A bit on "Bleach"

I'm up to volume 14 of the manga "Bleach", which was recommended to me by my friend RS. In ultra-simple terms, I'd describe it as "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" shifted to Japan, with a male lead, larger supporting cast, stranger foes and an elaborate system of rules governing the world of the supernatural. It's topnotch storytelling and I couldn't stop reading even if I wanted to. My affection for "Bleach" has reached the point where I'm even prepared to consider related merchandise, something I no longer do very often. Today, with the change from grocery shopping, I bought a randomly boxed "Bleach" figure from Japanese model store Astro Hobby. Of the six possible characters, I got the one I wanted least - Renji Abarai. But out of the packet and onto the shelf, Renji's as distinctive and well constructed as the comic from which he originates.