Bleach and the world of spirits
Launched in Japan in 2001, the Bleach manga series became one of the most popular mangas of the first decade, alongside Naruto and One Piece. Tite Kubo's work has of course been adapted for anime, video games and the cinema. The main feature of the story is that it takes place in a spiritual world strongly influenced by popular Japanese beliefs.
An overview of the story of Bleach and its hero Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo is a relatively normal teenager, except that he has the ability to see spirits and wears his hair orange. This second attribute earns him mockery and discrimination, but the first will catapult him into a world he never knew existed, that of the shinigamis and the Soul Society.
One day, he meets Rukia Kuchiki, a shinigami on the trail of a hollow, a tormented and dangerous spirit. As she loses her battle and risks death, Rukia transfers her power to Ichigo, who uses it to defeat the hollow and save Rukia. Rukia, now a prisoner in a human body, decides to teach Ichigo the art of shinigami, the reapers of souls.
The shinigami's mission is to guide the souls of the deceased to the afterlife and try to purify them. But hollows, tortured souls, present a danger to both the living and the spirits. The shinigami must hunt them down, cut off their heads vertically and purify them.
Unfortunately, the Soul Society, a kind of paradise, imprisons Rukia for her act, which is considered treacherous. Ichigo, and a few friends from high school who have joined him, go to Soul Society to free Rukia. But shortly after their arrival, Sosuke Aizen, a shinigami captain, is murdered. Ichigo and his friends are suspected of the murder. Despite everything, Ichigo fights to save Rukia, who is condemned to death, and to stop the unrest within the Soul Society. Then the plot is revealed: Aizen had faked his death in order to have Rukia executed and recover a very powerful object, the Hogyuku, contained in her body.
Zanpakuto and spectacular fights
The Bleach series is best known for its epic battles fought with zanpakuto, the swords of the shinigami. While their basic appearance is that of a traditional Japanese katana, in reality these weapons are infinitely more complex and enormous.
The zanpakuto has its own soul, a spirit with a personality. If it is to serve a shinigami in combat, it must enter into a relationship of mutual trust. Once this trust has been established, the zanpakuto transforms into a different weapon, reflecting the personality of the shinigami: trident, club or other.
This relationship between the warrior and his soul is extremely interesting, as it can lead to conflict. Some shinigami cannot bear to see their character flaws expressed through their weapon...
But if there is trust, if the shinigami reaches a higher level and enters into a close relationship with his zanpakuto, the latter can be temporarily transformed into a gigantic weapon with tenfold powers... but often with certain conditions attached.
The zanpakuto is also equipped with a seal, which shinigamis use to purify souls.
The world of spirits
In the manga, the world is divided into four parts:
In traditional Japanese beliefs, spirits live alongside humans. Humans have a duty to respect the spirits of the dead and honour them with certain rituals. If the rituals are ignored, the spirits become tormented, holding grudges and causing misfortune.
In this way, the manga strikes a chord within Japanese society, as it seeks to find its identity between ancient beliefs and the modern world with its endless technological distractions.
Why the title Bleach?
In English, 'bleach' means both bleach and the action of bleaching (clothes or hair). Tite Kubo was looking for a title for the destiny of the shinigami, and considered 'black' or 'white', but the meaning was too obvious.
With 'bleach', he found a much deeper, more complex meaning:
Figurines, caps, manga and key rings: all your favourite Bleach goodies are waiting for you in our geek shop.