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Recently I've become quite obsessed with Bleach so I am writing a review for it. Honestly, I'm not good at these stuffs, reviewing story, art, moreover I haven't read many shounens yet, so I guess I will just go with my personal ideas.

When I first read some chapters of Bleach, I thought that "wow, it is somehow similar to some shounens I've read before, but it's still cool". But things turn out different when the Soul society starts. When the cast of Shinigami are introduced, I'm kinda surprised that they can not be considered good or bad, I mean I can not judge them by basic morality. They are not black and white, they have dark sides, and depth.In Bleach, they are considered protagonist. The same goes with the Espadas who are antagonist. I appreciate that. I love Gotei 13 and don't have much feeling for Espadas but I definitely have respect for them. The characters are one of Bleach's strong points. Some people say that characters in Bleach lack development, which I strongly disagree. Take Byakuya for example: At first he only obeys rules and don't give a damn about others, after a fight with Ichigo, he becomes softer and even learn how to express his care, feeling towards his beloved sister. It's a great change. Ichigo also changes, he is more grown up and reliable. I even see some of his dark sides in the Arrancar arc when Ulqquoiria asks whether Ichigo comes to rescue Inoue or fight him. At that time, I know that Ichigo's aim is not pure anymore.

What I like better is the complexity of the world and justice Bleach shows off. All the characters and storyline, the hidden messages support this. People in Bleach don't fight to defend the rights, some fights because of responsibility, the debts they owe, some fights for hatred, others fight because they want to protect someone. I don't like Aizen but I have to admit that many things he said are true, the Arrancars have no aims for life, all he does is to give them a reason to live, which is not supposed to be a bad thing. The points of view of some characters are dark, but somehow it's true. At the beginning of the last arc, with the appearance of Quincy, the story is getting darker and more complex. Soul Society eliminated Quincy years ago, no matter how you look at it, it's a sin, and when the Quincy return then kill off recklessly, it's also a sin. So who is right? There is no proper answer.

What's more special? I guess it's the bonds among the characters. Rukia see through Ichigo, the captains and lieutenants have irreplaceable bonds and the bonds between Ichigo and his opponents are extra-ordinary. That's why I love seeing Bleach characters together.

It's true that Bleach has a lot of shortcomings, its randomness, the holes in the plot but I still think that it's worth a try. Read carefully and be sure you don't miss anything because even small details make sense in the plot. read more