Bleach Cleans Up In This Week’s Japanese Sales Chart

@Pombar: Are you reading One Piece? It's barely episodic, almost everything that happens is a small piece of a big puzzle. It might seem episodic because of this, but this is no DBZ. Heck they spare us any "training for new move" arcs. They're just not out there to save the world, which sets it apart from most battle manga.

Hmmmmmm, ToraDora Portable! is still doing pretty well. I wonder if this is because it's actually a good game? *is tempted*

@benihime: He kind of already did at the end of the Soul Society arc...

Patrick Boyle

@Archaotic: They are both anime-styled heroine-lead critically acclaimed and undersold RPGs that begin with Valkyri-.

@mythus: The perceived problem with One Piece is that its stories are episodic and often aren't really building towards one big final picture - or aren't tracking the course of interlinked events which the entire series is focused upon. It's quite like YYH, DBZ, and Hunter X Hunter in that regard. But yeah, the background art is clearly more interesting, even if his character art is fairly marmitey.

@Pombar: i just find it disturbing that the characters are always floating on a white plane. when environments do get drawn, it's usually 2 lines to signify dust. I can't stand it. When you compete with manga like one piece, which has one hell of a beautiful art and the best(opinion of course) story of the 3 big shounen, while still being outsold by both; i scratch my head. In any case, I've never read Initial D so I wouldn't know.

@Kyolux: Yeah, and it's popular, because people like that stuff apparently. Personally I've found any extended series of fights in Bleach (including the Soul Society arc fight string) to get really boring, really fast. Tite can't pace it at all, and it takes about a year to finish. In Naruto's favour, the dude can pace his work and doesn't have 20 fights at once that take 5 strips each to finish.

@Pombar: Except the battles are subpar too. It's mostly always the same "I'm stronger then you here's this move I can do.." instantly replied by.. "do you really think that'll work on me, I'm stronger then you here's this move I can do.."

@mythus: I'm not saying the story is good. But let's face it. A heckuva lot of people are reading Shounen manga for the fights. That's why there're so many popular fight-based ones!
And I didn't say "the art is utterly not important at all", but stuff like "oh his backgrounds are very sparse" matters not a jot to the average fan, as seen by the frankly abysmal character art in Initial D as I said above. They're in this for the "OMG ICHIGO PWNED THAT GUY SO AWESOME"

THERE'S A 6!?!?!....Gosh darn it...I only have the 3rd one :C (at least..I THINK it's

@Pombar: it's a manga(VISUAL novel), if the mangaka doesn't draw, then it becomes a novel. Regardless, the story in Bleach took a backseat after the end of soul society. Imo, the story became uttercrap after the capture of rukia. Everything now is a stupid vs battles with a weak story about some key. Yet, this is game related, so i say no more. I can go on about the big 3 shounen in comparison to tite's work. I just don't like it, but that's fighting the mob so I won't go against opinions, which this entire text block is.

Anyone else notice that neither Aizen nor Ichigo are actually holding a sword and are actually just facing each other with an image of two swords crossing in between them?

In terms of Bleach Games, I'm most interested in "Versus Crusade" for the Wii. It looks like it took some tips from the sorely underrated "Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3" on how to bring the big, bombastic battles of a Shounen Anime into Fighting Game form, and given how much I enjoy "Bleach"'s colorful cast, I'd love a chance to play it. Of course, a U.S. release seems unlikely, but ya never know, especially after the NA release of "Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom" was announced.

@Pombar: There's no story in Bleach. At least there hasn't been since much since the Turn back the pendulum arc in the manga.

There's too many focus on too many fights at the same time too. If you want a good shounen manga, at least go with One Piece ffs.

@Ueziel:

Pfft, the US version of the first Bleach DS is way better. Only three or four of the new characters in the second were at all viable anyway.

Or maybe I'm just upset that Gin and Momo went from bad to unusable. I dunno.

Danved

@mythus: The Heat The Soul series has always been based on the manga, so the anime complaints are less important. Besides, since when has art been more important than story? Have you seen the character art on Initial D?

aizen would rip ichigo a new one.

@DarthMetalHope:
That's only because she's fighting the show's most popular character.

Man i really want Heat the Soul 6, but i'll probably wait until it'll get cheaper to import >_<

I havent played my imported copy of Bleach: Soul Carnival on PSP for a while though, perhaps i'll start playin it again.....and once i beat then i might buy Heat the Soul 6

Its cool that Halibel is on the cover though ^_^

DarthMetalHope

@Ueziel:
I had heard it was awesome, and back then was when Best Buys were experimenting with selling import games, so I grabbed it from them before they sold out. Last copy. Fun, but not the best portable fighter out there, especially compared to the PSP ports of Guilty Gear XX. Holy shit.

Got Jump Ultimate Stars the same way. :D

They need to make a Bleach or Soul Eater game for the PS3/360. Wish they would let someone like Cyberconnet 2 make it. But i know thats not going to happen:(

nip

@Archaotic: Well, you own the best thing to come out of Bleach.

Although I do actually like the character art and the abilities are usually more interesting than the other jump series.

@Secret Agent Cow3.14:
It always surprises me how many people get Valkyria Chronicles and Valkyrie Profile confused. Not just you, one of my friends does it all the time.

Pretty weird.

@Drakenation: Yes, I did, thank you.

@[Redeeming Lionheart]: Fullmetal Toilet Duck is my personal fave.

@Ueziel:
That would explain it. Never made it that far in Bleach myself before losing interest, though...and I own Bleach DS 2nd.

@Drakenation: I'm going to say no.

@mythus: It's still pretty good, though their fillers are handled... oddly. It could be a lack of planning, but I don't follow the manga, so I can't say for sure it is something else.

What is most interesting about Bleach is the character development, though. I've been holding my breath for a long time, but there is still the chance that Goichi resurfaces and Ichigo might once again become an anti-hero.

@Ueziel: I wouldn't have imagined bleach still doing well after a long stride of fillers, on top of the horrible animation dept. and a lazy mangaka who refuses to draw any backgrounds. Bleach was once something good, too bad it couldn't hold up.

@Secret Agent Cow3.14: By any chance you mean Valkyrie Profile?

Drakenation

@Archaotic: It also has to do with the characters represented in the game. A lot of fans were waiting for a fighting game with the Vizards and such and 6 finally adds them in.

[www.technik.org.uk]
I did indeed!

mitch_93

@Secret Agent Cow3.14:
...there's only one Valkyria Chronicles.

@SanjiX:
My bad, 74, not 78.

@Maldron: Just look at Guitar Hero.

I just actually just got Bleach Heat the Soul 6 today, it's a heck of a lot better than the previous game. 78 playable characters (includes different forms, bankais, etc) and whole lot of a new ones too. Rebalanced gameplay and fixed AI seems to be the advantage over last year's game.

If you want a import, get this game now. Not because I'm just some geeky Bleach fan, it's actually really good even if you have never watched a episode, you will probably still enjoy it.

@Maldron:
Strangely enough, sales for Bleach 6 are UP from the last installment.

Probably because of higher PSP market penetration, but still...most sequels sell LESS, y'know?

@AdeptVoice: Ah.. works for me then, I already have the new VCh and never played the first.

@Secret Agent Cow3.14: It's a greatest hits version of the game.

MoogPaul

@Secret Agent Cow3.14:

(the Best) is just the "Greatest Hits" PS3 version. It's simply cheaper than the original. No difference beyond price.

AdeptVoice

@Maldron: You'd think that the short turnaround time for creating the games would lead to some sort of quality degradation, but if you like the anime/manga the games are pretty fun. They've gotten really good at pumping out those games. Also, I suppose it wouldn't be too hard to tweak characters and add new ones as the show progresses. It's like the Madden of the anime world.

its just the greatest hits line

HamlinDioscuri

Bleach cleans up... nice pun.

And maybe it's time to use my PSP again after almost a year since it was in my closet.

You think this is a barren list? Wait until you see the console sales. It's like Silent Hill over there. Friggin' swine flu.

Yay for Animes named after toilet cleaners.

awww.... look at Valkyria Chronicles; it's still goin'! It has the heart of a champion.

Valkyria Chronicles (the Best)? is that an anthology of the previous games? Anyone know if it's headed here?

Jeez, six in four years? Milking a franchise must be more lucrative than I thought.

fuccc

The game isn't really good. I downloaded it and I'm glad I did, because it blows nuts.

Worse than the Budokai/Budokai Tenkaichi and Naruto games.

WildTengu

@Pombar: That doesn't excuse people from not being able to correctly read a title. And VP's style isn't really what I'd call hardcore anime-styled.

@Hassun: Heh, i've never really been a fan of Hitsuguya >_> Im more of a Vizard Ichigo and Aizen fan lol

DarthMetalHope