Gushing About Shows You Like (Sugar Wiki)/Bleach


 * Aww, nothing for Bleach yet? I love that show. It is one of my two main obsessions at the moment, along with Fullmetal Alchemist. The protagonist actually has layers to his characters rather than the Invincible Hero. And in that vein, he actually LOSES once in a while. The whole idea of the Soul Society is genius really. I love the fact that that's supposed to represent heaven, and it actually produces a more realistic version of the world than Karakura Town itself, what with the Soul Reapers of Seireitei that despite their claims to honor, live like kings as compared to those in the Rukongai/Rukon District. Even so, much love to the Soul Reapers too, especially Ukitake... and Byakuya... and Renji... and... Despite their use of Loads and Loads of Characters, almost all of them have depth and a distinct personality and a usually, a history too. ^_^ Not to mention Uryu Ishida is epic, epic win.
 * It's a case of awesome setting but the writer can't quite handle LALOC.
 * Speaking of that author, his previous series, Zombie Powder, showed off the same immensely entertaining near-overload of snark and awesome that the first few volumes of Bleach did while ending soon enough to evade the standard shonen decay into a generic action series that gripped its little brother. Yay for actually ending a series, especially with a characterization climax instead of a plot one.
 * Seconded so, so much. This troper adores Zombie Powder, oftentimes more than Bleach. Even without a proper ending, it's still one hell of a story.
 * Despite the series getting so much hate lately, this troper is still a big fan because the Hueco Mundo arc is a good exploration not only of the darker side of Bleach's setting, but also of some of the main characters' personalities. Rukia confronts her greatest failure AGAIN, but this time finds a way to resolve it. Chad only gets hints, what with his evolving powers, but I'm still hopeful. What takes the cake is Ichigo and Orihime's stories - it seems that Kubo took the time to show us the worst in their characters, and where they go from there still keeps my interest. Also, people call Bleach a shallow manga, but this troper can't help but think of some of the references to folklore like O-bon and Tanabata, and how Bleach still has the potential for using them in the future for more plot twists. The art is pretty, but it didn't start out 'that pretty', and I think his brand of fanservice is great that it's not only equal opportunity for both genders, he doesn't objectify his females the way other fanservice-y series do (like, say, Oh!Great). For example, he might draw big breasts, but there are also lots of girls in Bleach with other sizes, and this troper dares anyone to count any more than 3 panty shots in the manga (panty shots are extremely objectifying, IMO). Current accusations of sexism also fall flat for me because the men and women all get hurt equally on the battlefield - and he's not afraid to show the injuries messing up their looks. And, all in all, it looks so stylish in execution, even a chapter with no plot progression can be a treat to read. Plus the clothes are hot.
 * Just starting at the beginning of Bleach, i have to say that it probably has my favorite beginning, manga or anime, of ANY show I have ever seen. Every single character was both developed and yet mysterious enough that you were fascinated to learn some new secret about them the next time they showed up, and I personally was clutching my computer screen anxiously about half the time i was watching! If it stopped at the end of the Byakuya fight, i would not hesitate to rate it among the best shonen manga/anime EVER.
 * This troper finds the new Fullbring Arc to be a refreshing new addition to the series, such that even the haters who claim the manga has lost its touch will be convinced to stick around and see where it goes. So many unpredictable elements, so exciting!
 * This troper actually enjoys the increasing amount of Narm, Ham and Cheese, and madness that make up the later half of Bleach. it's a cheesy show, but cheesy in a good way, and the character designs and fight choreographics still are superb to nearly any contemporary Shonen series.