Ahh yes, the "Big 3" of Shounen. Ever popular, resonating with millions over the globe and serve as templates for many anime today. They live on in the hearts of multiple generations who had grown up with these long-running epics. These consist of Naruto, One Piece and Dragon Ball.

Wait...Bleach is in the Big 3? Not Dragon Ball? What the hell is Bleach? Isn't that the shit I use to clean my toilet?

Bleach has always been disrespected as the "weak link" of the Big 3. Initially a massive hit worldwide and easily one of the most popular series alongside Naruto, Death Note and Fullmetal Alchemist had hit a "rut" since the early 2010s and kept dropping down the ranks of the WSJ rankings before getting unceremoniously ended with an ending that disappointed many fans. To make things worse, the anime adaptation had been cancelled and replaced by a Rock Lee spinoff. OUCH. (seriously, look it up)

However...I'm tired of pretending like Bleach isn't an amazing anime/manga series and that it isn't 10x better written than half of the series that you all glaze (don't mind this statement, i was passionate) and at many points is on the same level as the highest regarded series here! Bleach at 78% only (a whole 10% below One Piece) is a CRIME!

Bleach is a spectacular, awe-inspiringly written series only brought down by the anime's pacing at points (no fault of the mangaka, Tite Kubo) and I'll tell you why.

What is Bleach?: You probably already know but it follows 15-year-old Ichigo Kurosaki, a boy who can see ghosts. He gains powers from a petite Shinigami, Rukia Kuchiki and that changes his life forever. Sounds like one of those shitty vampire love stories but HELL NO it is not like that. Instead we have cool action, sometimes tactical and most of the times shamelessly unga-bunga as we see supernatural characters fly and slash everything in their path that gives a kick of serotonin.

__Reasons you should watch Bleach:
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The atmosphere - Bleach starts off with an appealing urban kick, a grounded world that the audience that can easily get behind. We follow teenagers as they balance every day comedic school life with fighting horrifying supernatural creatures. At times, Bleach can feel pretty eerie, with well-designed but creepy Hollows. Bleach goes from having comedy that...actually made me laugh, I can't lie (the Illustrated Guide to Soul Reapers skits were gold to me) to having tense, depressing moments that make you feel for the characters. Bleach used to have a teenage punk vibe, but later switches to a varied world. From the ancient Japanese setting of the Soul Society, to deserted wastelands that make up Hueco Mundo (although this one got boring after a while admittedly), Bleach is certainly varied.

The music - GODLY. As soon as you pop in Bleach's first episode, you get hit with Asterix by Orange Range. This is an amazing opening that punches you straight in the balls (or the poon) with straight 2000s vibes. All of the openings and endings are either around this level or even better. My favorite is still OP 2: "D-TECHNO LIFE" by Uverworld. The background music is done by the same talented composer behind another GOATED series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shiro Sagisu. These background tracks always accompany the vibe of the scene well, from upbeat tunes like "Escalon" to gripping, melancholic themes like "Nothing Can Be Explained".

The characters - Most of them are either really fun or cool, with character traits that make it easy to find many favorites. From the battle-hungry unga-bunga Kenpachi Zaraki to the chill somewhat troll-ish Kisuke Urahara. Not to forget, since almost everyone in the show is conventionally attractive, there are a bevy of husbandos and waifus for people into that thing.

The action and plots are also thrilling, and despite pacing issues (only a problem in the Arrancar arc tbh) can still keep a viewer invested with many moving parts on and underneath the surface always coming into play. Bleach is deceptively complex, focusing on themes of goverment corruption to self-discovery. The battles are admittedly very shouneny and can get extremely repetitive the more fights they shove in back-to-back (again, another flaw of the Arrancar arc) but every Ichigo fight in particular always gave me pure hype as he pulls off the impossible (at times it is somewhat asspull-ish I can't lie. Especially against the aforementioned Zaraki). But who doesn't love some powerups?

Now for a spoiler-filled, in-depth analysis of why Bleach's writing and themes are top-tier so stop reading if you haven't watched:

__ICHIGO IS ACTUALLY A GOOD PROTAGONIST!:
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Ichigo is an amazing protagonist, in the beginning of the series he was showcasing the struggles of a normal adolescent boy who had to take up his role as a "delinquent" in the hopes of protecting his friends and standing up against thugs. He then later gains his powers from Rukia, who by the way is AN AMAZING character for reasons that I'll get into later but will keep it brief (she is my favorite)

Ichigo and Rukia have a pretty good mentor/mentee relationship, as Ichigo gives Rukia a sort of joy and a sense of friendliness, a real connection that she rarely had for decades. They have a mutual bond and are pretty much soulmates. Rukia in particular also always had a rough childhood, barely making it out on the streets but eventually ending up as a noble. However, it seems like Rukia had actually become more depressed since gaining higher status which is an amazing parallel.

Ichigo's deep bonds with characters like his best friend Chad (who has a great backstory with his grandpa teaching him not to use his strength for mindless violence) or his girlfriend Orihime who puts on a mask of being cheerful and positive when she had a deeply tragic childhood always surrounded in misery due to the abuse of her parents and later, the death of her brother Sora. Bleach always has a theme of loved ones, the passing of said loved ones and how the characters get shaped and cope with these tragedies, which is fitting for a series about Shinigami.

Bleach is also about finding yourself, a common theme for with a series whose demographic and protagonist are both adolescents. Ichigo struggles with his humanity
and his supernatural side, often feeling overwhelmed or with a sense of feeling useless or not good enough. Bleach has a heavy focus on mentalities and inner self which is beautifully orchestrated by Ichigo's conversations and training with Zangetsu, where Ichigo progressively finds himself and becomes more in tune with his true heritage (ie. Learning to be one with his blade, to not hold back when fighting and to fight to win and not as a means to simply "neutralize" the situation as Ichigo is a naturally empathic person)

The Arrancar arc also has a beautiful parallel. Initially, Ichigo just wants nothing but to protect his friends as usual (especially Orihime). Ulquiorra on the other hand views humans as complete trash that needs to be exterminated. However, while Ulquiorra has Orihime captive, she eventually shows him to have more "heart". Meanwhile, while Ichigo faces more and more hardship, becoming slowly more battle-hungry (as shown by his fight with Grimmjow) he snaps in a near-death experience by becoming fully hollow, even harming his friend Uryu in the process. As Ulquiorra gained his humanity, Ichigo lost his.

(sound familiar? cough the GOAT cough)

The overhated Fullbring arc also is another amazing showcase of Ichigo and how deep his savior complex goes, as he feels powerless without his Shinigami powers. Zangetsu was right, Ichigo was made to fight and battle. The betrayal from Ginjo is truly heartbreaking and shows our normally hardened hero breaking down into tears as he realizes that no matter what he did, his friends and family would not side with him due to Tsukishima's manipulation.

OTHER GREAT QUALITIES AND A DEEPER DIVE INTO THEMES:
The power system of Bleach is also great, as many characters have varied deeply unique abilties which get more and more complex as the series goes on (my favorites include Aizen's hypnosis, Shinji's upside down world, and also Shunsui's shikai and bankai which showcases the contrast between his playful childish side (his shikai is supposed to be like hide & seek) but his bankai is more like adult entertainment (which showcases his sleazy side).

The world of Bleach is practically never-ending, with myriads of different races with their own systems such as the Arrancars and the Quincy. The Arrancars all seem to come from a place of lonesome, forming from simple feral minded creatures to people with their beliefs which are born fom hardships (examples are characters like Grimmjow and Tier and their backstories). The Arrancars after a while, did not feel like a threat which might be an intended image of how Shinigamis always cut down the Hollows easily without regard. The Quincies are less sympathetic, almost Nazi-like in their methods and their takeover of Soul Society felt more threatening, however the bonds between the members are still there (eg. The Bambis)

The Soul Society itself is an amazing showcase of the morally-grey. They seem to be the be-all end-all passers of judgement and the balance of the world. However things like the segregation of lower-class and higher-class, leaving the former to rot, and the cruel punishments for people who slightly go against rules (eg. Rukia in Soul Society arc) paint a corrupt picture. Especially with how characters like Mayuri are treated as "good". Mayuri is a big help for the progression of Soul Society with his research and does "help" the good guys, but he is a cruel psychopath who only cares about his research. Even Urahara himself who is constantly seen as a "role model" and upstanding figure of sorts is also not the greatest himself.

All of this might even paint Aizen in particular to have "the right intentions but misguided", a tragic villain blinded by his conquest of change just to end up as bad as the society he lashes out against. This is just looking deep into things though, because Aizen had always been protrayed as a perfect, competent manipulator. The Soul Society arc also shows a beautiful progression in Byakuya, from a cold slave to the Seireitei government who'd even excute his sister to a person who always wants to protect his sister no matter the cost. Another showcase of great character development is how they actually give a valid explanation for Renji being a jobber, as he'd always devalue himself, affecting his zanpakuto (Zanpakuto's are reflection of the wielder's inner self) which gives him a fake bankai. In the TYBW arc, he becomes more confident and gains a true bankai, proceeding to kick ass.

FLAWS:
There are a few misgivings besides pacing and a few asspull-ish wins, some characters are sidelined including a few of Ichigo's friends such as Chad, which is disappointing. I also feel Orihime was unfortunately not used at her full potential, because they foreshadowed her holding the key to destroying the hogyoku just to not deliver on it. Rukia also is utilized less as the series went on, when personally my main hook was her and Ichigo's relationship (didn't ship them tho...ok maybe I did a little >_>)

There is also some blatant favoritism to characters such as Hitsugaya and Mayuri over other captains and the Vizards.
I also wish Ichigo learned more than one technique for a more varied fighting style. ALSO SKIP THE FILLER FOR THE LOVE OF-

CONCLUSION:
I conclude my lengthy analysis by saying BLEACH is a wonderful series, and I could've gone even further. My first Shounen, and one that has put an impact on me. I am so sorry for temporarily disregarding this series after a while due to fatigue of pacing, as when I look back...it truly is amazing. This anime will Bleach your Hollow soul. A great permanent introduction to anime for me, and I will forever be grateful.