Manga Mondays: The End for Bleach

The End for Bleach?!!?

WARNING: THERE ARE POSSIBLE SPOILERS OF BLEACH BELOW. YEAH, SPOILERS. SO IF YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW AND YOU HAVEN'T READ OR WATCHED BLEACH, GO WATCH THE CANON EPISODES AND READ THE MANGA TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT. SO YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED... SPOILERS BELOW!

I wish it was Monday last Wednesday when I saw the news and the new chapter on Mangahere.com. Seriously, I was in total shock.

I'm a huge Bleach fan. Surprisingly, my totally-closet-nerd brother introduced me to Bleach when he started watching the Anime when it first came out. For me, I decided to read the Manga, considering I had begun to get into Manga then too. I instantly fell in love with nearly all the characters and love the Manga Arcs (the Anime fillers can all burn in a ditch).

But speculation has come around to say:

Bleach is ending!!

Yep, the final arc has supposedly arrived.

However, is it really ending?

On most forums I've looked up on, considering I spent two hours trying to figure out if Bleach is really ending for sure, Kubo Tite has said that Bleach will go on for another 10 years. (Google Kubo Tite interview end, and you'll see a lot of the same information on Bleach forums, Bleach Tumblrs, etc.etc.allBleachetc.) Seriously, I was extremely relieved. However, I am still confused by the fact that the newest chapter is called "The Final Arc." Well, I guess we'll see when it ends.

However, what are we going to be expecting in this new and final arc!?

Many fans and myself have taken information from Kubo Tite's interviews at Jump Fiesta and know that the "mysterious" Royal Guard of Seireitei is supposed to appear! EEGAD!!! Not only the speculated Royal Guard but also more... QUINCIES!! Yep. More Ishidas. <3 And if you're a girl like me, you'll be glad if there are more Ishidas around... <3 Also, as seen near the end of the Substitute Shinigami (SS) Arc, our favorite Shinigami Captains and Vice-Captains have received many make-overs in character design. Even the opening pages of Chapter 480, the beginning of the Final Arc, we see Mayuri in his new design. As the reader flips through the chapter, we see two new faces, both Shinigami and investigating Karakura town. However, they are attacked by multiple giant Hollows, and thankfully, at the end, Ichigo dives right into the battle.

What can we really expect from Bleach though? Will this be the final arc for sure? Or is there really going to be another 10 years of Bleach for us fanatics to hold on to?

Honestly, I'd like more Bleach, but others might not think so. Some say it should have ended at the Arrancar Arc with the exile/death of Aizen, but with the flood of Japanese fans begging for more during the Arrancar Arc, Kubo Tite continued it and had continued it to the SS Arc. I feel that the SS Arc was fairly well written, however it also felt like it was completely rushed compared to all the other Arcs.(Basically, I took from it as a look at the whole SS BS that I thought was lame in the first place and felt that Ichigo should be looked at as an equal with the Shinigami. But you know, I'm not bitter....)

Kubo Tite had reassured that in the following years, Bleach will be more exciting and engaging for the audience. I'm super excited!

Bleach = Amazing.

Opening cover page of the Final Arc
We see Ichigo in his new Fullbring/Shinigami outfit as well as Zangetsu <3
In the background, there are the silhouettes of the Quincies. Can't wait for their appearance!

Read the first chapter of the Final Arc Here!

And let me know what you think:

Should Bleach really end here? Or continue for another 10 years? What's your opinion of Bleach in generally , the SS Arc, or your expectations for this new and "Final" Arc?

Inked with Brilliance and Love,

Sara