Bleach is an interesting beast, as nothing is ever quite what it may seem to be, and practically everything in it is foreshadowed. The story is mixed, but after starting it in 2002 I have never stopped or taken a break, as it is too gripping to leave be. The world is set up in one of the most interesting ways I have seen thus far, with all the different types of souls and how they all integrate and relate with one another, and each hybrid has different characteristics that make sense depending on their core parts. It contains a surprising amount of symbolism, in fact the most I have seen in any anime thus far. The dialog is some of the best I have seen, and many of my favorite quotes are from this anime alone, especially from Aizen and Ulquiorra.

The Art has been rather phenomenal sense the beginning. Although some people are irritated for the lack of backgrounds, as Kubo is so renowned for doing, I personally like it, as it puts a major emphasis on the character designs, something Kubo does not disappoint on (most of the time...). After the fullbring arc, when Ichigo goes bankai, the art goes into overdrive. Most characters received some sort of modification, and Ichigo's fullbring integrated with his shinigami powers is both creative and awesome looking.

Characters is where the show falls a bit flat. Don't get me wrong, many of the characters are amazing, and Ulquiorra is my favorite character of all time. But many of the characters here are psudo-fluff, like Omeida or Nel's companions. Kubo has admitted to creating characters to get past writers block and it can show at times. The number of characters is so intensive now, it would be impossible to develop them all and so some that should probably see more panel time are left out (like Hinamori, who some people still think is dead.)

The overall enjoyment is rather substantial. I've always found myself satisfied with every arc, and each arc has gotten progressively better than the last. A good mix of drama and action, but I would say the overall best part is a mixture of the plot and the psychology of the characters. There are many of character analysis's on the characters that both show the complexity, realism and depth to the characters of the show. Overall it is a very good anime, albeit super long, and perhaps in some cases drawn out or extended beyond what is necessarily, but still the point remains that it is worth the investment.