Bleach
 

So, I've started reading Bleach. I'm getting close to the end of the Soul Society arc right now.

It seems like a pretty cool series; neat characters, cool ideas, but I think it's trying way too hard to be what everyone *thinks* Dragonball was. The author seems way too anxious to give his characters cool power-ups. Ichigo can't seem to make it through a fight without having at least three spontaneous power-ups. The man can journey into his own subconscious, and discover the power he never knew he had in the space of three panels. I actually like his character a lot, but I really wish he'd win a fight by FIGHTING for once.

As I so subtly implied; the power ups happen too fast. They just seem way too rushed. For power-up purposes, he says he wants to learn about Zangetsu, but it's back to being just his weapon after that. I love intelligent weapons, but frankly, Zangetsu only seems to be sentient when it's giving Ichigo more power. The rest of the time, it's just a big anime sword.

In that same vein, stuff like his training with Urahara, while it's supposed to have been hellish, just isn't convincingly so. Lots of it was glazed over, and Ichigo was never really not succeeding. The closest thing to "downs" his training had, were a couple little humor bits of him running away. It's all just Ichigo succeeding on his first try, more or less. I also think Zangetsu's first and second appearance were too close together. Not ten seconds after he helped Ichigo get out of the pit, he was back. Again, this gives me the feeling that Ichigo's power-ups are just being spoon-fed to him as quickly as possible.

I like to see my favourite characters get stronger, but I don't like to feel like they're getting the world handed to them on a silver platter. That's the feeling I get with Bleach.

And Ichigo? I can think of another reason why you might never have thought of swinging Zangetsu by the hilt-wrapping: It's stupid!

Comparing how powerful he gets from the begging of that and the end he is like 1000 more times powerful. Of course even that won't be enough and he has to get 1000 times more powerful again.

Ichigo is a unique character. He starts the series as the most powerful character in the series. But he has zero control of it. He doesn't get more power he just learns to control it.

His succeeding in one try thing. Thats because if he failed he died. He had only one shot.

Oh and Zangetsu helps his training alot more when he finally materializes.

Well as for his initial power ups you find out the reasons behind that later on. The manga series tries to move the story along to stay ahead of the anime, or at least that is how it seems to be. If you want more fleshing out watch the anime...but skip the Bounto arc, it sucks balls, is not cannon and doesn't have the original animators. Fortunately they are now back in this last episode.

The real question is, when does the Bleach movie hit DVD so fansubbers can get it going?

I feel the same way about Ichigo's power ups. To many, to quickly, to easily.

The biggest reason they seem so bad though is because everyone else is being left behind. Everyone of Ichigo's allies are useless (Except for Ishida, for a moment).

Though, in the current arc, that problem seems to be fixed (Though it seemed like that in the SS for a while too).

a rather large spoiler about the power level of the others Orihime in many ways becomes far more powerful then anyone else. Her power has the potential to warp reality. She doesn't really even heal. She just rejects the reality that someone was injured in the first place.

I just read the latest manga chapters the other day and I can't wait for more, the anime isn't disappointing either with how its fleshing out the manga. As I said before I'm so incredibly happy the art is back, I could barely watch the fillers.

Chad's hollow power rocks pretty hard too, the names kick ass! Orohime is gonna be nuts when she finally works her way out of the whole mind screw they stuck her in, I'm hoping that they don't kill her in this arc. I'm also looking forward to getting more of Ichigo's father's story, and seeing him pull Ichigo's ass out of the fire...mmm fuzzy happiness

warning, I am addressing what he has in spoilers Just letting you know Orihime isn't actually under Aizen's control. She is faking it so she can get close enough to erase his arrancar making thingy. I admit I forgot its name. You know the thing he took out of Rukia.

As for Ichigo's dad. He will never save Ichigo. He said that flat out and has proven it by not helping Ichigo with enemies like Byakuya and Grandfisher.

Again talkin' in spoilerific: The mind screw is that she is worthless to her companions and that Ichigo will never go for her over Rukia, and so she sits in a prison where she believes her only escape can be through death and sacrificing herself to get rid of the whatevertheheckitscalled. Of course in the last chapter she finally hears that they are comming for her so who knows...

As for his Dad, the first time we see him in shinigami form is the first time he's assumed it in 20 years, I'm guessing it was over the guilt of something or other, what he does say is that he wishes he could be honest with Ichigo, I think he will end up saving him at some point (mentally), by giving him the key to his zanpakto and dealing with his powers, but meh

My running theory is that its because he fell in love with someone in the living world and thus left soul society