In terms of story, you get a mixed but mostly positive bag with Bleach. If you were able to endure the travesty that was the Fourth 'Great' Shinobi War in Naruto, then even the worst Bleach has to offer shouldn't faze you. The show starts off with roughly a dozen episodes in the vein of a 'monster of the week' Yu Yu Hakusho style mystical adventure. Not unlike Hakusho, the series soon becomes serialized, leading into the renowned Soul Society arc. This masterpiece of an arc contains what I consider to be the best reveal ever to come out of a Shonen battle series and at least a dozen antagonists so well-developed and likable that they became mainstays in the show's cast. If you were a fan of Vegeta and Piccolo, you'll feel right at home here. In terms of its rogues gallery, I consider Bleach to be the Batman of anime. (Though Boku no Hero Academia may snatch this title in the future.)
Though the quality of art is largely subjective, most agree that Bleach's art pops more than most of its peers. The general aesthetic and character designs are absolutely superb and distinct. While Naruto and One Piece also share this strength, I have to say that Bleach's designs have always seemed the coolest. Kubo himself would admit that he's more of an artist than a storyteller. Oftentimes the story derives from nothing more than a cool panel he had in mind and practically all of these panels are beautifully realized in the anime. (With the obvious exception of the Thousand Year Blood War, which has yet to be animated at the time of this review.)
Coupled with Bleach's art, the soundtrack of the series ties for the show's greatest strength. The legend Shiro Sagisu does his very best work yet here and his score enhances the battle anime in all the right ways. Hype osts, heart wrenching keys, and bewitching tunes can all be found in ample supply throughout the series. The show's general sound effects are also nothing to scoff at. You can't truly appreciate how good the sword clashes sound until you've seen something akin to Berserk (2016), but once you've come to know bad sound effects, those on display in Bleach might as well be music to your ears.
Brace yourselves, for this will likely be my most controversial statement yet. Bleach has the best characters of the Big Three by a mile. It was tempting to give the series a 9 or 10 in the character department. If you've been drawn to characters such as Hisoka, Rock Lee, Zoro, and Bakugo from other well known anime, then you will absolutely adore the characters in this colorful classic. While most other series are lucky to have 5 worthwhile characters that remain captivating through the entirety of their series, Bleach excels in this category. Shunsui, Kenpachi, Byakuya, Ulquiorra, Aizen, Kisuke, Rukia, and more all remain among my very favorite fictional characters to this very day. However, I'm unable to give the series a 10 in this category - much as I'd like to - due to the fact we're not given a satisfying resolution to a few members of the vast cast. Though it's nowhere near as glaring as in Naruto Shippuden when practically everyone from part 1 was criminally sidelined and left to rot for the remainder of the series, it is still worth noting that not all of the great characters in Bleach that you come to love are fully realized. This is particularly true in the anime's case.
I'm admittedly very biased when it comes to my love for Bleach, but don't take that to mean that the series is anything less than very enjoyable. If you're able to trudge through the horrendous pacing of One Piece's anime - don't misunderstand me, the manga is phenomenal - and Naruto's constant stumbles, then you will certainly be able to forgive Bleach its faults and enjoy the ride as you have with the other members of the Big Three. Whether or not it will be your personal favorite of the trio isn't for me to say, but I can confidently say that if you give it a chance, you're in for a comparatively pleasant experience. Bleach more than earns its place in the prolific Three.
