BLEACH: A Blind Review (Part 4) | Arrancar Arc

[@SirCharles.]

Bleach's aesthetic design is so damn cool.. every character, the weapons/attacks, the hollows, the world, everything. love. it. all.

[@Gohka]

You can really tell Tite Kubo wanted to design clothes. I remember when I first got in to Bleach and I was so impressed that when in "civilian" clothes every character always seemed to be wearing something different. When most other media at the time, the main cast wore the same clothes every single episode/chapter.

[@sanddry738]

The music and sound design adds to it as well. Zangetsu’s theme, the Balla and Cero sound effects, battle themes, etc.

[@dinogt8477]

clown

[@Fulldre]

The main ones sure. The random guy to fight no one knows the name of #43? Not so much

[@DFTNSHEXGRM]

Kubo is the drippiest and sauciest mangaka, hands down.

[@lokidiablo4769]

I think Kisuke's reasoning was more pointed towards making Aizen think Orihime had no value, trying to keep her safe by making her look unimportant and a non issue because guarding her would be incredibly suspicious in Aizen's eyes. Unfortunately when she used her powers to heal Chad Ulquiorra noticed she wasn't actually healing but something else, which then led to Aizen seeing that and making her invaluable to expedite his plans.

[@ayame8095]

This comment probably won’t be seen but Kubo has literally said he got stomach aches due to how badly the anime understood his characters, and after the arrancar saga began he made sure that he saw to making sure there weren’t any changes that were too major, yet even after that there have been many cases of him showing dislike towards the anime’s adaption. However he has been open about how close he has been working on the thousand years blood war anime praising how well it’s been going on the regard of giving life towards his series

[@Ajay-cb2tc]

Adding it to my kubo dictionary

[@ilay_ux]

when was this said? did you read that from an interview? i'd love to read more honestly hoped for some links yall. oh well still thanks for the info!

[@Skilordforever]

@@ilay_ux probably klub outside

[@CipherousOwU]

@@ilay_ux During Anime Expo, there was a short Kubo interview so probably inferred from there

[@ayame8095]

@@ilay_ux what I’m specifically mentioning was on a TBS Radio show with Kubo, while it’s somewhat hard to find the translations so really all I can find on a whim are summaries so here; "As for the anime, Kubo wasn't too thrilled with the changes they made to his script, to the point that it'd give him stomach aches. So he essentially demanded to be sent the scripts so he could correct them as his name is on the product and he wants it to reflect his work”, he also said he was really mad with some changes but I don’t remember the exact ones mentioned Edit: also the praise for the current anime was from the easily accessible interview that was shown right before Official trailer 1, I believe you can find them on Viz Media’s KZbin channel

[@schubert125]

Using the TFS DBZA quote for Kisuke showing up for a fight is unbelievably accurate. Man is an enigma. A chaotic, whacky, hilarious, and entertaining enigma.

[@michielkudova3887]

What sucks is that his original english voice actor is dead, his replacement (Who also voices Gin Ichimaru) was OK. But I feel like he should now be voiced by Nolan north for some reason.

[@michielkudova3887]

Also like the Original delivery of that quote. mark was premature. The best is yet to come, though it hasn’t been animated yet

[@ritacirocavalcante]

totally shoulda used Cell's "Feel the power of TWO HANDS!" or Piccolo's "what if I used TWO hands?" for Kenpachi vs Nnoitra.

[@michielkudova3887]

@@ritacirocavalcante that is true

[@TheBaconShaman]

I can't believe Mark didn't make a comment about Kenpachi using kendo or his "did you know a sword's more powerful if you use both hands?" line. That line and page turn of Nnoitra being bisected is pretty much the one specific thing from Bleach that stuck with me over the years. There's something about that bit of brutal comedy that just stuck where other things couldn't.

[@dullahan_of_light6047]

My favorite special attack in the series. "TWO HANDS"

[@bencarrie4739]

Another interesting part of that bit is it’s foreshadowing to Kenpachi’s arc much later, which I won’t spoil here, so it isn’t just a funny gag but actually plot relevant.

[@YhwachTheAlmighty]

Kenpachi is the most badass character in fiction.

[@patrickbone5993]

I just love that Kenpachi is such a mega-chad that a power up for him is literally just using two hands. It's so based.

[@siegpasta]

@@YhwachTheAlmighty Honestly, one of.

[@anttibra]

About the fights, I think they are mostly more character driven than plot driven events. Like with Rukia's fight, it didn't drove the plot forward, but it was pivotal for Rukia's character. Like you said, in battle shonen fights are moving the story on, but in Bleach many fights are there to explore characters. With Kenpachi Vs. Nnoitra for me interesting part wasn't choreography or the plot, but how putting 2 on the surface similar characters to fight each others highlights their differences. Both enjoy battles and consider themselves the strongest. But Nnoitra feels despair of other beings being stronger than him, while Kenpachi wish for strong opponent. There's no hate in Kenpachi if you're stronger than him, while Nnoitra can't stand anyone stronger or weaker than himself. Kenpachi is the positive aspect of competitive spirit, while Nnoitra signifies the toxic aspect of it.

[@ayaanalam7009]

Thank you

[@ayaanalam7009]

Now I can go to sleep

[@gamehoarder3149]

I think mark needs to see this comment because it’s so fascinating and adds a lot to how bleach structures itself.

[@kapoioBCS]

Exactly!!!!

[@corruptangel6793]

There's an interview at the end of one of the databooks where Kubo states he wasn't happy that Hisagi became so popular in the Soul Society arc because he hadn't shown Hisagi fight yet, he hadn't yet explored who Hisagi is as a character.

[@methos4866]

The music in the anime during the Arrancar arc was just so good.

[@mjf773]

The music completes the Spanish theme of the place so perfectly

[@shay938]

ost #3 is definitely the best one

[@RuneKatashima]

Clavar La Espada and Nube Negra the goats.

[@MaxIronsThird]

Shirou Sagisu GOAT

[@Shalakor]

Yeah, the music made for a great weekly watch. Worth the slowed pacing just to get to hear it more.

[@TANMAC43]

Obviously haven’t watched the whole thing yet, but just wanna say real quick: Thanks Mark, for both getting me into this series and going the extra mile for these reviews!

[@vollied4865]

Glad to here marks enthusiasm has brought another fan into the fold I hope you enjoy your stay :)

[@feveredmushroomHD]

as someone who grew up with bleach, keeping pace with the actual age of the cast this touches my heart seeing this :)

[@gumerzambrano]

Hope you keep watching man!

[@michielkudova3887]

He did not go the extra mile he went half the extra mile. If he wanted to go the extra mile he would look at the filler arcs

[@CharlesTaylor-lo6ol]

Interesting choice not to mention that Kenpachi's power up was to USE BOTH HANDS lmao

[@A2Z2]

Man can’t wait for marks reaction when kenpachi pulls out the third hand and gets a power boost

[@stevencolon1723]

Did anyone seriously expect anything else from Kenpachi lol

[@painvillegaming4119]

@@stevencolon1723 did we honestly expect Kenpachi need it more

[@EpicSteve23]

So they are hard to find nowadays, but back around the time this section of the story had just ended, Aizen's plan was thwarted and Bleach had moved on to its next arc. Kubo began bringing up in interviews and in social media posts that there was a lot of editorial interference in this section as well as everything moving forward. The various captains in particular had become extremely popular characters as a result of the soul society arc, and Kubo was pressured by editors to include them in sections he apparently didn't originally intend. Which I think helps explain a lot of pacing issues we get in the bloat of this story arc, and the following one. Tite Kubo has also stated that Aizen himself wasn't intended to be the main antagonist of the story for as long as he was. There is a lot of interesting stuff to be said about Kubo and his immense frustration with Shonen Jump moving forward from this point that might be interesting to look into

[@purerage7963]

Kinda new to Bleach behind-the-scenes lore, is there any Kanzenshuu-like site where one can read up on all of this?

[@sarafontanini7051]

that actually explains a lot. like why the captains got so much screentime over Ichigo's actual friends (sorry Tatsuki) and why Aizen seemed to devolve as a villain, going from a calculating mastermind to a fucking dumbass whose characterisation is inconsistent.

[@harouin9263]

I feel sorry for kubo. He was so done dirty by the higher ups

[@naproupi]

That's sad, but honestly it happens to most mangaka. TOriyama also suffered from bad editors advice a lot. It's really up to how they are able to stand up to their editors. Oda is known for being able to impose his own conditions despite the editor's advices, only around the start when his manga wasn't popular enough to give him leverage was he forced to do stuff he didn't intended (Shanks's arm, Luffy vs Zorro...ect) Another exemple is Araki who more than once took the risk to talk back to the editors and sometime did the opposite of what he was asked (Stardust crusader being episode focused rather than a tournament arc as they asked) SO even if that's sad for Kubo, the fact that despite his manga being so popular that he clearly had leverage he still caved might show a lack of confidence in himself or his writing.

[@MarkoArillius]

1. Bleach was one of the big 3 by this point. He could have pushed back as other authors did. 2. Kubo still had several of his characters absolutely turn out to be useless and never really mentioned how he did those characters dirty. 3. It is often that people who are failing at something will find others to blame. I do not believe for a moment that he is lying, entirely. I do fully believe there was interference. But for all that Kubo is a great artist and writer, he is also an incredibly inconsistent one.

[@FeintToParry]

One thing the anime excels at is music. Both the openings and OST are amazing.

[@RuneKatashima]

And sadly he doesn't know. There's lots of good songs though. All of Ichigo's themes, most of the Hueco Mundo songs. A lot of the songs I maybe wouldn't listen to but are great for ambience in the story.

[@PublicNemesis]

Dang, I wish mark talked about the "perfection" speech. That ending with all the captains showing up to help Ichigo was my favorite part of the arc tbh.

[@magacofi]

I love that speech danggit. Mayuri's weird af but I really enjoy his quirkiness and a lot of the things he says.

[@magacofi]

I love that speech danggit. Mayuri's weird af but I really enjoy his quirkiness and a lot of the things he says.

[@mercurial3188]

I dont know if you've realised this, Mark; but there is one inconsistency in what you said. All captains and vice captains are nerfed. Coincidentally, Ikkaku is neither, he's the 3rd seat of the Kenpachi squad. So he and Rukia were the only ones NOT nerfed.

[@Karma-pq9fi]

Yeah I can see why people would think Rukia is a Vice captain because she kinda presents herself as one.

[@ChadmasterDante]

To be fair, Rukia and Ikaku both SHOULD be vice-captains. They're already at the power level of VCs, there's just extenuating circumstances 😂

[@RuneKatashima]

@@ChadmasterDante Ikkaku doesn't want the responsibilities and Rukia was held back by her brother cause he didn't want her in danger (and massively failed at that task as well). In case people wanted to know.

[@Karma-pq9fi]

@@ChadmasterDante In Rukia’s case Ukitake kinda already had people who were specifically helpful to him.

[@jacobsunday6561]

@@RuneKatashima he’s talking about being lieutenants, at that point of the story, Yachiru held the lieutenant spot from Ikkaku, and the VC spot of Squad 13 was vacant

[@Tvmasterj]

Something I absolutely loooooove about the match with Grimmjow and Ichigo in Hueco Mundo is that Grimmjow has a point! Ichigo was fully healed, he could’ve grabbed Orihime and left. But he didnt, he stayed to fight. Ichigo may not fully know it but he does like fighting, he wants to be a king like White said.

[@PartStupid]

He is fair. It had to do with honor and what was fair. Grimmjow basically rescued Orihime for him and let her heal him. A bit different then what you are saying IMO. He fought for the same thing he always has, his friends and his pride.

[@unioneye1087]

Shame this never really gets expanded on. Ichigo loses his powers and is sad but the only reason is because he can’t protect people, the fighting enjoyment thing is never relevant again.

[@justinarzola4584]

I really liked grimmjow, a great foil of Ichigo like what renji was in soul society.

[@hyperreality753]

Ties in with Bleach's' broader theme of what it means to be a man, of course we want to fight and rule. Love how this show had the balls to explore that. ​ @Union Eye Spoke too soon.

[@diablo.the.cheater]

I don't get why ppl refer to inner hollow/true zangetsu as "White", White is the name of the hollow that fought Isshin and infected Masaki, true zangetsu and White are two completely different character. After being moved into Ichigo, White no longer exists, this is because what was before White becomes Ichigo. White had no will, only instincts, he was a blank slate much like an asauchi or the soul of a newborn, when White was passed into Ichigo it merged with his soul and became a single soul, in this soul became the soul of the son of masaki and trough normal human living a will developed, this will is Ichigo. True Zangetsu developed because Ichigo's soul was soo much like an asauchi that he imprinted in his own soul like a shinigami does into ana asauchi, this is how true Zangetsu was born, this is the reason why Zangetsu is a carbon copy of Ichigo, Zangetsu doesn't resemble White, Zangetsu resembles Ichigo who is essentially a refurbished White, the reason why Zangetsu gets the horned mask is not because he is White, it is because that is Ichigo's mask, Zangetsu is a mirror reflection of Ichigo. To confuse Zangetsu with White detracts from the point of Zangetsu being the mirror of Ichigo, Zangetsu is not a foreign entity, he is a part of Ichigo born from Ichigo that serves as a reflection of Ichigo, he is what happens when you imprint your own soul instead of a foreign objects like an asauchi. Zan spirits are reflections of their wielders but Zangetsu is even more so due to his formation. I know it gets complicated referring to him when Ichigo's quincy spirit was previously thought to be zangetsu and forwards gets to share the name anyway so it is hard to refer to true zangetsu, but calling him White capitalized is bad as it misses the point of him being Zangetsu and Zangetsu being a reflection of Ichigo. Depending on how you interpret things White either doesn't exist anymore and became building blocks to make Ichigo or Ichigo is a weird reincarnation of White, but Zangetsu and White are not the same.

[@The810kid]

Shippers get so caught up in the shipping wars they forget how great friends and foils Rukia and Orihime are to each other. They compliment each other so well as heroines to Ichigo. Their relationship sort of mirrors Tifa and Aerith in a sense as well as the shipping triangle but atleast but those ladies are both established as love interests to their bright haired big sword boi.

[@terrarionaqu5262]

exactly

[@joxyver]

That’s a very good point. Man, shippers can bring out or straight up be the worst of people. I mean if we think that Sonic shippers are still bad, then we should be reminded that the My Hero Academia fandom exists which sadly from what I was able to see, hopefully it’s like %60 only that are the toxic shippers and shit but if we are realistic, it’s probably like %90

[@lildasir3443]

You're right abt Tifa and Aerith on how they've been established as love interests for Cloud by the way they interact (being flustered, flirting, jealous) unlike bleach where I personally feel like rukia was never really a romance option for ichigo. She always felt more like wise close friend/mentor. Heck nel and riruka showed more romantic feelings towards ichigo than rukia ever did.

[@debrachambers1304]

*complement

[@azeem1597]

21:27 Ikkaku WAS fighting at his limit. The Gentei Kaijou is a seal that is only placed on Captains and Lieutenant level soul reapers when they're sent to the World of the Living. Ikkaku is a 3rd seat at this point of the story.

[@MaxIronsThird]

It's not Captain/Vice "LEVEL", you can be VC level but not be a VC, like Ikkaku, Yumichika and Rukia. It's about your post, are you #2 or up, then you don't get to go to Earth without a seal. That way you don't need to "measure" someones' power and ponder if they should have a seal or not, just go by their Squad position, which the stronger Shinigami will probably be on top, that way you do lose some accuracy but don't have the trouble of measuring people to put seals on. PS: Also there is no such thing as Captain or Vice-Captain level, the only pre-requisite that exist is for Captain, and it's just "must have bankai", other requisites are just other Captains opinions of you, that's how VC and Captains are chosen. PS2: Squad 11 doesn't have the Bankai pre-requisite, bc the seat positions are always open for contest, including the Captain seat.

[@azeem1597]

@@MaxIronsThird well yeah, I worded it poorly, but you don't have to write an essay over it lol. Rank would've been a better choice of word than level.

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@azeem1597 I got caught in it, trying to explain why saying level would be wrong.

[@cosminpislariu4540]

@@MaxIronsThird except there are multiple characters in both the manga and anime that reference “captain level reiatsu”. So there is such a thing as “level”, at least when talking about powerlevels. Hell, Ukitake mentions a “captain level reiatsu” when ichigo appears on the bridge for his first rematch with Biakuya, and this is before he unlocks bankai. The fact that bankai usually also equates to high reiatsu is just a streamline method of selecting Captains

[@cosminpislariu4540]

@@MaxIronsThird except there are multiple characters in both the manga and anime that reference “captain level reiatsu”. So there is such a thing as “level”, at least when talking about powerlevels. Hell, Ukitake mentions a “captain level reiatsu” when ichigo appears on the bridge for his first rematch with Biakuya, and this is before he unlocks bankai. The fact that bankai usually also equates to high reiatsu is just a streamline method of selecting Captains

[@Karma-pq9fi]

Rukia’s fight is one of my favorites in this arc it’s so creepy and how Kubo does it really well done. Like for example aareniro attacks her so you would think “okay it’s over he’s not kaien” but then he twists it to kaien wanting to kill her because she killed him. I like that it shows how 1. Shows how smart some arrancars are and 2. It’s kinda of a twist in another twist or subversion because at that point some people would still think it is kaien. Because of course if someone killed you you would want revenge back that’s justified and especially in Rukia’s mind she would think that’s the right thing to do.

[@Rynjinivar]

The fight with Aaroniero is probably the best fight in the entire arc (and one of the best in the series), both thematically and in terms of the fight content itself. It's one of the few in the arc that don't feel like complete filler.

[@WeyardWiz]

What I dig about uryu here is that he doesn't turn into another sasuke, instead hes just his self. He helps ichigo and even soul reapers, forming his own perspective rather than carrying a generational burden. Even ryuken is not vengeful lol In other words, it doesn't pave the way for a repetitive shonen cliche, instead kubo made it his own unique way

[@gilbertoflores7397]

thousand year war arc?

[@WeyardWiz]

@@gilbertoflores7397 What about it

[@gilbertoflores7397]

@@WeyardWiz the quincy revenge, uryu following the generational hate.

[@WeyardWiz]

@@gilbertoflores7397 No he didn't lol He was confused what to do, but in the end he never turned against ichigo lol

[@Hel7hero]

@@WeyardWiz was gonna say dude must have not finished reading lol

[@Cap7070]

I agree the instant transmission back to base was def a soft reset of the arc but just to play devils advocate, it shows how unbothered Aizen was the entire time this was happening. He didn't care who was coming or how much "progress" they made because his top Arrancars are just THAT good in his eyes. Aizen the unbothered lmaoo

[@ossimpossum691337]

And even his top arrancar are insects in comparison to Aizen, he is just toying with everybody

[@gandolf535]

seeing Chads new power, I always imagined his powers turning into his legs and eventually his whole body turning into different abilities.

[@magna7446]

I was really looking foward to Mark talking about the battle between Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo, they are my favorite introspection scenes in the whole series

[@timokampwerth1996]

I think you've had a slight misunderstanding. Regular Hollows can "clump" together to form a Gillian. IF there is a personality among those Hollows that's strong enough, there is a chance it can retain that personality when turned into a Gillian. Of those, SOME can turn into Adjuchas and of those, a select few MIGHT become Vasto Lorde. And no, you haven'T seen her fight since the first Episode. There's the Parakeet episode where she's using Kido but D-Roy is her first genuine fight as she was highly distracted in Episode one.

[@gonzalomontanez7209]

I think one of the reasons I'm so fond to the Arrancar arc is that as a Mexican/ Spanish speaker I really loved how the names of the characters/powers/settings/etc. Were in Spanish (also I love that Chad is part Mexican) I was so used to watch anime where the names of those things were in Japanese (obviously) and English It may be a silly reason but it really warms my heart

[@micahsouza8016]

I really liked that too man. As a half Mexican I was like 😮

[@SemekiIzuio]

Yup its pride for our country, hispanic here. It's nice to get acknowledged there are other culture languages outside of Japanese/English. But hell TYBW being German is a nice nod to Kubo for doing more culture. Such a shame the circumstances didnt allow for more exploration

[@JoshQwerty]

I may not be hispanic, but i also really appreciated the diverse cultures that were implemented into the show. Also I don't know if you realized, they also had hispanic music and names for characters based on hollows, German music/names for Quincy, and Japanese Music/names for the Soul Society!

[@TheREALHugo4]

​@@micahsouza8016 Still proud to this day.

[@micahsouza8016]

@@JoshQwerty the way Kubo wove the different influences in was pretty impressive!

[@facethefacts8721]

I've always seen the length of the side characters fights building up their character, rather than being a distraction from the main cast, it's why so many people have so many different favorite characters. They get long and detailed (some obvious exemptions) fights that also have backstory and flashbacks written in just to develop them as individual characters.

[@pedr0pabl014]

I love the chapter where orihime says good bye to ichigo so much. my wedding vows are loosely based on them. (Don't tell my wife, she thinks all the sappy things I say are all original)

[@arakakishinigamich.8859]

Lol based

[@JonathanRiverafrickinnice555]

LOL, sick

[@stygy9929]

weeb

[@DeadBaron]

Lol neeeeerd!

[@TyshawnGreen]

That's fire haha

[@jayDee92133]

I like the Arrancar arc more than the Soul Society because of the storytelling, Ichigo's international struggles within himself over the how he is losing control of himself, and just the amazing battles. Can't wait till he gets to turn back the pendulum and terror above the dome.

[@RockinAfr0]

Thank you Mark! Bleach is the first anime I have ever watched and it holds a lot of nostalgia and sentimental value because of that. But since then I have moved from anime to manga as my prefered format and I've started reading the Bleach manga to catch up before the anime comes back next week and I love it!! Thanks for rekindling my love for a childhood favorite of mine!!

[@loganhayse8771]

Surprised Mark didn't like Szayelaporro's fight. Szayelaporro basically one ups every trick and new ability introduced by our heroes and forcing them to fight with limiters and having to get creative with what they have. It also shows some exposition on how Las Noches and Aizen's army works as well as basically how capable their military science and how monstrous they can be (ex. Szayelaporro eating Lumina) despite being human in form.

[@robertsalisbury6885]

I am at about the 30 min mark, and can I just take the time and say, I LOVE how he makes this black and white comparison at this point without knowing what is to come. It just gives a whole new set of appreciation to Kubo's work and this creators ability to look deeper into what the author is trying to say / make you feel.

[@lucasmoneta1453]

Dear Mark and Mr. Editor, Thank you!!! ❤❤ I LOVE BLEACH and you guys making such a big effort to give us such a high quality and fast given videos. These bleach reviews are my favourite things of the month

[@Set451]

It's so hilarious to watch these and see Mark's predictions knowing what the end result is

[@alfa01spotivo]

@@swallow_skyla3602 not really. Its still good Most people clown it because of youtubers

[@corruptangel6793]

I particularly loved his prediction that Orihime would be the one to pull Ichigo back from his complete loss of control and fall into hollowdom. The fact Kubo had Orihime be the one to put Ichigo INTO that situation and used Ulquiorra to get him out is somehow even more perfect and I'm excited to see Mark's reaction/opinion and if he'll reference his original theory.

[@stephenb9510]

@@swallow_skyla3602 i have a feeling, since his not a spastic and can actually read into things and understand foreshadowing. He'll still enjoy the ending.

[@dinogt8477]

ye

[@ProfessorZoom2140]

@@corruptangel6793 Like you said, what Mark predicted is the opposite of what's actually going to happen. But wouldn't that make for a great twist for him? At the time, that moment took everybody by surprise, and it was awesome!

[@sephonium]

Ikkaku and Rukia weren’t nerfed, as it was said back in the ss arc only captains and lieutenants get a restriction mark while entering the world of the living.

[@sarthakarora3212]

No, shinigami that are at least that level get one. Seat number matters not

[@SardonicVida]

@@sarthakarora3212 he’s correct ikkaku and rukia didn’t have the limiter

[@SardonicVida]

@@sarthakarora3212 also the manga does specify LT and Captions only get the limiter

[@coolboy02161]

They weren’t nerfed they were just way weaker than above captain level characters

[@sarthakarora3212]

@@SardonicVida The entire point of the limiters is to prevent powerful soul reapers to prevent from affecting the world of the living by their presence alone, it matters not what position they hold.

[@AliceRose019]

Hey Mark, I don't know if you will ever read this, but there are some things I wanted to talk about in regards to this arc and about Shonen Jump and the issues Kubo had with the editors. I figured this is the best time to talk about it, as you know, editors have a lot of power when it comes to the mangas being published. One thing was how an entire mini arc was cut from the beginning of the arc after entering Hueco Mundo. Its ended up being cut entirely, but added in the anime through a filler arc. If you have the chance, watch the "Forrest of Menos" arc in the anime, because it does go over some more world building of Hueco Mundo. Secondly, the part you had issues with involving the captains helping Ichigo and having lack luster fights is something that was forced in by the editors. They were never meant to show up in that segment at all, and while I think Kubo managed to handle the fights well enough and use them to explore the characters in ways that will be expanded upon later, it was still forced in just to have fan-favorite characters show up randomly. Again, I don't know if you'll ever read this, or if anyone else has mentioned it yet, but I figured I'd bring it up anyway. Love your videos, and I can't wait to see the next one!

[@synysterpain]

Well now I'm curious how they were meant to defeat 8, 7 and 5 without the captains showing up there

[@Litman23224]

I’m genuinely curious about the editors forcing him into writing that section. Do you have a source I could look at for that?

[@toddstone230]

@@synysterpain same

[@namoma4922]

@@synysterpain I think you could write them ganging up on them and pulling off an hard win. The lower ranked espada outright no selling all they could do sounded a bit much to me If you re super daring kill some of them but that kubo let his kill count low to better rise it for the final arc They could have retreated, licked their wounds and went again after being healed Alternatively they could have focused on their objective: retrieve orihime and get out: They don't necessarily have to win, they just have to stay alive and bring everyone back

[@joewalsh4713]

@@synysterpain 8 and 7 could have been delt with in the Karakura town invasion. 5 could have been used to foreshadow the Bookmark Fulbringer inserting his influence on Ichigo's life so we could have an "Oh Shit, that was Him!" moment when he drops the facade later on.

[@MademoiselleRed1390]

Oh Mark, not only Grimmy is your favourite boy too but you had a change of heart about Orihime as well. I'm so proud I could cry T_T

[@bubbletea7029]

I'm actually crying that I pressed like button repeatedly

[@justaotter2085]

Oh my god Grimmy as in grimmjow I initially thought of yammy from that name XD

[@MademoiselleRed1390]

@@justaotter2085 Lol sorry, it's just that Grimmjow can be a hassle to write. Back then using Grimmy was a bit more common than now. I can see people being thrown off by it more now.

[@justaotter2085]

@@MademoiselleRed1390 Sick ! Fandom lore

[@Diox990]

I'm glad to see Ikkaku getting some recognition. I also tho he was going to be forgotten or just not relevant after his introduction but during this arc he became one of my favorites. He's just so cool and his bankai looks awesome!

[@xanderfulton3186]

Mark at the start of the Substitute Arc: “Oh boy, here we go.” Mark at the start of the Arrancar Arc: “Oh boy, here we go!

[@linkinlovprk]

Mark at the beginning of the Fullbringer Arc: "Oh boy.... here we go?"

[@xanderfulton3186]

@@linkinlovprk hard disagree. For its flaws the fullbring arc is so important to Ichigo’s hero journey. He has what he wanted in the second chapter. He’s lost his powers, he doesn’t have to fight. He can just sit back and enjoy his life as a normal human. But he can’t. His eyes have been opened to the other world, to the danger. And he can’t stay away anymore. He has to stand up. Has to fight. Has to do something because he knows the danger is out there. The journey changed him, and he can’t stay away. He’s a hero now.

[@Karma-pq9fi]

@@linkinlovprk Fullbringer arc starts with Ichigo depression tho.

[@linkinlovprk]

@@xanderfulton3186 its entirely possible that on a reread i would enjoy it more, i just know that I was reading bleach as it came out and that was the arc that made me throw in the towel. Im not going to pretend I understand the nuances or even the general theme of the arc at this point as I haven't read it in what... 10ish years? There's loads of arcs in other manga that I've revisited and found that I really enjoy once the story is complete and coherent and im not waiting week to week for the next chapter. Maybe I'll go back and check it out sometime :)

[@TheBaconShaman]

@@xanderfulton3186 I got so hyped for a new story direction just before the start of the Fullbring arc. I remember chatting with friends about rotating the main character to Ichigo's sister and having Ichigo take on a more supporting mentor role. But then that didn't happen and we got more of the same. I ended up dropping Bleach after the Fullbring arc when I realized the story would not again fundamentally change the way it had with the Soul Society arc.

[@nayeemhassan9189]

Nice video Mark. Only things missing in your analysis were Mayuri's Perfection speech and Grimmjow questioning Ichigo's motive to come to Hueco Mundo whether to fight him instead of saving Orihime highlighting inner hollow ichigo's desire. Looking forward to your new video.

[@Upsilon1984]

Everytime Mark uploads a BLEACH review I just get more and more hyped.

[@TheREALHugo4]

So now we have to wait 2 more weeks for the manga.

[@collecter343]

Really liked Mayuri's speech about perfection, man maybe all kinds of messed up but that piece of dialogue is one my favorites in all of anime.

[@MajilBo]

I think the judgment on Urahara not being consistent is a bit harsh, maybe it comes from not yet knowing his background. I honestly think it's not out of character, maybe not his best call, but still believable. Your opinion feels more in hindsight than actually considering Urahara POV at the moment he made the call

[@antonioauditore1877]

Just so you know, the reasoning for how each espada act will be revealed later on. It will make a lot more sense for their being and powers, even the names of their releases symbolise that.

[@Manganization]

Nelial's comment about Instinct will make a lot more sense too.

[@Ango825]

I really love these reviews Mark. Specially the effort you put into understanding the characters, dynamics and plot elements each moment has. It has become also very entertaining to watch this comment section, filled with different perspectives, interpretations and ideas that all are very interesting. It surely makes something obvious for me: Bleach is not a "simple", "basic", "repetitive", "empty", lacking of interesting characters, etc etc., as many have said in the past, story; Bleach works with interesting ideas and decisions that, while not always amazing, start discussions and debate among its consumers, which I think is awesome. I feel like it reflects more how many people had no idea about the series and were just repeating something they heard somewhere or fallaciously created themselves.

[@Ango825]

@@jorgeporras9262 I appreciate your take, at the end of the day, I do know other people that have also said the same, so It definitely is about taste, which I know is a kinda lame and obvious point to get to, but I think its real. I say this because, as Mark, I could also see other deeper meanings beyond those "repeating patterns", (that I also was able to identify) . So It goes to show, the interpretation of the anime could either go to a simple "its just a repeating pattern" like you said, or to being able to actually notice more details inside those said patterns, like Mark said (and I also felt watching the anime and a bit of the manga). I think both are valid, as long as you can justify them.

[@changedcj007]

@@Ango825 You should watch DBZimran they really delve into how good bleach is.

[@changedcj007]

@@jorgeporras9262 You should watch DBZimran they really delve into how good bleach is.

[@MungkaeX]

My absolute favorite quote in possibly all media is from these fights. "There is nothing in this world that is truly 'perfect'. Though it may be a rather large cliche, it is still the truth. It is the ordinary people who look up to 'perfection' as an ideal and seek after it. But in truth, what is this idea of 'perfection' truly worth? Nothing. Not a single thing. I detest 'perfection'. To be 'perfect' is to be unable to improve any further. There would be no scope for 'creation', not a single gap in one's knowledge or one's ability. Do you see now? To true scientists like you and I, 'perfection' is tantamount to 'despair'. We aspire to reach greater levels of brilliance than ever before, but never, NEVER, to reach perfection. That is the paradox through which we scientists must struggle. Indeed, it is our duty to find pleasure in that struggle. In other words, the second you allowed yourself to spout a ridiculous word like 'perfect', in truth, you had already been defeated. That is, if you wish to be treated as a scientist." Mayuri Kurotsuchi Chapter 306.

[@GodoMatrix]

I haven't finish the video yet (minute 40 as of now) but it brings me such a nice happiness of nostalgia the way you are describing the events with excitement. I'm so glad the manga has change your perspective about it, but also that you are liking the arcs while you are reading it. As always your reviews are great not just because of the story but because of the comments about the panels, artwork details, etc. Quality content.

[@KalaamNozalys]

I hope we'll see a comparison of Kubo's artwork between the early chapters and the later ones. It's so impressive

[@ethancowan3431]

Finally some give this arc a chance and shows what it truly is. It’s own thing. It’s my favorite arc in the series and I love it so much

[@ethancowan3431]

And grimmjow is my favorite character. Love his design his personality his development. God such a great character

[@chasinghaze0962]

Arrancar saga is my fav too. It has its down moments but the high moments are so damn high.

[@thecapn3560]

I watched the anime in highschool but last year I bought the series and read it. All the way up to aizen, I couldn’t get enough. I was powering through. Then the last 20 books it felt more and more like a chore. Oh and the first 20 books was probably my favorite read of any manga.

[@ethancowan3431]

@@thecapn3560 yea that’s when kubos health problems were getting bad and he was constantly getting rushed. That’s why I’m glad the anime is back cause kubo and the studio are working to make blood war ark good

[@TheGekko135]

Aside from some predictions we all know the outcome of, I feel Mark is really nailing this one. He's giving it a lot of fair criticism and honestly enjoying it a lot more than some people I would speak with during the time the chapters were releasing weekly. I remember so much criticism, especially during the fake karakura arc. But looking back at bleach, the character designs, the pacing, the action. I feel it's solid and definitely deserves its position of the big three at the time

[@PartStupid]

Glad you love it! This was my first anime and I still love it all these years later. Another that splits the fanbase is some like the first arc only and love to say it went downhill after that, glad you agree it actually got better as I think that as well. The Arrancar Arc is by far the best IMO so far.

[@cianthompson966]

HUGE respect for the hour and a half video, props to mark and his awesome editors and people working on this video… Great job guys!! 🇮🇪🎉

[@robertchitty3603]

Man you have no idea how excited I was even I saw this notification. I love watching you unravel the story, really takes me back to my first read/watch through.

[@Zactoshi]

Crazy! I just finished watching the Arrancar Arc lol

[@oxcare5]

Interesting to see you here Zac.

[@ayaanalam7009]

Yo what . So why don't you do anything other than Pokemon

[@jacksonfougeron7438]

Mark’s editor truly pushed himself, especially hinted at 45:59. You did a wonderful job, take a break you deserve it and drink lots of water!

[@jaeger2780]

>Seeing as ichigo can absorb Reishi like Uryuu can It's a surprise tool that will help us later

[@robinhoodproductions5102]

I did NOT catch that little bit of info the first time I read it but wow Kubo is master at foreshadowing

[@supermancyWON]

Wait has Mark not said a single thing in relation to the Hogyoku? the reason Aizen set up Rukia's execution? the item allowing Aizen to speed up the hollow's ability to gain Soul Reaper powers? I really hope it's brought up next video then

[@Lozak]

my theory is that mark doesn't really care about what the story is trying to deliver, but about what he wants from the story instead, similar thing happened with hxh, not his fault, he just enjoys stories in this way

[@streetgamer3452]

@@Lozak ok but that’s kinda undermining the story.

[@RzK_venger795]

@@streetgamer3452 Well, tbf, the Hogyoku is such an uninteresting OP plot device that didn't got a way deeper treatment and approach than it really got at the end so...

[@streetgamer3452]

@@RzK_venger795 hardly, and either way it’s part of the main plot for Aizen so actively choosing to ignore it means you’re actively not even trying to engage with the story which isn’t good when you’re reviewing something

[@lemnoo]

*I am anime-only* I never thought that orihime was as annoying as others saw her. When I was watching bleach, I felt that she was the most relatable character in the series for me. Her powerlessness but the strive to become someone worthy was always what made me like her, not just that, her struggles (mentally) made her seem such a strong character by how she dealt with them. I know that being anime-only means I miss out a lot of what the manga tried to, but I feel like I understood the character that the creator of the series tried to convey.

[@omnid.slayer7244]

it's interesting how the espada is formed and how replaceable they are, look at grimjaw losing his arm and also losing his rank as an espada,but luckily for him orihime quite literally resurrected his entire hand(that's way beyond the power of healing,well no wonder aizen wanted her power) and grimjaw getting his rank back.

[@Reshapable]

Not to disagree necessarily but at this point we've literally seen Kurotsuchi reform his entire body. Showing that bringing back the hand isn't even remotely close to being beyond the level of healing. Doesn't matter if it only worked because this and this, the point is it was accomplished without Orihime's power and thus achievable through more mundane means. What happened wasn't what mattered, it was the way it happened.

[@andrellnogueira]

Yeah, Grimmjow's situation really proves that Aizen only made the espada to kill time while he perfected someone tô counter Yama, and because he didn't want to bother fighting the other captains.

[@R0-83-RT]

I believe it's implied the Espada as an organization existed before Aizen's take over. Hence why we see former Espada and Aaroniero Arruruerie who was the last member of the first generation of Espada. Most of the first generation probably weren't Arrancar though since that only started happening on a wide scale when Aizen entered the picture. I would assume the first generation of Espada were probably King Baraggan's royal guard or something akin to that.

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@R0-83-RT Nope, there weren't Espadas before Aizen, there was only the King of Hueco Mundo, Barragan, and his minions(none of which were Arrancars), ruling everything, there wasn't any order. Aizen is the one that introduced the Espadas, the older Espadas are just the first ones he experimented on with the Hougyoku, that's why we have Privaron Espadas, they're Espadas that lost their post bc stronger Arrancars came along, naturally or created by Aizen. #103, #105, #107, Aroniero, Szael Aporro, Noitora, Nel, Barragan, were among the first Gen Espadas. PS: Aizen was making Arrancars in Hueco Mundo, with his proto-Hougyoku for years, before the SS arc.

[@EdBurke37]

Having read this arc week to week I can say that for me it was a rollercoaster going from hype moments of "oh shit it's Kenpachi/Byakugan/etc" highs to "why is this still going" lows.

[@JayPoole1986]

Yeah this is where the series fell apart for me. Too long, too repetitive, but there were some good moments.

[@gilbertoflores7397]

I didn't mind it around this time, but I had that same dread, reading the fullbring arc, like why is this so long. I even stopped reading for months because I knew I wasn't missing much or would be better to bank up a few chapters and reads all at once to enjoy it a bit more.

[@enderalex]

1:06:32 ulquiorra killed him, orihimes power is just that insane. You can see orihime reviving menoly when grimmjow goes to capture her

[@chasinghaze0962]

He doesn't kill him completely. he himself says that iirc

[@gabrieldossantos1116]

@@chasinghaze0962 I mean if you have a hole in your chest it surely *will* kill you even if you survive the initial blow lmao but yes Ulquiorra purposefully didn't smash his skull or something definitive like that hoping he would be back

[@SwfanredLotr]

Pretty sure that first time Ichigo only lost concious and he truly died at his second fight against Ulquiorra in his Segunda Etapa.

[@shiroufan5401]

Honestly everyone there was lucky he was revived so quickly the first time or they would have had to deal with White early and that would’ve ended with the espada all dying.

[@piotr7805]

I really love you're making those videos after Chad memes and music sprouted in collective mind of an internet. It never fails to make me laugh and fits so bloody well! Really love your journey through the last of Big Three, and I cannot even express how good it feels to have things reminded and sometimes clarified. Thank you so much, my dude! (Should've written that comment on Wednesday :P )

[@Banber2000]

I just love White so much. The way he enjoys playing the villain is so much damn fun.

[@SamTheGumMan117]

New characters like Shinji, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra are so damn awesome and the whole Hueco Mundo section with the rescue is such a dope ride to me and wow Orihime is your 2nd favorite character now that's crazy to me

[@bubbletea7029]

Orihime is my second favorite character too

[@SamTheGumMan117]

@@bubbletea7029 That's cool and I like her a bunch too but she's never been top 5 for me maybe top 10 or so

[@barryallen2240]

@@bubbletea7029 She is second best girl, Yoruchi takes first place.

[@bubbletea7029]

@@barryallen2240 in terms of attractiveness Yoruichi takes the throne

[@Karma-pq9fi]

Honestly I don’t know where I would rank orihime on my favorite characters there are so many good ones in bleach but she’s definitely up there for me too.

[@Cloud-dt6xb]

The fight with Syalaporo is probably the biggest sign that Kubo had different plans in mind for Hueco mundo at first, his purpose is obvious and that's to stall the main charachters while he retools how the events of everything unfold. Syalaporo seems like someone that was being built up for Uryu to take down, they seem like perfect foils to each other but then at some point Kubo decided he wanted Mayuri to be the one to beat Sylaporo so that meant that suddenly he's able to block Uryuu's powers as well. In short the whole fight is a mess, there's some cool stuff that happens during it including getting to see Uryu and Renji team up but yeah I get why you had a hart time enjoying it.

[@zed-up]

I am happy that you enjoyed this section overall. The Arrival of Arrancars is easily one of my favourite sections in Bleach that I think most people don't talk about, so thank you for its praise. Your criticisms for Hueco Mundo arc are understandable which I can't relate to that much as I enjoyed almost all the fights in this section. But now I can understand why this arc was not received quiet well during its original run. Anyways, excited for the next part and hope you have a great time overall.

[@alfa01spotivo]

i feel like he's gonna love Turn Back the Pendulum and Ichigo vs Ulquiorra but the rest? I dont know...its gonna be an interesting video

[@MademoiselleRed1390]

Orihime's goodbye is one of, if not the most, romantic scenes in the story. Chef kiss to Kubo sensei. I'm loving how the manga is working so well for you, but this scene in the anime was pretty good too.

[@amadem9803]

There's no way in hell you'll see this but I might as well give my two cents. You describe Aizen's recapture of Orihime at the end as feeling cheap and somewhat undermining of the entire arc. While this is a valid take, I thought it conveyed his absolute control over the entire situation and entire disinterest in handling what was going on. "Intruders? Just throw some of the low to mid level troops at them to slow them down. Grimjow is doing his own thing again? Just grab Orihime and get back to the plan after he finishes his little romp." Aizrn KNOWS whats going on, he just thinks that it's below himself to take any serious measure against it, and when he does it's as brief and simple as taking back the only misplaced piece of his ultimate plan.

[@matthugenberg8869]

Ah yes, when this part happened during my watch of the anime, there was a line that was said by someone to orihime: "The soul society is a safe place!" And my friend instantly replied with "And other lies told by people who know kimpachi"

[@sapher4994]

So the reason why the reishi in hueco Mundo works for uryu and no one else is because as a Quincy he has full control over reishi. They kind of explained it in the soul society arc but they never go into too much detail about it.

[@Manganization]

Quincy powers are also poison for hollows.

[@pgonzalezpaulsen]

Which is also the reason behind why ichigo's powers get boosted so much in hueco mundo

[@SpellboundTutor]

I'm absolutely loving this review series. As someone who quit about halfway through the next arc in this saga (no spoilers, I just listened too hard to popular un-nuanced contrarian opinions when it was current), I've been fascinated to revisit this series vicariously through your review. It's very enlightening!

[@RuneKatashima]

You quit during Karakura town? One of the best arcs?

[@LJ-hk4tv]

@@RuneKatashima I thought it was one of the weakest? How is it one of the best?

[@SpellboundTutor]

@@RuneKatashima Yep. Surrounded by people who think the entire series turned to hell by the start of the Soul Society arc and got progressively worse and worse and I just straight-up couldn't read it anymore. It wasn't until years later that I realized they were just collectively being contrarian for the sake of clout or trying to sound more intelligent than they actually were.

[@primeramarmot101]

@@LJ-hk4tv Probably because that’s when bleach was at its peak sales wise I guess

[@windwalker9800]

mark i gotta say you are the #1 reviewer on the market. all your videos are just top notch. cheers

[@tintillor]

I don't think the difference is only between the anime and the manga. I think it's also a difference between reading it while all is released and reading it weekly. Reading it weekly was absolute hell at some point when there were just 1 attack per chapter.

[@ToddHoward76]

One of the strongest aspects of the manga is actually how good the pacing is. I am able to read it again and again just because of how I tear through it. It has this amazing way of making 10 chapters feel like 3. The only pacing issues are some of the secondary fights in Arrancar and the rushed nature of TYBW (sue in no part to Kubo as he had suffered a fairly debilitating injury), but other than that its a very quick read. While I think thats a strength, I can also see the problems with it. Kubo is really good and foreshadowing and show don’t tell, but if you don’t pay attention a lot of character development might go over someone who skims it head. Its something I really appreciate about his writing. He leaves it up to the reader to figure out what a character actually thinks or feels based on their expression, demeanor, actions, or even their movements. It makes sense why so many people who criticize it call it shallow with the way Kubo tells the story. Me in the other hand, I love it and thats why the manga is so special to me.

[@-Fallen.-]

It Just Works.

[@lileas1468]

I love the Arrancar arc, its the beginning of Bleach's separation between different races articulated very well. Its so cool getting the lore behind rukias fight with the top arrancar. Shit is all just too well put together

[@RhysClark97]

1:55 ok for real she has all this development in the anime too...she was always UNIRONICALLY one of the better characters

[@pn2294]

It felt poorly paced in the anime. Second Half the episode was about Orihime and then first half of the next episode is about Orihime. Then we deal with Chad.

[@ethancowan3431]

@@pn2294 yea I agree just the pacing of the anime back then kinda felt slow. Ik why it’s cause of filler but still doesn’t excuse it

[@Manganization]

@@ethancowan3431 not just filler, the pacing of the canon material was stretched to just a chapter an episode during the Hueco Mundo arc and jokes were prolonged.

[@lo4tr]

It's not so much that her development is lacking in the Anime, rather that it exaggerates Orihime's more quirky aspects and dials back on the more emotional core. It really feels like the show writers were IchiRuki fans, because they take the emotional core that more centered around Orihime and placed it on Rukia. It creates this weird dynamic where both Rukia and Orihime feel really inconsistent as characters, especially early on. I also point to the fact that Uryuu and Chad, despite having changes done to them as well, at least feel like the same character. But Rukia, and especially Orihime, feel almost entirely different to their Manga counterparts in terms of character by the time the Arrancar saga come along to develop them more.

[@NibelungJ]

It's a shame that after this development in the Arrancar arc, Inoue goes to never ever be relevant again.

[@jonathanvincy]

I was definitely a kid when I first consumed bleach. I didn’t read Orihime with the nuance you provided here. It was “he’s badass, let him be badass”. I need to reread Bleach

[@chrissullivan6572]

I look at Rukia's Shikai and Bankai as a representation of her relationship with Byakuya. His name means white night or arctic night. She has a beautiful white blade and it's an ice type. I think it's the representation of the love he has for her his will to protect her.

[@TheChimpPit]

I will say I really appreciate TNM giving Orihime the time of day in this Video. Far too long have people been overlooking her character in this series and I'm happy someone with a voice in the community is speaking about her, in depth, in a positive light, with a fresh pair of eyes. :)

[@nemowindsor8724]

If you want an audience to appreciate a character for her depth, maybe don’t make her an oblivious sex symbol and increase her breast size to a ridiculous degree with every arc, until she can no longer be taken seriously.

[@bubbletea7029]

36:37 that line caught me off guard or is just the editor messing with us lmao

[@alchemicpink2392]

I think the main issue her character runs into is the bloat in between her appearances, some of which due to editorial meddling, and Kubo not sticking the landing during Ichigo v Ulquiorra Round 2 in terms of finalizing her development for this arc.

[@michielkudova3887]

A lot of people do not like her though… For the stupidest of reasons.

[@michielkudova3887]

@Frozen Monster no, not that. (She was actually treated ok in the anime)

[@ZeroGoofs]

I read these arcs as they came out in shonen jump growing up and tbh I always appreciated there being something entertaining happening in every single chapter

[@KalaamNozalys]

The one thing the anime never messes up though: the OST. I really hope the last arc adaptation will give room to address issues in the final bits and really be something all fans can aggree is the best version at least pacing wise.

[@Greenlion_420]

I’ve really been loving seen your look on the bleach series, I’ve always loved everything about bleach. It was one of the first shows I watched all the way and read through multiple times. I love hearing people’s thoughts on stuff, good, bad and the ugly. It’s what makes media so fun to consume. I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts when you finish the series.

[@HollowKonpaku]

Your breakdown of Rukia and Ichigo being the yin and yang of the story is really fun visual representation! In case you didn’t know, the character book SOULs has Ichigo on the cover and the animation book VIBEs has Rukia on it. Put the books side by side and it makes the poem: “Rain drags BLACK SUN down but the rain dried by WHITE MOON” Tite Kubo always has poems in the beginning of his volumes. And they usually give insights into the character’s psyche. To contrast this, the poem attributed to Orihime on her volume cover directly has her wish she was rain which had been poetically tied to Ichigo’s pain. “If I were the rain, could I connect someone’s heart, as the rain can unite, the eternally separated earth and sky?” Shipping in Bleach has always been controversial. I love the dynamic of Ichigo and Rukia. I also really love Orihime’s dynamic with Ulquiorra. I hope to see more of your thoughts and analysis on this topic too!

[@Metalhammer1993]

I know you review the manga but then Inoue says goodbye to Ichigo. The anime needs a shoutout as well. The music the screen composition. Bro I'm just listening to your video while working and I'm tearing up. Episode 141 shows how music and simple visuals can just SHATTER emotions. I'll piss off the Avatar fans but Orihime's goodbye hits harder than leaves on the vine.

[@dimensionkid5921]

I'm also on this arc and this is not only one of the longest arcs I've ever read, but also one of the best. Every single chapter gets more and more exiting/ I might even be able to read fast enough to be done by the release date of its final anime arc.

[@chasinghaze0962]

Bleach is a very fast and comfy read tbh. Not too much dialog and panels flows smooth af

[@alfa01spotivo]

if you're wondering, the final arc starts at chapter 480 so read up to 479 to catch up

[@RuneKatashima]

@@alfa01spotivo It's tough for me, I want to suggest reading TYBW arc as well so they can be hyped about the changes (that arc is also long as fuck) assuming there really are, currently it's just rumors. Or just read it after so you can see why the rest of us were a bit miffed. I really love the narrative when it came out that people said Kubo was satisfied with his manga telling even though he clearly was not lmfao.

[@feister2869]

Why didn’t you talk about grimjow’s backstory 😭😭😭😭 also, this also kinda reinforces my criticisms of your reviews particularly on anime. You don’t talk about the villains too much, at least in anime, we have tons of humanisation efforts, backstories of the villains, their relationships and their personality yet what you cover mostly from what I see is how “menacing” the villain is or how they drive the plot along instead of seeing them as a character, which you replace by covering the main characters perspectives, this was also one of my gripes on you covering the pain arc. Overall LOVED YOUR COVER ON EVERYTHING, I actually started one piece because of your reviews.

[@ZeeonXine]

I'm 55 minutes into the video and just now noticed that, whenever talking about Chad, Bring Me The Horizon's "Can You Feel My Heart" plays in the back. Thank you, Mark, you are a wonderful man for this

[@MALAKHAI00]

Thank you Mark. This is my all time favorite series. Well I’m torn between this and Yu Yu Hakusho. When you talk about it I’m able to grasp more than watching/reading it in my own. And on your own time there is an abridged version of Bleach, it’s pretty hilarious. The channel itself needs more popularity. The channel drops a video every once in a while, and they have been doing an awesome job. Anyways I love your work! Your reviews are fantastic.

[@Karma-pq9fi]

27:41 I never noticed this it’s insane how much subtly Kubo puts into writing and his panels that you don’t notice until you read over and read again. It’s insane how subtly he writes because especially shonen readers will miss the mark hard.

[@chaosblur]

Kubo’s foreshadowing skills are insane.

[@Karma-pq9fi]

@@chaosblur the one where Kenpachi says he named yachiru after the person he admired is the most wild one to me because that’s just a small strip in one panel that seems like a throw away line at face value.

[@Rhekon]

Yup, kubo spells it out for us in plain sight. We then take forever to notice cuz it's secondary to what's happening, and the characters don't talk about it. I personally wanna see Chad and ichigo playing guitar together, with all the same subtlety of ichigo clearly being advanced at self defense due to learning at a dojo when he was younger.

[@mw2zorzest]

I think honestly having fights for the sake of fights isn't always bad, in a war there's not always a unique reason for every skirmish, even less than in this arc. I loved Renji and Uryu fighting together, in the fight we get to see that Renji isn't just an idiot swinging a stick, he actually comes up with strategies and uses tactics to win and isn't adverse to working with someone else, even if it's a quincy. Mayuri showing up in their fight also helps show that to some degree he gained respect for Uryu, even if he doesn't show it directly and that he gained a little more humanity as unlike during his first fight, where he would have left Nemu to die, he revives her instead. Kenny vs Nnoitora is more so eye candy, reminding us how fucking badass he is, though it helps put the real difference between Ichigos power and a strong Captains into perspective and shows that had Kenpachi not been interested in seeing Ichigos power he could have immediately wiped him out of existence, it gives some of the glory back to the Captains, which they lost by losing fights to the main cast in the Soul Society arc.

[@stefanocremonini2656]

Except Ichigo was still stronger than Byakuya and Zaraki at that point. In Bleach exist emotion nerf and Ichigo was heavily struggling thanks to useless Orihime. At real power Ichigo would have oneshoted RELEASED GRIMMJOW AND RELEASED NNOITRA in bankai state+Hollow mask.

[@lulutheotaku6002]

I recently re-watched the anime to refresh my memory before TYBW and I have to agree with the points made in this video about Orihime's character. I was very unimpressed with Orihime as a character on my first go through but slowly watching her progression from beginning to end I really came to appreciate her a lot more. Seeing her struggle with fighting in the Soul Society Arc and the beginning of the Arrancar Arc and then evolving into a motivated character who chooses her path alongside Ichigo was really good. On top of subtle goals she makes for herself - I vaguely remember her talking about wanting to use her powers without incantation and as the series goes she gets better and better at this. Long story short - Orihime's way better than I thought. And I would be interested to see if I liked her character even more if I had read the Manga instead of watching the Anime.

[@TheThrill007]

Thank you Mark. I have been binge watching your review of Bleach today and it really sparked something in me. I was around since the start of the anime movement in the USA but it was Bleach that got me into reading manga. It was always a special series to me. But there was a point that I lost interest and dropped it, never finishing it. I moved on and read other series, forgetting about the time that Bleach ruled my heart. Your reviews have reminded me of why I enjoyed Bleach so much. I'm sitting here thinking to myself how much I loved that fight, how awesome that moment was, how great that character is, and so forth. I remember why I loved this series and now I'm ready to finish it. Thank you

[@HarryPotter-uv8yp]

Speaking to the Urahara-Orihime decision: My take is that Urahara knew or suspected that Aizen would target her. So he told Orihime to stay off the front lines not out of callous disregard for her abilities, but a legitimate concern that the Enemy would try to steal them. Telling the King to get back behind the safety of the Pawns. That said, the miscommunication WAS a fumble. As it should be. Tacticians and strategists of every caliber have made mistakes, including ones like these. Conveying the wrong information to your troops have led to catastrophic events all throughout history. In a way, I feel it humanizes Urahara. He’s a clever fellow, but he’s not a God (despite literally being called a “Shinigami,” ironically).

[@jortharob3406]

Bruh Ikkaku character is so good. HE probably could have beaten Ichigo in their first encounter if he used his Bankai but because he wants to stay under Kenpachi, he never uses it where he knows someone might see.

[@nsampone3]

Possibly. Ichigos power was more inconsistent and had higher ceilings in that arc too. spoiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Soul Society was the only time Ichigo’s inner Quincy wasn’t holding him back. Because, technically, he was fighting Soul Reapers and “Zangetsu”/Ywach was on board. That’s how he overpowered Kenpachi and blocked the sokyouku thst had the power of “a million zanpakto”

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@nsampone3 nope

[@MaxIronsThird]

Ikkaku would've clobbered Ichigo if he showed his Bankai.

[@ilovethelegend]

50:03 This is something that actually really pissed me off in one of the fillers in the anime, where a wound Orihime had healed re-opened as the character who she had healed strained himself. HER HEALING DOESN'T FUCKING WORK LIKE THAT. Orihime's power is the power to Reject. She doesn't stitch a person's wounds back together, she literally undoes the injury by rejecting that it happened in the first place. (As an aside, Orihime's power is actually really terrifying, and we're all lucky that it's on such a cinnamon bun. Girl could probably cleave the world in half if she had the stones for it, and it's not hard to believe that if she so chose, she could completely un-existify someone with her healing bubble.) Anyway, I remember this arc was where I was starting to lose interest in the anime, and I think it's probably because of the similarity in structure to the soul society arc, how *firmly* in the background Ichigo's friends had been placed, and, in the next part, how unbelievably rapid some of Ichigo's powerups are.

[@sirapple589]

I like to imagine Orihime’s healing as just a simple “No =)”. What she says, goes.

[@mamtajoshi60]

🎉ok

[@altermann1991]

The anime did that weird thing where they made a filler arc between the soul society arc and the arrancar arc, but there were actually some filler-exclusive characters that stayed around and were given a small role in the arrancar arc and Ichigo did recall the fight against the big bad of said filler arc during his training with the vizards. So yeah the filler was kinda bad in that you couldn't just skip it without some context. There is also the filler arc after the fight with Ichigo, which is completely separated from the main story, like a movie or tv special.

[@TheSoulreaper4]

I hate the Bount arc! It totally ruined Uryu, and I think he's a great character, but they just gave him temporary power for no reason

[@tomgu2285]

I'm glad that there was filler. In my opinion it made the pacing way better. In one piece anime there is not filler and well..... The pacing is way worse.

[@altermann1991]

@@tomgu2285 Oh I am glad that we got filler episodes instead of just stretching the existing material because otherwise Bleachs pacing would have likely suffered even harder than One Piece. I just wish the filler episodes were more self contained or had made more sense in the context of the story (and I am aware that the huge length of the arrancar story made it difficult to include filler that makes sense in the story, but it was still really weird how we got filler that was completely disconnected from the main story).

[@MyModcraft]

About a week ago my buddy convinced me to try watching the Anime for bleach. I had gotten through like 2 or 3 episodes-Basically until the Chad & parakeet story-and I felt bored by the story. I then out of curiosity decided to see how the manga faired. Everything you have mentioned has matched my experience. While I didn’t entirely read the manga because Shonen Jump has a chapter limit per day and really wanted to continue the story. The Manga is by far way better and easier to get into than the anime.

[@343JustMe]

I absolutely loved that you highlighted the contrast "yin yang" between ichigo and rukias zanpakuto. The soul reaper who changed ichigos entire life

[@d0m0b40]

ya the bleach anime adaptation in terms of art pacing etc doesnt hold a candle. Its great to see your enjoying yourself

[@Matthew_Murray]

Im just really happy to see Orihime get some love in this review. She is so often dismissed as just “the girl/love interest” character

[@nickroscher3968]

At the end of the day, that's what she is

[@changedcj007]

@@nickroscher3968 yikes

[@AndréVilaFranca]

The series gets progressivelly better in my opinion. I'm glad you're liking it. Also nice Blasphemous OST in the background.

[@animagamer2]

This is easily your best video on Bleach thus far, maybe one of the best on your channel as a whole. All of the pacing issues and the frustrating disconnected between what was being discussed and shown are gone, and your writing has only gotten better to boot- everything feels a lot more sharp and connected. I really prefer the style you used more in this video where you give us your thoughts on events as they come. Truly spectacular work, Mark.

[@Time2_Heal]

I love when you use the dog, but the Gundam wing song and the first kill la kill song placement were PERFECT lol even the "this guy" 😂🤣