yhwach's attack. It's proved by Hisagi's mission to write a proper story about what had happened during the war so the people of Soul Society will let go of their fear of the war happening again.
Just watch, Captain Tousen. I'll illuminate the path for everyone in the Soul Society in my own way. Just like you did for me. [Hisagi]
First of all, I smiled widely when I realized that Hisagi is the MC of this story. Why? Fun fact: when I was watching BLEACH for the first time, Hisagi landed at the position of no. 2 on the list of my favorite characters (right after Ichigo). I had a ton of images of him on my phone! And now he's the MC of the story! Of course, I miss Ichigo. He's my favorite person. But I think that the torch had to be passed at some point and the time for it came. Besides, I'm happy and relieved that Ichigo Kurosaki was safe now.. I need more, of course, I will always need more of him. But for now I'm satisfied with the fact that he's safe.
Anyways, I think that Hisagi will carry the story well. He didn't do much in Vol. 1, though, just going around, trying his best to gain informations about the war. But I know that he will be an excellent MC. He had proved already to be a reliable person and a strong warrior (his fight with Findor is one of my favs from the original story). He just didn't get the opportunity to truly shine (especially not in TYBW, unfortunately). I need to see him in action so badly! I also want to see his Bankai! I know that he has one! I also have to say that, despite the fact that I never particularly liked Tousen, I admire Hisagi's loyalty to him. I don't think Tousen deserves it, though, but it's admirable nonetheless. But I wish for more scenes between Hisagi and Kensei (his current captain). I had fallen in love with their relationship after Hisagi had been saved by Kensei when he was a child - it's because of that incident Hisagi decided to become a Soul Reaper. But I don't think I will see it 😭
Now. The one issue I had with this volume (and with the nest one as well, I'm afraid) was the presence of two Sternritters. Guys. I was so sure that these two are dead. Every Sternritter seemed dead after TYBW ended, even the ones I actually liked, and I made peace with that. But here I am, raging once again over the presence of the two Quincies that somehow survived the war. Out of all Sternritters, it had to be these two? Really? REALLY?! I was so angry that I wanted to cry! I didn't want to see them here! No, just no! I don't care about them! They should've stayed dead, why are they needed here? 😭 Fortunately, their presence didn't destroy my enjoyment of reading the book, but their scenes felt very unpleasant for me. I love most of the characters, so I'm fine. But I did spent some time sharing angry tears.
Before I will end this review, I also have to say that ICHIBE IS LUCKY THAT HIS SCENARIO DIDN'T HAPPEN, BECAUSE I WOULD THROW HANDS AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD. PERMANENTLY THIS TIME. I SWEAR.
If I will remember something to write on (I'm sure that I will), I will edit this review, but for now it's the end. I'm so excited for volume 2! I wonder what other things will be revealed in that book and how will the bad guy's plan progress. Also, I wonder how is the new religious group tied up with everything? Are they somehow working with the bad guy? Could it be true? 🧐
December 1, 2020
Great book for any fans of the manga who weren't happy where it ended - this books expands a lot upon the lore and some of the unanswered questions throughout the series.
Only negative is that the translation is a bit shaky in places, with some pretty blatant spelling/grammar errors. I never expected this to be translated at all though so I'm definitely happy with what we got.
Only negative is that the translation is a bit shaky in places, with some pretty blatant spelling/grammar errors. I never expected this to be translated at all though so I'm definitely happy with what we got.
May 27, 2020
I am more familiar with the anime. I have been meaning to delve into the manga. So, seeing this story in novel format came as a surprise. A nice surprise since I do enjoy novels (obviously).
It has been a year or so since I watched Bleach, so occasionally I had to look up certain names to put a face to them. Some characters, such as Kenpachi, Ichigo, Urahara (aka my favorites) I did not have to do that.
In this format, certain aspects about the world are better explained than the manga or anime could ever do. For example, soul tickets. Also, it is nice to get into certain characters’ heads to get a feel about their emotions and innermost thoughts.
The story in itself is well-written and easy to follow.
I am not familiar with the plot, so I deduce this takes place beyond what I have watched in the anime. It was new material for me.
Kudos for Viz for daring this! I have seen favored mangas exploring novel formats, and I have been wanting to try it out for a while now. Thank you Viz for giving me this opportunity and showing me how much I enjoy it.
It has been a year or so since I watched Bleach, so occasionally I had to look up certain names to put a face to them. Some characters, such as Kenpachi, Ichigo, Urahara (aka my favorites) I did not have to do that.
In this format, certain aspects about the world are better explained than the manga or anime could ever do. For example, soul tickets. Also, it is nice to get into certain characters’ heads to get a feel about their emotions and innermost thoughts.
The story in itself is well-written and easy to follow.
I am not familiar with the plot, so I deduce this takes place beyond what I have watched in the anime. It was new material for me.
Kudos for Viz for daring this! I have seen favored mangas exploring novel formats, and I have been wanting to try it out for a while now. Thank you Viz for giving me this opportunity and showing me how much I enjoy it.
August 19, 2021
Admittedly, a rather large part of my enjoyment of this light novel was getting to see familiar faces that I loved from Bleach (a lot of whom happened to be faves)! I’m pretty curious to see how this will continue on, though the writing style isn’t my face.
July 26, 2020
Nostalgia faktor level 1000%. Bleach je jedna z mých nejoblíbenějších manga/anime sérií vůbec a už přes několik let mi bylo smutno z toho, že nedostaneme víc. Ale ejhle! V angličtině začla vycházet série light novel, které se odehrávají po konci celé série, a to z pohledu Hisagiho. A je to boží! Miluju všechny detaily, kresby a hlavně politiku Soul Society, kterou v hlavní sérii moc nevidíme. Tím, že to není zaměřené na Ichiga, totiž dostáváme milion nových informací. And I love it.
4.5/5*
4.5/5*
August 13, 2025
This is a sold book that offers an extension of the Bleach universe to dedicated fans such as myself. I read this because I finished the manga and found myself a little saddned that I had no more Bleach to read, this series offered me a chance to jump back into it. At its core Bleach is a manga, and so i was hardly expecting fireworks from a novel like this, and thus the 3 equalled my expectations going into the book. Was it amazing? No. But did I get what I wanted from it? Yes. Therefore I am satisfied.
The plot is solid and it is interesting to see a 'new' villain being used as opposed to recycling someone from the long list that already exists from the manga. He is incendiary detestable and cruel which means he is a great villain. In the same vain I also appreciate the focus on the five noble houses which is again something that was never really explored in the manga.
Speaking of the manga, I was fed more than enough fan service to keep me satisfied with appearances from some of my favourites like Byakuya Goatchi Goatjow and Ikkaku and a wide list of other greats like Shunsui, Aizen and many more.
I also appreciated and really enjoyed getting to see what the soul society is like after TYBW, as well as getting to see Hueco Mundo and what the surviving quincies were getting up to.
I also really appreciate getting to see my man Shuhei Hisagi as the central star. He is probably my second favourite vice captain if not my first so I do really like him and thats only been solidified following his role here.
As for the negatives, the prose is subpar as expected and the writing is weak in places, as well as quite a few grammatical errors unchecked. I also think the book slightly over stretched itself with the amount of perspectives and side stories it tried to tell alongside Hisagis main story, I feel like we needed more from Hisagi here as he is the central story.
I will read the following two books in the trilogy, just a case of when not if.
The plot is solid and it is interesting to see a 'new' villain being used as opposed to recycling someone from the long list that already exists from the manga. He is incendiary detestable and cruel which means he is a great villain. In the same vain I also appreciate the focus on the five noble houses which is again something that was never really explored in the manga.
Speaking of the manga, I was fed more than enough fan service to keep me satisfied with appearances from some of my favourites like Byakuya Goatchi Goatjow and Ikkaku and a wide list of other greats like Shunsui, Aizen and many more.
I also appreciated and really enjoyed getting to see what the soul society is like after TYBW, as well as getting to see Hueco Mundo and what the surviving quincies were getting up to.
I also really appreciate getting to see my man Shuhei Hisagi as the central star. He is probably my second favourite vice captain if not my first so I do really like him and thats only been solidified following his role here.
As for the negatives, the prose is subpar as expected and the writing is weak in places, as well as quite a few grammatical errors unchecked. I also think the book slightly over stretched itself with the amount of perspectives and side stories it tried to tell alongside Hisagis main story, I feel like we needed more from Hisagi here as he is the central story.
I will read the following two books in the trilogy, just a case of when not if.
February 20, 2022
bleach is one of my favorite og anime series which you wouldn't guess is true since i never finished the anime or manga. but when i saw these light novels floating around a few years ago, i immediately added them to my tbr, telling myself i would pick them up after i binge read the manga. i have yet to read the manga and curiosity won out. also, why does this listing say bleach ln #5, what are the four previous ones?!
the nice thing about this ln is that it doesn't feel like i've missed a lot. obviously, there was a big fight but the novel sort of summarizes this at the start and it helps that the mc, gorgeous hisagi on the cover, is apparently just as clueless as me and is in the process of investigating what happened. now i did watch quite a bit of bleach but not all of it and i often jumped around so many of the characters that show up in this volume (after i looked them up) weren't complete strangers. that said, i don't think it was important to know everything about them, just where they fell in the many categories (soul reaper, quincy, fullbring, etc). i think mainly because this is an opening volume to what sounds like will be another disaster in the sereitei
there's a lot happening but it's written in a way that is easy to follow, which i really appreciate, but there's clearly a lot of sketchy stuff happening so also, good luck keeping track of everything. i also really enjoy that the novel really embodies that craziness that we experience in bleach, where there will be serious moments and then we'll get something funny and unexpected that might disrupt the flow in other contexts but that feel just right in bleach.
can't wait to pick up the other volumes (and the manga!) soon. rating a 4 only because while i enjoyed it, it was lacking a bit of oomph. still great through and i read through it in one sitting!
p.s. I read an e-copy via Edelweiss and found many errors towards the ending of the book, which i hope and think have been fixed in the final print
the nice thing about this ln is that it doesn't feel like i've missed a lot. obviously, there was a big fight but the novel sort of summarizes this at the start and it helps that the mc, gorgeous hisagi on the cover, is apparently just as clueless as me and is in the process of investigating what happened. now i did watch quite a bit of bleach but not all of it and i often jumped around so many of the characters that show up in this volume (after i looked them up) weren't complete strangers. that said, i don't think it was important to know everything about them, just where they fell in the many categories (soul reaper, quincy, fullbring, etc). i think mainly because this is an opening volume to what sounds like will be another disaster in the sereitei
there's a lot happening but it's written in a way that is easy to follow, which i really appreciate, but there's clearly a lot of sketchy stuff happening so also, good luck keeping track of everything. i also really enjoy that the novel really embodies that craziness that we experience in bleach, where there will be serious moments and then we'll get something funny and unexpected that might disrupt the flow in other contexts but that feel just right in bleach.
can't wait to pick up the other volumes (and the manga!) soon. rating a 4 only because while i enjoyed it, it was lacking a bit of oomph. still great through and i read through it in one sitting!
p.s. I read an e-copy via Edelweiss and found many errors towards the ending of the book, which i hope and think have been fixed in the final print
May 19, 2024
Fun and extremely quick read despite being almost 300 pages, I pretty much managed to finish it in two sittings on the same day. (I read like the first 20 pages an earlier day) Admittedly I am very bad with names in anime and had to keep looking up characters, but the context that is given in the writing is usually enough that it pointed me in the right direction. I hope the next two parts keep up the same quality.
December 23, 2025
I hadn't realized how much I had missed the bleach-verse until I read this. Great reveals even in the first volume. it makes you want to go directly into the second
March 22, 2024
3,5/5
Interesting world expansion with beloved characters, fascinating villain. A must read for anyone who is curious about the aftermath of ‘1000 Year Blood War’. Unfortunately; its a bit distracted by multiple plot points that left hanging for following books.
If you were not interested in whats to come, then there is nothing here for you in the upcoming edition of ‘Seiretei Bulletin’ prepared by Hisagi who still has an ongoing conflict with his conviction
BONUS: Slick artwork from Kubo; and respectful and noticably deep understanding of heroes by Narita
Interesting world expansion with beloved characters, fascinating villain. A must read for anyone who is curious about the aftermath of ‘1000 Year Blood War’. Unfortunately; its a bit distracted by multiple plot points that left hanging for following books.
If you were not interested in whats to come, then there is nothing here for you in the upcoming edition of ‘Seiretei Bulletin’ prepared by Hisagi who still has an ongoing conflict with his conviction
BONUS: Slick artwork from Kubo; and respectful and noticably deep understanding of heroes by Narita
April 11, 2025
“If either of us had the ability to seek revenge, should we actually go through with it?”
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST ME TILL THE WEEKEND😭
i LOVE that we are getting more background for tosen. i’ve always been curious about his best friend and who she was murdered by. his whole story is just so interesting. bro has a wild zanpakto and some of the best outfits (his hecco mundo one😮💨).
Tokinada seems like a righteous prick and i’m so excited to see more of him. and hikone is so interesting like who tf are they??? and their zanpakto and the incantation for it?? im SO happy we are seeing more the the Four Great Nobel Clans, i forget how many characters are connected to them…
the writing is fine, and im so glad there are kubo’s sketches throughout. i always love his art and character designs
also i’ve said it before, no one loves quite like the men in bleach. my standards are too high now
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST ME TILL THE WEEKEND😭
i LOVE that we are getting more background for tosen. i’ve always been curious about his best friend and who she was murdered by. his whole story is just so interesting. bro has a wild zanpakto and some of the best outfits (his hecco mundo one😮💨).
Tokinada seems like a righteous prick and i’m so excited to see more of him. and hikone is so interesting like who tf are they??? and their zanpakto and the incantation for it?? im SO happy we are seeing more the the Four Great Nobel Clans, i forget how many characters are connected to them…
the writing is fine, and im so glad there are kubo’s sketches throughout. i always love his art and character designs
also i’ve said it before, no one loves quite like the men in bleach. my standards are too high now
February 24, 2022
Very light 4 maybe a strong 3. Manga tropes don’t translate well to text. There was a whole chapter with an unnecessarily long battle where people just kept showing up and nothing really happens. I do enjoy the political drama between the aristocrats and 13 court guard that we get none of in the mainline series but I expect it won’t last long in the next two books since the big bad has revealed his plans. The plot seems to revolve around showing as many characters as possible for brownie points which was fun at first but at least they haven’t involved the protag from the main series. I think its interesting to give focus to one of the under-developed characters from the manga but most of his development in this book was a refresher for people not familiar with Bleach. Looking forward to volume 2, hopefully it doesn’t get worse than this.
December 27, 2018
Kisahnya berputar disekitar Hisagi Shuuhei dan future fast forward setelah OTYBW. Mengetengahkan tentang apa yang berlaku di Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and Sekai. Juga lebih maklumat tentang Soul King, Fullbringers dan Quincy. Sedikit imbas semula tentang zaman awal penyertaan Tosen dan Aizen ke Gotei 13.
December 10, 2022
Honestly, the main thing I liked about this was that its from Hisagi's perspective. Unfortunately, as its the first volume it's pretty slow, and I probably need to get to the second volume for the payoff. Plus, there's more typos than I would have liked. Otherwise, it's an interesting premise, but I'll reserve my judgement for the whole story when I get there.
November 20, 2022
The translation is weirdly written and some of the vocabulary they have chosen really catches you off guard.
The story seems promising though
The story seems promising though
November 13, 2024
i love it now that my boi hisagi got his own spotlight he deserves this sm
April 24, 2025
It takes place after the Thousand Year Blood War (airing now in the anime).
It's fine I think? We follow Hisagi, the assistant captain to Tosen before he defected/died who is an interesting choice for the book's lead.
My feelings are very meh. Not interested enough to try the second volume.
It's fine I think? We follow Hisagi, the assistant captain to Tosen before he defected/died who is an interesting choice for the book's lead.
My feelings are very meh. Not interested enough to try the second volume.
July 11, 2020
A trip down memory lane, a stay at Nostalgia Inn, a new, exciting novelisation for those who are familiar with the original Bleach manga; now the announcement of this one caught me by surprise – pleasantly. And I thank the guys at Viz Media for providing me with this copy. I’ve always admired Kubo’s imagination, and the likeness with Heian period samurai is something that will always capture my interest, but this is certainly only a novel for those who have read the manga.
This story, or at least the prologue, takes place after the Soul King Saviour War and we get to meet all of our favourites characters bar the one that actually matters: Ichigo. A new threat awaits, because of a shift in the Tsunayashiro family, and its questionable new leader, Soul Society once again faces change. The ripples of this are felt throughout Hueco Mundo, who are still fighting the dregs of the Quincy and their attacks on its denizens with guerrilla warfare. Shuhei Hisagi is left to pick up the pieces with his Captain zombified, and everything around him needing to be rebuilt after the Vandereich obliterated it; his role as editor-in-chief, on the hunt for information about the war, leads him to cross path with the Four Great Families and a new plot that threatens all three realms.
Now, because this is a Japanese light novel, it skimps on exposition, leaning on the fact that it expects readers to know about the manga, or the anime, not making it one of the most accessible reads. But it does feature sporadic illustrations by Tite Kubo himself, which really appeal to a long-time fan of the series like me. Seeing the characters that I’ve missed in the years since Bleach’s serialisation ended was great, the plot is fresh and almost feels like a natural continuation to the series. What happens after a war? Change. And this change comes in a grab for power from the surviving factions in this.
I found the choice of Shuhei (pictured on the cover) as the protagonist quite intriguing. In the manga, he was a character with a strong sense of duty, a duty that led him to hide his power and a man of action. Having said this, he was a side character. There was slight resentment towards him because the main character of over a decade is nowhere to be seen, but it is fun, action-packed and just a cruel as the original material; the powers are just as insane, and the battles huge and grandiose. Just what I expected from Bleach.
Overall, if you know anything about the anime or manga… well, if you’ve finished it, do give it read. If anything, for the nostalgia. Those not familiar with Bleach that love fantasy may find something to love in this, as every story has its own starting point amidst other stories, but be prepared to be thrown in at the deep end.
This story, or at least the prologue, takes place after the Soul King Saviour War and we get to meet all of our favourites characters bar the one that actually matters: Ichigo. A new threat awaits, because of a shift in the Tsunayashiro family, and its questionable new leader, Soul Society once again faces change. The ripples of this are felt throughout Hueco Mundo, who are still fighting the dregs of the Quincy and their attacks on its denizens with guerrilla warfare. Shuhei Hisagi is left to pick up the pieces with his Captain zombified, and everything around him needing to be rebuilt after the Vandereich obliterated it; his role as editor-in-chief, on the hunt for information about the war, leads him to cross path with the Four Great Families and a new plot that threatens all three realms.
Now, because this is a Japanese light novel, it skimps on exposition, leaning on the fact that it expects readers to know about the manga, or the anime, not making it one of the most accessible reads. But it does feature sporadic illustrations by Tite Kubo himself, which really appeal to a long-time fan of the series like me. Seeing the characters that I’ve missed in the years since Bleach’s serialisation ended was great, the plot is fresh and almost feels like a natural continuation to the series. What happens after a war? Change. And this change comes in a grab for power from the surviving factions in this.
I found the choice of Shuhei (pictured on the cover) as the protagonist quite intriguing. In the manga, he was a character with a strong sense of duty, a duty that led him to hide his power and a man of action. Having said this, he was a side character. There was slight resentment towards him because the main character of over a decade is nowhere to be seen, but it is fun, action-packed and just a cruel as the original material; the powers are just as insane, and the battles huge and grandiose. Just what I expected from Bleach.
Overall, if you know anything about the anime or manga… well, if you’ve finished it, do give it read. If anything, for the nostalgia. Those not familiar with Bleach that love fantasy may find something to love in this, as every story has its own starting point amidst other stories, but be prepared to be thrown in at the deep end.
September 22, 2020
The first Bleach novel translated into English for the Western market, volume I picks up where the main story manga left off - the end of the Quincy War, and a year and half after things have calmed down and most of the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and the World of the Living are recovering from the all out war. Volume I mostly follows Assistant Captain Hisagi in his role as the EiC of the Thirteen Court Guard newspaper, and we also meet other characters introduced in the manga and some new ones, as we begin to see the story play put.
The writing at times was interesting, partially because it attempted to mimic the writing style of the original manga, and you can see that with the pauses and comedic moments in the story. However, this would also prove to be a detriment as it meant that the story wasn’t able to establish a solid narrative at times - indeed it felt like I was reading an episode of the anime. Also, the time jumps that happened midways through the chapters and the interludes also led to a slightly confusing narrative - including not having all of the characters listed that are important to the story as is custom for a Bleach story.
However, all this aside, this was a great story to had to the Bleach story arc, and I can’t wait for volume II in November!
The writing at times was interesting, partially because it attempted to mimic the writing style of the original manga, and you can see that with the pauses and comedic moments in the story. However, this would also prove to be a detriment as it meant that the story wasn’t able to establish a solid narrative at times - indeed it felt like I was reading an episode of the anime. Also, the time jumps that happened midways through the chapters and the interludes also led to a slightly confusing narrative - including not having all of the characters listed that are important to the story as is custom for a Bleach story.
However, all this aside, this was a great story to had to the Bleach story arc, and I can’t wait for volume II in November!
January 13, 2025
What compelled me:
This is in many ways Bleach-super. It’s Bleach beyond its normal reaches. It’s fan fiction but so incredibly grounded that it’s believable as canon.
I found it to be very readable, incredibly compelling, and necessary reading for any Bleach fan. It has this element to it, of lack of worldly urgency, that makes of feel like a filler arc. And yet it’s urgency is deeply important to what IS canon that what happens is not only interesting but peels the ears of intrigue as to what this novels events mean for the main characters.
What I didn’t enjoy:
There’s moments where I am unsure if characters would act in the way they are depicted here compared to their manga counterparts. But it’s less often than sometimes so I forgive it.
What I took away from it:
I love it’s grounded approach towards something different and interning to Bleach. We have not focused in ever on a lieutenant as the main character, aristocracy as an antagonist, or hollow based zanpakuto as plot points. It’s all new stuff yet fits within the narrative very well.
8/10
This is in many ways Bleach-super. It’s Bleach beyond its normal reaches. It’s fan fiction but so incredibly grounded that it’s believable as canon.
I found it to be very readable, incredibly compelling, and necessary reading for any Bleach fan. It has this element to it, of lack of worldly urgency, that makes of feel like a filler arc. And yet it’s urgency is deeply important to what IS canon that what happens is not only interesting but peels the ears of intrigue as to what this novels events mean for the main characters.
What I didn’t enjoy:
There’s moments where I am unsure if characters would act in the way they are depicted here compared to their manga counterparts. But it’s less often than sometimes so I forgive it.
What I took away from it:
I love it’s grounded approach towards something different and interning to Bleach. We have not focused in ever on a lieutenant as the main character, aristocracy as an antagonist, or hollow based zanpakuto as plot points. It’s all new stuff yet fits within the narrative very well.
8/10
May 27, 2020
Saying my brain has stopped working would be an understatement. I literally don't know what to think anymore. I sourly wished I'd never picked this bullshit of a Manga. My brain is in the risk of getting crippled, never to be be repaired again.
All the plot holes that never got touched in the Manga, gets tried out here in the most unconvincing, disorganised and illogical way. Trying to clean up somebody else's mess. This book needs to be burned. Releasing an awful filler novel like this won't make up for the Manga's shortcomings.
All the plot holes that never got touched in the Manga, gets tried out here in the most unconvincing, disorganised and illogical way. Trying to clean up somebody else's mess. This book needs to be burned. Releasing an awful filler novel like this won't make up for the Manga's shortcomings.
June 15, 2020
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This is first in a series of light novels (in this case, a novel taking place after the events of the manga/anime). As such, there are only a couple of rough sketches and it is mostly text. It does go into detail about the set up of the Bleach world - specifics into e.g., Fullbringers, soul passes, and the hierarchy of commoners of nobles. But it has a vast series of characters to bring in for cameos and then adds new ones on top. So it is incredibly confusing (I had to have a Bleach wiki opened the whole time). As well, the time frames jump around and there is a lot of stylized writing to make it less straightforward. So yes, for consummate fans who want the story to progress further but also want more explanations of things and events after the anime/manga ended.Story: Shūhei Hisagi is tasked with researching the Soul King invasion for his newspaper, the Seireitei Bulletin. As he goes about his business, he begins to uncover signs that something isn't right in all 3 worlds (human, Hueco Mundo, Soul Society). Not only that, everything points to the problem originating from one of the noble houses, in the form of Tokinada Tsunayashiro.
Hisagi is the main focus through the series: loyal, hot headed, and very much a straight arrow. His connection to everything is his former Captain Tosen. Tosen had a strong relationship with Tsunayashiro's wife and it is her death at her husband's hands that likely drove Tosen to betray Soul Society with Aizen. But really, that is just one aspect as there are problems in the human world and Hueco Mundo that bring Hisagi into contact with quite a few Bleach characters.
Honestly, it's a confusing mess. We don't follow Hisagi all the time and we get perspectives from quite a few people. Of course, as the amoral villain, Tsunayashiro shows up quite a bit to show just how cruel he is and how he likes to play with his victims. It's explained that he was disillusioned due to a secret of the noble houses and the soul king that he discovered.
In all, as much as I was looking forward to reading more about Hisagi, it was just too confusing. There are a few rough illustrations every now and then to remind you of characters. But e.g., right from the start when Hisagi goes to the Shiba household to interview Ganju, he finds Ginjo is there along with Tsukishima, under the protection of Kukaku, talking about Kaien. If you know who all those people are, then you'll be fine. But if you don't remember who all those people were, you'll get an idea of what I mean by confusing. That's not even the worse considering there are paragraphs of Ginjo and Ganju talking and that's hard enough to read with the names so similar.
Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
March 1, 2021
**2.5
It's been a long while since I've read the original Bleach, and from it I only, off the top of my head, could remember the first arc and Ichigo's name. Nothing from the Thousand Year Blood War, Aizen, or even the Soul Society arc was stuck in my mind outside of character designs. A lot of prior fans or even new ones going into this are probably in the same boat, and if you thought this was a fresh start to jump into this world like how Boruto or the Light-Novel Naruto series function for Naruto, you were dead wrong.
This is as continuity heavy as it possibly could be and requires either a recap of the series prior to jumping in or a straight re-reading. I did just fine with a recap, and enjoyed most of it. So before you even think about buying or reading it, do your homework first. In reality, this is Bleach Volume 75.
Now, with that being said this first Volume of a new light-novel trilogy is meant to act as a large de-cluttering of all the storylines left over from the end of Bleach. It centers itself on a assassination event that leaves Tokinda Tsunayashiro the now head of his respective family, and while he makes moves in the background a series of effects spewing from the aftermath of The Thousand Year Blood War leave the Soul Society in a chaotic state. In the middle of all this, reporter and assistant captain Shuhei Hisagi is left to sift through it all.
First off, this would be a 3 if it wasn't for the obvious rushed translation in terms of grammar, missing letters, and repeated words. In something as quick and simple as this, those mistakes should be kept to a one or two time or offense, not a multiple time event.
Now, in terms of the actual story of this volume, it really doesn't have one. It's all one 200 plus paged prologue for what I expect later entries to be about, which is why on release I could see this being so infuriating to many. If your expecting a somewhat standalone beginning of a series, you won't find it here. This is one story split into three volumes ala Lord of The Rings style, so your either down or your out.
The prose itself reads quick, is enjoyable and is very well paced. However, in terms of an actual story, like previously mentioned there isn't one. Or at the least not one focus. It bounces around a lot between tying up loose ends, establishing seemingly random events, and setting up both Tokinda and Hisagi as main vocal point for the later installments that it can at times feel like you got cheated out of a story for a checklist, which is what makes these types of series hard to review on their own. It isn't a complete story, and won't be until the release of volume 3. The event sin of themselves read well and are entertaining, but it's hard to judge why they matter yet.
But, without a focused plot, then the characters must rise to bear the weight. So how did they fair? Well, they did pretty well considering that with the manga amount of dialogue in this light novel that makes it read like a play at times there was no real amount of subtle or action based character development. It was all tell and no show, but they all had fun voices and unique perspectives, with visuals being really creative and the imagery being strong when need be.
Overall, if your a Bleach fan who wants more, dive in. It's the epilogue to that series, but if you aren't top interested in Bleach post it's ending or a new fan, stay far far away.
It's been a long while since I've read the original Bleach, and from it I only, off the top of my head, could remember the first arc and Ichigo's name. Nothing from the Thousand Year Blood War, Aizen, or even the Soul Society arc was stuck in my mind outside of character designs. A lot of prior fans or even new ones going into this are probably in the same boat, and if you thought this was a fresh start to jump into this world like how Boruto or the Light-Novel Naruto series function for Naruto, you were dead wrong.
This is as continuity heavy as it possibly could be and requires either a recap of the series prior to jumping in or a straight re-reading. I did just fine with a recap, and enjoyed most of it. So before you even think about buying or reading it, do your homework first. In reality, this is Bleach Volume 75.
Now, with that being said this first Volume of a new light-novel trilogy is meant to act as a large de-cluttering of all the storylines left over from the end of Bleach. It centers itself on a assassination event that leaves Tokinda Tsunayashiro the now head of his respective family, and while he makes moves in the background a series of effects spewing from the aftermath of The Thousand Year Blood War leave the Soul Society in a chaotic state. In the middle of all this, reporter and assistant captain Shuhei Hisagi is left to sift through it all.
First off, this would be a 3 if it wasn't for the obvious rushed translation in terms of grammar, missing letters, and repeated words. In something as quick and simple as this, those mistakes should be kept to a one or two time or offense, not a multiple time event.
Now, in terms of the actual story of this volume, it really doesn't have one. It's all one 200 plus paged prologue for what I expect later entries to be about, which is why on release I could see this being so infuriating to many. If your expecting a somewhat standalone beginning of a series, you won't find it here. This is one story split into three volumes ala Lord of The Rings style, so your either down or your out.
The prose itself reads quick, is enjoyable and is very well paced. However, in terms of an actual story, like previously mentioned there isn't one. Or at the least not one focus. It bounces around a lot between tying up loose ends, establishing seemingly random events, and setting up both Tokinda and Hisagi as main vocal point for the later installments that it can at times feel like you got cheated out of a story for a checklist, which is what makes these types of series hard to review on their own. It isn't a complete story, and won't be until the release of volume 3. The event sin of themselves read well and are entertaining, but it's hard to judge why they matter yet.
But, without a focused plot, then the characters must rise to bear the weight. So how did they fair? Well, they did pretty well considering that with the manga amount of dialogue in this light novel that makes it read like a play at times there was no real amount of subtle or action based character development. It was all tell and no show, but they all had fun voices and unique perspectives, with visuals being really creative and the imagery being strong when need be.
Overall, if your a Bleach fan who wants more, dive in. It's the epilogue to that series, but if you aren't top interested in Bleach post it's ending or a new fan, stay far far away.
January 26, 2022
A light novel series by Ryohgo Narita with the blessings of Tite Kubo. As a fan of Bleach from a really young age, I was excited to hear that at least one of the light novels was finally getting an English translation. As with most light novels, you're expected to be well versed in the series beforehand, rather than treat these as standalone novels. I went into this quite excited, being a fan of the source material aside, I'm also a big fan of Narita, the light novelist behind Baccano! and Durarara!!
This takes place soon after the Thousand Year Blood War arc, while Soul Society is still in the process of recovering from said events. This volume is mainly set up for what's to come, introducing the hero of this 'arc', Hisagi, who was left incredibly unexplored in the original series, and the villain, Tokinada, a character exclusive to this light novel.
Overall, despite not a whole lot happening aside from setup, I quite enjoyed this volume. I'm excited to start the next and see where this goes, especially since Hisagi was one of my favorite characters, despite not having much of a presence in the original story.
My only gripe is that there's quite a bit of recall required; there are so many characters brought back spanning across the Hueco Mundo Arc to the Thousand Year Blood War arc that it took me a moment to remember just who they were. I feel as though if I weren't a fan who went back periodically to reread/rewatch arcs it would've been impossible to remember who any of these characters were.
I hope that there is a reason behind reintroducing all of these characters, because if otherwise it'd just be fodder taking up pages where real action could be occurring. Narita is incredibly adept at handling several characters in his own works and making sure all of them play an important role in the overarching plot; we'll just have to see if he's able to navigate characters that aren't his in a world that isn't his in the same fashion.
This takes place soon after the Thousand Year Blood War arc, while Soul Society is still in the process of recovering from said events. This volume is mainly set up for what's to come, introducing the hero of this 'arc', Hisagi, who was left incredibly unexplored in the original series, and the villain, Tokinada, a character exclusive to this light novel.
Overall, despite not a whole lot happening aside from setup, I quite enjoyed this volume. I'm excited to start the next and see where this goes, especially since Hisagi was one of my favorite characters, despite not having much of a presence in the original story.
My only gripe is that there's quite a bit of recall required; there are so many characters brought back spanning across the Hueco Mundo Arc to the Thousand Year Blood War arc that it took me a moment to remember just who they were. I feel as though if I weren't a fan who went back periodically to reread/rewatch arcs it would've been impossible to remember who any of these characters were.
I hope that there is a reason behind reintroducing all of these characters, because if otherwise it'd just be fodder taking up pages where real action could be occurring. Narita is incredibly adept at handling several characters in his own works and making sure all of them play an important role in the overarching plot; we'll just have to see if he's able to navigate characters that aren't his in a world that isn't his in the same fashion.
June 30, 2020
First off, I'd like to say a thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love Bleach, the original manga series. I loved it so much that I remember binge reading it all (well all that was available to me) at around the age of 19. I loved Ichigo Kurosaki, the soul reapers, the Quincies. I loved the world and the story. I loved the anime, too! I loved it all, and I couldn't get enough, up until a point, where I believed the story should of ended. But it continued anyway, and I continued to read it, but I didn't love it as much.
So when I got Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, I was super excited, but also super apprehensive. On one hand, I couldn't wait to get back into this world and revisit all my favourite characters, but on the other hand I was left wondering if it would be just as good as the initial set of manga books, rather than the latter.
I opened this one up and was super surprised. It was a light novel? I was expecting a Manga, anyway I persevered, but things didn't get much better for me, unfortunately.
It was great getting back into the world and hearing about the characters, I just couldn't get into the flow of reading it in a novel format, I didn't like it. That's my issue though, I'm sure many other people would love it told in this way as it is more detailed. The story was well written and easy to follow, but my heart just wasn't in it, and I unfortunately had to put it down.
Not for me, but I still love the characters and would still recommend this to fans of Bleach. Maybe I'll try it again one day. But for now, an average rating.
I love Bleach, the original manga series. I loved it so much that I remember binge reading it all (well all that was available to me) at around the age of 19. I loved Ichigo Kurosaki, the soul reapers, the Quincies. I loved the world and the story. I loved the anime, too! I loved it all, and I couldn't get enough, up until a point, where I believed the story should of ended. But it continued anyway, and I continued to read it, but I didn't love it as much.
So when I got Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, I was super excited, but also super apprehensive. On one hand, I couldn't wait to get back into this world and revisit all my favourite characters, but on the other hand I was left wondering if it would be just as good as the initial set of manga books, rather than the latter.
I opened this one up and was super surprised. It was a light novel? I was expecting a Manga, anyway I persevered, but things didn't get much better for me, unfortunately.
It was great getting back into the world and hearing about the characters, I just couldn't get into the flow of reading it in a novel format, I didn't like it. That's my issue though, I'm sure many other people would love it told in this way as it is more detailed. The story was well written and easy to follow, but my heart just wasn't in it, and I unfortunately had to put it down.
Not for me, but I still love the characters and would still recommend this to fans of Bleach. Maybe I'll try it again one day. But for now, an average rating.
June 30, 2020
First off, I'd like to say a thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love Bleach, the original manga series. I loved it so much that I remember binge reading it all (well all that was available to me) at around the age of 19. I loved Ichigo Kurosaki, the soul reapers, the Quincies. I loved the world and the story. I loved the anime, too! I loved it all, and I couldn't get enough, up until a point, where I believed the story should of ended. But it continued anyway, and I continued to read it, but I didn't love it as much.
So when I got Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, I was super excited, but also super apprehensive. On one hand, I couldn't wait to get back into this world and revisit all my favourite characters, but on the other hand I was left wondering if it would be just as good as the initial set of manga books, rather than the latter.
I opened this one up and was super surprised. It was a light novel? I was expecting a Manga, anyway I persevered, but things didn't get much better for me, unfortunately.
It was great getting back into the world and hearing about the characters, I just couldn't get into the flow of reading it in a novel format, I didn't like it. That's my issue though, I'm sure many other people would love it told in this way as it is more detailed. The story was well written and easy to follow, but my heart just wasn't in it, and I unfortunately had to put it down.
Not for me, but I still love the characters and would still recommend this to fans of Bleach. Maybe I'll try it again one day. But for now, an average rating.
I love Bleach, the original manga series. I loved it so much that I remember binge reading it all (well all that was available to me) at around the age of 19. I loved Ichigo Kurosaki, the soul reapers, the Quincies. I loved the world and the story. I loved the anime, too! I loved it all, and I couldn't get enough, up until a point, where I believed the story should of ended. But it continued anyway, and I continued to read it, but I didn't love it as much.
So when I got Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, I was super excited, but also super apprehensive. On one hand, I couldn't wait to get back into this world and revisit all my favourite characters, but on the other hand I was left wondering if it would be just as good as the initial set of manga books, rather than the latter.
I opened this one up and was super surprised. It was a light novel? I was expecting a Manga, anyway I persevered, but things didn't get much better for me, unfortunately.
It was great getting back into the world and hearing about the characters, I just couldn't get into the flow of reading it in a novel format, I didn't like it. That's my issue though, I'm sure many other people would love it told in this way as it is more detailed. The story was well written and easy to follow, but my heart just wasn't in it, and I unfortunately had to put it down.
Not for me, but I still love the characters and would still recommend this to fans of Bleach. Maybe I'll try it again one day. But for now, an average rating.
October 17, 2025
Butuh penyesuaian ketika pertama membaca. Sebab, lebih terbiasa membaca dalam versi komik, sehingga butuh beberapa saat untuk membuat imajinasi sendiri terutama latar tempat pada cerita. Seiring waktu berjalan, pembaca bisa membiasakan diri menikmati alur cerita komik tetapi dalam bentuk narasi paragraf. Sebuah keunikan tersendiri ketika pada umumnya kita terbiasa membaca dengan visual yang sudah disajikan. Kini, kita harus membayangkan karakter yang sudah ada, dengan latar tempat dan kejadian berdasarkan visualisasi sendiri.
Novel ini menggunakan latar maju mundur. Sebagian akan menceritakan masa kini yang berjalan, lalu akan berganti ke masa lalu sebagai bahan untuk membantu menguak misteri yang sedang berjalan. Latar waktu yang sudah lumrah dalam cerita cerita novel, cerpen, dll. Di dalam novel ini tidak terlalu banyak menghidangkan kejadian pertarungan. Karena inti dari cerita memang berfokus kepada salah satu karakter yang memang sedang menjalani penyelidikan. Bagi yang memiliki minat tinggi terhadap genre aksi harus sedikit menurunkan ekspektasi. Dan apabila terdapat adegan aksi, sebagian hanya diceritakan sebelum atau sesudah adegan terjadi. Terdapat satu bagian yang dijelaskan rinci setiap adegan aksinya, tetapi menurut saya ada satu bagian lagi yang justru perlu diperlihatkan lebih rinci, sayangnya tidak demikian.
Menurut sudut pandang saya selaku pembaca, light novel ini layak untuk dijadikan versi animasi karena akan menimbulkan kesan dan pengalaman cerita yang berbeda dari versi komik.
Novel ini menggunakan latar maju mundur. Sebagian akan menceritakan masa kini yang berjalan, lalu akan berganti ke masa lalu sebagai bahan untuk membantu menguak misteri yang sedang berjalan. Latar waktu yang sudah lumrah dalam cerita cerita novel, cerpen, dll. Di dalam novel ini tidak terlalu banyak menghidangkan kejadian pertarungan. Karena inti dari cerita memang berfokus kepada salah satu karakter yang memang sedang menjalani penyelidikan. Bagi yang memiliki minat tinggi terhadap genre aksi harus sedikit menurunkan ekspektasi. Dan apabila terdapat adegan aksi, sebagian hanya diceritakan sebelum atau sesudah adegan terjadi. Terdapat satu bagian yang dijelaskan rinci setiap adegan aksinya, tetapi menurut saya ada satu bagian lagi yang justru perlu diperlihatkan lebih rinci, sayangnya tidak demikian.
Menurut sudut pandang saya selaku pembaca, light novel ini layak untuk dijadikan versi animasi karena akan menimbulkan kesan dan pengalaman cerita yang berbeda dari versi komik.
June 27, 2021
While I am enjoying a return to the Bleach setting, I’m a bit let down by this first volume. There was a lot of attempt to tie up loose ends from the manga, but it came across very ham-handed. There are quite a few typos and grammatical errors that should have been picked up by an editor. This leaves the novel feeling very unprofessionally done as a whole.
In terms of writing style, it feels a bit like novice fan fiction. In fact, there are phrases and styles that I KNOW I’ve read (and used) in fanfiction in the past. It’s not inherently bad, but it does lend to the amateur writing feel I’m getting from the novel, which is a bit disappointing given the price.
I am also a bit frustrated that the story is presented as being about Hisagi (he’s on the front cover, even), but very little actually happened with him. We spent a lot more time jumping around between the living world, Hueco Mundo, and dealing with the new villain, that it feels like Hisagi’s involvement is only a tad more than in the manga.
Overall, this volume feels like it is just setting up for the other two, and I feel like a fair amount of it could have been done more concisely to leave more room for the actual plot that I am hoping will be in volumes 2 and 3. This was an easy read, however, and I’m intrigued by where the plot will be going. I used to enjoy reading the Bleach manga, so this is a nice return to that setting, if a bit rough around the edges.
In terms of writing style, it feels a bit like novice fan fiction. In fact, there are phrases and styles that I KNOW I’ve read (and used) in fanfiction in the past. It’s not inherently bad, but it does lend to the amateur writing feel I’m getting from the novel, which is a bit disappointing given the price.
I am also a bit frustrated that the story is presented as being about Hisagi (he’s on the front cover, even), but very little actually happened with him. We spent a lot more time jumping around between the living world, Hueco Mundo, and dealing with the new villain, that it feels like Hisagi’s involvement is only a tad more than in the manga.
Overall, this volume feels like it is just setting up for the other two, and I feel like a fair amount of it could have been done more concisely to leave more room for the actual plot that I am hoping will be in volumes 2 and 3. This was an easy read, however, and I’m intrigued by where the plot will be going. I used to enjoy reading the Bleach manga, so this is a nice return to that setting, if a bit rough around the edges.
July 15, 2020
If I were to judge this a just a novel then I probably would have to give this a very poor review. The book jumps all over the place. One second we are in the Seireitei with the Captain Commander and then the next moment we are in Hueco Mundo. And while the central figure is supposed to be Hisagi the book really spends a lot of time on other aspects of the universe. Rather it is cleaning up things with Squad Zero and fixing the issues with that story, tidying up loose ends with the fullbringers and Ukitake and so much more cleanup needs to be done before a story can even begin. There are also a few transitions that add nothing to the overall plot and are literally just there for fanservice. "Hey you wanna see what up with ichigo's school friends? Do you hope they will get more to do than Tite Kubo gave us? Nah? They are wasted here too.
However if you are a hardcore Bleach fan like me...you can't help but love this. Seeing these characters again, being back in this universe, seeing so many call backs from the manga. It really is quite enjoyable to read. I love the fact that the writer understands Hisagi. Getting his story is really nice because he isn't a powerful captain, he is not one of the characters we spend a ton of time with in the main story, but he is interesting in his own right and I enjoyed seeing him here.
However if you are a hardcore Bleach fan like me...you can't help but love this. Seeing these characters again, being back in this universe, seeing so many call backs from the manga. It really is quite enjoyable to read. I love the fact that the writer understands Hisagi. Getting his story is really nice because he isn't a powerful captain, he is not one of the characters we spend a ton of time with in the main story, but he is interesting in his own right and I enjoyed seeing him here.
October 1, 2025
Cocok bagi penggemar Bleach yang ingin mengetahui cerita lanjutan setelah perang besar antara Shinigami dan Quincy. Di buku ini banyak karakter-karakter dulu bermunculan lagi, jadi wajib ingat siapa saja mereka supaya keseruan saat membaca lebih terasa. Jadi, buku ini memang lebih cocok untuk penggemar Bleach yang sudah menyelesaikan membaca komik cerita utama Bleach.
Disini karakter utamanya adalah Shuhei Hisagi, bukan Ichigo Kurosaki. Antagonis utamanya adalah salah satu dari 5 bangsawan utama, yaitu Tokinada Tsunayashiro. Singkat cerita, selama perang Quincy vs Shinigami, si Tokinada ini menyusup ke gudang penyimpanan Zanpakutou dan mencuri salah satu Zanpakutou di sana, terus membunuh seluruh keluarga Tsunayashiro, serta menjadikan dirinya sendiri sebagai kepala keluarga Tsunayashiro. Kemudian, Shuhei Hisagi, sebagai kepala editor dari semacam buletin/koran di Soul Society ditugaskan untuk menyebarkan berita kalau Tokinada Tsunayashiro ini jadi kepala kelurga utama. Entah apa yang direncanakan Tsunayashiro.
Di buku pertama ini masih banyak tanda tanya, isinya lebih banyak perkenalan masalah yang nantinya akan dihadapi di 2 buku berikutnya. Banyak hal-hal baru yang membuat penasaran, seperti masa lalu Tousen Kaname kenapa bisa berkhianat dan awal ketemunya dengan Sousuke Aizen, serta keterkaitannya dengan Tokinada di masa lalu. Lalu ada juga sejarah Lima Bangsawan yang membuat cerita semakin menarik.
Sebenarnya, untuk konsep ceritnya masih sama, yaitu adanya musuh baru yang perlu dilawan. Namun, yang membuat menarik adalah daripada membuat banyak karakter baru, buku ini banyak mengexplore masa lalu karakter-karakternya lebih dalam lagi, serta mengaitkannya satu sama lain. Di buku ini, kita dikenalkan dengan satu masalah dimana sepertinya bukan hanya masalah Shinigami saja, tetapi masalah tersebut juga berkaitan dengan Arrancar, Quincy, dan Fullbringer.
Disini karakter utamanya adalah Shuhei Hisagi, bukan Ichigo Kurosaki. Antagonis utamanya adalah salah satu dari 5 bangsawan utama, yaitu Tokinada Tsunayashiro. Singkat cerita, selama perang Quincy vs Shinigami, si Tokinada ini menyusup ke gudang penyimpanan Zanpakutou dan mencuri salah satu Zanpakutou di sana, terus membunuh seluruh keluarga Tsunayashiro, serta menjadikan dirinya sendiri sebagai kepala keluarga Tsunayashiro. Kemudian, Shuhei Hisagi, sebagai kepala editor dari semacam buletin/koran di Soul Society ditugaskan untuk menyebarkan berita kalau Tokinada Tsunayashiro ini jadi kepala kelurga utama. Entah apa yang direncanakan Tsunayashiro.
Di buku pertama ini masih banyak tanda tanya, isinya lebih banyak perkenalan masalah yang nantinya akan dihadapi di 2 buku berikutnya. Banyak hal-hal baru yang membuat penasaran, seperti masa lalu Tousen Kaname kenapa bisa berkhianat dan awal ketemunya dengan Sousuke Aizen, serta keterkaitannya dengan Tokinada di masa lalu. Lalu ada juga sejarah Lima Bangsawan yang membuat cerita semakin menarik.
Sebenarnya, untuk konsep ceritnya masih sama, yaitu adanya musuh baru yang perlu dilawan. Namun, yang membuat menarik adalah daripada membuat banyak karakter baru, buku ini banyak mengexplore masa lalu karakter-karakternya lebih dalam lagi, serta mengaitkannya satu sama lain. Di buku ini, kita dikenalkan dengan satu masalah dimana sepertinya bukan hanya masalah Shinigami saja, tetapi masalah tersebut juga berkaitan dengan Arrancar, Quincy, dan Fullbringer.
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