Some of manga's most renowned artists have come together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Bleach, and they've presented some pretty incredible work of Tite Kubo's beloved series.
The artwork, produced as part of a series of events in honor of Bleach's anniversary, is now on display in Tokyo for an exhibition about the series' history. Featured work includes pieces from One Piece's Eiichiro Oda and Naruto's Masashi Kishimoto, some of the biggest names in manga, as well as newer stars in Shonen Jump's lineup like Yusei Matsui (Assassination Classroom), Koyoharu Gotouge (Demon Slayer), Yuki Tabata (Black Clover), Gege Akutami (Jujutsu Kaisen), and Riichiro Inagaki (Dr. Stone). Also on display are works from Tite Kubo himself, both new pieces and those from the original run of Bleach.
Each piece shows off the artist's individual style well, presenting a variety of different feels in the artwork. Oda's, for example, uses his familiar simplistic faces, while emphasizing the flowing robes that the Soul Reapers wear in his piece on Ichigo. Kishimoto submitted a piece created using an unusual choice of medium, showing a beleaguered Ichigo reflected in his sword while looking out over a setting sun. But not everyone submitted artwork of series protagonist Ichigo. Gotouge's piece shows Orihime and Rukia looking happy in their school uniforms, while Tabata focused on what's clearly his favorite character, Kenpachi Zaraki (along with his lieutenant, Yachiru). Inagaki's piece also caters to his own preferences, showing Ikkaku Madarame slicing a beaker in a charmingly colored sketch, while Matsui's love of characters with strange, augmented bodies comes through in his choice of subject, the mad scientist Mayuri Korotsuchi. Inagaki's is particularly interesting, since he only writes Dr. Stone, and doesn't often show off his own drawings.
It's clear to see in these works by the newer mangaka that Bleach has had a massive impact on almost all of them, and each piece is accompanied by a little note addressing their respect and admiration for Kubo. It's also always fun to see Kubo's fellow Jump peers from the early 2000's take a stab at his work, and Oda, Kishimoto, and Kubo all seem to have developed a good-natured, friendly relationship over the years. These art exhibitions are a moderately common event in Japan, with other series like Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia having had their own exhibits earlier in the year. More than just celebrating a particular series, these exhibits offer the big names in the industry a chance to express their appreciation for those who might otherwise be seen as rivals, encouraging a camaraderie that's much needed in the difficult manga industry.
With Bleach's exhibit having only just opened on December 18th, fans in the Tokyo area will have plenty of time to go see what an incredible influence the series has had on manga as a whole.
Source: Twitter