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Bleach #65
Bleach 65: Aufmarsch der Zombies
Ichigo greift endlich in den Kampf gegen Yhwachs Truppen im Seireitei ein. Doch darauf hat der Kopf der Quincys nur gewartet. Er nutzt die Passage, die Ichigo in die sonst undurchdringliche Barriere zwischen Seireitei und Königspalast geschlagen hat, und begibt sich mit Haschwalth und Ishida zum Palast des Geisteskönigs. Der Krieg tobt nun an zwei Fronten!
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2014
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November 14, 2024
"Look at you. You're all beaten up, Kenpachi."
"The hell are you doing here?"
"I never thought I'd get the chance to say this to you of all people. I'm here to save you."
"Hah. To think the day would come... when I'd be saved by you."
"Can you stand?"
"Can stand, he asks. What are you, stupid? You oughta be worrying about your own damn self, not me."
ICHIGOAT IS HERE!! Ichigo's entrances were always spectacular and this one isn't an exemption! His comeback scene is definitely one of my favorite TYBW moments - and one of my favorite BLEACH moments overall. I LOVE when Ichigo shows up, looks like the most glorious person ever and beats some people up while screaming "GETSUGATENSHOO!!" or "BAN...KAI!!" (Ichigo's Bankai scream without a pause isn't a Bankai scream, just saying). Say what you want how Luffy, Naruto and so on are cooler and their "Gomu Gomu no" and "Rasengan" are much more known and iconic - I love those characters too, but for me Ichigo will always be the number one (pun intended!), the icon, the legend, the hero, the best of the best.
"Looks like all of you are still in perfect shape. I was thinking it could be tough to fight against a bunch of girls... But I'm glad to see I won't have to hold back."
Ichigo's glorious. The way he was completely unbothered by not only the attacks of Bambietta's minions, but also the attacks of the other Sternritters that came to take the biggest price for themselves, says a lot about how powerful he became. Despite the horror images that he definitely saw when he landed back in Seireitei (the amount of Soul Reapers that died just by the hands of Bambietta's minions is huge), he didn't went for the kill. It looked more like he was more playing with the Quincies than he was fighting them. I know that he isn't a man who kills. It's just isn't in his nature. That's why when he used one of his most powerful attacks against Candice, he screamed "You idiot! Dodge!". He didn't want her to die. He didn't want anyone to die. Part of me is incredibly proud of him in more ways than one, but other part of me wished for him to just finish the job. It would've been a relief for everyone, including me. But my boy, despite all the power he holds, has a soft heart. And I respect that.
Ichigo Kurosaki. You have guided us to the light. Let me thank you."
Do not think that these words mean something good! They are NOT! in the contrary!
Ichigo's comeback wasn't the focus of Volume 65. In this book we have finally learned what was the true purpose behind Yhwach's attack on the Soul Society. His ambitions were always much bigger than just some puny revenge. No. The stakes of the game are much higher than this. And Ichigo, while trying his best to help his friends in a crisis situation, obliviously opened a path for the Wandenreich to achieve their goal. Now we have a monster on the loose up there. The question is, are the divine guardians strong enough to stop him?
"Ishida! What are you...?!"
"Leave, Kurosaki."
"What...?"
"You cannot stop His Majesty."
"What are you talking about.... Ishida?!"
"Leave. Before you waste your life."
"I'm asking you what you're doing there!!"
Honestly, you can get a whiplash on how quickly an atmosphere can change in the TYBW arc. We got quite a happy-go-lucky "fight" between Ichigo and some of the Sternritters with Ichigo not being serious AT ALL and making cute faces (not intended, I know), and suddenly the mood had switched because of the appearance of the big three of the Wandenreich - including Uryuu Ishida. Yes, the same Ishida that Ichigo used to know. The same Ishida he fought back to back with in the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. The same Ishida he was best of friends with for so long. For the reader it's not a surprise. But for Ichigo, who had no idea about Ishida joining the army of Wandenreich, was an enormous shock. I'm not gonna lie, that was a painful encounter. For both sides (and for me). Ichigo's confusion and desperation while looking in disbelief at his friend and screaming at him for answers why was he there, on the other side, and Ishida's obviously being in pain, but with a face covered by shadow, broke my heart to pieces. I still don't understand what Ishida's deal is. His friends, despite seeing him on the enemy's side, seem to have hope that they can bring him back to the light, and I'm doing my best to feel the same way. I hope that he's just a double agent, you know? A spy. Someone who's goal is to defeat the enemy from the inside - something that no one else can do. I can't imagine any other scenario. I can't imagine Ishida turning into an enemy. I DON'T WANT him as an enemy. I don't want him to fight against his friends. Please, don't make me see that :(
Volume 65 ends in a really surprising way. A painful way, really. I remember seeing it for the first time in the anime. The march of Zombies. I was TERRIFIED, freaking silently out (I didn't want to make any noise so my family wouldn't look at me like I'm insane), because there were my favorite characters not just being in a big trouble, but like, with one leg in the freaking afterlife. Did I say already that I absolutely hate Giselle? BECAUSE I ABSOLUTELY HATE GISELLE. She's (he's....?) a disgusting person that needs to be eliminated ASAP. The way she doesn't care about anyone except for her feeling good, and the way she treated Bambietta - a person I never had any big sympathy for, but now crying for her sake - is unforgivable. After As Nödt, she's a second Quincy that makes me nauseous (and I have to keep on seeing her...)
Anyways, I'm immediately jumping into the next volume. I'm not looking forward to see the zombies, in the contrary, but let's just get over it and go to more interesting things that will happen in this arc :)
Some things I need to talk about: (as usual, beware of the spoilers)
~ "What's this? You came all this way carrying your captain and your sister too? Pretty inspirin' stuff. I'm so impressed, just this once I might feel like helping you out."
"Don't worry! We would have helped you out even if we weren't impressed!" - the way I laughed at this was, lmao 😂
~ I was really touched that everyone wanted to get to Kenny knowing what a bad shape he was in and that he was being attacked by the enemy. I don't care if they cared for Kenny or if they only cared about what's best for Seireitei (and Kenny is definitely one of its strongest soldiers) - it was still very wholesome and heartwarming.
~ You have no idea how happy it made me that it was Rukia who was the first person to realize that Ichigo is coming to the rescue!
~ I MISSED ICHIGO SO MUCH!!! 😭
~ The way Bambietta's minions were shook by Ichigo made me laugh.
~ The "Number One" song played in my head the whole time Ichigo was on the page 😆
~ I LOVE how Ichigo was all smiley around Kenny and how Kenny also answered with a smile. It was so adorable and made my heart all warm. I love their interactions so much! ❤️
~ I squealed like a teenager while seeing all the cute faces Ichigo was making while dodging the attacks of the Sternritters. Why are you do adorable, my guy? Do you want my heart to fail?
~ I can't believe that Candice got pissed off because her hair got messed up...
~ I don't like any of Bambietta's minions, but I think it's cute that they all have a heart-shaped bumbags and that their arrows resemble their powers (and their personalities as well)
~ Ichigo's fighting stance while holding his two swords reminded me of the one Ukitake was always making! He would be so proud!
~ "Why can't he just die?" - why can't you just die, Giselle? 😑
~ "GETSUGA JUUJISHOU!!" - for me Getsugatensho will always be the most important one (if you don't count his Bankai mode), but Ichigo's new attack is amazing 🔥
~ Did Giselle just destroy some Soul Reaper's head to fix Candice's arm?? 🤢
~ "Sorry. Be dead for a while." - Bazz-B's attack on Bambietta's minions obviously happened just because he wanted to get the price (Ichigo's head) for himself, but damn, I still cheered up when the guy had shown up and stopped the girls (it's a shame that he didn't kill them tough).
~ Why did Yhwach told Ichigo (and everyone, really) that he is going to the Royal Palace? From the strategic point this move doesn't make sense, he could've just went there without alarming anyone and no one would know where he is (until Squad 0 would send a message).
~ I cheered when Renji showed up to save Ichigo! Who says that he's not cool? He's amazing! 👏
~ "You better stop talking nonsense, chicken-head!"
"Chicken...? I doubt it, but just to make sure... you're not talking about this razor-sharp mohawk of mine, are you?!"
"What? Don't like chickens?" - lmao, please 🤣
~ "I thought you'd some taste cuz of those cool razor-sharp eyebrows... But I guess I was wrong!"
"You think my eyebrows are cool... ? You're such a great guy!"
"It's too late now!!" - first of all, the whole encounter between Renji and Bazz-B is hilarious. The way Renji had blushed hearing Bazz-B's compliment made me laugh out loud. Second of all, I wish these two became friends, they would have so much fun together 😂
~ Yumichika had really impressed me with how clever he was in this volume!
~ Is Giselle really a man?! 🤨 I can't tell!
~ Why the hell did Chad ask Ichigo what he thinks about Orihime's outfit? We're in the middle of the war, your friend happens to be on the enemy's side, you're going after one of the most powerful beings alive while all your Shinigami friends are fighting for their lives and this is what's important to you?? Really?? 🙄 And Urahara? Bro, why did you gave Orihime such an outfit "to make Ichigo happy" and why the hell did she decide to wear it while KNOWING SHE WILL GO FIGHT?! And why did Yoruichi straight up punch Ichigo when he said that this outfit is "a little too revealing"? He was RIGHT!! The hell is this, a circus?? 😮💨
~ Bambietta being a zombie broke my heart. I know that it was coming, of course, but still... Poor, poor girl. She didn't deserve such a fate. No one deserves such a fate 😥
~The way Giselle said how Bambietta got turned into a zombie made me nauseous. She got a head full of perverted thoughts while Bambietta was definitely terrified out of her mind 🤢
~ Would Bambietta survive if Giselle didn't intervene? I like to think so.
~ "It's so bright I can barely see. Who are you?"
"Don't you know great people often appear to be shining?" - Mayuri lmao please 🤣
~ THE COMEBACK OF DORDONI AND CIRUCCI MADE ME SO HAPPY!! 😭
~ "Hey! This isn't what we discussed! Where's the niño?! I came because I was told the orange-haired niño would be here!" - Dordoni, please, my heart 😭 I wish he and Ichigo reunite! 😭
~ Mayuri not giving a flying f about anyone and anything usually concerned me (because he's insane), but at this point of the story he only made me laugh 😂
~ My heart broke for all the Soul Reapers that kept on dying, because Giselle changed them into zombies. And Mayuri's words about how Gotei 13 always needs to be ready for a sacrifice made me feel even worse 😥
~ uh, how is Hitsugaya nation doing? 🫣
"The hell are you doing here?"
"I never thought I'd get the chance to say this to you of all people. I'm here to save you."
"Hah. To think the day would come... when I'd be saved by you."
"Can you stand?"
"Can stand, he asks. What are you, stupid? You oughta be worrying about your own damn self, not me."
ICHIGOAT IS HERE!! Ichigo's entrances were always spectacular and this one isn't an exemption! His comeback scene is definitely one of my favorite TYBW moments - and one of my favorite BLEACH moments overall. I LOVE when Ichigo shows up, looks like the most glorious person ever and beats some people up while screaming "GETSUGATENSHOO!!" or "BAN...KAI!!" (Ichigo's Bankai scream without a pause isn't a Bankai scream, just saying). Say what you want how Luffy, Naruto and so on are cooler and their "Gomu Gomu no" and "Rasengan" are much more known and iconic - I love those characters too, but for me Ichigo will always be the number one (pun intended!), the icon, the legend, the hero, the best of the best.
"Looks like all of you are still in perfect shape. I was thinking it could be tough to fight against a bunch of girls... But I'm glad to see I won't have to hold back."
Ichigo's glorious. The way he was completely unbothered by not only the attacks of Bambietta's minions, but also the attacks of the other Sternritters that came to take the biggest price for themselves, says a lot about how powerful he became. Despite the horror images that he definitely saw when he landed back in Seireitei (the amount of Soul Reapers that died just by the hands of Bambietta's minions is huge), he didn't went for the kill. It looked more like he was more playing with the Quincies than he was fighting them. I know that he isn't a man who kills. It's just isn't in his nature. That's why when he used one of his most powerful attacks against Candice, he screamed "You idiot! Dodge!". He didn't want her to die. He didn't want anyone to die. Part of me is incredibly proud of him in more ways than one, but other part of me wished for him to just finish the job. It would've been a relief for everyone, including me. But my boy, despite all the power he holds, has a soft heart. And I respect that.
Ichigo Kurosaki. You have guided us to the light. Let me thank you."
Do not think that these words mean something good! They are NOT! in the contrary!
Ichigo's comeback wasn't the focus of Volume 65. In this book we have finally learned what was the true purpose behind Yhwach's attack on the Soul Society. His ambitions were always much bigger than just some puny revenge. No. The stakes of the game are much higher than this. And Ichigo, while trying his best to help his friends in a crisis situation, obliviously opened a path for the Wandenreich to achieve their goal. Now we have a monster on the loose up there. The question is, are the divine guardians strong enough to stop him?
"Ishida! What are you...?!"
"Leave, Kurosaki."
"What...?"
"You cannot stop His Majesty."
"What are you talking about.... Ishida?!"
"Leave. Before you waste your life."
"I'm asking you what you're doing there!!"
Honestly, you can get a whiplash on how quickly an atmosphere can change in the TYBW arc. We got quite a happy-go-lucky "fight" between Ichigo and some of the Sternritters with Ichigo not being serious AT ALL and making cute faces (not intended, I know), and suddenly the mood had switched because of the appearance of the big three of the Wandenreich - including Uryuu Ishida. Yes, the same Ishida that Ichigo used to know. The same Ishida he fought back to back with in the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. The same Ishida he was best of friends with for so long. For the reader it's not a surprise. But for Ichigo, who had no idea about Ishida joining the army of Wandenreich, was an enormous shock. I'm not gonna lie, that was a painful encounter. For both sides (and for me). Ichigo's confusion and desperation while looking in disbelief at his friend and screaming at him for answers why was he there, on the other side, and Ishida's obviously being in pain, but with a face covered by shadow, broke my heart to pieces. I still don't understand what Ishida's deal is. His friends, despite seeing him on the enemy's side, seem to have hope that they can bring him back to the light, and I'm doing my best to feel the same way. I hope that he's just a double agent, you know? A spy. Someone who's goal is to defeat the enemy from the inside - something that no one else can do. I can't imagine any other scenario. I can't imagine Ishida turning into an enemy. I DON'T WANT him as an enemy. I don't want him to fight against his friends. Please, don't make me see that :(
Volume 65 ends in a really surprising way. A painful way, really. I remember seeing it for the first time in the anime. The march of Zombies. I was TERRIFIED, freaking silently out (I didn't want to make any noise so my family wouldn't look at me like I'm insane), because there were my favorite characters not just being in a big trouble, but like, with one leg in the freaking afterlife. Did I say already that I absolutely hate Giselle? BECAUSE I ABSOLUTELY HATE GISELLE. She's (he's....?) a disgusting person that needs to be eliminated ASAP. The way she doesn't care about anyone except for her feeling good, and the way she treated Bambietta - a person I never had any big sympathy for, but now crying for her sake - is unforgivable. After As Nödt, she's a second Quincy that makes me nauseous (and I have to keep on seeing her...)
Anyways, I'm immediately jumping into the next volume. I'm not looking forward to see the zombies, in the contrary, but let's just get over it and go to more interesting things that will happen in this arc :)
Some things I need to talk about: (as usual, beware of the spoilers)
~ "What's this? You came all this way carrying your captain and your sister too? Pretty inspirin' stuff. I'm so impressed, just this once I might feel like helping you out."
"Don't worry! We would have helped you out even if we weren't impressed!" - the way I laughed at this was, lmao 😂
~ I was really touched that everyone wanted to get to Kenny knowing what a bad shape he was in and that he was being attacked by the enemy. I don't care if they cared for Kenny or if they only cared about what's best for Seireitei (and Kenny is definitely one of its strongest soldiers) - it was still very wholesome and heartwarming.
~ You have no idea how happy it made me that it was Rukia who was the first person to realize that Ichigo is coming to the rescue!
~ I MISSED ICHIGO SO MUCH!!! 😭
~ The way Bambietta's minions were shook by Ichigo made me laugh.
~ The "Number One" song played in my head the whole time Ichigo was on the page 😆
~ I LOVE how Ichigo was all smiley around Kenny and how Kenny also answered with a smile. It was so adorable and made my heart all warm. I love their interactions so much! ❤️
~ I squealed like a teenager while seeing all the cute faces Ichigo was making while dodging the attacks of the Sternritters. Why are you do adorable, my guy? Do you want my heart to fail?
~ I can't believe that Candice got pissed off because her hair got messed up...
~ I don't like any of Bambietta's minions, but I think it's cute that they all have a heart-shaped bumbags and that their arrows resemble their powers (and their personalities as well)
~ Ichigo's fighting stance while holding his two swords reminded me of the one Ukitake was always making! He would be so proud!
~ "Why can't he just die?" - why can't you just die, Giselle? 😑
~ "GETSUGA JUUJISHOU!!" - for me Getsugatensho will always be the most important one (if you don't count his Bankai mode), but Ichigo's new attack is amazing 🔥
~ Did Giselle just destroy some Soul Reaper's head to fix Candice's arm?? 🤢
~ "Sorry. Be dead for a while." - Bazz-B's attack on Bambietta's minions obviously happened just because he wanted to get the price (Ichigo's head) for himself, but damn, I still cheered up when the guy had shown up and stopped the girls (it's a shame that he didn't kill them tough).
~ Why did Yhwach told Ichigo (and everyone, really) that he is going to the Royal Palace? From the strategic point this move doesn't make sense, he could've just went there without alarming anyone and no one would know where he is (until Squad 0 would send a message).
~ I cheered when Renji showed up to save Ichigo! Who says that he's not cool? He's amazing! 👏
~ "You better stop talking nonsense, chicken-head!"
"Chicken...? I doubt it, but just to make sure... you're not talking about this razor-sharp mohawk of mine, are you?!"
"What? Don't like chickens?" - lmao, please 🤣
~ "I thought you'd some taste cuz of those cool razor-sharp eyebrows... But I guess I was wrong!"
"You think my eyebrows are cool... ? You're such a great guy!"
"It's too late now!!" - first of all, the whole encounter between Renji and Bazz-B is hilarious. The way Renji had blushed hearing Bazz-B's compliment made me laugh out loud. Second of all, I wish these two became friends, they would have so much fun together 😂
~ Yumichika had really impressed me with how clever he was in this volume!
~ Is Giselle really a man?! 🤨 I can't tell!
~ Why the hell did Chad ask Ichigo what he thinks about Orihime's outfit? We're in the middle of the war, your friend happens to be on the enemy's side, you're going after one of the most powerful beings alive while all your Shinigami friends are fighting for their lives and this is what's important to you?? Really?? 🙄 And Urahara? Bro, why did you gave Orihime such an outfit "to make Ichigo happy" and why the hell did she decide to wear it while KNOWING SHE WILL GO FIGHT?! And why did Yoruichi straight up punch Ichigo when he said that this outfit is "a little too revealing"? He was RIGHT!! The hell is this, a circus?? 😮💨
~ Bambietta being a zombie broke my heart. I know that it was coming, of course, but still... Poor, poor girl. She didn't deserve such a fate. No one deserves such a fate 😥
~The way Giselle said how Bambietta got turned into a zombie made me nauseous. She got a head full of perverted thoughts while Bambietta was definitely terrified out of her mind 🤢
~ Would Bambietta survive if Giselle didn't intervene? I like to think so.
~ "It's so bright I can barely see. Who are you?"
"Don't you know great people often appear to be shining?" - Mayuri lmao please 🤣
~ THE COMEBACK OF DORDONI AND CIRUCCI MADE ME SO HAPPY!! 😭
~ "Hey! This isn't what we discussed! Where's the niño?! I came because I was told the orange-haired niño would be here!" - Dordoni, please, my heart 😭 I wish he and Ichigo reunite! 😭
~ Mayuri not giving a flying f about anyone and anything usually concerned me (because he's insane), but at this point of the story he only made me laugh 😂
~ My heart broke for all the Soul Reapers that kept on dying, because Giselle changed them into zombies. And Mayuri's words about how Gotei 13 always needs to be ready for a sacrifice made me feel even worse 😥
~ uh, how is Hitsugaya nation doing? 🫣
June 26, 2020
This was incredibly disappointing. Sure, Ichigo finally arrives but everything he brings with him to the fight against the Stern Ritters was half-baked, unnecessary, and straight-up insulting.
Mangaka Tite Kubo really rushed through this and went ahead with any little idea that crossed his mind. Not only does he go into a whole sequence of fan service that kills the characterization that was built so far, he also continues to introduce weird and unappealing new villains that are disgustingly odd.
Does it help to tell you that mangaka Tite Kubo isn't afraid to bring back characters he killed off for no good reason at all too? It's like spitting on a corpse... Why do it?
There's also a lot of plot holes and incoherence presented to us and for which no answers seem to be within sight. Every just happens because they need to happen...
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
Mangaka Tite Kubo really rushed through this and went ahead with any little idea that crossed his mind. Not only does he go into a whole sequence of fan service that kills the characterization that was built so far, he also continues to introduce weird and unappealing new villains that are disgustingly odd.
Does it help to tell you that mangaka Tite Kubo isn't afraid to bring back characters he killed off for no good reason at all too? It's like spitting on a corpse... Why do it?
There's also a lot of plot holes and incoherence presented to us and for which no answers seem to be within sight. Every just happens because they need to happen...
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
August 12, 2022
ah, I’ve snapped
- Ichigo returning to soul society from soul palace ripped a hole in the barrier but no one else’s did
- The quincies knew about squad zero, and said hole already even though their existence was top secret??
- This bothered me back in arrancar but orihime has been said to be extremely helpful and and she just now comes in, after doing???
- Why bring chad deadass
- Nobody wanted to touch base with their fourth friend, a Quincy, during a Quincy v. Soul reapers war,, like no one
- Mayuri’s brand is being a mad scientist but using the arrancars like that .. they should rot??? Like definitely not “right side” behaviour
Outside of this volume, but in this arc problems:
- Are there any citizens in these places or no
- I’m still upset about unohana, you’re telling me in a war, where every valuable member is almost necessary, two of the **strongest** warriors needed to duke it out to the death I’m—
- I firmly believe, one of these days, rukia can beat someone on her own, canonically?? is the question I guess
- The stealing bankai plot was fun for all like 1 volume
- Hinamori as assistant captain is still ??????? To me
- Squad zero just existing bothers me
- Like what is the soul king, whomst
- Ichigo returning to soul society from soul palace ripped a hole in the barrier but no one else’s did
- The quincies knew about squad zero, and said hole already even though their existence was top secret??
- This bothered me back in arrancar but orihime has been said to be extremely helpful and and she just now comes in, after doing???
- Why bring chad deadass
- Nobody wanted to touch base with their fourth friend, a Quincy, during a Quincy v. Soul reapers war,, like no one
- Mayuri’s brand is being a mad scientist but using the arrancars like that .. they should rot??? Like definitely not “right side” behaviour
Outside of this volume, but in this arc problems:
- Are there any citizens in these places or no
- I’m still upset about unohana, you’re telling me in a war, where every valuable member is almost necessary, two of the **strongest** warriors needed to duke it out to the death I’m—
- I firmly believe, one of these days, rukia can beat someone on her own, canonically?? is the question I guess
- The stealing bankai plot was fun for all like 1 volume
- Hinamori as assistant captain is still ??????? To me
- Squad zero just existing bothers me
- Like what is the soul king, whomst
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2020
Given that Manga, and especially Shonen is split up into bigger arcs as composed to volumes I will be analyzing and reviewing this by Arc. I also reread this manga over the span of 2 months, some days reading as much as 100 chapters a day. It would be quite tedious for me to review each 7-8 chapter volume. So this will be copy and pasted throughout all of the 74 manga volumes. That being said, if you're looking at this without having viewed the series...spoiler warning. I don't recap anything, but I also mention things that happen. If you want me to answer the question "Should I pick this up?" Yes. Even if you stop at the end of the Soul Society Arc. It's worth it.
Karakura Town Arc - Chapters 1-56 - Rating: 7/10
(The official page lumps this in with the Soul Society Arc however I feel as if they are two very separate arcs with two very separate themes)
- A fun introduction.
-An interesting premise on the idea of ghosts and demons (Hollows)
-Does a good job of introducing the characters and I especially enjoyed the love for characters like Chad, Orihime and Uryu as these characters would later lose more and more spotlight as the series went on.
-It is a bit of a monster of the week. When it works, like with Chad's introduction story. It works. But Characters like Don Kanonji felt superficial and very gimmicky. Which, fair. I didn't enjoy them as much.
Soul Society Arc - Chapters 57-182 - Rating: 10/10
-The height of Bleach
-Establishes an afterlife seemingly perfectly. Later on revealed to be full of plot holes and never fleshed out but hey! That's not an issue in THIS arc. The fights are top tier, the themes of Ichigo owing a life debt to Rukia and his passion and determination to rise above literally God's army is inspiring and to this day is why I love Ichigo so much. He doesn't have some grandiose plan. He doesn't have a major goal to accomplish. He is a protector by heart, losing his mother has made him sour to failing to protect those he cares about and he'll do anything in his power never to feel that helpless again. Very powerful stuff.
-The twist near the end of this arc is revolutionary and would make waves for the next 200 chapters onward. A perfect ending and set up for the forthcoming arc.
-The only issues I have for this arc would be Ichigo's lightning speed progression. The guy goes from being able to barely defeat a third seat to besting multiple captains in roughly 100 or less chapters. I get that that is the point and him defeating captains was more of a struck of luck, but progression and pacing wise it feels very unearned and a factor of "for the plot he needed to be this strong" It only seems as fast as it is because Ichigo's progression slows drastically down for the rest of the story moving foreword so it's only now that I make that criticism.
-Also, and this will be an issue in most Shonen. There are 13 Captains with 13 Vice Captains and seats that branch all the way to 10 I believe? Regardless, there's a fudge ton of characters that are introduced here and it can get a little jarring at times. Luckily, Kubo does a great job at making their designs and characters unique despite such a large cast.
Hueco Mundo Arc - Chapters 183-423 - Rating 7/10
-This is another arc where personally I would split it up into two separate arcs. But for the sake of this review I will simply refer to the first half of the arc and the later half of the arc. First Half 9/10. Second Half. 5/10.
-The first half of this arc is a great continuation of the last. Ichigo now struggles with his inner demons and it affects his ability to protect the ones he loves. We are also introduced to a deadly unknown new villains. The Arrancars/Espada to this day remain one of my favorite villain factions in all of manga enemies.
-Just so you're aware I would say the first half of this arc ends right around the point of Ichigo vs Grimmjow. Grimmjow is one of the first Arrancar that Ichigo faces. And he's also one of two Espada that he faces three times. The conclusion of that fight shows Ichigo conquering his inner demons. Where Grimmjow is very much fighting to establish himself. Grimmjow has to fight Ichigo to prove to his fallen comrades that he is as good as he says he is. He doesn't care about Aizen, he doesn't care about the rest of the Espada. It is very personal for him. For Ichigo, Orohime is within his grasp of saving and he views this as his "final" battle. It's my favorite fight in all of Bleach.
-However, this is where things start to take a bit of dip in quality in my opinion. We had a goal and we were striving towards that goal. Each character of the original cast coming to repay the debt they made to their friend who had risked her life to save them in the Soul society arc. But somewhere along the way it seems we just had a fighter fest. Captains would face enemies with no themes or character revelations. The Espadas got a little light but nothing that made their fights compelling. You almost just feel bad for the Espada as they were monsters turned into a military force by an unstoppable tyrant. But even that wasn't enough to make half of the fights interesting. Now, that's with knowing the outcome. These fights played little importance in the larger scheme of things. Where at least in the Hueco Mundo fights each match up had the protagonists striving for a goal. Rukia to defeat Aaroneiro to free her former superiors soul. Byakuya to defend Rukia. Renji and Uryu teamwork. Nel to protect Ichigo and get revenge on Nnoitra. Whereas Stark fought Kyoraku.....cause.....and Hitsugaya fought Halibel because Water vs Ice would be cool.
-This leaves me to the end. I won't say it wasn't satisfying that Ichigo was able to defeat Aizen. And yes, I do feel like his new power was earned. 3 months of training. But this was clearly a last minute decision to save Aizen for a later date and the show must go on. I do feel like it wasn't as satisfying as 200+ chapter buildup needed to be.
The Fullbring Arc - Chapters 424-479 - Rating: 8/10
-A very underrated arc. And yes, I acknowledge that rating wise I think the Fullbring arc is superior to the Hueco Mundo arc. That is mostly true. Though I like the first half of the Hueco Mundo Arc more than the Fullbring arc. The end of the HM arc really brought it down for me. The Fullbring Arc is much more concise and is actually the shortest arc in the series and works as a glorified Ichigo getting his powers back arc. But that doesn't mean its bad.
-When I read it originally back when it was coming out in 2010. (Cause I'm Old) It wasn't phenomenal. In fact, I hated it. But wouldn't you? It took just short of a year to get to the point that we were at. But upon rereading it, it gave much deserved love to the characters who hadn't been shown love in quite some time. The original cast. It was a very character focused arc. Ichigo never seemed more human. And despite me hating it before for taking so long, reading weekly can sometimes hurt these mystery based arcs. The twist is heavily foreshadowed and I really appreciated it.
-That being said, the end was super rushed. This was a big bummer for me. The villains this time around were humans. And the ones who had the most exposure and relations with these characters were the original cast who again....were humans. So to have the soul reapers, who have no connection to the fullbringers show up and basically no diff most of the fullbringers felt very forced and fanservicey to me. This very well could have not been Kubo's call. As the community was very vocal about their dislike for this arc as it was going on. But I appreciate it now much more as I appreciate character and story over big sword fights. Lol.
The Thousand Year Blood War Arc - Chapters 424-689 - Rating: 5/10
-And we're finally here. The final and largest arc within the Bleach story. And man...does it not stick the landing.
-That being said, this arc has phenomenal moments. Kenpachi's Shikai and Bankai. Ichigo's double swords. Renji's true Bankai. Rukia's Bankai. And many more. However, they are put together against the most break neck speed arc that I have ever read. Kubo was very ambitious when he introduced 26 new villains. However, most of them got barely any screen time and a lot of them even got off screened by higher level captains. This was unlike the Espada who each got a full double page spread for their Resurrections.
-Yhwach himself was a phenomenal villain but was dealt with swiftly and imo dirty. They did him dirty.
-There was just something off. The mood changed and it was very apparent. The villains had random powers instead of the powers reflecting their personalities or needs. The finale felt so underwhelming.
-Ichigo gets to be the strongest he's ever been....but he doesn't defeat a single person besides the main villain despite being in several fights.
-It isn't a good arc. In fact, I would say it's the worst. Hopefully the anime does a better job with this already mammoth of a story. 260 chapters is no joke.
This gives the story of Bleach an Overall rating of 7.4/10. Which to me is above average. It has it's ups and downs. It's not perfect. But when it's high, it's peak shonen. But when it's low, it's very forgettable.
Karakura Town Arc - Chapters 1-56 - Rating: 7/10
(The official page lumps this in with the Soul Society Arc however I feel as if they are two very separate arcs with two very separate themes)
- A fun introduction.
-An interesting premise on the idea of ghosts and demons (Hollows)
-Does a good job of introducing the characters and I especially enjoyed the love for characters like Chad, Orihime and Uryu as these characters would later lose more and more spotlight as the series went on.
-It is a bit of a monster of the week. When it works, like with Chad's introduction story. It works. But Characters like Don Kanonji felt superficial and very gimmicky. Which, fair. I didn't enjoy them as much.
Soul Society Arc - Chapters 57-182 - Rating: 10/10
-The height of Bleach
-Establishes an afterlife seemingly perfectly. Later on revealed to be full of plot holes and never fleshed out but hey! That's not an issue in THIS arc. The fights are top tier, the themes of Ichigo owing a life debt to Rukia and his passion and determination to rise above literally God's army is inspiring and to this day is why I love Ichigo so much. He doesn't have some grandiose plan. He doesn't have a major goal to accomplish. He is a protector by heart, losing his mother has made him sour to failing to protect those he cares about and he'll do anything in his power never to feel that helpless again. Very powerful stuff.
-The twist near the end of this arc is revolutionary and would make waves for the next 200 chapters onward. A perfect ending and set up for the forthcoming arc.
-The only issues I have for this arc would be Ichigo's lightning speed progression. The guy goes from being able to barely defeat a third seat to besting multiple captains in roughly 100 or less chapters. I get that that is the point and him defeating captains was more of a struck of luck, but progression and pacing wise it feels very unearned and a factor of "for the plot he needed to be this strong" It only seems as fast as it is because Ichigo's progression slows drastically down for the rest of the story moving foreword so it's only now that I make that criticism.
-Also, and this will be an issue in most Shonen. There are 13 Captains with 13 Vice Captains and seats that branch all the way to 10 I believe? Regardless, there's a fudge ton of characters that are introduced here and it can get a little jarring at times. Luckily, Kubo does a great job at making their designs and characters unique despite such a large cast.
Hueco Mundo Arc - Chapters 183-423 - Rating 7/10
-This is another arc where personally I would split it up into two separate arcs. But for the sake of this review I will simply refer to the first half of the arc and the later half of the arc. First Half 9/10. Second Half. 5/10.
-The first half of this arc is a great continuation of the last. Ichigo now struggles with his inner demons and it affects his ability to protect the ones he loves. We are also introduced to a deadly unknown new villains. The Arrancars/Espada to this day remain one of my favorite villain factions in all of manga enemies.
-Just so you're aware I would say the first half of this arc ends right around the point of Ichigo vs Grimmjow. Grimmjow is one of the first Arrancar that Ichigo faces. And he's also one of two Espada that he faces three times. The conclusion of that fight shows Ichigo conquering his inner demons. Where Grimmjow is very much fighting to establish himself. Grimmjow has to fight Ichigo to prove to his fallen comrades that he is as good as he says he is. He doesn't care about Aizen, he doesn't care about the rest of the Espada. It is very personal for him. For Ichigo, Orohime is within his grasp of saving and he views this as his "final" battle. It's my favorite fight in all of Bleach.
-However, this is where things start to take a bit of dip in quality in my opinion. We had a goal and we were striving towards that goal. Each character of the original cast coming to repay the debt they made to their friend who had risked her life to save them in the Soul society arc. But somewhere along the way it seems we just had a fighter fest. Captains would face enemies with no themes or character revelations. The Espadas got a little light but nothing that made their fights compelling. You almost just feel bad for the Espada as they were monsters turned into a military force by an unstoppable tyrant. But even that wasn't enough to make half of the fights interesting. Now, that's with knowing the outcome. These fights played little importance in the larger scheme of things. Where at least in the Hueco Mundo fights each match up had the protagonists striving for a goal. Rukia to defeat Aaroneiro to free her former superiors soul. Byakuya to defend Rukia. Renji and Uryu teamwork. Nel to protect Ichigo and get revenge on Nnoitra. Whereas Stark fought Kyoraku.....cause.....and Hitsugaya fought Halibel because Water vs Ice would be cool.
-This leaves me to the end. I won't say it wasn't satisfying that Ichigo was able to defeat Aizen. And yes, I do feel like his new power was earned. 3 months of training. But this was clearly a last minute decision to save Aizen for a later date and the show must go on. I do feel like it wasn't as satisfying as 200+ chapter buildup needed to be.
The Fullbring Arc - Chapters 424-479 - Rating: 8/10
-A very underrated arc. And yes, I acknowledge that rating wise I think the Fullbring arc is superior to the Hueco Mundo arc. That is mostly true. Though I like the first half of the Hueco Mundo Arc more than the Fullbring arc. The end of the HM arc really brought it down for me. The Fullbring Arc is much more concise and is actually the shortest arc in the series and works as a glorified Ichigo getting his powers back arc. But that doesn't mean its bad.
-When I read it originally back when it was coming out in 2010. (Cause I'm Old) It wasn't phenomenal. In fact, I hated it. But wouldn't you? It took just short of a year to get to the point that we were at. But upon rereading it, it gave much deserved love to the characters who hadn't been shown love in quite some time. The original cast. It was a very character focused arc. Ichigo never seemed more human. And despite me hating it before for taking so long, reading weekly can sometimes hurt these mystery based arcs. The twist is heavily foreshadowed and I really appreciated it.
-That being said, the end was super rushed. This was a big bummer for me. The villains this time around were humans. And the ones who had the most exposure and relations with these characters were the original cast who again....were humans. So to have the soul reapers, who have no connection to the fullbringers show up and basically no diff most of the fullbringers felt very forced and fanservicey to me. This very well could have not been Kubo's call. As the community was very vocal about their dislike for this arc as it was going on. But I appreciate it now much more as I appreciate character and story over big sword fights. Lol.
The Thousand Year Blood War Arc - Chapters 424-689 - Rating: 5/10
-And we're finally here. The final and largest arc within the Bleach story. And man...does it not stick the landing.
-That being said, this arc has phenomenal moments. Kenpachi's Shikai and Bankai. Ichigo's double swords. Renji's true Bankai. Rukia's Bankai. And many more. However, they are put together against the most break neck speed arc that I have ever read. Kubo was very ambitious when he introduced 26 new villains. However, most of them got barely any screen time and a lot of them even got off screened by higher level captains. This was unlike the Espada who each got a full double page spread for their Resurrections.
-Yhwach himself was a phenomenal villain but was dealt with swiftly and imo dirty. They did him dirty.
-There was just something off. The mood changed and it was very apparent. The villains had random powers instead of the powers reflecting their personalities or needs. The finale felt so underwhelming.
-Ichigo gets to be the strongest he's ever been....but he doesn't defeat a single person besides the main villain despite being in several fights.
-It isn't a good arc. In fact, I would say it's the worst. Hopefully the anime does a better job with this already mammoth of a story. 260 chapters is no joke.
This gives the story of Bleach an Overall rating of 7.4/10. Which to me is above average. It has it's ups and downs. It's not perfect. But when it's high, it's peak shonen. But when it's low, it's very forgettable.
December 7, 2020
This was a fun volume or starts as off one, ICHIGO comes to the rescue and he takes on those 4 Quincies and as they attack him he dodges them and then other four join in and attack him but he outclasses them then enter Yhwach and his plan is to invade the royal palace now as he can trace the path Ichigo travelled from. While he is fighting them, he learns of Uryuu's betrayal and all and also Urahara, Inoue, Chad come to his rescue and they wanna fire a canon. Meanwhile the other captains who said they will fight these quincies are engaged in battle and the main is the Zombie girl there who starts attacking the from all sides and the battle is somewhat interesting and like you see her powers can control dead Shinigami too. Its interesting as we reach the climax of the battle.
October 29, 2022
Ehhhh, bentar. Itu Hitsugaya mati? 😭
November 10, 2022
Invading the palace! And zombies!!
July 16, 2025
How is Renji not everyone’s favourite character? 😂
I’m loving watching everyone fight at the same time. Also, that last page was wild.
I’m loving watching everyone fight at the same time. Also, that last page was wild.
February 25, 2023
Shit is getting crazy! Zombies!!
like I’ve said, look at how absolutely light ichigo is now. Ugh my heart.
Sooo much happens this volume. Mayuri had me cracking up as usual.
Candy’s powers were kind of neat
afahjdh renji and bazz. i can’t
The arrancar zombies! I was not expecting to see them again even though I know we’ve been teased with grimmjow and we’ve seen nel and harribel lol
I’ve heard for awhile about the transphobic comments yumichika makes to giselle and it really is disappointing to read them myself. I hope the anime chooses to omit them. Giselle is such a fun villain character too, I really like her.
Also the whole thing with orihime and her outfit is so gross. i hate it. urahara and yoruichi… :/ I also wish the anime would omit all of that and give her a better outfit but I don’t have much hope for that one.
I’m glad the gang is back together though. let’s go slap some sense into uryu as and drag his ass back!!!
Zombie HITSUGAYA WAT
like I’ve said, look at how absolutely light ichigo is now. Ugh my heart.
Sooo much happens this volume. Mayuri had me cracking up as usual.
Candy’s powers were kind of neat
afahjdh renji and bazz. i can’t
The arrancar zombies! I was not expecting to see them again even though I know we’ve been teased with grimmjow and we’ve seen nel and harribel lol
I’ve heard for awhile about the transphobic comments yumichika makes to giselle and it really is disappointing to read them myself. I hope the anime chooses to omit them. Giselle is such a fun villain character too, I really like her.
Also the whole thing with orihime and her outfit is so gross. i hate it. urahara and yoruichi… :/ I also wish the anime would omit all of that and give her a better outfit but I don’t have much hope for that one.
I’m glad the gang is back together though. let’s go slap some sense into uryu as and drag his ass back!!!
Zombie HITSUGAYA WAT
March 20, 2023
I liked seeing Ichigo arrive and take on so many enemies at once. Seeing the Karakura Town heroes encounter Uryū and his potential betrayal was interesting, and I loved how they didn’t just assume he’d turn to the Quincy’s side without some sort of plan. Seeing these characters reunite like this reminded me of how far they have come, and I love how Ichigo is determined to bring Uryū back instead of feeling betrayal and anger. Ichigo has really come so far since his first appearance. I loved how Giselle’s power is zombie related and how she was able to turn an army of undead Soul Reapers to her side, including one of her own dead Quincy allies. I loved seeing Mayuri go up against this zombie Quincy and how he brought back some undead (in a different way) Arrancar back to fight her. I’m glad that the Arrancar characters weren’t just forgotten about since they were all very interesting and had great development. I loved the cliffhanger with the zombified Captain.
February 3, 2024
Okay okay it’s picking up. Maybe I’m not too mad at the story anymore
February 4, 2025
The boys are fighting 😭
February 15, 2025
12.02.25
February 2, 2021
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
In this volume we get more fights against the Quincies, of course. We get back to Ichigo who finally face off against Ururyu 😬 I still don’t know what Uruyu’s deal is, but it’s very upsetting that he’s on that side of the war 😩
We also get some more Renji, which you know I am a fan of! His fight with the Quincy was really funny because of all the banter. The banter is one of my favorite things about this series! I mean, chickenhead comments and talking about Renji’s “cool” eyebrows? 😂 And then Rukia in the back being done with their shit? 😂 So good!
Oh, and then everyone being confused about Kurotsuchi’s outfit (or just him in general 😂)? So relatable! I mean, honestly, what the heck was he wearing in the last volume? 😂
I missed Ikkaku and Yumichika, so I’m glad they’re back in the picture. They’re another of my favorite duos—I love their interactions! They’re always so fun!
There was this one part where a previous foe called Yumichika... ugly 😱 If you know Yumichika, you know he was VERY offended! Lol. That whole conversation was hilarious. But more than that, Yumichika is very smart too, and I just really love him.
The one thing I’m not a fan of in this, or just anime in general, is the oversexualization of women, especially of a sweet girl like Orihime. I just don’t like that about anime and manga. But overall, I enjoyed this volume. There were a lot of fun character interactions, plus Kurotsochi had an ace up his very ostentatious sleeve that I was not expecting at all. Guys, the reapers are getting help! But you will NEVER guess from who! 😲 And then that cliffhanger at the end... I am not okay 😭 The next volume is going to break my soul, I can feel it 😩
In this volume we get more fights against the Quincies, of course. We get back to Ichigo who finally face off against Ururyu 😬 I still don’t know what Uruyu’s deal is, but it’s very upsetting that he’s on that side of the war 😩
We also get some more Renji, which you know I am a fan of! His fight with the Quincy was really funny because of all the banter. The banter is one of my favorite things about this series! I mean, chickenhead comments and talking about Renji’s “cool” eyebrows? 😂 And then Rukia in the back being done with their shit? 😂 So good!
Oh, and then everyone being confused about Kurotsuchi’s outfit (or just him in general 😂)? So relatable! I mean, honestly, what the heck was he wearing in the last volume? 😂
I missed Ikkaku and Yumichika, so I’m glad they’re back in the picture. They’re another of my favorite duos—I love their interactions! They’re always so fun!
There was this one part where a previous foe called Yumichika... ugly 😱 If you know Yumichika, you know he was VERY offended! Lol. That whole conversation was hilarious. But more than that, Yumichika is very smart too, and I just really love him.
The one thing I’m not a fan of in this, or just anime in general, is the oversexualization of women, especially of a sweet girl like Orihime. I just don’t like that about anime and manga. But overall, I enjoyed this volume. There were a lot of fun character interactions, plus Kurotsochi had an ace up his very ostentatious sleeve that I was not expecting at all. Guys, the reapers are getting help! But you will NEVER guess from who! 😲 And then that cliffhanger at the end... I am not okay 😭 The next volume is going to break my soul, I can feel it 😩
November 22, 2014
SPOILERS, THERE MAY BE SPOILERS AHEAD!
GAH! Kubo just what the hell are you doing!? this volume is full of rubbish chapters! i saved up around 3-4 chapters to read all in one go and i tell you it was just disappointment one after the other. the frustrating part is that i know Bleach has so much potential and Kubo could make this arc so much better, and yet for some reason he isn't. all of the characters that been introduced in this arc save for a few have been annoying as hell or just not very interesting. their designs are just downright crazy and not in a good way. their powers are also not too exciting. the way the fights are going in the Soul Palace or whatever it is is not very interesting. it feels rushed and repetitive. people get holes blown in their chest- but whoops! they missed and now they are back from the dead etc etc. i feel that too many characters are dying and coming back to life which is unnecessary. Ywach is a very lame leader of Quincies indeed and its going to take alot to redeem him and his pathetic army. What needs to happen now is that Ywach gets completely killed off in the next chapter and the actual big boss is revealed, so we can move on and start afresh. this whole zero-squad fight is dragging on forever and i don't give a damn about any of the characters that are involved in it.
i wish Kubo would cut to the chase and skip back over to what Ichigo and co are doing. i also wish he'd focus less on the porny/pervy bits and get his act together with actual plot development.
just as a sidenote what the hell is Ishida doing while everyone is fighting? we see Haschwald gasping so we are aware he's still alive, but is Uryu spectating from the sidelines or is he indeed dead? Kubo has a very bad habit of forgetting which scenes Uryu is in and often ends arcs forgetting to wrap up whats happened to his involvement. just remember that fight between Ginjou and Ichigo- after Kurosaki broke through the shield Uryu disappeared of the face of the earth even though he was meant to be fighting alongside him -_- we dont even see him floating around or hobbling towards the hospital -___- this entire arc is about Quincies- you'd think he'd get a bit more screen time other then staring blankly in the odd panel here and there.
i really hope Kubo gets his act together and makes Bleach as great as it wants used to be. it'd be such a shame if it went even more downhill from here. i've already been let down by the stupid ending dealt by young Fujimaki Tadatoshi's KNB- though thankfully we've been granted a sequel- please don't do the same thing to me, Kubo!
GAH! Kubo just what the hell are you doing!? this volume is full of rubbish chapters! i saved up around 3-4 chapters to read all in one go and i tell you it was just disappointment one after the other. the frustrating part is that i know Bleach has so much potential and Kubo could make this arc so much better, and yet for some reason he isn't. all of the characters that been introduced in this arc save for a few have been annoying as hell or just not very interesting. their designs are just downright crazy and not in a good way. their powers are also not too exciting. the way the fights are going in the Soul Palace or whatever it is is not very interesting. it feels rushed and repetitive. people get holes blown in their chest- but whoops! they missed and now they are back from the dead etc etc. i feel that too many characters are dying and coming back to life which is unnecessary. Ywach is a very lame leader of Quincies indeed and its going to take alot to redeem him and his pathetic army. What needs to happen now is that Ywach gets completely killed off in the next chapter and the actual big boss is revealed, so we can move on and start afresh. this whole zero-squad fight is dragging on forever and i don't give a damn about any of the characters that are involved in it.
i wish Kubo would cut to the chase and skip back over to what Ichigo and co are doing. i also wish he'd focus less on the porny/pervy bits and get his act together with actual plot development.
just as a sidenote what the hell is Ishida doing while everyone is fighting? we see Haschwald gasping so we are aware he's still alive, but is Uryu spectating from the sidelines or is he indeed dead? Kubo has a very bad habit of forgetting which scenes Uryu is in and often ends arcs forgetting to wrap up whats happened to his involvement. just remember that fight between Ginjou and Ichigo- after Kurosaki broke through the shield Uryu disappeared of the face of the earth even though he was meant to be fighting alongside him -_- we dont even see him floating around or hobbling towards the hospital -___- this entire arc is about Quincies- you'd think he'd get a bit more screen time other then staring blankly in the odd panel here and there.
i really hope Kubo gets his act together and makes Bleach as great as it wants used to be. it'd be such a shame if it went even more downhill from here. i've already been let down by the stupid ending dealt by young Fujimaki Tadatoshi's KNB- though thankfully we've been granted a sequel- please don't do the same thing to me, Kubo!
August 23, 2015
I'm glad that this series is always here for whenever I need a good action-packed quick-read. And, in that aspect, this volume did not disappoint at all.
On another note, I really enjoyed the scene about Orihime's clothing, especially Yoruichi's part.
On another note, I really enjoyed the scene about Orihime's clothing, especially Yoruichi's part.
December 11, 2016
WOOOHOOOO....... here "it" comes!
Ichigo finally shows up, he's back with a bang!!!
Meanwhile zombiefied Hitsugaya arises.
Ichigo finally shows up, he's back with a bang!!!
Meanwhile zombiefied Hitsugaya arises.
October 24, 2025
TBA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2024
While there are some good moments, you can clearly tell the dive in quality that comes from Shonen Jump forcing Kubo to work while injured and in need of surgery. The gall of SJ for refusing to allow him to have a break he proposed (to literally heal) for his torn shoulder. I know. Even recalling it pisses me off. The industry does not treat mangaka’s well. Nevertheless, and sadly, I still have to judge the work accordingly.
First off, the assortment of villains are contrived with even lamer powers than I thought possible. Not to mention, they have a total lack of character depth. This is such a shame since Ichigo finally swooping in should produce the opposite effect of indifference. I wanted the excitement and the hype but unfortunately it wasn’t there for me.
Secondly, while I am an IchiHime shipper and will always be, the characterization of Orihime being so dumb as to not know that Ichigo wouldn’t react favorably (at least in public, his thoughts are another matter) towards such an overly sexualized outfit was off-putting. Orihime’s always been a more modest dresser. The sequence seems more for laughs than a natural progression or development of a relationship.
Thirdly, the perverted fan-service in itself. Usually Kubo does it tastefully. But the Yoruichi and Orihime scene is so awkward to visualize that I’m glad that they removed the scene in the anime (and usually I’m pissed at Studio Perriot for always changing, shortening and removing IchiHime scenes and replacing them with non-canon IchiRuki shenanigans). It’s all just weird for a mostly serious arc. Also, why do we need to see Yoruichi’s panties upon her first introduction in the TYBW arc? She’s already got sex appeal, this was just gratuitous. And don’t get me started on the panel with Orihime’s face between Yoruichi’s legs. It’s so random and left field. Honestly, I get it. Kubo’s taking the piss on his editors by giving the middle finger and saying, “fuck it, if I’m being forced to work then I might as well have fun,” but I hate that he sacrificed consistency for it. I accept it’s probably a coping mechanism. But I’m side-eyeing it accordingly.
Fourthly, and this is probably the most egregious one. But how is it that at the start of a Quincy war, no one in the MC GANG thought to talk to the only Quincy in their group?? Like no one had a single thought as to wonder where and how Uryu was?? Like, why hasn’t he joined them like he typically does in every arc?? Are you serious?? Like, Ichigo come on! Don’t act like such a dumbass. But also again, this speaks to a wider problem of characterization. How did no one think of Uryu before this point? Seems HIGHLY UNLIKELY and HUGE flaw with the writing. It’s almost like Kubo doesn’t know what to do with Uryu himself.
Honestly, Mayuri is the one who carries this volume. The start of his fight with Giselle is entertaining and I love his callousness. He’s one of my favorites! WE STAN MAYURI.
Bazz B complimenting Renji’s eyebrows gave me a good chuckle. Renji’s blushing is adorable. It’s probably the only scene that made me like Bazz B. Otherwise, he’s just a significantly watered-down Renji/Grimmjow type of delinquent character. Just waaaaaay worse. It’ll the point it just makes him obsolete.
First off, the assortment of villains are contrived with even lamer powers than I thought possible. Not to mention, they have a total lack of character depth. This is such a shame since Ichigo finally swooping in should produce the opposite effect of indifference. I wanted the excitement and the hype but unfortunately it wasn’t there for me.
Secondly, while I am an IchiHime shipper and will always be, the characterization of Orihime being so dumb as to not know that Ichigo wouldn’t react favorably (at least in public, his thoughts are another matter) towards such an overly sexualized outfit was off-putting. Orihime’s always been a more modest dresser. The sequence seems more for laughs than a natural progression or development of a relationship.
Thirdly, the perverted fan-service in itself. Usually Kubo does it tastefully. But the Yoruichi and Orihime scene is so awkward to visualize that I’m glad that they removed the scene in the anime (and usually I’m pissed at Studio Perriot for always changing, shortening and removing IchiHime scenes and replacing them with non-canon IchiRuki shenanigans). It’s all just weird for a mostly serious arc. Also, why do we need to see Yoruichi’s panties upon her first introduction in the TYBW arc? She’s already got sex appeal, this was just gratuitous. And don’t get me started on the panel with Orihime’s face between Yoruichi’s legs. It’s so random and left field. Honestly, I get it. Kubo’s taking the piss on his editors by giving the middle finger and saying, “fuck it, if I’m being forced to work then I might as well have fun,” but I hate that he sacrificed consistency for it. I accept it’s probably a coping mechanism. But I’m side-eyeing it accordingly.
Fourthly, and this is probably the most egregious one. But how is it that at the start of a Quincy war, no one in the MC GANG thought to talk to the only Quincy in their group?? Like no one had a single thought as to wonder where and how Uryu was?? Like, why hasn’t he joined them like he typically does in every arc?? Are you serious?? Like, Ichigo come on! Don’t act like such a dumbass. But also again, this speaks to a wider problem of characterization. How did no one think of Uryu before this point? Seems HIGHLY UNLIKELY and HUGE flaw with the writing. It’s almost like Kubo doesn’t know what to do with Uryu himself.
Honestly, Mayuri is the one who carries this volume. The start of his fight with Giselle is entertaining and I love his callousness. He’s one of my favorites! WE STAN MAYURI.
Bazz B complimenting Renji’s eyebrows gave me a good chuckle. Renji’s blushing is adorable. It’s probably the only scene that made me like Bazz B. Otherwise, he’s just a significantly watered-down Renji/Grimmjow type of delinquent character. Just waaaaaay worse. It’ll the point it just makes him obsolete.
June 26, 2022
The Quincies have managed to lay Zaraki low, intending to finish him off in his weakened state, which would be catastrophic for the Soul Reapers. So of course the others have to help. Shinji and Hinamori quickly arrive to lend their support. Shinji directs Momo to heal Kenpachi. Rukia and Byakuya are also hurrying to aid in the battle when they suddenly feel another spiritual pressure, followed by the long-anticipated appearance of Ichigo! Huzzah, the cavalry has arrived!
Ichigo finds himself face to face with four female Quincies, one of whom is highly indignant that he has covered her in dust! When Ichigo wounds one of the four, she turns to another one to heal her, but admonishes her not to use her blood. Turns out that this particular Quincy, whose name is Gigi, can create zombies with her blood! But she reminds the other girl that doesn’t work on fellow Quincies unless they are dead.
Quincy Bazz-B shows up to take over the fight against Ichigo in order to claim the glory for himself. But he isn’t the only Quincy to have that idea, as he learns to his dismay when four others also arrive, suggesting they all share the glory. Ichigo is surprised to hear the voice of Yhwach thanking him for leading them into the light. What does that even mean? Unfortunately, it means his actions will now allow them entrance into Reiokyu!
Ichigo is dismayed to find Uryu by Yhwach’s side, as are Chad and Orihime. Yhwach asks if Uryu has said his good-byes as they will be eternal. Ichigo demands answers but none are forthcoming. Chad tries to tell Ichigo that they still have a job to do, but Ichigo wants to follow Uryu. “I’ll smack him and bring him back.” Uruhara arrives, “a step too late”, and asks Ichigo if he wants to book a trip to Reiokyu. Turns out Kurotsuchi has been building a replica of the Shiba family cannon beneath the barracks of Squad 12 because he is that kind of genius, although it isn’t a perfect replica. But they need more energy. Luckily Orihime arrives just then, but what in the world is she wearing?
Kurotsuchi, meanwhile, is having an interesting discussion with Gigi, intrigued by her zombies. But when she produces zombies she created from fallen Soul Reapers, he confesses he cannot fight them so leaves that to others, namely the Arrancars, who have no emotional ties to them. Unfortunately, Gigi has an ace up her sleeve in the form of one particular Soul Reaper she has zombified! Say it isn’t so!
The battle between the Quincies and the Soul Reapers is heating up, but at least Ichigo is back in the fray, which has to mean it must be the beginning of the end. But at what price? And when he succeeds in defeating Yhwach and his nefarious cohorts, what will remain of what once was? So many lost already. And now we face the horror of a former favorite captain who has been turned into a mindless zombie. Can that end any way but badly? Dreading but looking forward to the next volume!
Ichigo finds himself face to face with four female Quincies, one of whom is highly indignant that he has covered her in dust! When Ichigo wounds one of the four, she turns to another one to heal her, but admonishes her not to use her blood. Turns out that this particular Quincy, whose name is Gigi, can create zombies with her blood! But she reminds the other girl that doesn’t work on fellow Quincies unless they are dead.
Quincy Bazz-B shows up to take over the fight against Ichigo in order to claim the glory for himself. But he isn’t the only Quincy to have that idea, as he learns to his dismay when four others also arrive, suggesting they all share the glory. Ichigo is surprised to hear the voice of Yhwach thanking him for leading them into the light. What does that even mean? Unfortunately, it means his actions will now allow them entrance into Reiokyu!
Ichigo is dismayed to find Uryu by Yhwach’s side, as are Chad and Orihime. Yhwach asks if Uryu has said his good-byes as they will be eternal. Ichigo demands answers but none are forthcoming. Chad tries to tell Ichigo that they still have a job to do, but Ichigo wants to follow Uryu. “I’ll smack him and bring him back.” Uruhara arrives, “a step too late”, and asks Ichigo if he wants to book a trip to Reiokyu. Turns out Kurotsuchi has been building a replica of the Shiba family cannon beneath the barracks of Squad 12 because he is that kind of genius, although it isn’t a perfect replica. But they need more energy. Luckily Orihime arrives just then, but what in the world is she wearing?
Kurotsuchi, meanwhile, is having an interesting discussion with Gigi, intrigued by her zombies. But when she produces zombies she created from fallen Soul Reapers, he confesses he cannot fight them so leaves that to others, namely the Arrancars, who have no emotional ties to them. Unfortunately, Gigi has an ace up her sleeve in the form of one particular Soul Reaper she has zombified! Say it isn’t so!
The battle between the Quincies and the Soul Reapers is heating up, but at least Ichigo is back in the fray, which has to mean it must be the beginning of the end. But at what price? And when he succeeds in defeating Yhwach and his nefarious cohorts, what will remain of what once was? So many lost already. And now we face the horror of a former favorite captain who has been turned into a mindless zombie. Can that end any way but badly? Dreading but looking forward to the next volume!
May 18, 2020
I wish I could rate it zero. The only reasons to care for this volume is the long fan favourite characters like Ichigo and the good people. The new villains introduced are awful.
August 25, 2024
VOLUME 65: CHAPTER 581-591
Arc 11: The Thousand Year Blood War
Ichigo appears from the sky. He fought the 4 Sternritter. Candice wants to kill Ichigo. Ichigo used his new technique: Getsuga Juujishou. Candice take head on the attack and lose her left arm. Giselle heal Candice's arm. Bazz-B shoot down Candice, Giselle, Meninas and Liltotto. He wants to take the glory for killing Ichigo. The attack doesn't enough to kill them. Right now, Ichigo must face 8 Sternritter at the same time; Bazz-B, NaNaNa, Robert, PePe, Candice, Giselle, Meninas and Liltotto. Yhwach makes his move. A light column appears. He said that the white robe that Ichigo wears is the King Key that is made from hair and bones of the Squad 0. With the robe, Ichigo can passed through the 72 barriers without any friction but it takes 6,000 seconds for the barriers to close again. Ichigo went to reach Yhwach but he was stopped by the Sternritters. Suddenly, Renji, Rukia, Byakuya, Hisagi, Ikkaku and Yumichika arrived to help Ichigo.
The battle between the Sternritter and the Shinigamis begin. Ichigo reached Yhwach and he saw Uryuu. Inoue and Chad arrived in Seireitei using the Garganta. Uryuu said a farewell to them. Yhwach, Uryuu and Haschwalth set off to Royal Palace and sent a huge shockwave after. All the Shinigamis and Sternritters separated. Rukia and Renji fight Bazz-B while Ikkaku and Yumichika fight Giselle. Giselle zombified Bambietta's dead body to fight those two. Mayuri appears with his shining outfit. He can seal Bambietta's power. Giselle then summoned a group of zombified Shinigamis. Mayuri countered it with the resurrected Arrancars; Dordoni, Cirucci, Luppi and Charlotte. The fight between the zombies begin. Giselle then used his trump card; zombified Toushiro.
Urahara made a cannon similar to Shiba Family's cannon to send Ichigo, Inoue, Chad and Yoruichi to the Royal Palace. In the Royal Palace, Kirinji is the first one to face Yhwach.
Arc 11: The Thousand Year Blood War
Ichigo appears from the sky. He fought the 4 Sternritter. Candice wants to kill Ichigo. Ichigo used his new technique: Getsuga Juujishou. Candice take head on the attack and lose her left arm. Giselle heal Candice's arm. Bazz-B shoot down Candice, Giselle, Meninas and Liltotto. He wants to take the glory for killing Ichigo. The attack doesn't enough to kill them. Right now, Ichigo must face 8 Sternritter at the same time; Bazz-B, NaNaNa, Robert, PePe, Candice, Giselle, Meninas and Liltotto. Yhwach makes his move. A light column appears. He said that the white robe that Ichigo wears is the King Key that is made from hair and bones of the Squad 0. With the robe, Ichigo can passed through the 72 barriers without any friction but it takes 6,000 seconds for the barriers to close again. Ichigo went to reach Yhwach but he was stopped by the Sternritters. Suddenly, Renji, Rukia, Byakuya, Hisagi, Ikkaku and Yumichika arrived to help Ichigo.
The battle between the Sternritter and the Shinigamis begin. Ichigo reached Yhwach and he saw Uryuu. Inoue and Chad arrived in Seireitei using the Garganta. Uryuu said a farewell to them. Yhwach, Uryuu and Haschwalth set off to Royal Palace and sent a huge shockwave after. All the Shinigamis and Sternritters separated. Rukia and Renji fight Bazz-B while Ikkaku and Yumichika fight Giselle. Giselle zombified Bambietta's dead body to fight those two. Mayuri appears with his shining outfit. He can seal Bambietta's power. Giselle then summoned a group of zombified Shinigamis. Mayuri countered it with the resurrected Arrancars; Dordoni, Cirucci, Luppi and Charlotte. The fight between the zombies begin. Giselle then used his trump card; zombified Toushiro.
Urahara made a cannon similar to Shiba Family's cannon to send Ichigo, Inoue, Chad and Yoruichi to the Royal Palace. In the Royal Palace, Kirinji is the first one to face Yhwach.
November 19, 2019
Bleach, Vol. 65 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next eleven chapters (581–591) of the on-going manga series.
Ichigo Kurosaki arrives to the battlefield and saves Kenpachi Zaraki from the female Quincy team before Bazz-B and three other Sternritters arrive to face him. To make matters worse, Ichigo learns his arrival has allowed Yhwach to have save passage as the Sternritters keeps him from going after Yhwach. Though Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, Byakuya Kuchiki, Shūhei Hisagi, Ikkaku Madarame, and Yumichika Ayasegawa hold off the Sternritters so he can stop Yhwach, Ichigo is confronted by Uryū Ishida before he departs with Yhwach and Jugram Haschwalth and confront Tenjirō Kirinji upon reaching their destination.
As Kisuke Urahara reveals a cannon that Mayuri Kurotsuchi developed and send Ichigo, Orihime Inoue, and Yasutora "Chad" Sado to the Soul King's palace, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa fight Giselle Gewelle and the zombified Bambietta before the battle is joined by Mayuri, and his resurrected Arrancar, Privaron Espada 103 Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, Privaron Espada 105 Cirucci Sanderwicci, the 20th Arrancar and also one of Baraggan Louisenbairns' previous six fracción Charlotte Chuhlhourne, and even the former Sexta Espada that was stroke down by Grimmjow, Luppi Antenor and Giselle's trump card: the zombified Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The tankōbon continues the second invasion of the Seireitei by the Sternritter. Finally, Ichigo Kurosaki enters the fray, but his arrival also gives safe passage to Yhwach, who arrives with Uryū Ishida as the fight between the Seireitei and Sternritter intensifies.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 65 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
Ichigo Kurosaki arrives to the battlefield and saves Kenpachi Zaraki from the female Quincy team before Bazz-B and three other Sternritters arrive to face him. To make matters worse, Ichigo learns his arrival has allowed Yhwach to have save passage as the Sternritters keeps him from going after Yhwach. Though Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, Byakuya Kuchiki, Shūhei Hisagi, Ikkaku Madarame, and Yumichika Ayasegawa hold off the Sternritters so he can stop Yhwach, Ichigo is confronted by Uryū Ishida before he departs with Yhwach and Jugram Haschwalth and confront Tenjirō Kirinji upon reaching their destination.
As Kisuke Urahara reveals a cannon that Mayuri Kurotsuchi developed and send Ichigo, Orihime Inoue, and Yasutora "Chad" Sado to the Soul King's palace, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa fight Giselle Gewelle and the zombified Bambietta before the battle is joined by Mayuri, and his resurrected Arrancar, Privaron Espada 103 Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, Privaron Espada 105 Cirucci Sanderwicci, the 20th Arrancar and also one of Baraggan Louisenbairns' previous six fracción Charlotte Chuhlhourne, and even the former Sexta Espada that was stroke down by Grimmjow, Luppi Antenor and Giselle's trump card: the zombified Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The tankōbon continues the second invasion of the Seireitei by the Sternritter. Finally, Ichigo Kurosaki enters the fray, but his arrival also gives safe passage to Yhwach, who arrives with Uryū Ishida as the fight between the Seireitei and Sternritter intensifies.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 65 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
January 15, 2023
Plot:
I was expecting a better and more engaging fight between Ichigo, Candice, Giselle, Liltotto, and Meninas. Even more so when Bazz-B, NaNaNa, PePe, and Robert arrived but instead, the fight with Ichigo left me wanting more. I know Kubo is capable of great fights, considering I enjoyed a lot of the fights in the Arrancar Saga. But I suppose I can forgive it because I received a bit of Ikkaku, Yumichika, Byakuya, Rukia, and Renji. As well as Chad! Still, I wish there were better fights in this volume. The one thing I really enjoyed is the Giselle and Mayuri’s fight, in a way.
Characters: It was a treat seeing the shinigami again! Plus, no matter how short and underwhelming, we got to see Ichigo in action. I surprisingly enjoyed Candice, found unsurprisingly found Giselle a little creepy, and Liltotto and Meninas a little bland and uninteresting. I actually really like and enjoy Bazz-B. Robert is cool to me, maybe because he seems sophisticated? Is that strange? NaNaNa has always intimidated me. PePe is just there. Oh, right, Urahara and Yoruichi. They’re cool. Still as lovable as always.
Verdict: I don’t necessarily hate this volume. I actually found some silver linings in Toshiro’s zombification and the arrival of Ikkaku, Yumichika, Byakuya, Rukia, Renji, Chad, Urahara, and Yoruichi. I just wish there were better fights. The art is spectacular as always.
Characters: It was a treat seeing the shinigami again! Plus, no matter how short and underwhelming, we got to see Ichigo in action. I surprisingly enjoyed Candice, found unsurprisingly found Giselle a little creepy, and Liltotto and Meninas a little bland and uninteresting. I actually really like and enjoy Bazz-B. Robert is cool to me, maybe because he seems sophisticated? Is that strange? NaNaNa has always intimidated me. PePe is just there. Oh, right, Urahara and Yoruichi. They’re cool. Still as lovable as always.
Verdict: I don’t necessarily hate this volume. I actually found some silver linings in Toshiro’s zombification and the arrival of Ikkaku, Yumichika, Byakuya, Rukia, Renji, Chad, Urahara, and Yoruichi. I just wish there were better fights. The art is spectacular as always.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2024
I liked seeing Ichigo arrive and take on so many enemies at once. Seeing the Karakura Town heroes encounter Uryū and his potential betrayal was interesting, and I loved how they didn’t just assume he’d turn to the Quincy’s side without some sort of plan. Seeing these characters reunite like this reminded me of how far they have come, and I love how Ichigo is determined to bring Uryū back instead of feeling betrayal and anger. Ichigo has really come so far since his first appearance. I loved how Giselle’s power is zombie related and how she was able to turn an army of undead Soul Reapers to her side, including one of her own dead Quincy allies. I loved seeing Mayuri go up against this zombie Quincy and how he brought back some undead (in a different way) Arrancar back to fight her. I’m glad that the Arrancar characters weren’t just forgotten about since they were all very interesting and had great development. I loved the cliffhanger with the zombified Captain.
September 13, 2020
Ichigo finally returns to the battlefield in a great moment that is immediately overshadowed by a brief disappointing fight and a pause for him to go back to waiting to battle someone again. He sits out most of the fight so far, and when he finally comes back he has to wait to fight again? It's boring. We get more Soul Reapers vs Sternritter stuff, and some nice moments with Ichigo's friends, but the whole volume is a let-down. Oh, and there's some awkward gender stuff -- I'd call it transphobia but I don't know if that's a concept lost in translation -- that ends up becoming an important plot point? I don't know, I hated it, I just want this arc to get going with the important battles.
November 10, 2021
Pretty good nothing too crazy going on in this one. Excited for the next one.
Summary:
Ichego fights the group of girl quincy's. Yawach reveals his plan to go to the royal palace. Renji, Rukia Byakuya and some of the other people and they fight a bunch of quincies while Ichego goes after Yawach. He discovers Uryu is on the side of Quincy. Orihime and Chad protect Ichego from an attack. Urahara tells them that they have a plan to get them back up to the royal palace. Captain Kurotsuchi fights the quincy Zombie. Captain Kurotsuchi reveals he brought in a team of arrancars to fight the zombie army. Zombie quincy reveals she has Toshiro under her spell.
Summary:
Ichego fights the group of girl quincy's. Yawach reveals his plan to go to the royal palace. Renji, Rukia Byakuya and some of the other people and they fight a bunch of quincies while Ichego goes after Yawach. He discovers Uryu is on the side of Quincy. Orihime and Chad protect Ichego from an attack. Urahara tells them that they have a plan to get them back up to the royal palace. Captain Kurotsuchi fights the quincy Zombie. Captain Kurotsuchi reveals he brought in a team of arrancars to fight the zombie army. Zombie quincy reveals she has Toshiro under her spell.
January 31, 2025
Ichigo arrives like his name is Son Goku from Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z/Dragon Ball Super...to save the day! That is the most fulfilling moment in this book. There are a lot of moments that hurt, like Ichigo learning of Uryuu's betrayal sticks out especially painful for the cast and crew. The cover character is indeed well placed, but definitely one of the stranger characters introduced. Her powers being to control dead (Yes DEAD) Shinigami is to me.... well just read the book! Tite Kubo delivers another beautifully rendered volume of Bleach. I really wish this volume would have ended on page 191 instead of 211.
December 31, 2018
Starts off interesting with Ichigo's return and demonstration of how far he has come, but ultimately drifts without much in the way of meaningful combat or conversation. That the Quincy king is relying on Ichigo's rapid descent as a means of opening the path back to the Soul King's domain is a nice touch, but I don't really find the zombie match off near the end very fun or entertaining even with Mayuri's surprise allies(/forced subordinates).
October 11, 2021
This arc was much more interesting than the Fullbring arc. We saw more from characters I care about more, and the deeper history of Soul Society was more interesting. I was disappointed in Uryu's limited role (greatly). I still think the Aizen arc was the way it should have ended, but this at least answered a few more critical questions and gave readers the ending they were really looking for, which might have been the point of these arcs to begin with.
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