Why 'Bleach' is the Best Anime Ever

“Bleach” is fantastic. You, smartass that you are, probably guessed I'd say something like that based on the title! Hang on a second, you think to yourself, what makes “Bleach” so special? I mean... It's alright, but the best anime ever? Really? Yes! Sit back, relax and let me tell you why it is so very awesome.

1. Awesome plot

A teenager becomes a soul reaper. Ok, so it doesn't push the envelope completely- teenagers with superpowers are not exactly the newest idea in the world but there is a reason for that. So far (in my long life) I have only met one guy who didn't want superpowers when he was young- that guy dreamed of being an accountant... Teenagers and superpowers go together like cheese and bacon. “Bleach” takes it to the next level, combining fantasy and wish fulfillment with mythology and original interpretation. The story basically gives you a working model of what could happen after death- a fairly important questions that occasionally keeps people up at night. What more could you want?

2. The characters are well developed

Ok, so we've got a teen with superpowers- a lot of the time they tend to be really annoying (and dumb...and petty.) Ichigo is different- he isn't a cookie mold character and neither are his allies or the villains they face. Ichigo could see dead people even before he became a ripper. He'd dealt with something unusual his entire life and instead developing a “precious little snowflake” complex it made him bad-ass. As a protagonist he is strong yet works well with others. He has a keen sense of justice yet still sees the gray in the world and keeps a level head instead of getting overly emotional. He is somebody you could rely on, somebody who'd watch your back.

The rest of the team follow suit- they have different powers that compliment each other with nobody being overly powerful to the point of the ridiculous. They are easy to connect with and have individualized back stories. Instead of chucking in a bunch of cliches, “Bleach” takes its time to fully form all the main characters and they drive the story with them. Yes, the story is not always the most consistent but then life isn't all that consistent either- that elusiveness is partly what gives “Bleach” that extra level of depth.

3. Awesome fight scenes

Ok, so action sequences are not the most important thing ever... who am I kidding? Well made fight scenes can make or break an anime (or a movie...or anything. Because fight scenes are awesome and they matter.) 'Hang on, lots of anime have awesome fight scenes...remember that bit in...?' I know and yes, they do. What makes the battles in “Bleach” awesome is that the characters don't tend to feel overpowered and each one has a particular fighting style- even if you blurred them to the point where you couldn’t distinguish them by their features, their unique fighting styles will let you figure out who is who. And they are stylistically gorgeous to boot.

4. It's an emotional roller coaster

Bleach will make you laugh, cry, want to curl up into a ball and jump up and down with happiness- often at the same time. It has heart- while the story encompasses the world in general at its core it is a story about fighting for the people you love. Ichigo fights to protect his family and friends and those relationships, their ups and downs tug at the heartstrings. You start to deeply care about what happens to everyone- they come to life and can at times be as real as the people you meet on the street yet with better abilities and more elaborate histories. It has that vividness that makes anime so special.

So, what do you think makes an anime “the best thing ever”?