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» Bleach is » How to start » Once upon a time |
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What do you mean ‘how to start?’ Isn’t that painfully obvious, you stupid? Actually that’s what I first thought when the idea of writing this section first landed on my head. But then I felt the utter need to express my own opinion on this. So, here you go.
Ever since its humble beginnings, the fandom has gradually spread and more Bleach derivatives emerged, giving the audience several choices as to how to experience Bleach for the first time. And I say experience because it truly is, and that is why it better be a good one on first encounter. Basically the choice of experience here is either manga (reading) or anime (watching).
As a manga fan at start, I prefer the manga version of a series than its anime spin-off. Don’t get me wrong, I love anime and the gorgeous animated art and voice acting work that comes from it. But I also believe that going back to a series’ origin makes for a better understanding of the story, the characters and the mangaka’s intentions with the series. A drawing hand and a piece of paper are a mangaka’s tools to define the world he or she has invented and wants to share with the rest of us, so starting with the manga guarantees a more intense and involved experience.
The same goes for Bleach, if you haven’t touched it yet but have plans to do so sometime soon, then I would strongly suggest to start by reading the manga. It’s not like I enjoy forcing well over 27 volumes of reading material down someone’s throat (but believe me, once you’ve started, you’ll want Bleach down your gut, but that aside). A well first step into Bleach is to read up to, let’s say, volume 3. With this volume Bleach concludes its introduction to the story’s protagonist, Kurosaki Ichigo, and his immediate surroundings. After this you’ll have a pretty good idea about the ’vibe’ of this series and initial settings. By then you’ll also have a good point of referral for when you start watching the anime. But, hopefully of course by that time you’ll like the manga enough to continue reading.
Well it doesn’t hurt to give the Bleach anime a try. The first episodes experience a bit of a slow start, but it gets better as the show progresses. It’s obvious a lot of hard work has been put in matching voices to characters and trying to parallel the animation to the manga’s artwork. Also, quite a number of intense scenes and jokes have been incredibly well copied in the anime; the humour and feelings work here as well. The difference between the anime and manga is that the anime has a filler story arc inserted. A filler arc basically means a newly invented collection of episodes not originating from the manga. They are mainly created as to synchronize the anime story with progression of the manga storyline. Aside from that, the anime creators have tried to stay close to the original work. Also, the choice of ending songs is something I really like about the anime.
In any way, where it comes down to is, best try the anime after you’ve seen something of the manga. Or if you’ve set off with the anime, try to read some of the manga along with it as well. The entertainment level of anime may be a bit more appealing than manga, and that is why it should be just for that; read the manga to experience the essence of Bleach, then take the anime for some extra entertainment on top!
Now by writing this, I feel like some granny trying to pull off didactic antics for her fun. Maybe I come off as a stubborn conventionalist, going around suggesting the manga before the anime, maybe not. But all I’m trying to say is that as a fan, I couldn’t be more happier with a manga series such as Bleach. It has everything that makes it great. And its anime versions, they make a good show, but in several subtle ways it does not completely do the manga justice. And why settle with less, when there is the opportunity for more right under your nose, right?
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