Book Review: Bleach, Vol 73 by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Vol 73      

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: July 3, 2018

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/208 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Quincy Nakk le Vaar boasts that he can acquire immunity to anything that is thrown at him – but he hasn’t figured on the infinite ingenuity of Kiskue Urahara! Le Vaar, although impressed, has something else up his sleeve, and manages to pierce Kiskue’s eyes . Now, at long last, Kiskue feels he has no choice but to utilize his never before seen Bankai. What can it possibly be?

Hitsugaya is still battling Gerard Valkyrie when Byakuya steps in for the assist. When they see Kenpachi arrive, Toshiro and Byakuya exclaim “Here comes trouble.”  They consider him to be like a bull in a china shop, one who acts first and thinks later. But in this case, his actions might cause the Quincy to grow beyond their ability to handle if they can’t control him.

The final battle is about to begin – Ichigo vs Yhwach!

If this is going to happen, it has to happen soon as the series is almost done at this point. The battle with Hitsugaya and Byakuya against Gerard Valkyrie is monumental, and takes up a great deal of this volume, but it has one unfortunate and unforeseen consequence. No one is safe in this world, alas.

I am happy to say that Uryu is no traitor to his friends, but more of that later. The important thing here is that everything is drawing to a close, and we have one more volume to go! It should be epic!

  

Book Review: Bleach, Vol 48 by Tite Kubo

 

Bleach, Vol 48       

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: October 2, 2012

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/216 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Gin returns to Aizen’s side claiming to have killed Matsumoto. However, Aizen’s no fool, and he realizes Gin wants to kill him, but he just isn’t sure how he intends to do that. But why would Gin want to kill Aizen?

Ichigo has finally returned and is ready to face Aizen. Aizen is disappointed, telling Ichigo he feels no spirit energy from him. “You’ve failed to evolve. You’ve failed to take advantage of the final opportunity I gave  you.” Ichigo tells him he wants to fight him somewhere else, and while Aizen is still voicing his objections, Ichigo has overpowered him and pushed him to another place, shocking Aizen. Suddenly Aizen realizes why Ichigo has no spirit energy… he’s converted it into physical strength.

Is this truly the final battle? How much can Aizen change? Has Ichigo learned the final stage of his bankai, and at what price? And what has Kiskue to do with anything?

This is really it, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The battle of battles between Ichigo and Aizen. And let me tell you it does not disappoint, neither is it clear from the start who will emerge victorious. Naturally, we all hope it will be Ichigo, and of course it is because there still many volumes of this series left to read. Even so, if you don’t know that, it’s very exciting to watch. For the first time, I felt empathy for Gin, even though he has been nothing but a rat in previous volumes. But now all has been revealed, and I actually cried for him, and feel bad for Matsumoto. She actually helped to humanize the snake that was Gin, and when push comes to shove, Gin, we hardly knew ye.

Aizen deserved worse than he got, wonder if we’re through with him. I hope so, I’ve seen enough of him to last a life time. Now life goes on, but for Ichigo it will bring serious changes. How will he handle them? Only time will tell. Wonderful end to the Arrancar arc, looking forward to seeing what is in store for them next!

 

 

Book Review: Bleach, Vol 46 by Tite Kubo

 

Bleach, Vol 46       

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: September 4, 2012

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

The battle between Ichigo and Aizen continues! Ever arrogant, Aizen tells Ichigo he missed his chance to kill him. “That was my last vulnerable moment.”  Then he reveals that it’s not due to super powerful regeneration skills, rather it’s because he has fused with the Hogyoku! Aizen further reveals that he has been watching and controlling Ichigo’s growth and development… from the time he was born? How is this even possible? Ichigo is confused, naturally, as he tries to process Aizen’s words. Flustered, he demands Aizen explain himself. But just as Aizen is about to tell Ichigo something perhaps he shouldn’t, another country is heard from, as Isshin Kurosaki appears, in full Soul Reaper uniform! What is going on here?

Isshin takes on Aizen, leaving Ichigo to deal with Gin.  Ichigo and Gin battle, but their fight spills over and interrupts the conversation Aizen is having with Isshin (or is that lecture?). But suddenly, another contestant enters the arena, none other than Kiskue Uruhara! AIzen is not surprised to see him, having been awaiting his appearance. He accuses Kiskue of being jealous of Aizen’s ability to control the Hogyoku. Uruhara manages to trap Aizen, but he knows that won’t last, and sure enough the villain returns, but he has… changed. What does this portend? And Ichigo is still in the midst of his battle with Gin, who warns him that they have no idea of Aizen’s true powers.

You didn’t think the fight would end that quickly, did you? Seriously? This is an epic battle, and it will not be told in one volume, or even two. The appearance of Ichigo’s father, and the questions that are left unanswered, is mind-boggling. But Ichigo shows an unexpected maturity when he sets his questions aside. “I don’t know how to ask you without being disrespecting you, so I’ll wait.” He has certainly grown since we first met him 46 volumes ago, hasn’t he? Aizen, as usual, has to run his mouth, but this makes for interesting conversation between him and Isshin, who has thrown off his usual doofy mannerisms and reveals himself for who he really is. Ichigo and Gin’s interactions makes for a fascinating read too. And at the very end, a very wounded Matsumoto becomes aware of Gin’s proximity and begins to stir. Guess we’ll see what’s up in the next volume!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Bleach, Vol 8 by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Vol 8              

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: August 3, 2005

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Kiskue Uruhara is training Ichigo so that he can go to the Soul Society and rescue Rukia before she is executed. But Kiskue’s tests are… well, something else. In fact, some might call them extreme. This one is called encroachment, where the chain Ichigo is attached to at the bottom of a deep hole begins to devour itself. If they get too close to Ichigo, they’ll devour him. If he doesn’t get out of that hole within seven days, he’ll become a Hollow and they’ll have to put him down!

Meanwhile, Mr. Yoruichi, the talking cat, is training Orihime and Chad to prepare them to accompany Ichigo to the Soul Society. But so far results haven’t been the best. The feline tells them to remember what was going on when their powers first manifested, who did they want to protect.

Jinta and Ururu think Ichigo is transforming and want to dispatch him, but Kiskue bids them to wait. Ichigo finds himself in a strange place with a strange man in black, who tries to get Ichigo to realize who he is. A figure is seen emerging from the shaft, but is it Ichigo or a Hollow?

For the third test, Kiskue tells Ichigo to knock his hat off. Sounds simple, but nothing is every truly easy where Mr. Hat-and-clogs is concerned!

Back in the Soul Society, Byakuya pronounces sentence on Rukia, who seems resigned to her fate. 

Afterward, he is approached by two of the other captains—Gin Ichimaru of 3^rd Squad and Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Squad. (An odd couple, indeed)

Ichigo is finding that it’s not as easy to knock off Kiskue’s hat as he imagined. Will Uruhara really kill him if he gets the chance? Or is that just a part of his training technique?

And where is Ishida? Why isn’t he training? Or does he really intend to stay out of this?

And what the heck is the Wall of Koryu, and just how dangerous is it?

This volume of Bleach is all about Ichigo and his companions preparing themselves to enter the Soul Society and rescue Rukia, a daunting task at best. There are so many questions that need to be answered! One advantage of reading the manga, even while watching the anime, is that the manga sometimes explains things I wondered about. Like how all these people stand around in the middle of the air as though they were on solid ground. Zangetsu explains to Ichigo that it is the reishi floating in the air that coalesces and allows the Soul Reapers to apparently stand on nothing. Good to know!

Kiskue Uruhara is a very strange and unusual character. The mysterious shop owner must have more to him than we can see, considering the powers he displays when training Ichigo. Who or what is he? Sorry, gotta wait for his backstory. Same with the talking cat.

With Bleach, never assume that what you see is what you get. Or that people are what they seem. I’ve been fooled by that before. More than once. This volume has a lot going on, but there are still questions.

How can Byakuya be so calm as to accept the execution of his sister? Why is she so resigned to such a fate? There has to be more to it than this. I believe, even when this situation is resolved, that the truth goes far deeper, and that even as far as I am in the anime, I don’t know everything. But I have my suspicions, which it’s too early to share. Let me just say that I believe everything happens for a reason and nothing is coincidence.

Another great volume of Bleach, looking forward to the next one!

Book Review: Bleach, Vol 5 by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Vol 5          

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: February 2, 2005

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

When Ichigo first encounters the Quincy, Uryu Ishida, the oblivious Ichigo is totally unaware that Ishida is in his class. In fact, he’s top of the class. But not only is Ishida aware of Ichigo, he knows that the substitute soul reaper is following him home. Ishida challenges Ichigo to a game to decide who is superior—a Quincy or a Soul Reaper. Meanwhile, Rukia has gone to see the shady shopkeeper, Kiskue, to see if he knows anything about a Quincy.

Ishida proposes to draw Hollows to the area and then see who can kill the most, but Ichigo is against this idea, as it will put the people of Karakura in danger. But it’s too late, the heedless Ishida has already dispersed the Hollow bait and they are beginning to converge. Then Ishida drops another bombshell—Hollows are drawn to anyone with any spiritual energy. As Ichigo races toward his home, Ishida thinks they aren’t the only ones close to Ichigo who possess spiritual gifts.

Ichigo sends Kon to retrieve the phone from Rukia, who is still at Uruhara’s store. She suddenly starts to receive Hollow reports, but they end almost as soon as they begin. What’s going on here?  When her phone begins to blow up, she realizes something sinister is going on.

Meanwhile, Chad senses something shimmering and he knows it isn’t good, so he tells his friends to run before he punches it.  He decides to lead the thing, whatever it is, to a vacant lot where he can fight without hurting innocent bystanders. There he encounters Ichigo’s sister, Karin, who is practicing soccer. Oddly, she seems to be able to see the creature that is following Chad, although her teammates cannot. She yells at them to go away. Maybe, if she and Chad team up, they can do something about this creature.

Chizuru and Tatsuki constantly vie for Orihime’s attention, and Chizuru makes no bones about her attraction to her. Suddenly Orihime announces she wants to hurry home to watch a TV show, but the truth is she’s seen something on top of the school building and is trying to get her friends to safety. This doesn’t work, to her dismay, and she finds herself facing the strange creature. But she is about to discover powers she was unaware she possessed.

In this volume of Bleach, we are getting a better grasp of who’s who in this world, and their growing importance to Ichigo and the story. Bleach is full of hilarious moments, and this volume is no exception. I love Kubo’s sense of humor, as well as the diversity of his characters. There is a lot of action as the people Ichigo cares about find themselves in peril. Although I do prefer watching the action scenes in the anime, they are still fund to look at in the books.

Another great volume, looking forward to more of the same.