| | |  | SHONEN JUMP | Home » » » Bleach (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1 | | | | | | | Description: | | Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for audiences T Containing volumes 1, 2 and 3 of Bleach! Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts, but this ability doesn't change his life nearly as much as his close encounter with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and member of the mysterious Soul Society. While fighting a Hollow, an evil spirit that preys on humans who display psychic energy, Rukia attempts to lend Ichigo some of her powers so that he can save his family; but much to her surprise, Ichigo absorbs every last drop of her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns that the world he inhabits is one full of dangerous spirits, and along with Rukia--who is slowly regaining her powers--it's Ichigo's job to protect the innocent from Hollows and help the spirits themselves find peace. The paranormal action-adventure begins now! | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Tite Kubo | | Paperback:
| 576 pages | | Publisher:
| VIZ Media LLC | | Publication Date:
| June 07, 2011 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1421539926 | | Product Length:
| 7.5 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.0 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.4 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.8 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.3 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.85 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 2 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
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3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Death and a strawberryJun 06, 2011
By E. A Solinas
"ea_solinas"
Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki is just your average teenage boy... except that he can see spirits wherever he goes. Ghosts, evil spirits, accident victims, all kinds.
So it's not exactly surprising that he gets involved in wild, dangerous adventures in the first three volumes of "Bleach." Tite Kubo's art and plotting experience some basic growing pangs, but the stories are fast-paced, amusing and sometimes incredibly poignant. And the spiky-haired Ichigo has the makings of a great manga hero.
One night a strange girl appears in Ichigo's bedroom, and is shocked when he can see her. She explains that she's Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper who helps the dead pass on to the Soul Society (a sort of afterlife... thing), and purifies evil spirits called Hollows.
But when Rukia is injured in a fight with a Hollow, her powers are transferred to Ichigo -- and with them, the responsibility of killing Hollows in his town. Ichigo is not enthusiastic about his new role, but he can't pass up the opportunity to help innocent spirits. And he finds out that it isn't easy juggling his new responsibilities with his everyday life -- especially since the powerless Rukia is now attending his school in a fake body, and living in his closet.
Even worse, his extra duties with Hollows are affecting his friends. He has to deal with a too-familiar Hollow stalking pretty, flaky Orihime, his best friend Chad receiving a cursed parakeet, a mischievous mod-soul running amuck with his body, and a terrifying glimpse into his own past -- and the cause of his beloved mother's death.
The first three volumes of "Bleach" have some beginner's bumpiness, since Kubo has to introduce about half the main cast and the whole beginning storyline. Things get much more complex later on, but at this point Kubo is just laying out the groundwork. His artwork is also rather rough and gawky in the first few chapters, but it smooths out somewhat by the time Orihime's story rolls around.
Primarily this is an action manga, with lots of monster-slaying with swords (in Ichigo's case, a freakishly huge one) and a complex battle between Ichigo and a grief-maddened Hollow. But Kubo fills these scenes with a sense of pathos, particularly in ALL of the third volume -- the revelations about Ichigo's mom are both horrifying and tragic, and Kubo handles this BRILLIANTLY.
Don't worry, there are a lot of comedic moments too -- Rukia's awful drawing skills, Ichigo playing baseball with pepper bombs, and Ichigo's kooky classmates and family. Not to mention Chad's quiet explanations ("Yesterday... I collided with a motorcycle").
This is our first introduction to the various characters, but Ichigo "Strawberry" is a pretty good hero, albeit in the mold of most action-anime heroes -- rough, fight-prone, determinedly lonerish, but very good-hearted. He doesn't want to go out and just be heroic, but he can't pass up a person who needs his help. The smart, prickly Rukia and sweetly flaky Orihime round out the cast, although gentle giant Chad hasn't been explored much yet.
The first three volumes of "Bleach" are Tite Kubo feeling his way through his fantasy world, but he quickly demonstrates that this is some great shonen action.
The first three volumes of Bleach in one bookAug 25, 2011
By Lesley Aeschliman
The first volume of the Bleach 3-in-1 releases combines the first three volumes of the Bleach manga into one edition. Unlike, the VIZBig editions of Inuyasha and Dragon Ball, the physical height of the volume is not drastically different from the regular manga. Also, the paper stock in this edition is of a lower quality than omnibus editions of the Inuyasha and Dragon Ball manga.
15-year-old Ichigo Kurosaki is the main character of Bleach, and he is able to see ghosts. After seeing a girl attacking a strange creature in his neighborhood, the girl visits him in his room one night. The girl says she's a Soul Reaper, and is surprised that Ichigo can see her. At that point, another creature, called a Hollow, appears and terrorizes Ichigo's father and sisters. The Soul Reaper, who introduces herself as Rukia Kuchiki, is injured when she tries to protect Ichigo. When things look their bleakest, Rukia says she will transfer some of her powers to Ichigo so he can protect his family. However, Ichigo unintentionally absorbs all of Rukia's power, and he himself becomes a Soul Reaper. With his new powers, he is able to destroy the creature. Since Rukia has lost her powers, she must pose as an exchange student at Ichigo's school while in an artifical body.
We are also introduced to several of Ichigo's classmates, including Orihime, Tatsuki, Mizuiro, Chad, and Keigo. During this volume, Ichigo has to help Orihime, who is being followed by a Hollow who wants to eat her soul. Chad also ends up with a parakeet that has the soul of a young boy sealed away in it, and the bird is being chased by a Hollow. The concept of a mod soul is also introduced in this volume. The final story in this book gives the reader the backstory about Ichigo's mother and her death, and how Ichigo must face his demons from the day of her death.
Tite Kubo employs a more unique looking art style for his characters in the Bleach manga. However, the reader can tell it's a shonen series by the "busy" panels in the battles with the Hollows, as well as the utilization of the sound effect characters. Kubo is able to bring all of his visual elements together in a way that tells a compelling story that the reader wants to continue following. If you already have familiarity with the Bleach anime series, then you will recognize everything that appears in this omnibus edition; at this point in the anime, it followed the manga very closely. The series has a very interesting concept, which is executed well in both the manga and the anime. When I read this manga, I also find myself emotionally invested in the compelling characters that inhabit the Bleach universe.
Bleach is rated "T," which means the series is being aimed at teenagers.
I wrote this review after reading a copy of this manga volume that my husband and I purchased.
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