Manga: The Bleach Series

[Midgar Mist]

I've just read the first volume. Is the story worth investing in 50 plus volumes? It starts pretty damn well, does this excellent storytelling continue?

[Shauna]

Eh. Sort of, not really.

It was good for a long time, and it came to (what was for me) a logical stopping point... and then continued for some reason (money) and I never found it nearly as engaging after that. Admittedly I was starting to lose some interest up to the "logical ending", and was feeling kind of glad for it to round down, but then it didn't. I'm not surprised I couldn't be bothered any more after that.

If you like it, read it for as long as you like it for.

[Wolf Kanno]

The series peaked with the Soul Society arc for me, though I consider the Fake Karakura arc to be the series true end. Everything after that just feels like the author milking it. To be honest, Tite Kubo isn't the greatest writer and his annoying habit of just creating new characters to get him out of his writer's block makes the series more muddles and disjointed than it needed to be. Of the "Big 3" Shounen Series (Bleach Naruto, and One Piece) Bleach was always the weakest link for me. I still check in on the Wiki to see if the series got better but so far, I don't think so.

[krissy]

it was good for a few volumes. i would say the first arc was even great and a good set up. but they eventually start introducing so many characters and trying to create problems out of thin air just to maintain this world and its just not strong enough once that starts happening.

[Christmas]

The last arc left me divided. :(

[Quindiana Jones]

I honestly don't think it's worth reading past Soul Society Arc. SSA absolutely slaps from beginning to end and is gorgeous and brilliant and great, and then the entire series just sort of trundles on.

[DK]

Yeah it got very dumb at the end

I will say this though, while the second half of the story was dumb, the second half of the anime OST was spectacular. Some of the best music I've heard from any show, let alone an anime.

[Shauna]

Kubo didn't want to continue Bleach beyond a certain point, and it shows.