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easolinas 's review for:
Bleach (3-In-1 Edition), Vol. 1
by Tite Kubo
Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki is just your average teenage boy... except that he can see spirits wherever he goes. Ghosts, evil spirits, accident victims, all kinds.
So it's not exactly surprising that he gets involved in wild, dangerous adventures in the first three volumes of "Bleach." Tite Kubo's art and plotting experience some basic growing pangs, but the stories are fast-paced, amusing and sometimes incredibly poignant. And the spiky-haired Ichigo has the makings of a great manga hero.
One night a strange girl appears in Ichigo's bedroom, and is shocked when he can see her. She explains that she's Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper who helps the dead pass on to the Soul Society (a sort of afterlife... thing), and purifies evil spirits called Hollows.
But when Rukia is injured in a fight with a Hollow, her powers are transferred to Ichigo -- and with them, the responsibility of killing Hollows in his town. Ichigo is not enthusiastic about his new role, but he can't pass up the opportunity to help innocent spirits. And he finds out that it isn't easy juggling his new responsibilities with his everyday life -- especially since the powerless Rukia is now attending his school in a fake body, and living in his closet.
Even worse, his extra duties with Hollows are affecting his friends. He has to deal with a too-familiar Hollow stalking pretty, flaky Orihime, his best friend Chad receiving a cursed parakeet, a mischievous mod-soul running amuck with his body, and a terrifying glimpse into his own past -- and the cause of his beloved mother's death.
The first three volumes of "Bleach" have some beginner's bumpiness, since Kubo has to introduce about half the main cast and the whole beginning storyline. Things get much more complex later on, but at this point Kubo is just laying out the groundwork. His artwork is also rather rough and gawky in the first few chapters, but it smooths out somewhat by the time Orihime's story rolls around.
Primarily this is an action manga, with lots of monster-slaying with swords (in Ichigo's case, a freakishly huge one) and a complex battle between Ichigo and a grief-maddened Hollow. But Kubo fills these scenes with a sense of pathos, particularly in ALL of the third volume -- the revelations about Ichigo's mom are both horrifying and tragic, and Kubo handles this BRILLIANTLY.
Don't worry, there are a lot of comedic moments too -- Rukia's awful drawing skills, Ichigo playing baseball with pepper bombs, and Ichigo's kooky classmates and family. Not to mention Chad's quiet explanations ("Yesterday... I collided with a motorcycle").
This is our first introduction to the various characters, but Ichigo "Strawberry" is a pretty good hero, albeit in the mold of most action-anime heroes -- rough, fight-prone, determinedly lonerish, but very good-hearted. He doesn't want to go out and just be heroic, but he can't pass up a person who needs his help. The smart, prickly Rukia and sweetly flaky Orihime round out the cast, although gentle giant Chad hasn't been explored much yet.
The first three volumes of "Bleach" are Tite Kubo feeling his way through his fantasy world, but he quickly demonstrates that this is some great shonen action.
So it's not exactly surprising that he gets involved in wild, dangerous adventures in the first three volumes of "Bleach." Tite Kubo's art and plotting experience some basic growing pangs, but the stories are fast-paced, amusing and sometimes incredibly poignant. And the spiky-haired Ichigo has the makings of a great manga hero.
One night a strange girl appears in Ichigo's bedroom, and is shocked when he can see her. She explains that she's Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper who helps the dead pass on to the Soul Society (a sort of afterlife... thing), and purifies evil spirits called Hollows.
But when Rukia is injured in a fight with a Hollow, her powers are transferred to Ichigo -- and with them, the responsibility of killing Hollows in his town. Ichigo is not enthusiastic about his new role, but he can't pass up the opportunity to help innocent spirits. And he finds out that it isn't easy juggling his new responsibilities with his everyday life -- especially since the powerless Rukia is now attending his school in a fake body, and living in his closet.
Even worse, his extra duties with Hollows are affecting his friends. He has to deal with a too-familiar Hollow stalking pretty, flaky Orihime, his best friend Chad receiving a cursed parakeet, a mischievous mod-soul running amuck with his body, and a terrifying glimpse into his own past -- and the cause of his beloved mother's death.
The first three volumes of "Bleach" have some beginner's bumpiness, since Kubo has to introduce about half the main cast and the whole beginning storyline. Things get much more complex later on, but at this point Kubo is just laying out the groundwork. His artwork is also rather rough and gawky in the first few chapters, but it smooths out somewhat by the time Orihime's story rolls around.
Primarily this is an action manga, with lots of monster-slaying with swords (in Ichigo's case, a freakishly huge one) and a complex battle between Ichigo and a grief-maddened Hollow. But Kubo fills these scenes with a sense of pathos, particularly in ALL of the third volume -- the revelations about Ichigo's mom are both horrifying and tragic, and Kubo handles this BRILLIANTLY.
Don't worry, there are a lot of comedic moments too -- Rukia's awful drawing skills, Ichigo playing baseball with pepper bombs, and Ichigo's kooky classmates and family. Not to mention Chad's quiet explanations ("Yesterday... I collided with a motorcycle").
This is our first introduction to the various characters, but Ichigo "Strawberry" is a pretty good hero, albeit in the mold of most action-anime heroes -- rough, fight-prone, determinedly lonerish, but very good-hearted. He doesn't want to go out and just be heroic, but he can't pass up a person who needs his help. The smart, prickly Rukia and sweetly flaky Orihime round out the cast, although gentle giant Chad hasn't been explored much yet.
The first three volumes of "Bleach" are Tite Kubo feeling his way through his fantasy world, but he quickly demonstrates that this is some great shonen action.