Opinions of Bleach and Emma

[mai]

I was thinking about getting both of these, and I wondered what people thought about them. I like the Bleach anime but I don't think it is worth spending any money on, is the manga better? are plot holes addressed later in the series? I also prefer things that don't get too depressing and that are positive/uplifting. With Emma, does the story stay interesting? are the characters well developed?

I'm not interested in "Bleach is the best manga ever!"
Even my favorite manga I have serious problems with, so please be critical.

[Fish and Chips]

I haven't read Emma (Victorian Romance Emma?). As for Bleach, I've only read the first five volumes, so my advise is slightly short sighted, but also free from "Hyping" it up as I am also critical, even of my favorite, most cherished series.

Moving on...

Bleach is standard Shounen done well. There isn't too much that strays from the formula, but what it does, it does with some finesse', good art (although Tite Kubo hasn't seen a realistically proportioned woman in years), and an interesting concept. There are a boatload of characters, a lot of whom seem superfluous or arbitrary, but a number of them get a chance to shine when the time comes. If nothing else, it's fun, although it occasionally goes deeper, such as with the Memory in the Rain arc which is my personal favorite so far (as is both depressing and uplifting at the same time). Can't answer your plot questions, as I'm apparently right before the real plot actually starts ticking, but oh well.

Bleach is an entertaining read, and occasionally deeper than that, but that's about it Not "Teh bestest Manga evar," but you could do worse. For the first five volumes, anyway.

[MasterDias]

Bleach: As someone who has read up to the latest chapters, I think I can give a pretty good reply, although I'm far from the most critical person.

For the most part, Bleach is a good series. The Soul Society arc(from about Volumes 7/8 to 20) is the one that gets the most acclaim, and it is pretty well executed although somewhat long-winded at times. But there is a lot of characters, and chances are you will find someone to like. As far as manga vs. anime comparisons, I generally like the opening arcs in the manga more that the anime, as I felt the anime sometimes changed/altered minor points that made it less effective, but that's probably personal preference. I haven't seen enough of the Soul Society arc onward in the anime to really compare, but everything major should be mostly the same. I can't answer anything about plot points, unless you are more specific. The overall feel of the series is generally positive, outside an occasional sad past.
The most recent arc in the series however does unfortunately devolve into a long and repetitive string of fights with barely any plot progression and isn't as entertaining as previous arcs, so my general opinion of the series will likely be affected by how things progress to the end.

Emma: I read some of this. Characters seemed quite well-developed for the most part, although I am no expert on romance manga. I was particularly impressed with the amount of historical detail that went into this title, so if you are a fan of that at all, this series will likely be especially interesting to you. There are several bath scenes involving detailed female nudity later on, if that affects your decision.

[uc pseudonym]

I can't help you with Emma, but I can provide a fairly informed opinion on Bleach.

I like the Bleach anime but I don't think it is worth spending any money on, is the manga better?

The plot is basically the same, except that the anime has fillers (check Wikipedia's episode listing if you want to avoid them). However, I don't think the anime is worth your time. After episode 40 or so the animation quality begins to deteriorate and it begins getting stretched further. I haven't even felt it was worth my time, much less my money, to watch it for the last 20 episodes or so. The manga has kept my interest, criticism of the current arc aside.

are plot holes addressed later in the series?

Probably. What plot holes, specifically?

[mai]

Thank you both ^-^ any one else?

As far as plot holes, where do soul reapers go when they die?

[MasterDias]

While it isn't particularly clear at the beginning, it is generally implied that there is a cyclical reincarnation thing going on.

Humans who die go to soul society, Soul Reapers who die are reborn as humans.