Bleach, Vol. 2

Volume 2 continues the introduction of Bleach’s core cast, slowly setting the board for the bigger conflicts to come. I would have really liked to see the series continue to keep its main cast’s quirky personalities intact and visible, even as their circumstances grow more dire. Chad loving cute things or Orihime’s bizarre eating habits never come up again once the ball gets rolling. And Ichigo’s concern about his reputation when an artificial replacement soul takes his place in class while he’s off hunting hollows is probably the most endearing and natural moment the character will ever have. Less so is the one openly gay character in the series (that I can think of, at least) always borderline molesting Orihime, which is a little... iffy. This volume also stumbles, I felt, in the pacing. The first mini arc to do with a haunted parakeet feels somehow both drawn out and rushed at the same time, and even the more enjoyable mod soul introduction felt like it was struggling to convey all of its ideas in its number of pages. But I might also just be impatient to get to the series’ best arc, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Alright, now I see what everyone is talking about. For those of you who may have read my review for the first volume, you know that I was skeptical of the start that Bleach had. I had felt that it wasn't enough to truly be rated as of yet, and thought that the story wasn't exactly the most original ever created. I also wanted a better glimpse of the main character, Ichigo, which the first volume failed to provide. But after reading this second volume, I definitely understand. This is, simply, an exciting manga to read. The characters, the story, almost everything about this series isn't original, but it's a damn lot of fun. In fact, it's so fun that I think Bleach is doing a kind of reinvention of sorts by enlivening the manga ghost/action story (YuYu Hakusho, Shaman King). And, while this volume doesn't take many more steps than the first did, it definitely made it clear that those steps would eventually pop up somewhere. For now, you just have to enjoy the action and the comedy while meeting some possibly interesting people along the way. After finishing this volume, which basically explored Ichigo's continued training as a substitute Soul Reaper, I'm actually sorry I gave the first volume a four. It deserved a five and I can't go back now and change that. This is an excellent manga series that promises to only get better. It can appeal to all ages, having more than enough to keep adult manga readers entertained while also not being graphic enough to make it too mature for kids. I highly recommend this manga to fans of Shonen Jump, as the similarities are too many to count.

Grandson ordered and likes

Came brand new as I hoped, not bad.

I got these novels for my son for xmas. He is going to be so excited about this cause he wanted to start this series.

Follows the really good first volume with great character development. If you liked the first volume, don't stop there.

This volume is a so-so volume in my opinion. Its main purpose is to let the manga reader know Chad/Sado. We learn a bit about Rukia and so on. I would say it is like all introductory volumes. If you liked the first volume by this one.

loved it

little brother loves it.

This item arrived quickly and in good condition. The recipient of this gift loved it and will order more items in the future.

Volume 2 continues the introduction of Bleach’s core cast, slowly setting the board for the bigger conflicts to come. I would have really liked to see the series continue to keep its main cast’s quirky personalities intact and visible, even as their circumstances grow more dire. Chad loving cute things or Orihime’s bizarre eating habits never come up again once the ball gets rolling. And Ichigo’s concern about his reputation when an artificial replacement soul takes his place in class while he’s off hunting hollows is probably the most endearing and natural moment the character will ever have. Less so is the one openly gay character in the series (that I can think of, at least) always borderline molesting Orihime, which is a little... iffy. This volume also stumbles, I felt, in the pacing. The first mini arc to do with a haunted parakeet feels somehow both drawn out and rushed at the same time, and even the more enjoyable mod soul introduction felt like it was struggling to convey all of its ideas in its number of pages. But I might also just be impatient to get to the series’ best arc, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Alright, now I see what everyone is talking about. For those of you who may have read my review for the first volume, you know that I was skeptical of the start that Bleach had. I had felt that it wasn't enough to truly be rated as of yet, and thought that the story wasn't exactly the most original ever created. I also wanted a better glimpse of the main character, Ichigo, which the first volume failed to provide. But after reading this second volume, I definitely understand. This is, simply, an exciting manga to read. The characters, the story, almost everything about this series isn't original, but it's a damn lot of fun. In fact, it's so fun that I think Bleach is doing a kind of reinvention of sorts by enlivening the manga ghost/action story (YuYu Hakusho, Shaman King). And, while this volume doesn't take many more steps than the first did, it definitely made it clear that those steps would eventually pop up somewhere. For now, you just have to enjoy the action and the comedy while meeting some possibly interesting people along the way. After finishing this volume, which basically explored Ichigo's continued training as a substitute Soul Reaper, I'm actually sorry I gave the first volume a four. It deserved a five and I can't go back now and change that. This is an excellent manga series that promises to only get better. It can appeal to all ages, having more than enough to keep adult manga readers entertained while also not being graphic enough to make it too mature for kids. I highly recommend this manga to fans of Shonen Jump, as the similarities are too many to count.

Grandson ordered and likes

Came brand new as I hoped, not bad.

I got these novels for my son for xmas. He is going to be so excited about this cause he wanted to start this series.

Follows the really good first volume with great character development. If you liked the first volume, don't stop there.

This volume is a so-so volume in my opinion. Its main purpose is to let the manga reader know Chad/Sado. We learn a bit about Rukia and so on. I would say it is like all introductory volumes. If you liked the first volume by this one.

loved it

little brother loves it.

This item arrived quickly and in good condition. The recipient of this gift loved it and will order more items in the future.

i like this serie, and good condition the book

I love this series!!! If I had the $$$ I would own all of them.

Bleach is one of the best mangas out there, nice fight scenes and a very good storyline with lots of twists and turns

I ordered vol 1,2,3 an 4 for my step son for christmas. I hope he enjoys them (its what he asked for) I placed my order on Dec 6 an I received them yesterday Dec 8th. VERY speedy shipping. The books look to be very enjoyable!

Book is in great shape!

my daughter loved it

What can I say, came to me in days, perfect condition and loved the book. 5 Thumbs up and a gold star for you (or is it the other way round)

I love the anime and now I'm getting into the manga. Tite Kubo is one of my favorite manga authors and this manga is well worth a read.

It was okay but I didn't like the fact that the cover was almost ripped off at the seem. There were about 4 rips in the seem it was almost torn off. I'm not sure what it was but the color of the pages were a bit darker then the normal ones I get. And there were tears in some of the pages. I wasn't all that happy with it but I settled for it.

After the strange encounter with the Hollow, Ichigo takes Chad to his family’s clinic to be treated. But the next morning, to his dismay, Chad has disappeared! Ichigo questions his friends but no one has seen him. Rukia is helping Ichigo search, but she has no sense of any Hollow presence. Ichigo has the idea to feel for Chad’s parakeet’s spirit presence, although Rukia claims it is too faint to detect. When Ichigo manages to detect it, she is rather taken aback and greatly surprised. Chad and the parakeet are in hiding, and the parakeet, whose name is Yuichi, tries to get Chad to leave but he refuses. He runs into Rukia and Ichigo at the same time as Ichigo’s sister Karin appears, drawn by something she can’t explain. When she faints, Rukia tells Ichigo to take her home and she’ll chase after Chad. Unfortunately, the Hollow finds her first, and she’s in no position to fight him, not without her powers. When she throws a spell at him, not only doesn’t it work, but he realizes she’s a Soul Reaper. Yuichi tells chad that Rukia is being attacked, although Chad can’t see the Hollow. Chad puts Yuichi in a safe place then runs to help Rukia. He punches him, which takes the Hollow aback, but he decides it was a lucky punch. Working together, maybe Rukia and Chad can defeat this Hollow, or at least not die before Ichigo has a chance to return. When Ichigo learns what the Hollow has done to Yuichi, it only infuriates him all the more. Rukia realizes she needs to stock up on a few supplies, so she makes her way to an innocuous-looking shop—Uruhara Shoten. A boy and a girl are sweeping in front of the closed shop, and they admit her. The shopkeeper, Kisuke Uruhara, sleepily greets her. Obviously he is acquainted with the Soul Reaper. Not only that, but he seems to carry supplies such as a soul reaper might require. When Rukia inquires about an order she’s made, Uruhara sends Ururu to get it. To Rukia’s dismay, it’s not the one she ordered. He tells her that was out of stock, this is the second most popular choice, so she is forced to accept it. The next day, Rukia presents her purchase to Ichigo – a dispenser of sorts marked Soul Candy. The dispenser has the head of a duck, although Rukia had wanted the bunny. She explains that when he takes the candy, in order to perform soul reaper duties, his empty body becomes animated by a proxy soul. Back at Uruhara’s shop, however, the shopkeeper realizes, to his dismay, that a terrible mistake has been made. Can it be rectified in time, even as Rukia demonstrates to Ichigo how it works and they suddenly receive an order to fight a Hollow. Or will the defective soul Uruhara inadvertently sold Rukia ruin Ichigo’s reputation for good? In the second volume of Bleach we meet Kisuke Uruhara and the people in his employ—Tessai, Ururu, and Jinta. Remember them, you’ll be seeing a lot of them. We also discover how stubborn Rukia is, very much her own woman who does what needs to be done. She still isn’t sure what to make of Ichigo, who is like no one she’s ever encountered before. For a human, he has some pretty amazing skills. For his part, Ichigo seems to be taking to being a soul reaper—even a substitute soul reaper—like a duck to water. Since he’s used to seeing the dead, he doesn’t think twice about being able to see Hollows, and doesn’t even question their existence, as some might. Someone else to remember for future volumes is the defective soul who’s taken Ichigo’s place and doesn’t want to give it up. (It helps that I’m also watching the anime). Tite Kubo uses humor well in his manga, but he is also capable of dramatic, more soul-intense moments which will bring tears to you eyes. He’s good at manipulating emotions. Rukia’s annoyance at not getting the “chappy” she ordered (the bunny dispenser) not only pegs her as pretty human and far from perfect, it’s also damn funny. Looking forward to more of the same in future volumes of this popular series.

Hot-tempered 15-year-old Ichigo Kurosaki, the hero of the popular fantasy-adventure "Bleach," has the unsettling ability to see spirits who are unable to rest in peace. His sixth sense leads him to Rukia, a Soul Reaper who destroys Hollows and ensures the deceased find repose with the Soul Society. When she's injured in battle, Rukia transfers her sword and much of her power to Ichigo, whose spiritual energy makes him a formidable substitute Soul Reaper. But the orange-haired teenager isn't sure he wants the job: too many risks and moral dilemmas.

Poor Ichigo -- if it isn't one tiny life-form causing trouble for him, it's another. And the second volume of Tite Kubo's "Bleach" is full of such troubles for our scrappy hero and his fiery Soul Reaper ally -- first a gruesome, heartrending story about a particularly nasty Hollow, and then a comedic story about Rukia getting the wrong pill. It also introduces a hilariously oddballish new bunch of supporting characters in a run-down little shop. As Ichigo and Rukia search for Chad and his parakeet, Ichigo's sister Karin interrupts them with a terrible revelation about the bird. Rukia ends up fighting the grotesque Hollow that's trying to kill the bird, but is crippled by her lack of power -- until the physically powerful Chad comes to help her, despite the fact that he can't see the Hollow. But the Hollow's true nastiness comes out with a barrage of "leech bombs" aimed at a powerless Rukia -- and threatening the parakeet. Worst of all, it reveals the reason it has been pursuing the parakeet all along -- and the ghastly crimes it committed even before becoming a Hollow. After all that, Rukia makes a trip to a store with some very special supplies -- including a Pez dispenser with "temporary souls" inside, so Ichigo's body won't lie around when he leaves it. Unfortunately it turns out that the little pil insider is a specially modified soul that doesn't intend to give Ichigo's body up -- and causes quite a bit of mayhem on its own. The second volume of "Bleach" still has Tite Kubo recognizably getting his bearings -- the art is a bit sketchy at times, and the pacing is a bit uneven. But he also started fleshing out this world of the Soul Reapers here, with some eccentric new characters and a glimpse of what happens to Hollows who were evil in life. Trust me, it ain't pretty -- skeletons and impalement are involved. The first half is a flurry of exploding leechfrogs, savage fight scenes with Chad bludgeoning the Hollow with a telephone pole, and Ichigo showing how nasty he can be ("... then your tongue... IS MINE!"). And Kubo plucks the heartstrings with the poor little parakeet/boy's backstory, and the gruesome loss that is currently torturing Ichigo's younger sister. After all that grim stuff, Kubo lightens up for the following story -- the mysterious storekeeper Urahara makes his appearance (BIG FAT MONEY COMIN' YEAH!), Rukia goes nuts after Ichigo comments on her bunny obsession, Orihime is stalked by a deranged lesbian, and the modsoul uses Ichigo's hijacked body to smooch the girls ("I think he kissed Orihime." "AAGGGGHH! Don't say it! It hurts!"). Additionally, Kubo fleshes out the cast (heretofore only Ichigo's family and Orihime) by exploring the quiet, kindly giant Chad. And we get a bunch of weirdos at the mysterious Urahara shop -- a big cornrowed giant, a timid little girl and a bullying little boy. And of course, there's Urahara himself -- a stoner-esque bucket-hatted guy who is clearly more than he appears. The second volume of "Bleach" still has Kubo getting his footing, but the mingling of action/horror and eccentric supporting cast make this a winner.

Hot-tempered 15-year-old Ichigo Kurosaki, the hero of the popular fantasy-adventure Bleach, has the unsettling ability to see spirits who are unable to rest in peace. His sixth sense leads him to Rukia, a Soul Reaper who destroys Hollows (soul-devouring monsters) and ensures the deceased find repose with the Soul Society. When she's injured in battle, Rukia transfers her sword and much of her power to Ichigo, whose spiritual energy makes him a formidable substitute Soul Reaper. But the orange-haired teenager isn't sure he wants the job: too many risks and moral dilemmas.

Tite Kubo, Bleach: Goodbye Parakeet, Goodnight My Sister (Viz, 2001) Strawberry and Rukia are back in Goodbye Parakeet, Goodnight My Sister. Strawberry's school chum Chad stumbles into Strawberry's father's clinic sporting a mysterious scar on his back, then just as mysteriously disappears. Strawberry and Rukia suspect that Chad's being tailed by a Hollow, an evil spirit tied to the human world until it's dispatched by a soul reaper. But is this Hollow too much for Strawberry to handle alone? For the second volume, Kubo can do less introducing of characters and more character-building. As the cover of the first one suggested he'd be concentrating on Strawberry, this one suggests he'll concentrate on Rukia, and we are not disappointed. She's quite the charmer, she is, and adding Chad to the mix pretty much guarantees some fireworks between Strawberry and Chad down the line. This is very good stuff. Recommended. *** ½

Love this series of manga

I just started reading Bleach 3 days ago, and I finished this one today. I have never read manga before, but I love Bleach so much that I will be trying some others, too. This 2nd addition in the series is very exciting and leaves you satisfied. The cliffhanger wasn't as good as the first, but I will still be checking out 3 and up!

I bought this volume mostly to read because I watched the series. The art wasn't that great in this volume, but I think it does get better. I really liked the anime better. This volume did seem slow.

Bleach was my very first introduction into Japanese Manga, after reading a preview of it in Shohen Jump. Since then, I've downloaded translations of TV shows like Naruto and even Bleach, but the manga volumes have always remained my favorites. If you want an introduction in this kind of stuff. From there, you can download and watch episodes from Naruto and Bleach, and even gives a link to a cool Bleach fan club! This is my favorite series ever, and I thought it would be neat if I could lead the way for other followers of the series. -J.

Now into its second volume, Bleach is still going strong. The reader begins to see deeper into the heart and soul of the main character, Ichigo. Even more characters are introduced and developed as well. Also, there is plenty of action. Another wonderful edition to the Bleach series. This will leave any reader curious for the next volume.

I really loved volume 2, in volume 2 they reveal more about chad and add two new characters, one named Kon which is a pretty funny guy and the other named Hat and Clogs, which I guess you could say he's a soul reaper seller. (and volume 2 as a lot of action which I loved)

Bought these for my granddaughter for Christmas. Actually they were a fill in gift. To my surprise we found her crouched in a corner reading the first volume with all her other gifts sitting beside her untouched. She loves these books. Shes is 13 years old and these are now her favorite. Will be purchasing the next few in the series.

Thanks

Came in perfect condition!

this book was very good quality and i was very satisfied with it. the story followed the first book, and i definitely want more.

Looks brand new the front and back look super nice and no damage and the other pages their in good condition as well it doesn’t look bad at all Iso if your thinking about getting one you should

Bought this for my son for Christmas. He loves it.

This second volume of the Bleach manga sees the substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki forced to save his friend and a possessed parakeet from a sadistic spirit. Through dealing with this threat Ichigo discovers new information on the afterlife and his role in helping spirits pass-on. This volume also sees Ichigo having to deal with the more personal problem of a renegade soul running amuck in his body and ruining his reputation. The Bleach manga continues to be nothing but funny and enthralling with some good artwork and nice action on display in this second volume. Despite having watched the anime of this series and therefore knowing the general direction tat this series is going to take, I am still looking forward to reading the future volumes.

10/10

Given as an incentive for a boy who struggles with his literacy but loves manga & the least graphic

Bought as a gift for my nephew. He loves manga so watches if over and over again

good product - pleased with purchase

love bleach I have watched all the cartoons and the comics are the same but still fun to read, :)

Good

This book will not download on to a Windows 8 device (Linx 7) running a Kindle app. Waste of my time and yours too. Do wish Amazon was cleaver enough to point this out up front!!