Bleach 3-in-1 vol. 5: (features volumes 13-15) – Omnibus Edition by Tite Kubo (a J!-ENT Manga Review)

This fifth volume of “Bleach 3-in-1: Volumes 13-15”, this is one of my favorite battle arcs in the entire manga series.  Not only does these volumes establish Ichigo as a fighter, sets up a major storyline that will continue for many volumes in later issues but also featuring one of the crazies, most intense battles featured in “Bleach”!  Exciting, action-packed from beginning to end, “Bleach 3-in-1: Volumes 13-15” is highly recommended!

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Image courtesy of © Tite Kubo. All Rights Reserved.


MANGA TITLE: Bleach 3-in-1 vol. 5: (features volumes 13-15)

STORY AND ART BY: Tite Kubo (????)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: SHUEISHA, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC/Shonen Jump Manga

RATED: T for Older Teen

PAGES: 566

RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2013


Ichigo may have thought getting into the Soul Society was hard, but it did nothing to prepare him and his friends for the reality of the Seireitei! Now the rescuers are all split up, forced to take on battle-hardened Soul Reapers without backup. Can Ichigo train hard enough and fast enough to take down Rukiaâ’s jailer before it’s too late?!


The race to rescue Rukia Kuchiki has led to one-on-one confrontations between Ichigo Kurosaki, Sado, Orihime, Uryu and Ganju.  Meanwhile, in the Seireitei in the Soul Society, Fifth Division’s Captain Sosuke Aizen has been found murdered, making some of the Soul Reapers thinking that Ichigo and friends are responsible.

And now it has come down to Ichigo and friends taking on various captains of Soul Society. Sado vs. 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, Ichigo vs. 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, Ganju vs. 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, Uryu vs. 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi,

As for Ganju, what happens when he finds out that the woman he is supposed to save, is the person responsible for killing his brother, Kaien Shiba.

And Ichigo is given three days to develop a new ability, thanks to Yoruichi in order to be one with Zangetsu.  Will Ichigo be ready for his most dangerous training yet?

What is “Bleach”?

“Bleach” has a strong fan following and since its run began back in 2001, series creator, writer and illustrator Kubo “Tite” Nortiaki has been hard at work, continuing to crank chapter after chapter for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan and with the success of the series extending out to films, OVA’s,

feature films and video games and other merchandise.

Because of its airing on the Cartoon Network and it being featured on Shonen Jump magazine, “Bleach” has gone on to become a fan favorite in America but also fans all over the world.

BUT… what if you are a person who came into “Bleach” just recently. You feel that there are too many manga, anime and video games to read and watch that there is surely no way for you to start from the very beginning.

Not to worry as “Bleach” has received the 3-in-1 omnibus treatment from Viz Media and available now is the first “Bleach 3-in-1” which includes volumes 13-15 of the popular manga series.

A brief spoiler-less summary what “Bleach” is about

“Bleach” is a story about a guy named Ichigo Kurasaki who has a gift in which he can see spirits. One day, he saw a Soul Reaper (one who can govern the flow of souls between the human world and the afterlife) named Rukia Kukichiki who has come to find a Hollow (a lost soul). She ends up being wounded in battle when she tried to defend Ichigo and so she illegally transfers her reiatsu (spiritual pressure) to him, so that he can defeat the Hollow. But during the process, he nearly takes all of her energy and becomes a Soul Reaper himself and defeats the Hollow quite easily.

So, the first storyline arc features Rukia now powerless stranded in the human world until she has the time to recover her true powers, while Ichigo fills in and battles Hollows in her place. And with each fight, Rukia starts to notice something special about Ichigo’s abilities.

Meanwhile, we get to see how friends of Ichigo also have some ties with the supernatural. From his classmate Orihime Inoue , to his tall friend with immense strength, Chad Sado and the mod known as Kon, we also get to meet friends that help Ichigo and Rukia take on the various hollows that are attacking humans and souls.

We are then introduced to classmate of Ichigo’s named Uryu Ishida who reveals himself to be a Quincy, a long lost group that hunted down hollows but unlike soul reapers that send the hollows to the Soul Society, Quincy’s believe in the destruction of hollows. And because the Quincy were eliminated by the Soul Reapers hundreds of years ago and he is the last one left, he has a hatred towards Soul Reapers. We also learn that Chad and Orihime have latent powers and other friends and family of Ichigo are able to see spiritual pressure.

In volumes 13-15, with Captain Aizen murdered, Ichigo and friends have become suspects.  And now the Captains of the Soul Society are sent to take them on! But will Ichigo and friends be powerful enough to take on the Soul Society Captains?  Meanwhile, 10th Division Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya has his own opinions of who has murdered Captain Aizen and his suspicion is that it is a fellow Shinigami.

It’s an action-packed one-one-one battle as Sado vs. 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, Ichigo vs. 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, Ganju vs. 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Uryu vs. 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi.  Who will become victorious?


When it comes to the “Bleach” arcs, one of my favorite battles were Ichigo and friends taking on the Captains of the Soul Society.

For those who began reading the “Bleach” manga through the “Bleach 3-in-1” omnibus, the one-on-one battles are featured in this fifth omnibus edition as Ichigo takes on his most challenging opponents yet.  Soul Society Captains Kenpachi Zaraki and Byakuya Kuchiki

The importance of this volume is how Ichigo is able to learn from Zangetsu and not treating his sword just as a regular weapon but a weapon that is part of him in battle, and allowing him to sync with Zangetsu would bring out a power that he has never ever tapped into before.

The latest omnibus also introduces Ganju to Rukia Kuchiki and realizing that the hatred towards Soul Reapers, because of the death of his brother, was caused by Rukia.  How would Ganju respond that the woman he is to save, was the person he has despised all this time?

As for Uryu, he has had a deep hatred towards the Soul Reapers for killing his people, but what happens when he comes face-to-face against the Soul Reapers mad scientist, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the thing that is responsible for killing and experimenting on his grandfather Soryu Ishida and the Quincies.

The latest volume also offer past history of 10th Division Lt. Rangiku Matsumoto and 5th Division Lt. Momo Hinamori, so it’s great that Tite Kubo is establishing character development among the Soul Reapers who will play a larger part in many volumes to come.

As for the release of the omnibus, what you are getting are three volumes for the price of one manga.  Yes, you don’t get the individual cover art but for the savings of one of the omnibus versus purchasing three books individually, it really depends on the reader, as you do get all pages, including Tite Kubo’s page comments.

But with this fifth volume of “Bleach 3-in-1: Volumes 13-15”, this is one of my favorite battle arcs in the entire manga series.  Not only does these volumes establish Ichigo as a fighter, sets up a major storyline that will continue for many volumes in later issues but also featuring one of the crazies, most intense battles featured in “Bleach” and you can expect the same with the next omnibus volume as it sets up Ichigo for another epic battle with one of the major Captain’s in the Soul Society.

Exciting, action-packed from beginning to end, “Bleach 3-in-1: Volumes 13-15” is highly recommended!


Click here to purchase this manga on Amazon