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The representation of female characters in shonen anime and manga has always been quite underwhelming. However, Tite Kubo stands out in this respect, as he created some of the best female characters in the shonen sphere. Viz Media recently released a video titled ‘The Women of Bleach’ on its official YouTube channel. It instantly makes us appreciate Kubo more and highlights how hard his contemporaries fumbled.
Rukia during her fight against Äs Nödt in Bleach anime | Credits: Studio Pierrot Co. Ltd. For instance, Masashi Kishimoto is infamous for his abysmal portrayal of the women in Naruto. Among the Big Three anime, Bleach handles its female cast the best. For those who doubt this claim, the Viz Media video serves as good proof. But what is this new video all about and how does it highlight the difference between Kubo and his contemporaries? Let’s find that out!
What is Viz Media’s latest Bleach video all about?
Viz Media released a YouTube video titled ‘The Women of Bleach‘ and it’s a 34-minute-long video. The video is a compilation of all the key scenes from Thousand-Year Blood War anime featuring the female cast of the series. From Rukia to Yachiru, we get to see their contribution to the final war. Moreover, even the Stern Ritters are part of the video, and understandably so. The female Stern Ritters were ruthless and fierce in battle.
Liltotto during the invasion of Soul Society | Credits: Studio Pierrot Co. Ltd. Their shared dynamics and individual personalities were fun to follow as well. The women of the Royal Guard, Orihime, Soul Reapers, and the Arrancars were also part of the video. It’s great to see how all of them had major fights that showcased their true powers and abilities. The video is a reminder of how Tite Kubo has masterfully created great female characters, something that many shonen mangaka fail to do.
The video shows how Tite Kubo was leagues ahead of Masashi Kishimoto
The female cast of Bleach is extremely diverse in terms of design and personality. While Orihime is perfectly capable of both offense and defense in fights, she also fits the stereotypical female archetype, but her personality isn’t limited to that. There are characters like Unohana and Shutara Senjumaru, who would not think twice before unleashing their immense potential or wrath against an opponent.
Orihime uses her powers to save the Soul Reapers at the beginning of Thousand-Year Blood War anime | Credits: Studio Pierrot Co. Ltd. Yoruichi and Soi Fon are in a league of their own. In this way, Kubo has portrayed a great number of female characters who can withstand the strongest opponents. One could argue that Masashi Kishimoto‘s female characters are quite diverse as well. However, Kishimoto can’t be consistent with how he portrays the women of Naruto.
For the most part, the focus of Sakura’s character arc is her affection for Sasuke. Stronger characters like Tsunade and Mei barely have fights where we see their full potential being utilized, and it always falls short in comparison to the male characters. As a result, Kishimoto either fails to write compelling female characters or sadly misses the mark when it comes to fleshing them out.
A still of Tsunade from Naruto Shippuden | Credits: Studio Pierrot Co. Ltd. And while Kishimoto gets endlessly criticized for his lackluster female cast, many shonen mangaka are guilty of their underwhelming representation of women in anime. In comparison to that, Kubo and his characters feel like a breath of fresh air.
Bleach is available to stream on Netflix.
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