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Bleach #1-21
Bleach Box Set: Volumes 1-21
The first "Bleach" story arc is now available in a box set for the first time The custom box set includes the beginning 21 volumes of "Bleach," a double-sided poster and a special "Bleach" collector's booklet. The custom box set also comes with a recessed handle and velcro closure. The box set is 10% off the total retail price of 21 volumes of "Bleach"
Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki was born with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow -- a malevolent lost soul -- Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits find peace.
4504 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2008
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252 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 10, 2025
“Who?
What are you talking about?
It’s me
⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️”
I couldn’t hear his name
800 chapters later…
“SURELY YOU RECOGNISE HIM AS THE ENEMY WHO DESTROYED THE SOUL SOCIETY
THAT MAN IS NOT THE MANIFESTATION OF YOUR SOUL REAPER POWERS
NO!
HE IS YOUR QUINCY POWERS TAKING THE FORM OF YHWACH FROM A THOUSAND YEARS AGO”
What are you talking about?
It’s me
⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️”
I couldn’t hear his name
800 chapters later…
“SURELY YOU RECOGNISE HIM AS THE ENEMY WHO DESTROYED THE SOUL SOCIETY
THAT MAN IS NOT THE MANIFESTATION OF YOUR SOUL REAPER POWERS
NO!
HE IS YOUR QUINCY POWERS TAKING THE FORM OF YHWACH FROM A THOUSAND YEARS AGO”
November 19, 2010
Finalmente terminé la lectura de estos 21 primeros tomos de Bleach y el puntaje final que se gana este pack es superior a la suma de sus partes. No porque la caja que los contiene sea bonita o porque leerse diez o más tomos de un saque sea recomendable. La edición yanqui tampoco es que sea impecable y ya le encontré varios errores u omisiones que en la edición argentina fueron subsanados. Lo valioso es que, visto como un conjunto, como una saga ulterior que se va construyendo desde el primer tomo, Bleach gana puntos en calidad sobre lo que cuenta y sobre cómo se cuenta.
Del dibujo sólo tengo para decir que si bien no es de mis autores favoritos, la narrativa y los diseños de Kubo arrancan desde un principio con mucha fuerza y originalidad y no hacen más que mejorar tomo a tomo. Me encanta la facilidad con la que pasa de un dibujo detallado y solemne para las escenas serias a una joda visual absoluta en las partes cómicas, como cuando estira a los personajes cual plastilina o los gestos que logra desconyunturándoles las facciones. Tema aparte merece el look de Ichigo y sus amigos, ya que Kubo se encarga de diseñarles ropa de lo más original y variopinta para las carátulas de los capítulos aunque después los veamos durante miles de páginas con el mismo atuendo estándar. Y para todo lo que sea diseñar espadas y ataques bolaceros también muestra una destreza envidiable.
Ahora pasemos a un aspecto quizás más polémico, como es el guión. Si hay una gran falla intrínseca a la historia de Bleach, es que peca de ser demasiado "shonen de peleas". Si bien es un excelente representante del género, no tiene demasiadas herramientas como para romper con las limitaciones que de por sí tienen estas historias. Cualquier lector de mangas "comerciales" sabe y acepta que los protagonistas suelen ser adolescentes que por tal o cual motivo reciben -o despiertan- un gran poder de pelea y que van a tener que ir superándose cada vez más para derrotar a enemigos cuya fuerza va en aumento y que estos en un principio se dicen invencibles pero terminan cayendo uno a uno bajo la irrefrenable fuerza de voluntad, sentimientos inspiradores y creciente poder del protagonista. Eso es así, y si alguien quiere disfrutar de un manga del género, tiene que dar por válido lo anterior a priori. Si no, se pierde de entretenerse un buen rato por no saber "suspender la incredulidad", condición casi obligatoria en estos casos.
Como decía, un error de Bleach está en no poder escapar de las limitaciones del género, pero cómo lo utiliza y cómo le saca jugo a las reglas del juego es admirable. Las peleas se suceden una tras otra y la espectacularidad e ingenio no paran en ningún momento (aunque hay mucho más de lo primero que de lo segundo). Además, cerca del final de la saga (alrededor del tomo 19) comienzan las esperables pero no predecibles "vueltas de tuerca" que revelan que no todo era lo que parecía y que las acciones y motivaciones de los personajes van más allá de lo evidente. Quizás con algunos personajes la vuelta de tuerca funciona a la perfección (Byakuya) y con otros no cierra tanto (Tousen), pero todos ganan en profundidad con estas revelaciones y se agradecen los infinitos flashbacks que respaldan sus historias. Creo que es en este aspecto de Bleach que se saca el mayor jugo y lo que lo salva de caer en la bolsa de "otro shonen más del montón" para depositarlo en el cofre de "otro shonen más del montón de mangas que da gusto leer". Volviendo a los arcos argumentales -que se podrían subdividir en varios arquitos pero ahora no tengo ganas-, ni bien termina la gran saga en la Soul Society y los personajes humanos vuelven al mundo de los vivos, enseguida arrancan con otra saga que pinta interesante pero desde un principio tiene -una vez más- varias vueltas de tuerca que esta vez pintan un poco más tiradas de los pelos que las del clímax anterior. No sé si adelantaré más de la serie por mi lado o si esperaré a que me toque trabajar sobre la argentina para seguir con la lectura (si me toca), pero el viaje hasta acá estuvo muy bueno y espero volver a subirme al tren de Bleach relativamente pronto.
Del dibujo sólo tengo para decir que si bien no es de mis autores favoritos, la narrativa y los diseños de Kubo arrancan desde un principio con mucha fuerza y originalidad y no hacen más que mejorar tomo a tomo. Me encanta la facilidad con la que pasa de un dibujo detallado y solemne para las escenas serias a una joda visual absoluta en las partes cómicas, como cuando estira a los personajes cual plastilina o los gestos que logra desconyunturándoles las facciones. Tema aparte merece el look de Ichigo y sus amigos, ya que Kubo se encarga de diseñarles ropa de lo más original y variopinta para las carátulas de los capítulos aunque después los veamos durante miles de páginas con el mismo atuendo estándar. Y para todo lo que sea diseñar espadas y ataques bolaceros también muestra una destreza envidiable.
Ahora pasemos a un aspecto quizás más polémico, como es el guión. Si hay una gran falla intrínseca a la historia de Bleach, es que peca de ser demasiado "shonen de peleas". Si bien es un excelente representante del género, no tiene demasiadas herramientas como para romper con las limitaciones que de por sí tienen estas historias. Cualquier lector de mangas "comerciales" sabe y acepta que los protagonistas suelen ser adolescentes que por tal o cual motivo reciben -o despiertan- un gran poder de pelea y que van a tener que ir superándose cada vez más para derrotar a enemigos cuya fuerza va en aumento y que estos en un principio se dicen invencibles pero terminan cayendo uno a uno bajo la irrefrenable fuerza de voluntad, sentimientos inspiradores y creciente poder del protagonista. Eso es así, y si alguien quiere disfrutar de un manga del género, tiene que dar por válido lo anterior a priori. Si no, se pierde de entretenerse un buen rato por no saber "suspender la incredulidad", condición casi obligatoria en estos casos.
Como decía, un error de Bleach está en no poder escapar de las limitaciones del género, pero cómo lo utiliza y cómo le saca jugo a las reglas del juego es admirable. Las peleas se suceden una tras otra y la espectacularidad e ingenio no paran en ningún momento (aunque hay mucho más de lo primero que de lo segundo). Además, cerca del final de la saga (alrededor del tomo 19) comienzan las esperables pero no predecibles "vueltas de tuerca" que revelan que no todo era lo que parecía y que las acciones y motivaciones de los personajes van más allá de lo evidente. Quizás con algunos personajes la vuelta de tuerca funciona a la perfección (Byakuya) y con otros no cierra tanto (Tousen), pero todos ganan en profundidad con estas revelaciones y se agradecen los infinitos flashbacks que respaldan sus historias. Creo que es en este aspecto de Bleach que se saca el mayor jugo y lo que lo salva de caer en la bolsa de "otro shonen más del montón" para depositarlo en el cofre de "otro shonen más del montón de mangas que da gusto leer". Volviendo a los arcos argumentales -que se podrían subdividir en varios arquitos pero ahora no tengo ganas-, ni bien termina la gran saga en la Soul Society y los personajes humanos vuelven al mundo de los vivos, enseguida arrancan con otra saga que pinta interesante pero desde un principio tiene -una vez más- varias vueltas de tuerca que esta vez pintan un poco más tiradas de los pelos que las del clímax anterior. No sé si adelantaré más de la serie por mi lado o si esperaré a que me toque trabajar sobre la argentina para seguir con la lectura (si me toca), pero el viaje hasta acá estuvo muy bueno y espero volver a subirme al tren de Bleach relativamente pronto.
May 27, 2019
I never in a million years thought I’d enjoy reading about people with swords. I am happy to have been wrong.
August 5, 2021
While this is a shonen staple, Bleach has by far the worst introductory and exposition chapters of the lot. Despite that, it manages to pull you in, and get you to fully engage with the Soul Society Arc. Despite most characters being comically two-dimensional, and a somewhat contrived plot, the drama is highly enjoyable, and it is very easy to make you feel involved. The world is consistent, the motivations are clear, and most characters show at least signs, if not fully display development and progress. The story is rich with emotion and drama. While already showing the problems the manga will run into further down the road, this is by far the best arc.
While simplistic, the characters tend to be at least somewhat intricate and distinct, and it is easy to find a narrative that is appealing to you, an emotion to cling on to, or a motivation you find compelling. The arc covers a lot of complex themes, such as change, growth, struggle, duty, loyalty, friendship, and sacrifice. They are not covered particularly deeply, but they do invite the reader to self-insert and to introspect.
Regrettably (for me at least), a lot of the beauty is undercut by the rampant sexist present not only in the character interactions and plot design (not one, but two damsels in distress in need of rescue one after the other?), but seemingly woven into the fabric of the world itself. Women are perpetually patronized, protected, dismissed or simply not being given enough power compared to men. It is particularly bad once you notice that there are a lot of opposite pairings in which women are subservient or less powerful, and thus in need of protecting. The sexualization, the sexual harassment, the first queer character introduced being a sex pest (and a lesbian no less!), at least help explain why a lot of the world building is so simplistic - its trope-y and surface level.
Overall I find the manga enjoyable and meaningful for myself, particularly as the anime was highly influential on my development, at least aesthetic-wise (hello eternal love of swords). Sadly, It only goes downhill from here.
While simplistic, the characters tend to be at least somewhat intricate and distinct, and it is easy to find a narrative that is appealing to you, an emotion to cling on to, or a motivation you find compelling. The arc covers a lot of complex themes, such as change, growth, struggle, duty, loyalty, friendship, and sacrifice. They are not covered particularly deeply, but they do invite the reader to self-insert and to introspect.
Regrettably (for me at least), a lot of the beauty is undercut by the rampant sexist present not only in the character interactions and plot design (not one, but two damsels in distress in need of rescue one after the other?), but seemingly woven into the fabric of the world itself. Women are perpetually patronized, protected, dismissed or simply not being given enough power compared to men. It is particularly bad once you notice that there are a lot of opposite pairings in which women are subservient or less powerful, and thus in need of protecting. The sexualization, the sexual harassment, the first queer character introduced being a sex pest (and a lesbian no less!), at least help explain why a lot of the world building is so simplistic - its trope-y and surface level.
Overall I find the manga enjoyable and meaningful for myself, particularly as the anime was highly influential on my development, at least aesthetic-wise (hello eternal love of swords). Sadly, It only goes downhill from here.
June 15, 2025
I don't want to spam my Goodreads with volume reviews, so I'll be using this box set entry to show where I'm at with the story.
After reading 21 volumes, the only thing I can say about Bleach is that it's an enjoyable story, but outside of the aesthetic there's not really much to make it distinct from other "shounen" stories. My biggest issue with it is just the abundance of fights, which gets absolutely exhausting, I found myself wishing we would get some chapters where the characters just chill and talk, but those were rare and far between.
I wouldn't say I hated my time reading it, I had fun overall hence the 3 (2.5/5) star rating (and if you know me, I never finish a piece of media I'm not enjoying) - but I don't think I have the motivation to continue after this point.
After reading 21 volumes, the only thing I can say about Bleach is that it's an enjoyable story, but outside of the aesthetic there's not really much to make it distinct from other "shounen" stories. My biggest issue with it is just the abundance of fights, which gets absolutely exhausting, I found myself wishing we would get some chapters where the characters just chill and talk, but those were rare and far between.
I wouldn't say I hated my time reading it, I had fun overall hence the 3 (2.5/5) star rating (and if you know me, I never finish a piece of media I'm not enjoying) - but I don't think I have the motivation to continue after this point.
June 3, 2018
I had forgotten how much fun bleach could be!
In these 21 volumes we can see how the main character, Ichigo Kurosaki, a 15 year old, becomes a Shinigami (Soul Reaper), thanks to Rukia Kuchiki's real powers, and begins defeating evil spiritual entities, the hollows.
As a result, Rukia is punished and sentenced to death and Ichigo and his friends (Chad, Orihime, Uryû, and others) enter Soul Society to avoid her execution.
Despite its downsides Bleach will always have a special place in my heart!
I'm looking forward to reading all volumes of this saga!
In these 21 volumes we can see how the main character, Ichigo Kurosaki, a 15 year old, becomes a Shinigami (Soul Reaper), thanks to Rukia Kuchiki's real powers, and begins defeating evil spiritual entities, the hollows.
As a result, Rukia is punished and sentenced to death and Ichigo and his friends (Chad, Orihime, Uryû, and others) enter Soul Society to avoid her execution.
Despite its downsides Bleach will always have a special place in my heart!
I'm looking forward to reading all volumes of this saga!
March 1, 2019
The phrase, "The Death and The Strawberry" still sends chills down my spine.
December 1, 2020
Hasta aquí es un manga aceptable. Luego empieza lo peor. Aún no sé cómo pude leerlo entero, siguiendo capítulo tras capítulo, cada semana.
October 28, 2021
These volumes take you through the first major arc of bleach the "soul Society arc" if you like supernatural, powers , and multiple worlds with unique characters this would be for you
May 23, 2022
not so nice 🔫
August 31, 2023
the soul society arc may be one of the best ones have ever read
December 10, 2011
Bleach is a manga that follows the story of Ichigo Kurosaki as he is thrust into a world he never believed existed. Able to see ghosts, he has always had contact with them. But when he meets Rukia, his whole life is turned upside down.
This collection contains the first 21 volumes of the manga, which concludes the first story arc.
The story caught my interest first in the anime, after which I chose to purchase the manga to see how the original story progresses. The anime follows the manga fairly closely, at least during this story arc, excluding the filler episodes that so many anime have.
Ichigo is thrown into the life of a Soul Reaper and must fight to save his friends, while the people around him struggle to keep him back and eliminate him.
Follow Ichigo as he does what he believes in, along with a cast of his friends. Characters each have different and unique personalities and readers are sure to find favorites, and of course, characters that are annoying or that they dislike.
Overall, Bleach, created by Tite Kubo is a series I can recommend to everyone who enjoys manga and would like to take a chance. The story is interesting and gripping, if a little slow at times (primarily in the anime), but definitely worth it.
Bleach is a good read and the characters are what drive my rating up to five stars, despite occasional slow pacing. The cast is wonderful and truly, the range of characters is astounding.
This collection contains the first 21 volumes of the manga, which concludes the first story arc.
The story caught my interest first in the anime, after which I chose to purchase the manga to see how the original story progresses. The anime follows the manga fairly closely, at least during this story arc, excluding the filler episodes that so many anime have.
Ichigo is thrown into the life of a Soul Reaper and must fight to save his friends, while the people around him struggle to keep him back and eliminate him.
Follow Ichigo as he does what he believes in, along with a cast of his friends. Characters each have different and unique personalities and readers are sure to find favorites, and of course, characters that are annoying or that they dislike.
Overall, Bleach, created by Tite Kubo is a series I can recommend to everyone who enjoys manga and would like to take a chance. The story is interesting and gripping, if a little slow at times (primarily in the anime), but definitely worth it.
Bleach is a good read and the characters are what drive my rating up to five stars, despite occasional slow pacing. The cast is wonderful and truly, the range of characters is astounding.
September 14, 2013
Honestly, one of the best things I've ever read. And it's manga, so there's pretty pictures and all of that. A rather different story, epic battle scenes, memorable characters...amongst its few downsides is that sometimes there are too many characters, and it gets difficult to keep track of them all. Sometimes you have to concentrate to follow the plot, but that's what makes it fun. Make sure you get a correct translation if you do decide to read; a crappy translation ruins all the dialogues.
April 25, 2018
And here we see another example of why I should listen to my brother more often. The truth is, we have disgustingly similar tastes but I just can't for the life of me read/ watch sth he recommends to me unless he annoys me to death first. I freaking love this. Rukia is one of my absolute favourite characters to have ever existed, I love Ichigo and Ishida, Chad has potential, don't give a shit about Orihime. Very fun, probably will reread.
January 23, 2024
The first arc does all the establishing character and story work. The rest is mostly just an endless series of fight scenes. Which is what I hear about the show as well. And the ending of the book series does suck the way that people say; wonder how long it'll be for the sequel show to catch up to it...
May 1, 2013
This is as far as I have read the series in a straight-run. After Vol.21, the lowest I have read is in the 40s through Vol.56.
Big gap there of ones I need to read after this run.
Big gap there of ones I need to read after this run.
October 30, 2014
Amazing story and one of my best Animation. Full of surprises and unlimited adventures.
March 14, 2016
How can anyone who's read it not love Bleach?! I love Bleach!
March 5, 2019
I have a weakness for box sets.
This is a review for the boxed set, and not the content of the books.
Box 1 includes a few bonus contents such as a small double sided poster, and a “Travel Guide” with details of the Bleach world.
The contents of Box 1:
Poster side 1:
Poster side 2:
“Travel Guide”:
The actual boxes are also so beautiful! 😍
Here’s a picture of all three boxed sets (the complete series) all together:
And he’s another picture of the other sides:
----------------------------------------------
Check out my reviews for the rest of the boxed series:
Box Set 1: Volumes 1-21
Box Set 2: Volumes 22-48
Box Set 3: Volumes 49-74
This is a review for the boxed set, and not the content of the books.
Box 1 includes a few bonus contents such as a small double sided poster, and a “Travel Guide” with details of the Bleach world.
The contents of Box 1:
Poster side 1:
Poster side 2:
“Travel Guide”:
The actual boxes are also so beautiful! 😍
Here’s a picture of all three boxed sets (the complete series) all together:
And he’s another picture of the other sides:
----------------------------------------------
Check out my reviews for the rest of the boxed series:
Box Set 1: Volumes 1-21
Box Set 2: Volumes 22-48
Box Set 3: Volumes 49-74
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews