Bleach ブリーチ
- Published on : 16/12/2022
- by : bryan@japan-experience.com
©isvin singh, flickr
Discovering the shinigami
Bleach is a popular manga, which has just made its comeback to present its final arc (a narrative arc is characterized by a plot developed over several episodes) in an animated version, Bleach is a must-have of the action-adventure genre in shonen.
"Bankai!" If you've been following the animated version or if you're on TikTok, you must have heard this word before! Here is an introduction to the universe it comes from.
The story of Bleach
The story takes place in a modern world, essentially our own, in the small town of Karakura, Japan. Ichigo Kurosaki, a 15-year-old high school student, stands out because of his red hair and his ability to interact with wandering spirits since he was very young. Along with twins Karin and Yuzu, and their somewhat zany father, Ichigo's family is the only one aware of his gift, although the other members also possess supernatural abilities, albeit to a lesser degree.
Ichigo's life is turned upside down when he is attacked one night by a hollow, a wandering spirit consumed by hate and regret. Rukia Kuchiki, a young shinigami whose role is to fight and appease the hollows with her zanpakuto (sword), comes to his rescue, but is quickly overwhelmed between her fight and the protection of the high school student. Seriously injured because of his inattention, she offers to temporarily transfer her powers to him in order to save them both, as well as her family. This is the beginning of a crazy adventure of substitute shinigami for Ichigo, who will learn more about the different worlds, the spirits, but also about his past.
A manga that stands out from the shonen codes of the time
Like Naruto or One Piece, Bleach highlights traditional Japanese elements. For example, the manga is centered on the theme of shinigami, who are gods of death in Japanese folklore. The traditional aspect of Japanese culture is also reflected in the clothing worn by the shinigami, which is reminiscent of kendo practitioners.
Noriaki Kubo, better known under his pen name Tite Kubo, mangaka and author of Bleach, distinguished his work from other action-adventure shonen popular at the time by breaking certain codes. For example, Ichigo, the protagonist of the story, as well as the other shinigami, wear black fighting clothes, whereas this color is traditionally associated with antagonists. Kubo decided to reverse the trend and assign black to the good guys and white to the bad guys.
Another striking element is the absence of a quest. While Naruto pursues the dream of being the next Hokage, Luffy seeks to become the King of Pirates or Gon wishes to become a Hunter and find his father, Ichigo does not pursue a particular goal.
The adventures of Kurosaki Ichigo are as developed and exciting as those of the other mangas!
Tite Kubo succeeded in creating a popular and original manga that stands out thanks to a myriad of details that allow it to be different from other successful mangas of its time.
©Nolueto, flickr
©yoire, flickr
©Aaron2323, flickr
©Aaron2323, flickr
The domination of the shonen genre within the Big 3
Bleach has sold more than 130 million volumes worldwide.
Published for the first time in 2001, the Shonen Jump magazine quickly placed it in the collective imagination alongside Naruto and One Piece to form the Big Three from the beginning of the 2000s. The Big Three is a qualification used to talk about the three most popular mangas, which, after Dragon Ball, have managed to reach international fame.
Since 2004 an animated series was broadcast, helping to popularize the universe of Bleach to a wider audience. The anime was stopped in 2012, after 366 episodes and an alternative ending, which largely disappointed the fans.
Plot twist, 6 years after the end of the manga in 2016, the anime comes back in October 2022 to offer a real ending with the The Bloody War of a Thousand Years arc.
Thanks to its popularity, Bleach even invited itself on the big screen in 2018, in addition to novels, musicals, video games and other derivative products related to the manga.
Along with One Piece and Naruto, Bleach has revolutionized the manga universe!
Weekly Shonen Jump Bleach
©toushirou fan 4 ever, flickr
Weekly Shōnen Jump Big 3 2006
©Ravi Sohodeb, flickr
Weekly Shonen Jump Bleach
©Ravi Sohodeb, flickr
