Spoiler free summary: In Volume 64 of Bleach by Tite Kubo, The battle with the Quincies is gaining momentum, and both sides are suffering losses. Now it’s time for Yachiru to take center stage.
Character: This volume in a somewhat convoluted way reveals Yachiru’s deepest secret. Frankly, I needed a YouTube video to really figure it out, but I’ve never claimed to be the smartest man. What’s obvious without the video assistance is still pretty epic. It starts off in an adorable creepy way and then gets more awesome by the moment. Also, we get to see the results of Ken’s training, and that’s cool too. I’ll admit I had to review this volume, but I’m glad I did. This volume is one of the better ones because the payoff matches the plot reveal.
Exposition: This volume just has your typical monologuing that so common in manga, but I somehow find it even more endearing when the monologuing is a character freaking out about how scary another character is. At least, I give that sort of stuff a pass. This volume harkens back to some of the less annoying fillers we’ve seen throughout Bleach, only it’s cannon and plot relevant.
Worldbuilding: We’ve had tiny, tiny hints in other volumes about certain aspects of this lore that I can’t even name without spoiling stuff. What I’ll say is this aspect of the magic system is every bit as touching as it is (sort of) heartbreaking.
Dialogue: Yes, we have more of the typical boasting, but this dialogue actually rivals that of other volumes here. It’s on the higher spectrum because it delves into the character through the dialogue, what is said and how characters say it.
Description: I’m not sure if this is just coincidence, but the art here is pretty epic. Maybe the artist sort of laid back for the previous volume to get ready for this one. I suppose it could be possible. I’ll note again that I went back and looked. I remembered the big reveal; I just thought it was later in the series. This might be one of my favorite fights an plot arcs in this war. If I end up watching the anime, I’m going to be excited to see this part.
Overall: This is one of the more frustrating things about the series. The main characters seem sort of glossed over, but some of the more notable side characters have some of the most epic scenes and moments in the series. Honestly, if I only knew about this fight and what it promised in terms of lore and worldbuilding, I’d read the whole series just for this.
Thanks for reading,
Matt
M.L.S. Weech 