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Bleach #62
Bleach, Vol. 62: Heart of Wolf
Unable to use their Bankai special abilities, the Soul Reaper captains are at a severe disadvantage against the invading Quincy army. Urahara has a plan to turn the tide of battle, but will it be enough as the Quincies continue their onslaught?!
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2014
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November 2, 2024
"Regret regaining your Bankai, Soul Reapers. The warm, hope-filled snooze of a fight is now over. This is where the real despair begins."
We're in the middle of the war. Everyone's having a hard time and it looks like the enemy is winning. The Quincies aren't even sweating, while our heroes are standing with their last strength and having trouble breathing. Their leader (Yamamoto) is not with them. Their hero (Ichigo) is not with them. Everyone's are unaided and everything's burning. Despite being in a very tight spot, no one gives up. No matter what, there is still hope. For for the win or hope for a miracle - no one can really tell.
"Earlier and now again, you mind not speaking of your Bankai as if it has a mind of its own? I don't believe in pantheism."
"Bankai doesn't have a mind of its own? Does he really believe it?"
"Yes. It seems that way."
"Haven't heard your voice in a while. Good to have you back... Hyourinmaru."
Gosh, my heart broke for Hitsugaya. This precous guy has gone through so much just in this volume alone (and will go through even more in the future). He took a tough pummeling, not just once and not just twice, and looked so worn-out, like he could expire in any moment. He was barely breathing. Barely standing. But still trying his hardest for himself, for the Soul Society and for the values he represented. Both of his enemies were ruthless. Bazz-B, the master of the flames, nearly killed him, but it was Cang Du's duty to end his life. It's an irony that the guy who stole his Bankai was shameful enough to steal his life too. And he would've succeeded if a miracle with the name of Kisuke Urahara didn't appear.
'SAVE!', you could scream in happiness, confident that your favorite characters will survive. But you would be wrong. The miracle might've appeared, but nothing's changed for the enemy's side. Why? Because they already predicted it and knew what to do in advance.
"Aren't you fighting because you'll die if you lose?! Because you could be killed?! What's the point if winning, if you throw away your life just to fight?!"
"I did not throw it away. I simply staked it."
It wasn't Hitsugaya's fight that was the focus of this volume. It was Komamura's - a fight not only against his enemy, but also a fight against his own beliefs. The last time we saw him was in a mysterious cave meeting a giant, old dog and asking him about their clans' "secret technique". After losing the only close person Komamura had left, the blind need of revenge took over his mind and his actions. He was ready for anything, as long as it was guaranteed that this need will be fulfilled. His wish was granted and he got out of the cave much stronger - invincible even - as he was ever before. But nothing is for free. Everything has a price. Komamura made his decision - and made his sacrifice. It was a sacrifice not only with his body, but with his mind as well, no matter if he was fully aware of it or not.
"Well? Have you noticed it, Sajin? That emotion of yours is revenge. It is what you explained to your friend. Throwing your life away for the sake of revenge. But that is good. Revenge is our true form. You have finally returned to our clan."
I find it incredibly interesting that Komamura had found himself in the place that his friend, Tousen, once was. Back then Komamura had judged him harshly for standing on Aizen's side - and for choosing the need for revenge. Now Komamura is also choosing revenge. He went against his own words and his own beliefs, all because of the loss of Yamamoto. The usually logical and stoic Komamura let himself be lost in his emotions. If he stopped for a short while, he would realize that what he was doing was wrong. That Yamamoto wouldn't want him to go this far, wouldn't want him to throw his life away so harshly. But what happened, happened. Fate decided that it was Bambietta that Komamura will fight, and it was a visually stunning battle. Both did their best, and usually there is only one winner. I could not tell who won this fight. It looked like it was Komamura, but how can you be a winner after giving up so much? It's not a win. It's a tragedy.
"That boy... he's changed so much."
"He has."
"He's gotten so strong. You can just see it. It's hard to believe his previous shaky spiritual pressure..."
"No, no. It's not that he got stronger. He's grown. If I had to put it another way... he's gotten stronger."
"So it's the same thing!"
"No, no. It's not just about strength. He's stronger in body and spirit. He's become a true Soul Reaper."
After his training with Squad 0, everyone (except for Byakuya, I guess) are now on their way to the Soul Society. Rukia and Renji will be there quicker than Ichigo who's started his journey way later. We could get to see those three very briefly, but you can already tell that they all had changed. How exactly did the training impact their minds and souls, we will see. I saw Ichigo only a little bit in this volume, but it was enough for me to scream and shout and squeal like a teenager. Not just because the man is hot (duh), but also because of all his cute images. Tite Kubo, I see you, why did you have to draw him in such adorable way?! I'm under your bed!
Anyways, what is concerning me here is the lack of images of Ichigo's training. It's obvious that he had got through one after getting his Zanpakuto back, but nothing was shown and I'm asking WHY. In the anime we got to see him struggling (briefly, on the end of Cour 2 episodes), but we got nothing in the manga. Will it be shown later? Can I hope for it or should I give up? It's really bothering me, I feel like I have missed something quite significant :(
We ended Volume 62 in a scary way. After pummeling Hisagi, Ikkaku and Yumichika and a sparring with Kensei, the WWE Quincy (Masculine) had thrown both captains (Kensei and Rose) in the air like they were puppets and seems to be on his way to the place where Renji and Rukia will land. Are they in trouble? Are Kensei and Rose all right? What about Bambietta who ended up lying badly beaten up on the ground. Her minions doesn't seem to be concerned about her at all. One of them, Giselle, seems more ecstatic than concerned. What is she planning? What will be Bambietta's fate? How will the war be looking now that the Bankai's are back? Can our heroes get the upper hand? We will see in the next volume! :)
Some things I need to talk about: (as usual, look out for the spoilers)
~ My girl Nanao is so skilled in kido, I'm so proud of her! She knows stuff that even the captains don't! That's so awesome! You go, girl! 👏
~ When Cang Du threw Matsumoto on the ground, she looked DEAD (I know that she's not, but she really looked dead) 😨
~ Urahara is so annoying. When you close the door in his face, he will barge in by the window 😂
~ How is that suddenly Soi Fon can use her Bankai without any preparation for it?
~ Hitsugaya's temporary hollowfied Bankai looks SICK 🔥
~ Poor Shinji gets Renji's treatment. Both of them have amazing power, but are always losing their fights 😭
~ Why was Cang Du proudly announcing that he's Wandenreich's "The Iron", but he never used his true ability, only Hitsugaya's Bankai? I know that he tried to use it against Jugram (and failed), but it was shown so briefly that you could easily miss it. What a shame.
~ Wow, Bambietta was so cool throwing her bombs in every direction, yay 🙄
~ I admire Hinamori for trying to help her captain, but all she did (of course) was ending up as another person for Komamura to protect.
~ What was up with the old dog? Why did he need Komamura's hatred? Is he living through negative emotions or what? And why is he the one to teach the clans' secret technique if that technique comes from the clans' curse? And why did he let his grandson make such a big sacrifice? Doesn't he not care about him at all?
~ While I don't approve Komamura's choice in this volume, I deeply admire his loyalty to Yamamoto.
~ Komamura's Bankai looked SICK! 🔥
~ I don't understand why, while knowing that he got only a temporary invincibility and while choosing Yhwach as his main goal, Komamura choose to fight Bambietta instead of going straight up after Yhwach.
~ I really liked how proud Hikifune, Tenjiro and Ichibe looked while talking about Ichigo ☺️
~ Bambietta looked rightfully terrified when she saw Giselle. I would be terrified too.
~ Masculine is such a cartoony character, I can't take him seriously!
~ I really liked Kensei's intervention when Masculine tried to kill Hisagi. It was the scene that I expected to see earlier (but it was Yamamoto who intervened)! ☺️
~ Kensei fought so greatly, I was so proud. He shined brightly. You can say what you want about his Bankai, but I like it.
~ I saw As Nödt on the cover of the next volume. I am TERRIFIED 😭
We're in the middle of the war. Everyone's having a hard time and it looks like the enemy is winning. The Quincies aren't even sweating, while our heroes are standing with their last strength and having trouble breathing. Their leader (Yamamoto) is not with them. Their hero (Ichigo) is not with them. Everyone's are unaided and everything's burning. Despite being in a very tight spot, no one gives up. No matter what, there is still hope. For for the win or hope for a miracle - no one can really tell.
"Earlier and now again, you mind not speaking of your Bankai as if it has a mind of its own? I don't believe in pantheism."
"Bankai doesn't have a mind of its own? Does he really believe it?"
"Yes. It seems that way."
"Haven't heard your voice in a while. Good to have you back... Hyourinmaru."
Gosh, my heart broke for Hitsugaya. This precous guy has gone through so much just in this volume alone (and will go through even more in the future). He took a tough pummeling, not just once and not just twice, and looked so worn-out, like he could expire in any moment. He was barely breathing. Barely standing. But still trying his hardest for himself, for the Soul Society and for the values he represented. Both of his enemies were ruthless. Bazz-B, the master of the flames, nearly killed him, but it was Cang Du's duty to end his life. It's an irony that the guy who stole his Bankai was shameful enough to steal his life too. And he would've succeeded if a miracle with the name of Kisuke Urahara didn't appear.
'SAVE!', you could scream in happiness, confident that your favorite characters will survive. But you would be wrong. The miracle might've appeared, but nothing's changed for the enemy's side. Why? Because they already predicted it and knew what to do in advance.
"Aren't you fighting because you'll die if you lose?! Because you could be killed?! What's the point if winning, if you throw away your life just to fight?!"
"I did not throw it away. I simply staked it."
It wasn't Hitsugaya's fight that was the focus of this volume. It was Komamura's - a fight not only against his enemy, but also a fight against his own beliefs. The last time we saw him was in a mysterious cave meeting a giant, old dog and asking him about their clans' "secret technique". After losing the only close person Komamura had left, the blind need of revenge took over his mind and his actions. He was ready for anything, as long as it was guaranteed that this need will be fulfilled. His wish was granted and he got out of the cave much stronger - invincible even - as he was ever before. But nothing is for free. Everything has a price. Komamura made his decision - and made his sacrifice. It was a sacrifice not only with his body, but with his mind as well, no matter if he was fully aware of it or not.
"Well? Have you noticed it, Sajin? That emotion of yours is revenge. It is what you explained to your friend. Throwing your life away for the sake of revenge. But that is good. Revenge is our true form. You have finally returned to our clan."
I find it incredibly interesting that Komamura had found himself in the place that his friend, Tousen, once was. Back then Komamura had judged him harshly for standing on Aizen's side - and for choosing the need for revenge. Now Komamura is also choosing revenge. He went against his own words and his own beliefs, all because of the loss of Yamamoto. The usually logical and stoic Komamura let himself be lost in his emotions. If he stopped for a short while, he would realize that what he was doing was wrong. That Yamamoto wouldn't want him to go this far, wouldn't want him to throw his life away so harshly. But what happened, happened. Fate decided that it was Bambietta that Komamura will fight, and it was a visually stunning battle. Both did their best, and usually there is only one winner. I could not tell who won this fight. It looked like it was Komamura, but how can you be a winner after giving up so much? It's not a win. It's a tragedy.
"That boy... he's changed so much."
"He has."
"He's gotten so strong. You can just see it. It's hard to believe his previous shaky spiritual pressure..."
"No, no. It's not that he got stronger. He's grown. If I had to put it another way... he's gotten stronger."
"So it's the same thing!"
"No, no. It's not just about strength. He's stronger in body and spirit. He's become a true Soul Reaper."
After his training with Squad 0, everyone (except for Byakuya, I guess) are now on their way to the Soul Society. Rukia and Renji will be there quicker than Ichigo who's started his journey way later. We could get to see those three very briefly, but you can already tell that they all had changed. How exactly did the training impact their minds and souls, we will see. I saw Ichigo only a little bit in this volume, but it was enough for me to scream and shout and squeal like a teenager. Not just because the man is hot (duh), but also because of all his cute images. Tite Kubo, I see you, why did you have to draw him in such adorable way?! I'm under your bed!
Anyways, what is concerning me here is the lack of images of Ichigo's training. It's obvious that he had got through one after getting his Zanpakuto back, but nothing was shown and I'm asking WHY. In the anime we got to see him struggling (briefly, on the end of Cour 2 episodes), but we got nothing in the manga. Will it be shown later? Can I hope for it or should I give up? It's really bothering me, I feel like I have missed something quite significant :(
We ended Volume 62 in a scary way. After pummeling Hisagi, Ikkaku and Yumichika and a sparring with Kensei, the WWE Quincy (Masculine) had thrown both captains (Kensei and Rose) in the air like they were puppets and seems to be on his way to the place where Renji and Rukia will land. Are they in trouble? Are Kensei and Rose all right? What about Bambietta who ended up lying badly beaten up on the ground. Her minions doesn't seem to be concerned about her at all. One of them, Giselle, seems more ecstatic than concerned. What is she planning? What will be Bambietta's fate? How will the war be looking now that the Bankai's are back? Can our heroes get the upper hand? We will see in the next volume! :)
Some things I need to talk about: (as usual, look out for the spoilers)
~ My girl Nanao is so skilled in kido, I'm so proud of her! She knows stuff that even the captains don't! That's so awesome! You go, girl! 👏
~ When Cang Du threw Matsumoto on the ground, she looked DEAD (I know that she's not, but she really looked dead) 😨
~ Urahara is so annoying. When you close the door in his face, he will barge in by the window 😂
~ How is that suddenly Soi Fon can use her Bankai without any preparation for it?
~ Hitsugaya's temporary hollowfied Bankai looks SICK 🔥
~ Poor Shinji gets Renji's treatment. Both of them have amazing power, but are always losing their fights 😭
~ Why was Cang Du proudly announcing that he's Wandenreich's "The Iron", but he never used his true ability, only Hitsugaya's Bankai? I know that he tried to use it against Jugram (and failed), but it was shown so briefly that you could easily miss it. What a shame.
~ Wow, Bambietta was so cool throwing her bombs in every direction, yay 🙄
~ I admire Hinamori for trying to help her captain, but all she did (of course) was ending up as another person for Komamura to protect.
~ What was up with the old dog? Why did he need Komamura's hatred? Is he living through negative emotions or what? And why is he the one to teach the clans' secret technique if that technique comes from the clans' curse? And why did he let his grandson make such a big sacrifice? Doesn't he not care about him at all?
~ While I don't approve Komamura's choice in this volume, I deeply admire his loyalty to Yamamoto.
~ Komamura's Bankai looked SICK! 🔥
~ I don't understand why, while knowing that he got only a temporary invincibility and while choosing Yhwach as his main goal, Komamura choose to fight Bambietta instead of going straight up after Yhwach.
~ I really liked how proud Hikifune, Tenjiro and Ichibe looked while talking about Ichigo ☺️
~ Bambietta looked rightfully terrified when she saw Giselle. I would be terrified too.
~ Masculine is such a cartoony character, I can't take him seriously!
~ I really liked Kensei's intervention when Masculine tried to kill Hisagi. It was the scene that I expected to see earlier (but it was Yamamoto who intervened)! ☺️
~ Kensei fought so greatly, I was so proud. He shined brightly. You can say what you want about his Bankai, but I like it.
~ I saw As Nödt on the cover of the next volume. I am TERRIFIED 😭
June 12, 2020
Obviously, the good guys won't just stay beaten dogs. A lot of these decisions feel rushed or rehashed. At this part of the narrative, the story is centered around individual battles. A rematch of some sort where the Captains that were once defeated try and show their new skills developed in record time. Some of these sub-plots are actually interesting but to push them to these limits makes the enemy seem unbeatable, especially when we're not even talking about the final bosses.
There's a new enemy that is also introduced at the end that completely kills the Bleach lore and something tells me his fight won't please me at all.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
There's a new enemy that is also introduced at the end that completely kills the Bleach lore and something tells me his fight won't please me at all.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
February 18, 2015
I enjoyed this volume. It was a nice balance of seriousness and action.
December 7, 2020
This was a interesting volume as we learn of Urahara's plan to save the Captains and their Bankais and they are restored obviously and there are some cool moments like with Toushiro and his Ice dragon and then how Soi fon defeats the mechanical quincy. All around good battles but seems like Ichigo's trip in the Soul king's citadel has ended and he is coming soon to join the battle. Meanwhile we learn of the Wolf aka Komamura and his secret technique and how he is able to take down a Quincy and the price he has to pay for it..its intriguing and interesting. And he has some good moments. Fights happening, and we are reaching to the main part soon. Overall good volume with heartfelt moments and spotlighting other characters more.
June 21, 2025
Urahara with one of my favourite scenes from him - MOSHI MOSHIIIII. Followed by one of my favourite moments in the entirety of bleach. Sajin Komamura, one of the most underrated characters I've ever seen. I really really love this scene.
"The moment I stepped foot into this battle I left my life behind."
You did nothing wrong Captain, you did nothing wrong.
"The moment I stepped foot into this battle I left my life behind."
You did nothing wrong Captain, you did nothing wrong.
July 23, 2025
I don't know if i said it before, but Urahara rulez!
A plot twist I did not see coming, badass bankai and Quincy I really can't help but dislike.
Cool volume. But now I'm basically waiting to see two of my favourite characters finally also fight (with their bankai hopefully) 😅
A plot twist I did not see coming, badass bankai and Quincy I really can't help but dislike.
Cool volume. But now I'm basically waiting to see two of my favourite characters finally also fight (with their bankai hopefully) 😅
July 13, 2025
These fights feel like trump cards on top of trump cards
December 11, 2016
COOL entry by Renji & Rukia!!!
June 21, 2022
Outside of Hitsugaya's fight, this volume fell for me. I like the idea that Komamaru is basically a werwolf and he sacrifices his awareness to wind the fight. All the other fights kinda did not work for me.
I do like the Ichigo new outfit reveal.
I do like the Ichigo new outfit reveal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2022
Best Boi werewolf
February 3, 2024
Gosh I love shinji and urahara.
June 2, 2022
Hitsugaya continues to battle the manic Bazz-B, who threatens to take him down using only two fingers. Another Quincy, Cang Du, intervenes, reminding Bazz-B that orders were given to leave the Soul Reapers to those who stole their bankai. He has brought a stunned Matsumoto with him, and decides she and her captain should die together. Just then Uruhara reaches Kurotsuchi and tells him he’s completed his research and knows how the soul reapers can reclaim their bankai. He explains the procedure and how it makes the bankai poisonous to the Quincies, and then begins to implement his plan. His actions are just in time for Hitsugaya to turn the tide in his battle.
Omaeda goes to Sai Fon’s aid against the Quincy she is battling, explaining how she will regain her bankai. Meanwhile, Uryu is with Yhwach, who had predicted this outcome. Quincy Bambietta challenges the Soul Reapers to come out of hiding and fight her, especially the “doggy” she wanted to fight, who seems to be nowhere around. But Komamura is there, and so is Shinji. Shinji shows her what his bankai can do, which disorients the Quincy, but not long enough.
Uruhara receives a call from Ichigo, who reveals that he is ready to come back. Unfortunately, the journey back will be longer than the one he took to get there. Kiskue urges him to come as soon as possible. Bambietta seems to have taken down Shinji. Komamura steps in, using his clan’s secret jutsu, and suddenly he is no longer a wolf but a man! But at what cost?
This volume of Bleach has so much going on! Edge of your seat stuff, too! Like, what’s going on with Shinji? He has to be okay, right? But I can’t help thinking about Kira and I know at this point anything is possible. The whole thing with Ichigo must surely be a delaying tactic in order to build up drama and suspense and bring everything to the brink of destruction, so he can swoop in and play the hero and make everything right again… right? We still don’t know what part Uryu will play in all of this. I have to believe his own innate sense of justice will not allow him to destroy the Soul Society, even though he’s been appointed crazy Yhwach’s successor. Only time will tell there. The part about Komamura is both amazing and heartbreaking. And of course, seeing Shunsui is the icing on the cake, at least for me.
I especially loved the cover for the chapter Don’t Sleep Til You Sleep, with Renji and Ichigo and a bunch of white coffins with crosses . Kind of a vampiric vibe lol Also, there’s a part with Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hisagi who are attacked by a guy who reminded me of a luchadore. More of him next time.
Great volume, looking forward to the next one!
Omaeda goes to Sai Fon’s aid against the Quincy she is battling, explaining how she will regain her bankai. Meanwhile, Uryu is with Yhwach, who had predicted this outcome. Quincy Bambietta challenges the Soul Reapers to come out of hiding and fight her, especially the “doggy” she wanted to fight, who seems to be nowhere around. But Komamura is there, and so is Shinji. Shinji shows her what his bankai can do, which disorients the Quincy, but not long enough.
Uruhara receives a call from Ichigo, who reveals that he is ready to come back. Unfortunately, the journey back will be longer than the one he took to get there. Kiskue urges him to come as soon as possible. Bambietta seems to have taken down Shinji. Komamura steps in, using his clan’s secret jutsu, and suddenly he is no longer a wolf but a man! But at what cost?
This volume of Bleach has so much going on! Edge of your seat stuff, too! Like, what’s going on with Shinji? He has to be okay, right? But I can’t help thinking about Kira and I know at this point anything is possible. The whole thing with Ichigo must surely be a delaying tactic in order to build up drama and suspense and bring everything to the brink of destruction, so he can swoop in and play the hero and make everything right again… right? We still don’t know what part Uryu will play in all of this. I have to believe his own innate sense of justice will not allow him to destroy the Soul Society, even though he’s been appointed crazy Yhwach’s successor. Only time will tell there. The part about Komamura is both amazing and heartbreaking. And of course, seeing Shunsui is the icing on the cake, at least for me.
I especially loved the cover for the chapter Don’t Sleep Til You Sleep, with Renji and Ichigo and a bunch of white coffins with crosses . Kind of a vampiric vibe lol Also, there’s a part with Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hisagi who are attacked by a guy who reminded me of a luchadore. More of him next time.
Great volume, looking forward to the next one!
September 12, 2020
All the secondary characters, the Soul Reapers, are doing battle. Each has their own new power-up to counteract their Quincy opponent, but the Quincy too have their own special powers, but the Soul Reapers have cool new toys that might help! The arcs on their own aren't especially bad, but having so many barely developed secondary characters take the focus all at once slows down the pace. Yeah, it's cool to see the battles, but we're split between several different confrontations and keep switching between them. It's never-ending with our protagonists nowhere in sight. The very best part of this volume are the few pages of interaction between Ichigo and Urahara, and that's just the promise of the series being good later instead of actively keeping my interesting with the current plot.
October 18, 2017
Heart of Wolf. Tomo 62 de edición argentina, traducido en el índice como Corazón de lobo. Traduce los capítulos 551 a 560.
August 12, 2022
Quincies: steal bankai
Reapers: takes them back
Quincies: we didn’t need them anyway !!! were stronger without them !!!
me: THEN WHY
Reapers: takes them back
Quincies: we didn’t need them anyway !!! were stronger without them !!!
me: THEN WHY
October 24, 2025
TBA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2020
Given that Manga, and especially Shonen is split up into bigger arcs as composed to volumes I will be analyzing and reviewing this by Arc. I also reread this manga over the span of 2 months, some days reading as much as 100 chapters a day. It would be quite tedious for me to review each 7-8 chapter volume. So this will be copy and pasted throughout all of the 74 manga volumes. That being said, if you're looking at this without having viewed the series...spoiler warning. I don't recap anything, but I also mention things that happen. If you want me to answer the question "Should I pick this up?" Yes. Even if you stop at the end of the Soul Society Arc. It's worth it.
Karakura Town Arc - Chapters 1-56 - Rating: 7/10
(The official page lumps this in with the Soul Society Arc however I feel as if they are two very separate arcs with two very separate themes)
- A fun introduction.
-An interesting premise on the idea of ghosts and demons (Hollows)
-Does a good job of introducing the characters and I especially enjoyed the love for characters like Chad, Orihime and Uryu as these characters would later lose more and more spotlight as the series went on.
-It is a bit of a monster of the week. When it works, like with Chad's introduction story. It works. But Characters like Don Kanonji felt superficial and very gimmicky. Which, fair. I didn't enjoy them as much.
Soul Society Arc - Chapters 57-182 - Rating: 10/10
-The height of Bleach
-Establishes an afterlife seemingly perfectly. Later on revealed to be full of plot holes and never fleshed out but hey! That's not an issue in THIS arc. The fights are top tier, the themes of Ichigo owing a life debt to Rukia and his passion and determination to rise above literally God's army is inspiring and to this day is why I love Ichigo so much. He doesn't have some grandiose plan. He doesn't have a major goal to accomplish. He is a protector by heart, losing his mother has made him sour to failing to protect those he cares about and he'll do anything in his power never to feel that helpless again. Very powerful stuff.
-The twist near the end of this arc is revolutionary and would make waves for the next 200 chapters onward. A perfect ending and set up for the forthcoming arc.
-The only issues I have for this arc would be Ichigo's lightning speed progression. The guy goes from being able to barely defeat a third seat to besting multiple captains in roughly 100 or less chapters. I get that that is the point and him defeating captains was more of a struck of luck, but progression and pacing wise it feels very unearned and a factor of "for the plot he needed to be this strong" It only seems as fast as it is because Ichigo's progression slows drastically down for the rest of the story moving foreword so it's only now that I make that criticism.
-Also, and this will be an issue in most Shonen. There are 13 Captains with 13 Vice Captains and seats that branch all the way to 10 I believe? Regardless, there's a fudge ton of characters that are introduced here and it can get a little jarring at times. Luckily, Kubo does a great job at making their designs and characters unique despite such a large cast.
Hueco Mundo Arc - Chapters 183-423 - Rating 7/10
-This is another arc where personally I would split it up into two separate arcs. But for the sake of this review I will simply refer to the first half of the arc and the later half of the arc. First Half 9/10. Second Half. 5/10.
-The first half of this arc is a great continuation of the last. Ichigo now struggles with his inner demons and it affects his ability to protect the ones he loves. We are also introduced to a deadly unknown new villains. The Arrancars/Espada to this day remain one of my favorite villain factions in all of manga enemies.
-Just so you're aware I would say the first half of this arc ends right around the point of Ichigo vs Grimmjow. Grimmjow is one of the first Arrancar that Ichigo faces. And he's also one of two Espada that he faces three times. The conclusion of that fight shows Ichigo conquering his inner demons. Where Grimmjow is very much fighting to establish himself. Grimmjow has to fight Ichigo to prove to his fallen comrades that he is as good as he says he is. He doesn't care about Aizen, he doesn't care about the rest of the Espada. It is very personal for him. For Ichigo, Orohime is within his grasp of saving and he views this as his "final" battle. It's my favorite fight in all of Bleach.
-However, this is where things start to take a bit of dip in quality in my opinion. We had a goal and we were striving towards that goal. Each character of the original cast coming to repay the debt they made to their friend who had risked her life to save them in the Soul society arc. But somewhere along the way it seems we just had a fighter fest. Captains would face enemies with no themes or character revelations. The Espadas got a little light but nothing that made their fights compelling. You almost just feel bad for the Espada as they were monsters turned into a military force by an unstoppable tyrant. But even that wasn't enough to make half of the fights interesting. Now, that's with knowing the outcome. These fights played little importance in the larger scheme of things. Where at least in the Hueco Mundo fights each match up had the protagonists striving for a goal. Rukia to defeat Aaroneiro to free her former superiors soul. Byakuya to defend Rukia. Renji and Uryu teamwork. Nel to protect Ichigo and get revenge on Nnoitra. Whereas Stark fought Kyoraku.....cause.....and Hitsugaya fought Halibel because Water vs Ice would be cool.
-This leaves me to the end. I won't say it wasn't satisfying that Ichigo was able to defeat Aizen. And yes, I do feel like his new power was earned. 3 months of training. But this was clearly a last minute decision to save Aizen for a later date and the show must go on. I do feel like it wasn't as satisfying as 200+ chapter buildup needed to be.
The Fullbring Arc - Chapters 424-479 - Rating: 8/10
-A very underrated arc. And yes, I acknowledge that rating wise I think the Fullbring arc is superior to the Hueco Mundo arc. That is mostly true. Though I like the first half of the Hueco Mundo Arc more than the Fullbring arc. The end of the HM arc really brought it down for me. The Fullbring Arc is much more concise and is actually the shortest arc in the series and works as a glorified Ichigo getting his powers back arc. But that doesn't mean its bad.
-When I read it originally back when it was coming out in 2010. (Cause I'm Old) It wasn't phenomenal. In fact, I hated it. But wouldn't you? It took just short of a year to get to the point that we were at. But upon rereading it, it gave much deserved love to the characters who hadn't been shown love in quite some time. The original cast. It was a very character focused arc. Ichigo never seemed more human. And despite me hating it before for taking so long, reading weekly can sometimes hurt these mystery based arcs. The twist is heavily foreshadowed and I really appreciated it.
-That being said, the end was super rushed. This was a big bummer for me. The villains this time around were humans. And the ones who had the most exposure and relations with these characters were the original cast who again....were humans. So to have the soul reapers, who have no connection to the fullbringers show up and basically no diff most of the fullbringers felt very forced and fanservicey to me. This very well could have not been Kubo's call. As the community was very vocal about their dislike for this arc as it was going on. But I appreciate it now much more as I appreciate character and story over big sword fights. Lol.
The Thousand Year Blood War Arc - Chapters 424-689 - Rating: 5/10
-And we're finally here. The final and largest arc within the Bleach story. And man...does it not stick the landing.
-That being said, this arc has phenomenal moments. Kenpachi's Shikai and Bankai. Ichigo's double swords. Renji's true Bankai. Rukia's Bankai. And many more. However, they are put together against the most break neck speed arc that I have ever read. Kubo was very ambitious when he introduced 26 new villains. However, most of them got barely any screen time and a lot of them even got off screened by higher level captains. This was unlike the Espada who each got a full double page spread for their Resurrections.
-Yhwach himself was a phenomenal villain but was dealt with swiftly and imo dirty. They did him dirty.
-There was just something off. The mood changed and it was very apparent. The villains had random powers instead of the powers reflecting their personalities or needs. The finale felt so underwhelming.
-Ichigo gets to be the strongest he's ever been....but he doesn't defeat a single person besides the main villain despite being in several fights.
-It isn't a good arc. In fact, I would say it's the worst. Hopefully the anime does a better job with this already mammoth of a story. 260 chapters is no joke.
This gives the story of Bleach an Overall rating of 7.4/10. Which to me is above average. It has it's ups and downs. It's not perfect. But when it's high, it's peak shonen. But when it's low, it's very forgettable.
Karakura Town Arc - Chapters 1-56 - Rating: 7/10
(The official page lumps this in with the Soul Society Arc however I feel as if they are two very separate arcs with two very separate themes)
- A fun introduction.
-An interesting premise on the idea of ghosts and demons (Hollows)
-Does a good job of introducing the characters and I especially enjoyed the love for characters like Chad, Orihime and Uryu as these characters would later lose more and more spotlight as the series went on.
-It is a bit of a monster of the week. When it works, like with Chad's introduction story. It works. But Characters like Don Kanonji felt superficial and very gimmicky. Which, fair. I didn't enjoy them as much.
Soul Society Arc - Chapters 57-182 - Rating: 10/10
-The height of Bleach
-Establishes an afterlife seemingly perfectly. Later on revealed to be full of plot holes and never fleshed out but hey! That's not an issue in THIS arc. The fights are top tier, the themes of Ichigo owing a life debt to Rukia and his passion and determination to rise above literally God's army is inspiring and to this day is why I love Ichigo so much. He doesn't have some grandiose plan. He doesn't have a major goal to accomplish. He is a protector by heart, losing his mother has made him sour to failing to protect those he cares about and he'll do anything in his power never to feel that helpless again. Very powerful stuff.
-The twist near the end of this arc is revolutionary and would make waves for the next 200 chapters onward. A perfect ending and set up for the forthcoming arc.
-The only issues I have for this arc would be Ichigo's lightning speed progression. The guy goes from being able to barely defeat a third seat to besting multiple captains in roughly 100 or less chapters. I get that that is the point and him defeating captains was more of a struck of luck, but progression and pacing wise it feels very unearned and a factor of "for the plot he needed to be this strong" It only seems as fast as it is because Ichigo's progression slows drastically down for the rest of the story moving foreword so it's only now that I make that criticism.
-Also, and this will be an issue in most Shonen. There are 13 Captains with 13 Vice Captains and seats that branch all the way to 10 I believe? Regardless, there's a fudge ton of characters that are introduced here and it can get a little jarring at times. Luckily, Kubo does a great job at making their designs and characters unique despite such a large cast.
Hueco Mundo Arc - Chapters 183-423 - Rating 7/10
-This is another arc where personally I would split it up into two separate arcs. But for the sake of this review I will simply refer to the first half of the arc and the later half of the arc. First Half 9/10. Second Half. 5/10.
-The first half of this arc is a great continuation of the last. Ichigo now struggles with his inner demons and it affects his ability to protect the ones he loves. We are also introduced to a deadly unknown new villains. The Arrancars/Espada to this day remain one of my favorite villain factions in all of manga enemies.
-Just so you're aware I would say the first half of this arc ends right around the point of Ichigo vs Grimmjow. Grimmjow is one of the first Arrancar that Ichigo faces. And he's also one of two Espada that he faces three times. The conclusion of that fight shows Ichigo conquering his inner demons. Where Grimmjow is very much fighting to establish himself. Grimmjow has to fight Ichigo to prove to his fallen comrades that he is as good as he says he is. He doesn't care about Aizen, he doesn't care about the rest of the Espada. It is very personal for him. For Ichigo, Orohime is within his grasp of saving and he views this as his "final" battle. It's my favorite fight in all of Bleach.
-However, this is where things start to take a bit of dip in quality in my opinion. We had a goal and we were striving towards that goal. Each character of the original cast coming to repay the debt they made to their friend who had risked her life to save them in the Soul society arc. But somewhere along the way it seems we just had a fighter fest. Captains would face enemies with no themes or character revelations. The Espadas got a little light but nothing that made their fights compelling. You almost just feel bad for the Espada as they were monsters turned into a military force by an unstoppable tyrant. But even that wasn't enough to make half of the fights interesting. Now, that's with knowing the outcome. These fights played little importance in the larger scheme of things. Where at least in the Hueco Mundo fights each match up had the protagonists striving for a goal. Rukia to defeat Aaroneiro to free her former superiors soul. Byakuya to defend Rukia. Renji and Uryu teamwork. Nel to protect Ichigo and get revenge on Nnoitra. Whereas Stark fought Kyoraku.....cause.....and Hitsugaya fought Halibel because Water vs Ice would be cool.
-This leaves me to the end. I won't say it wasn't satisfying that Ichigo was able to defeat Aizen. And yes, I do feel like his new power was earned. 3 months of training. But this was clearly a last minute decision to save Aizen for a later date and the show must go on. I do feel like it wasn't as satisfying as 200+ chapter buildup needed to be.
The Fullbring Arc - Chapters 424-479 - Rating: 8/10
-A very underrated arc. And yes, I acknowledge that rating wise I think the Fullbring arc is superior to the Hueco Mundo arc. That is mostly true. Though I like the first half of the Hueco Mundo Arc more than the Fullbring arc. The end of the HM arc really brought it down for me. The Fullbring Arc is much more concise and is actually the shortest arc in the series and works as a glorified Ichigo getting his powers back arc. But that doesn't mean its bad.
-When I read it originally back when it was coming out in 2010. (Cause I'm Old) It wasn't phenomenal. In fact, I hated it. But wouldn't you? It took just short of a year to get to the point that we were at. But upon rereading it, it gave much deserved love to the characters who hadn't been shown love in quite some time. The original cast. It was a very character focused arc. Ichigo never seemed more human. And despite me hating it before for taking so long, reading weekly can sometimes hurt these mystery based arcs. The twist is heavily foreshadowed and I really appreciated it.
-That being said, the end was super rushed. This was a big bummer for me. The villains this time around were humans. And the ones who had the most exposure and relations with these characters were the original cast who again....were humans. So to have the soul reapers, who have no connection to the fullbringers show up and basically no diff most of the fullbringers felt very forced and fanservicey to me. This very well could have not been Kubo's call. As the community was very vocal about their dislike for this arc as it was going on. But I appreciate it now much more as I appreciate character and story over big sword fights. Lol.
The Thousand Year Blood War Arc - Chapters 424-689 - Rating: 5/10
-And we're finally here. The final and largest arc within the Bleach story. And man...does it not stick the landing.
-That being said, this arc has phenomenal moments. Kenpachi's Shikai and Bankai. Ichigo's double swords. Renji's true Bankai. Rukia's Bankai. And many more. However, they are put together against the most break neck speed arc that I have ever read. Kubo was very ambitious when he introduced 26 new villains. However, most of them got barely any screen time and a lot of them even got off screened by higher level captains. This was unlike the Espada who each got a full double page spread for their Resurrections.
-Yhwach himself was a phenomenal villain but was dealt with swiftly and imo dirty. They did him dirty.
-There was just something off. The mood changed and it was very apparent. The villains had random powers instead of the powers reflecting their personalities or needs. The finale felt so underwhelming.
-Ichigo gets to be the strongest he's ever been....but he doesn't defeat a single person besides the main villain despite being in several fights.
-It isn't a good arc. In fact, I would say it's the worst. Hopefully the anime does a better job with this already mammoth of a story. 260 chapters is no joke.
This gives the story of Bleach an Overall rating of 7.4/10. Which to me is above average. It has it's ups and downs. It's not perfect. But when it's high, it's peak shonen. But when it's low, it's very forgettable.
January 8, 2026
4/5 (Review is for the series as a whole and does not contain spoilers)
Ichigo Kurosaki is a high school student who can see ghosts. When an evil spirit, called a hollow, attacks his family, he meets Rukia, a soul reaper tasked with fighting against hollows. But when Rukia is injured, Ichigo must make the decision to take over the role of soul reaper to help fight against hollows to save his hometown.
Bleach is a classic manga and one of the more popular options for those starting out in the genre/format. It features themes of friendship, growing up and changing, and never giving up. One of the most enjoyable elements of this series is watching the progression as the characters learn and evolve. Ichigo has a tendency to be really cocky, especially at the start of the series, but as time goes on and he learns more about the world he’s in, he changes and becomes more willing to listen to the advice given to him by other characters. His friends also continue to grow and progress along with him. Additionally, there is a change in the art style of the characters as the story progresses, which makes it easy to see how they have changed as they all get older. There were two elements about this series that I disliked. The first was that I felt the ending was a bit rushed, and there were some things that I was a bit confused about. However, I recognize that the author was sick and so that attributed to the way things ended. The other element that I disliked was the sheer number of characters in the series by the end. Many of the characters that I thought were dead or gone ended up coming back, and I had to try and remember who they all were. I definitely think I needed to make myself a character sheet with information about each character to help me remember everyone in the end. In terms of assessing age appropriateness for this series, I would say that it’s an okay series for middle school and up. A couple of considerations to keep in mind when deciding if it’s right for you: 1. There is some violence (which is common for shonen mangas), including some elements of body horror, but it’s not too bad. 2. There is no sexual content, although many of the women are drawn disproportionately (which is common in manga written by men). 3. The main character is fifteen years old at the start of the series and only gets older as it progresses. And 4. The themes are a bit mature in that they require some deeper level thinking in order to fully understand them all. Overall, I enjoyed this series for its interesting premise, and would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy the traditional shonen manga.
Ichigo Kurosaki is a high school student who can see ghosts. When an evil spirit, called a hollow, attacks his family, he meets Rukia, a soul reaper tasked with fighting against hollows. But when Rukia is injured, Ichigo must make the decision to take over the role of soul reaper to help fight against hollows to save his hometown.
Bleach is a classic manga and one of the more popular options for those starting out in the genre/format. It features themes of friendship, growing up and changing, and never giving up. One of the most enjoyable elements of this series is watching the progression as the characters learn and evolve. Ichigo has a tendency to be really cocky, especially at the start of the series, but as time goes on and he learns more about the world he’s in, he changes and becomes more willing to listen to the advice given to him by other characters. His friends also continue to grow and progress along with him. Additionally, there is a change in the art style of the characters as the story progresses, which makes it easy to see how they have changed as they all get older. There were two elements about this series that I disliked. The first was that I felt the ending was a bit rushed, and there were some things that I was a bit confused about. However, I recognize that the author was sick and so that attributed to the way things ended. The other element that I disliked was the sheer number of characters in the series by the end. Many of the characters that I thought were dead or gone ended up coming back, and I had to try and remember who they all were. I definitely think I needed to make myself a character sheet with information about each character to help me remember everyone in the end. In terms of assessing age appropriateness for this series, I would say that it’s an okay series for middle school and up. A couple of considerations to keep in mind when deciding if it’s right for you: 1. There is some violence (which is common for shonen mangas), including some elements of body horror, but it’s not too bad. 2. There is no sexual content, although many of the women are drawn disproportionately (which is common in manga written by men). 3. The main character is fifteen years old at the start of the series and only gets older as it progresses. And 4. The themes are a bit mature in that they require some deeper level thinking in order to fully understand them all. Overall, I enjoyed this series for its interesting premise, and would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy the traditional shonen manga.
November 13, 2019
Bleach, Vol. 62 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next ten chapters (551–560) of the on-going manga series.
As Nanao Ise creates a Kidō barrier to keep Jugram Haschwalth from advancing towards Shunsui Sōzōsuke Jirō Kyōraku, Tōshirō Hitsugaya finds himself overpowered by Bazz-B's fire attacks until Sternritter "I" Cang Du who fatally wounded Rangiku Matsumoto while intending to deliver the finishing blow on the young captain. Mayuri Kurotsuchi senses both this and Suì-Fēng losing her battle until Kisuke Urahara arrives and convinces his former ward to help him develop Shin'eiyaku tablets that they give to all Soul Reaper captains that will temporary hollowfy them to regain their Bankai. Though Hitsugaya defeats Cang Du, he collapses from his injuries before he could reach Rangiku.
Elsewhere, Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine faces Shinji Hirako before having her rematch against Sajin Komamura. During the fight, Komamura reveals that he used his werewolf clan's "Humanization Technique" to fight as a powerful immortal man and avenge Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto at the cost of his heart.
By using his new Bankai Dangai Jōe, Komamura defeats Bambietta Basterbine but is unable to proceed as the humanization wears off and he transforms completely into a wolf before being found by Tetsuzaemon Iba. Dying from her injuries Bambietta finds herself at the mercy of her fellow female Sternritters under Giselle Gewelle. As night time comes, the Sternritters fall back with Cang Du and BG9 executed for their failure.
Meanwhile, as Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai arrive to the Seireitei, Kensei Muguruma and Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi face Sternritter "S" Mask de Masculine.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The tankōbon continues the second invasion of the Seireitei by the Sternritter. Things doesn't go well for the Shinigami as their Bankai’s are sealed – the tides starts to change when Kisuke Urahara arrives with a way for the Shinigami to regain their Bankai as they managed to defend their land.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 62 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
As Nanao Ise creates a Kidō barrier to keep Jugram Haschwalth from advancing towards Shunsui Sōzōsuke Jirō Kyōraku, Tōshirō Hitsugaya finds himself overpowered by Bazz-B's fire attacks until Sternritter "I" Cang Du who fatally wounded Rangiku Matsumoto while intending to deliver the finishing blow on the young captain. Mayuri Kurotsuchi senses both this and Suì-Fēng losing her battle until Kisuke Urahara arrives and convinces his former ward to help him develop Shin'eiyaku tablets that they give to all Soul Reaper captains that will temporary hollowfy them to regain their Bankai. Though Hitsugaya defeats Cang Du, he collapses from his injuries before he could reach Rangiku.
Elsewhere, Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine faces Shinji Hirako before having her rematch against Sajin Komamura. During the fight, Komamura reveals that he used his werewolf clan's "Humanization Technique" to fight as a powerful immortal man and avenge Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto at the cost of his heart.
By using his new Bankai Dangai Jōe, Komamura defeats Bambietta Basterbine but is unable to proceed as the humanization wears off and he transforms completely into a wolf before being found by Tetsuzaemon Iba. Dying from her injuries Bambietta finds herself at the mercy of her fellow female Sternritters under Giselle Gewelle. As night time comes, the Sternritters fall back with Cang Du and BG9 executed for their failure.
Meanwhile, as Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai arrive to the Seireitei, Kensei Muguruma and Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi face Sternritter "S" Mask de Masculine.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The tankōbon continues the second invasion of the Seireitei by the Sternritter. Things doesn't go well for the Shinigami as their Bankai’s are sealed – the tides starts to change when Kisuke Urahara arrives with a way for the Shinigami to regain their Bankai as they managed to defend their land.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 62 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
August 23, 2024
VOLUME 62: CHAPTER 551-560
Arc 11: The Thousand Year Blood War
Suí-Féng, Toushiro and Rangiku was defeated. Cang Du arrived at Bazz-B's place. He wants to kill Toushiro with his Bankai. Urahara contacts Mayuri and tell that he have a solution to a stolen Bankai. Quincy can stole Bankai but not Resurrecion as if both power have the same characteristic. Quincy cannot tolerate with Hollow. Once they are affect by a Hollow, they will probably die. That's why Quincy's job is to exterminate completely the Hollow. Urahara have developed a drug that have a small portion of Hollow power that can make the Bankai as a poison to the Quincy. The Bankai come back to the owner. Suí Féng managed to defeat BG9 and Toushiro managed to defeat Cang Du.
Bambietta confronted Komamura and Shinji. The Quincy that have Bankai cannot used Quincy Vollständig. As the Bankai is gone, they finally can used the Vollständig. Bambietta who bears the ephitet E: The Explosion can explode anything with her Reishi. Shinji was caught in the explosion. Komamura who wears an armor managed to dodge the explosion and save Hinamori who joined the battle. Komamura revealed his appearance in human form. He used human transformation technique from his master, the giant dog. He used new form of Bankai: Kokujou Tengen Myouou: Dangai Joue. Komamura will have immortal human body and managed to defeat Bambietta. As a compensation, he become a wolf back. Iba come to take Komamura.
Ichigo have finished his training in the Royal Palace. He is coming down to Seireitei. Rukia and Renji come down to Seireitei later. Haschwalth retreat as Yhwach is summoning him. BG9 and Cang Du were going to be executed as they are losing to a Shinigami. In other side, Yumichika and Ikkaku still wandering around Wandenreich. Hisagi is lost due to unexpected terrain of Wandenreich. Suddenly he was attacked by Masculine. Kensei and Rōjūrō appear to fight Masculine. Kensei released his Bankai: Tekken Tachikaze. Kensei managed to defeat Masculine. The little one that always with Masculine cheers for him. Masculine become stronger with every cheers.
Arc 11: The Thousand Year Blood War
Suí-Féng, Toushiro and Rangiku was defeated. Cang Du arrived at Bazz-B's place. He wants to kill Toushiro with his Bankai. Urahara contacts Mayuri and tell that he have a solution to a stolen Bankai. Quincy can stole Bankai but not Resurrecion as if both power have the same characteristic. Quincy cannot tolerate with Hollow. Once they are affect by a Hollow, they will probably die. That's why Quincy's job is to exterminate completely the Hollow. Urahara have developed a drug that have a small portion of Hollow power that can make the Bankai as a poison to the Quincy. The Bankai come back to the owner. Suí Féng managed to defeat BG9 and Toushiro managed to defeat Cang Du.
Bambietta confronted Komamura and Shinji. The Quincy that have Bankai cannot used Quincy Vollständig. As the Bankai is gone, they finally can used the Vollständig. Bambietta who bears the ephitet E: The Explosion can explode anything with her Reishi. Shinji was caught in the explosion. Komamura who wears an armor managed to dodge the explosion and save Hinamori who joined the battle. Komamura revealed his appearance in human form. He used human transformation technique from his master, the giant dog. He used new form of Bankai: Kokujou Tengen Myouou: Dangai Joue. Komamura will have immortal human body and managed to defeat Bambietta. As a compensation, he become a wolf back. Iba come to take Komamura.
Ichigo have finished his training in the Royal Palace. He is coming down to Seireitei. Rukia and Renji come down to Seireitei later. Haschwalth retreat as Yhwach is summoning him. BG9 and Cang Du were going to be executed as they are losing to a Shinigami. In other side, Yumichika and Ikkaku still wandering around Wandenreich. Hisagi is lost due to unexpected terrain of Wandenreich. Suddenly he was attacked by Masculine. Kensei and Rōjūrō appear to fight Masculine. Kensei released his Bankai: Tekken Tachikaze. Kensei managed to defeat Masculine. The little one that always with Masculine cheers for him. Masculine become stronger with every cheers.
December 31, 2020
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
With the Soul Reapers having lost their Bankai, Urahara has been working on a way to get them back. He actually found something really interesting regarding the Quincies and Hollows that might help them fight back against the Quincies. It actually makes sense, and this advantage is really shaking up the Quincies!
Urahara is a smart guy, and really funny even though they’re all in a tough situation. And speaking of funny, the interactions between Shunsui and Nanao are always fun! I love them!
There was also a scene with Toshiro and his Hyorinmaru who wants to come home and omg... I almost cried 😩
There was quite a bit of development in this volume, especially when it comes to Urahara and his findings. I’m excited to see where all that goes. There were also lots of fights here and there, which I always enjoy.
With the Soul Reapers having lost their Bankai, Urahara has been working on a way to get them back. He actually found something really interesting regarding the Quincies and Hollows that might help them fight back against the Quincies. It actually makes sense, and this advantage is really shaking up the Quincies!
Urahara is a smart guy, and really funny even though they’re all in a tough situation. And speaking of funny, the interactions between Shunsui and Nanao are always fun! I love them!
There was also a scene with Toshiro and his Hyorinmaru who wants to come home and omg... I almost cried 😩
There was quite a bit of development in this volume, especially when it comes to Urahara and his findings. I’m excited to see where all that goes. There were also lots of fights here and there, which I always enjoy.
November 23, 2024
I rate this 4.25 stars.
This volume was dark and sad😭
Kubo really didn’t hold back in this arc. When people said this arc is darker because at the time these chapters weren’t going to be animated, so Kubo could do more of what he wanted with the story, they weren’t kidding. It definitely feels different than the previous arcs. We already lost 5 major characters who have been here since the Soul Society arc (4 major characters and 1 minor character since the lieutenant of squad 1 wasn’t an important character to the story). That is insane, the previous arcs were kind to most of soul reapers.
On the one hand, I’m so sad that some of these characters are gone and on the other hand, I’ve been enjoying most of this arc. So many conflicting emotions. I’m actually glad that I waited so long to read this arc, instead reading it in the early 2010s when I was in my late teens and early 20s, I don’t think I would have appreciated this arc and all of the foreshadowing that lead to this arc as much as I do as a 31 year old. I’m going to watch the TYBW anime soon and hopefully the paving’s a little better since some of the chapters felt a bit rushed. I did see some of season 1 and while it does look good, I’m still not sure how I feel about the art style, I prefer the older one, plus the colours were also brighter. Just because a story/arc is dark, doesn’t mean the colours have to be more subdued.
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
This volume was dark and sad😭
Kubo really didn’t hold back in this arc. When people said this arc is darker because at the time these chapters weren’t going to be animated, so Kubo could do more of what he wanted with the story, they weren’t kidding. It definitely feels different than the previous arcs. We already lost 5 major characters who have been here since the Soul Society arc (4 major characters and 1 minor character since the lieutenant of squad 1 wasn’t an important character to the story). That is insane, the previous arcs were kind to most of soul reapers.
On the one hand, I’m so sad that some of these characters are gone and on the other hand, I’ve been enjoying most of this arc. So many conflicting emotions. I’m actually glad that I waited so long to read this arc, instead reading it in the early 2010s when I was in my late teens and early 20s, I don’t think I would have appreciated this arc and all of the foreshadowing that lead to this arc as much as I do as a 31 year old. I’m going to watch the TYBW anime soon and hopefully the paving’s a little better since some of the chapters felt a bit rushed. I did see some of season 1 and while it does look good, I’m still not sure how I feel about the art style, I prefer the older one, plus the colours were also brighter. Just because a story/arc is dark, doesn’t mean the colours have to be more subdued.
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
April 19, 2022
It's no secret that the final arc of Bleach was rushed, and I feel like this volume is where it really starts to show. Sajin Komamura has always been a character that I've wanted to learn more about--why is there a giant wolf roaming around the Sereitei?--and when we finally get to see more of his backstory, it just leaves more questions than answers. Add that on top of a rather depressing end (?) to a character who has always been shown to be kind and fiercely loyal, it's a major letdown.
My other complaint about this volume is the Sternritter. I'm not saying that all of the Espada were memorable, but there were always standouts--specifically Grimmjow and Ulquiorra--and given how much time they spent on the page, the reader had a better understanding of them. Now we have 26 new villains, plus Yhwach, plus the all Soul Reapers, the Karakura Kids, Kisuke, Yoruichi, the Visoreds, and the other cameos from previous arcs that have been hinted at--it's a lot. There are a lot of characters to juggle, and unfortunately the Sternritters just come off as one note: cocky, unpleasant, and overpowered. It's disappointing because the Quincy invasion is such a cool idea and the whole arc started off with a bang, but the cracks are starting to show.
My other complaint about this volume is the Sternritter. I'm not saying that all of the Espada were memorable, but there were always standouts--specifically Grimmjow and Ulquiorra--and given how much time they spent on the page, the reader had a better understanding of them. Now we have 26 new villains, plus Yhwach, plus the all Soul Reapers, the Karakura Kids, Kisuke, Yoruichi, the Visoreds, and the other cameos from previous arcs that have been hinted at--it's a lot. There are a lot of characters to juggle, and unfortunately the Sternritters just come off as one note: cocky, unpleasant, and overpowered. It's disappointing because the Quincy invasion is such a cool idea and the whole arc started off with a bang, but the cracks are starting to show.
March 19, 2023
I loved seeing the Soul Reapers get their Bankai back. I loved seeing Momo again, and I loved seeing Komamura’s human form. I also liked learning about the Beast Realm and it made me wonder about the other worlds we don’t usually explore in this series. I loved seeing Komamura’s human side and his later transformation into a true wolf, I’m very curious to see where his character goes from here. I liked seeing more of the Quincies and their powers, and I’m still surprised by how brutal and ruthless they are compared to all the antagonist groups we’ve seen so far. I think that the Quincies ruthlessness is going to lead to their downfall, and I think that the killing of their own people as punishments for insubordination is realistically a really dumb battle strategy since they’re so callously thinning their own numbers, but I do think that this is also inspired by Nazi Germany not wanting to dilute their bloodlines with perceived inferiority. Overall, I’m excited by how fast paced this arc is going, this is probably the fastest story arc in the entire series thus far.
May 27, 2024
I loved seeing the Soul Reapers get their Bankai back. I loved seeing Momo again, and I loved seeing Komamura’s human form. I also liked learning about the Beast Realm and it made me wonder about the other worlds we don’t usually explore in this series. I loved seeing Komamura’s human side and his later transformation into a true wolf, I’m very curious to see where his character goes from here. I liked seeing more of the Quincies and their powers, and I’m still surprised by how brutal and ruthless they are compared to all the antagonist groups we’ve seen so far. I think that the Quincies ruthlessness is going to lead to their downfall, and I think that the killing of their own people as punishments for insubordination is realistically a really dumb battle strategy since they’re so callously thinning their own numbers, but I do think that this is also inspired by Nazi Germany not wanting to dilute their bloodlines with perceived inferiority. Overall, I’m excited by how fast paced this arc is going, this is probably the fastest story arc in the entire series thus far.
October 26, 2021
Entertaining. The best part was definitely Sajin's little story.
Summary:
Toshiro continues to fight Bazz-B (fire Quincy), Cang du ("I") came to finish off Toshiro and Matsumoto. Urahara discovers that hollows are poison to Quincy's so if every soul reaper with bankia takes a little bit of hollow in, the bankia will become poison. Toshiro regains his bankia and beats Cang du, Soi Fon does the same with her quincy. Sajin (wolfman) offered his heart up to the elder and became human/unable to die. Sajin fights a quincy. he wins but then turns into a dog, losing his human form forever. Renji and Rukia return.
Summary:
Toshiro continues to fight Bazz-B (fire Quincy), Cang du ("I") came to finish off Toshiro and Matsumoto. Urahara discovers that hollows are poison to Quincy's so if every soul reaper with bankia takes a little bit of hollow in, the bankia will become poison. Toshiro regains his bankia and beats Cang du, Soi Fon does the same with her quincy. Sajin (wolfman) offered his heart up to the elder and became human/unable to die. Sajin fights a quincy. he wins but then turns into a dog, losing his human form forever. Renji and Rukia return.
March 10, 2024
A decent volume, the highlights being: Komomura and his cursed human technique, Urahara and Mayuri shenanigans, and Ichigo's new drippy outfit.
Otherwise, unlike the Espada (with a few exceptions), the Quincy all seem rather one-note. Arrogant and Overpowered. Glad but also annoyed that we're stopping the steal your bankai mechanic. It would have made each fight repetitive. But it also feels like a gimmick with how easily its thrown away--although Urahara's explanation for why Quincy's hate hollows makes complete sense. They're basically Nazi's to hollows in order for their, quote unquote, Aryan race to survive (quite literally).
Otherwise, unlike the Espada (with a few exceptions), the Quincy all seem rather one-note. Arrogant and Overpowered. Glad but also annoyed that we're stopping the steal your bankai mechanic. It would have made each fight repetitive. But it also feels like a gimmick with how easily its thrown away--although Urahara's explanation for why Quincy's hate hollows makes complete sense. They're basically Nazi's to hollows in order for their, quote unquote, Aryan race to survive (quite literally).
January 30, 2025
Is there a way to return a Soul Reaper’s Bankai abilities to them??? Well of course there is, so now the battle between the Soul Reapers Captains/vice captains and the Quincy Army has now gotten to be a bit more evenly matched. At least by a little bit. Tite Kubo’s art is firing on all cylinders! Volume 62 has a slightly misleading cover in my opinion, but the story is still solid, and the pace is quick. The book felt shorter even though it was not, it just flowed in a way that gets it completed quicker than previous volumes. Still, it is a solid entry.
December 31, 2018
It was hardly unexpected that the battles would not have finished so soon, but the sheer gap between the Soul Reapers and the Quincy can become wearisome. They get bankai back, the other side unveils yet another new power to surpass it. Sajin's sacrifice was pretty good but when it requires immortality to defeat a standard Quincy, the balance of power feels too far gone. Not as good a volume as the previous.
October 11, 2021
This arc was much more interesting than the Fullbring arc. We saw more from characters I care about more, and the deeper history of Soul Society was more interesting. I was disappointed in Uryu's limited role (greatly). I still think the Aizen arc was the way it should have ended, but this at least answered a few more critical questions and gave readers the ending they were really looking for, which might have been the point of these arcs to begin with.
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