I love Bleach. And while I often compliment Kubo's incredibly nuanced portrayal of characters, I often miss out on appreciating the aesthetic value of the art itself. Arguably the most popular and influential part of the series is its unique art style and character design.

Art as a creative medium has always held aesthetic value in the way it profoundly influences our perspective and tastes. There is no 'objective' taste by any means—by definition, it refers to our subjective preferences regardless of factual value.

Understanding the stylistic choices of the artist aids in grasping the undertone of the piece, allowing for better enjoyability in interpreting their work. We often absorb the emotional value of artworks without realizing the well-constructed artistic decisions involved in creating such a piece.

And there's nothing better than good stories— which is why art appeals to me. A picture really is worth a thousand words (when's the last time you've heard that phrase?).

In this post, I'll be breaking down individual components of Kubo's manga art. We're going to go over his depiction of certain elements, some particular styles of panels, and prominent features in his art.

Warning: This post is going to be pretty long. If you like long posts, check out this one on Nel and Nnoitra, and this one on Shinji's character design. All the visuals above are made by me.

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>"For me, drawing comics is not about drawing lines and faces, but about portraying the mood. So whether or not you're working on a novel or a comic, you work to portray the mood on paper with words and drawings.

>Like for example, backgrounds. Backgrounds can tell you where a character is, but I don't think it's that important. I don't want to draw a background if the focus is on the character.

>In Bleach, a lot of the times when a new character appears, I leave the background white. I want the reader to feel the mood the character gives when they're there. Characters make the setting real, so I keep that in mind when I work on each character."

>-Tite Kubo

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The Character Highlight

While people often consider Bleach to be battle shonen, the narrative doesn't always present itself as such straightforwardly. It indeed has many elements of shonen (Zaraki is attested proof!), but the story's main focus has always been its characters.

Being the core of the story as the protagonist, Ichigo's growth is indicative of the idea. Unlike the more linear progression of power from practice and skill development, the story depicts self-acceptance and understanding as the answer to unlocking one's true power and potential (The Blade is Me). It's also the key to growth as a whole.

You could say this for a plethora of characters—Zaraki (identity being connected to strength), Toshiro (maturation), Byakuya (self-worth and individuality), Aizen, Rukia, and so on. It all connects to the development of the character correlating with strength.

Bleach, at its very essence, is an exploration of characters and their varied, complex relationships with themselves and others.

It's not about flashy fights, glamorous designs, and aura. Regardless of the presence of such things, it remains, at its core, a deep dive into characters and their means of interacting with the world.

I'm supposed to be appreciating the art. Yet here I am, once again praising the narrative.

But since the focus is on the characters, it is quite essential that the art itself is centered around the characters. It's here where Kubo excels—his range of expressions, his ability to depict hidden emotional states, and his use of physical transformation to highlight a form of change.

Kubo's art is stripped to its bones... that is, the characters the world revolves around.

While backgrounds are left bare, the character art is detailed. The parting of hair is distinct for each individual, the eyes reveal true feelings, and fingers are usually drawn gripping objects or curled into poses.

The characters themselves are distinct from each other despite similarities in art style. Designs are given distinguishing elements by both the ensemble and the figure itself. Many examples can be seen from across the story:

• Rangiku's beauty mark near her mouth
• Yamamoto having a band to hold down his beard, crisscross style
• Shinji having villainous teeth
• Nelliel's estigma (the marking over her nose and cheeks)
• Crescent-shaped frame over Nnoitra
• Hisagi retains his scars from the hollow attack
• Isane's fluffy hair and two little braids
• The rooster mohawk that Bazz dearly adores
• Grimmjow's mask remnants on his jawbone

Fashion is another point of prominence—you can notice the creases in clothing, rips in the fabric, structured or unstructured outfits, and ensembles that match the characters' particular tastes and personalities.

I've made whole posts breaking down the designs of characters, including Shinji, Rangiku, Byakuya, Starrk and many more. Quite fascinating to see how much thought is put into the outfits, even for something like the Cour 2 OP.

There is a great deal of thought incorporated into the designs in Bleach, often incorporating Shinto and Buddhist lore, cultural touches, and historical references.

Lille's paladin's fur is mirrored by having it on his weapon (the gun). The reason for this is not merely stylish—schrifts are an extension of the user. Like the zanpakuto. The design element repeating itself on his body and on his weapon is an intentional choice to convey the idea of the gun being a part of his very soul.

Momo's future design features a new, turquoise clip with flowers on it. But the five flowers on it are the Lily of the Valley, which is the squad flower. The colour of the flowers are pink—which is her colour (her name and zanpakuto refers to peaches [Momo] and plums [Tobiume: Flying Plum Tree, like the myth]). Turquoise also happens to be the squad colour.

Bambietta has hearts over her uniform, quite literally over her heart, too. Ironically, she herself is quite heartless... and her opponent, Komamura, ripped out his heart to defeat her.

Shinji's sense of style reflects the British-mod styles from the 60s. Hence, he is seen sporting narrow trousers, skinny ties and newsboy caps. The cut of his clothes is clean and sharp (except in the flashback, since his fashionability was still developing), and it explains his interest in jazz (the movement was associated with jazz clubs and foreign cultures).

These kinds of details are scattered all throughout the narrative. These just happen to be a few of the various references. It shows you the level of research that is put into the designs and aesthetics of the characters, which also ends up mirroring their characterization.

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Depiction of Emotion

Emotional expression is not always explicit in the work. Much like how it narratively conducts itself, it operates in subtlety. Feelings can be soft, thoughtful, and allowed to settle on its own, which allows the emotional depth to permeate the pages and linger.

This kind of 'held' emotion is why the series feels melancholic— it doesn't always express strong emotion all at once, but gives it room to sit and be reflected on.

We can observe the narrative pausing on certain emotional beats, slowing it down and making it intimate (panels featuring eyes, close-ups, outstretched or retracted movements, heavier use of negative space, and so on).

Let's see it in action: Byakuya and Rukia in her fight with Äs Nödt. As Byakuya arrives in the battle with Rukia and Äs, he acknowledges Rukia's power. We are given the sequence of emotions in several panels:

• A close-up of Byakuya's eyes before he tells her, signalling that he's finally coming to terms with acknowledging her strength.
• Rukia's surprise at his statement.
• Immediate close-up to her eyes, in disbelief and wonder.
• She thinks of all her moments before with Byakuya, from the time he adopted her to when she said she couldn't get the role of seated officer in Squad 13.
• Her eyes shut as she finally takes it in... being acknowledged for how much she has grown and all that she's overcome.

It's not just one panel. Her reaction of feeling Byakuya's acknowledgement is slowed down to give it weight— her eyes widen, take it in, and eventually close as she accepts it. The expression is given its own progression.

The FRIEND flashback features this too. As Yhwach talks to the duo, we are given both their reactions and musings. For Bazz, it moves from shock to jealousy and eventually to rage. We see the progression of his emotional states from the first point to the next.

Kubo also shines at the implication of emotional depth without having the emotion always be overt. Essentially, the visual and narrative portrayal of everything in between the lines, all that goes unsaid and lacks words.

My favourite showcase of this skill is in the conversation between Toshiro and Rangiku at FKT.

Toshiro tells Rangiku that the battle is starting and asks if she has any lingering doubts. She quickly brushes it off by asking what he's talking about—her eyes are shrouded by her hair, indicating that she isn't willing to talk about it.

We then get a quick panel of Toshiro's observant eye because he knows she's burdened about Gin, and it upsets her in a way she can't express. He quietly lets it go and tells her to focus on the battle and remain vigilant.

It's here we get a soft panel of Rangiku's eye. She knows he asked her that because he's perceptive of how she feels— and while Toshiro makes no effort to console her, because she doesn't admit her feelings outright, he tells her to stay focused (his expression of care).

It's a simple conversation, but it holds a diverse range of undertones. It captures that human element of words never always holding one meaning, having complex inflections and subtle hints that lay beneath the surface of ordinary conversations.

Various moments of these are interspersed within Bleach, and they contribute to a sense of mystique and melancholy in the narrative; we can only explore what these meanings are upon revisiting and breaking down these little moments.

Body language is also used to effectively showcase the emotional range of characters, often more subtly. Eyes reveal the truth behind every facade, fingers that grip blades tighter or reach out, mouths that quiver or tighten, tentative feet... all of it communicates nuanced emotion.

It has roots that tie into the storytelling of the series and can also be used to define how it approaches its art—namely, minimalism and efficiency. The art and story is efficient in how it portrays itself, but with what we're given in those respects, it is able to evoke complex and nuanced insights.

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Stylistic Progression

There is an artistic shift that goes on throughout the series. Every arc has its own unique style that bleeds into the other as the transition occurs.

The first arc's choppier and sharper lines smoothen a fair bit by the Soul Society arc, following through to the start of the Arrancar Arc. Curves appear well into the Hueco Mundo section, and character expressions become even more reinforced.

You can see the change distinctly from how Byakuya appears in his fight with Ichigo late in the Soul Society arc; and as he reappears with the other captains in Hueco Mundo. He appears visually longer (face, limbs, figure), his jawline is more refined, and the former sharpness has diminished in favour of more visual flow.

By Fake Karakura Town, a certain kind of style has been established: smoother curves, longer figures, close-ups, and many establishing large-scale panels (the Upper Espada entry, the captains and their matchups, Aizen/Gin/Tosen, and so on).

Fullbring introduces nuanced character art, where expressions are kept at the forefront, taking up spreads and given ample emphasis. Ginjo and Ichigo's battle comes to mind, as well as Riruka and Orihime having more pronounced features in their respective interactions.

TYBW initially features more stylistic designs, as many characters are seen after a time jump. Multiple reaction panels are given during the first invasion (like the stolen bankai, Ichigo's arrival, Yamamoto's death), allowing us to see everyone more actively involved in the battle.

Diagonals in art are helpful in creating dynamism and motion. We see several of these across the period of the first invasion, as characters rush into battle and the atmosphere is tense. Speed lines run rampant across every panel, and diagonal-style panels are utilized frequently.

Byakuya vs Äs Nödt perfectly exemplifies this.

• When he tells Renji to back off, the panels are shaped in diagonals.
• Byakuya's reflections have straight, horizontal panels.
• Äs begins his fear speech, and we are given groundedness through the horizontal panels. It's not movement, just words.
• When he leaps into attack, the panels depict movement by cutting diagonally. Many speed lines can be seen.
• Byakuya thinks about Rukia as his strength—straight panels.
• His rage and violent flurry of attacks are highlighted by diagonal-shaped panels.

Character expressions are done excellently when they are presented (Unohana, Jugram, Yamamoto and Ichigo). Backgrounds are used even more sparingly towards the very end, almost exclusively using white space, but there are some notable panels and spreads with the Quincy city and the backdrop of the Seiretei.

As the rush toward the end began to go at full throttle, less detail was given to certain elements (regardless of the narrative weight it held). But it still remained decently in-style and didn't suffer too much of a blow, like some people would like to believe.

The progression can also be noticed through the volume covers. Compare Ichigo's volume covers from 1, 19, 49 and 74 (First Arc, Soul Society, Fullbring and TYBW).

Volume 1, Death and the Strawberry, features Ichigo with his spiky, sharp hair and jagged jawline. He has that little grumpy frown painted on his face. You can see the light over his Shihakushō and get a feel for the texture.

The next one he features is Volume 19, The Black Moon Rising, and the style has changed considerably, regardless of the similar features. The texture on his clothing feels sleek, his jawline has become more rounded, his eyes have softened. The contour of his body is visible (defined collarbone).

And everyone's favourite cover— Volume 49 (The Lost Agent), featuring Ichigo in a fur hood. Remarkably different from both covers, with decorative elements on the clothing and definition given to the facial features. The eyes and hair have once again softened, and the use of colour and lighting/shadows has vastly improved.

Volume 74 (The Death and the Strawberry) has Ichigo back in the shihakusho, with clean lighting and a lovely smile— a contrast and callback to the first volume. His ears and fingers are drawn distinctly well, and his figure is highlighted through the cut of the clothing.

While everyone has preferences, I do like the artistic progression that the series goes through; from that rough, edgy look to the more refined and polished style it gains later. The same can be said for the writing... but that's another story ;)

Sidenote: how many times have I used Byakuya for examples? It wasn't even intentional (lol).

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Black, White, and a Pop of Color

"Black and white is lifeless!"

"How do you read that exactly?"

"You must be living in the Stone Age..."

Manga is made in black and white for two reasons: speed and costs. Weekly serialization often led to manga artists (mangaka) pulling themselves towards finishing pages in quick succession. Taking time to adequately colour them was out of the question—and it costs even more to publish in colour.

So that begs the question— is manga best read in B&W or colour?

Colour is beautiful. There's no doubt about it. It's ethereal and brings images to life. Whether it's Rembrandt or Yoneyama Mai, I adore art that is capable of expressing itself through varying shades and tints.

And while I appreciate every speck of colour in an artwork, there are times where I admire the simplicity of black and white. This is such a case. So it really is a matter of preference.

Let's go further. Why does Bleach in particular work with black and white?

It comes down to how it is utilized visually, as well as how it literally functions as a theme.

>Q: Do you consciously create characters whose outward appearance belies their true nature? For instance, are there good guys with mean looking faces and bad guys who look gentle?
Kubo: I've always been attracted to people with that seeming contradiction. I get this urge to draw people like that when I work.

While Kubo makes the statement about characters possessing contradiction, his approach to his work also exemplifies this approach. Black and white are two colours that completely contrast each other, being literal opposites. Yet, both work in tandem to portray the world they inhabit despite their discrepancies.

In the manga, the use of black and white sticks out like no other due to the more stripped-back use of greys. While the lack of color often leads to artists getting creative with their use of grey, Kubo chooses simply to stick to the extremes of black and white.

Panels are left with black backgrounds and white used for characters, or more commonly, white backgrounds with the sole focus being the character or event itself. These add layers of emphasis and focus that lend to the signature style of Bleach.

Since the focal point of the character is given emphasis, the rest of the spread acts in the principle of negative space, creating balance. People often call this 'no backgrounds', but it is the style of the story—choosing to center itself around the important highlights and allowing the space to simply 'occupy' or host the character.

It's intentional and not accidental. We have seen Kubo draw backgrounds before, he simply prefers and chooses to keep the essentials as the highlight.

More often than not, the utilization of white backgrounds doesn't just imply the non-existence of detail. The bone-white lends a melancholic emptiness to the characters and events, giving room for introspection and focus, even in some of the flashier sequences.

Ulquiorra is a wonderful demonstration on the beautiful use of B&W. The eerie atmosphere that he brings to the story can be boiled down to the use of negative space, which yields an isolated, empty feel to his movements and presence.

The approach of contradiction and extremes carries over into the narrative itself. It's embellished by nuance, but the concept remains about things that cannot co-exist together and isn't meant to be connected... or can they?

Suisoh, the singer for the Cour 3 ED (Monochrome), shines light on her process for writing the track:

>The title comes from the color of the clothes worn by Shinigami and Quincy. The meaning of the song is "when two things, polar opposites, confront each other," and it's about how they "don't try to forcefully mix or be compatible, but just exist as two separate things." The main theme is that they "don't forcefully mix."

Bleach tackles these paradoxes and incompatibilities. It explores the greyness of morality and human nature, using black and white to establish the extremities. It illustrates a continuum by using the two shades that couldn't be further apart.

Many people point out how the villains (Quincies/Hollows) are garbed in white while the Shinigami are in black, which is normally the opposite of how those colours are perceived in the medium. But it really isn't as simple as it sounds.

The Shinigami captains wear a white haori over their robes. Old Man Zangetsu is dressed in black, but Yhwach's new form happens to be so, too. The original form of White has a black figure, while he takes on the opposite shade in our protagonist's inner world.

It's in this complex interplay that many interesting dynamics are produced.

Ichigo himself is the ultimate embodiment of the theme. He's a Quincy, Hollow, Fullbringer and Shinigami hybrid. But he exists as all of this at once— which is why he is capable of influencing and changing people, because of his innate ability to connect and bridge those divides.

White and Old Man Zangetsu also factor into the symbolism of blending black and white, but it'll take a ton of explaining and extra thought. Maybe another day!

Black and white is also treated as a theme more literally through Ichibe, who governs the power of black (being representative of the power of the author and the pen/ink through his brushstrokes). It's incredibly meta to think about, but Yhwach 'takes over' the role by defeating him, as he becomes an inky black blob.

Everything has a beauty to it.

I'm not bashing anyone who likes the coloured manga. Besides, Kubo's use of colours in his volume covers and spreads are gorgeous. The copic markers he uses for the chapter spreads and his newer, digital artworks exude stylishness.

Sidenote: If you haven't seen some of the coloring that some fans have done for certain manga panels, check it out! It's phenomenal.

My opinion is simply that you can try to get a feel for the monochrome that the traditional manga offers. Though it lacks the splash of colour, it still retains its characteristic liveliness.

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Endnote

Maybe this is all just an ad for those who haven't read the manga yet. If you do actually pick up the manga after this, I'll be thrilled.

I usually write a lot more, but I hope this gives you a great deal for you to ponder about. Kubo's work is often underappreciated in how it masterfully imbues subtlety and nuance in addition to normative shonen elements.

That's the goal with posts like these: an invitation to discuss and reflect on stories and art.

Should I do a Part 2? Since the visuals are limited to 20, I can only share so much of what I write + the panels to back up my incoherent rambling. There's some cool stuff that I didn't share quite yet when covering this topic and it could use an outlet.

Thanks so much for your time. Share your thoughts below, I love reading comments!