Bleach, is it still any good?

[CJ]

Bleach has been on a three week hiatus. In my opinion, this has been a happy time. I have not had to worry about a "bad" Bleach chapter coming out in that time.

What do I mean by "bad?" It's the phenomenon that's been happening ever since the end of Soul Society in Bleach. Tite Kubo creates a group of interesting characters and then tosses them aside after their arc is finished. Character development is scarce. When a reader thinks Orihime or Chad might get a moment in the spotlight, it is quickly overshadowed by another character. It seems Ichigo and the core Soul Society are truly the only characters who get any development.

But those are my opinions. How you do think Bleach could be fixed? Or do you think Bleach is fine as it is? Is what I'm spouting simply nonsense?

[Hitotsumami]

Is it a legit haitus? Is Kubo sick or something?

I don't care for Bleach as much as the other two manga, but looking forward to a new arc, and hopefully a new kind of story. Not the same old 1 v 1 fights.

[newb23]

I'm just looking forward to the day that Bleach ends. I feel like I'm forcing myself to read the chapters when they come out just so I can see how it ends. Though this three week hiatus is greatly welcomed.

[Haynes]

I have to agree with Newb on this one. Reading Bleach has become a strain, a 5 minutes waste of time just in the hope that it will end soon and I can get some closure. I was entrenched in Bleach during Soul Society, even had one of the most popular Bleach Forums on the InvisionFree network (way back when that was cool). Now I just want it to end.

[CJ]

So I think at least the group of us in this discussion would agree that it stinks.

So then what would you do to fix it? If you were given the task to create the next arc for Bleach, how would you make it enjoyable again?

[Haynes]

I'd make it the last arc, people would enjoy that.

[mainy]

i think kubo announced that its on its last ark, which im glad because bleach has done nothing but disappoint me for a while now.
what i think it needs to help get it back on track is grimmjow who is rumored from what ive read to be making an appearance in the last ark, as far as i know just a rumor though prob due to the lack of knowledge of if he truly died

[Haynes]

Eh, I think Grimmjow is done. If this is indeed the last arc then I foresee it being about teaming up and actually killing Aizen and meeting the Spirit King or w/e that one guy was that Aizen was after.

[newb23]

Or the last arc will be about killer rabbits that are stealing everyone's shoes and selling them on the black market....though you guys are probably right in someways and it'll probably have to do with Aizen. Or knowing Kubo at this point he'll just introduce a whole new set of people and not care about past characters all that much except Ichigo and Soul Society.

[Morcombe]

i dont have a source and the mangastream forums where i read all this are down but they were posting interviews from kubo, basically he's explaining about the new soul society.

u get part 1 of the interview the first week of his hiatus and so on.

he said the shinigami will have a major role, the location of the enemies will be a brand new area, he wants to draw an icy palace so it will probably be a cold place. If the espada were to return he says they'll side with the shinigami against the new enemy so there's yur grimmjow/nel return. apparently we will finally see Unohana fight and the true form of her sword will be revealed, her hair also unbraids during battle.

well thats what I remember.
The new area could be a demon realm (since kido are the demon arts I wouldn't be surprised if he introduces a demon race), or it could be hell something we've barely seen in the series.

The rumor about this being the last arc is most likely true - www.animenewsnetwork.co.uk/news/2012-02-01/tite-kubo-bleach-manga-to-enter-final-arc

but just because its the final arc doesn't mean it ahs to be one long ongoing saga like dbz's namek, it could be split into sub parts like one piece sagas are.

well Bleach returns on wednesday so not much longer till we find out.

[CJ]

I would have likely considered Bleach to be one of my favorite manga of all time, had it kept the same atmosphere and pace that the pre-Soul Society episodes had. As much as I love Kenpachi and much of the Soul Society, a manga that would have focused on Chad, Orihime, and Uryuu would have been so spectacular instead of throwing characters spontaneously out the window.

I would be extremely happy if Bleach is finally ending. Unless it somehow gets better, I'd rather it make way for newer and more appealing manga.

[Haynes]

I see another year or so and then we're done with Bleach.

[Morcombe]

yeah I agree that Bleach should end.

Started out great but has just drifted down in quality as it goes, the new arcw as really interesting with Tsukishima but then Ginjo turned out to be the bad guy after all and lets all face it who didn't see it coming? and Tsukishima who was far more interesting a sthe main villain was relegated to a lackie, what wasted potential.

SPOILER: Click to show

I loved the manga from chapter 1 up untill Ichigo defeated Grimmjow.

everything really went downhill in hueco mundo.

Hueco Mundo solidified the status of Chad and Uryu as characters who can only defeat fodder villains as they were no match for the espada at all.

The battles were extended beyond belief I honestly cant believe how long Szayel survived for, I feel Renji & Uryu should have killed him, no need for Nel's fraccion or Mayuri tae interfere. lots of wasted time imo.
Other than Szayel i enjoyed Hueco Mundof or the most part.

Karakura town is where i began to be dissapointed week after week after week.
We get all these shinigami who lets be honest have had very little screen time such as Hisae, Komamura, Omeada and the rest in battles against Barragn's fraccion who were created for the sole purpose to give these charcters fights that most of the people i know did not want to see or care about.

Aizen stood by watching these fights watching everyone fo them die, then he solo's everyone, he should have just did that in the first place.

The espada themselves were utter dissapointments. I know that Kyoraku is strong but to defeat the number 1 espada without needing your bankai is a slap in the face. the only threatining one was Barragan who wound up being killed by his own powers which imo is stupid. Harribel i dont even wanna talk about she wa sjust thrown aside. Then there's Yammy, we get this big rfeveal about him being 0 and his fight is offscreen XD

Even Tousen was a let down being killed by a vice captain and extremely quickly when you look back to how long Szayel lasted.

Then after all our waiting, all the anticipation we finally get Ichigo vs. Aizen on equal footing.......on no wait we didn't Ichigo slaughtered him with ease.

was just one boring fight featuring charcters i didn't care about one after the other and the majority of them were far too one sided.

The only Fraccion that were good wur Lilynette and Harribels 3 fraccion and thats because they got screen time and where introduced before the karakura fights, barragan's fraccion were uneeded and came out of nowhere

Ichigo vs. Ulquiorra was the only part of the karkura town arc i liked but then that ended with a cop out and againw as far too one sided

sorry about my mini rant but I really hate that arc

Edit: just saw Cj's post about how I would make Bleach better.

well first i'd take these demon arts (Kido) and expand upon them.
It's always bothered me that these are demon arts but there are no demons.

where did they come from, how did soul society learn them?
Big reveal of the demon world, introduce some sort fo demonic army hell bent on destroying soul society and invading earth.

The demons would find some way to incapacitate most of soul society leaving a much smaller group of heroes to either defend earth or invade the demon world and find the leader.

Main cast: Ichigo, Orihime, Rukia, Chad, Renji, Uryu, Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Yoruichi & Soifon.

all other ss people would be incapciated by some means.

well that be my basic story, if i was writing it it would obviously be greatly expanded upon but thats it simplified in a nutshell.

In fcat I may write this as a fanfic, been a while since I've written one

[Hitotsumami]

I'm looking forward to Bleach ending. Also, an icy place is supposed to be the location? Well, they've been on earth, and inside Soul Society. And Hueco Mundo. The only place left to go is Hell!

And I BET that it'll be another 'someone was taken and held captive, be have to go save them' kind of arcs. That is what it always is in Bleach.

[CJ]

Feb 4, 2012 23:55:59 GMT -5 Hitotsumami said:

Also, an icy place is supposed to be the location? Well, they've been on earth, and inside Soul Society. And Hueco Mundo. The only place left to go is Hell!

Actually, in some literature, Hell is supposed to be an "icey" place. That would be somewhat interesting.

And yes, someone is going to get kidnapped. My little fan girl heart would jump if it was Uryuu.