Bleach

I first heard the title "Bleach" in a newspaper article covering Otakon in Baltimore, and I sought out the series with nothing but what I thought was a cryptic title.

The 108 episodes of Bleach that are out so far comprise more than 80 hrs of action, the careful fleshing-out of richly detailed main characters and a HUGE cast of supporting characters, multi-layered conflicts, and a solid soundtrack.

Every episode leaves you knowing a little bit more about the Bleach universe, while doing a great job mixing often operatic drama with manic comedy. Bleach knows 90% of the time when to not take itself too seriously, and the comic timing is usually on the money.

As for the best way to watch Bleach, I've recently gotten used to the English voices and they're not THAT bad, its just there's so much in the original Japanese that is left out. It's not as natural or well-flowing as the Japanese, but after closer inspection, it is tolerable for those who cannot abide subtitles.