Is Bleach Worth Watching in 2023?
If you are into anime and have not watched Bleach, there’s still a high chance you have seen the face of its orange-haired protagonist or heard the phrase “BAN-KAI” multiple times. It is one of those shows that have the biggest hype and fan following around them. So, if you are thinking about whether you should be watching Bleach in 2023, consider going through this page.
About Bleach:
Bleach is an anime show based on its manga by Tite Kubo. It first aired in 2004, making it older than most anime enthusiasts nowadays. Despite being old, it still confidently holds a major standing in popularity to date. The story of Bleach revolves around its iconic protagonist, Kurosaki Ichigo, who crosses his path with one of the show’s main characters, Rukia Kuchiki, and gains the abilities of a Soul Reaper. Now, he has to eradicate the hollows plaguing the human realm and send lost souls to “Soul Society”. It causes his life to change forever and introduces several new challenges and chapters in his story. Some of the other beloved characters in the show, besides Rukia and Ichigo, include Chad, Ishida, and Inoue. This sums up only the preface of the show, and there’s a lot that goes into the anime that we can’t discuss because of spoilers.
How Good is the Show?
To answer the question in a single word, it would be “Yes”. Bleach is an outstanding show, with its fair share of ups and downs, that deserves to be on your watchlist if you love Shonen Jump. The initial part of the show is a little stretched out and has not-so-impressive fighting scenes, however, you can rest assured as it quickly takes pace and holds on to it. Here are some of the best parts of the show:
● Story: Even though the plot follows a straight line, it has a good amount of complexity. The narrative of the show does a great job of explaining things without making it seem too straightforward.
● Characters: Ichigo is one of the most likable protagonists in anime history. He has his “anime main character” trait of being dumb occasionally but is quite smart and sticks with his strong morals. The anime also does a great job of introducing new characters (sometimes way too many at once) and implementing them in the plot.
● Animations: As the show progresses, animations get better and better. You can expect to see phenomenal fight scenes that will be a treat for your visual senses.
● Sub/Dub: Bleach is one of those animes that have equally impressive Japanese SUB and English DUB versions. (SUB is our personal favorite due to the pause between BAN-KAI)
Are Fillers Important?
Like most animes, Bleach also suffers from fillers now and then. However, they are not dull of any sort (Yes, we are referencing you, Boruto) and follow a decent storyline. The fillers in Bleach can be categorized into two sections, one is a filler episode that comes once or twice in between a non-filler arc, and the other is a filler arc that takes up a whole season. The first type is fun but can be easily skipped. The second one can also be ignored but are interesting to watch, despite not having any impact on the main story.
Conclusion:
Bleach is not just a part of the Big 3 in anime (alongside Naruto and One Piece) for its nostalgia but also holds up in quality and everything that matters in making a show great. It still is quite popular, especially considering the recent release of the “Thousand-Year Blood War” arc in 2022. It is one of the greatest animes of all time and is surely worth watching in 2023.
