Hello, everyone! Here is something I have to confess. When it comes to watching Bleach, I cannot get into it at all. Although I have not finished the series, I find it absolutely boring. Here are a few reasons why I think I am not finding any enjoyment while watching Bleach: the nostalgia that I had as a preteen has run dry for the show, that I am not invested in any of the characters and the fact that I watched the final arc since it was the only way I could watch it at the time, has ruined the surprise effect for the show.
Firstly, I want to discuss why I think that my nostalgia as a young teen for Bleach has faded. When I was in my early teens, I caught the final arc of Bleach airing on Toonami at the time, and I enjoyed watching it. I remember feeling the suspense. I wanted to know what would happen next. Now I am currently, as a young adult, I started to rewatch the series from the beginning since it was on Netflix. I am currently in the Soul Society: The Rescue arc, known by fans and critics as one of the best arcs of the series, and I am beginning to realize that I am having a hard time continuing to watch the show, but I am going to continue it because I have a no dropping rule.
Secondly, I'm having a hard time trying to become invested in the characters. There were some points while watching the show where I had forced myself to feel like I had to encourage Ichigo to save Rukia in the Soul Society: The Rescue arc. I honestly find Ichigo quite generic. This is because he seems like every typical shounen protagonist, which has the following traits: crazy hair, never giving up ( I honestly like this trait about shounen characters), and loyalty according to https://www.cbr.com/best-worst-shonen-anime-tropes/#:~:text=Many%20aspects%20we%20love%20about,back%20down%20from%20a%20challenge, who has a list of the best and worst shounen protagonist traits. Not all of these traits are terrible, but I find that other shounen protagonists handle these traits better. Two examples of those who have the never-giving-up or fighting spirit trait and do it well, in my opinion, are Emma from The Promised Neverland and Luffy from One Piece. An example of a shounen character that is loyal and does it well is Gon Freecss from Hunter x Hunter.
Emma from The Promised Neverland is a great example of having a fighting spirit. In The Promised Neverland, Emma is always smiling and optimistic that she could save everyone from getting shipped out and becoming food for the "Demons" as the children call them.
Luffy from One Piece is another great example of having a fighting spirit because when ever he and his crew gets into trouble, he never gives up. He always gets up and keeps fighting. A great example of this is when he fights the Arlong Pirates in order to help Nami.
Gon Freecss from Hunter x Hunter is a well written character and when it comes to being loyal, Gon, in my opinion, is one of the most loyal. Even though his anger may become overwhelming at times, the fact that he is always loyal and kind, especially to his friends is what makes him a wonderfully loyal character.
And finally, I would like to say that since I watched the final arc, it has ruined any amount of surprise and suspense in the show since I know what characters will still be alive towards the end. An example of this is in the Soul Society: The Rescue arc, when Rukia is up for execution, I know that she is not actually going to be executed because I saw her in an episode of the final arc.
Although I find Bleach boring and sometimes almost unbearable to watch, I would like to talk about the things I find actually good about the series: the dubbed voice acting (yes, I watch Bleach English dub, don't judge me 😜), and the art style. I love Johnny Yong Bosch's voice, although his portrayal of Lelouch vi Britannia in Code Geass is the best. I also admire the art style of the anime. It does its best to capture the mangaka's art style, Tite Kubo, and I can admire that.
Even though there are a few things that I do like about Bleach, I still cannot help but find it a hassle to watch. I'm still going to continue it, even though I am struggling. Let's see if my opinion changes.
Thank you for reading and I hope that all of you have a wonderful day!
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