Manga Review: Bleach GN 62

Bleach volume 62
Author: Kubo Tite
Viz Media/Shonen Jump
200 pages

Heart of Wolf: Unable to use their Bankai special abilities, the Soul Reaper captains are at a severe disadvantage against the invading Quincy army. Urahara has a plan to turn the tide of battle, but will it be enough as the Quincies continue their onslaught?!

I found the previous volume of Bleach a bit mediocre and middling, so volume 62 either caught me in a good mood or is a genuine step up in quality. It's not the best volume in the Quincy War arc so far, but it does something the manga hasn't managed to do in a while - they make the newly introduced antagonists interesting. There are a few narrative missteps in this volume, but between the science antics of Seireitei's finest, Kurosaki's return to the main stage, and Hitsugaya rocking the zanpaktou, there's enough to forgive Bleach for its recent faults.

In book 62 of Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki has finished his training and is all ready to return to Soul Society. Good news for his shinigami colleagues, as the Quincy army is quickly making mincemeat of their captains and vice captains. That is, until the combined brainpower of Urahara and Kurotsuchi fix the biggest problem facing our shinigami army: their lack of ban kai. Or have they?

Manga Review: Bleach GN 61

Bleach volume 61
Author: Tite Kubo
Viz Media/Shonen Jump
192 pages

With the true identity of his sword finally revealed, how will Ichigo take the next step forward? Will his new Zanpaku-to be enough to stop the invading Quincies? And just where does Uryu stand in all of this...?

I think I've reached the outer limits of how much mercy I can grant Tite Kubo for this series. It's a series that has run for over sixty volumes, and some of Kubo's tricks are getting tiresome to read. Of the main Weekly Shonen Jump trio of titles currently running, Bleach is easily my least favorite of the bunch, and it's because of chapters like these.

This isn't a terrible volume, since it does advance the Quincy/Soul Society war into a new stage and has a few good moments, but some mishandling of essential characters and a flood of new Quincies drag the whole book down. Not every book of Bleach is going to be a winner, but a lot of this seemed phoned in even by Kubo's own standards.

Manga Review: Bleach GN 60

Bleach volume 60
Author: Tite Kubo
Viz Media/Shonen Jump
192 pages

Everything But The Rain: As the rain falls in Karakura Town, Isshin faces off against a mysterious Black Hollow. But when a familiar face joins the fight, Isshin will need all the help he can get. Ichigo's dark past is revealed, but can he recover from the shock of finally learning the truth?! (Source: Viz Media)

It's pretty obvious from the beginning of the 'Everything But The Rain' arc that Kubo has a story he has to tell, or else Bleach as a series will never proceed properly. He's gone long enough without telling Ichigo's true origins, and so does so in the manga's sixtieth volume, which is a great milestone for a title of any genre. 

As a whole, it's a volume that answers a lot of lingering questions, including a few readers probably didn't realize they had, shedding light on Ichigo's past as well as the history of the Shinigami and the Quincy.

Manga Review: Bleach GN 59

Bleach volume 59
Author: Tite Kubo
Viz Media/Shonen Jump
192 pages

The Battle: After the defeat of the Soul Reapers by the mysterious group of warriors calling themselves the Vandenreich, Ichigo heads to the royal palace to heal his wounds. With that accomplished, it’s time to get stronger! But does Ichigo have what it takes to survive some super-intense training?! (Source: Viz Media)

I have to admit, I came into the 59th volume of Bleach with very high expectations. The previous volumes had been so good and so promising, teasing a reinvention of the world we know as well as Ichigo's own purpose as a Soul Reaper. But this volume left me wanting more. It left me somewhat disappointed. Having said that, the plot manages to advance by leaps and bounds and ends with a great twist, so it is certainly not the worst volume this manga-ka has turned out.

Manga Review: Bleach GN 58

Bleach volume 58
Author: Tite Kubo
Viz Media/Shonen Jump
207 pages

The Fire: As the Soul Society struggles against the mysterious group of warriors calling themselves the Vandenreich, Captain General Yamamoto joins the battle. With his Bankai finally revealed, Yamamoto takes down the Vandenreich’s king. But is the battle really over…?(Source: Viz Media)

Spoiler alert: Review contains spoilers for the sixty-eighth volume of Bleach and major events leading up to it. Read with caution!

This latest volume of Bleach literally came out of nowhere, but it had to happen sooner or later. It's one of those events that throw the series' respective universe into absolute chaos for the greater good, and actually succeeds at it. It's on the same level as Aizen's initial betrayal of Soul Society and major character deaths. As certain characters go head-to-head, the result of these fights rock every resident of Soul Society and beyond. This is a must-read volume of Bleach for so many reasons.

Manga Review: Bleach GN 57

Bleach volume 57
Author: Tite Kubo
Viz Media/Shonen Jump
192 pages

Out of Bloom: With Ichigo trapped in Hueco Mundo, the Soul Society comes under attack by a mysterious group of warriors calling themselves the Vandenreich. The Soul Reaper captains valiantly stand up to the invaders, but this is a battle they might not be able to win! (Source: Viz.com)

Spoiler warning: Review contains spoilers for the Quincy War story arc so far.

I have no idea why Byakuya is on the cover. I mean, I know why because he's handsome and fangirls love him and wail every time a sword gets close to his face, but I would argue that his story in this volume is heavily eclipsed by others and is not the heart of the book. No, I would give that honor to everyone's favorite old man Shinigami, Yamamoto, Commander of Soul Society and GQMFer of Seireitei. It is Yamamoto who single-handedly moves this series forward at a time when our resident hero is currently unable to perform his duties.

Manga Review: Bleach GN 56

Bleach volume 56
Author: Tite Kubo
Viz Media/Shonen Jump
192 pages

When a mysterious group of warriors calling themselves the Vandenreich attacks, Ichigo heads to Hueco Mundo to help his friend Nel. And when the Vandenreich takes the fight to the Soul Society, an all-out war between Soul Reapers and Quincies breaks out! (Source: Viz.com)

Spoiler warning: Review contains spoilers for the events of Bleach's 55th and 56th volumes.

I thought the 55th volume of Bleach was bloody. No, y'all haven't seen bloodshed like this volume - oh no, it's a straight massacre going on. People are dying in the hundreds and the only thing standing between the Quincies and the death of all Shinigami is a certain orange haired Deputy Shinigami with the impossible ban kai. In a book split between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, the bodies are falling and every Shinigami is on call to protect their home in the afterlife from extermination.

Manga Review: Bleach GN 55

Bleach volume 55
Author: Tite Kubo
Viz Media/Shonen Jump
198 pages

The peace is suddenly broken when warning sirens blare through the Soul Society. Residents there are disappearing without a trace, and nobody knows who's behind it. Meanwhile, a dark shadow is also extending itself toward Ichigo and his friends in Karakura Town . . . (Source: Viz.com)

Spoiler warning: Review contains spoilers for some events of Bleach's 55th volume.

Bleach is back in the swing of things: new arc, new antagonist, same Ichigo and friends. But this time, this may be the last battle for Kurosaki and the whole of Soul Society. A new group of dangerous warriors have descended upon the various realms of Bleach, intent on wiping out those who won't join them. 

The name of this story is the Thousand-Year Blood Arc, and as Tite Kubo sets the stage for the series finale, the body count is already steadily rising. It's the beginning of the end for this shonen superstar and it still manages to demand your full attention as ever before.

The Story So Far: Bleach (Lost Agent Arc)

Bleach volumes 49-54 (Tale of the Lost Agent)

Art/story by Tite Kubo

Published in English by Viz Manga/Shonen Jump

Spoiler warning: Post contains spoilers for the entire Lost Agent arc and events leading up to it.

The Tale of the Lost Agent is a major conflict detailing Ichigo Kurosaki seventeen months after Sōsuke Aizen's defeat, completely devoid of any spiritual power or awareness at all. Following his friend Uryū Ishida's attack, Ichigo decides to regain his lost Shinigami powers. He enlists the help of Fullbringers calling themselves Xcution. (Source: Bleach Wikia)

Tite Kubo could have easily ended Bleach with volume 48. He could have had Ichigo ride off into the Karakura sunset, having said goodbye to Rukia and in turn his abilities and the world of Soul Society and shinigami and spirits. He could have ended the series with Ichigo as a human, back in 'normal' society with his friends, forever changed by his experiences but unable to return to that place.

But, naturally, Bleach makes too much damn money for the folks behind Shonen Jump, and so once again we return to Ichigo Kurosaki's world, in which the young man is determined to see a return of his shinigami abilities as well as his abilities to see the spirit world, the ones that had previously made his adolescence a terrible experience. Plus, it wouldn't make narrative sense to leave Ichigo alone after all he's been through. Thus, in usual shonen fashion, we are treated to a time skip before joining a very human Ichigo and his new life in Karakura post-Aizen.

The Story So Far: Bleach (Karakura Town Arc)

Bleach volumes 35-48 (White Invasion/Battle of Karakura Town)

Art/story by Tite Kubo

Published in English by Viz Manga/Shonen Jump

The plot continues to show the fight between Soul Society's group of Soul Reapers against Sōsuke Aizen's army of Arrancar, with the former defending Karakura Town, and the latter planning to use Karakura to invade and destroy Soul Society. The story will continue the fight between Soul Society's Soul Reapers and Sōsuke Aizen's Arrancar army as the former defends Karakura Town from the latter's invasion, while Ichigo and his group fight the arrancars in Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime Inoue. (Source: Wikipedia)

Spoiler warning: Post contains spoilers for pretty much all volumes following the Soul Society arc. Read with caution!

Having recently finished the 50th volume of the Bleach manga with The Lost Agent story, I thought it apropos to reminisce about the latest story arc in the series, which covers the showdown between shinigami and Arrancar in Karakura Town, both fake and real. There was a lot of fighting and a lot of screaming and a lot of shiny bone masks, and in the end the good guys saved the day. Err, right?

A lot - okay, 95% - of this arc was fights. Either fights between a Soul Society shinigami and an Arrancar or between Ichigo Kurosaki and someone from Hueco Mundo, whether it be Ulquiorra or Grimmjow or Aizen Sosuke, the man who seemed to be set up as the final boss of the series. And if you get super jazzed about reading battles and seeing characters' various abilities and powers on display, than this arc was totally up your alley.

Manga Review: Naruto GN 54; Bleach GN 38; One Piece GN 60

It seems like fate (or perhaps hitsuzen) that I should get volumes of the holy trinity of Weekly Shonen Jump titles at the same time, right? So naturally, I’ll review them all in the same post!

Review warning: Post contains spoilers for Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece's latest volumes. Read on with caution!

Naruto volume 54

Author: Masashi Kishimoto

Viz Media/Shonen Jump

192 pages

Viaduct To Peace: Naruto and his team engage in an intense battle with the Akatsuki organization as both sides seek the power to determine the future of their land. Internecine fighting weakens the Akatsuki, but will their dark forces sideline Naruto?

Maybe the previous volume set my expectations too high, but this latest book was only pretty good. Considering how much is going on at this point in the story, however, ‘pretty good’ isn’t good enough. 

For a story that should be going full-steam into an oncoming ninja war, it’s being hampered by a bloated cast and too much going on at once. Kishimoto is having a hell of a time juggling all his characters and plot threads, and it shows.

Kubo Tite: Writer, Artist, Poet?

A little food for thought late Friday night, in the form of a blog post by the author of the Manga Therapy blog: Tite Kubo - The Best Poet In Manga? The Poetry Of BLEACH.

In this post, the MT blog takes a close look at the poems that introduce every volume of Bleach and how they add insight into the characters they are paired with as well as the manga-ka himself. It also contains an excerpt from an interview with Kubo Tite himself, in which he talks about his poetry writing process.

MT also makes a good point about how Kubo Tite's poetry are stories, stories of the people that populate his long-running shonen series, in ways his scripts cannot:

Clever metaphors and imagery have powerful applications. Kubo’s passion for poems shows how much he is intrigued by the psychology of humanity. Individuals are filled with stories and experiences. Stories that are meant to be told. Experiences that are meant to be shared.

I've always been a great fan of the poems KT puts into his tankoubon releases of Bleach, so it's cool to find a blogger who agrees with me: Kubo's poetry deserve more love! Feel free to share your own favorite poems of his in the comment section of either this post or the original post at Manga Therapy's blog.

P.S. I think we could also make the argument that the way he titles his volumes verges on the poetic as well. Yes or no?

Manga Review: XXXHOLiC GN 18; Full Metal Alchemist GN 26; Bleach GN 37

Review warning: Post contains spoilers for XXXHOLiC, Full Metal Alchemist, and Bleach's latest volumes. Read on with caution!

XXXHOLiC volume 18

Author: CLAMP

Del Rey/Kodansha Books

192 pages

Watanuki’s vow to the witch Yûko, who has disappeared, leaves him in charge of the shop where wishes must be granted to those who meet the price. Enter a deranged customer who is determined to capture the heart of the man she is stalking. Now Watanuki may have no choice but to deliver his friend Shizuka Dômeki into the arms of this unstable woman!

Another day, another set of supernatural dilemmas for Watanuki to handle. In this volume, it's more apparent than ever the transformation Watanuki has taken in filling Yûko's role as shop-keeper and fulfiller of wishes, in both appearance and actions - but not so far gone that you forget that it's Watanuki underneath all of the pipe smoke and elaborately designed robes. Which seems to be the focal point of most of this volume: that Watanuki is the owner of Yûko’s shop but he is still who he was before she left, albeit in a more long-lasting form. Every job he takes on in this penultimate volume highlights what kind of person he is, what kind of person he is: someone who will sacrifice himself for a stranger or a close friend, someone who knows when another person is in danger even at the cost of his own safety.

There wasn’t a lot of action in this volume compared to others once you get past the first of Watanuki’s jobs, even with the so-called ‘unstable woman’ in the book summary, but I would not call it uneventful. We even get a visit from Syaoran and the gang – although said visit won’t make much sense if you haven’t finished the Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles manga yet. Plus, we see a lot of Watanuki, especially in relation to Domeki and Kohane (and my shipper senses are tingling over all of these Domeki/Kohane tones, you can quote me on that one turning quasi-canon at least). I have to wonder where exactly this series is going to go for its last volume, considering the final page of this volume felt like a finale by itself. Will we see Yûko again? Or Himawari, who last heard from was at university? It is certainly time for this series to bow out before it gets too long for its own good.

P.S. Did Watanuki have to tailor any of the witch’s clothes to fit into them or do they have similar body shapes for those kinds of garments? These are the kind of thoughts I have about XXXHOLiC above all, apparently.

Read on after the jump for the other two reviews!