I respect this take, but we also see him struggle through like the entirety of the series until like the end of TYBW lol. Episode 1 his sister is almost eaten alive, and internally his battle with White causes him immense mental and physical stress that interferes with his relationships and even almost gets his loved ones and himself killed
Fullbring arc is always important, why? Bc everyone always have their delusion about tsukishima power, thinking that tsukishima have the same power like shift have😂
19:18 - that's exactly it. The bankai is achieved once you are more aware of your inner self your inner truth. (bankai means the release of all that i am). You see that in names and forms of bankai and the way they acquire them.
That comment literally came to me as I was filming and I was like "wow...why am I only noticing this now?". I really love the more I'm learning about Bleach through research, creating, and also your comments. Thanks for sharing your comments and engaging!
Yes, this is because Zanpakuto are extensions of your soul, so a part of you. Hence "The Blade is Me" chapters/episode. The sword itself is called an Asauchi and is just an empty vessel to channel part of yourself into.
@@itsanimel You wanna know the WILDEST THING about it? Bankai is written with the Manji character which representes in japanese and buddhism and even the word itself "completion". In Shintoism Ishiro Seikon (the most accepted and agreed shintoism view on souls) a soul is divided in 4 parts (the mitama you can see in several games including the persona series): Green, Blue, Red, Yellow/Orange. These are equivalent to the same 4 races in bleach. Now here's the kicker Bankai is a manifestation of your inner self, you can see this in character's motifs (Soi Fon) or even the names of the Bankai (Ichimaru, well ichimaru you can say both) some are more subtle (like Shinji) some are from a scar in your soul (Byakuya) but they are always there. And sometimes the bankai is still an inner truth you don't want to admit to others or yourself (even fake bankai because you are not enlightened enough). What's on the first Tensa Zangetsu's Ichigo's fake Bankai Hilt? A Manji symbol which means completion. Ichigo was always meant to be a complete spirit.
Ichigo has a big survivor's guilt complex and that's the biggest inner demon inside him which is manifested as a "hero trait" protecting his friends. But in a negative light
21:14 I just wanted to add that we see both Ichigo and Isshin get their respective revenge on Grand Fisher, which must have been very healing to the two of them. Ichigo first, when he beat GF at his mother's gravesite, and then at the start of the Arrancar Arc where Isshin has a go at it in its arrancar form, finally killing the hollow. People often tend to forget about Isshin's trauma, since he's always being goofy and silly, but he's actually putting up a front to try and prevent his children from feeling the empty space their mother left. In killing Grand Fisher, he finally got to avenge his wife, since back when she was attacked he was powerless to do anything about it. Overall great writing from Kubo.
Kubo-sensei really tried to give us character stories, problems, and resolutions for as many characters Bleach has; it's a feat and a half. And Isshin in the anime (if I recall correctly, please correct me cause it's been a minute), the gravatas of his character really isn't brought forth as you mentioned above like it is in the manga.
@@itsanimel you're totally right! I feel like the original anime is a product of its time, and sadly there's a lot of the more gritty aspects of the manga that got lost due to overall censorship and therefore, characters like Isshin were (not always ofc, but for the most part) relegated to comedic relief. I'm glad the TYBW anime is not only not holding back on that aspect, but rather expanding even more upon it. And the adaptation of the "Everything But The Rain" flashback was an absolute masterpiece, finally putting some respect on Isshin's name.
Ive only listened to 2 minutes of this as of right now and i gotta say…THANK YOU for saying this about Bleach. It was the anime (along with Yu Yu Hakusho and Ruroni Kenshin) that really got me into anime as a kid
Wow this is a really well done analysis on Bleach, Mel. I watched the Bleach anime later and it wasn’t one of my first anime that I watched so I didn’t have that much of an affinity towards it compared to Naruto and One Piece since I watched those ones earlier. The fact that you mentioned how this anime is more character driven than plot driven makes me wanna rewatch/read it to see the developments and character arcs! This is tempting me to buy the manga and read it instead since I watched it the first time 😅
Definitely read it! I recommend. I think a lot of the misunderstandings come from the anime adaptation it got. It's hard to follow at times which distracts you from the main themes.
Another thing that I feel makes Bleach misunderstood at times is translation, which is understandable considering the difference between English and Japanese. I think you can see this the most with the power system. Your entire understanding of the power system can change just by learning that there are like five different words with different meanings and contexts that, in English, just get translated as ‘soul’. This is especially true when you understand what the tamashii (best translated in context as the ‘abstract soul’) is and it’s importance to the overall power system, as well as in explaining the differences between the different races (tl;dr the difference is about HOW they are able to access the power of their tamashii)
This is the largest aspect for me. At least I expect that at least 20 percent of the comments (not specifically here per se) that hate on the power system just don't understand it because of the translation issues. There's a beautiful nuance there hidden within the English translation that is hard to see.
Overall I think this was a okay breakdown of the series but there are some minor mistakes like Uryu grandpa being directly killed by soul reapers. His grandpa wanted to develop a system to work with soul reapers to more effectively handle hollows, they said no and when he got attacked they responded late. Basically uryu is like if you would have worked with him this would have never happened. I also think narratively the fullbring arc is one of the best because it focuses on what kubo does best and that’s character writing. Tite kubo is really great at exploring complex themes. Just like all great writers he trusts the readers intelligence. He doesn’t spell things out and trusts that the reader is smart enough to understand the message being presented
Its misunderstood because theres alot of show dont tell and usually shounen readers prefer to be told the symbolism behind major plot events. Thats one reason why I think deep dive commentary videos are popular within the Bleach community. It became popular to hate the manga on a surface level because tons of voices were echoing the same opinion which influenced other manga readers perception of Bleach I lived through the fullbring arc hate train and a decade later we can see that as proof that people at the time could not sit down for a character focused arc. Good example of missing the forest for the trees which could only be appreciated after the story finished
I felt like I started to understand Fullbring arc more when I picked up the manga for the first time. I feel like Bleach requires a few re-reads to really get everything Kubo-sensei wants to convey to us.
@@itsanimel Bleach also benefits alot from discussion and analysis with other readers rather than just writing things off because you didnt see the point the first time
@itsanimel Fullbring Arc is one of my favorite arcs after Hueco (especially Lust) Mundo Arc. The problem I had with the anime with the Fullbring Arc, was I quite enjoyed how Kubo made Tsukishima very mysterious in the manga. Waiting weekly for the manga to come out was a joy even though others hated waiting. But anime just spoon feeds you Tsukishima by introducing him earlier and his motivation. Kubo dis it better in the manga.
Uluquora represents Emptiness, while Orihime & Ichigo represents fullness, love, compassion. Grimjow represents Destruction, while Ichigo is a Protector.
@@itsanimel Thats how we have to read or watch the series. Look beyond the surface. The author wants us to look beyond the surface. Everything in the story has meaning. The purpose of zanpakuto is not just for fighting, but also for self reflection, self discovery & self acceptance. The story has so much meaning. 👍
Also the heart page and the paralel to rukia and Kaien's story. The emptiness disappears when he realizes what a feeling is. Same with Starrk: the solitude disappeares whne he realizes with the espada he was never just alone with lillinette (and he thought he had lost it and he lost the will to fight) Even Yammi to some degree you can say (even tho the fight is offscreen) he held back his anger (ira) because of the only connection he had, the dog hollow was there and he didn't wanna accidentally destroy him. Even his volume poem indicates he is searching for something that was lost he mentions physical things and...something else. And the volume title is called the heart. Which Ulquiorra dubs the reason for all beings to exist and later finds out is the connections we share and DOGGIE :'(
@@andrelima4125 Thats the thing, kubo's brilliance as a writer is not explored enough. But i think he was a little to subtle, not every reader is gonna pick up on these things. 👍
My older brother's favorite anime is Bleach, and while I watched it, and loved Hueco Mundo, I always struggled to understand what made him love it so much and honestly this video helped me put a lot of respect on Bleach, and most of all Ichigo as a character.
I'm glad my video could reach different level of bleach viewers and enthusiasts. Thanks for sharing your comments/thoughts and watching! I appreciate it
The bleach anime adaptation makes it hard to really see. Reading the manga clarified some things for me. This is why we need a remake to match TYBW too.
If you ever dig deep into Bleach rabbit hole, it's an insanely well written series. I'm still finding new subtle things in the series on a regular basis.
This is me. The more I engage, I re-read, I watch clips, or do research, the more I learn. I know my video doesn't cover the tip of the iceberg for Bleach. Its deep deep.
Appreciate it! And love the additional points you added. This post has becoming more conversational than anything and I kinda love that. Thanks for contributing and watching 🙇🏽♀️
Bleach is the case where a high level overview often doesn't do it justice. You could say that about a lot of things, but it's especially true for this show because of the style of Kubo's writing.
Understandable and knowing that this video isn't nearly granular enough to emphasize bleach's greatness, it's hopefully a start for those who don't see any of bleach's depth. Hoping to give bleach more time for videos in the future
Thank you! I tried to keep it short and concise especially for people who don't understand Bleach but my video is just the tip of the iceberg. There really is so much more and wonder if I should come back to talk more about bleach.
@@itsanimel A friend of mine asked me (because I ramble on about the characters conceptualizations and details and how each of them is minutiously crafted) and he kinda said "ok but leaving those details aside, what is the main appeal" and I just linked your video, because I always get lost in internal soul development and buddhism references and symbolism and whatnot which is great if youre already a fan
Ichigos desire to protect not only stems from the guilt of his mother dying but it turns into an unhealthy thing for him where he can’t find self worth in himself if he’s unable to protect everyone with his own power. Thats why for a majorly of the story he rejects a lot of help from others and always wants a clean victory. He’s kinda like gon Freecs in that sense
Ichigos side chapter. He talks about wanting enough strength to break out of the cycle of fate or at least fight against it to protect. The anime doesn’t really show that so people complaining about the cyclical structure of the story cant understand that part is essentially like fates cycling wheel and ichigo trying to break out of it again and again. It’s kind of poetic
Every anime and manga has patters. Soul reapers job is to regulate the balance of souls and maintain peace, so yes, we are gonna have alot of moments where they do these things. Naruto has patters, One Piece has patters, Demon slayer, JJk, etc, all have patters. 👍
To put it into words, shikai/bankai is completely character driven. Shikai is usually the way the characters act from day to day, it's not necessarily how they are, mostly just how they are on the surface. A Bankai is a reflection of the true self, how they truly are deep inside, this is when you see everything there is to know about the character. Think how Soi Fon's shikai works as a cold blooded weapon used for assassinations, this is how she is on the surface. Now think on how her bankai is a literal rocket launcher, that's because deep down she's an extremely emotional character with an explosive temper. This is also why characters like Byakuya/Ichigo who are characters that are EXACTLY how they are on the surface, deep down, have Shikai/Bankai that are extremely similar to each other, just a powered up version of their Shikai for the most part. Spoiler for TYBW Here's another example that's a bit more subtle, Shunsui has a Shikai that lets him play kids games, this is because on the surface he's a very amiable person, someone who's overall very approachable. His bankai on the other hand is an Adult Play, there lies the opposite, where to kill his opponent he effectively has to kill himself in the process, his bankai also creates a very gloomy atmosphere. Just with that you're able to tell how he feels about the woman he loved(which is now represented by his bankai spirit) and you might even be able to deduce that deep down if it wasn't for his responsibilities, Shunsui might have killed himself out of regret, similar to how his bankai would, if he were to use it against an opponent stronger than him. The more you know, just thought this is a really interesting detail that's barely acknowledged by anyone.
@@itsanimel btw if you wonder, every single soul reaper with a overly centralized character attached to them, will have said character integrated in their zanpakuto in some way. I.E. Kenpachi's Shikai is based off Yachiru Unohana(confirmed by Kubo) and his Bankai is based off Yachiru(the pink haired one). Azashiro's sword is based off his sister, as she was the most important person to him growing up. Shunsui's bankai spirit is based off the love of his life. I didn't go too in-depth concerning that because it felt it wasn't the time and place, but yeah haha. It's really neat, it's how Kubo reveals most of the more interesting stuff about characters, without simply telling you, Shunsui's the best example of that. Made me love him a whole lot more as a character afterward personally. Bonus info, Arrancars also have a bit of symbolism, but theirs isn't as obvious, for instance, the hole on a hollow is usually in a place that indicates the most important part of them when they were alive. I.E. Halibel's hole is around where her womb is, she embodies the concept of Sacrifice, it's basically heavily implied she died while giving birth, hence where sacrifice came from, this is also why she's more motherly towards her fracciones. This was later confirmed by Kubo on Klub Outside. Ulquiorra's close to his heart...I doubt I have to explain that one, you already broke that one down in this video, although he's a bit of an odd one as he was born a Vasto Lorde as far as I know, the dude didn't even have a mouth to eat other hollows to evolve.
The whoel "HM arc and SS arc are the same structure " argument is ...well yeah they are. It's a parallel. In one Ichigo is dealing with Buddhist Deva, beings who are humanoid and the closest to enlightenment (shinigami get their powers by being closer to their inner truths). And the other Ichigo is dealing with Buddhist Ashura: Hungry animalistic spirits that live to fight and get stronger with that (Hollows get stronger by eating each other and their ressureccion is a callback to their more savage selves before they were devaified through the hogyoku). That's why even though the events that lead to it are the same (person gets kidnapped fight enemy organization), the outcomes and experiences with them are so different. In SS arc literally the reason why they are fighting gets discarded and the gang gets an apology and a free pass. In HM even after Orihime is saved, due to ichigo also being pushed down a more killer, bloody instinctive route, he fights just for fighting and revenge. And well...the whole "vibe" and theme of the arc is complete opposites. HM is kinda like a twisted mirror of the SS. In one ichigo represses his Hollow powers and makes friends along the way, and the other he gives in and it takes over and he makes no allies in the enemy rank (ok in TYBW and CFYOW it is revealed Grimmjow made a deal with Urahara and Hallibel also help the SS in this new balance along with Nel but at the time he left emptier, regretting his savagery that the hollow side of him put him to it and only in TYBW he accepts it is part of him). Also who is taken in fullbring arc? Ichigo chooses to go to Ginjo (sure manipulated but also because he realized not wanting his powers was a lie he told himself) by his own will. Who is taken in TYBW? Hallibel? is that the girl this time? Or is it Ishida? Cuz Ichigo does not know that until much later.
Also orihime never forgot about her brother. She literally says that she literally still prayed for her brother just not as often and whenever she would pray she wouldn’t say things that were negative/sad. She would speak about the things that made her happy, so if her brother was watching she would be able to share all those happy memories with her. She stopped praying everyday because she thought it was wrong to show her sadness to him all the time. She didn’t want him ti feel her pain. Sora saved himself and orihime from their abusive parents. They were beaten and abused until they left on their own. Like y’all have to read the manga because the anime butchered so much in the adaptation
Yeah, the anime really made things confusing and something I should have clarified while reading your comment is that the anime I feel like is the largest reason for the misunderstanding of bleach. thank you for watching and sharing your comments. It helps me become a better creator in the long run.
bleach was my fav of the big 3. I think it has the best character design and art style. And just overall vibe and style and shit talking just really clicked with me . The paneling and use of negative space was so impactful, very rarely manga paneling has such a flow to action . I think Dragon ball is the only one that has better paneling and action flow . Granted its not without flaws , but i was surprised how much people dunked on it during its run . So i am glad people started talking more positively in last couple years . Also for all its flaws , the anime was elevated by its OST to large degree. On The Precipice Of Defeat is like essential to bleach sound
The manga really carries all the messages we didn't see in the anime many times. As I grow older, I want to drive more people to the manga. I'm reading everyone's comments and feel like I missed saying that Bleach is misunderstood due to the anime adaptation that we got and I'd like for this to be remade with the same animation, conciseness, and screenwriting from TYBW. Bleach OST will always live top 5 in my mind.
@@itsanimel Well to be fair , a lot of that has to do with anime direction sure. But i think it was much easier to adapt one piece and naruto compared to bleach. A lot of themes and overall storytelling felt very essential to manga medium . Just think of the poems Kubo wrore for each volume and a lot of times Kubo just gives glances and facial expressions in manga to tell something . And i feel thats just not very shounen like for that era of anime . Also we are getting spoiled with current modern anime wtih short seasons where directors and entire staff could flex and bring their vision
@@edgaras1103 100% The poems we are now getting at the end of episodes. I mean....they are remaking anime all over the place now. A Bleach remake wouldn't be out of the question and I think we deserve to be spoiled a little more even after TYBW. :)
I've come to acept that bleach was not that popular around me. I had very deep debates about bleach, one piece and naruto, and why i only liked bleach. It's when i discovered that i didn't really cared about the main protagonist in media. The character that i want to see the most, the one that i want to understand and see explored is the main antagonist. Aizen was for bleach what the World Government is in One Piece, or Madara in Naruto. But Aizen became a clear player way earlier in the game, acted as himself and could then be developped way more. The "lurking in the dark forever ultra bad dude" trope is not my thing, because the protagonist is not enouth to carry the show for me. That probably explain why the only arcs i liked from One Piece was when Doflamingo was running the show.
It's one thing to enjoy bleach as a mid-show but it's insanity to defend bleach as a good show. Everything you said is wrong. You're seeing things that don't exist.
Fullbringer arc is actually one of the best arcs imo. You get to see more of the struggle which builds his character up a lot for me
I respect this take, but we also see him struggle through like the entirety of the series until like the end of TYBW lol. Episode 1 his sister is almost eaten alive, and internally his battle with White causes him immense mental and physical stress that interferes with his relationships and even almost gets his loved ones and himself killed
Fullbring is my secpnd favorite arc
@@GinKaza Very true. I guess I meant for him regaining his powers and how much him being a Shinigami actually meant to him
Fullbring arc is always important, why? Bc everyone always have their delusion about tsukishima power, thinking that tsukishima have the same power like shift have😂
The purpose of Zanpakuto is to allow the soul reapers to "self reflect", "self discover", & "self acceptance".
That's why The Blade "is" Me revealed that Ichigo doesn't have self acceptance.
@justwind6930 Everything in Bleach has meaning. People need to just read beyond the surface, & stop hating. 👍
@@kelvinallen9327 yeah and i already told you the meaning of The Blade "is" me.
@@justwind6930 No, i was only making a point about some people who dont understand the series. 👍
Cant wait for tomorrow 👍🙏🔥
19:18 - that's exactly it. The bankai is achieved once you are more aware of your inner self your inner truth. (bankai means the release of all that i am). You see that in names and forms of bankai and the way they acquire them.
That comment literally came to me as I was filming and I was like "wow...why am I only noticing this now?". I really love the more I'm learning about Bleach through research, creating, and also your comments. Thanks for sharing your comments and engaging!
Yes, this is because Zanpakuto are extensions of your soul, so a part of you. Hence "The Blade is Me" chapters/episode. The sword itself is called an Asauchi and is just an empty vessel to channel part of yourself into.
@@itsanimel You wanna know the WILDEST THING about it?
Bankai is written with the Manji character which representes in japanese and buddhism and even the word itself "completion".
In Shintoism Ishiro Seikon (the most accepted and agreed shintoism view on souls) a soul is divided in 4 parts (the mitama you can see in several games including the persona series): Green, Blue, Red, Yellow/Orange. These are equivalent to the same 4 races in bleach.
Now here's the kicker
Bankai is a manifestation of your inner self, you can see this in character's motifs (Soi Fon) or even the names of the Bankai (Ichimaru, well ichimaru you can say both) some are more subtle (like Shinji) some are from a scar in your soul (Byakuya) but they are always there. And sometimes the bankai is still an inner truth you don't want to admit to others or yourself (even fake bankai because you are not enlightened enough).
What's on the first Tensa Zangetsu's Ichigo's fake Bankai Hilt? A Manji symbol which means completion. Ichigo was always meant to be a complete spirit.
Ichigo has a big survivor's guilt complex and that's the biggest inner demon inside him which is manifested as a "hero trait" protecting his friends. But in a negative light
U deserve a lot more subs and views.
Appreciate you 🙏
21:14 I just wanted to add that we see both Ichigo and Isshin get their respective revenge on Grand Fisher, which must have been very healing to the two of them. Ichigo first, when he beat GF at his mother's gravesite, and then at the start of the Arrancar Arc where Isshin has a go at it in its arrancar form, finally killing the hollow. People often tend to forget about Isshin's trauma, since he's always being goofy and silly, but he's actually putting up a front to try and prevent his children from feeling the empty space their mother left. In killing Grand Fisher, he finally got to avenge his wife, since back when she was attacked he was powerless to do anything about it. Overall great writing from Kubo.
Kubo-sensei really tried to give us character stories, problems, and resolutions for as many characters Bleach has; it's a feat and a half. And Isshin in the anime (if I recall correctly, please correct me cause it's been a minute), the gravatas of his character really isn't brought forth as you mentioned above like it is in the manga.
@@itsanimel you're totally right! I feel like the original anime is a product of its time, and sadly there's a lot of the more gritty aspects of the manga that got lost due to overall censorship and therefore, characters like Isshin were (not always ofc, but for the most part) relegated to comedic relief.
I'm glad the TYBW anime is not only not holding back on that aspect, but rather expanding even more upon it. And the adaptation of the "Everything But The Rain" flashback was an absolute masterpiece, finally putting some respect on Isshin's name.
Ive only listened to 2 minutes of this as of right now and i gotta say…THANK YOU for saying this about Bleach. It was the anime (along with Yu Yu Hakusho and Ruroni Kenshin) that really got me into anime as a kid
Bleach needs a little more respect on its name.
This deserves a super viral moment!! The content never fails!!!
Wow this is a really well done analysis on Bleach, Mel. I watched the Bleach anime later and it wasn’t one of my first anime that I watched so I didn’t have that much of an affinity towards it compared to Naruto and One Piece since I watched those ones earlier.
The fact that you mentioned how this anime is more character driven than plot driven makes me wanna rewatch/read it to see the developments and character arcs!
This is tempting me to buy the manga and read it instead since I watched it the first time 😅
Definitely read it! I recommend. I think a lot of the misunderstandings come from the anime adaptation it got. It's hard to follow at times which distracts you from the main themes.
Another thing that I feel makes Bleach misunderstood at times is translation, which is understandable considering the difference between English and Japanese. I think you can see this the most with the power system. Your entire understanding of the power system can change just by learning that there are like five different words with different meanings and contexts that, in English, just get translated as ‘soul’. This is especially true when you understand what the tamashii (best translated in context as the ‘abstract soul’) is and it’s importance to the overall power system, as well as in explaining the differences between the different races (tl;dr the difference is about HOW they are able to access the power of their tamashii)
This is the largest aspect for me. At least I expect that at least 20 percent of the comments (not specifically here per se) that hate on the power system just don't understand it because of the translation issues. There's a beautiful nuance there hidden within the English translation that is hard to see.
Overall I think this was a okay breakdown of the series but there are some minor mistakes like Uryu grandpa being directly killed by soul reapers. His grandpa wanted to develop a system to work with soul reapers to more effectively handle hollows, they said no and when he got attacked they responded late. Basically uryu is like if you would have worked with him this would have never happened. I also think narratively the fullbring arc is one of the best because it focuses on what kubo does best and that’s character writing. Tite kubo is really great at exploring complex themes. Just like all great writers he trusts the readers intelligence. He doesn’t spell things out and trusts that the reader is smart enough to understand the message being presented
Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it and you're right about Uryu. I ended up recalling it after posting so these things happen.
Its misunderstood because theres alot of show dont tell and usually shounen readers prefer to be told the symbolism behind major plot events. Thats one reason why I think deep dive commentary videos are popular within the Bleach community. It became popular to hate the manga on a surface level because tons of voices were echoing the same opinion which influenced other manga readers perception of Bleach
I lived through the fullbring arc hate train and a decade later we can see that as proof that people at the time could not sit down for a character focused arc. Good example of missing the forest for the trees which could only be appreciated after the story finished
I felt like I started to understand Fullbring arc more when I picked up the manga for the first time. I feel like Bleach requires a few re-reads to really get everything Kubo-sensei wants to convey to us.
@@itsanimel Bleach also benefits alot from discussion and analysis with other readers rather than just writing things off because you didnt see the point the first time
@itsanimel Fullbring Arc is one of my favorite arcs after Hueco (especially Lust) Mundo Arc. The problem I had with the anime with the Fullbring Arc, was I quite enjoyed how Kubo made Tsukishima very mysterious in the manga. Waiting weekly for the manga to come out was a joy even though others hated waiting. But anime just spoon feeds you Tsukishima by introducing him earlier and his motivation. Kubo dis it better in the manga.
Uluquora represents Emptiness, while Orihime & Ichigo represents fullness, love, compassion.
Grimjow represents Destruction, while Ichigo is a Protector.
These things making bleach great with all its subtleties and symbolisms.
@@itsanimel Thats how we have to read or watch the series. Look beyond the surface. The author wants us to look beyond the surface.
Everything in the story has meaning.
The purpose of zanpakuto is not just for fighting, but also for self reflection, self discovery & self acceptance.
The story has so much meaning. 👍
Also the heart page and the paralel to rukia and Kaien's story. The emptiness disappears when he realizes what a feeling is.
Same with Starrk: the solitude disappeares whne he realizes with the espada he was never just alone with lillinette (and he thought he had lost it and he lost the will to fight)
Even Yammi to some degree you can say (even tho the fight is offscreen) he held back his anger (ira) because of the only connection he had, the dog hollow was there and he didn't wanna accidentally destroy him. Even his volume poem indicates he is searching for something that was lost he mentions physical things and...something else. And the volume title is called the heart. Which Ulquiorra dubs the reason for all beings to exist and later finds out is the connections we share and DOGGIE :'(
@@andrelima4125 Thats the thing, kubo's brilliance as a writer is not explored enough. But i think he was a little to subtle, not every reader is gonna pick up on these things. 👍
@@kelvinallen9327 yeah but when you pick it up it’s amazing
My older brother's favorite anime is Bleach, and while I watched it, and loved Hueco Mundo, I always struggled to understand what made him love it so much and honestly this video helped me put a lot of respect on Bleach, and most of all Ichigo as a character.
I'm glad my video could reach different level of bleach viewers and enthusiasts. Thanks for sharing your comments/thoughts and watching! I appreciate it
This was a good video!!
You like Bleach now??
@@FamilyManJoe hahahaha
Thanks very much for this video, I personally didn’t pick up on Bleach’s deeper writing till i picked up the manga
Thanks for watching ! Glad you enjoyed it and there's more on my channel you can enjoy
Never really thought about the internal battles that take place in. Bleach. 🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
The bleach anime adaptation makes it hard to really see. Reading the manga clarified some things for me. This is why we need a remake to match TYBW too.
If you ever dig deep into Bleach rabbit hole, it's an insanely well written series. I'm still finding new subtle things in the series on a regular basis.
Yeah he'll I find new stuff in video's I've seen 3x...it's just a great community bleach
This is me. The more I engage, I re-read, I watch clips, or do research, the more I learn. I know my video doesn't cover the tip of the iceberg for Bleach. Its deep deep.
Really nice video and explaining things tho fr!
Appreciate it! And love the additional points you added. This post has becoming more conversational than anything and I kinda love that. Thanks for contributing and watching 🙇🏽♀️
Bleach is the case where a high level overview often doesn't do it justice. You could say that about a lot of things, but it's especially true for this show because of the style of Kubo's writing.
Understandable and knowing that this video isn't nearly granular enough to emphasize bleach's greatness, it's hopefully a start for those who don't see any of bleach's depth. Hoping to give bleach more time for videos in the future
Very cool very informative video, very concise. Amazing and yes completely agree Bleach is character driven
Thank you! I tried to keep it short and concise especially for people who don't understand Bleach but my video is just the tip of the iceberg. There really is so much more and wonder if I should come back to talk more about bleach.
@@itsanimel A friend of mine asked me (because I ramble on about the characters conceptualizations and details and how each of them is minutiously crafted) and he kinda said "ok but leaving those details aside, what is the main appeal" and I just linked your video, because I always get lost in internal soul development and buddhism references and symbolism and whatnot which is great if youre already a fan
@@itsanimel please do Ill be here to offer weird trivia and headcanons i have
Ichigos desire to protect not only stems from the guilt of his mother dying but it turns into an unhealthy thing for him where he can’t find self worth in himself if he’s unable to protect everyone with his own power. Thats why for a majorly of the story he rejects a lot of help from others and always wants a clean victory. He’s kinda like gon Freecs in that sense
The Queen of video intros!!! 😂😂
You don't know how hard I was laughing while editing the intro. I almost didn't do it though 🤣
Ichigos side chapter. He talks about wanting enough strength to break out of the cycle of fate or at least fight against it to protect. The anime doesn’t really show that so people complaining about the cyclical structure of the story cant understand that part is essentially like fates cycling wheel and ichigo trying to break out of it again and again. It’s kind of poetic
Great vid
@@AwakenFoChrist appreciate it! Thanks for watching 🙏🏽
Every anime and manga has patters.
Soul reapers job is to regulate the balance of souls and maintain peace, so yes, we are gonna have alot of moments where they do these things.
Naruto has patters,
One Piece has patters,
Demon slayer, JJk, etc, all have patters. 👍
To put it into words, shikai/bankai is completely character driven. Shikai is usually the way the characters act from day to day, it's not necessarily how they are, mostly just how they are on the surface.
A Bankai is a reflection of the true self, how they truly are deep inside, this is when you see everything there is to know about the character.
Think how Soi Fon's shikai works as a cold blooded weapon used for assassinations, this is how she is on the surface. Now think on how her bankai is a literal rocket launcher, that's because deep down she's an extremely emotional character with an explosive temper.
This is also why characters like Byakuya/Ichigo who are characters that are EXACTLY how they are on the surface, deep down, have Shikai/Bankai that are extremely similar to each other, just a powered up version of their Shikai for the most part.
Spoiler for TYBW
Here's another example that's a bit more subtle, Shunsui has a Shikai that lets him play kids games, this is because on the surface he's a very amiable person, someone who's overall very approachable. His bankai on the other hand is an Adult Play, there lies the opposite, where to kill his opponent he effectively has to kill himself in the process, his bankai also creates a very gloomy atmosphere.
Just with that you're able to tell how he feels about the woman he loved(which is now represented by his bankai spirit) and you might even be able to deduce that deep down if it wasn't for his responsibilities, Shunsui might have killed himself out of regret, similar to how his bankai would, if he were to use it against an opponent stronger than him.
The more you know, just thought this is a really interesting detail that's barely acknowledged by anyone.
Thanks for sharing ! I love the examples you provided. The symbolism of each bankai is something I want to read into and study a little more now.
@@itsanimel btw if you wonder, every single soul reaper with a overly centralized character attached to them, will have said character integrated in their zanpakuto in some way.
I.E. Kenpachi's Shikai is based off Yachiru Unohana(confirmed by Kubo) and his Bankai is based off Yachiru(the pink haired one).
Azashiro's sword is based off his sister, as she was the most important person to him growing up.
Shunsui's bankai spirit is based off the love of his life.
I didn't go too in-depth concerning that because it felt it wasn't the time and place, but yeah haha.
It's really neat, it's how Kubo reveals most of the more interesting stuff about characters, without simply telling you, Shunsui's the best example of that. Made me love him a whole lot more as a character afterward personally.
Bonus info,
Arrancars also have a bit of symbolism, but theirs isn't as obvious, for instance, the hole on a hollow is usually in a place that indicates the most important part of them when they were alive.
I.E. Halibel's hole is around where her womb is, she embodies the concept of Sacrifice, it's basically heavily implied she died while giving birth, hence where sacrifice came from, this is also why she's more motherly towards her fracciones. This was later confirmed by Kubo on Klub Outside.
Ulquiorra's close to his heart...I doubt I have to explain that one, you already broke that one down in this video, although he's a bit of an odd one as he was born a Vasto Lorde as far as I know, the dude didn't even have a mouth to eat other hollows to evolve.
ban....kai sweep broomy (epic music)
The whoel "HM arc and SS arc are the same structure " argument is ...well yeah they are. It's a parallel.
In one Ichigo is dealing with Buddhist Deva, beings who are humanoid and the closest to enlightenment (shinigami get their powers by being closer to their inner truths). And the other Ichigo is dealing with Buddhist Ashura: Hungry animalistic spirits that live to fight and get stronger with that (Hollows get stronger by eating each other and their ressureccion is a callback to their more savage selves before they were devaified through the hogyoku). That's why even though the events that lead to it are the same (person gets kidnapped fight enemy organization), the outcomes and experiences with them are so different. In SS arc literally the reason why they are fighting gets discarded and the gang gets an apology and a free pass. In HM even after Orihime is saved, due to ichigo also being pushed down a more killer, bloody instinctive route, he fights just for fighting and revenge. And well...the whole "vibe" and theme of the arc is complete opposites. HM is kinda like a twisted mirror of the SS. In one ichigo represses his Hollow powers and makes friends along the way, and the other he gives in and it takes over and he makes no allies in the enemy rank (ok in TYBW and CFYOW it is revealed Grimmjow made a deal with Urahara and Hallibel also help the SS in this new balance along with Nel but at the time he left emptier, regretting his savagery that the hollow side of him put him to it and only in TYBW he accepts it is part of him).
Also who is taken in fullbring arc? Ichigo chooses to go to Ginjo (sure manipulated but also because he realized not wanting his powers was a lie he told himself) by his own will.
Who is taken in TYBW? Hallibel? is that the girl this time? Or is it Ishida? Cuz Ichigo does not know that until much later.
13:14 where do we wanna go with that? Hell ! :)
Yes! Still waiting for that next chapter, please.
Every supporting character in bleach has depth, people just have to pay attention and stop hating. 👍
ichigo's parents meeting was not planned, it was an accident cuz the hollow was supposed to attack a shinigami.
Also orihime never forgot about her brother. She literally says that she literally still prayed for her brother just not as often and whenever she would pray she wouldn’t say things that were negative/sad. She would speak about the things that made her happy, so if her brother was watching she would be able to share all those happy memories with her. She stopped praying everyday because she thought it was wrong to show her sadness to him all the time. She didn’t want him ti feel her pain. Sora saved himself and orihime from their abusive parents. They were beaten and abused until they left on their own. Like y’all have to read the manga because the anime butchered so much in the adaptation
Yeah, the anime really made things confusing and something I should have clarified while reading your comment is that the anime I feel like is the largest reason for the misunderstanding of bleach. thank you for watching and sharing your comments. It helps me become a better creator in the long run.
This is the first time i see a female here in YT who talk bleach.
Ichigo🐐🙌🏾🙌🏾
bleach was my fav of the big 3. I think it has the best character design and art style. And just overall vibe and style and shit talking just really clicked with me . The paneling and use of negative space was so impactful, very rarely manga paneling has such a flow to action . I think Dragon ball is the only one that has better paneling and action flow . Granted its not without flaws , but i was surprised how much people dunked on it during its run . So i am glad people started talking more positively in last couple years . Also for all its flaws , the anime was elevated by its OST to large degree. On The Precipice Of Defeat is like essential to bleach sound
The manga really carries all the messages we didn't see in the anime many times. As I grow older, I want to drive more people to the manga. I'm reading everyone's comments and feel like I missed saying that Bleach is misunderstood due to the anime adaptation that we got and I'd like for this to be remade with the same animation, conciseness, and screenwriting from TYBW.
Bleach OST will always live top 5 in my mind.
@@itsanimel Well to be fair , a lot of that has to do with anime direction sure. But i think it was much easier to adapt one piece and naruto compared to bleach. A lot of themes and overall storytelling felt very essential to manga medium . Just think of the poems Kubo wrore for each volume and a lot of times Kubo just gives glances and facial expressions in manga to tell something . And i feel thats just not very shounen like for that era of anime . Also we are getting spoiled with current modern anime wtih short seasons where directors and entire staff could flex and bring their vision
@@edgaras1103 100%
The poems we are now getting at the end of episodes. I mean....they are remaking anime all over the place now. A Bleach remake wouldn't be out of the question and I think we deserve to be spoiled a little more even after TYBW. :)
@@itsanimel well i did not expect One piece getting a remake by Wit studios , so i guess anything can happen hahah
I've come to acept that bleach was not that popular around me.
I had very deep debates about bleach, one piece and naruto, and why i only liked bleach.
It's when i discovered that i didn't really cared about the main protagonist in media. The character that i want to see the most, the one that i want to understand and see explored is the main antagonist. Aizen was for bleach what the World Government is in One Piece, or Madara in Naruto. But Aizen became a clear player way earlier in the game, acted as himself and could then be developped way more.
The "lurking in the dark forever ultra bad dude" trope is not my thing, because the protagonist is not enouth to carry the show for me.
That probably explain why the only arcs i liked from One Piece was when Doflamingo was running the show.
yeah
Need to make sure Preston sees this video. LOL
@@LifeWithAnimePodcast 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
its the best anime ever made, nothing comes close. that's that. No debate xd
idk if id say ichigo is mature for his age, I'd say most shonen protagonists act childish for their age. Cmon Luffy is what 19 post timeskip?
It's one thing to enjoy bleach as a mid-show but it's insanity to defend bleach as a good show. Everything you said is wrong. You're seeing things that don't exist.