One of the main reasons why Tite Kubo’s Bleach became a part of The Big Three series was its ability to avoid the basic stereotypical Shonen tropes that became quite common. The similarity of these tropes within different series made the story boring, and fans lost interest in it. But Bleach stood out and proved that the narrative is completely unique and there is nothing stereotypical about it.
Most of the uniqueness that Bleach showed came from its protagonist, Kurosaki Ichigo. Ichigo is one of the best-written characters in the entire anime and manga community, as he stands out from others. However, he is also responsible for the biggest flaw in the series that led to its criticism from the fans.
This flaw was the blandness of motives and ambitions within the characters, especially Ichigo. Ichigo doesn’t have any specific goal in mind, which in a way questions the justification of his actions. These aspects of Ichigo’s character were recently explained by the fans of the series, as they compared Bleach with Yu Yu Hakusho.
The Shonen Trope That Tite Kubo Avoided Through Ichigo
There are many aspects of Kurosaki Ichigo’s personality that make him unique, but the most important one among them is the way Kubo used him to avoid the biggest Shonen trope regarding the main character. Unlike every other Shonen protagonist, Kubo does not have any specific goal in mind that drives him toward excellence and success.
His only motivation lies in protecting his loved ones, and as long as they are safe, Ichigo doesn’t mind going back to an ordinary life. Not having any goal or ambition might sound a little contentious, but it separates Ichigo from other protagonists who have their entire lives wrapped around that one specific motivation.
In a way, this makes Ichigo more relatable and understanding for viewers and readers. However, there are some major drawbacks that affect the overall narrative of Bleach and its need to create a compelling structure that keeps the interest of fans.
The Biggest Flaw in Bleach
Bleach fans have always compared Tite Kubo’s work with Yu Yu Hakusho. They have a lot of similarities in terms of characters, plot structure, themes, etc. However, the major difference between the two is their protagonists. As mentioned above, Kubo’s need to avoid Shonen tropes through Ichigo caused a drawback, as his lack of motivation made him look bland.
Ichigo trains, fights, and experiences character development only to protect the ones he cares about, and this in turn affects his own personality, as he does not have any personal goals at all.
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Thus, without the people around him, Ichigo would feel too bored, and this would hurt the central narrative of Bleach. If Kubo had given Ichigo any kind of personal goal, he would have been the perfect character.
On the other hand, Yu Yu Hakusho’s Yusuke’s entire goal is to find a purpose in his life. He is a spirit detective who protects the human world from various supernatural threats, but in the process, he tries to find a meaning for himself. That’s what makes him a better protagonist than Ichigo from Bleach.
Yu Yu Hakusho and Bleach are available to stream on Hulu.
