Bleach (Manga)

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Name: Bleach

Type: Manga

Author: Tite Kubo

Books: 74
Genre: Action, adventure, supernatural
Age Rating: 14+

Review:
A boy named Ichigo gains supernatural abilities when Rukia, the Soul-Reaper, accidentally gives him all of her powers. He--along with a team of fellow spiritually-sensitive friends--save the world and other people from evil.

Action-packed and kind of violent, this series is similar to Yuyu Hakashu, though with more characters, and, in my opinion, a better plot. The characters were honorable and though it was mostly action, it didn't take away from the story. There wasn't any romance or overly-fluffy scenes, but the fighting scenes were really good, which I why I believe this series may attract boys more than girls. However, I enjoyed reading all 686 chapters. It was especially fun to read them along with my younger brother, who started reading them before I did.  

This series can get a little redundant, but this series, you must remember, is a fighting manga. It does have a story-line, and an abundance of characters, many of whom are hilarious and fun to follow. Older boys will definitely enjoy the action-packed hero story and watching Ichigo get stronger and stronger in order to defeat his enemies (who also keep getting stronger).

Before reading, you should consider the fact that this book is entirely focused around the Soul Society, which is a place where the dead go. It also focuses on "spiritual powers" and "energy." Kids should know that when we die, we either go to heaven or hell and that the Soul Society is simply fiction like the series itself. The "spiritual world" can be confusing and sometimes attractive to people. It sounds like great fun to battle demons and visit the afterlife and have supernatural powers, but it isn't based on God's truth. Encourage your kids to read the Bible regularly in order to understand this better!

Mature Content: 

• Violence- The characters have a lot of battles with enemies
• Some blood and gore (loss of limbs and unnatural pain tolerances)
• Sexual References- Unnaturally-sized breasts and some skimpy outfits
• Orihime's boobs are talked about a lot
• Spiritual- Characters posses supernatural abilities
• Soul Reapers have spiritual "auras"
• The Soul Society is the world's "afterlife"

Personal Note: 
The ending somewhat disappointed me because...don't laugh...I was really looking forward to more romance. I should have known better. Bleach isn't that kind of Manga.