Bleach [Bleach]Manga thoughts
- Thread starter Innortal
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Mayuri being alive at the end of the Arrancar arc was the reason I stopped reading Bleach. He's creepy as fuck and the "good guys" keeping him around was an obvious symptom of the story going downhill.
Seriously, the early story set up the Shinigami as the bad guys and then they end up being the "big good" of the setting? With things like Mayuri on their side? You heard the stuff he told Uryu, right?
"I forced them to burn their own children!" Yeah. You did the early set up way too well, Kubo. The Shinigami CAN'T be the good guys after some of the stuff we found out about them. And yet they are.
Seriously, the early story set up the Shinigami as the bad guys and then they end up being the "big good" of the setting? With things like Mayuri on their side? You heard the stuff he told Uryu, right?
"I forced them to burn their own children!" Yeah. You did the early set up way too well, Kubo. The Shinigami CAN'T be the good guys after some of the stuff we found out about them. And yet they are.
There's certainly a lot of wasted potential. I stopped reading after the fullbring arc, because I thought it was stupid. I picked it up later cause I wanted to see how it ended.
But the ultimate villain of the fullbring arc had so much potential.
And Aizen too.
Fullbring guy can insert himself into anybody's past, and IIRC, actually change their present by doing so
Aizen can completely change how people perceive the present. I think.
Muttonchops Quincy can completely see and change all possible futures.
That's a really interesting set of powers to bring together and have fight. And we almost got it. All three characters were present for the final fight in some way. But nope, the answer is actually an arrow that is a literal plot hole: a hole in all the plots muttonchops has viewed with his future seeing power.
None of these characters ever used their power to their full potential. All of these characters were beaten by ichigo essentially having a powerup mode and hitting them slightly/a lot harder, instead of something clever.
The Shinigami being the big goods is also just more wasted potential.
But the ultimate villain of the fullbring arc had so much potential.
And Aizen too.
Fullbring guy can insert himself into anybody's past, and IIRC, actually change their present by doing so
Aizen can completely change how people perceive the present. I think.
Muttonchops Quincy can completely see and change all possible futures.
That's a really interesting set of powers to bring together and have fight. And we almost got it. All three characters were present for the final fight in some way. But nope, the answer is actually an arrow that is a literal plot hole: a hole in all the plots muttonchops has viewed with his future seeing power.
None of these characters ever used their power to their full potential. All of these characters were beaten by ichigo essentially having a powerup mode and hitting them slightly/a lot harder, instead of something clever.
The Shinigami being the big goods is also just more wasted potential.
After re-reading practically the entirety of HSDK, I got back on this train despite dreading the destination.
Arrancar: The Arrival Arc (Chapter 184-229)
Arrancar: The Arrival Arc (Chapter 184-229)
- Fashion designer, guys. For real.
- He lost his reiatsu and yet is still perfectly capable of perceiving Hollows which is even harder than regular ghosts. So I'm not sure exactly what it means for him to have "lost his Quincy powers" which should just be his ability to absorb and manipulate reishi.
- Didn't take long for Shinji to jump in. It's weird how many of these decades old Shinigami can get away with being school kids. And I see what you did there.
- Perhaps that badge predates mobile phones and is something more like what Shinigami originally used to receive orders about Hollows. Shinigami got upgrades over the years but Ichigo gets the same substitute badge used for Ginjo which never got any changes since there's been two subs and one was a dick villain. Anyway, odd to think that Shinji (or some guy with the same design) was likely going to show up in the original arc given his first appearance. Way to be creepy btw, Shinji.
- I was going to say it's strange how Kon never got a gigai for himself since Ichigo doesn't really need him anymore and doesn't keep him around anyway. Urahara could give him a custom made body and probably even a place to stay since he'd shouldn't really just live in Ichigo's house of his (neverending?) life. But then he does on the next page so...
- That Shinigami's reaction isn't even suspicious because humans aren't supposed to get Shinigami powers in the first place, this guy's just a rank-and-file and he's been stuck here since Rukia went back to Soul Society. Not sure why he never got reassigned though. Though it could have been interesting if there was a time when Shinigami granted powers to humans with spiritual potential to help them (like what the Quincy took upon themselves to do) which ultimately backfired with Ginjo. But he seemed to have been the first and last until Ichigo.
- Do Shinji and others stay in a gigai all the time? It's hard to tell unless we're meant to assume that they'll pop out in Shinigami clothes when they go soul.
- I suppose the badge's restriction isn't much use when he's in Shinigami form.
- Cool entrance. I like the moon beyond his Hollow hole.
- Technically every Hollow rips opens holes in space to get to the Human World so it's not like doing one in the sky is a big deal.
- Not much of a sales pitch. But I suppose Shinji doesn't really know what went down in Soul Society and it's not hard to assume that Ichigo wouldn't be too friendly with the Shinigami. Which he isn't at this point, I suppose, but it's understandable for him to identify himself as one.
- This is where the schizophrenic naming scheme for the Quincy starts bugging me. Use German or use Japanese but please don't flip between them. Hirenkyaku and Ransoutengai stick out like a sore thumb.
- Resourceful son of a gun.
- More people should kick monster ass in suits.
- "Sure thing, Dad, I'll get right on that so let me get my bow out- OH WAIT!"
- Little magic tricks like that are something I'd have liked to have seen more of. For instance, why not have every Shinigami armed with gear like that to help protect them? Could have saved Rukia's ass in chapter one.
- It's a terrible shame that Ichigo isn't here in a parallel to Uryuu's reveal.
- That's a damn good zanpakuto for someone in the Fourth Division. As I've said, I would liked to have seen Hanataro get in the ranks for his healing skills.
- Ichigo's flip-flopping sensory skills strike again. It might bug me less if someone pointed out that his spirit sense fluctuates to make it seem deliberate by Kubo, perhaps saying it's because Ichigo hasn't specifically trained it so what he can consciously and unconsciously sense varies.
- What does that even mean? Does a true blood refer to someone born from a Shinigami parent rather than spontaneously being born with Shinigami powers? Not that it excuses him kicking your ass, biatch.
- Don't you make Ichigo be home by 7pm every day?
- This change would have make a lot more sense after releasing his zanpakuto (which I would have liked to have seen). But it does explain the deal with Ichigo's original over-sized sword given how technically weak he was at the time. I suppose it's something stronger Shinigami do unconsciously because I would think that a lieutenant like Renji would have had a fairly big sword himself.
- So much for Ichigo avenging his mum. Isshin totally within his rights to do it, of course, but I don't think Ichigo even hears about this entire incident unless we assume it happened off-panel during the timeskip or even after the Thousand Year Blood War.
- Back when Hollow/Arrancar death scenes were fairly consistent. It gets weird later, IIRC.
- So Isshin and Masaki met about 5 years before Ichigo was born.
- I guess Isshin's misunderstanding about the Vizards (Visoreds? Make up your mind) and the original explanation for Urahara's exile means that their story was going to be a fair bit different. Knowing what the real story is, not sure why Urahara doesn't tell Isshin about it since they're going to be messing with his son and they're treating themselves as one group.
- I wonder if the arrancar were originally saw with the Grand Fisher were meant to be an independent group if they've been around for decades.
- Sorry, bruh, ain't no army here. Also totally skips over the adjuchas who would be more dangerous but I guess Menos Grande have the best combination of numbers, size and powers and already demonstrated to be under Aizen's control. Still wish Seireitei had been attacked by Menos Grandes.
- Still creepy, Shinji. Even worse considering his real age.
- Doesn't take long for Hiyori to prove she's a total bitch, hey?
- Why hate humans? Especially enough to kill Ichigo's friends which would have been pretty fucking stupid anyway.
- Can't blame Ichigo for being scared when he's literally being haunted by his evil twin. But since you already learned about Urahara's involvement in Hollowfication, you're next step should just be going to him for help or at least to learn more about your condition.
- The fuck is up with that sign?
- It's a shame that this goes absolutely nowhere. There should have been a scene where Ichigo and Isshin lay all their cards on the table with Karin, Yuzu and each other.
- I've always wondered if this was something specific to Yammy or a general power. It ties into his specific abilities but also with the general abilities of the Arrancar. I'd have liked to have seen it again as a means of draining spiritual energy for Shinigami (being too strong to lose their souls).
- Imagine if those two had landed at the school itself. That'd a tragedy that hits close to home and would drive the main characters crazy too.
- Fucking brutal. I'm sure that'll lead to a rematch of epic proportions.
- And this certainly sets off quite the chain of events.
- This could have been so epic. She didn't just throw it out willy-nilly but gathering her resolve, charged her power and sent it flying like a goddamn rocket. Now if only it had accomplished something. I'd have preferred another reference to the strange nature of her bodies by slicing through Yammy's hand because it doesn't work like a typical slicing attack.
- Get told to step back and literally does not move.
- Wow, it really does take a while to see one of these damn releases. It might have been less painful if Ichigo hadn't gotten the shit kicked out of him after Yammy had released (if he really was the #10).
- It implies early on that Ichigo could defeat Ulquiorra and yet he doesn't accomplish it without some crazy shit going down instead.
- So. Damn. Badass. It also shows that Ichigo still has plenty of room to grow as a Shinigami considering what Yoruichi and Urahara can do without even using bankai, but Ichigo is sadly forced to focus on his Hollow side instead.
- Sometimes reading the official translations just isn't as good.
- Going by Urahara's bankai, the basis of Benhime is to restructure his spiritual energy into various forms in response to his enemies which, frankly, gives him a lot more versatility than most.
- Or maybe you should have used your goddamned zanpakuto.
- WHY THE HELL ARE YOU PRETENDING TO BE SCHOOL KIDS!?
- It's been five days but Ichigo doesn't even know who the bad guys were. Not sure which is worse; that no-one told him or that he never asked.
- Not everyone's willing to climb a building and through a window to make a dramatic entrance. Rukia's one, Hitsugaya is another.
- Sweet speech. Shipping aside, I definitely like their relationship.
- I love these guys. Particularly Karin with her frank appraisal of Tatsuki's bod.
- The Gotei 13, ladies and gentleman. Personally, I think Soifon would have been a logical choice for this mission since her divison is focused on recon and it gives them a connection to Urahara's group.
- So Gillian are Menos Grande but Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde are types of Menos too.
- I suppose it's best to assume that when facing them but there's a big difference between the captains in the first place.
- Sucks to be you guys then. Except not really because they all get trounced.
- Kubo didn't have a clue, did he?
- Never seeing you again. Or you.
- How would Ichigo prove useful? Did he sense the Hollow power and think he could be converted? Or that he'd potentially wreak havoc for the good guys by going crazy.
- Heh. Hormones.
- Shouldn't Shinigami have safe houses throughout the Human World? Their assignments there last more than a day or they don't appear to go back until the mission's over so where do most of them end up staying? Zennosuke's been in the Human World for weeks now.
- Yumichika can smell Hollows. Weirdo.
- Those Kurosakis...
- First time Keigo's been shown to see Hollows IIRC. Yet there's no mention of him seeing ghosts like Tatsuki did.
- Harem ending, get.
- Wonder how Pesquisas works. How come the Shinigami don't have a specific sensing technique anyway?
- It's easy to forgot how rare this flying thing used to be.
- Sucks to be weaker than one of the weakest arrancar. At least Yammy was among the elite.
- If I recall correctly...nope.
- Y'know I totally misremembered this scene because I was expecting Rukia to call Ichigo out for sending Chad away despite it being the logical choice.
- Areas of high reishi concentration aid spirit energy recovery. I'll keep that in mind because I'm sure it comes up again later.
- It find it incredibly annoying when characters die because showing off their zanpakuto. Killing them before they do is good tactics but still...
- If only we hadn't already seen the strongest ice zanpakuto who is now on the same mission. And if only Kubo had come up with the temperature power first to make Sode no Shirayuki more original.
- Oh, I guess Keigo has been seeing ghosts. He was just in denial.
- That would be so much cooler if it wasn't Ikkaku and the 11th didn't suck.
- Could have been a good opponent for a less sucky Chad.
- I'd have liked to have known exactly what a spatial freeze is.
- No shit, sherlock.
- RYUUMON HOUZUKIMARU...I hate you. I loved this entire fight when I was watching Bleach as a kid but now I hate it for various reasons. Because I just don't like Ikkaku, because the second weakest guy Ichigo fight in SS using bankai just gives it a bad name and because it genuinely sucks. I'd be glad we never saw it again except that just makes me hate the fact that it ever appeared and how it helps justify the bullshit bankai retcon.
- You won't be missed. This fight should have just ended with Ikkaku getting knocked the fuck out which is close enough to true defeat (short of actually dying which I wouldn't have minded) for Yumichika to get involved and use his real shikai for a win. It avoids bankai being given to the wrong guy, justifies Yumichika's otherwise pointless presence on the mission and doesn't drag out the mystery of his shikai or even break his personal code doing so.
- And yet Kenpachi makes no effort to go after Unohana despite going through the same experience.
- I'd pity the division that gets stuck with this guy as their captain.
- Skull's still fully intact then? Funny that...
- That's exactly what I mean with Hihiou Zabimaru's glaring weakness. It's like if Zabimaru couldn't retract and was stuck as a whip.
- Enter the Ururu. Begin the massacre.
- Holy crap, Renji's bankai gets busted even more.
- Oh, that the bladed moon thing on Hyourinmaru is like the equivalent of the dragon tail. Don't think I made that connection before.
- Daiguren Hyourinmaru creating ice petals for the sole purpose of counting down to its release never made sense to me.
- OBJECTION!
- Matsumoto's kinda underwhelming there. And her opponent's another one that drops dead without releasing.
- I didn't realise Hisagi's interest in Matsumoto was a real thing. And the dude has some crazy imagination. Kinky too.
- Tessai bringing out the mad healing skills. Shame you couldn't get up off your ass when she got stabbed in the first place.
- Don't be too upset, Jinta. She tried to make herself relevant and paid the price for her folly.
- I didn't realise they were all of Grimmjow's Fraccion were confirmed to be Gillian. Wait, that doesn't make sense since Gillian are all big cloaked dudes without particularly distinctive forms...smells like a retcon. And if the Espada are still incomplete despite being told they've already got ten members, I guess some of them are going to be Privaron soon. We've only seen Yammy, Halibel, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow thus far. I wonder if those two dudes we never see again are other Privaron who aren't lucky enough to meet the good guys upon infiltration.
- The hell is reika? The wiki says 'soul-synthesized' so...made from reishi?
- That is some seriously flawed thinking. Urahara told him little to nothing before he left for the Soul Society even discounting the stuff he was deliberately keeping secret so the guy isn't exactly one to share information. Besides the state of Ichigo's Hollowifcation before and after Soul Society are way too different.
- Because ten Espada and god knows how many other arrancar just aren't enough, let's create another faction of eight guys to join the fun.
- I didn't know Hichigo's eyes were white too.
- Because I'm sure you guys were perfectly rational after Aizen's experiments too.
- That's Hollow speak for "Hello, nice to meet you."
- Yeah, bitch, that's what you get.
- Well, maybe you should have said that from the start and this wouldn't have gotten so confusing.
- Oh, Ichigo don't pretend you care. You don't even try to check on Zangetsu to make sure, let alone how you could still try to learn more about him.
- Once again, Hichigo's Getsuga Tensho puts almost everything Ichigo ever manages with it to shame. And this always annoyed me because it's the same technique as the one used in shikai which Ichigo had been using before Hichigo ever entered the picture. It would help if there was some kind of explanation on why it's different (aside from the colour) that would justify it.
- Wish we could have seen that thing again. Ichigo could have had some crazy Hollow powers given the chance.
- Hichigo's king and horse metaphor probably would have worked a lot better with a king and his servant.
- Cool speech, bro. You too, dude. It's a shame he only briefly lives up to that attitude against Grimmjow and then drops it again.
- It's a shame that next meeting doesn't turn out anything like I hoped.
- Stark, Halibel, Nnoitra, Luppi and Wonderweiss. And Grimmjow chilling up high. Barragan should be around somewhere since it was his castle.
- One month? How times flies.
- You can tell that Kubo completely changed his mind regarding the Spirit King. I honestly prefer this over the bullshit we get in future.
- Passed down the generations says the guy who literally founded the Gotei 13 and was Captain-Commander ever since.
- The hell does Mayuri know?
- While I understanding the reasoning behind Chad training with Renji - training with bankai to surpass limits - I still think he would have been better off with Yoruichi among these guys. Not only would fighting the fastest and most martially skilled Shinigami who once led a division to speedy martial artists be great training experience for him, but Shunko is practically her equivalent of bankai in the first place so she's isn't lacking in pure power. Against Renji, he's mainly just running around, getting hit and shooting energy blasts. And Renji would probably be better off against Hitsugaya.
- I like that Kubo does actually follow through with Urahara's bankai fitting that description.
- I honestly can't remember what Renji wanted to ask or if it ever comes up again.
- Orihime being able to analyze and slip through that barrier was cool. Even more so when Hachigen bigs it up and everyone's kinda freaking out about her unusual powers.
- No wonder Mashiro gets her faced kicked in if she never bothered to train her Hollowfication. You'd think this last century would have made them push the boundaries of their abilities to get some payback.
- I think this is the first time Letzt Stil is actually named. Now this should be the point from which Uryuu started learning Quincy tech like Blut now that he has an actual master, and I would totally be okay with the revelation that once that achieve the power of Letzt Stil again if they survive this reawakening. If only.
- One day, Keigo awakens as a Shinigami with a copycat zanpakuto.
- Another member of the giant race?
- And yet Chad - the guy with actual Hollows powers - is nowhere to be seen. He would have done even better training with Kensei and Mashiro than with Yoruichi with their Hollow powers (and Kensei actually having the perfect bankai for him). And literally no-one besides Hiyori and Hachigen is doing anything anyway. They're literally just chilling out and reading.
- Tell that to Barragan. Not suited to fighting, my ass.
- Goddammit, Hachigen, don't send her away after specifically pointing out that you share similar powers. This is the part where you train her to ensure she reaches her full potential. I want my Kekkaishi!Orihime, damn you!
- Knowing how this ends up, I can't help but sigh.
- Ten seconds in a month is annoying as hell considering 1) Ichigo's growth rate is literally his greatest trait and 2) that time limit pretty much vanishes later on anyway. Life-of-death battles obviously help it evolve faster but it's frustrating when Ichigo probably could have developed a lot more in other ways if he hadn't focused exclusively on this. It might have been alleviated slighter if he could maintain it for quite some time but that time shortens in response to how much he exerts himself.
- So these guys can manifest their zanpakuto even in their gigai. Ichigo should learn that trick. And to be fair to the kid, I think this is the first instance where we see anyone deliberately communicating with their zanpakuto to improve themselves (aside from when Zabimaru popped up in the real world).
You probably made a mistake in your "Cool speech, you too" part, 2 of the 4 links link to the same thing.
And your "I can't help but sigh" link is broken, there's an additional "v" at the beginning.
And damn, I've forgot so much stuff about Bleach.
And your "I can't help but sigh" link is broken, there's an additional "v" at the beginning.
And damn, I've forgot so much stuff about Bleach.
Not to mention, presuming Tite was having legitimate problems with his editors sticking their fingers into his pie, those results are making themselves apparent here. For example, this is how Grand Fisher looked after being demasked -- the entire upper part of his mask is removed, broken However, here, you can see it's been restored as if it was never removed, only opening up to let his face poke through. Also, on some level, it feels like Tite took a page from Psyren and was setting up for a return to the human cast gaining powers, with Tatsuki being able to resist Yammy's energy suck, and the reveal that Keigo, too, can see all the spirits, including Hollows and Soul Reapers, which should have been impossible, unless he was the same as... Ichigo.
Ichigo.
Keigo.
Oh yo. I never noticed that before.
What if that was pun and a hint? You know how the Japanese love their name puns, and we've seen one form of Tite punning on Ichigo's name with the placement of the number 15 on his room door.
Ichigo.
Keigo.
Oh yo. I never noticed that before.
What if that was pun and a hint? You know how the Japanese love their name puns, and we've seen one form of Tite punning on Ichigo's name with the placement of the number 15 on his room door.
Arrancar: The Hueco Mundo Sneaky Entry Arc (Chapter 230 - 251)
- Why would you send out your secret anti-Yamamoto weapon on a random raid like this?
- It's really hard to believe that this guy is meant to be on par with Grimmjow.
- Ah, the all black bankai and that badass mask to go with it.
- Nice of you to take the time to explain that you don't have time to explain.
- But I take back what I said about Ichigo not pulling out Hichigo's tricks because that was two in a row.
- What kind of guests would Shinigami be escorting through the Dangai in the first place?
- Seems unfair that Garganta can go basically anywhere. Imagine if the Hollows just poured straight into Seireitei through these portals.
- My, my, so this is what all those swimsuit omakes were leading up to.
- Garganta television is pretty cool.
- Combat worth aside, portable gigai practically make soul pills defunct as long as they could go back to bubblegum form.
- Damn, Kubo, pick a reason and stick to it.
- Stabbing the 'ground' four times must be a pain in the ass. Though I think that just makes it stronger since she already flash-froze his arm.
- Treasure this, Shinji, because you're never going to be this cool again.
- More nifty gadgets. Useless for Shinigami but handy for our human protagonists.
- My dear girl.
- That's a fairly narrow-minded way of looking things. It's natural to start thinking the worst after being betrayed but they should keep in mind that Aizen has been fucking with them for centuries already.
- Bitch, please.
- It never really comes up but being able to create gateways to Hueco Mundo should revolutionize warfare for Soul Society since they can actually go on the offensive against the Hollows eventually.
- If only this incredible, godlike power ever got to be used in the way it should have.
- Chad should actually be naturally suited to this with his Hollow-like powers. But if he can't do this himself then he's also incapable of flight which puts him at an incredibly disadvantage against literally every enemy they could face.
- Ryuuken probably wouldn't like calling him by Masaki's name.
- I was thinking about this and I guess that Ryuuken has not certainly revealed his true nature to his son but also helped him become stronger for the times. Isshin, on the other hand, did jack shit.
- Dramatic Entrance!
- Earlier they were all Gillians but now they were Gillians and Adjuchas. And is that panel trying to imply that volcano dude was a Vasto Lorde?
- Isn't that what your zanpakuto is for in the first place? All you're really doing is cutting out the part where you release your sword which ain't that much of a difference. Pity our protags didn't get some proper arrancar as a warm-up.
- Love a good hero pose as much as the next guy but I'm really not into that bow. Uryuu should have stuck with a solid bow that can create a web of reishi when he wants to rapid fire. In fact, just have a shapeshifting bow depending on what kind of arrows he wants to fire.
- Not very German of you.
- 'Bout time Chad's attack got a name. Though you'd think his 'weapon' would get a name before the technique.
- Hueco Mundo's too barren for my tastes even if its fits. I'd have liked to have seen more exotic scenery - that still matched the theme - and a lot more Hollows just roaming around.
- Where does the tea come from? How do they build the technology?
- I wonder if Aizen can do that purely because he has twice as much spiritual energy as a captain or if there's some specific quality to exerting his reiatsu that makes people his bitch.
- Oh the irony.
- NEL!!!
- Amusing (really) but I could have done without the two arrancars (whatever they are now). Just have Nel running from some wild Hollows and stumble on Ichigo's gang by herself.
- Isn't the white sand basically the entirety of Hueco Mundo? Anyway, it seems a waste to have left this guy a Hollow because he would have made a badass Arrancar.
- I guess Shinigami have gone to Hueco Mundo before then...
- Are you really saying there's not even a spell just to make a light? Weren't Kuukaku or Ganju conjuring balls of light back in SS at one point?
- No, Rukia, that's stupid. And don't agree with her just because of your warrior pride, Renji. Splitting up in unfamiliar, hostile territory against an unknown number of powerful enemies isn't the way to go. And Ichigo has personal experience in how that shit works out from Soul Society where practically everyone else was captured and were spared more because of luck than anything. This should be the point where you try and sense Orihime and then choose the path most likely to reach her (or just make the damn path). If you get in a fight and then get split up then fair enough.
- Probably one of the worst among all of the aborted plot threads. Of course, it wouldn't have worked and whatever Orihime did probably would have resulted in her awakening the Hogyoku completely but still.
- That reaction.
- Even Gin and Tousen think you're stupid, guys.
- I guess Grimmjow just skipped right over that stage. Hell, he was still hanging out with the rest of the Espada anyway.
- Especially when you can walk on air.
- In her slumber, she grows restless...
Arrancar: The Fierce Fight Arc (Chapter 252 - 286)
- I never realised that Dordoni had hidden inside one of his own tornadoes.
- Consider how the Exequias are formed, I'm surprised there aren't a lot more of them around the place. If only to be fodder for the good guys.
- It would have been so much better if Ichigo had heard this speech instead of it just being an internal monologue.
- Makes you wonder why Arrancar even bother with swords for zanpakuto when they could have cool toys like that.
- For god's sake, you can walk on air.
- Heh. Heh.
- With Privaron Espada 103, 105 and 107 accounted for, we're still left with at least five of them we never saw if we fill in those gaps. Assuming it isn't just whatever their original number was with '10-' tacked on but I like to think there were more of these guys around.
- BRAZO DERECHO DEL GIGANTE!!! BRAZO IZQUIERDA DEL DIABLO!!!
- I think Kubo got a tad lost with Chad's powers. It's not surprisingly he never realised his right arm was defensive when all it ever does it shoot energy blasts and super charge his punches. Chad unlocked the power he has in his left arm during training but he'd only been using his right arm since the team met in Urahara's basement. He didn't unlock the real power of his right arm until after coming to Hueco Mundo which was obviously quite a bit later and yet he didn't use his left arm until after unleashing his new right arm. It would have made more sense if Chad had been using both arms at least since his training with Renji and they simultaneously get upgraded in his fight against afro arrancar.
- Why the hell are you using the offensive arm to block an attack? Though calling the other arm defensive is a stretch since it has more attack options and a shield that doesn't do much. The defence/offence thing feels randomly tacked on the whole.
- Chad rises higher than ever before...
- ...and then falls so much further.
- Ashido and the Forest of Menos would have been something I'd like to have seen happen. Nel could have been his companion and introduced them both together.
- But where does the food come from?
- I find that my mind automatically tags "-dono" at the end of Kaien whenever Rukia's involved. I watched way too much of this anime.
- It's hard to imagine the mental gymnastics required for Nnoitra to say that and believe it.
- More technology...or magic. It's hard to tell in the Bleachverse.
- Szayel's another reason why I wish Mayuri had been a traitor too. He's basically just a shiity copy and so we've left with one mad scientist too many. Uryuu goes and fights this guy anyway.
- AGAIN?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
- The brother thing is random as hell. And how does that even work for a pair of arrancar?
- One of the better release commands.
- Now watch me still only use this trident.
- This would have been much better had it been an intentional ploy to get AA's guard down for the final blow.
- Haven't got a damn clue what Renji did here.
- MAKE UP YOUR MIND, KUBO!
- Orihime, you have powers so please you use them. How the hell did you plan to destroy the Hogyoku in your own door stymies you?
- Priceless.
- Scenes like this make it look like he's already doing that Getsuga sword thing.
- Ouch.
- I guess these guys make up most of the Numeros which seems like such a waste.
- Instant karma, biatch.
- I'm curious what Menoly's skill was meant to do. And what her released state because we never saw that for some reason. My money's on a scorpion.
- "Now that I've repaid my debt, let me put myself into your debt again" - Do you even hear yourself, bruh?
- Grimmjow don't play with no ugly girls.
- People die when they are killed. Until she brings them back.
- Gotta love Arrancars getting freaked the fuck out by Orihime.
- I'm pretty sure the guy with iron skin is gonna be more durable, Renji.
- Wouldn't releasing his zanpakuto heal those injuries anyway? Then he can get down to business.
- Oh, I see. Kubo wanted to really drag this shit out.
- You'd think the bad guys would try using these on the Shinigami instead of each other. It'd be a damn good tool for keeping Yamamoto off the battlefield for instance, if given the chance.
- Nothing like a silent bankai to show you mean business.
- Shame Ichigo ain't got two swords. Could have come in handy there.
- No. They're full of shit and did absolutely nothing.
- One of Ichigo's better chapter covers.
- I wonder why a bit of blood turns a Cero into a Gran Rey Cero. Does it grow more powerful in proportion to the amount of blood you use? Ulquiorra could have been the master of Gran Rey Cero since he could sacrifice entire limbs.
- And one of my favourite Resurrecion.
- The precursor to Grimmjow's big bad Desgarron.
- Seeing how he was stuck in bed and then chased after Orihime, only one of these makes sense.
- Ichigo's Crowning Moment! Damn, I've always enjoyed that scene where Ichigo finally goes fuck it and decides to enjoy a battle to the death.
- Sucks for Ichigo but I like how his mask reminds Orihime of her brother.
- And the shippers go wild!
- Ichigo, please, when has that ever been enough to stop your enemies. They always get back up at least once.
- Such a weird technique.
- Nel knows what the ladies like.
- Dick move, Nnoitra. Dick. Move. But really, I kinda wish Ichigo had actually killed Grimmjow since, after maybe a couple more panels, he fades into nonexistence for several hundred chapters, drags things out when he finally does return and doesn't really do much when he makes an actual appearance.
If only I could believe it wouldn't inexplicable make things worse.
Arrancar vs Shinigami Arc (Chapter 287 - 315)
Arrancar vs Shinigami Arc (Chapter 287 - 315)
- Goodbye, Grimmjow. See you in quite a few years.
- Basically wasted so much time just so Szayel could put a coat on which becomes redundant when he releases his sword immediately. He also rearranged the corridors to prevent them escaping and undid his anti-bankai thing. Because why not.
- As if Orihime didn't have enough working against her. Her hairpins should come with an inherent "reject breakage" policy just for situations like this.
- Eye beam!
- Ichigo, you deserve that kick in the face for turning around when the enemy is standing right there.
- NEL TU!!!
- And bam, she casually slices Nnoitra's chest in the first blow. I wonder if cutting through Hierro is just a matter of physical force or if it's about sharpening the reiatsu in your blade enough to overcome it (like when Ichigo fought Zaraki but more so) if not both.
- Nice reactions.
- Do tell. We started off this arc with the idea that Aizen had only just started making these guys but this implies his army's been around for years rather than months.
- Damn right it wasn't much fun. Szayel is probably the worst aspect of this arc so far with his random tricks and boring abilities, dragging things out until the Shinigami arrive.
- Oooh, now it's just getting embarrassing. Ichigo's tired and injured, of course, but getting smacked around by a mere Fraccion is still sad to see. Out of all the skills he could have learned, someone should have taught him healing kido if only to keep himself in the fight with his ridiculous spirit energy. Which would actually be a good counter to the damage his bankai inflicts (or inflicted rather because that never comes up).
- Pity Nnoitra wasn't killed by a woman then. But now I'm imagining that its Unohana who confronts him instead and the thought of that is glorious.
- Szayel was an Espada who got kicked out of the Espada and then went back to being an Espada. The history of this group is really confusing.
- Spirit Insects sounds like something worth expanding on. Oh well.
- Dunno why Nnoitra getting so freaked out when he can just release as well.
- GAMUZA!!
- Ironically, her lance does less damage than her first below. But now I realise that Nnoitra blocking it with his zanpakuto - which you'd think would have some repercussions for breaking - probably saved his life by blunting the force.
- So are these zanpakuto or what? Pesche and Dondochakka are kinda like Ururu and Ginta in that I don't get how they work and no explanation is forthcoming. Are they still arrancar or did they devolve after losing the rest of their masks? Did they just dress up like weirdos or in actually in their released state?
- When weaklings don't know their place...
- Child abuse!
- Tesla's another opponent suitable for Chad. Instead of making him job against Nnoitra, he could have fought against Tesla first...and then gotten sliced up.
- Now there are generations of Espada.
- SHINIGAMI, BABY!!! It's about time the main characters arrived. I was getting sick of those human side characters trying to steal the show.
- Why not just do the usual Pesquisa?
- Can't you do both? It isn't like you became a pacifist and someone's gotta kill these folks.
- I don't see the point in Zommari having the fastest Sonido when his Resurreccion turns him into a sitting duck. This skill would have been better suited for Grimmjow who looks and fights like a speedster in both forms and is the rival of the guy who out-sped Byakuya back in the SS arc.
- I'd like to have seen what the other Onmitsu skills are. I presume the speed clone but that's all that comes to mind.
- I genuinely laughed out loud.
- Worst Resurreccion? Worst Resurreccion. Maybe if Zommari didn't have such a fat ass and most of the eyeballs floated around instead.
- Byakuya dropped his sword, picked it back up and then dropped it again just to do bankai. I'm sure that scene could have been made a lot smoother.
- Arguably the most pathetic of the Espada. Aside from Byakuya cutting himself a bit, that felt like a ridiculously one-sided beat down and while AA screamed like a bitch when he died, he at least didn't beg for mercy, IIRC. It's sad how some of the Fraccion would have made a Espada.
- Nemu, this is the part where you break free with your own strength and go mod soul on Szayel's ass. I know you can, dammit.
- y da fuq do we need two pages of this for?
- One of the creepiest pages in this entire manga.
- Szayel, you literally just said you need to inject someone with an egg first. Unless that shit's airborne, you ain't immortal.
- Christ, another power that Kubo recycles in the Quincy arc. And against the same person too.
- The next page should have just shown Dordonni and Cirucci's corpses.
- Cool story, bro.
- Didn't Neliel break that thing?
- How about you aim for the eye you know he has next time? Even when I saw that for the first time I was like "wrong target, dude."
- Kenpachi claimed that he wanted to get stronger after 'losing' to Ichigo but now he says that he's been slacking off. Bad enough he can't be bothered despite having the motivation but he's getting lazy when preparing for an actual war.
- Wait, did Kenpachi slice another chunk off of that zanpakuto? Looks remarkably intact.
- Ichigo's remark about her shield makes more sense in this translation whereas others made it sound a lot more ominous. Now it sounds like Orihime's gotten a lot stronger - understandable after training her ass off - but we know it still won't go anywhere.
- Dat Killing Intent.
- One thing I can appreciate about Kenpachi's fight against Nnoitra is that it felt like a lot more even than the curbstomps demonstrated by Byakuya and Mayuri.
- Ah, yes, kendo. This would have worked a lot better if Kenpachi had learned kendo after the SS arc in his desire to gain power by practicing proper sword techniques instead of having the skill all along.
- Goodbye, Nel.
- Oh look, it's just like when Rukia got dragged all the way back to execution hill by Tousen. The parallels never end.
- Until Orihime what? I don't remember this coming up before. Just that Aizen probably kidnapped her because her powers were interesting.
- Gotei 13 in the house. It's a shame these guys don't literally gear up for war. They could do with some specialized armour imbued with magic and tech instead of their billowy and weak robes. It'd give them some variety too.
Wait a second....
You mean to tell us that the only reason Orihime does jackshitall in the series is because she never thought/no one ever mentioned to Soulforge/upgrade her Rikka to match her potential? Not even the damn fairies themselves??
....my God, how much ass she could have been kicking by now!
Even Hachimon could have been like, "Hmm... he's easy to fix, but his body is weak. Perhaps you should look into some kind of strengthening for your little friends." and undoubtedly, we would have seen a marked difference with Orihime. Hell, I wouldn't even mind if Tite took a page from Final Fantasy VIII and treated the Rikka like you do with Rinoa's dog Angelo -- they get strong just by absorbing the reishi from Soul Society/Hueco Mundo's atmosphere until they hit Level 2, and the pin changes design. Then all holy hell breaks loose, the six fairies using new and stronger techniques to protect Orihime, restore others much more rapidly, and Tsubaki is not only faster, he gets to ignore any and all defense boosts his target may have, including Hierro.
You mean to tell us that the only reason Orihime does jackshitall in the series is because she never thought/no one ever mentioned to Soulforge/upgrade her Rikka to match her potential? Not even the damn fairies themselves??
....my God, how much ass she could have been kicking by now!
Even Hachimon could have been like, "Hmm... he's easy to fix, but his body is weak. Perhaps you should look into some kind of strengthening for your little friends." and undoubtedly, we would have seen a marked difference with Orihime. Hell, I wouldn't even mind if Tite took a page from Final Fantasy VIII and treated the Rikka like you do with Rinoa's dog Angelo -- they get strong just by absorbing the reishi from Soul Society/Hueco Mundo's atmosphere until they hit Level 2, and the pin changes design. Then all holy hell breaks loose, the six fairies using new and stronger techniques to protect Orihime, restore others much more rapidly, and Tsubaki is not only faster, he gets to ignore any and all defense boosts his target may have, including Hierro.
The Past Arc
Arrancar: Decisive Battle of Karakura Arc (Chapter 316 - 340)
- That's just mean, Yamamoto.
- Fulfill your destiny, Hanatarou. Become lieutenant. And thinking back, it would have made sense for him to have been on the team sent to Karakura Town as the team's official healer.
- You'd think there'd be some kind of emphasis on righting Soul Society's wrongs given just how much it sucks but it's just something in the background.
- Zanpakuto should be able to materialize and dematerialize. It'd be so much more convenient and rather fitting with their nature.
- I had no idea Akon was in the Maggot's Nest. He seemed like such a nice guy.
- Clothing is weird in the Bleachverse.
- Behold the future captains of the Gotei 13!...Uh, sorry, Hisagi.
- [insert sex joke here]
- Couldn't Urahara have used the spell to contact Hiyori telepathically if he's so worried about her? Though it's hard to believe those two had any relationship at all since there's nothing to hint at any connection between them in the present.
- The one and only time the Kido Corps are remotely relevant. I wonder if that staff is actually a zanpakuto.
- It would have been awesome if the Vizards could Hollowfy like this.
- Those cloaks could have come in handy when the humans invaded SS.
- Weird seeing a kid in the Gotei 13 (who isn't a creepy killer like Gin). I can't really remember Nanao's story from the Quincy Arc and if it has any bearing on her being a kid in here.
- I suppose Tousen's bankai was originally only able to steal his enemies sight but it's a bit hard to tell what's happening since it starts and stops so quickly.
- Which tells you that Aizen had some very obedient lackeys in Seireitei and that he must have hypnotized a shitload of people to pull that off. It's a shame that idea was never expanded on after he left.
- I'm curious how Aizen stimulated the Hollowfication.
- Ninjahara to the rescue!
- Why can't you be this awesome in the present, Tessai?
- And they're forbidden because...?
- Just in case anyone was feeling sorry for these guys getting massacred.
- Does that mean that Urahara was the only one who couldn't return to Soul Society? He was the only one actually banished while Tessai was meant to go to prison and Yoruichi was retroactively stripped of her titles.
- Dat ass.
- Sadly, all Urahara manages to do is return them to Shinigami form with a Hollow spirit trying to eat them alive from the inside out. Oh well, it could have been worse.
- How did the Hollow get blown up while the Whole - who I'd expect to be significantly more vulnerable - got away scot free? Was the Hollow targeted or is it just because that much Shinigami reiatsu just has that innate quality? Why are their random souls wandering around fake Karakura anyway?
- Now that's a goddamn shikai.
- As long as they don't fly over or under it, I suppose. It would have felt like a more effective entrapment - and look cooler - if it was more like a swirling orb of flames around them.
- How the Arrancar Arc should have ended.
- Arrancar? I do find it hard to tell sometimes.
- Ichigo should have cut them down like he did Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.
- And we're back to Chad's normal arm. That shield thing feels so damn pointless. And the lack of symmetry between arms bugs the hell out of me; if the right arm can turn into the shield then the left arm should turn into a fucking cannon or some deadly shit like that.
- This'll end well.
- The first(?) indication that Starrk's actually the top dog. Heh. Dog. Wolf. Ahem.
- Nah, these guys gotta be Arrancar. Just the really shitty kind that no-one wants to talk about.
- I would have thrown in some magic barriers too just so the lame-ass Kido Corps could earn their keep.
- Is there some kind of rivalry between Hisagi and Kira? Hisagi pretty much murdered him in a daydream about Rangiku.
- They make me think of boy bands.
- Hiding Charlotte's face here just so we can experience true horror later. You're a cruel bastard, Kubo.
- I suppose Shinigami would pray to the Spirit King.
- Oh god. Oh god why? The only character of this type I've ever been okay with is Bon Clay because he was a true bro. Charlotte..is not.
- Good to see that after being such a pussy in the last arc, Kira's stepping up his game.
- Seriously, guys, just jump over the top.
- That's one zanpakuto I would have liked to have seen the bankai of. Probably a giant soul-sucking tree called "Rainbow Peacock" or "Prismatic Peacock". Pity that Yumichika isn't remotely worthy of such power and would need some serious development to make me okay with that.
- I'm sure everyone appreciates that you're willing to risk helping Aizen win a war because of your insecurities, Yumichika.
- What a remarkably pointless power. If Findor's power automatically increased as he fought but wasn't something he could control or he was deliberately holding back to be a dick then fine. But if he just increases it by breaking his mask then he should go full tilt from the start instead of having an awkward ability like that.
- Why spin the sword around just to cast the whirlwind spell?
- Pretty random activation sequence. Not sure why he couldn't just grow the extra pair of wings straight out.
- In that respect, Kira would make a fitting Captain for the Third Division.
- Whiny bitch face he may have, this is definitely Kira's best moment.
- Three water-type arrancar is at least one too many.
- Cool gadget.
- REAP, KAZESHINI!!!
- Kira's asking the right questions.
- Hisagi just described literally every sword ever. And scythe are technically farming tools so his zanpakuto is better shaped like a lethal weapon in its sealed state. Anyway, the lack of anything resembling wind powers for his shikai is criminal.
- I always disliked this quote. I get the idea and part of my dislike is purely because it came from the hypocritical traitor but mostly because I prefer Urahara's "What's necessary in a fight isn't fear. Nothing can be born of that." Fear is generally treated as a negative quality in this series. Such a quote seems particular fitting when dealing the weapons that host a sentient being and represent the nature of your own soul. If Hisagi had more screen time, I'd have liked to have seen him grow beyond that.
- Second strongest man in the 11th, boys and girls.
- Yumichika didn't give a shit when Ikkaku was being beaten to death in front of him before. Don't make a fuss now.
- No, he wasn't. No, he's not.
- ...It's a little hard to take him seriously with that face.
- KOKU-JO TENGEN MYO-OH!!!
- Don't be so hard on yourself, Komamura.
- What bankai? Shit's broke. He didn't have anything to hold back. Seriously though, the bankai retcon makes the whole sequence with whaleface and Iba redundant because the best that Ikkaku could have done was throw some broken chunks of metal at the arrancar whereas before he was obviously holding back because of his hard on for Zaraki. Which was a dick move and made me dislike him but fit what we'd learned so far and made the words being thrown in his face justified.
- Someone should give Ichigo this speech given the stupid shit he'll get up to soon.
- Yamamoto sounds like a TV announcer.
- Now that's a match I'd like to see.
- Someone escort this guy from the battlefield, plz. If he'd actually died saving someone's life or to give them a win over the arrancar then he might have been slightly redeemed for me. But he didn't so nope nope nope.
- Given the true nature of Starrk's power, I think it would have been better if he didn't have a zanpakuto and used just those spirit swords he summons later. Also, Rangiku, stop talking out of your ass.
- Like Ichigo's future zanpakuto. Not that there's any relation.
- Less talk, more kill.
- Please just...take him away. The amount of pages wasted on this punk is painful.
- Another transformation?!
- Which might have meant something if Hinamori stabbed someone in the back or tried to protect Aizen at some point but what actually happens has no bearing on this, IIRC.
- I stand corrected on Nel. You miss out on all kinds of tidbits reading Bleach online.
- Subtle evidence of Starrk's badassery.
- Cool spells, bro. I would have liked a list of literally all the kido at some point.
- Can all arrancars do this with each other or is this unique to them? And if it is, how the hell do they manage it?
- Thematically, Ayon would have been an awesome match for Renji as Chimera vs Nue. And Renji, unlike Matsumoto, is someone who could say he's gonna take on the three Fraccion and I'd believe him.
- Ouch.
- I wish Lilynette had been Starrk's equal as joint #1 instead of the huge power disparity between them. The hell happens if Lilynette actually gets killed in this state anyway?
- Gosh, maybe you should have brought some actual 4th Division members along for the freaking war. They even took Hanatarou to Hueco Mundo so what are the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Seat doing?
- "Time to use my zanpakuto's wicked ability!"
- "Or not!"
- Looking a bit lopsided there, mate. Hows about you beef up the lefty too for maximum effort?
- If you're gonna say "Ryuujin Jakka" then you might as well have set the damn thing on the fire in the first place.
- I'd have liked to have seen Unohana use this move to hint towards her mastery of pure zanjutsu.
- Burn, baby, burn.
- Or you could, y'know, kill the goddamn enemy. I was confused as hell when it turned out they were alive because I just assumed Yamamoto meant that he wouldn't completely turn them to ash, not that he'd actually spare their lives.
- Funny looking hollow.
- For god's sake, Chad, why do you even have a super-powered left arm? Defensive power, my ass.