Some of the greatest authors can find themselves in a slump with Tite Kubo being no exception to it. Writer’s block and lack of motivation are two things that are completely out of control for any author, no matter their genre. Bleach is one of the greatest mangas of the shonen genre and although its ending isn’t particularly a fan-favorite, the rest of it stands as a true masterpiece.
There is no doubt about the fact that what Kubo has done with the series makes it both unique and precious. Holding its stance as one of the Big 3, Bleach has established itself to continue its legacy for decades to come. Such a vast story requires great amounts of creativity and dedication. Kubo almost lost it.
Tite Kubo Lost His Motivation for Bleach
Every once in a while, creators would find themselves lacking any motivation. Reasons could vary from person to person, but the outcome remains the same. The lack of motivation keeps them from wanting to continue. Tite Kubo found himself in a similar spot a long time ago. He was in the midst of writing Bleach but he wasn’t enjoying it anymore.
His own health was declining and the joy he felt when drawing and writing the manga was gone, replace by a hollow void. He was ready to end the series then and there, not feeling the need to continue something that had no more heart in it. When will is lost, nothing else really matters.
His health became a priority, as it should. However, with nothing to keep him going, Bleach was slowly seeing its end until everything changed.
The Soul of a Manga
Who would have thought that an anonymous letter had the power to change the entire course of Bleach? At his lowest point, Tite Kubo received an anonymous letter from a terminally ill fan (via Kotaku). The fan was a mere child with less than two years left to live. In those years, he found a home in Kubo’s manga. He found a hope to live another day. He found a tomorrow. In all those years, no matter what he wanted to do, death was something he had accepted.
Please draw Bleach the way you want to right up until the end. That’s what I want to read.
Bleach was what made him happy about another day. It gave him the motivation to live again. So he decided to pen down the letter, no name nor a return address. The saddest part of it all was that the letter was to be sent after the boy had long passed away. This boy’s dying wish? To keep writing Bleach the way Kubo had always intended to.
The letter moved the mangaka so much that he did everything in his power to find the sender. He had no idea who had given him the letter but after vigorously trying, his efforts came to fruition. Sent by a friend of the child, that one letter is solely responsible for Bleach making it to the end.
Bleach is available to watch on Hulu.
