Why do they call the manga Bleach, "Bleach"? I can't figure out the reason for the name, for the life of me!!!!

In the November 2008 issue of Shonen Jump, Kubo finally explained why Bleach is called "Bleach".

Tite Kubo:

The title wasn't Bleach when I decided to draw a story about Soul Reapers. This was before I drew the one-shot manga that appeared in Akamaru Jump. The weapon wasn't a sword, but a scythe. Only Rukia had a scythe and the other characters used guns. At that point, the title was Snipe [as in "sniper"]. Right before I started drawing, I began to think that a sword would be better and realized I couldn't use Snipe as a title anymore. I began looking for a title that grasped the bigger picture. Soul Reapers are associated with the color black, but it would have been boring to use "black." "White", on the other hand, can suggest black as a complementary color. So I chose "bleach" to evoke the impression of the color white.

Now we both know!  (I was curious, also!)

hahahahaha  Shinigami wear Black so let's call the manga White.  Only because that's too obvious, let's just invoke a "white" impression.  I swear, the Japanese do NOT think like us!  (I mean, what would've been wrong with invoking a "black" impression since he associates black so strongly with the theme???!!!)



Tite Kubo:

The title wasn't Bleach when I decided to draw a story about Soul Reapers. This was before I drew the one-shot manga that appeared in Akamaru Jump. The weapon wasn't a sword, but a scythe. Only Rukia had a scythe and the other characters used guns. At that point, the title was Snipe [as in "sniper"]. Right before I started drawing, I began to think that a sword would be better and realized I couldn't use Snipe as a title anymore. I began looking for a title that grasped the bigger picture. Soul Reapers are associated with the color black, but it would have been boring to use "black." "White", on the other hand, can suggest black as a complementary color. So I chose "bleach" to evoke the impression of the color white.
 

Sianeka,

Sweet! Thanks! So glad I am not the only one who wanted to know that.

No they do NOT think like us at all. Completely different culture but I am addicted LOL

I always tell my friends that the Japanese are aliens!  LOL

(I'm trying to teach myself Japanese.  How else can you describe a culture that has THREE DIFFERENT ALPHABETS???   And one of them, the "letters" can be pronounced two different ways, so each word (such as a name) a person needs to describe how and why the "letter" is used to specify which pronunciation is correct?  And the fact that they talk like Yoda: SUBJECT-OBJECT-VERB, instead of our SUBJECT-VERB-OBJECT (example  'I a house saw' instead of 'I saw a house.')  They don't distinguish between singular and plural, and often do not use/skip/leave out pronouns but instead "infer" them.  Don't even get me started about particles, a part of speech we don't even HAVE!!!!   I could go on FOREVER on the subject of Japanese as alien beings!!!! *grin*)

Absolutely fascinating.  I'm addicted too!

I was listening to a podcast talking about all the different nuances in Japanese animation and how it's so confusing to people that haven't read or seen anything from Japan.  Like the sweatdrop, or the nosebleed.  I mean, how do you explain that to someone who hasn't seen/read anime/manga?  And also the different ways people act towards each other.  Putting aside the honourifics, the way the act as in, what is acceptable and what is NOT acceptable in their culture is so COMPLETELY different than ours.  It's so fascinating, and I'll talk the ear off anyone who can bear to listen about it :D

Even little gestures!!!  I mean, their hand gesture to indicate Come Here is one that we westerners would use to say Go Away, or Goodbye.  And to indicate oneself, a Japanese would point to their own nose, while an American would point to their own chest...