Not as bad as DBZ, we promise: Bleach thread
 

So Megaman FTW and Fifthfiend have agreed that Bleach is terrible for basically the same reasons that DBZ was terrible, and I can't deny that these things are happening.

Still, I enjoy Bleach when I hated DBZ. I mean there are things that bug me but I'm capable of being disappointed by this show, whereas I expected exactly nothing from DBZ. Orihime used to be a pretty cool person and she specifically asked Rukia to train her so she wouldn't be a drag on the party in combat, but ever since she was kidnapped she's been Titsentears McUseless. Silly me for expecting anything to come of her seeking agency!

I feel bad for agreeing with you because it's such a terrible construction of homosexuality.

I'd agree with the statement that Bleach is better than DBZ.

I would not agree with the statement that Bleach is good.

But I still watch and enjoy it.

Well, I honestly never meant that Bleach was as bad as DBZ, so much as Bleach is bad in the same ways as DBZ, but to a lesser degree. I just feel that the series had a lot of potential that it failed to live up to by catering to the same annoying series destroying tropes that so many other series have succumbed to. Its even more bothersome to me that it seems almost every anime that gets over about 100 episodes does this at some point. All the anime I really always like are ones that ended at 30-60 episodes. From Trigun to FMA to Death Note, it just seems that a plot written out from beginning to end wins over a series that goes on long enough to fall apart halfway through. Once it becomes about hooking viewers and not just about telling a story, everything collapses.

There's something to the idea that anything that continues for too long will eventually collapse under its own weight. I mean Jesus look at what happened to DC and Marvel. Or rather, avert your eyes, for such horrors are not meant for mortal minds.

Still, Bleach hasn't killed off its very first genuine Big Bad, or even foiled him once, so it's not unreasonable to expect it not to go to shit already.

Honestly I actually like how they all talk a lot around the fights because they're usually saying something interesting - usually because their powers work in interesting ways instead of "it's a ki blast, but bigger than any ki blast you have ever seen!" Plus, the supporting characters actually get their own enemies to fight and kill instead of Ichigo saving them from every single threat ever. Shit, Ichigo gets stomped by Nnoitora and has to have two different characters save him, serially. I mean it pissed me the hell off that neither of those characters was McUseless, because she was too busy staring in WIDE EYED HORROR OMG to do anything about the dude she allegedly loves getting the shit kicked out of him, but I still appreciate the gesture.

It really depends on how you take Bleach... it's a Shonen manga about fighting. It has fighting... it's the main focus. I'm not expecting a big, deep, convoluted story with fabulous writing and plot twists...

But, hey, you know what? Bleach does a pretty neat job on respecting it's viewers inteligence... the author clearly planned the story way ahead, down to several little details, the evolution of it all makes sense, and the character (at least some of them) are believable an likeable.

I can't really ask for much more than that out of a "Shonen Super Fighter" story...

I saw one episode of the bleach anime and couldn't get over the fact that the budget is apparently stretched so fucking thin that they couldn't afford to fill in shadows beyond a few tightly packed sine-wave scribbles. I have yet to hear anything to persuade me to watch it, ans as far as I can tell its the same kind of generic shovelshow that takes budget and airtime away from more worthwhile shows.

I wouldn't.

DBZ was great.

I might be misremembering, but for some reason my memory gets the impression that DBZ knew how silly it was and played to that strength.

Basically Bleach is DBZ with 3 key differences:

- The powers are rad

- The long-ass fights involve fighting

- When they're not fighting they're usually saying shit instead of grunting / charging / grunting some more

- Ken to the motherfucking Pachi

Three differences, you say? Well, in addition, Bleach is DBZ except:

- The art and animation's shittier.

- EVEN MORE FILLER

- Most of the characters were immediately useless, instead of becoming useless gradually over years and years and years.

- No goddamn Piccolo.