The most unsettling scene in Bleach featuring Byakuya’s coldest line proves why Tite Kubo’s manga is a blend of both shonen as well as seinen.
SUMMARY
Bleach is glorious in most aspects including its underlining of dark and disturbing themes.
Fans respond to Byakuya’s coldest line in the anime.
Bleach is a blend of both shonen and seinen for this very reason.
While Bleach may not be as glorious as the rest of the Big 3, it stands out nonetheless. It holds especially true with its outlining of disturbing and unsettling themes.
Ichigo Kurosaki in a still from the anime | [Credit: Studio Pierrot
Byakuya Kuchiki’s coldest line is tied to his idealism and flawed sense of morality and justice. As a character bound with duty, he represents a warped sense of justice.
Moreover, the scene also highlights the disturbing detail which makes the series a blend of both shonen and seinen. Kubo’s series enmeshes horror and darkness along with his exploration of taboo themes.
Fans respond to Byakuya’s cold line in Tite Kubo’s serie
Tite Kubo is a literary genius when it comes to writing some of the layered characters. Be it Gin Ichimaru or Uryu Ishida, Kubo left no stone unturned in spotlighting the side characters.
But this mostly has to do with their backstories and troubled past. The mangaka’s exploration of pain and trauma puts him on par with his contemporaries. But there’s a greater detail that most fans tend to overlook.
Byakuya Kuchiki in a still from the anime | Credit: Studio Pierrot
Kubo’s series isn’t a run-of-the-mill story about Soul Reapers protecting the world. Amidst the honor and justice, a society that is flawed in its self-concept is brought to light. This is evident in the hierarchies and social evils present within the Seireitei.
This also underlines the role of Seireitei and its failure to safeguard its citizens. It is clear in Kakyo’s case that eventually led Kaname to side with Aizen. But what’s even more menacing is Byakuya’s stance on his sister’s execution which remains questionable for the most part.
Most Redditors pointed to the character’s flawed sense of justice while responding to his coldest line.
All in all, this was one of the most unsettling moments in the series. While his code of justice and morality makes sense, it is far from ideal. His need to set an example as a member of a noble family is tied to his apathy toward his sister.
This scene along with the horrors and gore is what makes Kubo’s series a blend of shonen and seinen. On most occasions, it digressed from the frontiers and thresholds of normalcy.
Bleach is a blend of shonen and seinen
When it comes to gore and death, Bleach seeks to outdo itself in more ways than one. The series has its fair share of disturbing and unsettling moments. On most occasions, it defied the borders of the shonen genre through its dark themes.
Be it Rukia’s execution or the hollowfication of the Aizen’s crewmates, the series was a complete nightmare. But that is not all considering Kubo’s writing of characters as menacing and diabolical.
Senjumaru Shutara’s Death in Thousand-Year Blood War | Credit: Studio Pierrot
Not Aizen or Yhwach but along with his sadism is one of the most eerie things to happen in the series. Another instance is Senjumaru’s death in the series which is nothing short of terrifying.
Both the original as well as the sequel series highlighted the sheer horror. Kubo went above and beyond to wring out horror and gore in his manga. This did not end there though.
Orihime’s mental abuse coupled with Yamamoto’s death proves that the series is borderline Seinen. Most fans have relentlessly pointed that out in the past few years. There have been several instances where the series transcended normalcy.
