Title: Bleach Vol. 3: Memories In The Rain
Author: Taito "Tite" Kubo
Publisher: Shonen Jump/ Viz Media
Copyright: 2004
ISBN: 1591164435
Pages: 190
Price: $7.95 or €10.00
Rating: 10
Synopsis:
Here's what it says on the back:
Ichigo Kurosaki was just a little boy when his mother passed away. One rainy day, Ichigo,whose ability to see ghosts is a blessing and a curse, tried to stop a young girl from drowning in a nearby river. His mother, Masaki, ran after them, frantically trying to rescue her only son. Then everything went black, and Ichigo awoke only to discover his mother dead and the little girl gone.
Its the anniversary of Masaki's death, and the entire Kurosaki clan, along with former Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki, head to the cemetary to pay their respects. Sleeping demons rarely stay still however, and pretty soon Ichigo confronts Grand Fisher, the strongest Hollow he's faced so far, who may be responsible for his mother's demise...<!--break-->
Review:
Well, at this stage I've read 27 volumes of Bleach, and number 3 still stands out for me as one of my favourites! Why? Let's find out...
At this stage in the storyline, all the main characters have been introduced, and the basic plot has been established, so Mr. Kubo takes the luxury of expanding the back-story a little, and fleshing out some of the characters. All well and good, but what took me by surprise was just how extraordinarily well he did it! Up till now, it had mainly been a very fast-paced manga, all about the hack-and-slash action, so imagine the surprise when, once things slowed down a bit, I was genuinely moved by Ichigo's sad past and how it influenced his growth.
There's less silly humour and unneccesary battles in this volume, (though they ARE there, don't worry!) which allows the characters to tell their stories more comprehensively. there's a great sense of intimacy throghout as well.In Volume 3, Tite Kubo proved he's not just a drawer of pretty pictures, he's a gifted storyteller too.
That's not to say the art isn't at its usual high standard though; Most of the story is set in the rain, and Kubo uses this fact to add to the brooding, solemn atmosphere. And we still have Kubo's signiature scratchy style looking as great as ever. There's an eerie tinge to the proceedings as well, once Grand Fisher shows up. Clearly the creator has a twisted imagination, and his artwork displays this in all its surreal glory!
As well as taking an absorbing new direction, the storyline does something slightly unusual:The book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but it isn't resolved until much later. When it is, however, something is revealed that is obvious in retrospect, but that the reader would never guess at! In my opinion, this is an excellent read and well worth 10 out of 10. If you never read another volume of Bleach, read this one!
Enjoy!
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