Tite Kubo’s Bleach exploded onto the manga scene in 2001, quickly cementing its place as one of Shonen Jump’s “Big Three,” alongside Naruto and One Piece. While Naruto is straightforwardly named after its protagonist and One Piece references a legendary pirate treasure, Bleach stands out with its seemingly incongruous title. Even years after the manga’s conclusion and the anime’s resurgence, many fans still ponder: why Bleach?
Anime and manga titles often carry symbolic or thematic weight, and Bleach is no exception. The story behind the name reveals Tite Kubo’s artistic vision and a clever twist on the concept of Soul Reapers. Interestingly, the name almost didn’t come to be. After Kubo’s initial one-shot manga faced rejection, it was a letter of encouragement from manga legend Akira Toriyama that spurred him to move forward with Bleach, title and all. Kubo’s insistence on the name Bleach is a testament to his unique style and a surprisingly fitting choice for the series.
The inspiration for Bleach, as Tite Kubo himself has explained, stems from the traditional Japanese shinigami, or death gods. These figures, clad in black robes, are known for guiding souls to the afterlife. However, Kubo’s creative process wasn’t character-first; instead, he prioritized aesthetics. In fact, Rukia Kuchiki, not Ichigo Kurosaki, was the first character conceived for the manga. Rukia’s design was pivotal, embodying the visual style Kubo envisioned. Dressed in a stark black kimono and wielding a katana, she perfectly represented the classic shinigami image.
Kubo initially considered naming the series Black, but found it too simplistic. The inverse, White, also felt lacking. He then landed on Bleach, envisioning it as “bleaching” the black of the Soul Reapers’ garments to create an unexpected and striking title for his new shonen manga. It’s worth noting that Rukia was originally intended to be the main character of Bleach, and the Soul Reapers were envisioned using guns, not swords. This early concept, titled “Snipe,” would have been drastically different from the Bleach we know today. While some might speculate about the impact of guns versus swords, the thematic depth rooted in Japanese mythology and folklore would have been significantly diminished with modern weaponry.
The “black versus white” concept extends beyond just the title and Soul Reaper attire; it profoundly influences the visual design of the series’ antagonists. In a surprising twist, the villains in Bleach are often associated with the color white. The Quincy, for instance, visually distinguish themselves from Soul Reapers by adopting pure white, militaristic uniforms. This deliberate choice can be seen as a visual defiance of their Soul Reaper rivals, “bleaching” the Soul Reapers’ black color scheme to establish their distinct identity. This visual motif is further emphasized by the Wandenreich, the hidden Quincy empire, who also don white uniforms.
Similarly, the Arrancars, Hollows who have removed their masks to gain humanoid forms and Soul Reaper powers, are consistently depicted in white uniforms with black accents. This is a clear inversion of the Soul Reapers’ black uniforms with white details. Sosuke Aizen, the mastermind behind the Arrancars, undoubtedly orchestrated this visual contrast, mirroring the bone-white masks inherent to all Hollows. In Bleach, white becomes symbolically linked to the antagonistic forces opposing the Soul Reapers, adding another layer of meaning to the seemingly benign title.
Beyond aesthetic and thematic considerations, the title Bleach might hold a deeper, character-specific meaning, particularly concerning Ichigo Kurosaki’s Zanpakuto, Zangetsu. In Bleach, Zanpakuto spirits are released into their Shikai, or initial release form, through a command phrase. These commands vary in length and style, from Sosuke Aizen’s concise “Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu” to Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai’s epic “Reduce All Creation to Smoldering Ashes, Ryuujin Jakka.”
Ichigo, notably, appears to be in Shikai form constantly, lacking a designated release command. Initially, this was a unique trait, shared only by Captain Zaraki Kenpachi. It was theorized that Kenpachi also existed in a permanent Shikai state, but this was later disproven in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. After his intense battle with Retsu Unohana, Kenpachi finally unlocked his Shikai, uttering the command “Drink, Nozarashi” for the first time in his subsequent fight against Gremmy Thoumeaux.
This leaves Ichigo as the sole character without a known release command, prompting a compelling fan theory. This theory posits that Ichigo’s Shikai release command might simply be “Bleach, Zangetsu.” This interpretation resonates deeply, especially considering Ichigo’s relationship with Zangetsu, who manifests as a “bleached” version of Ichigo himself – devoid of color and symbolically representing a “white” or “bleached” counterpart.
In conclusion, the name Bleach is far from arbitrary. It’s a multifaceted title that reflects Tite Kubo’s aesthetic vision, the thematic contrast of black and white central to the series’ design, and potentially even a hidden aspect of Ichigo’s powers. The seemingly simple word “Bleach” encapsulates a surprising depth of meaning, contributing to the enduring intrigue and popularity of this iconic anime and manga series.
