Sure it's a shonen, so you can expect the hero to beat his enemies and simply get stronger each time, that comes with the territory: there's a set of clichés for each genre and Bleach does meet them. But it does it very well.
I'm not saying some of the criticisms addressed to it aren't valid, but as long as you don't expect great depths and go in looking for an enjoyable read, you won't be disappointed.
There's a sense of novelty to most fights, Kubo Tite sure is one creative guy, whether it be in of type of attack, twists and turns, or fight choreography. He's also managed to create very strong, and varied characters; sometimes original, sometimes less so, some of them more likeable than others. I'm only disappointed that he doesn't seem to use these great characters he's created to their full extent, which would make Bleach so much more than your better than average but still cliché shounen. Still, aside from some misses, they were all interesting, character-wise and aesthetically wise.
And that's one of the major assets of this manga: the art. I find it to be simply gorgeous, the style striking and distinctive, the faces expressive, but whether you like it or not you can't deny that it's effective.
As for the ~plotlines, if Aizen's dragged a bit, I still find the 3 arcs so far different enough to hold my interest, not to mention the dozens of very well done subplots and new character introductions. All of this makes reading Bleach an enjoyable (if sometimes uneven) experience. I'd suggest to people bothered by the times where the rhythm slows down to read it volume by volume, as opposed to chapter by chapter. But then again it's proved to me recently that it can still leave me waiting on tenterhooks for a new chapter and yell with glee when it's out.
In any case it certainly doesn't feel like KT has said everything he wanted to with his characters, and as long as he hasn't, and that it remains so enjoyable, I'll keep on reading.
Bankai.
ETA: Badass Nakama ftw!
