World Famous Comics: Bleach, Vol. 30 (Bleach (Graphic Novels))
Bleach, Vol. 30 (Bleach (Graphic Novels))
By: Tite Kubo Publisher: VIZ Media LLC Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 192 Publication Date: March 02, 2010 Reading Level: Young Adult Studio: VIZ Media LLC
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.
Cleaning up the afterlife ? one spirit at a time!; Strawberry and the Soul Reapers There Is No Heart Without You Ichigo and his friends are moving ever closer to the center of Hueco Mundo and rescuing Orihime. But their battles against the Arrancars are testing them in ways they never thought possible. Can they keep their honor in a world where it doesn't exist, or will Hueco Mundo leave an indelible mark on their souls?!
Like lambs to the slaughter ^ Rukia Kuchiki has big, big, big emotional issues that have overshadowed her life for many years. And "Bleach Volume 30" is especially hard on her by bringing her face-to-face with someone from the bloodest, most traumatic part of her past -- and that subplot what elevates this far above the usual shonen hack'n'slash'n'boom that is going on elsewhere in Hueco Mundo.
First, Chad manages to defeat his enemy with his newly-enhanced powers, only to get taken out by the sadistic Nnoitra. And Renji is being faced down by the crazy scientist, Szayel-Aporro Grantz (boy, is that hard to type), who turns out to be a formidable enemy because he can actually seal Renji's bankai.
But the worst encounter is when Rukia encounters the ninth Espada -- and when he takes off his mask, he turns out to be a figure from her long-ago past. Even worse, he claims that he will forgive her past actions if she kills her own friends. Now she must overcome the last of her tormented feelings and self-doubt, or be destroyed by the most gruesome, unnatural Hollow there is.
Rukia Kuchiki dealt with some of her emotional issues a couple arcs ago, but "Bleach Volume 30" yanks them out into the sunlight (literally) and slams her face-first into them. While there are a couple of humorous moments (Renji ends up spending a few chapters wedged under Dondachakko's butt), most of this volume is a rather bleak, bloody affair -- although it seems to eradicate the remainder of Rukia's angst.
And Tite Kubo fills it with the usual stuff -- splatters of blood, impalements, flashbacks to happier times, and very unusual hollow. When it isn't a bloated monstrosity, it's a creepy pair of baseball-heads flowing in a skinny long tank -- and it's really creepy when those little lipless mouths start screaming, "What it this? I can't breathe! I can't breathe! Make it stop! NONONONONONONONO..." Incredibly freaky.
On the sidelines, Orihime doesn't seem to be doing too well either, since Ulquiorra appears to be playing some cold-blooded games with her mind, emphasizing her helplessness and trying to make her give up hope for/with her friends. It really leaves you hoping that Ichigo will whip him into next week.
"Bleach Volume 30" centers around Rukia's past actions coming back to haunt her, and the most horrible grotesque Hollow we've yet seen. Nice!
Very good for aspiring mangaka and bleach lovers ^ Wow, I love this volume to pieces. For all fo you wondering why Kaien Shiba (the guy on the cover) is on the cover, you have to read and be shocked and amazed at the fight that insues in this volume. Rukia will be faced with a test of strength, along with Ichigo and Chad. The artwork is fantastic and great for those who look for great work with good plotline.
Anything Goes Trivia
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