Bleach Manga

1. There are a lot of differences between Manga and traditional literature. Some are very noticeable while others require more insight. These differences include:

-Format: One major difference between Manga and the traditional literature we have read is that Manga is generally read from right to left. Many ancient documents from Asia, such as China or Japan, are also written in this way. Manga has adapted this style into their creation and hence, it makes sense for it to be read in the same way.
-Audience: Manga ranges in many different genres and thus are widely read by people of all ages. Traditional books, however, tend to be read by the older generation. It uses more difficult words that would not be ideal for the younger audience.
-Style: Mangas are graphic novels while the traditional literature is made up of all words and rarely any pictures. Literature leaves more room for imagination and allows the reader to their own interpretation. Because Manga has a lot of pictures, it shows you exactly what happens as opposed to just interpretative descriptions. For example, it will show you exactly how a sword was swung, while the traditional version just describes the situation.
-Theme: Manga stories are generally Asian-themed (more specifically, Japanese-themed), while the traditional literature we have read are more westernized. It incorporates a lot of the Japanese culture and their way of life. Manga stories also tend to be more controversial in Western’s eyes. There are a lot of mature content and they rarely use censorship.
-Content: Manga is more dialogue than narrative. I think that this puts more of an emphasis on the words each person says. In traditional literature, the focus is on the setting. For example, it tends to describe the surrounding objects and situation in detail before introducing the characters or their words. This allows readers to absorb the conversation with better understanding. However, the descriptive narrative might distract a reader from the actual dialogue. In contrast, Manga uses excessive dialogue, which diminishes the problem of descriptive narratives.

2. The dialogue is used to explain the meaning of various pictures, such as the structure of society and the interaction of life between friends and family. However, during more intense fighting scenes, the dialogue is cut down dramatically in order to keep the focus on the fight itself. There will usually be a few lines of verbal threats for the reader to anticipate the fight while amplifying the battle. There could also be sound effects like “WAAH!!?” (100).
     This goes along the line of avoiding the empty threats people usually make by having all talk and no action. On page 102 of volume one, there are only two sentences: “Go for the head” and “I know.” The rest of the page is completely filled with images. Because of this, I was able to see that the hollow is very large in size, especially when compared to Ichigo. The small room further emphasizes the hollow’s large figure. With words, you can only give a general description and the rest is up to the reader’s imagination.

3. The literal translation of a Shinigami is a God of death. Their jobs are to destroy the evil hollows and guide good souls to Soul Society, the Shinigami world. Hollows were formerly human souls that have been corrupted by remorse. This can be compared to demons or the devil in Christianity. The Shinigami world is another plane of existence similar to Christianity’s heaven.
     A concept from Japanese mysticism that could be related to Bleach is the idea of reincarnation. The Japanese believe in reincarnation, which is when a soul is reborn into a new body with no previous memory of their past lives. However, I do not believe that the situation in Bleach can be considered reincarnation because they are not physically alive. Ichigo, a Shinigami, has to have his soul forced out of his real physical body in order to fight the hollows or have any effect on soul world.

4. I think one of his main lessons is that evil creatures can also be seen as victims. He finds out that the hollows kill their family in order to fill the void spot inside of them (V1; 116-117). He also learns to protect his friends and loved ones. When he found out that the Inoue was the target, he rushes to her side and says “If you want to kill Inoue… you better kill me first” (V1; 125). He also states that it is his job to protect her from her hollow brother. He cannot escape from his responsibilities.