The Thousand-Year Blood War arc

566 - What is Your Fear?

So, while Renji was asleep, he was being watched. Great. But what the hell happened during that time? Less fighting? More slaughter? Oh wow, here's hoping Rukia kicks As Nodt's ass.

567 - Dance with Snowwhite

Oh look. Rukia freezes As Nodt's ass. Good.

Hear. Fear. Here. 2

I spoke too soon. And one of Kubo's cliches kicks in, everybody.

This happens every time you freeze someone, Rukia, and yet you act shocked when it happens!

Again, just like The Superstar, As Nodt seems more like a JoJo's villan than a Bleach one. I mean that as a compliment, because that means they have super interesting and strange powers. It's a shame they're wasted in Bleach.

I had been kicking around the idea of doing a sort of farewell YoruSoi oneshot, to official close that part of my writing properly, but fuck me if actually reading Bleach doesn't kill any motivation for me to do that.

It's become some sort of morbid obligation at this point, continuing to keep up with Bleach. Part of me doesn't want to let go because it was s such an important part of my life for the better part of 3 years, but I'm also fascinated by it's downward spiral.

569 - The White Haze

Byakuya makes use of his Shikai on As Nodt. Byakuya then gives Rukia some inspiring words. Rukia activates Bankai- wait what?! Yup, Rukia activates, "Bankai: Hakka no Tagame." And what seems like the end of Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla at the end, As Nodt's ass is frozen for good. Or some BS reason not. Again.

"You've become formidable, Rukia."

Not really, she's still in the same place as she was day one; freezing dudes and then being shocked they break out.

570 - Closer, Closer

So, it looks like As Nodt got done in for good. And we got a vague background on him. Kinda how Byakuya explains Rukia's Bankai. Oh look, Isane & Yachiru. And now there's a creepy Stern Ritter in the room.

571 - a Devilish Perspective

Oh dear god please tell me Yachiru wipes out that creepy-ass... thing of a Quincy. And I just have a feeling Kubo has other weirdos he can't wait to show off.

yachiru is amazing

572 - The Blaster

Wow, Isane's face at the start of this week's chapter made me laugh. Oh right. Hey guys. Remember Kenpachi? He's back.

573 - I AM THE EDGE

Kenpachi said it himself: Unohana is dead. So while he earned the title of Kenpachi...does that mean Isane might be the Captain of Squad 4? But first, let's see the Sternritter with a messed up imagination be put down.

574 - DEATH IN VISION

Squad 11 notices their Captain's back, & Kenpachi keeps slashing at the freaky boy in front of him, no matter what his imagination conjures up. Please, by all means, fuck up that Sternritter.

Man I waited too long to read the chapters and half of them aren't even up still.

I'm having this problem where Bleach has been dragging on so long that I really can't bring myself to care much at this point.

Typically all I do is check spoilers, and ask myself a few questions:
1. Is Yoruichi in the chapter?
2. Is Uryuu in the chapter?
3. Is Ulquiorra in the chapter?

If the answer to all three is no, then I just read the spoilers and don't really even read the full chapter.

I will admit I read last week's chapter in full because I wanted to see Isane's reaction, and it just kind of left me confused. This week's chapter was pretty meh as well.

CaptainYoruichi wrote:

Typically all I do is check spoilers, and ask myself a few questions:
1. Is Yoruichi in the chapter?
2. Is Uryuu in the chapter?
3. Is Ulquiorra in the chapter?

1. Sadly, no. Last I heard, Kubo said Yoruichi looks the same pre-timeskip. Yet we don't know what she's been up to.
2. Uryu is with his brethren, so to speak. Well, he tried to avenge his mom, but is stuck watching SS get conquere until ordered to do something by Ywhach.
3. He's dead, Jim.

575 - THE KILLERS HIGH

Well....nothing particularly interesting happened this week.

576 - THE KILLERS HIGH 2

Nothing new, Kenpachi still fighting Gremmy. Though, the name 'Nozarashi' may be the name of the former's Zanpakuto. With a meteorite crashing on Sereitei. Or not.

577 - Blade

So no, Marvel's daywalker black superhero isn't in this. But we see Kenpachi's Zanpakuto 'swallow' a meteorite. That counts for something, right?

578 - THE UNDEAD 5

Here's hoping Kenpachi finished off the little bastard. Oh, and he's proven that, if you're smart, even spirits can survive in space. Gee whiz Kubo, what other laws of physics will you break next?

So like, what, two chapters with Rukia, who is arguably the second main character in the whole story, but what is this now, the fourth with Kenpachi? Seriously why is he so popular?? I'm just like...yawn, can we move on now please.

579 - THE UNDEAD 6

So FINALLY Kenpachi's fight is over. Some of his squad shows up, he orders 'em to find Yachiru, but the subordinates get annihilated by Bambietta's entourage. Oh great.

580 - The Light

Oh my God can this carnival of freaks just stop? What about these abominations, even with the ladies now, makes 'em Quincies? Rhetorical question is rhetorical. But...an explosion in the sky means someone is inbound. Yachiru's up to something? Or has Ichigo finally returned? Tune in next time!

581 - The Hero 2

Oh look Ichigo's back. The way he showed up reminded me of 2 previous scenes from the series. 1) In Huneco Mundo, when Kenpachi saved him from Nnoitra & his Fraccion. 2) The first time the Vandenreich came around & effed up SS, Ichigo arrived and first went to an injured Byakuya (who was embedded into a bloody wall), before returning to action.

Now, we see Carrot-top standing over an injured Kenpachi, before going back to doing whatever a protagonist does. Maybe we'll get a short flashback on what he was doing before he flew off, or what his new Zangetsu(s) do. Eh.

582 - The Headless Star

So Ichigo also got a new outfit (unsurprisingly). And he's back in the fight. Meanwhile, Yhwach has something to do, and Uryu & Hashwalt follow suit. I dunno WTF can happen next. Maybe Ichigo wins against those 4 freaky girls, then some other big bad comes along, or Yhwach pulls something that somehow hurts a lot of the bad guys, someone comes and heals Kenpachi, blah blah blah.

583 - The Headless Star 2

So we see Ichigo fighting, no duh. And it looked like he pulled a new move right at the end. Wonder if he learned anything else with his new Zanpakuto. Oh yeah, new Bankai (again).