Board 8 > Is Bleach worth watching?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I never realized the series has ended, so now Im wondering if I should make the jump.

---

The manga ended. The anime is coming back soon to finish the final arc so it isn't done yet.
---

It's my favorite big dumb shonen but it's heavily flawed especially after the Soul Society arc ends at episode 63.

Obviously you'd want to skip the filler but even then it has pacing issues but I generally like the characters in the following arcs.

It's a good time to watch it as it's coming back next year to finish out the final arc after the anime was cancelled like seven years ago.

I'm doing a filler free rewatch of the series right now to prepare for the anime coming back

The first two major story arcs are required viewing for any Shonen fan

Opinion is more split after that personally I do enjoy the rest of the series, but a lot of people absolutely hated it too. Kubo never really knew what you do with the series and ended up just reusing the same ideas for each arc with different wrappers on them

---

eh

it's pretty neat for a while

then it kinda loses the plot

so, it's a shonen

the filler gets long and stupid

---

Stop after soul society arc

---

You should at least watch until you get to see some Grimmjow, he's the coolest.

The first few arcs are absolutely top tier Shonen

---

Yes. Skip the filler and it's at points great and at worst fine.

---

Yes and no?

The first two arcs (the human world and the Soul Society) are legit good, fun shonen. After that though...it kind of spirals off the rails, gets really bloated with pointless characters and fights. And that's the main plot - the anime also has its own filler.

---

Yes.

Its a lot more complicated than its not as good after Soul Society, it has ups and downs. This is also true of the early stuff too but the anime cuts most of the chaff there.

As for filler, the first filler arc is slow and bad, the second one exists and the other two are actually really good. Your choice what to watch.

The anime will be back next year with the final arc, so keep that in mind too.

---

Also the last arc is significantly better than Soul Society dont @ me.

---

I'm very excited to see it animated

---

Even if a blanket statement like "it sucks after Soul Society" is definitely lacking nuance...that was certainly the high point. It's a pretty steep decline after that, and even the parts that are not so bad are still just major rehashes. Kubo didn't have a plan for past that arc.

To be fair, that's mostly because Soul Society was so GOOD. It would definitely be difficult to not consider it one of the top 1p shounen arcs period, if not even top 5.

Lightning Strikes posted...

Also the last arc is significantly better than Soul Society dont @ me.

....of the anime or the manga?

Because Fullbringer is, like....a joke.

---

also the main villain throughout the majority of the series is one of my favorite villains of all time

---

Alright Ill jump in. Sounds good enough to stick with.

Trying to get through the big names before I tackle one piece

---

and hopefully this gives them the opportunity to fix the issues the final arc had due to the series getting cancelled and having to rush the ending

---

If you wanna see some action

---

You gotta be the center of attraction

---

Lightning Strikes posted...

Also the last arc is significantly better than Soul Society dont @ me.

I am going to @ you because 1k Blood War arc's finish was shit.

It's pretty darn good all the way up to the end of Soul Society and then it falls off hard.

The last arc is... kind of fun in a ridiculous trainwreck sort of way and maybe the anime will help to redeem it a bit but generally speaking it's all varying degrees of trash after Soul Society.

---

Also don't wanna be THAT GUY, but I'll take the hit.

If you're checking out big shounen...seen Hunter x Hunter yet?

---

I watched the first 63 episodes and enjoyed it. Never felt particularly bad about stopping there.
---

The last arc is great and a culmination of a lot of built up plot threads but the rushed conclusion due to the cancellation puts a big damper on it.

Still has best girl Candice Catnipp though.

I really like it, but I would skip the filler

---

I will say that the first part of the last arc (Soul Society being invaded) is actually really solid and was the best the series had been in a long time.

After that, though, it becomes laughably stupid.

---

Bleach introduces about 200 characters every arc and about 5 of them in the entire series are actual characters with an arc and a story that is remotely possible to follow. You will meet characters in Soul Society that have no character development throughout the entire show, even though they feature in most if not all arc.

All the arc also follow the same pattern to an annoying fashion and the power system is stupidly underdeveloped considering its potential. I've seen and read through the entire franchise and am not a huge fan.

---

it's undeniably dripping with style, even if it's often lacking in substance

like everyone says, watching the Soul Society arc will be worthwhile. don't go in with the commitment to watch the whole thing. if you want to go on after Soul Society, then just watch as long as you like


---

No. Just watch the OPs
---

Xiahou Shake posted...

I will say that the first part of the last arc (Soul Society being invaded) is actually really solid and was the best the series had been in a long time.

After that, though, it becomes laughably stupid.

Unohana's death being pointless, and the Captains not utilizing Kido more was stupid to the max before "A: The Asspull" even went into full effect. The series built up Kido somewhat and their swords getting stolen was a great opportunity to expand upon what you can do with it. Total waste of a concept.

Definitely have watched Hunter X Hunter. 10/10 series right there

---

The part of Bleach that made everyone like it still holds up.

---

It is basically DBZ with swords, and if you like people doing things with style, it is a great series. Quite a bit of the ost is amazing too. But these days we're a bit spoiled for choice and the genre's marched on a bit. Plenty of options these days that are solid on both style/plot.

Still worth a watch, as it will scratch any fighting itch you might be having, doubly so if you want to be caught up for the continuation next year.

---

Bleach is ok. It starts strong, but it loses steam, and the Hueco Mundo arc is far too long for it's own good. So much time is wasted setting up things that have little to no value in the end.

---

I have a higher tolerance for Bleach than most people do and I find it hard to recommend it
Most people say that only the first 2 arcs are good ("Hollow" and "Soul Society" but I don't really remember the official names for the arcs). Less tolerante people might say that only the first arc is good.
I am going far and say that up until the FaKaTo (shoretened due to spoiler, full name is "Fake Karakura Town" arc) arc this is all good. Yes, the arrancer and Hueco Muendo arcs are good as well

But then it falls hard. Like, super hard. I used to defend this series so much but it disappointed me plenty in this arc.
So many hyped characters turned out to be red herrings. Died so soon or just disappointed. So many promises were broken. So much stuff that fans hyped and speculated for years turned out to be nothing. Was it my fault for getting my hopes up? maybe. But it would still be disappointing otherwise

And then the Fullbringer arc is a massive shit and the Manga Only arc is pretty bad as well. Ending was super rushed to the point of face palming myself because of how rushed it was

And this was a manga review.
For the anime...it's even harder to recommend. There are so many fillers. Even if you try to skip them all, they went to the "let's merge filler in canon episodes" route and it sucked. They put filler characters in canon episodes. It's a mess

The only way I can recommend Bleach is if you are the kind of person that is fine with dropping a show midway. I am sure you will enjoy it for like the 100 first episodes you watch (assuming you avoid filler episodes) but will you be comfortable to stop when it shit the bed?

---

Nanis23 posted...

They put filler characters in canon episodes.

Those characters are not used in any meaningful way whatsoever, though, so it's not at all important to even care who they are.

---

If it's lasted this long, probably.

---

UshiromiyaEva posted...

....of the anime or the manga?

Because Fullbringer is, like....a joke

Manga ofc.

Also the series wasnt cancelled. Kubo was seriously ill and dealing with a recurring injury at the end which is why the ending was rushed, but he ended it on his terms. Common Bleach myth.

---

Lightning Strikes posted...

Manga ofc.

Also the series wasnt cancelled. Kubo was seriously ill and dealing with a recurring injury at the end which is why the ending was rushed, but he ended it on his terms. Common Bleach myth.

What
No way
Then how do you justify (major spoiler) Yhwach dying in like 3 chapters, when certain other enemies are taking like 12 chapters to kill? the major big bad, being a total pushover. How is this not rushed?

---

I just straight up gave up on the anime in the Espada arc so I don't even know what the situation is with filler, but the Bound/Bountofiller arc isn't that bad. They copy pasted a Yu Yu Hakusho transitional arc so it kept some of what made that arc decent.

Actually just watch Yu Yu Hakusho dub instead.

---

Nanis23 posted...

What
No way
Then how do you justify (major spoiler) Yhwach dying in like 3 chapters, when certain other enemies are taking like 12 chapters to kill? the major big bad, being a total pushover. How is this not rushed?

Well, it's a bit of both.

He got it to the ending he wanted, just not necessarily completely in the way he wanted. He basically rushed himself to his desired ending because of his health. Lightning's point is that he didn't have to like, completely change plans because the series got cancelled or anything. He still followed the general outline he wanted. He just had to speed through it for his own reasons, which is why it ended up rushed as it did.

---

Bleach is wonderful. Even the filler is decent, but skip it if you want the main story.

The only arc that sucks is Fullbringer.
---

I have no doubts the ending of bleach wouldn't have still felt stupidly bad and rushed even if it had 20 more chapters.

The Aizen fight wasn't much better, just longer.

---

pjbasis posted...

The Aizen fight wasn't much better, just longer.

Probably the flatest, most dissapointing end for a big villain fight I can imagine.

---

The anime did improve it a lot at least.

But I think if you were to put the Aizen and Yhwach fights on paper in summary, the latters much better and is much better as a dramatic confrontation thematically, and it has some high individual moments. It just kind of rushes by and feels incredibly disjointed. So you would hope that would be something an adaptation can inprove.

---

I don't know, on paper Yhwach getting busted by kryptonite seems bads too!

---

Bleach is basically Kingdom Hearts. The show has to consistently depower its main character and prevent him from ever achieving anything of merit. Also- darkness.

I would argue it's good all the way up to halfway through the arc after Soul Society. Spoilers for arcs after that:

Hueco Mundo: As soon as the Captains show up in Hueco Mundo it starts sucking. The Espada go from serious villains to Byakuya/kenpachi fodder. A competent writer would have had some of the supporting cast get meaningful wins (Chad, Ishida, etc.) But no, instead we gotta have them job. Also Ichigo's whole "let me cut off my leg" thing in the fight with Ulquiorra.

Fake Karakura Town: Just bland all around. The stuff with Gin is a high point but I'll never forgive Kubo for what he did to my man Starrk. #1 espada went out to a damn shikai. Goes on too long. The Aizen fight/final getsuga tensho itself is okay. Not how I would have done it but whatever.

Fullbringer: Actually this arc had lots of promise - like we might have actually gotten some character development for Chad. Also Riruka is best Bleach girl. But yeah, it falls apart pretty quickly.

1k year blood war: I truly truly hope the anime fixes this arc, because it starts off SO GOOD. Have Byakuya actually die, extend the final fight. We're rolling.

---

i mean given that his power was that he cant be hurt by and has complete control over anything he understands, he can understand everything he can see, and he can see all points of history, Im forgiving of kryptonite because I dont see what else you can do.

If nothing else Kubo is good at coming up with outlandishly OP villains.

---

Lightning Strikes posted...

i mean given that his power was that he cant be hurt by and has complete control over anything he understands, he can understand everything he can see, and he can see all points of history, Im forgiving of kryptonite because I dont see what else you can do.

Maybe don't have that be his deal in the first place since it's writing yourself into a corner.

---