“Bleach,†volume 53 Six series are new to the manga best-seller list this week. I haven't read many manga series, but every so often a title strikes a chord. Last year, I recommended “Drops of God†as part of the 2011 Holiday Gift Guide and “Message to Adolf†made it on to my list of favorites this year. Part of my resistance is the sheer breadth of some manga series. For example, “Bakuman,†which enters our list at No. 5 this week, is on volume 17. “Black Bird,†at No. 6, is on volume 15. The two volumes of “Bleach†new to the list are Nos. 52 and 53. Other series simply don't strike my fancy: “Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal,†at No. 1, is only on volume 2, but I'm not interested in “Duel Masters champions†who are assisted by mysterious spirits. Nor do I think I'm the right audience for “Sailor Moon,†volume 8 of which is on the list at No. 10.
This week, in an attempt to broaden my horizons, I decided to try the first volume of “Bleach,†which chronicles the life of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who becomes a Soul Reaper, whose job it is to send spirits into the afterworld. While “Bleach†is relatively new to me, it is a phenomenon to others: in Japan, the series has sold millions of copies and spawned an animated series, video games and even musicals. I did not become an immediate fan, but this introduction had a certain charm. There were some humorous bits (“You lost your powers? What are they, socks? Where did they go?â€) and some pathos, as when the tortured soul of a sibling, who is haunting his sister, is forced to realize: “You were so caught up in your loneliness. . . . You forgot about hers!†Next on my list to try: “Bakuman,†about two grade-school boys who want to break into the manga industry.
As always, the complete best-seller lists can be found here, along with an explanation of how they were assembled.
