A review by geofroggatt
Bleach, Vol. 49: The Lost Agent by Tite Kubo

3.0

This is the first official volume in the Fullbringer arc, which many fans criticize as being “canon filler”, and it is officially further into the story than I’ve ever seen in the anime. I liked the exploration of Ichigo 17 months after losing his Soul Reaper powers and how quiet his life has become. I loved seeing the younger characters start to look older as the time has passed. This volume felt like an interesting reset as Ichigo attempts to move on from his Soul Reaper days, and it was interesting seeing him as a “normal” human who can’t see spirits. I liked how everyone in the human world that Ichigo is close to now knows his secret and past as a Soul Reaper, it was especially interesting seeing his family interact with him now that they all know the truth about their family’s history. I liked seeing Ichigo’s sisters grow with one determined to protect their family now and the other noticing how Ichigo is hiding his pain. It was also really funny how Karin tells Yuzu that Ichigo “isn’t some anime character”. I like the small look we get into the Fullbringers and their power, and I liked the implication that we’d get more insight into Chad and Orihime’s special abilities in future volumes.