Bleach Review Part 1

Opening Thoughts

After finishing Naruto in 2015, I was ready for another deep dive into the "Big 3" Anime lineup. I'd just powered through the ninja world, so it was time to pick between pirates or samurai — and Bleach won out easily. Going from the Hidden Leaf to Soul Society, I was ready for something raw, mysterious, and packed with action.

Today, I'm following what I'd consider “Part 2,” the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, and there's a lot to unpack in this journey so far.

The Plot

Bleach starts strong with a rawness that immediately pulls you in. The Soul Society arc is where Bleach really shines; it's the best of shonen. This arc gave us Aizen, one of the best villains in anime. He's clever, calculated, and commanding. If you could bottle the perfect shonen villain, you'd end up with Aizen. His reveal as the traitor? An all-time moment that sets the bar high for what villains can be.

The Hueco Mundo arc and the introduction of the Espada kept me hooked. Ulquiorra vs. Ichigo was an insane fight that gave me all the chills. It was the perfect mix of raw power and dark storytelling, showing Ichigo at his peak and how far he could push himself. Plus, Bankai was introduced, and it's become legendary, inspiring even new-gen anime like Jujutsu Kaisen. It's those moments that make Bleach iconic.

However, there are some real issues. The world-building feels like a mess, starting with the decision to have Bleach take place on Earth in Japan. Why Japan? Why not go all in with a standalone world like Westeros in Game of Thrones or the entire unique realm of One Piece? Ichigo being tied to Earth makes him feel less like a true shinigami. Why not make him a real shinigami from a smaller village or world, instead of trying to balance both Earth and Soul Society?

And then there's the issue of side characters. Some, like Kenpachi, are amazing. Kenpachi is all about power, unpredictability, and absolute chaos in every fight — easily my favorite character. But other characters, especially those from the human world, just don't add anything. Chad, Uryu, Orihime, and even Karin feel pretty much pointless. It's like Ichigo is the main focus, while everyone else is just ... there. Uryu especially omg was this guy so useless and in the recent episode I watched of TYBW the author is trying to squeeze some emotion for him but I literally don't care at all.

The Fullbringer Arc or Lost Agent Arc was a low point. It felt like filler and barely contributed anything meaningful to the story. Bleach could have skipped this entirely, and we wouldn't have missed a thing. It's one of those arcs that makes you wish they'd cut the fluff and stick with the high-stakes fights and villains that made the story incredible.

The Ending: Ichigo vs. Aizen

The Ichigo vs. Aizen fight was massive and intense, though it ended on an anticlimactic note. For a series that had been building up Aizen as this genius-level villain, the final blow felt ... underwhelming. Sure, it was cool, but it didn't live up to the tension that had been building throughout the arc.

Rating

Bleach is both amazing and flawed. It has some of the best moments and one of the best villains in shonen history, but it also suffers from unnecessary side characters, confusing world-building, and arcs that drag the story down. Despite that, I'd still rate it high for its standout moments and epic fights.

Rating: 13/20