Bleach [Bleach]Manga thoughts
- Thread starter Innortal
- Start date
Pretty sure that was a DBZ Abridged reference.
You speak the truth, brudda.
Emphasis mine, heh. Pity he didn't put the focus on the right characters. I wasn't kidding about how Kon's five chapters (interesting soul pill info aside) and Don Kanonji's six chapters could been used to develop the main cast to be instead. :no:
You speak the truth, brudda.
Emphasis mine, heh. Pity he didn't put the focus on the right characters. I wasn't kidding about how Kon's five chapters (interesting soul pill info aside) and Don Kanonji's six chapters could been used to develop the main cast to be instead. :no:
.......................
That really shouldn't make as much sense as it does.
Oh and to those of you who regret Tatsuki's complete exclusion despite her being the most interesting character in Bleach, check out my thread in the ideas forum. It's called "The many mothers of Arisawa Tatsuki". There are only like 2 snips but hopefully this will change.
That really shouldn't make as much sense as it does.
Oh and to those of you who regret Tatsuki's complete exclusion despite her being the most interesting character in Bleach, check out my thread in the ideas forum. It's called "The many mothers of Arisawa Tatsuki". There are only like 2 snips but hopefully this will change.
I'm kinda glad it's over, guys. Nothing felt right since Deicide, and while there were parts of the Lost Buttmonkey and Thousand Year Lemmy Sideburns Arc that were interesting and worth taking note of, there was an equal amount of poor pacing, useless shit and characters dropping off the face of the earth. Maybe an unequal amount, to be frank.
So, fuck it, let's turn that dissatisfaction into fanfiction, as we always have done.
So, fuck it, let's turn that dissatisfaction into fanfiction, as we always have done.
I says a lot that I read 100+ chapters of another manga and a bits and pieces of others here and there before working up the motivation to keep reading Bleach, even knowing I'm at the good bit. The last arc just taints the experience even when I've forgotten chunks of it.
Nevertheless, onwards I go.
Soul Society: The Sneak Entry Arc (Chapter 71 - 117)
Nevertheless, onwards I go.
Soul Society: The Sneak Entry Arc (Chapter 71 - 117)
- Before going into the Soul Society Arc, I still think it would have been better if we'd had an arc with spiritually powerful human antagonists. Either the equivalent of the Fullbringers (but not those guys because they suck) or even human version of the Visored (because we needed all those new characters). It feels like it would have been the logical progression of events before the gang get thrown into the deep end with the Shinigami,
- What a delightful treat as I continue my journey.
- Odd how no-one mentions that Ichigo has a constant release type. it's said that it's because of a lack of control over his spiritual energy but it's a bit hard to believe his control is that bad throughout the entire series.
- This could have been a good opportunity to foreshadow the unique nature of Orihime's powers.
- Not much of a first impression of heaven, is it?
- It would have made a lot more sense if these walls had been there from the beginning. Y'know, to really reinforce that elitist image the Shinigami cultivate from here.
- I'd have liked to have known how the Gate Guardians got so fucking big. And why does he have an axe instead of a zanpakuto? Oh, so there's actually a race of giants to choose them. Okay then...
- So only five days were spent training...that's actually even less than I thought. Then he spends the next seven days chilling at home? C'mon, son.
- Why the hell not? Even if his teaching had only amounted to telling him what kind of attacks he can expect while they were fighting, it would have been a major improvement.
- And yet he doesn't learn much about controlling them until he goes to Soul Society.
- He's still got the scars surprisingly.
- Jesus, why would you damage the gate you're meant to be protecting? Get some spatial awareness, dude.
- Well, technically, yes they are... Anyway, at first glance that actually looks like a normal sword technique where Gin uses a quick draw to slice his harm. Kinda misleading which I suppose is the point.
- I like how slim Zangetsu looked once upon a time. I think it gets a lot broader later on.
- Really, Viz?
- So who were all of these past Ryoka, where did they come from and what were they doing in Soul Society?
- Well, Ichigo is the descendant of two noble families so close enough.
- Different how? Is it just a reference to his size or because he's made up of spirit particular, I wonder.
- Ah, Ganju. We get the spend a whole chapter on his antics here and I'm not sure he was ever worth the space he took up.
- Didn't Tatsuki kick your ass in karate from the start? I vaguely remember a sidestory that mentioned he beat her in a fight once and then never fought her again.
- I suppose Yoruichi just skipped over the business of being in self-exile for the last hundred years?
- Frankly, I would have preferred it if Kuukaku just went along herself rather than deal with Ganju. Even more so having confirmed that Ichigo is actually a blood relative.
- You don't say?
- Kuukaku says "fuck you" to worldbuilding.
- And this loser's meant second in command of her division of spirit warriors? That's one weak-ass first impression. And isn't even a misleading one, to be honest.
- Someone teach this girl kido, dammit.
- Seriously, they talk about these Ryoka as if they were a common occurrence.
- You're looking very Japanese today, Yamamoto.
- Another one of those cool my-spirit-pressure's-bigger-than-yours moments. Lots of energy and then a perfect sphere, gosh, maybe Ichigo will go further than the most basic of basics when it comes to controlling spirit energy in the future. Or maybe not.
- Hey, Nozarashi.
- Chad just being a bro.
- I assumed Yoruichi just used flash step but she's muttering right before hand so I guess that was a teleportation spell. I wonder if we actually see her again before Ichigo's fight with Kenpachi. I'm not sure why she thought it'd be more convenient for her when she ended up alone.
- And yet, there's still a bigass hole in the middle of the street. The surroundings don't really match the idea that this was an execution zone either.
- Would Ikkaku be able to enter shikai if he lost his scabbard in a fight?
- It's a shame that Ichigo doesn't grow out of that attitude as I'm sure he does the same thing against the Arrancar more than once, particularly he doesn't really defend himself when they obviously want to carry on fighting.
- Low detection ability, my ass. *shakes fist*
- That statement would make a lot more sense if it was something like "the division with the best swordfighters/weapon master"
- I rather wish that all kido required nothing more than the name of the spell because the whole spell chant thing just feels like a major disadvantage unless you're really good.
- So Yoruichi does appear but this tells me nothing of what she's up to.
- Sigh. And thus Orihime is relegated to stuck to defence or healing.
- And Uryuu's solid bow makes an appearance. I prefer that one over his energy bows and it better implies his increase in skill.
- You'd think that this would lead into Orihime being forced into a confrontation later in the arc where there's no-one to save her and she has to give a real fight, proving that she does have strength and gaining some self-confidence. If only.
- Ah, good old Hanataro. I wish this guy had become lieutenant of the Fourth Division in the epilogue (though I also would have preferred it if Hachigen had become the captain).
- You'd think they'd just have non-Shinigami do work like that.
- One of my favourite quotes in the entire manga.
- You should do that more often. That said, the anime actually improves this last scene a fair bit with a short action sequence before the final blow which I never realised before now.
- Soul Society's a peaceful place. No, really.
- How does that work? Are the Fourth Division basically incompetent in every other are or are they just overspecialised?
- The scars are still hanging in there. Though he should end up with a few more now anyway.
- Pretty weird that his actual mask appeared on his shoulder rather than some of that dermal armour that appears later on. But I guess that would have been a bit too subtle maybe?
- I like this kid. Pity his superiors are dicks.
- I see what you did there.
- Nice screw up, guys.
- Haha, it actually says DOOM!
- It's sad knowing that this is the best fight that Chad will get before he jobs. Iba and Komamura would been a much better match up for him.
- Pity this was so one-sided since Chad literally never had anything that he needed Ichigo for.
- I can hear DBZ Abridged Piccollo's victory chant in the background.
- Enter the Inner Hollow. And here it does everything better than Ichigo. Which admittedly bothered when it really was just an Inner Hollow but makes sense as a zanpakuto spirit (ignoring everything related to that revelation anyway). Though I'll reiterate that I think it would have been better if Hichigo had been Zangetsu right from the very start and work as Ichigo's antagonistic partner. Sorry, Old Man Zangetsu.
- To be fair, zanpakuto are literally just a reflection of their wielder rather than foreign entities. Gaining a better understanding of your zanpakuto is essentially a way of gaining of better understanding of yourself which means you really are training yourself. It's probably not an easy thing to wrap your head around at first. Shame Ichigo literally makes no effort after the battle to follow through on this.
- Really? Cuz Yachiru seems pretty quiet to me.
- I certainly would have liked to have seen that meeting.
- This scene is really weird in retrospect, especially since Yachiru was around for some time before even meeting Kenpachi. Though this does reflect Ichigo's conversation with OMZ. It probably wouldn't have been that hard to explain Yachiru's situation there - though I'm not even touching how she's got some random zanpakuto herself - with something like her being ignorant of her own nature until Kenpachi opened his heart or whatever. But because Kubo made literally no effort, it's left as a head-scratcher.
- Dat Yoruichi. Seeing how Kubo didn't bother to show her zanpakuto, I wish he'd just made that cat form her released state. Like a transformation-type zanpakuto that could turn her into a house cat or a monster cat. Explain her ability and stop an unanswered mystery all in one.
- Are Yuzu and Karin the mean girls at school? I feel sorry for this kid.
- It's ma boi!!!
- Oh really?
Bleach's finest hour...
Soul Society: The Rescue Arc (Chapter 118 - 183)
Soul Society: The Rescue Arc (Chapter 118 - 183)
- It's a damn shame that Zabimaru is one of the few zanpakuto spirits that ever see and know is canon. Zangetsu, Katen Kyokotsu, Kazeshini, Hyourinmaru, Kazeshini and 'Nozarashi' are the only ones I can remember. I wouldn't mind if they didn't all show up in the story - though I would like to have seen more interaction between Shinigami and zanpakuto given their relationship - but even showing them in the supplementary material, chapter covers or omakes would have been a big improvement.
- Hehe, I can't help but remember their relationship in Hammered Down.
- The Hime strikes again. Though the anecdote about her martial skill (a black belt, apparently) just felt like more wasted potential.
- So begins Mayuri's long list of bizarre tricks.
- Hm, so Yoruichi doesn't believe herself capable of defeating Byakuya after a hundred years out of action. Never caught that before.
- Not like Kenpachi's apparently. What does not knowing that Zangetsu is a constant-release type have to do with not knowing about bankai? Just confirming that Urahara was withholding informatio, I guess.
- Okay, I bet Yoruichi was using her independence to investigate the current state of affairs in Seireitei. Makes sense for ninja.
- Dagnabbit. This is literally the opposite of what I want right here. It's a wonder that Kubo didn't straight up make Tsubaki the shield that reflects attacks back at the enemy rather than the matter-slicing devil it's meant to be.
- Aren't, like, 11 out of 13 Divisions combat units? Stop pretend that the 11th are supposed to be the best when you're just sword-swinging losers, seriously. Though I think that the division could have been more specialised than they were.
- Welp, fuck this guy.
- I'm not sure why Mayuri even has regular Shinigami in his division when he's so obsessed with his science bureau.
- At least she's trying to improve even now. I don't recall it amounting to much after this point but still...
- Tell me about it. Though Uryuu has the excuse of doing all of his training alone so he didn't really have access to as much info.
- Really, this is what should have led to Orihime finally getting a fight for herself now that she's been separated from her friend. If not for the circumstances of Uryuu's fight, I'd say have Nemu chase them down while he's preoccupied with Mayuri.
- Wouldn't a binding spell have been more effective?
- So much for that black belt.
- I don't see how that is any more surprising than having the extendable arm in the first place but ok.
- Unstable? I'm curious what that means for Mayuri if Uryuu thought that give him an advantage. Chad's spirit cannonbal was unstable too IIRC.
- Technically true but didn't you shoot like dozen flying blades out of the air near-simultaneously?
- Mayuri explains Hirenkyaku but no-one ever bothers to explains the mechanics of Shunpo for some reason.
- Don't worry, guys. He loves her really. Seriously.
- This could have been an opportunity to relate back to mod-souls though Uryuu wouldn't get the reference.
- Fuck. This. Guy. The fact that Mayuri survives the entire manga leaves me in despair and the amount of screentime he gets as well just pisses me off. I really wish that Kubo had stuck to his plan of making Mayuri a reoccurring antagonist for Uryuu since it would mean he'd still get comeuppance after this encounter, and he'd make an ideal traitor to Soul Society by providing Aizen with his mad genius.
- Pity that Uryuu never uses the technique again though I admittedly can't remember a circumstance where he'd need it. Also experimenting on 2'661 Quincy is still just damn crazy.
- That seems unhygienic. Firstly, how does he ever wash that hand and secondly, how exactly does he take care of bathroom business with bow strapped to his arm? Training exercises like that always make me scratch my head.
- LETZT STIL!!!
- We never did learn how the Sternritter kept their powers, did we?
- It's a travesty that Uryuu never achieved this level of power again. He does a decent job later on but he's inevitably stuck at a level beneath the captain-class opponents and particularly nowhere near Ichigo's level once he gets bankai. Imagine for a moment, Ichigo and Uryuu back-to-back against a horde of powerful enemies in their strongest forms in a parallel of the first team-up and just wrecking all kinds of shit together.
- That is honestly quite generous of you, Uryuu, my boy.
- Made from his blood? I'm not quite sure why that's a thing. Is that meant to be an explanation for why he's immune to it? Oh, confirmation.
- All this talk of IchiHime and IchiRuki and yet I forgot all about UryuHime and UryuNemu.
- Yeah, well, abusive relationships aren't the most logical of things.
- After all his talk about just coming along to get payment, it's nice to see Uryuu thinking of his friends. Until that dick Tousen spoils the moment.
- I'm imagining this scene with Hichigo and Yoruichi being like "what the flying fuck?" at this freaky doppelganger with Hollow eyes who just starts tearing into Ichigo from the get-go. Combine this with the themes of Ichigo's canon battle with Hichigo and you get some pretty crazy bankai training. The king and horse, indeed.
- Man, I always hated this loser.
- Because I'm Batman!
- We never see it in the manga but I'm pretty sure anime shows Ichigo pulling out the real sword from his own soul which I'd say is better than leaving us hanging.
- Is Yumichika jealous of beautiful women? I'd think he'd fawn over them but maybe that's Hammered Down talking.
- I'd like to point out that I've always preferred geniuses over the untalented so stuff like this gets me hyped. And finish your thoughts, women!
- That healing water's pretty tame next to Mayuri's insta-regen medicine. They should have these on the 4th Division grounds.
- This bitch.
- Kira has a crush on Hinamori?
- Freaking brutal.
- We probably should have seen some of these back in Karakura before the Menos Grande.
- That's exactly what I mean about kido. Spouting poems in the middle of battle as awkward as all hell. Kubo probably did it for Rule of Cool more than anything but I'd have preferred just shouting the name for most people and silent casting for the more skilled users. And I never liked the numbering system either; sure it's helps figure out the relative difficulty level (not that we ever learn more casting kido than we already have) but it's not like there can only ever be 99 spells of each category. It's adds to the length of the spellcasting too.
- Even after all these years I have no idea what the hell the equivalent of a million zanpakuto is meant to be. I appreciate bigging up Ichigo's later feats but even saying it's as powerful as a captain's bankai would be enough hype. I'm curious on how the Sokyoku could possibly wipe out Soul Society without being stopped by the captains in this hypothetical scenario. Turn it into a spirit bomb, maybe?
- If you can make the scabbard dematerialize like that, Ichigo might as well have one himself. It actually takes him ages and ages to get something resembling a proper sheathe.
- I guess Ichigo didn't think his departure through at all.
- Like the kido chants, I'm not a fan of needing release phrases for zanpakuto either. Just saying the name seems good enough. But I won't deny that some of them can be pretty damn cool like so.
- Genius + Ice + Dragon = Fuck Yeah! - Kid gets more screentime than necessary but I can't help loving that combination. Hell, I'm suddenly in the mood to reread Frozen Sky...it'll pass.
- It's a shame Hitsugaya and Ichigo barely interact in canon.
- Better back up, bro.
- I've been expecting you, Omaeda. Another character I can't stand. Why the hell this loser gives as much screentime as he does and is somehow the lieutenant of the ninja division, I really don't know. I wouldn't find him nearly so offensive if he was, for instance, the 4th Seat of the 11th Division (though obviously less powerful than Yumichika) which better fits his zanpakuto, his shitty skills and attitude.
- Komamura gets a bad rep but I do like Tenken.
- Ah, Tousen's mysterious second ability that literally appears again. Rather than throwing in this unnecessary complication to zanpakuto powers, I'd rather Kubo just had him focus on the vibration/sound thing instead which works for a blind man and save this nifty ability for one of the many characters who don't get to show off anything.
- We'll see this again in the future with a lot more kink.
- "Hihio Zabimaru? Renji, that was a just a joke. I'm actually called Souou Zabimaru...Renji? You listening? This ain't gonna work if you don't say the right nam-...Oh fuck."
- Don't worry, bro, it's not like a broken bankai is permanent or anything. someone would have mentioned it by now. Seriously, that missing half of its skull will stick right back on.
- Soul Brothers!
- Loose haired Renji is best Renji. I won't lie, I was half-hoping that he'd show up after the timeskip with his hair down and a captain's coat on his back.
- Kira, you dick.
- Get out of my head, Hammered Down!
- That's a bit unfair considering Yumichika essentially just pointed out that he'd rather go down swinging than surrender.
- I see you.
- And here's dogface. Komamura's 'backstory' was so underwhelming (and more than a tad weird) that I wish he'd just been an ugly guy under that helmet. That armour shedding bankai would still make a damn cool ultimate move though.
- Now you feel like number one is playing in the goddamn background right now.
- Damn, I'd have liked to have seen Ichigo lay the smack down there.
- The Shihouin get all the cool shit.
- I forgot he does the sword swinging thing. Once. And never again.
- You're goddamn right.
- The hell is up with Chojuro's eyes? Weird little quirk there. Pity he never even gets to shoot a lightning bolt.
- "Flash Step? Oh yeah, I saw Byakuya do it once or twice and was like yeah, I can do that shit too. Lessons are for noobs."
- I went back and watch this whole rescue scene in the anime. Just too good.
- Why is Yoruichi hiding her face?
- That's one weird zanpakuto for the first Kenpachi. If only things got simpler when it goes bankai.
- This sequence made more sense when Nanao was expected to have a zanpakuto like anyone else, particular the tanto she was holding in the databook.
- I'd have liked to have seen Ichigo choke out some arrancar bitches with his spiritual pressure at some point.
- I was always felt that was a really nice scene. It's a shame that Ichigo didn't get to say to her himself.
- You'd think the two-bladed zanpakuto would be important but it really had no impact whatsoever. And I was surprised when we learned what they could learn by how there was basically no synergy between the two of them; in that respect, it worked better when the games would give the pair of them elemental powers.
- ...Why?
- That's a phallic joke in there somewhere, I'm sure. But that's such an awkward weapon. It would make more sense if it was extended from the back of her hand over her finger instead of covering the finger itself.
- There's a question I'd like to know the answer to rather than never being mentioned ever again.
- That's honest one of the dumbest looking zanpakuto in the entire series. The fact that we never even learn what it can do - because I refuse to believe it's just a big sword with an extra point - makes it all the more aggravating.
- Cooler than, like, 90% of his future Getsuga Tensho.
- Though the guy who could teach you about how to get taught by Zangetsu would still have been Urahara. Jinzen, muthafucka.
- See? Downgraded already.
- If Ichigo had just gone bankai himself, he probably could have won that fight without intervention.
- Black Moon? I thought he was the Black Sun. Make your mind, Kubo.
- How wrong you are, Kuchiki Byakuya.
- TENSA ZANGETSU!!!
- I still wish there had been a time where it would be named Unchained Zangetsu.
- Good thing Yamamoto isn't here or this would be really awkward.
- And yet you never do.
- Stab first, gloat second.
- This description is definitely superior to the fan translation which only mentions speed. This makes it clear it's about maximizing power and speed and implies more besides.
- I'm glad he realised how much wasted potential he had there.
- I look forward to learning about the first person to witness Senkei as I am sure that Kubo is happy to share such tantalizing details.
- o rly?
- Yeah, zanpakuto spirit, do your damn job.
- Another example of Hichigo doing cool shit that Ichigo will next match.
- Guess I'll enjoy that while it lasts because it's never showing up again.
- Well, I'm sure that Zangetsu won't leave you still with a single technique for almost the entire series, especially not in bankai. Though if you never turn up for lessons, it's no surprise that you don't learn.
- Having three different organisations seem remarkably pointless considering that one is absorbed into the other in the present day and the other barely exists anyway
- So many cool tricks that our protagonists will never get to use.
- I don't know, Kira, you seem like the type of weirdo who'd talk with corpses to me.
- Doesn't that mean that no-one is ever born in Rukongai?
- Creepy...
- Some of these spells have some really random bits and pieces to them.
- Bitch, please.
- If only this was the part where Mayuri revealed that he was on Aizen's crew and was about to royally fuck over Seireitei by releasing all the experiments in his lab or some shit.
- Well, you could always trick Hitsugaya into stabbing her. Y'know, really get your money's worth. Though she still won't die.
- Now you feel like number on-OBJECTION!
- Or at least that's the official story. Maybe that's what they say happen to all of the Visored.
- Enter the Wolf. But once more, we get the hint of a backstory but never see it play out.
- You have two hands, don't you? Do it yourself.
- Superchunky was never something I paid much attention to so I don't particularly care about it getting one-shottted. That said, I'd have to have seen Menos Grande just being slung at the Soul Society during the arrancar war while the captain are in Karakura. Something to keep the masses occupied instead of chilling out during wartime.
- At least Aizen stopped spewing bullshit when he revealed his true nature. Learn from him, Tousen.
- Except that one guy...even if half of his body parts had wondered off. It might have been better if there really wasn't an actual being known as the Spirit King but Aizen wanted to become such a being himself.
- If only the rest of her skills were as good.
- Seriously, guys, Uryuu should have grown up to be a fashion designer.
- Keep trying, girl.
- That's actually pretty clever since others can't pull something like that. Leaves her vulnerable since she wouldn't be able to attack, heal and/or defend depending on who she sends out but still useful.
- Pity that Isshin never trained Ichigo himself throughout his childhood, disguising it merely as a desire to make his kid strong enough to defend himself.
- Don't worry, Ichigo, she's past the point of relevance.
- Honestly, a soul pill and one of those reaper phones would have been so much more useful than his badge.
- Ichigo needed to take a leaf out of this guy's book and learn to do cool shit in human form (even if that's a gigai). Throw in a sight barrier and he doesn't even need to worry about being seen.
Sternritter don't use the same technique. It's the new advanced version that's never outright stated but strongly implied to be dependent on Yhwach, hence why Souken never wanted anything to do with it and why Yhwach can just take it away.
Also, Ishida's entire flashback there has a surprising amount of Quincy foreshadowing.
Also, Ishida's entire flashback there has a surprising amount of Quincy foreshadowing.
Well it does make more sense than either of them ever actually confessing to each other. Hehehehehe...... Tatsuki the Harem Queen! As a dragon it is her right!!!
EDIT - Wow... Rereading a part of Bleach to check something and came across this.
Creep has a sword boner while he murders his subordinates. Symbolism much? How is he still alive?
EDIT - Wow... Rereading a part of Bleach to check something and came across this.
Creep has a sword boner while he murders his subordinates. Symbolism much? How is he still alive?