8th December 2011

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A Case of Mental Sadism: Changing Bonds with Shukuro Tsukishima (BLEACH)

一緒に数えてくれるかい

Let’s count together for me

君についた

The bite marks

僕の歯形を

That I left on you

- BLEACH Volume 52: End of Bond

It has been quite an interesting time for Tite Kubo’s BLEACH. The current “Lost Agent” (Volumes 49-current) arc has gotten some attention for seemingly rebooting the series and not hitting it off with some fans. The arc introduced even more new characters, including one whose power is extremely frightening when used for the wrong purpose: Shukuro Tsukishima. He is arguably a character that is on the same level as the previous antagonist of BLEACH, Sosuke Aizen, in terms of causing mental trauma towards anyone he targets. Tsukishima looks to be the perfect fighter that knows (and enjoys) the best way to destroy a person: by breaking them emotionally to the point of despair.

Tsukishima is a Fullbringer, a human being who has spiritual pressure and an ability where they utilize the soul of a treasured object for a variety of uses. Tsukishima’s Fullbring ability is known as Book of the End. He basically turns his bookmark (his treasured object) into a sword and uses it to insert himself into other people’s memories. If Tsukishima cuts you with Book of the End, you will be under his influence and remember him being in your life. He can alter anyone’s memories at will and to his liking. This ability along with his tactical battle knowledge makes him a very competent fighter. You can say he’s similar to Aizen, but Tsukishima appears to take complete joy in seeing his victims mentally suffer trying to sort out their memories because of his Fullbring.

Tsukishima appears to be a complete sociopath as he doesn’t care about his actions towards other people. Though you might wonder about the significance of the bookmark that Tsukishima treasures. How can a bookmark possibly make him ta sadist? Perhaps Tsukishima used books as an escape from any negative emotional experiences rather than talking to other people. In the story, he sarcastically threatened to kill his subordinate for making him lose his page while reading and even tells another Fullbringer to read more. Books are great, fun, and informative, but they cannot be the complete basis of one’s life. Life is cruel and it looks as if Tsukishima did not learn anything positive from reading to use in reality (though what kind of books did he enjoy reading?). Reading doesn’t mean much if you do it without a meaningful purpose. Combining possible emotional trauma along with constant escapism equals the making of a pretty wild individual.

Tsukishima inserts himself into all the memories of most of Ichigo Kurosaki’s close friends and family to enrage Ichigo. Orihime Inoue and Sado “Chad” Yatsutora both experienced a near-complete mental breakdown when Tsukishima tries to stack even more false memories into their heads. Why do certain people commit acts of emotional abuse? Some say it could be unresolved issues from childhood. They might also see themselves as victims. Narcissism is another key issue as being vain can lead someone to look down on other people. It could all come down to whether emotional abusers find it hard to face themselves and prefer blaming others for all their problems.

Another theory to ponder is if Tsukishima is Kubo’s example of how emotional abuse can happen unexpectedly to anyone. What if someone you never met before decides to interject himself into your entire life? Teenagers (like Ichigo) can have a tough time dealing with emotional abuse. I wonder if Kubo is trying to tell young people to be wary of psychological confrontations close to home, not just physical confrontations. Sometimes, teenagers don’t think too much about how certain things can mess with their heads. For those who have followed this arc, what are your thoughts about Tsukishima’s purpose?

I do admit that there isn’t much we know about Tsukishima’s past, but I can say this: he represents someone who clearly lacks empathy. Tsukishima is an individual that we can relate to those who abuse others emotionally. What steps can we take to prevent emotional abuse? How can we help the abused and the abuser? With all the criticisms that Tite Kubo gets for his narrative at times, he really knows how to create enlightening characters that move us and Tsukishima is just another mysterious, cool character in the diverse character library of BLEACH to fascinate over.

So, how many bite marks has Tsukishima left on your psyche?

BLEACH Volumes 49-52 are available digitally at VIZManga.com. Crunchyroll is streaming the “Lost Agent” arc beginning with Episode 343.

Tagged: BLEACHShonen JumpShueisha PublishingShukuro TsukishimaTite KuboVIZ Mangaemotional abusemanga psychologymental sadismpsychology of sadism