×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
REVIEW: Bleach GN 8




Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Becki_Kurosaki



Joined: 30 Sep 2005
Posts: 19
Location: New York, NY
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:02 pm Reply with quote
I've been reading through the forums here for a while, but I finally decided to get an account so I could post here because I wanted to point out that you've mis-spelled one of the character's names. It's Rukia, not Ruika.
By the way, as you can probably tell by my screenname (Kurosaki= Ichigo's last name), I'm a huge Bleach fan. ^^
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
bahamut623



Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 1463
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:10 pm Reply with quote
Well, he was right about this one not being one of the best, but I guess it's necessary, although it didn't have to take so long for him to get the new sword. But like he said, what makes this stand out is the artwork. It's the one thing that makes this so much better than the anime. Sure, the story might not be groundbreaking or anything, but the way it's pulled off is what makes it great. Its just pure fun to read. Even this volume, while not the best, was not boring at all.

Plus, Orihime's hair looks better now Very Happy
Can't wait for the next volume. I've seen so many people going on about the Soul Society arc. I wanna see what all the fuss is about.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
HitokiriShadow



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 6251
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:00 pm Reply with quote
The beginning of the Soul Society (right after they get in) isn't that great. The next volume probably won't have the good stuff. It gets good after the Cannon Ball stuff.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
bahamut623



Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 1463
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:48 pm Reply with quote
Hey does alot of stuff go on in the SS arc? Because I feel like I know alot of spoilers, but I also feel like theres alot of stuff I dont know about. Stuff I have come across which I wish i didn't know MAJOR SPOILERS UPTO CURRENT CHAPTERspoiler[You've been warned: I know Renji dies and comes back, The Aizen murder thing, apparently he's evil now, Bankai,and very very vague details about whats going on know with the half hollows/shinigami]

But even with that, all I know is snippets, pretty important snippets, but snippets none the less. I dont really know the details about any of those at all. Also, I dont know jack about all the new characters that appear, except for some names maybe.So, do you think there's alot more that I dont know to keep the story fresh when I read the Viz releases?(I gotta try harder to avoid spoilers lol).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
xanbcoo



Joined: 19 Dec 2003
Posts: 245
Location: Houston/Austin Tx
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 1:41 am Reply with quote
bahamut623 wrote:
Hey does alot of stuff go on in the SS arc? Because I feel like I know alot of spoilers, but I also feel like theres alot of stuff I don't know about. Stuff I have come across which I wish i didn't know MAJOR SPOILERS UPTO CURRENT CHAPTERspoiler[You've been warned: I know Renji dies and comes back, The Aizen murder thing, apparently he's evil now, Bankai,and very very vague details about whats going on know with the half hollows/shinigami]

But even with that, all I know is snippets, pretty important snippets, but snippets none the less. I don't really know the details about any of those at all. Also, I don't know jack about all the new characters that appear, except for some names maybe.So, do you think there's alot more that I don't know to keep the story fresh when I read the Viz releases?(I gotta try harder to avoid spoilers lol).


Yeah, a lot goes on in the SS arc. You're introduced to A LOT of new characers (26+), but they aren't too hard to keep track of. You seem to have stumbled across a few important plot points, but nothing to ruin much for you - if that's really all the detail you know. If anything, it should be incentive for you to watch/read further.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Izlude



Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 323
Location: Wherever The Wind Takes Me
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 3:22 am Reply with quote
Strange, usually people complain about translations if they don't include the japanese terms/names, like Shonen Jump's Naruto tends to have a bit of a habit in doing.

Its impossible to satisfy both crowds looking for a faithful to the original japanese translation, and those wanting a readable english adaption.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address
Jifty



Joined: 29 Dec 2004
Posts: 35
Location: Frostburg, MD
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 8:52 pm Reply with quote
Well, now we really get into the shounen elements of Bleach, so it's no surprise that some of the cliches start coming out more. Kubo Tite did good by fleshing out the characters first and getting you to care about them before getting into the 4-chapter fights, so it is a damn sight better than most shounen titles.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
SharinganEye



Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 402
Location: Les Etats-Unis d'Amérique
PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:02 pm Reply with quote
Hmm, "cliched..." People complain about this all the time. I can only nod my head and yet ask at the same time, "What isn't these days?"

We've pretty much reached a point, a limit, of general/generic concepts and ideas. They've become the archtypes and the stereotypes we've all come to know.

What makes Bleach stand out is its excellent, stylish artwork and the execution and flair the series has.

And that's the difference between the wheat and the chaff, the execution.

Sure we've seen power-ups after power-ups, but I actually care about the ones in Bleach. Very Happy

Hooray for Ban Kai!

*Note: I still "hate" VIZ for translating Benihime as "Red Princess" and other such edits apparently meant to water-down the series (I still don't understand why they changed "Cero" to "Doom Blast"), as well as numerous other [attempted] "uniqueness(?)" they seem to be purposely applying to this series...

Is it so hard to use "Division" instead of "Company?"
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
Location: Anime News Network Technodrome
PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:30 pm Reply with quote
SharinganEye wrote:

*Note: I still "hate" VIZ for translating Benihime as "Red Princess" and other such edits apparently meant to water-down the series (I still don't understand why they changed "Cero" to "Doom Blast"), as well as numerous other [attempted] "uniqueness(?)" they seem to be purposely applying to this series...

Is it so hard to use "Division" instead of "Company?"


To be honest, there's too much Japanese in the English translation of Bleach as it is. I wrote in the review that it's just plain difficult to follow because they didn't translate a lot of the more esoteric phrases, and usually they only explain what something is once, so I found myself struggling to wade through something that, frankly, just didn't flow in English. I mean, the book needs to be readable.

Using "company" instead of "division" is a really, really minor change and claiming that it "waters down" the story at all is pretty silly hyperbole, dude. "Doom Blast" has much more kick than "Cero", IMO. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective, but people tend to act like those on the side of a "totally pure" translation are always right about everything, when the truth of the matter is if they had their way the book would be nigh-incomprehensible to anyone who didn't already have the story and all the bizarre words memorized. The truth is somewhere in the middle, to be sure, but I side with coherency and flow every time.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime
SharinganEye



Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 402
Location: Les Etats-Unis d'Amérique
PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:05 pm Reply with quote
Zac wrote:
SharinganEye wrote:

*Note: I still "hate" VIZ for translating Benihime as "Red Princess" and other such edits apparently meant to water-down the series (I still don't understand why they changed "Cero" to "Doom Blast"), as well as numerous other [attempted] "uniqueness(?)" they seem to be purposely applying to this series...

Is it so hard to use "Division" instead of "Company?"


To be honest, there's too much Japanese in the English translation of Bleach as it is. I wrote in the review that it's just plain difficult to follow because they didn't translate a lot of the more esoteric phrases, and usually they only explain what something is once, so I found myself struggling to wade through something that, frankly, just didn't flow in English. I mean, the book needs to be readable.

Using "company" instead of "division" is a really, really minor change and claiming that it "waters down" the story at all is pretty silly hyperbole, dude. "Doom Blast" has much more kick than "Cero", IMO. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective, but people tend to act like those on the side of a "totally pure" translation are always right about everything, when the truth of the matter is if they had their way the book would be nigh-incomprehensible to anyone who didn't already have the story and all the bizarre words memorized. The truth is somewhere in the middle, to be sure, but I side with coherency and flow every time.
I understand some things needs to be translated contextually to fit the needs of the series (this is true for any language translations, literal translations for many things make absolutely no sense), but some things are just...ugh. "Minor" as these edits/"translations" may be, it still irks me to no end, especially when a lot of them are unnecessary.

Like you mentioned, it's all about the perspective.

Streamlining crimson to red seems like an unnecessary act of "watering-down" -and I use this broadly- certain terms to a more common denominator. I'm sure people know what crimson is just fine, and not only that, the title "Crimson Princess" holds a more subtle meaning while also being more appropriate for Benihime.

As for "Cero" and "Doom Blast," while some may think it has more "oomp" to it, I think it's stupid and I'd rather they kept the original term. And yes, the term Cero actually means something. It meant "hollow flash."

It's better to keep some original terms that fit better and make those "Editor's Note" type thing where they explain what the word means inbetween the panels. And once people have become familiar with the terms, drop the notes if they so desire.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
bahamut623



Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 1463
PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:53 pm Reply with quote
[quote="SharinganEye"][quote="Zac"]
SharinganEye wrote:



As for "Cero" and "Doom Blast," while some may think it has more "oomp" to it, I think it's stupid and I'd rather they kept the original term. And yes, the term Cero actually means something. It meant "hollow flash."


Well, I assume you're referring to Menos Grande. Cero means zero, going along with the whole spanish name thing. So they changed it to doom blast. The story wasn't altered in any way. Divisions and companies are the exact same thing when talking in military terms. Sure crimson sound cooler than red, but they're the exact same thing,at least they still use Benihime. Doesn't alter the story in any way whatsoever.
Unnecessary?Yes. Inconsequential?Yes.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Psycho-dono



Joined: 11 Apr 2005
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:17 pm Reply with quote
Yare yare desu ne...

Viz = evil. They translate and change stuff that they really shouldn't. (like the chapter titles of which 99% are already in English) But then leave some stuff that would be better off with an English definition. *sigh* Morons.

As for the dialogue being cliche... it is. At this point, so much has been written in this genre it's basically impossible not to be. But what's so great about Kubo-sensei is his artwork and plot. He has some awesome plot twists and things that happen can really affect what happens later. Seriously, he really does think ahead on things. Like when Ishida gets introduced. Ichigo wonders where the hell he came from and is told he's always been there. And if you look back, he is (and not just on the first chapter cover page)! A character just introduced a month or two ago is pictured on the cover page of the first chapter, too. For more, go to Kubo Tite is your GOD. Beware, those who've only read the Viz releases should not read past the Ishida part!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SharinganEye



Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 402
Location: Les Etats-Unis d'Amérique
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:26 pm Reply with quote
[quote="bahamut623"][quote="SharinganEye"]
Zac wrote:
SharinganEye wrote:



As for "Cero" and "Doom Blast," while some may think it has more "oomp" to it, I think it's stupid and I'd rather they kept the original term. And yes, the term Cero actually means something. It meant "hollow flash."


Well, I assume you're referring to Menos Grande. Cero means zero, going along with the whole spanish name thing. So they changed it to doom blast. The story wasn't altered in any way. Divisions and companies are the exact same thing when talking in military terms. Sure crimson sound cooler than red, but they're the exact same thing,at least they still use Benihime. Doesn't alter the story in any way whatsoever.
Unnecessary?Yes. Inconsequential?Yes.
I'm aware of the Spanish meaning of cero, which as you pointed out is zero. Kubo Tite seems to have a thing for Spanish, Hueco Mundo is an obvious example, which in Spanish means "Hollow World."

But for the Cero thing, I believe I heard somewhere Kubo Tite assigned it a meaning, which I posted up there ("Hollow Flash"). Of course, I could be totally wrong, and it could just be an attack of the Menos Grande called Cero, but I'd still rather have Cero over Doom Blast anyday.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Zoe



Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 898
Location: Austin
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:43 pm Reply with quote
SharinganEye wrote:
But for the Cero thing, I believe I heard somewhere Kubo Tite assigned it a meaning, which I posted up there ("Hollow Flash").


For most of the loan words, he assigns the readings to kanji. I'm not sure about this particular instance, but that was probably the case.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group