It may not have been Tite Kubo’s fault alone that Bleach fell off with content quality and popularity, but also because of the pressure.

Fame in the world of a mangaka is the Siren’s call. It may sound pleasing to the ears but the moment you go nearer, the entrapment would either properly consume you, or leave you weary and distraught. Tite Kubo has always been an excellent mangaka, especially when Bleach first started. The story telling was consistent and enjoyable with characters and arcs that were capable of captivating the audiences.

Ichigo | Credit: Studio Pierrot

However, as time went by, the story quickly derailed. What was once something that stood atop the mantlepiece slowly started slipping not only because of a decline in quality but because of internal factors that many fans may not have understood as well. Fame isn’t for everyone and it comes with an excruciating amount of pressure. Working for Shonen Jump is much worse for many of the mangaka.

Tite Kubo’s Bleach Fell Under Pressure

Tite Kubo had once stated in jest about hating Eiichiro Oda and One Piece after it was able to dethrone Bleach because of a reader popularity pole (via J-Cast). While the comments weren’t anything serious, there was an underlying cause as to why he had such negative emotions. Kubo’s relationship with Shonen Jump has always been like walking on eggshells.

Ichigo | Credit: Studio Pierrot

He had often opened up during interviews about how his creative freedom had been limited when making Bleach. There were many things he wanted to do that never came to fruition. Moreover, he was forced to end his manga when his own plans were to make it longer with a more prominent story.

Much to everyone’s dismay, the story fell off. The fans weren’t the only ones saddened by this but there was nothing that Kubo could really do about it. His health had constantly been declining and he even considered ending the manga much earlier.

The Decline of Bleach

Byakuya Kuchiki | Credit: Studio Pierrot

Despite the creative freedom he wanted, Tite Kubo was often subjected to working under pressure and meeting extreme deadlines. This was regardless of his health, even going so far as to break his shoulder without having any recollection of doing so. The pressure he was under was unimaginable and the toll it took on his health also impacted the manga itself.

He’d be planning for the next week while writing the current week’s chapter, so that’s how he kept things moving. Kubo is one who is very precise with how he spends his time, so he would have a strict schedule, one he kept until his health declined.

His relationship with the editors and publishers had always been on and off. Things would work out at some times and at other times they wouldn’t. His need to keep working has even forced his publishers to end Bleach for as long as Kubo got his desired ending (via Comic Book).

Kubo endured a lot during Bleach’s serialization and the fact that Eiichiro Oda’s still ongoing run with a successful and loved manga despite all the dooming pressure may have been an envious call. It isn’t his fault alone but also with the incredible pressure he just couldn’t escape.