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What is Bleach like?


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halloween_reject



Joined: 23 Sep 2009
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:38 pm Reply with quote
People say its really cool but i still don't get it Anime dazed
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Blackpeppir



Joined: 30 Apr 2009
Posts: 234
PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:26 pm Reply with quote
Summary of Bleach: Several sets of samurai with magical swords fight amongst each other for about three hundred and seventy five chapters without a single one of the main characters ever dyeing through the use of multiple ass pulls and the magic of Deus Ex Machina

Basically the attraction of Bleach is that of Naruto or any shounen manga, a bunch of overly flashy battles and endless one-upping while talking about the bonds of friendship and values of teamwork. If that doesn't sound like the sort of story you like then you should probably skip it. It's pretty much Dragonball Z with Bishounen and swords, but that's just my opinion. Personally I find it somewhat entertaining and deffinately better than a lot of the stuff out there but it's nothing special and mostly falls into the category of cookie cutter shounen manga.
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One Vorlon



Joined: 11 Apr 2008
Posts: 34
PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:56 pm Reply with quote
Bleach is a shonen title about a high school student who ends up stuck with the powers of a "soul reaper" - basically a ghost with cool fighting powers, who's responsible for ghosts who've gone mad (and are now attacking other ghosts and even the living).

Much of the series takes place in the lands of the living (aka modern day Earth), although there are arcs that take place in the Soul Society (an afterlife governed by soul reapers - which has an almost feudal Japan feel to it) and the Heuco Mundo (the world of the mad ghosts).

As with all shonen titles, fighting is a heavy focus. Soul reapers have powers heavily tied into sword fighting, while the mad ghosts (known as Hollows) look (and fight) like masked demons.

Arguably, the biggest difference between Bleach and other shonen titles is that it aims at a slightly older audience - the characters are all in high school and act like it. The protagonist is into death metal, one female character advises another to "shove her breasts" into a guy's face to get his attention, etc. Its also more willing to show blood, death, maulings, etc.

Oh, and some of the same people who worked on Yu Yu Hakusho and Flame of Recca also worked on Bleach - which may or may not be a good thing (depending on your personal opinion of those series).

Does that answer your question?
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Koji98



Joined: 13 Jun 2008
Posts: 112
PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:44 am Reply with quote
One Vorlon wrote:
one female character advises another to "shove her breasts" into a guy's face to get his attention, etc.

Even stuff for younger audiences can get like this, with Dragon Ball as an example. (Bulma flashing Master Roshi for a dragon ball, anyone?)
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Blackpeppir



Joined: 30 Apr 2009
Posts: 234
PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:57 am Reply with quote
One Vorlon wrote:


Arguably, the biggest difference between Bleach and other shonen titles is that it aims at a slightly older audience - the characters are all in high school and act like it. The protagonist is into death metal, one female character advises another to "shove her breasts" into a guy's face to get his attention, etc. Its also more willing to show blood, death, maulings, etc.


Sounds more like middle school than any high school I've ever been in. Besides, blood, death and maulings are pretty much the norm for Shounen fighting manga. I'd say Bleach is targeted for the same audience as Naruto, but again that's just how I see it.
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mysterious_machi



Joined: 01 Jun 2009
Posts: 8
PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:25 pm Reply with quote
how can you not know about bleach?
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Tamaria



Joined: 21 Oct 2007
Posts: 1512
Location: De Achterhoek
PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:11 am Reply with quote
It's not that hard to ignore. I ignored Naruto and Bleach for like five years and I still ignore those series occasionally.
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halloween_reject



Joined: 23 Sep 2009
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 11:07 am Reply with quote
I've watched Naruto and even thought about watching Bleach but that was when i could stay up at all hours of the night. And before i had a computer so the only place i could watch Bleach was on adult swim on cartoon network. But they were on episode 100 something and now they are on episode 200 something
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rinmackie



Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Posts: 1040
Location: in a van! down by the river!
PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 11:54 am Reply with quote
I'm not really into shonen, but I've sort of gotten into Bleach because my husband got interested in it. I tried Naruto but I soon lost interest. As for Bleach, I wouldn't say it's my favorite but it has grown on me. Yes, there's a lot of fighting and other typical shonen tropes but at least there aren't any endless tournaments, at least not yet.

And as someone already mentioned, I think it is aimed at a slightly older audience which is probably why I like it more than Naruto. The lead character in Bleach is a bit more mature than Naruto, though I think Naruto's gotten a little older recently. In conclusion, if I had to choose between the two, I'd pick Bleach. And yeah, even in America, the show has passed the hundred mark so you might want to start with the manga. Unless you don't mind slogging through all those episodes which has some filler.
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Blackpeppir



Joined: 30 Apr 2009
Posts: 234
PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 12:28 pm Reply with quote
mysterious_machi wrote:
how can you not know about bleach?

Easy, from not paying attention to dime-a-dozen shounen titles. I only started reading Bleach/Naruto at the beginning of March, until then I knew they existed but pretty much thought they were DBZ with swords and horribly innefectual, loud ninja respectfully. That being said, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and read through both of them. Now I think Bleach especially is DBZ with swords,spoiler[ except that nobody dies. EVER.]
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BeautyMaid



Joined: 25 Sep 2009
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:04 pm Reply with quote
Bleach is awsome i try to stay up to watch it on adult swim but i mainly win and watch it its ssssooooo awsome Cool
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rinmackie



Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Posts: 1040
Location: in a van! down by the river!
PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:31 pm Reply with quote
Actually, unless they've come back in the yet-to-be-aired-in-America episodes, they're been several character deaths. spoiler[most of the villains and at least one soul reaper.] It's better than DBZ and so far, no endless tournaments.
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Dorcas_Aurelia



Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5344
Location: Philly
PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:38 pm Reply with quote
spoiler[Villains no one cares about and... um, which reaper? ]

If you want to get technical, Ichigo's mom died, but that was in a flashback.
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Tamaria



Joined: 21 Oct 2007
Posts: 1512
Location: De Achterhoek
PostPosted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:08 am Reply with quote
Blackpeppir wrote:
Now I think Bleach especially is DBZ with swords,


I thought it was more like Saint Seiya, but with swords, yes.
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rinmackie



Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Posts: 1040
Location: in a van! down by the river!
PostPosted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 1:15 pm Reply with quote
The reaper that died was spoiler[Momo, the young, dark-haired girl with the bun.]
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