Bleach Online is game based on the hot manga Bleach. While this certainly isn't the first series to reverse gender roles, I'd still be hard put to refer to Kagari as “masculine” and Takamiya as “feminine.” Their actions may be differently defined, but there's still a clear sense that their sexes and genders line up. While Takamiya does not enjoy being called a princess or being rescued, there's a feeling that his frustration stems more from not really knowing what on earth is going on, and towards the end of the book when he expresses interest in not being so fully dependent upon Kagari, it's because he wants to be a participant rather than someone on the (dangerous) sidelines – not because he resents being rescued. It's an interesting dynamic, and it should make for a more involved story as the series goes on.
The plot about actual witchcraft and what it has to do with anything takes a bit too long to get going, although the book is an enjoyable read despite that. While we could interpret it as Mizunagi trying to pique our curiosity, it mostly feels as if he wasn't actually sure where he was going with the story. Luckily the action is generally good and fairly fascinating in terms of the different witches and their powers, with Kagari's being the most expected. Each witch has a unique look as well that shows in her cape and accessories (can we count Tanpopo Kuraishi's bunny knights as accessories?), with the capes being especially fun to look at – the moment a witch transforms into her sorceress form, her cape sort of sweeps out from her collar with a beautiful sense of movement. Kuraishi's cape is the most remarkable in this regard, looking like it is made entirely from fox tails.
As always Vertical's translation is smooth and easy to read, although some of the details of the art feel a bit small to see clearly. This is not the fault of the printing, however, which is crisp. The tone of the English adaptation is dry, which nicely captures Takamiya's voice and makes the jokes Mizunagi throws in quite funny.
More information about Manga or Anime Games, please click bleach online manga!
