Tite Kubo works exceptionally well in carefully crafting his characters. Bleach does the job of creating well-built arcs, in-depth transitions, and deeper-understood characters. This makes it no surprise as to why his magnum opus is also amongst the big three shonen manga. Throughout the course of the series, there were many characters introduced as the arcs went on.
Kubo understands that introducing a character and developing a relationship between them and the audience takes time. Bleach has been gathering fans for over two decades now, taking in the masterpiece through both fresh and different perspectives. While many characters took their time to make an impression on the fans, one managed to surprise even Kubo with great importance.
Tite Kubo Broke a Pattern with One Bleach Character
During an interview at the San Diego Comic-Con in the past, Tite Kubo was asked about characters that have disappointed the fans despite his expectations and those who did the exact opposite. He stated that while there have been many characters that have gone from concept to paper, one character’s success caught him off guard.
“Fans got hooked on him before I even started describing his personality, so that was very unusual.”
Unlike characters like Aizen and Ichigo, who stand as fan favorites, it was Shuhei Hisagi who completely took him by surprise. Usually, it takes him time to establish characters and then expand on their popularity.
However, the moment Hisagi was introduced, his fame skyrocketed. Fans immediately came to like the character even without Kubo’s need to give him depth.
Characters Take Their Time in Bleach
In the interview during the San Diego Comic-Con, Tite Kubo expanded on the idea that he never expected his characters to gain popularity immediately. With patterns and great understanding, he realized that the more he develops into a character, the better the reception becomes.
“I notice that when I start describing a character’s personality or backstory, the fans start to really respond to them and really start liking them.”
Characters such as Aizen, Ichigo, Rukia, and more have all been given opportunities to explore their strengths and fears. Inner conflicts make these characters seem more approachable as compared to pure fiction.
Kubo was patient with his characters, not expecting any great results as per the introduction but over time. Due to this, he managed to maintain the flow of the manga while developing the story at the same time.
