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Book Review: Bleach, Vol 60 by Tite Kubo

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Bleach, Vol 60    

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: April 1, 2014

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Isshin encounters an unusual foe in the form of a black Hollow, unaware he is being observed by the Gruesome Trio, aka Aizen, Gin, and Tosen. Masaki senses the Hollow’s spiritual pressure and is determined to do something about it, but Ryu tells her not to interfere. He says that is the job of mixed breeds such as Katagiri, not a pure bred Quincy such as Masaki. Turns out this Hollow was created, with the use of a Soul Reaper’s soul! Masaki steps in and saves Isshin. She is concerned he might find out she’s a Quincy, considering what he is, but to her surprise, it doesn’t matter to him.

Isshin makes his report to the Soul Society, but conveniently doesn’t mention the Quincy he met. He slips away to the World of the Living, leaving a note for Rangiku, because he hopes to run into the girl again. Why didn’t he think to get her name? When Masaki returns to the Ishida household, Ryu castigates her, but suddenly she collapses. Turns out she was wounded in the recent battle after all. Thinking quickly, Ryu snatches her up and runs out to find help. He runs into Isshin, who is battling another Hollow. Isshin is appalled at what he sees, but doesn’t know how to help! Luckily, Fate intervenes in the forms of Kiskue Uruhara! (funny how that works sometimes)

Kiskue tells Isshin and Ryu what must be done to save Masaki, and only one of them can do it. Ryu knows what must be done, as Isshin agrees to bind himself to her for life, setting the two of them on their own path which will eventually lead to the birth of Ichigo and his sisters. And now his dad has told him everything… except for the night of his mother’s death. Why she was killed when she should have easily been able to defeat that Hollow. Now he can return to the palace to get his sword. But he has another truth he needs to learn.

Hitsugaya has lost his bankai, but he won’t just accept being powerless. He requests to be retrained, starting with the basics. And Captain Komamura decides to face his own past.

Wow, oh wow, this volume of Bleach is filled with all sorts of revelations, truths, and heartbreak. So much to absorb! And undoubtedly there is more to come. We finally get a picture of Ichigo’s mother, and right on the heels of that she is lost to us. And what I predicted before came to pass, but no more mention of that for now until the next volume. This explains so much about Ichigo. I can see both his parents in him. He has Isshin’s eyes and Masaki’s stubbornness, plus their combined commitment to justice and defending the weak.  If this is true for Ichigo, what about Yuzu and Karin? Will they go through the same thing? Now we know more about Uryu’s daddy too. And I got a brief glimpse of Shunsui lol

Great volume, looking forward to the next one!

Book Review: Bleach, Vol 59 by Tite Kubo

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Bleach, Vol 59     

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: April 2, 2013

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Step One in the healing process sees Ichigo and Renji arrive at the Bowing Pig Palace where their only job is to eat and get full! Ichigo digs right in, and although Renji has reservations about some of the things they are eating, that doesn’t stop him from stuffing himself also. Kirio Hikifune, whose palace they are enjoying the hospitality of, is the soul reaper who created the temporary soul and the ability to insert it into a body. She warns them that the guy in the next palace, though, is unpredictable. He is Oh-etsu Nimaiya, of the Phoenix Palace. He created the zanpaku-to.

Ichigo and Renji find Oh-etsu just a little offputting, as well as his bevy of big-busted beauties. But then he isn’t exactly impressed with them, saying they are heartless jerks who allowed their zankpaku-to be be damaged.  Can he fix them? That depends on them. He explains to them what Asauchi are, and how Soul Reapers imprint their soul upon one of them through long and difficult training.

Meanwhile, in the underground great prison, Zaraki and Unohana are about to square off in an epic battle, one Shunsui could not forestall. One in which only one Captain will survive… Each has made such farewells as they care to make, for the outcome of this battle is uncertain.

At the Phoenix Palace, Oh-etsu announces that Renji has passed, but Ichigo has failed, which means he has to go home. Ichigo doesn’t accept that, but Oh-etsu tells him that doesn’t mean it’s over, just that before he can move forward he has to go back to his roots. Back home, Ichigo can’t face Isshin and runs away. He takes refuge at his boss’ house, but Isshin finds him anyway. Isshin takes him home… and tells him the truth about his mother. Finally.

Omigosh, this volume is chock full of valuable information, stuff I’ve been wondering about for some time and stuff I should have been wondering about.  For example, who did Kenpachi beat to become Captain? Well now I know, and man, I never realized just how scary she is. This is a whole other side of her. Also, we learn more about Ichigo’s mother than we’ve ever learned before in a flashback to the past. Holy cow, she’s a Quincy? And she was raised in the Ishida household? Mindblowing stuff! Also, Isshin was a captain himself? And his name isn’t Kurosaki, it’s Shiba? Kurosaki is Masaki’s name.  Seeing past incarnations of Aizen and Gin gave me chills, too, since this is all pre-the bad times.

So, once he learns he is part Quincy, where will Ichigo’s loyalties lie? And when will Uryu make an appearance, which I’m convinced he must at some point. Can’t wait to see what the next volume brings!

Book Review: Bleach, Vol 47 by Tite Kubo

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Bleach, Vol 47       

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: September 4, 2012

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Kira watches in disbelief as a very wounded Matsumoto ignores her injuries to go to the battle between Gin and Ichigo. Meanwhile, the new—but not improved—Aizen is still deep in conversation with Kiskue and Yoruichi. As usual, Aizen is condescending and laughs at their attempts to battle him. And then Isshin unexpectedly arrives.

Just as Gin threatens to kill Ichigo there and then, Aizen appears, having broken out of his chrysalis form, and asks what he’s doing, to which Gin replies he is only playing with the boy. Aizen orders him to open the Senkaimon and they take their departure. As they pass through, Aizen the arrogant decides he wants to play with the Kototsu, desite Gin’s warnings that is not a good idea. But Aizen gonna do what Aizen gonna do. When Isshin and Ichigo follow, Isshin realizes what Aizen has done, and he knows just how to use that to their advantage. He can train Ichigo in the final stage of his Bankai. Thanks Aizen!

And now back to the actual Karakura Town… Keigo awakens to a surreal sight. Everyone in town is sleeping in the streets. What is going on here? Hysterical, he begins to run around, yelling for people to wake up. Luckily, he runs into Arisawa, who calms him down with a quick but effective punch. They begin to gather their friends and take them to safety as obviously something is very wrong here. Meanwhile, Isshin holds down the fort while Ichigo meets with Zangetsu for his training. But this isn’t the Zangetsu he is used to.

Gin and Aizen have arrived in Karakura Town, and they run into Keigo and Arisawa. Gin tells her, “You seems to be in some trouble, girl. You should call for a hero at a time like this.” And just like that one arrives, one we’ve not seen in quite some time. But can he really be the hero that is called for? And is he enough to stop Aizen and Gin? Common sense says no.

We seem to be nearing the end of this arc. How it will end is still up in the air. Of course, the good side will prevail, but just how they’ll do it remains to be seen. I really enjoyed watching Ichigo train with Zengetsu. You have to respect him for doing what is right, even though he understands the price that is attached to what he is doing. And the unexpected reappearance of both Don Kanonji and Fro Man was great! The scenes with Keigo and Ichigo’s other friends was a bit of comic relief in an increasingly dramatic arc. From the beginning, they said only Ichigo can beat Aizen. We’ll see how true that may be in the next volume. Can’t wait!