BLEACH: A Blind Review (Part 1) | Substitute Shinigami Arc

[@lochlanmerkel7144]

Took me a second to realize that you guys put "Can you feel my heart" in the video when talking about Chad. Absolutely Brilliant.

[@Awsomeguy145]

I audibly laughed out loud when I heard it

[@nevergonnagiveupuntilibeco5690]

What a Giga Chad

[@FutureMatrioshkaBrain]

Timestamp?

[@FedoraDeal]

@@FutureMatrioshkaBrain around 20:00

[@Zarathustra_infinite]

@@FutureMatrioshkaBrain aroun 39 to 40 mins in

[@ThatHollowGuy]

Just gonna say what alot of people think already, Bleach's music is GODLY. Shiro Sagisu is BASED

[@justinarzola4584]

Facts.

[@The810kid]

That and the character designs truly shine

[@agnuswulf]

I have a LOT of criticism regarding various aspects of Bleach. But its soundtrack is IMO the best in anime history. It as a wide selection of variety in style, most have a personal simbology regarding the characters they were written for, the quality is astonishing and, I kid you not, if you animated literal feces having a shitty episode with no redeming qualities whastoever, you could salvage it by playing Number One on the scene and instantly hyping everyone watching it.

[@Lilbint33]

I feel like I'm always alone in this opinion, but I find the OST pretty depressing and it's one of my least favorite aspects of the anime. A lot of the tracks to me are just very moody and solemn when I kind of expect more "hype" style of choices. I also think Ichigo's theme doesn't fit him at all. But of course, to each their own. Maybe I'm just too accustomed to One Piece tracks, lol

[@Fulldre]

@@agnuswulf its fine? no where close to best

[@Swift_Jr]

Mark is the only person that I know of (so far) that has read Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach in chronological order.

[@DekuMav]

Hey lol

[@Comicboy6758]

wwwwwww

[@noriadripchadkyoin480]

I watched Dragon Ball (DB, DBZ, DBGT), then almost simultaneously read One Piece (first 100 chpts.), then watched Naruto (right through to the end of Shippūden), then went and watched One Piece (all pre-timeskip), and just this week started Bleach. So I'm not too far off lmao (I didn't plan any of it btw, I watched tons of other anime throughout this almost 3 year period and didn't notice I had sorta followed the release date order)

[@TheHaddonfieldRegistry]

Am in my 30s, I also went DBZ, OP, Naruto, then Bleach.

[@SkylightCiel]

As a Mexican growing up I will always love Bleach for having one of the only Mexican characters in Anime. Chad will always have a special place in my heart. What a Chad!

[@jebmenace132]

They done did him dirty tho😔😢

[@Feeble_cursed_one]

@@jebmenace132 The fact that Chad exists means a lot in general though.

[@chawli2782]

@@jebmenace132 no they didnt did him dirty

[@demonpower101]

Chad is one of the most boring and one dimensional characters in anime.....just because someone belongs to your country is no grounds to like them. Talk about having no character or personality that country of birth is the criteria you choose to like someone......lil bich

[@haydenandersen9937]

@@chawli2782 Kinda felt annoyed that Chad ended up as a professional fighter, given that the entire arc of his character was learning to use his strength to help people.

[@DBZimran]

Been waiting for this! Let's goo Just finished watching the video, this was really enjoyable! Loved how you spoke about the theme songs of characters and genuinely loved hearing you excited about some of my favourite moments of the arc. Keep up the good work Mark!

[@MagiMoro]

Let's goooo

[@Wow-it7ke]

Bro Stop putting spoilers in your thumbnails

[@shazam1389]

For anyone who doesn’t know @DBZimran does a fantastic job at reviewing bleach, it’s characters and the world of bleach. I think he does awesome of job understanding the subtlety of Tite Kubo writing and messaging behind drawing. Please check him out 👍🏾👍🏾

[@YhwachTheAlmighty]

Bleach is the GOAT.

[@glory1950]

@@YhwachTheAlmighty 1. The worst of the big 3 2. Most dropped anime of all times Yeah. It IS the goat

[@angryassyrian5627]

Damn I didn't know that Toriyama himself is the reason why Shonen Jump gave Bleach a second chance, it's nice to see other famous authors helping each other out.

[@Chillchildren999]

It’s Fake

[@fantanydanwithcheese]

@@Chillchildren999 it's not fake. there are many docunentaries that explain this.

[@Hellseventeen]

Had no clue either !!

[@luffys_]

​@@Hellseventeenit is literally fake because it has no evidence and contradicts something kubo himself said , its just straight up disservice to kubo and late toriyama

[@Hellseventeen]

@@luffys_ that’s highly disappointing .

[@silenthesia4522]

A bit of advice: Read the poems at the start of every volume. They are not only well written, but also contribute to the overall story in terms of themes, characterization, etc. Had a lot of fun watching this video! I love the analysis of the characters via their theme songs. It's something I haven't seen done before, and it was a really interesting way of discussing characters. Glad you've been enjoying the series so far!

[@bobobo7730]

God, those poems were always on point with the volume titles.

[@dinogt8477]

ok

[@Karma-pq9fi]

Ngl I read those and sit there for like 3 minutes thinking about what it means and the interpretations it’s very fun. I like that Kubo knows his characters this well to have that thought about them.

[@scottvgamer1163]

I personally think that for this series, it’s best to experience both the anime AND the manga due to the advantages they have over the other. And just a heads up, you’ll probably want to watch the new anime when it comes out, because it’s supposedly going to be expanding upon the final arc A LOT with the help of Kubo’s direct influence.

[@frenchfriedbagel7035]

So we’re getting the intended version of TYBW arc? Neat.

[@xanderfulton3186]

I really hope he doesn’t skip the episode when Aizen stops the theme song

[@turtleanton6539]

Yes

[@atpr3241]

Yes. One of Bleach's strongest characteristics is its overall aesthetic and the music helps to complement that idea. The anime is perfect for setting a tone and it's aged wonderfully well compared to Naruto or One Piece

[@DeathsPit00]

I would agree with you if they hadn't ran the anime into the ground with all of the filler. Especially towards the end. The manga was close to finished, but for some reason they just couldn't bring themselves to finish the Arrancar/ Vizar stuff without throwing bs filler in every other episode. This ultimately led to the shows cancellation imo because of how bad it got. Then Shonen wouldn't give Tite Kubo the extra chapters needed to properly explain everything in the final arc, which led to the light novel, and ultimately to the new run for the anime that's coming out soon. Thank god there won't be any filler in it. Ultimately they'll have to give Bleach the DBZ Kai treatment and I am very much looking forward to that because literally all of that filler was garbage imo. Admittedly, it's been years since I've seen the anime or read the manga, let alone the light novel, so my memory of where the anime actually left off is probably in the wrong place.

[@noctis8281]

i like how Mark points out the use of white space that Kubo uses. lot of people say it's him being lazy yet it allows us to capture the intensity and how dramatic the shots are.

[@anthonyp.4734]

It takes talent to say so much with nothing

[@justacalyrex1699]

@@anthonyp.4734 Kinda like Primal, how there are very few words yet we just understand from show don't tell

[@sorkaem]

It shows that he's great at character design and action but not so in terms of world building.

[@oreoicecream1829]

@@sorkaem he is fine in world building i think he lacks in stamina

[@jamaaldagreatest2748]

@@sorkaem do you know what world building is??? bc the term doesn’t apply well in the context you used it

[@RikuHino]

I feel like a good portion of why I love bleach is the style, vibe, music, and how Ichigo was different from the other anime protags I had seen.

[@jeyrm]

Ichigo being diferent was something fresh in an era with mostly lovable goofballs as mcs So definitly got points with me for that

[@alvar4547]

you´re right, ichigo is different, he is boring.

[@o0ugi860]

he was different but as the show went on and he stayed the same he got boring fast

[@alvar4547]

@@o0ugi860 yeah, it´s a shame.

[@generalyousif3640]

@@o0ugi860 I always liked ichigo but he wasn’t even the reason I loved bleach Spoilers It was the 13 captains, Kisule and Yoriouchi

[@JimFaindel]

Bleach is the show that made me fall in love with anime, and I carry the lessons it taught my teenage self with me even now. I am quite excited by the new adaptation, and real glad you decided to give it another chance in time to catch up with its return. Hope you're ready to see some action!

[@IAmJustGarbage]

Hearing that Akira Toriyama actually had a word in the production of Bleach actually makes me want to cry. Seriously one of the best series I have had the privilege to read, and I want everyone to know just how good it really is

[@Alex-dh2cx]

It's a nice story but it's overblown from what I read. Toriyama sent kubo a letter of encouragement when he first got rejected, he didn't intervene in it's publication

[@magacofi]

I can't stress how cool it was for Kubo to include songs for the characters. I absolutely adore Ishida's, Rukia's and Byakuya's themes. I don't vibe much with Ichigo's, but there's no denying it's perfect for him.

[@varsoonhks3211]

Go listen to the BLEACH Beat Collections where the Japanese VA actually perform music that fits their characters, it's great stuff!

[@solidskullz5736]

Finally the last of the holy 2000s anime trilogy. I wasn’t into it as a kid like I was naruto and dragon ball but I read it in high school and thought it was awesome

[@dionysius3738]

I wanna see him do katekyo hitman reborn

[@smashmaster521]

That's how I first experienced it, but I never followed up on it afterwards because I know how much the quality ends up dropping later on.

[@Supermariorpg6]

What about Hitman Reborn?

[@ASN_JAY]

@@Supermariorpg6 that and FMA still need to get reviewed

[@dinogt8477]

yes

[@isaacmontes8289]

The minute he said “Ichigo’s mom might be spiritually sensitive” I just thought oh he has no idea what’s to come when it comes to Ichigo’s family tree.”

[@darkousdragon1166]

He's everything and everyone

[@SerunaXI]

@@darkousdragon1166 Anything and All things.

[@michielkudova3887]

The only thing he isn’t is an arrancar…and even then.

[@ShadowFlame_Phoenix]

I have a feeling he is going to HATE Ichigo's family tree... And arguably justifiably so...

[@michielkudova3887]

@@ShadowFlame_Phoenix I don’t know personally. I think He’ll be fine with it when he realizes why it is the way it is

[@Slug_ssbm]

Watching all of these reviews from Mark has taught me to never judge a Manga by its Anime adaptation.

[@jacoblim3804]

And that if an Anime adaptation is great, than the Manga is just as good or better .

[@Slug_ssbm]

@@jacoblim3804 except for Demon Slayer.

[@truthcrusader360]

@@jacoblim3804 Bleach TYBW being the exception

[@midnighttheumbreon]

Yep and the anime is also fantastic and the manga is even better except maybe the tube but we'll have to compare the two when the anime is finished

[@SineWav0101]

I don't often say this but I admire how perceptive and articulate you are in your analyses. Keep up the great work, can't wait to see your next chapter reviews.

[@NaramSinofAkkad790]

This arc was so surprising because no one in the bleach fandom talks about it. All discussions of bleach center around the soul society arc and beyond so to get these first 70 chapters where it's just a episodic slice of life style story was really fun. The dynamic between rukia and Ichigo is one of the best in shonen.

[@FCRaiders21]

I just gotta give a huge shout out to the editor that one scene where he was talking about the goku standing on nappa's head only for you to switch it to Gintama's parody of it was perfection

[@kasairb8563]

Big Gintama fan, I thought of that scene straight away when he showed the DBZ panel and than the editor showed it lol

[@michielkudova3887]

I was wondering what anime that was. Thank you for telling me

[@oopajf61]

While I stand with Mark in the "manga over anime" side, I think the anime's music is SO good, that reading it while playing some of the more iconic OST's in the background is a good compromise. The music in Bleach might be my favourite soundtrack of any media I've consumed (as a whole, there are obviously individual pieces that I like more from other mediums).

[@BossBoos697]

Out of the big 3, Naruto Shippuden has my favourite OSTs for sad music and fighting music. However, Bleach competes with it when it comes to Battle music... Especially the ones that they use in the Arrancar Arc. Man I miss Bleach and I can't wait for the Thousand Year Blood Arc.

[@layzy24]

Best song on their is chatmonchy Dai dai. Also kenpachi for the ultimate win. Love this guy.

[@Rhekon]

The ost for bleach is one of the best of all time in anime if not the greatest. This hill I'm dying on is well populated.

[@CastleAE7]

@@BossBoos697 I agree with you as well. Naruto has the best OST's and Bleach is debatingly for me a tie or a really close 2nd. I want to give Bleach the no 1 spot on OST's but Naruto's is more versatile. BUT...! IMO, Bleach by far has the best openings and endings in all of anime. Op 6 as well 7 and ending's 14, 19, 1, 7 are S tier for me. wbu? Any favroite openings or endings from Bleach?

[@turtleanton6539]

Yes

[@pannomic1818]

51:55 How Tite Kubo managed to divert the focus of fans' suspicions with only this talisman is INSANE WRITING.

[@gerardholm1803]

When you said “relief”, I felt the same way. Not because I would have reacted poorly otherwise, but because, frankly, I was expecting more of a “rough start” opinion out of you. But I’m glad you enjoyed the first arc. Heck, you enjoyed it more than I did. Looking forward to the rest.

[@shootout-shinobi6672]

As someone who’s indifferent to the series but has seen it all I’m also interested to see what he thinks. That being said if I were guess where he were to get more critical of it I’d wager it’d probably be somewhere into or after the Mexican hell arc. (I forget how the place is spelled and I’m not looking it up)

[@DarkEdge1231]

@@shootout-shinobi6672 Hueco Mundo is the name. We'll see. He was oddly positive in parts of Naruto (minus the first chapters, the beginning of the war arc, and the whole Kaguya twist he was super positive from start to finish) I thought he was going to tough on and he really likes DB and DBZ (although he is fairly critical of the good parts). Not saying DB is bad but his standards can be unpredictable.

[@vaultstar168]

@@DarkEdge1231 He's all about narrative and artistic merit. He says why he likes those shows all the time.

[@Manganization]

@@DarkEdge1231 Despite what people think, Dragonball is a good series. There's really only one arguably problematic manga arc (Buu Saga), and I like to separate DBSuper from the rest of the series because its writing style is clearly different in its approach. I'd sometimes argue that DBSuper only issue is that it takes the worst aspects of the Buu Saga and does this every single time.

[@historicflame972]

This ^

[@SABNISTANMAY]

A truly good review Mark. Since you talked a lot about the theme songs, I would like to mention how the small poems at the beginning of every volume also play a role in showing the thoughts and sometimes even the character arcs of the character on the cover whom the poem is dedicated to. Also the rough doodles at the end of every volume sometimes summerizes the content of the chapter in the best way possible or is a SOL side story which covers the entire volume. It's not as long as the stories on the cover pages of One Piece volumes but I guess sometimes less is more.

[@MademoiselleRed1390]

I second this, the poems are as important as the songs and maybe even more.

[@mikefisher4051]

Yeah, without arguing over quality of the matter one way or the other, Kubo made use of every chance he had to inject purpose to the parts of a volume that aren't the main story pages, whether it's the character bio's with theme songs to help flesh out the feeling he has of a character, or the poems at the start of a new volume, which tend to say to me "this character has an important point of view for this chunk of the story that contextualizes everything"

[@ikariiprince]

Usually he uses it wisely but later in the series it becomes excessive

[@isaaccifer8308]

Like some of the other commenters said, I think a lot of bleach's fan's issues stem from feeling the need to defend their favorite series. There is nothing worse than hearing somebody say something to the effect of "X person told me it was bad so I won't even give it a chance" especially when the person who reviewed the series either spread misinformation, or simply didn't understand the series. People unironically call Kubo a lazy artist for those panels without backgrounds that were praised in this video. I have nothing against someone who dislikes Bleach, but I do have something against people who say things like "Bleach was never part of the big three" or "you should just skip Bleach, it's not even worth your time." Especially when they are somebody who has never read or watched it. Much of the criticism that Bleach fans like myself have seen seems to come off as bullying somebody for liking something different. A few years ago if I went online to just about any social space (Twitter especially) and posted about how much I enjoyed bleach, both I and the series would have been subjected to belittlement in the comments. Even today it would be referred to as "mid" or "chlorox" (though that is just how much of anime discourse is now, as though people are unable to enjoy more than one series.) Does that excuse the actions of the fans these days? Not really. I will say that lately I do see a lot of Bleach fans upset about people who previously disliked bleach, but are hyped up for the return of the anime. I'd like to say to these people that while it might seem disingenuous, it is also entirely possible their opinion has changed over time, and all that you are doing is gatekeeping the series, possibly dissuading people from checking the series out as much as the people who say that people should never give bleach a chance. Bleach should be shared. It is not ok for people to go around gatekeeping this series because it is popular again, same as it is not ok for someone to tell people not to form their own opinion of it just because they didn't end up enjoying it. Sorry for the rant. I like your point of pushing to not attack people for disliking the series, and I am very glad you have enjoyed the manga so far

[@jennshine8777]

Thank youuuu, I was always sad in highschool with everyone praising naruto without mentioning bleach. You summed up how I felt so much.

[@zeroxenoverse9251]

Not to mention even if they did, they would either not pay attention, nitpick, or make flaws up.

[@stormrave5371]

This. This right here.

[@vrinkee]

This is similar to how I feel. Out of all the big 3, I feel like I see people attacking Bleach the most. To be fair, I don't frequent the online circles where the other two are discussed because I never became a fan of them, so maybe there are Bleach fans there bashing them as well. I don't know. All I do know though is that it's unfair to bash not just a show but the fans of a show when you haven't given it a shot. I can't remember how far I got into Naruto, but it was atleast a good 50 episodes, and it didn't click for me. I've never tried watching One Piece simply because I don't like the art style. I don't go around claiming that they have bad storytelling or that their fans have horrible taste or are boring and stupid. Just as there are different types of stories, there are different types of people. Some media is meant for other people. I saw a lot of criticism regarding Ichigo's personality, that he's boring. Honestly, his "simple," or rather non-ambitious personality is what makes me like him. He simply wants to be strong to protect others, starting first and formost with those close to him. There are people like that in real life, myself included. I have no great ambitions other than to try and help other people in great need. That'a why I'm a nursing student despite all my family members being against it for it being a difficult job. Am I some saint though? No. Neither is Ichigo. We can be hotheaded and brash, stubborn, and not always open and warm to those around us. But we still care. People like this have a place in this world, a purpose just as important as any other. This is part of why Bleach is so good. It may not appeal to everyone, but it is a special story to so many others.

[@Quickpatch12]

Funny that you mention how the art reminds you of Akira Toriyama, as Kubo sent some of his art to Akira after a teacher or friend told him to, and he got a reply back from Akira, saying that his art is great and that Kubo should continue to improve

[@Chillchildren999]

That’s a Myth it’s been debunked

[@dawickedj]

Bleach is absolutely my second favorite anime behind dragon Ball so the fact that you're covering it makes me really happy.

[@solidskullz5736]

I need to reread it. It’s been so long since I’ve experienced it

[@obinator9065]

You're a funny one.

[@jaxonn3744]

you need to watch some more stuff brother

[@OND30]

@@jaxonn3744 let him be

[@Patric_Miny]

Bro’s me fr

[@danielmason4014]

Totally Not Mark is hands down the best anime review channel on this platform that I've ever seen. The dude is incredibly perceptive and I love how easily and accurately he seems to pick up on author intent and thematic messages. Take 50:16 for example, when he comments on the potential meaning behind Ichigo's hollow mask appearing while in soul reaper form. As a long-time bleach reader and someone who has invested a lot of time analyzing the story myself I can say that he is headed strongly in the right direction and its impressive that he's picked all of that up from what is presumably a first take.

[@rhysgarland9295]

As much as I love Naruto and One Piece, Bleach has always been my favourite of the three. So glad you're covering this Mark.

[@rajsaha7885]

One piece and naruto is still better

[@hydraa9934]

@@rajsaha7885 dude you’re just wrong sorry bud

[@raiden5604]

@@rajsaha7885 everyone has their opinions, stop trying to enforce yours by being disrespectful to other series

[@giornofloch5235]

@@rajsaha7885 i would've agreed if u said one piece is better but naruto 💀💀💀

[@TheChimpPit]

@@rajsaha7885 Keep in mind that's just Rhys' opinion, not yours. How about we all agree they are all good, rather than comparing them needlessly all the time? They're all vastly different stories.

[@HarokuSion]

Mark: Ichigo definietly gives me chosen one energy Bleach fandom: oh you sweet summer child

[@KingofSquat]

It’s all part of the plan.

[@HarokuSion]

@@KingofSquat but who's plan is it really? *cue dramatic music*

[@samt3412]

​@HarokuSion legend has it that Kubo had no plan for Bleach's plot, until he created Sosuke Aizen. Aizen told him the plot of Bleach, and that's how we get the beautiful series we see today.

[@teethcoat4274]

I mean, ichigo is kind of a chosen one, or at least he was lucky enough to be born from a mix of traits which make him the most powerful character in the series

[@xavierthomas5835]

​@teethcoat4274 He's certainly VERY powerful. At the very end, hes one of the most powerful. I don't quite know if he's THE most powerful.

[@kingtdc8791]

As a Bleach fan I never realize the suggestions of music for each of the characters in I was blown and it was amazing thank you

[@crazyscarecrow8136]

Isshin Kurosaki (Ichigo’s dad) is actually one of my favorite characters, and the Grand Fisher incident shows exactly why. He acts like a goofball the whole series, but that’s his way of managing life as a single father. He’s immature and doesn’t know how to raise the kids without their mother, so he acts the fool as his way of being stoic for them.

[@sarafontanini7051]

makes it all th better that he's the one who ultimately kills the bastard.

[@dirgeofdementia]

I’m not so sure… we only ever see Isshin as a goofball. He is for the entirety of the series with the exception of the moments when he talks about Masaki. He is even portrayed primarily as a goofball in the events preceding the series as well as in the final chapters of the series as he tries to get Ichigo the help he is going to need. I believe Isshin is just a lighthearted character and there is no other reason other than that is who he is.

[@michielkudova3887]

Everyone here in the comments knows that the goofball thing is a complete and utter façade. He only plays the fool to hide his identity, from both his children, and the rest of the gotei 13.

[@Hagosha]

AAAAAAAA yessss I'm so glad you've liked it so far! I sincerely felt that the manga was way better than the Anime. The anime made a large number of changes to characterization of many characters, taking out important scenes and adding superfluous characters that only took away from Kubo's work. I'm grateful that you're willing to give it a second chance and feel relieved, like your friends, that you are loving your time with this series I love so, so much. I apologize for the vitriol you received from folks in the fandom and hope it doesn't harm your enjoyment of the series. Looking forward to more!!

[@TheVegeta67]

I remember one of my mutuals on twitter planned on doing a full comparison because the anime has a very different script from the manga. but, they gave up because the first two episodes alone filled out five pages on her google docs.

[@Hagosha]

@@TheVegeta67 yeah the amount of changes even early on were pretty obscene

[@fightingdreamer8681]

As someone who loves all of the Big 3: I'm very fascinated by this 'dark horse' aspect that is attached to Bleach. It's popular yet underrated, a main stay yet often neglected but above all else the Bleach fans are super dedicated and thus we got blessed with the upcoming animated Thousand Year Blood War arc. And the fact that Kubo is involved makes it a thousand times better. Welcome back Bleach, my beloved. 🍓

[@Zeikier]

I really like the way Kubo presents his cast. Mostly how immaculate his sense of style is for their casual clothes. Also, each character getting their own theme reminds me of things I used to take part in: Original Character Tournaments. They were silly comic tournaments where we'd make reference sheets of our characters (including theme songs if we wanted), an introduction comic, and then duke it out with other artists's characters throughout a plot outline the organizers would give us.

[@nocredentials20]

I love that you went into the theme songs listed in the character bios. I loved those additions in the manga tooo :D

[@thompsonharper4861]

The touch of having Number One playing in the background just loud enough to hear under the ichigo Renji byakuya moment filled me with so my hype.

[@OmarManta]

Bleach is actually one of the very first anime I've ever seen and it got me into anime in the first place. It was also the very first manga I read. So excited to see your reviews on the rest of Bleach👍🏼

[@MinatotheGreenLantern]

Same

[@valentines7639]

I want to bring up an issue with the conversation surrounding bleach. For context, I'm 21 and first got into bleach when I was about 13 or 14. I knew about it before hand but didn't like it because of the different tone it had from what I was used to in DBZ kai. However after I got over that and gave the series a more fair viewing, I fell in love with it. After many years the bleach anime was put on a standstill. Time and time again I would see online conversation about bleach at first talking about how the most recent arc killed the anime because it was boring. Then over time that conversation turned into bleach as a series is horrible. People going so far as to wish that the anime never came back because it was so bad. These views became very popular atleast online to where when I ever mentioned bleach I would get chastised for having horrific taste and my opinion is wrong. Fast forward to today, the continuation of bleach is announced and online opinion is flipped seemingly overnight. After dealing with this level of intolerance from so many people, I can easily see how as soon as popular opinion changed, people felt vindicated but also vengeful. Taking out anger and intolerance on people who even have something slightly negative to say about bleach. I'm not saying it's right but it is understandable. This whole situation has really brought out how toxic and flippant fans of bleach can be. I compare the situation to fairy tale, even though the community right now is not as toxic, the same sort of attitude is being launched at fans of the show for being said fans. I think berating people for their taste is dumb and we should take a look and not insult a person for liking a product but to make sure the problem is with the work of art not the fan.

[@DSoulA3]

For the last bit, personally, I feel thats with persona as well as My Hero Academia. Persona fans are known to be obnoxious which turns people off from checking out the game series. MHA fans either have shipping wars or define the series with one character they like and feel the series was good when that character was relavent. These two fan bases make it hard for people who never checked them out feel annoyed with the series by the time they do and thats what puts people off. Not knowing what they are missing taking if they don't take the fans into account. With bleach, this literal split among the fandom, even with the people who like it, leaves people who never seen it confused and fatigued on weather people actually like it or hate it. For me, as I said in my comment, I appreciate everything the series has done for me and I'm glad the final arc is finally getting animated, but I know its flaws.

[@nunothedude]

Old + didnt ask

[@valentines7639]

@@nunothedude child + low iq + wasn't for you

[@mjm3091]

@@nunothedude yeah you got ratioed. Please leave instead.

[@nunothedude]

@@mjm3091 plz be original

[@meanbeanmachine]

Damn, I forgot how much promise early Bleach had. I remember being 13 years old and reading the Shonen Jump chapters with my friend. We thought Ichigo's huge sword was the coolest thing ever. We also had a 'who is best girl?' argument between Orihime and Tatsuki. (Rukia wasn't even in the running)

[@breakfield1944]

It's so nice to hear Mark say he enjoys the use of whitespace and blank backgrounds. Soo many people just chalk it up to laziness or lack of skill instead of Kubo using an effective tool to highlight big moments

[@lolhuman25]

I think it's important to point out that when it comes to character theme songs, Ichigo's song's genre is Punk which is a genre that promotes sticking it to the man and going against the status quo, which is something that perfectly describes his character.

[@quibble9003]

thats only true up to SS arc. after that ichigo stands with the gotei, literal gatekeepers of the status quo. villains like aizen or ginjou had legit concerns abt the gotei and seireitei yet ichigo helped quell them down. his core motivation is always more about protecting his loved ones than changing any status quo.

[@GehrmansWheelchair]

Yessir, but at the same time it’s somewhat popular punk, and a punk song that most people could hear and still enjoy due to the melody (which is pretty rare for most punk tracks aside from mid 2000’s radio “punk”). It’s actually a perfect song for him, if he would have had an obscure Sex Pistols track from decades ago or something like that, it would have been far less fitting. Ichigo is an Enigma, because he isn’t an outcast in the traditional Shonen way but he still does his own thing and doesn’t care what most people think... all while remaining pretty likeable. The track is perfect in my opinion.

[@vaultstar168]

@@quibble9003 The status quo of SS is constantly being uprooted by Ichigo throughout the series. It's not as simple as you're making it, especially with Aizen and Ginjo. They're still murderous villains, as you can say the Gotei was during the first Quincy war. That is the point.

[@quibble9003]

@@alexsattar4623 ichigo was never employed by the gotei, yama's words are not "rules" to him. also ichigo was never excited about using "hollow powers" himself, he rejected it for so long. technically, ichigo cant even choose not to use "hollow power" as revealed in tybw that all of zangetsu's power is "hollow power". ichigo learning hollowfication has always been written as ichigo learning what he really is and accepting his existence rather than some "rule breaking" stunt. the reiatsu sword was yama's order actually. and pretty sure byakuya renji and the others marched on hueco mundo under yama's order too. i mean even unohana went to hueco mundo, didnt she?

[@quibble9003]

@@vaultstar168 its not so simple? then what part of helping the gotei put down aizen and ginjou is challenging status quo?

[@Stoopzplayz]

Mark this is the second time I started a series and you were right behind me making a video starting the series I’m watching. First One Piece and now Bleach. Such a coincidence. I like it though, these videos help me remember and understand the arcs a lot more!

[@btowns5]

I think as this series goes along you’re going to fall in love with the artwork and paneling. I think Kubos evolution as an artist is the best out of the big 3 and I can’t wait to see what you think of it.

[@SirMalorak]

I never read the Manga, these title cards for the characters are GENIUS! I LOVE the music chosen for them, I would've analyzed it exactly as you have as a huge music nerd. Man I friggin' love Manga and Anime. What a cool ass world we live in where people like Kubo, Oda, and the like get to share their vision with the world.

[@RhysClark97]

I always related to Ichigo so much more than Luffy or Naruto for the simple fact that...he didn't grow up having any enormous aspirational goal, some grand plan for the future, he was just a kid being forced to grow up faster faster than the average kid due to his mother's death and it turned him into a responsible yet emotionally stunted person, he looked after everyone in his life as best he could not matter how much it messed up his life. He took the brunt of his shitty dad's aggression to protect his sister's, and he wasn't a dumbass...like holy shit he wasn't a stupid idiot...I know that sounds like a low bar but I really have trouble relating to Luffy or Naruto when every scene they're in that isn't a fight they act like idiots.

[@RhysClark97]

SPOILERS: Inversely, Orihime deals with her loss by becoming more childlike and a beacon of positivity, often using escapism to deal with her trauma. I think its why over time the two become love interests, they are a perfect fit, they are exactly what the other needs in a person and it is shown again and again in how they motivate each other just in how they act and change to become more like each other throughout bleach, geniunely some nuanced and misunderstood growth from the both of them that i think is often ignored.

[@Cathart1c]

Well, you are a bit wrong about Naruto. He was acting like idiot right in the beginning and also while starting learning his chakra nature (Kakashi even commented on how braindead he was acting). Besides these occasions he was acting either normally or... wise, I'd dare to say.

[@RhysClark97]

@@Cathart1c at the end of a series, naruto, upon being granted power and becoming hokage...lets at least 3 known terrorists and mass murdurers go free, including the man who murdered the 3rd hokage, but sure, whatever you say.

[@freedomprice9173]

@@RhysClark97 you are forgetting the fact the 3rd hokage himself asked for orochimaru's pardon and even with that Naruto still under surveillance 24/7 and kabuto was hit with izanami and if you know what izanami jutsu is you would know that it's enough punishment for him and with sasuke last time that I checked he saved the world so that's that

[@RhysClark97]

@@freedomprice9173 im not here to argue with delusional naruto defenders my guy.

[@Hc2p3n4t4rp]

"Minimalistic" ... cant wait for mark to react to his color spreads Also, on Ichigo and Rukia first encounter, seeing a spirit, isnt common but not strange for shinigamis, touching them is a bit higher on the list, but even then, seeing a shinigami, is an entirely different league, people who can see spirits, dont nesesarily are able to see shinigami, and going a step further, touching them is a higher step still, yes, Ichigo was THAT high on the chopping bord already Do Not Dismiss those comments like many did before, it bears repeating, and it WILL be repeated, many times over

[@B_bang22]

I thought they made that pretty clear early on but I surprisingly see people mess this up

[@evinblacksmith1294]

Why are there SO many "commas" in your comment. Lol it's so petty and stupid to point out I know, but lord I couldn't help but notice 😂

[@Hc2p3n4t4rp]

@@evinblacksmith1294 It's called Orthography Don't know about you, but I take mine very seriously

[@Set451]

@@Hc2p3n4t4rp not serious enough for a period

[@Hc2p3n4t4rp]

@@Set451 we dont see eye to eye anymore

[@exotikwaffle4440]

Just a little thing about the pronounciation of "Tite": It's actually just pronounced "tight" and not "teetay". In romaji, his name is written as " taito", so I guess in the translated volumes he or viz decided to write it as "tite" so english speakers pronounce it right. Glad you're enjoying Bleach, looking forward to hearing your opinion on future arcs!

[@MontySlython]

Lmao, and now people are so into japanese culture when they watch or read anime and manga that it's being mispronounced, that's pretty damn ironic.

[@LordEyepatch]

I’m so happy to see your reviewing it, whether you like or hate it I will find it to be a great watch to hear your overall opinion of this series.

[@lancegustafson4190]

Screw the gatekeepers man all I ask is that you are honest and genuine like always. If you aren't really feeling something I want to hear it, but likewise if you really end up loving this story, this cast, please by all means do not hold back.

[@ThisDude234]

Amen

[@sirius_raspberry]

I'm really glad to see more validation on how different the experience of watching an anime or reading its manga can be. Funnily enough, Bleach was actually the series that radicalized me on preferring manga over anime for the longest time. Something that really stood out to me when I read Bleach's manga and watched the anime was the fact that there were little differences in small moments that really added up. The scene where Orihime and Tatsuki are talking really stands out to me in this regard. Tatsuki's reaction to Orihime describing the situation with almost being run over went from "Orihime, that was your chance to make a move!" to "What? No way he did that!" and not showing us the absurd daydream that Orihime has at the end stood out to me. It felt like a small, but noticeable amount of character was being lost between the versions that felt like it added up as I watched the anime version.

[@Manganization]

The first episode in Bleach was particularly egregious. The tiny changes in events with ichigo's sisters changed things significantly. There was also a lot of focus brought to Ichigo's and Rukia's relationship more than the manga did.

[@nephjd88]

What's interesting is that I do prefer anime, as I love seeing things in motion and have a harder time visualizing movement between the panels of a manga. But I will also admit that a lot of anime adaptations, especially of long running manga where the anime is only behind by a little bit, miss the mark. Every once in a while you'll get that standout episode where everything is amazing. But most of the time you'll get middling ones where things go along at a glacial pace where you know the team is stretching it out as much as they can so they don't accidently catch up with the manga, and the animation is subpar at best, and fill it with inconsequential and boring filler. And also, as you pointed out, some minor things get changed when translating to anime that kind of change things enough to be noticeable. In the end, I usually end up reading the manga and enjoying it more than the anime because of those reasons.

[@zukikookie]

Bleach is an amazing series. It was one of my biggest inspirations growing up. I'm so glad that it's coming back, but I also really dislike a majority of the Bleach community. Instead of being happy for it's return and rise in popularity again there's so much gate keeping. I'm glad you decided to give it another shot! It really is an amazing ride through and through!

[@gyuki__16]

Im going to be honest at the beginning of the summer when i started watching Bleach, i was a bit underwhelmed by this arc but as i continued watching and hoped it would get better, considering its part of the big 3, i got more and more interested watching the story unfold to the point where i can say its one of my favorite anime series

[@tobbakken2911]

This arc is better when you have read/watched the Soul Society and the Arrancar sags. It is better when you look back and rewatch. It is not the best in first read/watch.

[@WeyardWiz]

I even see urahara as your pfp now lol

[@NinthShinigami]

Bleach is my all time favorite manga/anime. Seeing Mark make his way through some of my other favorites such as Berserk, Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Naruto have been awesome, but now, I’m absolutely stoked he’s reading Bleach. I hope that by the end he at least likes it and can appreciate all the details that make this series truly special for me and a lot of other people.

[@KingK1421]

L

[@obinator9065]

*has been

[@sharebear421]

@@KingK1421 nah even as a one piece stan bleach is amazing and easily 2nd best of the big three

[@IveBeenChris]

@@sharebear421 I’m with you

[@IveBeenChris]

I’m a OP and BLEACH stan to the core. I can not wait to see more from the Hell Arc. I know Kubo is working on it behind the scene. Can not wait!! Hopefully a new chapter is plan for release soon.

[@HolySilverStrike]

So can I just say I am completely blown away by this show? This is my first time watching and I am just amazed!

[@YCookieYMe]

You know after years of people saying bleach is bad until now that its coming back and seeing people finally give it a chance is for sure a big mixed bag of emotions

[@out_of_orbit1968]

yeah bunch of hypocrites and bandwagoners....but yah imma still watch the video cuz bleach is goated

[@YCookieYMe]

@@out_of_orbit1968 if its bleach you know ill watch it

[@trexzyY]

For me it's not, I just didn't like it idk why I'm forcing my self to watch through bleach because I want to be there for the first tybw episode but the first 15 episodes are 4.5/10 for me and after that the soul society arc has it's some good parts but I still don't like it (I'm at ep 53, I'm skipping the filler too) My favourite moments are Kisuke's training arc episodes and the fight between Ichigo and Kenny. I think that bleach has aged poorly atleast for me, the side characters aren't interesting and mostly cliche' (chad, orihime, uryu, ichigo's whole family). And I don't like the "chosen one" cliche' that Ichigo has although Naruto and Luffy kinda have that, they were handled better imo. I haven't finished naruto I started it 3 days ago but I get more enjoyment watching Naruto than, Bleach. For me it's 1# One Piece, 2# Naruto, #3 Bleach.. for now

[@YCookieYMe]

@@trexzyY ya your giving it a chance thats what counts and I won't lie bleach anime adaptation is probably one of the worst anime adaptation of a manga I've ever seen. If you ever get tired of the anime try the manga the anime has a rough start but it gets much better and I also hope you enjoy 1000 year, for me bleach is number 1 but everybody is entitled to have an opinion

[@bigmeme6409]

the bleach fanbase can definitely seem toxic when lookinig in from the outside but most of that is due to being bombarded with insults, misinformation and baseless takes for years. a lot of us are really open criticism if they are presented respecfully and with a cohesive argument kind of like this video

[@viderevero1338]

Yeah. I used to hang around Bleach fandom back when it was ending, and the fanbase overall is pretty “Aggressive” at times in their approach. Which I do get, I’m a Bleach fan and Bleach is sort of like the forgotten red headed cousin of the Shonen community.

[@gooysda]

Bleach has been a gigantic shit magnet ever since I got into it in 2005. People were saying it sucks online even during the peak of the SS arc. I admit Bleach has it's flaws, major ones, but even I've gotten annoyed at the constant hate and bad takes thrown at the series for well over a decade. When you like something and genuinely think its great or underrated, it's hard not to get upset once in a while over bad takes and insults on forums and social media. To outsiders that occasional annoyance on your part can look like a toxic fandom throwing shots at anyone who dare insult The Thing They Like

[@luminous3558]

Bleach definitely got the most hate out of the Big 3. One piece generally gets regarded as really good. Naruto was a huge gateway for many and has that nostalgia bonus. Bleach was kinda a thing you watched after getting into anime through other shows. And yeah kubo is much more of an illustrator that wants to draw cool stuff happen than write some big meaningful story so if someone wants to tear bleach apart its quite a bit easier than one piece or naruto.

[@mjm3091]

@@luminous3558 which is ironic considering Kishimoto is the worst writer out of the three. As other two actually try to improve themselves overtime.

[@mjm3091]

I think the toxicity is in all fandoms (not even just anime/manga ones - I mean look at music industry). Especially when the series are becoming big - it brings bad emotions in the fandom and outside it. That's why when Bleach went on break - that was a good decision. It took the spotlight away from it. The haters moved on to other series and fans could still enjoy it through novels. And Kubo had opportunity to get his health back. I mean MHA didn't have toxic fandom until the anime started popping off and it is nowadays ridiculed for the toxicity. Same thing happened to Black Clover, Dragon Ball, One Punch Man, Demon Slayer, AoT and many more. Same thing happened with Fairy Tail, just a few months break and renaming of the series to a sequel series took away extreme amounts of toxic people who just dropped it. It left Mashima less affected by the hatred (he literally was shocked people wantes to have a sequel, because he was bullied off Twitter more than once before), but also gave him freedom of just making the story as he wants - cause he already did the finale and didn't have pressure of giving satisfying end anymore.

[@driton.goleshi]

You're saving me a lot of time with your reviews as I wanted to rewatch them, but watching your reviews makes me relive most of the story. I love that you highlight the positives and negatives of the story and how it's presented. Keep up the great work

[@Blade12113]

A lot of the vitriol comes from a place of being constantly shit on and laughed at for years for loving the series even with it's flaws. It's caused a huge portion of the fanbase to become incredibly defensive about the series. It hasn't been helped recently by the announcement and a there's suddenly these people who've shitting on it for years suddenly hyped for it's return. Drama and stuff aside... I hope you enjoy your journey through this series I've loved and adored since I was 10 sneaking into the living room to watch it on adult swim when I couldn't sleep after my grandfather died. Enjoy the series, love what you love and hate about it what you hate but I hope you enjoy your journey to the end whatever you may think!

[@amwoodco3049]

I have to ask, though: does the dengration suffered excuse it when it is passed on? notMark's comment is along the lines of 'the kindness you give today is the kindness you receive tomorrow' or, more completely, 'you reap what you sow'. It's one of the reasons I keep my online interactions limited: there's too much vitriol, and I don't need to add to it. That topic aside, I remember reading this in the monthly Shonen Jump magazines printed for North America and enjoying Bleach's early chapters. I think I read from chapter 1 up to some way into the Soul Society invasion. I enjoyed Bleach more than most stories for the more serious themes yet still light hearted moments. Then I leant my collection to my school teacher mother and her class and a third of it "grew legs". I lost my whole Fullmetal collection (12 volumes) that way.

[@MegaAlexc123]

@@amwoodco3049 That's gotta suck, I would hate that so much. The reason why I don't lend my books to anyone lol.

[@ronine9231]

Demous the Abyss, You hit the nail on the head with the core issue, Bleach was made into a punching bag by the anime/manga community for one shallow or subjective reason or another and its fans were essentially bullied and belittled for liking it. I grew up with Dragon Ball and Naruto and thanks to them found One Piece and Bleach. I enjoyed them all for different reasons but hardly like one more than the other. I also grew up during a time where liking anime in general was enough to be a target of bullying. So it was really sad that when I said that I enjoyed Bleach, I'd get sh!t not just from the usual crowd but fellow anime fans. Made worse when some of them hadn't even read or watched the series and decided it was bad because their favourite content creator said that it was bad because of X reason or Y examples. The two biggest arguments I kept hearing from my friends was "The main Character has no clear defined goal that drives the story" & "Kuno was lazy because there are panels with no background". Which for anyone who.pays attention to the story knows is not true at all. I am not defending the vitriol elements of the fan base, in the end they are doing more harm than good for the series and only contribute to turning people off Bleach. But I can also see how they were beaten down to a point of becoming this way and it almost feels like rubbing salt in the wound when the content creators that once shit on Bleach now suddenly change their tune.

[@nahuel3433]

@@amwoodco3049 It doesn't quite excuse it but at the same time notMark isn't just any random person on the internet. He is a content creator with a huge following, his bad comments (should they be there) won't just be a passing thing they will renain and be parroted by fans for potentially years. So, while still not quite excused, the response is understandably more extreme than what it would be if any random person had their opinion.

[@JohnDoe-pc3uk]

As an SAO fan, the first few lines about defensiveness are a big mood. edit: Bro, so many of these comments are such a mood, what the heck

[@robinhoodproductions5102]

Man I got shivers when Orihime’s theme song came. I might have some grips about her character development later on but Orihime is still a three dimensional character that I really appreciate

[@kelly4187]

One of the coolest things is watching this knowing the coming reveals, hearing Marks predictions be right on the money most of the time. Good instincts man!

[@ammyterasu2318]

Bleach is honestly one of my favorite manga out there, I haven't watched the anime in a looong time but i do remember loving it.

[@reallyreal2007]

When I was younger I was gifted a psp that contained a game called bleach soul carnival and at that time I didn’t know what anime even was but I loved that game so much and when I got access to the internet I searched this game up on the web which introduced me to the anime and it became the first anime i ever watched, it has a very special place in my heart and i know that some of our community are complete gatekeepers but in the end I think we are all thankful for you creating this video about the wonderful world of bleach :D

[@buglifesmatter]

Finally, someone who understands why Kubo doesn't use backgrounds that much

[@rock21611]

The heart.

[@bubz1013]

Thanks for the fair review Mark. Years of people making stuff up about Bleach just to put it down, but I can tell you came at this from a neutral view. You also brought up points that I never noticed, which is nice as a long time Bleach fan to discover new things about the series!

[@Driger1792]

Bleach is an amazing peice of artwork and storytelling that has amazing revelations, paneling, callbacks, symbolism, themes, messages which even to this very day people are just now noticing after rereading so many times over. It's a work that only fueled my love of manga and I want everyone to see it for it's greatness as I do

[@za-ir5ni]

Lol no, the storytelling isn't great. Kubo is infamously not a great writer. I hate Bleach fanboys.

[@marcomilillo23]

@@za-ir5ni same for me to Bleach haters,the perfect representation of toxicity. The story isn't really good,but neither bad though. It is still likeable

[@za-ir5ni]

@@marcomilillo23 Bleach "haters" would be more correct though. There are a lot of contrivances. Bleach fans like above would have you think it was one of the greatest pieces of fiction to exist.

[@raidoukuzonoha883]

I'll say as a bleach fan, it has it's issues but God the toxicity coming from this man rn is insane, like dude if someone thinks it's one of the best then they do. Opinions exist and there all valid. If you don't like it, that's cool and I'll respect that but in turn don't be disrespectful

[@o0ugi860]

@@raidoukuzonoha883 ive honstly seen more toxic bleach fans than haters. they try to downplay other series to make bleach look better, they insult yu if u make a valid point against bleachs supposed quality, ive genuinely heard more than one person say ichigo is a metter more complec protaginst than lelouch. as far as im concerned thats grounds to eradicate the human species. ( if u didnt understand, that last bit was sarcasm)

[@Serjohn]

i just noticed so ichigo's name is strawberry and he has 2 younger sisters the sweet one named orange and the dry one named quince, and ichigo is strawberry because he is wild. Kurosaki family may seem shallow with their fruit names but there is depth to it.

[@mr.skateandwatch]

Throughout growing up, I couldn’t bring, nor find, myself to see what made the series so popular. Many times I’ve watched the first few episodes or catch one on a toonami block, but (at the time) I still don’t feel the entertainment that I would with other shounen series (specially being paired with one piece and naruto) i countlessly put bleach in the metaphorical back burner of anime series to check out or reminisce. Seeing this review not only enhance my curiosity to the series once again, and follow along with TNM; but this review to me revealed the most blunt answer to people struggling to start with the series: just read the manga. Lmao

[@VbrSoro]

It was the vibes, the amaaaazing art, the characters are unique and the eerie feeling is just (chefkiss)

[@ssgoku411]

Spent the last month and a half finishing the manga after never being able to get into it as a kid. It’s awesome, and the art starts out amazing and keeps getting better and better

[@vrinkee]

I honestly didn't read the manga, except for the Thousand Year Blood War arc since there was no anime adaptation for it yet. I'm happy to learn from Mark's review that a lot of the things I disliked about the anime weren't as bad in the manga (I'm talking about Kon and the frequency of Ichigo's dad jumping him). Of course, there's all the filler to talk about too, but at least there are episode guides to skipping them.

[@humanitysreject5233]

To be fair I can understand why Bleach fans can get a bit tribal at times. We've had to deal with people shitting on Bleach for years, to the point where some suggested that it wasn't worthy of being in the big three.

[@josephbeaton8909]

I’m glad you liked the beginning of the series, it definitely gets pretty good the further you get into it. As a bleach fan we just try our best to show people the greatness of Bleach, we know there are negative people and people who really defend our series very seriously. But Videos like these are always great to see and watch, cause watching it the video is our letter from Toriyama and just not only makes us feel good. But helps many people who are on the border of starting bleach to finally getting that push

[@atomu27]

I love this video, Bleach is very dear to my heart as my first manga and what drew me into anime and manga in general when I was a kid and it's first arc, along with the Vizard arc, is my definitely my favorite part of it. It's legitimately so much fun, full of charisma, does a great job at introducing the characters and the world and laying a good foundation for the story moving forward. I'm glad you showed so much love for it and I'm curious to see what you think of the rest of the story.

[@chronicCid1]

Hi mark, you’ve done an amazing job reviewing the other shows in the big 3 and hope that this hat trick of behemoths is going feel so worth it when you’re finished with them. Great stuff, man.

[@kathleenellis2467]

You pretty much picked up every little foreshadowing nugget tite kubo gives in the first arc. So good!!! I love this review process. Can’t wait to see what you make of everything going forward

[@chasinghaze0962]

Great video, mate. I am always happy new people get to see the world and characters Kubo created and how much heart is put in the big 3 to be dismissed as bad or not up to par with modern shounen. All 3 series feels like they come from a personal place of their respective authors and clearly focuses on the narratives and themes they wanted to convey. I can see their heart in the series. Sure all of them has flaws but their legacy can't be denied. Also I hope he notices the paneling with each passing arcs cause Kubo for me has one of the best panelings that matches with how he tells a story

[@LynkCableTv]

I love how TNM has a BMTH track in the middle of this video, simply good music within a fantastic video 👏🏻

[@oak098]

i did NOT expect the devil survivor music, holy thats a joy to see

[@ReturningSunn]

Bleach is by far my favorite Manga series ever. Very glad to see you reviewing it Mark, and I really hope you enjoy the series more this time around and come to appreciate the later parts of the story as well :) Edit: I’m very glad to see you enjoying the empty background panels, that’s actually something people criticize Bleach for, but I’m very glad you’re appreciating it just as the fans do.

[@AlterAce]

bleach fan shinoa avatar kino tbh

[@ReturningSunn]

@@AlterAce Lmaooo, you know it 😎

[@YhwachTheAlmighty]

Bleach is amazing and my personal fav as well its the GOAT.

[@realKiraMG]

Hope you're not going to come here with pitchforks after the very fair critisisms begin.

[@ReturningSunn]

@@realKiraMG I've heard and understand (though disagree with) most criticisms for Bleach. Mark literally started the review with criticism for chapter one. I don't care if he doesn't enjoy everything about it. I'm just glad to see him enjoying the series.

[@mjd3879]

cant wait for the next section, which was such a mind-blowing segment to me, perhaps one of the best anime arcs I've ever watched. Your passion for Manga has me wanting to approach it as such, I love traditional printed reading, but have never read manga. I've read 100s of thousands of fantasy/sci fi novels, maybe this is a perspective I need to enjoy one day.

[@jadaba17]

In regards to the closing. Well said, thank you for your wholesome nature Mark. There ought to be more people like you in the world

[@nicholaslange8513]

I too am also "relieved", but not really for the reasons you outlined. Bleach has for many years had an overwhelmingly negative critical reception, with this only beginning to change since the announcement of the continuation of the anime. The effect of this has been so great that many friends of mine who love other Shonen have refused to even try Bleach because of negative reviews. Personally, I'm not one to hate a reviewer for those types of opinions, everyone has different tastes. But I would encourage you to consider that this '"relief" stems from fans hope that a more balanced take on the material from a trusted source will help lift the really terrible reputation the show has garnered in the Shonen community, and encourage new potential fans to give it a try.

[@minedantaken1684]

I just want to take a second to thank Mark for introducing me to One Piece. Can't believe it's been in 2020 when I first started watching your reviews of it, can't believe how many times I had tears in my eyes and can't believe I managed to make it to Wano before it ended. Thank you Mark!

[@BemusedOwl]

Hearing your experience with bleach as a newbie is really bringing back my memories of first watching bleach back in the day and it's wonderful reminds me why I fell in love with this anime and manga

[@Mechazoid5116]

The fact I saw FMA on that list makes me excited, I tried Bleach and after season 1 of the anime it died instantly for me and haven't touched it since. Though the same thing happened with One Piece after episode 100, so Mark's summeries tend to get me more interested in a show more than the show itself. Hell I actually changed my writing style to great effect after listening to the madness that One Piece does with never letting anything go to waste.

[@Ridku13]

Watch bleach brother. Give it a chance, it's the best of the top 3 IMO

[@BlackHeart1216]

More than anything I look forward to Mark's opinion on the evolution of Kubo's art. He starts out sorta mediocre but with good ideas,but grows into one of the best in the buisness.

[@tissue_b0x]

I find myself to be a huge Bleach sympathizer. I can easily recognize all of the flaws that are present in the anime as well as the latter half of the manga. Despite these flaws, I absolutely love the story and the journey it takes you on. It's unfortunate that so many other fans find themselves "hyper-defending" the series to the point that it has practically become a meme. I hope you enjoy the rest of the manga and decide to watch the anime when it resumes and hopefully concludes the story in a satisfying way.

[@davidjackson9680]

Most of it is fantastic a lot of the issues are with editors and a rushed ending and some bad decisions by kubo hell it’s ending is more acceptable then Naruto’s imo but everyone is allowed to have there own opinion

[@SoraCloud_2708]

Honestly I think Mark did a better job with reviewing Bleach than a majority of KZbinrs have.

[@SBimon155]

Oh man I'm so hyped about this! very looking forward to the upcoming parts. Bleach always had a special place in my heart. I hope you will enjoy your ride. Trough the good and the bad parts as well.

[@FloWoodEnT123]

I'm VERY glad you're covering this, not because I "love" Bleach, but because I started it as a teenager, and 10 years later I never got past the first couple of arcs. I enjoyed it, so I've wanted to. But I didn't want to watch 100 episodes again to catch up. This is a good refresher to get me back into the story before picking up where I left off

[@spencerorde8090]

I always read into the moment with his father at the grave. You can see so much pain. The cigarette lighting, not because he wants a cigarette, but instead... he's using the cigarette to hold himself together. Then he 'has' to be the first one to go down the stairs... because he can't be there anymore.

[@Mr.Murphy2802]

I also like they keep Isshins light hearted and positive outlook, citing that he's lighting the cigarette because his wife suggested he looked handsome with one. This type of acknowledgement seems leagues more personal than having him simply grieve on his knees in tears.

[@shorewall]

@@Mr.Murphy2802 Yeah, the subtlety hits harder than melodrama. People in real life hold in their emotions.

[@PEWPEWPLAZOR]

I started with the anime and fell off before the end of the series, but went back to read the manga this year and man I loved the later arcs more than I expected.

[@kirtandesai6510]

You never miss with these reviews man, and I really agree with what you said at the end. Too much of the online vibe around Bleach has been negative due to the people who disliked the series and Bleach fans. We should all lead by Toriyama’s example.

[@mrm64]

For me it was the very first opening. Orange Range sang "Asterisk" and I fell in love instantly. It just...had that 2000s angsty yet hopeful edge. Everything that Bleach is. So glad you're reviewing this :')

[@Vescilla]

As a fan of Bleach I feel that your disclaimer at the end could be taken in the wrong way but I get it. It's not directed at me for example because I'm not hating on others for criticising Bleach. However, I do think that the opposite situation is quite annoying too and it happens a lot: when I say I love Bleach people just swarm into my post or comment to tell me that this series is shitty, I have no taste etc. I don't know anything about writing, story flow, panneling and stuff like that so I can't analyze the manga or anime objectively, just based on my own experience. And from my experience it's good, one of the best I've read. It has grabbed me more than Naruto. So I wish people would just allow me to enjoy what I enjoy. I understand you see it as Bleach fans being toxic but from my perspective Bleach fans were kind of bullied into being that way because believe me, it gets tiring hearing that something you genuinely love is bad.

[@MrYoda2k]

True words have never been spoken 😁.

[@angryhead7728]

Literally this. I never seen any of the big 3 hated on as much as bleach

[@warriorofthegrandline2y618]

THIS!

[@angryhead7728]

Actually this post really is validated when you look at TNM's twitter I literally see nothing but hate for bleach in the replies to anything he says about the series.

[@ninjahunterx7497]

Exactly why his friends felt relieved when he told them he likes it so far.

[@itami04]

I also felt "relief" when you said you liked it. there's so much negativity surrounding Bleach be it from fans or outside, thats why i kinda just quit interacting with the community and enjoy the series in silence or with 2-3 friends. it is also the reason why i dont recommend bleach to people even tho i know its a fun series.

[@helix4048]

I started watching bleach a week ago because a few people on a discord server I’m on were hyping up the tybw arc and I wanted to watch the series before the arc dropped. Currently at the latter part of the espada arc and (while skipping all the filler) it’s some of the most fun and hype in an anime I’ve ever seen. The characters are great, I especially like toshiro and kenpachi, and I also love the concept of a zanpakuto and a custom, living sword based on the user. Since this small friendgroup online is my only exposure to the bleach fandom and they’re all really cool people I’ve never actually seen any negativity towards the series before, so I never knew about the consensus towards the series before watching it, and I’m honestly kinda grateful, because I’m watching this series completely blind, without even so much as an opinion of what I’m about to watch, so emotional and hype moments all hit that much harder

[@mjm3091]

I think a lot of toxicity was just early 2000s. Like there is still a lot of bs like that - but people are more mindful these days and there are better tools to just cut yourself out from that bs.

[@tylordeboer7610]

I feel some of the current reactions mentioned regarding Bleach come from an overreaction corrective response from what used to be the typical online reaction to Bleach. Basically, for years, it was degraded and you were almost chastised for liking it. Now some reactions seem to have swung the pendulum too far in the other direction as response.

[@MrSchwah]

I am so excited that you're doing this series Mark! If you love Kubo's work, I highly recommend trying to get your hands on his first four volume manga, Zombie Powder. It's the Rule of Cool to a T, and is a pretty fun story with some great artwork and designs.

[@deshaunfortune912]

That message at the end hit really close to home. I initially wasn't a fan of Bleach after watching the anime, but reading the manga completely changed my mind. It was the series to get me into the genre and Bleach has been my favorite ever since bc of that, but in the online space I constantly heard people talk trash about it and it made me feel self conscious about enjoying it. that led me down a path of always starting my conversations about Bleach by essentially saying "I know its bad but..."; I would start every convo with a list of negatives (that I don't even agree with today) bc I felt like I was a loser for just straight up enjoying it for what it is. That led me to pushing away so many potential fans. I've since grown more confident as a person and no longer care what people think about my interest, and I just talk about everything I love about Bleach bc like you said Mark "We outah focus on what we love about this series. Building things up wins more minds. Tearing things down will only lead to more negativity”

[@greensakana2673]

I'm relieved too...relieved someone who clearly loves shounen anime as much as Mark does sees the merit in one of my very favorite shows. And should his opinion turn, he obviously doesn't deserve harassment. ...But I hope he keeps liking it! :)

[@lolsnez7542]

Why would his opinion turn?

[@greensakana2673]

@@lolsnez7542 I don't know, considering the show only gets better and better!

[@camdude7234]

The ending song ( life’s a boat ) for this whole arc and this next one I think describes one character and what she is feeling

[@Keurgui1]

I loved that song oml

[@camdude7234]

@@Keurgui1 same here it’s a great song to relax to

[@shorewall]

@@camdude7234 You just made me relook it up. Such a good song.

[@camdude7234]

@@shorewall your welcome lol and yes it is

[@ThatSonOfAGlitch]

Being someone who grew up watching almost all these series, I really enjoy seeing someone brand new get into it and make theories for future chapters

[@uncabob214]

Bleach is a story I have a lot of affection for, but it's been a long journey for me to this point. I first read Bleach in my mid teens and I didn't have a great time with it. I found a lot of the mechanics of the Arrancar fights and Ichigo's train of powerups frustrating and stopped reading just before the TYBW. It was only in the last couple of years that I've come back to it, both finishing the story and coming to appreciate the depths of the story my less mature self missed. Bleach is a flawed piece of media, sometimes greatly so, but it has an incredible richness of themes and characters that I adore. On the subject of anime/manga, I've never watched Bleach as a show and none of the filler, but I have seen plenty of clips and even watched some of the fights in full. And it just does not work for me, especially the fights. The fights especially are just so plodding in their pacing in animation where in paper they flow smooth and fast.

[@lermrodgers3082]

I agree about the fights, except ichigo vs ulquoirra. I really like that fight in the anime lol.

[@uncabob214]

@@lermrodgers3082 Yeah that's fair. I think that's unquestionably one of the best fights animated so far.

[@kikima258]

I agree the bleach manga is superior to the anime and not just the fights

[@guilegale8942]

This is the #1 reason I always say to read Bleach. It doesn't matter how good the music is, or how fucking sick the Ulquiorra fight gets. What takes one minute to read takes five times that to say. A single panel is turned into a minute of animation. It ruins the entire rhythm of the battle, makes the pauses in between feel less like a reprieve and more like a stretch, and it takes moments of genuine impact and reduces them in magnitude. I love bleach, but I'll never recommend the anime to someone.