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Bleachis a member of the Big Three club of Shonen anime, and deservedly so. However, its protagonist, Ichigo, is nowhere near the most liked Shonen hero. Tite Kubo created a boy-next-door character who was thrust into responsibilities too big for him.
Luffy and Naruto, on the other hand, have huge individual fanbases. But why are things so different for Ichigo despite being in the same genre? The truth might lie in a 2023 interview with Tite Kubo.
Tite Kubo Admits His Thoughts About Ichigo
In aninterview with Viz Media,Tite Kubotalked about who he considers to be his heroes. He mentions GeGeGe no Kitaro and Saint Seiya as his favorite, but they are not heroes in that sense.
What is a hero? I’ve never thought of Ichigo as a hero, either. [lol]
So what does Tite Kubo consider a hero? It seems like Kubo’s version of a hero is vastly different to the blueprint of Shonen protagnists.
Bleach: Tite Kubo Finally Revealed the Reason Behind the Most Terrifying Bankai That’s Banned in the Soul Society
If you think of Ichigo, you think of a comfortable and friendly character, not someone who possesses ungodly power. Despite his strength, he maintains his status as a normal human (who gets involved in weird affairs).
WhyBleach‘s Ichigo is Not as Celebrated as Luffy or Naruto
WhenIchgo was first introducedinBleach, he was a laid-back student with impressive athletic abilities for a high schooler. He had not grown up in a turbulent environment and did not have grand goals of being a pirate king or the strongest person. Thus, his goal is based on his situation.
Afan theoryexplains that Ichigo acquires a new goal every time something goes askew. At first, his mission was to rescue Rukia, then to save himself, and then saving the Soul Society. Each time, he is pushed to action due to impending doom upon the ones he loves. Other heroes like Naruto, Luffy, or Goku are motivated to reach an ultimate goal and work towards it their entire lives.
In fact, Ichigo goes back to his normal school life every time aconflict is resolved. Imagine Luffy returning home and chilling every time he defeats a new enemy. At the end of the day, Ichigo is a simple man who does not need to meet the expectations of every Shonen fan.
Ichigo, being a regular person inBleach, is pretty rare and thus his uniqueness increases. His motive is to survive the next day and not to fight every possible battle. His character development inBleachis also done beautifully.
“Let’s have a drink together”: Luffy’s Kindness in One Piece Comes Directly from Eiichiro Oda After How He Responded to Tite Kubo’s ‘Hateful’ Remark
Another thing that sets Ichigo apart from other Shonen heroes is the amount of soul-searching he does. This is not to diminish his training; higher power comes to him only when he accepts his true self. Hisrelationship with his Zangetsuis also extremely fleshed out as a result.
All of these factors together make Ichigo stand out from the innumerable Shonen heroes that have flooded the market. At the end of the day, it is Tite Kubo’s unique storytelling that madeBleachone of the Big Three.
You can readBleachon Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1556
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
