BLEACH: A Blind Review (Part 2) | The Soul Society Arc

[@amasian5366]

it’s so sad that Kubo killed off Aizen like that. I liked his kindness and character design wish we could have seen a bit more of him

[@Kennyisdarkvanilla]

Agreed. Wish Aizen wasn’t killed off but it was all part of the plan.

[@Person_Dude]

I was shocked a captain got killed off so early

[@crammothy]

Saddest death in all of bleach.

[@joby-wankenobinolan3428]

R.I.P. Lord Josh Groban

[@Fitsthatmean27]

​@@joby-wankenobinolan3428 farewell Lord Smash Master Groban

[@MrBigtank78]

*“When you counter, you don't let them cut you. When you protect someone, you don't let them die. And when you attack, you kill."* Easily one the best lines in that arc!

[@AScribblingTurtle]

For sure.

[@thebuddah1253]

Nah bro same fight but "no you idiot! Not want, I WILL!"

[@AJ__525]

@@thebuddah1253you *seriously* think that’s better than the line above? it’s so generic lmao

[@thebuddah1253]

@@AJ__525 Yah cuz I'm not generic. It's a good line though just not my fave.

[@peen2804]

@@AJ__525I meant OG comment basically equates to saying “grass is green”. I wouldn’t exactly consider either to be profound by any means. 😂

[@Step43099]

It puts a huge smile on my face seeing Mark diving so deeply into this “White” Ichigo’s presence, his demeanor, and his dialogue with Ichigo and Old Man Zangetsu. The whole thing capped off greatly with Zangetsu’s monologue about how he hates the rain and how he won’t allow Ichigo to feel sadness as long as he’s with him

[@rasen90]

that’s genius foreshadowing right there

[@darkousdragon1166]

He'll do anything it takes to stop Ichigo from being sad....or being hurt god i love foreshadowing

[@Step43099]

@@darkousdragon1166 but bleach is all style, no substance 🤡

[@austinkuchar7125]

I love the fact that Everytime Chad shows up the Gigachad music plays.

[@valentds]

until chad last...

[@hayden7525]

The original gigachad

[@CanniestTread6]

Well he is THE MUTHAFKING CHAADD!!!!

[@uncabob214]

I can't help but grin, knowing the journey of learning ahead for Mark in regards to Ichigo, his sword and the hollow mask.

[@luvthetux]

Me too, I'm like umm no it's this or wait Mr cat is.... And so on 😁

[@blyzer7373]

@UCiBwG4FSeyBJgJd73aP79Yg Yep. The mask was supposed to be originally just his inner hollow.

[@Joshpower57]

@@blyzer7373 originally yes, but tybw arc cleared that up. An basically answered a ton of questions

[@kavish4331]

Lmao

[@dinogt8477]

no one cares

[@studiospider8713]

I think the clunky exposition in the scene where Ichimaru is being questioned can be fixed by just rephrasing Kurotsuchi’s line as a question. Instead of telling him how things are, he could ask “You mean to tell me a captain class soul reaper couldn’t feel their spirit energy? Do you take us for fools?” This not only accomplishes the job of communicating that captains are extremely adept at sensing spirit energy, but it does so in a natural way that also gives us insight into Kurotsuchi’s personality a bit as well. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[@shuraito]

great suggestion

[@baldwinivofjerusalem47]

Maybe it's the translation from Japenese to English made it feel like that and the original intended one would've been just like how you described.

[@abbacuspotter9232]

Nah, TNM is way off the mark here. Kurostuchi is a scientist (not that he knows it yet). His first instinct (as any rational human in this situation would do) jumps straight to the most obvious and logical counter argument to what Ichimaru's excuse was. Bro basically said "aight, we know thats bullshit bro, why you trippin". People do talk like this. Work in any industry and have some jackass pull a piss poor excuse like that when he does something sus. People will immediately say the most obvious reason for why that is wrong. TNM has a bad habit of "knowing the basics" well enough to be smart about what he says, but it leads to him forgetting the depths beyond the basics. I.E. situational circumstances, character traits, and various other exceptions.

[@littlebitsofterror5788]

@@abbacuspotter9232 Plus Mayuri treats everyone like he’s smarter than them.

[@painvillegaming4119]

@@littlebitsofterror5788 9/10 he is

[@ArynBacklogDragon]

am I the only one who smiled when Mark said "Mr. Cat" knowing what was coming?

[@LoryK98]

Nope

[@lanewright1143]

Yes!!!! Lmao. Its gonna be great

[@narri214]

Between Mr. Cat and Aizens death, I smiled

[@SnipeyGaming]

LMAO just got to this part he's in for a hell of a surprise 😂

[@chrisparkins3627]

Literally the reason I came to the comments lol

[@thesquadron7571]

I was 100% expecting him to have already been spoiled about a certain character and their role in the story, but seeing him be legitimately surprised by their role in this first half gave me such a massive, evil grin like you wouldn’t believe Edit: This comment is getting too popular, I was expecting maybe one or two people who understood to give it a like and I’d be satisfied knowing that I wasn’t alone in this joy, but this is too much! Thank goodness Mark doesn’t read the comments himself, or else I’d probably just delete this all together. Henceforth, I advise anyone not in the know to stay clear of this thread of comments, for your own good. Of all the times to get the top comment, it was one that reaaaally shouldn’t be the popular by nature. This is so counterintuitive and ironic that it hurts…

[@BBK113]

mr 1 finger

[@thomasdeen2099]

*_All according to plan._*

[@conrspowrt6691]

Honestly, it’s very refreshing that he hasn’t been spoiled on that character yet. It’s going to make everything so much more interesting when he looks at the chapters in hindsight later on

[@capefeather]

It's funny for me because that reveal is just about the only thing I've seen of Bleach

[@Karma-pq9fi]

I mean it’s been 15 years

[@TotallyNotMark]

Thanks for the support everyone! Let me know what you thought down below and leave a rating and share if you enjoyed :)

[@NinthShinigami]

11/10 arc

[@xmesman9844]

9/10 arc the next arc was better for me

[@NinthShinigami]

@@xmesman9844 the next arc is a 12/10 imo

[@alfa01spotivo]

can not wait for your reactions to the end of this arc. Shits nuts

[@youdontneedtoknow7548]

Fake fan, chasing the bag we know you use to dump on it.

[@bmg6229]

I do extremely like how he´s creating theories for himself like a fan back in the day with Bleach

[@VidulaSaix]

The irony about his gripe about that line from Mayuri sounding like something that would come from an alien fits Mayuri's personality to the letter. He's weird as all hell and would absolutely respond that way. Edit: Just to clarify, it's perfectly fine that he interpreted it the way that he did because he doesn't know the character. I just found it amusing that his gripe was from the one guy in the entire series that purposely acts that way because he doesn't see people as people and thinks he's above everyone else in terms of knowledge.

[@kyshowman6847]

In hindsight, it does fit better since Mayuri is not close or personal with the captains in any capacity beyond…”scientific interests”

[@corruptangel6793]

I was thinking the same thing. That exposition would have been awful coming from anyone else, yet with Mayuri (though the reader doesn't know it yet) it fits with his nature and somehow works in hindsight.

[@alexandergordon648]

It shows that Kubo knew his characters very well even so early on in the series

[@robvakarian2330]

Fr I was literally about to type that

[@Karma-pq9fi]

Idk if it’s clunky exposition or not but IF it is it’s very smart on Kubo’s part to use Mayuri for that because he is probably the only person who would say it that way. Then again mark does literally say “over descriptive” which is Mayuri so maybe it is extremely intentional by Kubo.

[@MungkaeX]

While I understand where Mark is coming from in his criticism of Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s lines of expositionary dialog, I’d argue his theoretical example of what Mom might say is for dinner is EXACTLY what Kurotsuchi would say if you asked him “what’s for dinner.”🤪

[@dexholderred2469]

Yeah! Especially since that’s the first time we’re introduced to Mayuri. So most would probably have the same thought too. But seeing him later in the arc. He is a major know-it-all and would 99% give a exposition dialogue to call out Gin’s BS Lol.

[@moonkiitty]

This made me laugh, thank you 😂😂😂😂😂 You're totally right!

[@stardustcrusader5018]

It’s interesting to know that the pre-soul society, more slice-of-life style arc was more fleshed out in the manga. As someone who’s only seen the anime up until the TYBW arc, I always loved the early episodes for their humor and relatability and wished there was more.

[@Boarbatrice]

It’s actually kinda funny, they skip a bunch of slice of life stuff so they needed to do a bunch filler

[@starchild4627]

Yea that was not slice of life

[@pn2294]

@@starchild4627 compared to the later story arcs it was

[@Karma-pq9fi]

The slice of life stuff in the manga gives a lot of foreshadowing to future events in every arc tbh.

[@Msoulwing]

It's a real shame the anime skimped on it, Inoue misses out on a bunch of characterization.

[@vollied4865]

mark I've never been so proud of you, noticing hollow ichigos frown in the blade, his choice of words, ichigos choice of words. this is symbolism at a masterclass level and foreshadowing so far ahead that even the bleach fandom over looked it for beauty 10years kinda like ichigos blanket on his bed, and his jacket... if you know you know.

[@Otavio1702]

What about Ichigo's blanket and jacket? Didn't get it, unfortunately :'c

[@dubbchug8738]

Do tell.

[@brandonmason7190]

His mom's side of the family is foreshadowed with those items

[@Otavio1702]

@@brandonmason7190 OOH. That does make a lot of sense now, at least his blanket. Didn't find anything about which jacket, though

[@OnyxSkyBHS]

You may want to avoid saying those words in referring to white Ichigo... it is considered a spoiler as you're not suppose to know that yet... Mark is doing this blind after all.

[@solidskullz5736]

I love soul reapers. A bunch of wackos with cool swords killing hollows. Each one is so unique and fun. Ikkaku is one of my favorites I love that guy

[@codebreak1884]

BAAAANNKKKAAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEE 😂 the way he says Bankai is Amazing 😁

[@joaquinmuniz3055]

@@codebreak1884 BAAAAAAANNNNNNKKKKKKIIIIIIYYYYEEEEEAAAAAA

[@Karma-pq9fi]

That’s one thing I feel like people don’t give credit the amount of different established personalities Kubo gave every soul reaper is amazing all these years they are all still memorable.

[@mrcheesemunch]

Yeah I have my problems with Bleach as a story, especially ending but the characters are absolutely brilliant, so many great ideas that usually all tie in to peoples personality or overall design extremely well, without ever feeling too samey because they all have different stories to them. Super interesting when you get deeper in to the lore about what a zanpakuto even is. It's very similar to Jojo's Stands on that end in the best possible ways.

[@koil475]

Bleach early parts really has some insane foreshadowing, that most won't get answered until the Final Arc, I love this series.

[@michielkudova3887]

I don’t think it was foreshadowing. I think it was more Kubo going “Oh shit what plot holes Have i not addressed yet”

[@paulylopes6762]

@@michielkudova3887 I feel a lot of writers do that and some do it better than others. Example of a writer addressing plot hole and/or retconning, Itachi’s backstory from naruto. I still hold the opinion to this day that kishimoto planned for itachi to straight up be a villain but changed it midway. Itachi borderline killed sasuke during their first reunion. Then in shippuden, when they repeated that same flashback of the death of the uchiha, there would be like a slight thing changed like itachi’s mangekyo, him crying, etc.

[@nathangray2540]

@@paulylopes6762 100% agree. The thing with Itachi works imo because of how kishimoto executed it, he has it shown that we always seen the backstory through sasuke which is why the subtle changes (like the crying) are noticed later because sasuke is no longer repressing the memories. Which again imo, works well because it makes sense that a kid would repress those types of memories without knowingly repressing them.

[@nathangray2540]

@@paulylopes6762 100% agree. The thing with Itachi works imo because of how kishimoto executed it, he has it shown that we always seen the backstory through sasuke which is why the subtle changes (like the crying) are noticed later because sasuke is no longer repressing the memories. Which again imo, works well because it makes sense that a kid would repress those types of memories without knowingly repressing them.

[@hydrocy.9165]

@@michielkudova3887 Indeed because the "true" way of foreshadowing can only be done by Oda.

[@richinfacts6003]

Mark is picking up on the all the foreshadowing Kubo has laid out that many people miss! I love it!

[@oscar5012]

at 31:16 that’s Ichigo’s inner world, don’t know how you missed that since it’s touched on since his training with Urahara and the lesson isn’t to “get over himself” it’s to show that he’s not so different from Kenpachi who fights alone, he has to learn to use Zangetsu’s power as a friend/partner by understanding him as he sees how powerful Zangetsu is

[@Crunchysopa52]

exactly lol

[@Karma-pq9fi]

Yeah actually I was shocked he didn’t talk about the relationship between zanpakuto and the soul reaper and how that fight shows how different Ichigo and Kenpachi are to the point where Ichigo calling upon his swords power matches kenpachi. Also the theme of giving a name and listening.

[@deluxe1075]

Zanpakutos are neither friends or partners...

[@oscar5012]

@@deluxe1075 if I recalled correctly they were, a soul reaper becomes stronger the stronger his bond becomes with his sword evident by the mediation pose with the sword in the lap. and that’s what the whole fight against Kenpachi was about, to show that it’s not just you but it’s you and your sword against the enemy

[@deluxe1075]

@@oscar5012 Is not "you and your sword". Have you read the tybw arc? There it's explained what the relationship between a shinigami and his zanpakuto actually is...

[@deepsavings3126]

I agree with you 100% about the less is more take, I also felt one piece was a bit crowded, especially in smaller panels with background stuff when if it was left out it would've gave a better impression. Bleach style of manga is honestly my fav.

[@NKMitch42]

Mayuri also just talks weird, detached, scientific, unreasonably precise and arrogant. It's a character thing for him as much as Gin's nonchalance

[@Karma-pq9fi]

It’s funny because the way Mark described the line fits so well with Mayuri that it’s hard for me to believe it’s not intentional and just great character establishing writing from Kubo with just one introduction line from a character.

[@OneYuDBZSlayers]

@@Karma-pq9fi maybe when he reads more he will realize this

[@TatsubeiYagyu]

Yeah, since that was his first introduction, I get his hangup. However, this instance didn't really offend me.

[@michielkudova3887]

Honestly I believe that that whole conversation was deliberate. The Exposition that was important came from what mayuri said first. “don’t pretend you don’t know,” Gin tends to do that a lot.

[@aerozord]

Kubo has said he specifically likes using blank backgrounds when introducing characters because he believes they should be the focus

[@eyeofthebeholder_]

Editor-san said in Twitter he is very proud of this video, and watching the TNM manga panels bit, I can see why. What a fantastic team Mark has gathered.

[@NinthShinigami]

Soul Society, while not my favorite personally, is amazing, an S tier shonen arc and one of Bleach’s best! Love Ichigo’s growth and Ichigo vs Byakuya is still one of my all time favorite anime/manga fights!

[@cosmicflower5891]

I agree next arcs are just as peak, can't wait for the "Fell off after Soul Society" bullshit to finally gets put to rest

[@NinthShinigami]

@@cosmicflower5891 fr. Personally I have every arc of the manga at an S tier (yes even Substitute Shinigami and Lost Agent). Arrancar is my favorite arc in any anime/manga I’ve ever watched or read personally.

[@YhwachTheAlmighty]

Bleach is the GOAT. Also I love Soul Society and its an S but the next canon arcs are above it and much better imo.

[@NinthShinigami]

@@YhwachTheAlmighty same man same Arrancar is peak, and Lost Agent and TYBW are phenomenal imo

[@joeyhoward-williams8853]

Ninth shining gami. Guide us yo

[@rebeccatomlin3121]

I love how insightful your reviews and theories are and how thematically/accurately you’ll see certain things play out later. I agree concerning Ichimaru’s chewing out that exposition is clunky, however depending on how far ahead you’ve read now to have seen for yourself, I’m willing to forgive it since it’s Mayuri Kurotsuchi saying it, definitely the most curt and alien amongst the Captains in his thought processes. If any Captain had any reason to say that line, it makes the most sense that it came from him.

[@DaiDai_Tama]

Listened to this on the way home, and it feels nostalgic for me. Been many years since I've last watched/read the Soul Society arc and I've always considered it one of the best arcs on shounen. Listening to you talk and analyse this arc, has made this joined home entertaining. Rock on Mark. Hope you enjoy the rest of it

[@west429]

32:09 I completely missed this observation. This makes White’s character and his dynamics with Ichigo more intriguing, while also foreshadowing future character revelations.

[@adriannaranjo4397]

When you realize White never lied to Ichigo

[@Karma-pq9fi]

It’s also interesting the first time white meets him he calls Ichigo partner but the next meeting it’s king which I assume either because he learned Bankai or because at that moment he is the Zangetsu helping Ichigo and not apart of the other zangetsu.

[@tboicovas]

The blade is me

[@omnid.slayer7244]

I personally adore the intense and life threatening battle between Ichigo and kenpanchi..

[@GuilhermeOliveira-ou4qv]

true, but he shouldn't have been able to defeat Kenpachi.

[@alfa01spotivo]

@@GuilhermeOliveira-ou4qv it was a tie

[@michielkudova3887]

I want to see kenpachi vs grimmjow. If only because the fight would probably go on for a week in-universe.

[@nininana4003]

That line that Mayuri said in the captain’s meeting was actually very in character, it’s funny how you compared it to a mom saying ordinary things in a strange manner, which only invalidated your point, cause Mayuri actually would’ve said things like that, it’s like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, it’s way stranger if Mayuri said things other way.

[@Abedeuss]

Good point. "This is something an alien would say!". *Mayuri is THE weirdest character in the entire series*

[@YightLagami]

It's true but not by much. Mark had a similar complaint with Luffy's exposition needed early on in the series with a gag where someone had to repeat something because Luffy didn't get it the first time. Also, there definitely could have been better ways for it to exposited like Mayuri saying Gin shouldn't be a captain if he can't sense spiritual energy.

[@absolutionveil8632]

@@YightLagami Legitimately would have sounded less forced if instead of "We are the Captain Class have the ability to sense whenever Spiritual Pressure disappears" he had said something like "We both know that you could have sensed whether or not his Spiritual Pressure disappeared." It would have sounded more natural and accusatory instead of sounding like it was just being said for the purpose of explanation to the readers

[@RandomGuy-ci9nt]

@@absolutionveil8632 I think Mayuri was just insinuating

[@TheCreed1217]

You say that like Mark would have any idea of what Mayuri's character is like by the time that scene was even reached. Also its still an unatural thing to say regardless.

[@gigabyteguru2452]

People forget that this arc introduced around twenty recurring characters and even if you cant remember their names you absolutely remember what they look like. Kubo's character design skills are phenomenal, and im surprised it hasn't been touched on here yet.

[@michielkudova3887]

He probably will in the arrancar invasion arc

[@The810kid]

Soul society arc is my favorite rescue arc ever. I binged the episodes on KZbin in like 2 days it was that addictive

[@powerofberzerker9487]

What I would say about the Kurotsuchi line about sensing spirit energy is that, yes, most of the shinigami (especially captains) can sense spirit energy from a far, but the triangle in the whole convo consists of Gin, Mayuri and Kenpachi if I remember correctly. And I'm not sure, but I think that Kenpachi can't sense reautsu for shit. So, it kinda makes sense for him to point out that fact, cause unlike Kenchan, others can in fact tell such things. And Mayuri is a scientist, so his manner of speaking, sometimes, like a librarian also makes sense, and he likes talking smack to Zaraki as well. You'll notice that stuff later though.

[@FX-27]

I completely agree with you on the "Blank backgrounds" as somone who reads One Piece weekly it's a bit of a problem when i turn to the next page and can't really tell where i'm supposed to look or even where the text is. The other thing i love about "Blank backgrounds" is that it also means that the characters or things shown in the pannel can have more detailed looks on the places you are directed to look at. Also keep up the great work man these reviews series are the highlight of my week when i see them pop up on my notifications :)

[@ProfIdiotKuro]

Im so glad he noticed the reflection of Ichigos inner hollow on the Zanpakuto. Im not going to say anything to avoid spoilers, but im going to say that its the reflection of his inner hollows feelings. As to why it will be important very late in the series.

[@SeaBagel228]

That Manga Mark bit talking about the backgrounds is a chef’s kiss Must have been very fun to make that

[@roomsky2622]

THANK YOU for defending Kubo's layout and negative space choices. There's been a lot of citing laziness over the years when Kubo has background assistants and could fill those backgrounds if he wanted to. I always thought his art was the most striking of the "Big 3."

[@gilbertoflores7397]

Hes always had the best art abilities. It was actually his downfall, he was more obsessed about drawing cool things than focusing on the story, unfortunately. Saying he was lazy is wrong approach, maybe in the last few chapters, when he was being rushed, he slacke a bit, bur very understandable.

[@brunojosuequifanda3733]

Kubo's art is astonishing .Kishimoto is my favorit , but Kubo is a beast with The pincel

[@anderss.viking3084]

Yeah it becomes the most apperent in the final ark, where thanks to the white space you can just remove the word bubbles and let the characters emote the story.

[@Karma-pq9fi]

Ironically all of that came from KZbinrs

[@goldmemberpb]

I mean, the dude drew character wearing completely white clothes in a pure white background in the final arc. The less is more approach has its limits when everything is a white void. Not saying Kubo is lazy but it definitely comes across that way.

[@Confussed-Oddish]

20:35 I just want to say that this line may seem off but Mayuri is the kind of weirdo to say something like that.

[@tabkg5802]

Bleach getting more and more recognition makes me so happy. Thank you for your videos very much. Also about white spaces in backgrounds. Kubo has stated that he specifically uses them to emphasize elements of the story Ps: 12:30 TGAA ost based

[@HaezeusYT]

This Arc provided soooo much foreshadowing it was insane

[@MrNobo15]

The Soul Society arc was so hype back when it was premiering in the anime 😭 🤧

[@JimFaindel]

The soul society arc is quite beloved by the fandom, and famous well past it. Not only because it stands as proof of the heights this series can reach, but also because it contains a fount of inspiration for the series to reach back and expand upon as it moves forward. The world is much bigger from this point forward, the threats loom larger and what's asked of Ichigo and the others is always heavier and more personal. I just wish to hear more of your thoughts on this arc.

[@mixofmatt]

I’m so glad that you’re reviewing Bleach right before the anime comes back, Mark. ❤️ Also, Soul society is my favorite all time Bleach arc.

[@Godooable]

I'd imagine he saw the potential views and decided to review it

[@mixofmatt]

@@Godooable i don’t think that was his main goal, but it definitely was a smart time for him to review bleach now

[@luvthetux]

My favorite anime too.

[@obinator9065]

@@mixofmatt it definitely is his main goal. That’s why he did it so shortly prior to TYBW.

[@fable2830]

@@mixofmatt nah it 100% was his main goal lol no need to butter it up

[@Spirrwell]

It is actually scary how good you are at analysis.

[@Netherwolf6100]

Best arc in the series hands down and the reason why I became a Bleach fan. Both the anime and manga kill it with this arc

[@powerofberzerker9487]

It's the best arc in the anime for sure. The arrancar arc was paced almost terribly in the anime and the SSA has the best art and animation combination, look and feel.

[@DaveTheChronicler]

Your breakdown of narrative strategy and how well "built" Bleach is to tell its story is amazing. Thank you!

[@RasenShot]

I couldn't help but laugh and utter "oh you sweet summer child" when he talked about a certain character. I'm honestly stocked for next week.

[@wuurlii]

Dude Mark, that explanation on your take of White Space was great, but holy crap whoever edited and drew that section blew my mind! Never have I seen someone commission/draw a whole Manga page of themselves for a video review. So cool.

[@Shayster-_-]

Just want to share that when I first started bleach at 13 I thought the show would be a ghost story about reaping hollows or something but as soon as I got to the SS arc, I couldn’t stop binging. Ichigo working his way up to captain level in less than a month and the worldbuilding is Unrivaled Shonen writing.

[@larmuh]

Soooo glad you're covering the manga and not the anime. The reflection in the "other ichigo"'s sword has so much meaning behind it and I'm glad you managed to pick up on it. The anime cut so much stuff out and you actually noting them makes me very happy. So much subtle storytelling is lost in the anime, so anime-only's miss out on quite a but of crucial foreshadowing. Excited to see your thoughts on the latter half, it's truly something special.

[@craigwoodward8455]

Holy fuck, the moment you started talking about the hollow and how ichigo may not need to be in conflict with it? Dude. I am LOVING these videos.

[@AzureKite]

In my opinion, the Soul Society arc is one of the best tournament arcs in shounen history. And yes, it is a tournament arc. Even if there is no bracket or official competition, it is structured like a tournament arc, and it benefits a lot from using that structure for a different narrative outcome. It's so good.

[@sarafontanini7051]

I actually always desricbed this sort of event in a shonen as a 'tower' as its the heroes fighting foes one after the other to 'ascend' the to higher levels of a 'tower' where their goal lies, and is typically where we see characters go "you go ahead, I'll fight this guy for you" to let the protag continue moving forward.

[@noukan42]

Spot the person that hasn't read/watched Saint Seya. It is not a tournament arc it is a "sanctuary" arc so to speak.

[@Raoh1401]

Saint seiya' sanctuary arc structure, rather.

[@uraharakisuke1329]

Your attention to detail is awesome! Mr Kubo uses a lot of foreshadowing and noticing all these little hints and details is a master reviewer's skill

[@LittleCuddlePrincess]

Hello Mark, another great video! I’m glad you are enjoying the series so far. I think you make a lot of excellent points. I agree with your argument that less can be more in terms of composition in manga paneling and I actually prefer kind of style especially in this series. I once again really enjoyed your analysis and all the details you touched on. I agree with the philosophical perspective about Ichigo’s character and am incredibly excited when you get to more of it in the future. I also wanted to say I appreciate how much attention you give to the characters as I believe they add very much to the subtext of the story. One part that did stick out to me in an amusing way was when you were covering the exposition and you gave a specific criticism during the captain’s meeting. The criticism was that captain Kuroshuchi, the one with the face paint, gave what you called unnecessary information for that character to give. While I understand your criticism from a readers perspective. I would argue that is completely within his character. It made me laugh when you gave the dinner example about the kid asking his mother “what’s for dinner?” You made the point that people normally wouldn’t respond with “so we can have nutrients …” but that’s exactly how that character would respond. I know you wouldn’t know that at this point in the narrative but it’s amusing from a hindsight perspective. I also think it goes to show how much thought and dedication Kubo gave to his characters or maybe it’s a silly coincidence. I was hoping for more out of this video but I understand you must be very busy and I look forward to your next and upcoming videos about the series. I myself have only read BLEACH and parts of Naruto (mostly watched the anime) and am currently reading One Piece and Dragon Ball so I think I’ll check out more of your other series in the meantime. See you next week🤍!

[@KazuyukiTaka]

Agree on the white space argument. Kubo is also criticized for "spilling ink", which is such an odd complaint to me. I think Kubo's use of black and white is masterful, especially in the double pages.

[@mr.pastaman]

Please tell me I'm not the only one who noticed when he was talking about the dumb exposition with Gin and the other captains, he kept reusing the animation of Mayuri and the mouth flaps almost lined up perfectly and it sounds like something he would for sure say, I legit felt like Mayuri was lecturing me about exposition. 😂

[@sourensoukatsui]

I have to say. I freaking enjoyed this review so much. As an anime only fan of the series, I've learned a whole lot about Bleach manga thanks to this video. Looking forward to your reaction to the SOUL-CRUSHING, MIND-BLOWING, WORLD-EXPLODING twist at the end of this arc.

[@AznE1337]

"What's for dinner today?" "A nutritious meal of course! As human beings, we need to absorb the energy from other plants and animals that populate this planet so as to not perish ourselves." *Me experiencing a Ratatouille style flashback of that exact conversation as a kid* Man... Bleach's writing really is so human and natural. :')

[@Karma-pq9fi]

Funny enough…. Mayuri actually would say that word for word.

[@silenthesia4522]

I'm absolutely loving your reviews! Your approach to the characters via their theme songs is so unique! Your knowledge of how storytelling and panelling should be done is very extensive and appreciated. And without spoiling too much, I'll just say that you're one of the most observant readers I've seen. You're noticing things people didn't for ages. I honestly can't wait to watch more!

[@justinarzola4584]

This is why mark is one of the best in the manga community.

[@cosmicflower5891]

HERE WE GO, The Soul Society Arc. so happy Mark's enjoying this series

[@DarkNight-zo5ci]

It’s great seeing the bleach fans feel how I felt when mark was reviewing one piece, I can’t wait til he hits *that* part

[@darktigersharkmax4432]

So far he hasn't been spoiled which is good hopefully it stays that way. Really wish he went in depth with the reviews talking about all the newly introduced characters but I know I can't be expecting hour long reviews and dbzimirman level analysis lmao. At least he's enjoying the story for the most part and is gonna cover this arc in 2 or more parts.

[@falkpojken94dragon]

I wish you had talked more about kenpachi and give more attetion to what a monster he is. when he takes off his eye patch and it's told he had that made to surpress his powers, my jaw dropped and he became my favorite charecter in all of anime!

[@Gensolink]

honestly the soul society arc is so iconic to me, it's what I associate Bleach with it was serialized in the middle of this arc and the anime didnt reach the end of it yet in France, all around I was hyped as fuck back then when a new volume released and it stuck to me.

[@FourthRulerEntity]

When you said “and with a mistake Ichigo is making” as you described Kenpachi’s battle is so raw and true I can’t help but smile. Well done.

[@MeteorFalcon]

Every Ichigo fight is ICONIC! Ikkaku, Renji, KENPACHI and BYAKUYA! It's amazing

[@Mr.Erikstad]

Thanks for yet another great Bleach review, Mark! Philosophy and psychology of Bleach is what ive been thinking about for the last 10 years. It is something i love, so hearing you talking about it was more than awesome. (Been thinking about making a YT channel talking about Bleach from a psychological and philosophical pov since no one is and seems to get it)!

[@muanims]

Mark: "aizen seemed like one of the few kind and sensible captains" OH boy

[@pn2294]

No wonder Kubo made him the bad guy

[@SpiritoftheWolf28232]

Sensible? Yes! Kind? Ohhhhh nooooo.

[@Karma-pq9fi]

He’s just a really nice dude.

[@SpiritoftheWolf28232]

@@Karma-pq9fi Yep. So nice he's planned every event in Iciho's life for him! What a swell guy!

[@robertchitty3603]

I think the best part about these review series is watching somebody else experience the story for the first time. Can't wait for the next episode, great work as always

[@FarticusSnottington]

i was literally just thinking "man i really enjoyed pt1 i wonder if he has the 2nd part up" 😂

[@SvviftDeath]

This was a lot better then the first episode for this review. It is so much more refreshing when you are more critical. That doesn't mean it has to be brutally honest but more skeptical of the content. It comes as more sincere when you talk about why you like or dislike certain aspects of a scene. I highly enjoyed this review and hearing your predictions of what will happen next based on what you know so far is very fun to discover. It doesn't matter if we as an audience know if what you predict is correct or not. It always manages to make the video feel almost interactive as we can guess alongside you. As always I am excited to see your progress through to the next video and have a wonderful week.

[@corruptangel6793]

I love the use of whitespace. It makes so many scenes so much better, emotionally and dramatically, than their anime counterparts for example where you are given backgrounds. It's like Kubo is saying "don't rush, take your time, feel this moment. Acknowledge this character, and their significance." It's the same with his text over white or black background panels that he does every now and then as it makes the important lines *feel* important. Like Kubo is saying "Don't just glance over this line then move on, pay attention. This'll be on the test later." I always felt the weight of those lines and scenes so much better than in the anime.

[@kamikaze9699]

This is refreshing, hearing interpretations from someone who doesn't "know." It puts a smile on my face knowing when you finally figure it out, you'll know both how right and how wrong you simultaneously were.

[@Vincornelis]

In terms of white or empty space you don't want things to take place in a void but you also definitely need it for clarity. One Piece has gotten desperately cluttered in later chapters but if you look at Water 7 it's perfect. Gorgeous detailed art but with enough of the panel left empty or white to keep the image clear.

[@ShadowLordAlistair]

coming from someone who read this weekly on release as a young teen and never again since, knowing the loose info i do. i am intrigued by what your thoughts are going to be for the rest of this series. The way you discuss major and minor plot or character aspects, while providing an easily understandable storyline. you can do all this and yet leave so much for your audience to read and discover on their own. Like with your Naruto review, i had read the story as it was released, and then again after you began yours. the accuracy with which you discuss the finer points of the major plot elements without spoiling the meat that a chapter can give to really bond you to those characters is phenomenal, and the reason i come to your channel.

[@kingQ28]

Hands down to this day the best arc in all of bleach. God I love the Soul Society Arc.

[@strandedshooter9686]

@32:09 Holy crap I never noticed the frown in the reflection of the blade. Your video is amazing, pointing out small details that foreshadow so much, I've read Bleach at least 4 times completely and I'm seeing those small details. Love your videos.

[@SleepyGC]

Ikaku is not a random ranked shinigami. He is the 3rd seat or the seat right before vice captain class. He has the ability and strength to be the vice captain but Kenpachi placed Yachiru in that position and Ikaku did not argue. Not a nitpick just thought it should be explained.

[@jonatasgrolli]

I’m not fluent in english yet but I just wanted to say that I love your content and I can’t wait fot next week’s review

[@WeyardWiz]

7:35 I love how you analyzed such a very minor scene of the crew in the garganta 10:58, 15:00 too much in the background is exactly my issue with OP and naruto manga, specifically OP. 13:40 It's so hard to make out what's happening

[@mw2zorzest]

True, though I can totally see why people would enjoy scrubbing over every detail in a panel too, to me it feels more like a Where's Waldo page than a manga panel, if I have to pause to look over a panel for 4 minutes it often breaks the rhythm of reading the manga personally.

[@atpr3241]

@@mw2zorzest I genuinely get fatigued reading One Piece. I would rather read a real book sometimes lol

[@ningmengcha]

I’m a year late after just starting Bleach and getting through this arc, but I just gotta say that the white background work is my favorite aspect of Kubo’s art so far. He utilizes it so well and knows when to flip it for crazy good effect.

[@erichbauer3991]

That point about blank backgrounds was pretty well explained. Also made me think, do you think you prefer reading manga because anime gives more of that overwhelming feeling that something like one pieces panels evoke? Since anime rarely uses blank backgrounds and is using full colors as opposed to black and white.

[@andrelima4125]

Great video. Amazing analysis. I love how you pick up a lot of foreshadowing details most people don't notice the first time. I think you should also cover the other side of the fights. How facing Ichigo changes or reinforces the opponent's philosophy. How Renji goes from "it's your fault, you should die from stealing Rukia's powers" to "I will leave Rukia in your care, Ichigo". Or how Kenpachi actually goes from "I don't need to know my blade's name, zanpakuto are just tools" to him agreeing with Yoruichi in "it was two against one". Renji is probably my favorite character as i'm watching it for the second time, contrasting the first time when I had really weird opinions about him. Most of the fights in bleach as you said are not just fights but exchanges of ways of life between characters, and this clash of resolves is done masterfully as well as explaining the circumstances that lead these characters to these decisions, making them feel more human and realistic (in universe) than most shonen characters in my opinion.

[@sirmel11]

It's funny that you say that about the school life portion. There was more for that in the manga but they rushed Kubo. He was going to go deeper into the other side characters.

[@yeonbibi191]

As you go, there will a lot to unpack. And just like others I have a huge grin, knowing you theories will be answered as you go along the journey and as your answers become just a pillar of the larger picture what really things are. Looking forward to your future journey with Bleach

[@omegashark1837]

And this was the arc that blew Bleach wide open.

[@pn2294]

I feel like it blew it too much.

[@MaxIronsThird]

nah, that was the Arrancar Arc, which put Bleach over Naruto in SJ for quite a few years.

[@valentds]

@@MaxIronsThird during arrancar, naruto was were? start shippuden? strange, i loved jiraya and itachi's part

[@Rynjinivar]

@@valentds That was during the Chuunin Exams so I don't know what crack he's smoking. Bleach was often unable to crack the top 5 (hell, it was struggling to crack the top 10 in 2001 and 2002) in popularity rankings at that point in time, much less surpass Naruto which was consistently top 3 around then. You and @Maxi Iroh can check the archives if you doubt me.

[@askingparkway]

Watching this as someone who has read the whole series is so exciting, I will not spoil anything for anyone, but this has quickly become my favorite review series for your channel.

[@KalaamNozalys]

I feel like the weird line at 21:00 could simply have been reworded like "You really mean to say that a captain wouldn't have noticed their spiritual energy disappear ?" and would feel more natural

[@kurosakikun96]

Yeah honestly it's a weird line and situation, from the outside it is clunky exposition, but on the other hand Ichimaru is the type to play dumb unless you throw that kind of thing at him, at least in the persona he's using during this section of the story

[@Bluebedo]

It could have... had it been any other character in the room at that point in time delivering the line. For the character that delivered it? It's so in-character that it hurts seeing how blatant of a clue about that character it was in hindsight. It's rather ironic, actually. Bleach drops a ton of hints that are blatantly obvious, "How did I miss that?!" moments in retrospect.... but that when you first encounter them seem like mistakes, poor writing, or completely inconsequential/useless details... and unless someone does go back and look at it again after having seen the whole picture? They won't ever realize those seeming "mistakes" weren't errors at all.

[@Karma-pq9fi]

@@Bluebedo Kenpachi for example after his fight with Ichigo says he named Yachiru after the person he admired but it seems like a throwaway line until you know what more. And it’s such amazing foreshadowing with the name and Yachiru also relating to his swords name and idk that whole connection is just amazing. Like it’s a Kenpachi theme that builds upon itself from hundreds of chapters before.

[@KalaamNozalys]

@@Bluebedo It's true that coming from him, that's in character

[@SilverStarSong7]

I'd love a side video where you go over EVERY theme and how it relates to those characters, or music in shows in general

[@songokuyt8083]

It's only a few months ago that I've picked up Bleach via the anime instead of the manga and my experience with it was somewhere in the middle. It was neither great nor bad and unfortunately it did not have that big of impact on me like other animes did. Yet as someone who likes to draw a lot, I still come back to it because I really like Kubo's style. With the anime coming back, I think I'll start over with the manga this time to have a better experience because I know it has the potential to do so!

[@trelos7431]

For me the manga is better except the last arc as it is rush, but the last arc anime would clear things as from the trailer there are scene that never happen in the manga

[@_ph4nt0mzz_47]

Bruh. The advice I would give you is go back and reread bleach from the start even if ur only skimming thru the chapters, just to see what u missed in terms of censorship and little details here and there that the anime missed/failed to shed enough light on. Then id advise you to read all of TYBW but still stay tuned for the anime since Kubo himself said that there would be additional CANON fights/content that would grace the anime that he otherwise was not able to add to the manga due to his (at the time) worsening physical condition and tight time constraints set by Shonen Jump

[@MaxIronsThird]

Bleach is leagues above the recent shonen from SJ like JJK, BC, DS, Kaijuu#8, Boruto or DBSuper, only one that's better is CSM, but i don't like to think of it as a shonen.

[@Karma-pq9fi]

I highly recommend reading it I also watched it years ago I’m reading it for the first time it’s so much better it’s kinda insane to me. I’ve never seen a manga that looks so much better (also better pacing) than a anime since maybe berserk it’s wild. I can see why a lot artists were inspired by bleach I’m not even a artist and it makes me want to draw sometimes.

[@xyz-uj3ie]

The manga is way better

[@brazzer7330]

I love your videos, you pick up on so many things that other people don't, it's quite refreshing

[@Set451]

The Bleach manga is definitely better binged. I remember reading week to week and while you had manga like Naruto hitting story beats and feeling like something happened most chapters, with Bleach it always felt like not much happened every time. To me, it felt like Kubo was wasting pages on huge panels, with a ton of white space, and little dialog. Like he was just trying to make the page count on a project. Going back and reading the complete project is so much more satisfying

[@DullEyes100]

You answered your own question with Ichimaru and that clunky bit of exposition. He's acting so brazenly that he needs to be reminded of something so basic. like someone saying a perp killed himself by shooting himself in the back several times.

[@lfestevao]

20:20 - If he simply had replied "I don't think you should remain a captain if you can't sense spirit energy" would inform the reader and add banter to the scene. Or just said "stop pretending" as a teaser for when later is fully revealed they can in fact sense it.

[@doctoranimationda5491]

Thing is it kinda also established one of the captains personality of being a special type of smart ass who would always show himself off just cause he can. That one line implies he thinks of his friend a moron by bringing this basic fact as a contradiction to the other Captain claim and also shows him being smart ass

[@AlexT7916]

As soon as I heard Mark refer to Yoruichi as "Mr. Cat" I immediately started anticipating his reaction to Yoru's trye form

[@dymaxelmi]

Excellent timing with the trailer coming out

[@OnyxSkyBHS]

The only thing i can say is... I'm so glad you're going into this series blind. It's 100% worth the pay off for the later arcs. I pray no one spoils this for you like they did for other series in the past Mark. Keep on the videos. They are always entertaining.

[@Mathmachine]

I'll be shocked if this isn't just 37 minutes of Mark going "Dat look good!"

[@obinator9065]

Hello.

[@obinator9065]

Bye.

[@vidmanandrew09]

Captain Zaraki is my favorite of the Captains. He gives none and takes none. He just wants to fight, and gets joy when put on the back foot. Makes the euphoria of winning all that much better.

[@thepriorstone4064]

Kenpachi is probably one of my favorite fictional characters ever, he’s just such a monstrous badass

[@Tubemansi]

I wasn't expecting it, but Mark's description and analysis of each characters theme song is my favorite part of this review series! 😁

[@andresperez9301]

Pacing has always been a problem in in the anime, even more than Naruto personally. If you check more than half the total episodes of bleach is filler. Which If avoidable If they tried to pace the canon arc better I felt it could be avoidable.

[@carlosczekalski]

the pacing is okay, definitely preferable to one piece culminating at the dressrosa arc which animated less than a chapter an episode, though I really feel bad about everyone who was watching during the release since they had to wait through the bount arc and others for months.

[@lunaitc]

@@carlosczekalski And then the filler characters insisted on trying to inject themselves into the adaptation of the actual story bits. What a complete disaster of an arc on every conceivable level.

[@thelostone2694]

@@carlosczekalski Bruh you in denial, Bount arc is much better that Boruto, the bad memories just eat you from inside