MJ Review: Bleach Volume 19

[Jason]

Title: Bleach
Volume: #19
Mangaka: Tite Kubo
Serialized in: Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha)
Genre: Shounen
Publisher: Viz
Rated: teen

Bleach Volume 19 opens with the fight between Soi Fon and Yoruichi, which gives us the history of both ladies and why Soi Fon is so ticked off with Yoruichi. The bulk of this volume can be summed up as the ‘big showdown’. Since the first time we saw Byakuya Kuchiki back in the world of the living, we knew this battle was inevitable. Ichigo has finally achieved Bankai and wants his long-awaited fight. The reader gets treated to a lot of cool fight panels, plenty of blood and fancy sword ‘magic’ for want of a better term.

In the meantime, we finally are reunited with Chad, Orihime, Ganju and Uryu, at least for a little while as Orihime explains why she thinks Ichigo is fighting to save Rukia and why his friends are with him. Orihime shows more heart than Rukia has since her capture, which has become a sore point for me -- how passive Rukia has become. In fact, she’s not in this volume at all. In all of this there is a whisper of Orihime developing deeper feelings for Ichigo and Uryu doing the same for Orihime.

Back on the battlefield, Ichigo’s Hollow self makes another appearance, completely taking over Ichigo’s mind briefly. At long last we get to Byakuya’s reason for not trying to save his sister. And at the end of the volume Ichigo is reunited with his friends.

It ends on a cliffhanger as we cut back to the Soul Reapers, focusing on Toshiro and Matsumoto discovering the ruling council have been murdered, dead long before Rukia was sentenced to death. As they try to find out who has been giving all the orders in the council’s name, Momo falls into Gin’s hands.

The story at first seems a bit lightweight, being comprised of mostly fight scenes but hidden in there is the crux of the whole series and chapter 168 is a big reveal for this long story arc. The art is still strong, if a little overstocked with the big-boobed beauties and the translation didn’t send up any flags for me. Most readers following this series wouldn’t want to miss this one. It’s what we’ve been waiting for, for many volumes.

Reviewer: Cornerofmadness
Proofer: Jiji
Editor: Firedog