So how on earth did this homeschooled Christian teen grudgingly convert from animephobic to Bleach fan??
I do know that Bleach was the first anime to warm me up to the genre. But beyond that, I'm not sure. Maybe it was summer boredom. Or maybe it was my curiosity. I wanted to know what it was about anime that made so many people crazy about it. A lot of my friends, past and present, loved that kind of stuff and I could never understand why. Whatever it was, it made me brave enough to venture out of my strictly no-anime zone and find some answers.
And let me tell ya, Wikipedia is a marvelous thing. :) I learned about the art of anime/manga, how they use layers of color, different styles and exaggerations to convey emotions; and I learned to see anime shows not just as TV shows, but also like comic books coming to life. So many things began to make sense after that. And soon I started wondering...was all anime as stupid as Speed Racer and Pokemon? Could there possibly be a show that someone like me could enjoy? If anime was so popular, there had to be a good reason. So I dug deeper.
Again, I don't remember how or why I chose Bleach. All I know is that after watching the first episode, I thought "You know, this isn't too bad! It's weird, but I actually kinda...like it!"
Of course, Bleach has its pros and cons. It's definitely a PG-13 show, with some scary/violent images, language, suggestive content and crude humor scattered throughout every adventure. (Not for the little ones, folks!) And there are several times where I roll my eyes at the over-dramatic voice acting, wooden dialogue and the occasional Gary Stu-ness from Ichigo (see my "Mary Sue 101" article if you don't know what I'm talking about). But hey, that's just anime for you.
HOWEVER, the artwork and overall "look" of it is pretty nice (and not too obnoxiously cartoonish. Usually, anyway.) And the main characters are people you can really root for and care about; memorable, well-rounded and likable. This show earns lotsa brownie points from me on the character development. (And Ishida rocks. It's like Legolas goes all math-genius and gets superpowers or something.) :) There are moments of fun, weird, goofy comic-relief, others that kill me with suspense, and still others that are beautiful and heart-warming.
But what I appreciate most about Bleach are the messages hidden in it. The strong themes of friendship, loyalty, perseverance, selflessness and fighting for what's right are inspiring and speak volumes to me. Ichigo's determination, compassionate heart and total willingness to risk his life for his friends is wonderful to see; and though he's obviously human, making mistakes and struggling through obstacles, he is strong in his Good Guy role and steadfast in the responsibilities that go with it. (And he's respectful of the girls, even when they try to flirt with him! WOW!!)
Ichigo makes for a good, solid hero. And though Bleach is very much a secular show, as a Christian, I can see a lot of meaning in it that others may not. Ichigo's battle with his "inner hollow" in season 6 reminds me so much of the constant struggle I have between the new me and my old sinful nature. The fact that he was able to conquer it in the end reminds me that through God's strength, I too can conquer.
And I am also reminded that every hero in every story, whether the storyteller is aware of it or not, is a dim reflection of the ultimate Hero and Champion. Every hero is an echo of something greater.
Even in anime. ^__^
From an interview in Shonen Jump
magazine:
The title wasn't Bleach when Tite
Kubo decided to draw a story about
Shinigami. This was before he drew
the one-shot manga that appeared in
Akamaru Jump. The weapon wasn't a
sword, but a scythe. Only Rukia had a
scythe and the other characters used
guns. At that point, the title was
Snipe (as in "Sniper"). Right before
he started drawing, he began to
think that a sword would be better
and realized he couldn't use Snipe as
a title anymore. He began looking for
a title that grasped the bigger
picture. Shinigami are associated
with the color black, but it would
have been boring to use "black".
"White", on the other hand, can
suggest black as a complementary
color. So Tite Kubo chose "bleach" to
evoke the impression of the color
white.
magazine:
The title wasn't Bleach when Tite
Kubo decided to draw a story about
Shinigami. This was before he drew
the one-shot manga that appeared in
Akamaru Jump. The weapon wasn't a
sword, but a scythe. Only Rukia had a
scythe and the other characters used
guns. At that point, the title was
Snipe (as in "Sniper"). Right before
he started drawing, he began to
think that a sword would be better
and realized he couldn't use Snipe as
a title anymore. He began looking for
a title that grasped the bigger
picture. Shinigami are associated
with the color black, but it would
have been boring to use "black".
"White", on the other hand, can
suggest black as a complementary
color. So Tite Kubo chose "bleach" to
evoke the impression of the color
white.
Ichigo Kurosaki has always been
able to see ghosts, but this ability
doesn't change his life nearly as
much as his close encounter with
Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and
member of the mysterious Soul
Society. While fighting a Hollow, an
evil spirit that preys on humans who
display psychic energy, Rukia
attempts to lend Ichigo some of her
powers so that he can save his
family; but much to her surprise,
Ichigo absorbs every last drop of
her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul
Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns
that the world he inhabits is one full
of dangerous spirits and, along with
Rukia, it's Ichigo's job to protect the
innocent from Hollows and help the
spirits themselves find peace. In
2005, Bleach was awarded the
Shogakukan Manga Award in the shonen category.
able to see ghosts, but this ability
doesn't change his life nearly as
much as his close encounter with
Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and
member of the mysterious Soul
Society. While fighting a Hollow, an
evil spirit that preys on humans who
display psychic energy, Rukia
attempts to lend Ichigo some of her
powers so that he can save his
family; but much to her surprise,
Ichigo absorbs every last drop of
her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul
Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns
that the world he inhabits is one full
of dangerous spirits and, along with
Rukia, it's Ichigo's job to protect the
innocent from Hollows and help the
spirits themselves find peace. In
2005, Bleach was awarded the
Shogakukan Manga Award in the shonen category.
???)so how did that feel?if your still alive then you are felling pain...
volta lookd up holding the wound and saw a fermillier face.
volta)y-your t-the panda man from the captains meeting...!
he made a face
kurosuchi) its kurosuchi if you dont mind...
volta nodded.
kurosuchi) heh anyways....how whould you like to come work for me at the rescarch and development department?
volta was totaly shockd
kurosuchi) heh....judgeing by your reaction when you were stabbed by hitsuguya...id say you developd feelings for him am i correct?
volta) are you stupid or something!? theres no way i would have a crush on toshiro!
she stopped and cought her-self. kurosuchi smiled.
kurosuchi) you look like you need rest...well good-night miss ishida.
volta) m-miss ishida................but nobody calls me that anymore....except.....father...
volta laied her head on the pillow and went to sleep.
volta lookd up holding the wound and saw a fermillier face.
volta)y-your t-the panda man from the captains meeting...!
he made a face
kurosuchi) its kurosuchi if you dont mind...
volta nodded.
kurosuchi) heh anyways....how whould you like to come work for me at the rescarch and development department?
volta was totaly shockd
kurosuchi) heh....judgeing by your reaction when you were stabbed by hitsuguya...id say you developd feelings for him am i correct?
volta) are you stupid or something!? theres no way i would have a crush on toshiro!
she stopped and cought her-self. kurosuchi smiled.
kurosuchi) you look like you need rest...well good-night miss ishida.
volta) m-miss ishida................but nobody calls me that anymore....except.....father...
volta laied her head on the pillow and went to sleep.
'Can't fear your own world'
