At the end of the previous chapter we saw Kensei step in to protect Mashiro against  Wonderweiss’ surprising strength that caught Mashiro a little off guard, leaving her severely injured.

Kensei Bankai (Fan Art)

This chapter is important because, as far as I can remember, this is the first time we have seen a Vizard Bankai. In case we were unsure whether they had a Bankai at all or if their Hollowfication was as far as their powers extended. While maybe not a complete surprise as many of the Vizard where originally Captains of the Gotei-13 many years ago, it should be expected that they would have a Bankai, albeit my original thoughts that it would be something a little different to the normal Bankai that we’ve seen so far.

Once Kensei goes Bankai he turns his full attention on dealing with the unruly Wonderweiss who, for his lack of respect, will be taught a lesson for getting “above himself” .

As Kensei and Wonderweiss collide headlong into battle with one another, we return to the eerie calm of Aizen facing the Gotei-13 and remaining Vizards who are well and truly riled up and ready to go.

Hiyori sees red! (Fan Art)

Shinji Hirako, appearing to be leading the collation of Captains and Vizard, warns everyone of Aizen’s abilities demanding caution.

It’s uncertain if he directed this at Hiyori Sarugaki or just to everyone around him, yet Hiyori responds indignantly with “I know!”, seemingly because she felt patronised by Shinji. Granted this is just Hiyori’s small-person complex speaking.

As Aizen begins taunting the group gathered before him, we see Shinji tell Hiyori to relax her grip on her katana. It appears as though the very voice of Aizen is enough for Hiyori to become extremely angry.

Aizen continues to taunt and bait the group in making the first move. The quote of the Chapter is from Aizen:

“Whether you approach with caution or without, or even if you do not approach me at all, the result will be the same. I do not speak of the future. Your demise is an already inescapable fact of the past.”

Aizen tries to show them the futility of their situation, suggesting that their fates have already been sealed before they have even moved. Recognising the blatant attempt by Aizen to provoke a reaction, Shinji once more warns the group to not react. To which Aizen responds.

“What are you afraid of? You already died that night a hundred years ago.”

Gin takes out Hiyori (Fan Art)

This is direct reference to when the Vizards, standing before him, became Hollowfied during the Pendulum arc which retells of the catastrophe by jumping a 100 years into the past while the Vizards were still Captains and Vice-Captains of the Gotei-13.

At hearing this, Hiyori, unable to restrain herself any longer, attacks Aizen, despite Shinji calling for her to stop. Just as she raises her blade, Hiyori is cut down by Gin Ichimaru, but not just cut – Hiyori is cut in two!

Gin, with his weird smile breathes out, “One down”  as Shinji shouts Hiyori’s name rushing to catch her.

What the heck just happened?! What did Gin do? His Zanpakutō, Shinsō, still in it’s Shikai form, seemed to stretch and split Hiyori in two with minimal effort.  Upon first reading these pages,  it wasn’t immediately clear that Hiyori had been cleanly cut in two/bifurcated by Gin, but it is clearer when we see Shinji holding just the top half of Hiyori’s body in the distance and at the same time we see her feet and the lower part of her body lying on the floor in the foreground.

Ichigo is coming! (Fan Art)

Shinji then calls out to Hacchi but then realises that after his fight with Barragan he is unable to assist in restoring Hiyori’s body as he still only has one hand. At that moment he remembers Ichigo and the others, in particular Orihime Inoue and her healing/time reversing ability that would undoubtedly be able to help save the dying Hiyori. Shinji then shouts towards the sky, calling Ichigo’s name.

Anyone notice how Shinji’s main contribution to this Chapter was just to shout people’s names? Let’s hope his contribution is greater in the next Chapter.

The chapter ends with our long absent hero, Ichigo flying through the sky with a look of urgency and determination upon his face, flying to save his comrades and flying towards Aizen.

What’s going to happen next? Is that the end of Hiyori Sarugaki? Will Inoue make it in time? What will Ichigo do when he arrives? So many questions. Drop your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.

We begin this chapter with Aizen in the process of executing Tia Harribel, the Espada Tres, who also happens to be the only remaining Espada.Was Aizen lashing out in a moment of madness last week? I would have said so had he not always been portrayed as a heartless and calculating individual that not only because his Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, has some strange and powerful illusion abilities but that he is also a master manipulator of the highest caliber.

Mashiro vs Wonderweiss (Fan Art)

Aizen states that he would not have bothered recruiting the Espada had he known that he could defeat them on his own. At that moment Harribel strikes Aizen in a rage, appearing to pierce him from the unexpected attack, especially as she should be dead already! The result? The tip of a katana appears through Harribel shoulder and we discover that Harribel only struck the illusion of Aizen and he was now delivering the final blow.

Distracted by the events above, Mashiro Kuna on the ground is surprised by the odd character that is Wonderweiss Margera (Wandāwaisu Marujera), who until that time was face down on the ground after getting a good beating from Mashiro.

Wonderweiss is a strange character, to say the least.  He has appeared in subsequent arc, albeit most would have simply ignored him as his involvement was fairly short lived or minor. He seems to be quite young and easily distracted by a range of things. He also seems to hold a significant amount of power but the fullest extent of which is still yet to be seen. He seems to be Aizen’s wild card or even the Ace up his sleeve, but we still don’t know what’s going to happen to him or what he is capable of. It’s clear that he must at the very least, be on par in strength to some of the top end Espada. Could he be stronger than the Primera Espada, Starrk?

As Wonderweiss attacks Mashiro, she spots it and delivers a bone crushing kick to the face sending him flying.  Kensei Muguruma comes running in warning Mashiro that she’s been her Hollowfied form for too long to which Mashiro decents that Kensei doesn’t know how long she can keep her mask on for.

Kensei vs Wonderweiss (Fan Art)

Then just like a boomerang, Wonderweiss comes straight back at Mashiro, trying to catch her off guard. She catches him by the head and smashing him into the ground. This is where we see a glimpse of Wonderweiss’ ability as he springs upward grabbing Mashiro’s scarf and flings her through the air. Indignant at the damage of her scarf, Mashiro attacks again with a Cero only to be canceled out by Wonderweiss doing one of his own.

At that exact moment Mashiro’s mask shatters, loosing her Hollowfied state and along with it the strength that she had, Wonderweiss, as dumb as he may appear, spots the opportunity and punches Mashiro straight in the face sending her flying back into the air. Just as Wonderweiss is about to deliver the final blow to Mashiro, Kensei steps in, catching his fist.

Kensei intervenes, just in time and warning Wonderweiss that he’s “… not the sort of adult who goes easy on kids!”. Yikes!

Wonderweiss may be about to a serious timeout from Kensei! I cannot wait to see what brand of discipline Kensei prefers for unruly kids.

So what do you think is going to happen next? Will Kensei teach Wonderweiss some manners in the next chapter? Leave some thoughts or comments below and tell us what you think.

This chapter opens with additional background to Starrk’s origins and how he ended up with Sōsuke Aizen. We see Aizen stumbles upon Starrk surrounded by a mountains of the remains of hollow, that we can only assume Starrk defeated which Aizen ask’s if he indeed killed them, to which Starrk replies something to the effect of, “No, they just died”. An interesting reply, which helps to further skew the picture we all have of Starrk as increasingly we find him to be troubled, disturbed and so very lonely. I for one have mixed emotions about him,  should I sympathise with him? But I can’t he’s a bad guy, right? Or maybe it’s not supposed to be so clear cut.

Kyouraku Shunsui (Fan Art)

Aizen quickly recognises Starrks strength and attempts to recruit him and Starrk agrees, stating that he, Aizen and the rest of their team also seem to be strong enough to not die by just being in proximity to him (Starrk). Again, an odd response but one that leaves us to make the assumption that he was such a powerful individual that the other hollow could not survive around him which is why is always remained alone.

The chapter then cut’s back to Starrk falling from the sky, after being killed by Shunsui Kyōraku. Seemingly in his final breathe, his final thoughts are thoughts of thanks and failure. Thanks for Aizen for providing him with company that were just as strong as he was which meant he was no longer alone in the world, and also failure, in that he could not repay the debt he felt he owed Aizen.

With this fight over. The Primera Espada has fallen. Some might say he went to soon but it has to be said, his opponent, Shunsui Kyōraku, was a Captain of the Gotei-13 and is also quite possibly the strongest Captain in the Gotei-13 apart from the General, so in some senses it had to end sooner rather than later.

Love Aikawa then complains that Kyōraku interfered in his fight, stating Kyōraku has no style, to which Kyōraku responds:

“Only underlings get caught up in matters of style and lose the battle. A Captain can’t afford such indulgences.”

“[Said to Aikawa] Don’t try to be a good kid. Whether you owe someone or they owe you, the moment you start a fight, your in the wrong either way.”

Wow! What a few line those are! So Kyōraku does have a serious side to him. Instantly we should see that this Captain is deeper than anyone can perceive and his bright and colourful exterior belies his ability to be serious when the situation calls for it. He also hints at the fact that really there are no winner in a fight, no party can leave a fight feeling as if they have done good, because no good can come from another death. In a way I feel this almost in a way is said to honour the defeat of Starrk at his hands. I find myself just liking Kyōraku as a character more and more.

Harribel (Fan Art)

Before we have time to enjoy any more of Kyōraku coolness we switch again back to the fight underway against Tia Harribel (Tia Hariberu), the Espada Tres and Lisa Yadōmaru (Yadōmaru Risa) which has been going on, seemingly all the while the Starrk fight has been going on.

The fight is in full flow and just as Lisa releases her Zanpakutō’,  Haguro Tonbo, Hiyori Sarugaki joins in the fray with her Zanpakutō, Kubikiri Orochi, in Shikai form too. Completing the triple-team attack is Toshiro Hitsugaya.

Watching all this going on from a lofty height is Aizen, still removed from the actual fighting and instead just floating in the air watching everything take place. Only now, he decidedes to intervene.

Aizen ends Harribel (Fan Art)

As Aizen calls a halt to the fight between Gin Ichimaru and Shinji Hirako, he appears behind Harribel and immediate executes her in one single motion, slicing her almost in half.

Harribel in shock attempts to ask with her dying breathe, why? To which Aizen responds that he is “done” with her and she is not strong enough to fight for him. Just like that, he kills a comrade, but by his explanation of his actions we can only presume he saw the Espada more has pawns than comrades, fully dispensable when or if they could not perform as he expected them to perform.

The end is quite abrupt and very surprising if not a little expected at the same time, because we do know that Aizen is a cold hearted killer. Afterall he fooled everyone of the Gotei-13 into believing he was their friend and comrade only for him to betray them at the beginning of the arc.

So what now Aizen? You have finished off all your Espada. What remains for you now? What will you next plan be? I think we can rest assured there will be plenty more betrayal and back stabbing from Aizen before the conclusion of this arc.

What did you guys think of this chapter? How would you have rated it out of 10? What do you think will be Aizen’s next move? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

The way Bleach works is that it only slowly (in some cases very slowly!) reveals secrets; and thats secrets about people, about their abilities and about their pasts. One character in particular I continue to look forward to learning more about are the more illusive Captains of the Gotei-13 of which the anime viewers and manga reader know very little.

Shunsui and Ukitake Fan Art

For me, at the top of this list is Shunsui Kyōraku. He  along with Jūshirō Ukitake are said to be the oldest captains amongst the Gotei-13, with the exception of Retsu Unohana and General Yamamoto of course. Assumptions have been made which suggest they have been Captains of the Gotei 13 for at least 200 years based on a 110 years ago before the current era in which the Bleach universe/story takes place.

Kyoraku, with his flamboyant style and care-free demeanor make him standout amongst the Captains of the Gotei-13. His laid back attitude suggests he has nothing to prove — especially if he’s been doing this for over 200 years! So he must be good! And as I’ve mentioned before, he has an almost uncanny resemblance to Kibagami Jubei from Ninja Scroll, but that could be due to the straw hat and long hair.

Anyways, on to the episode!

Starrk Fan Art

We pick up this chapter with the ongoing fight between Love Aikawa and Rōjūrō Otoribashi and the Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk (Koyōte Sutāku) being brought to an abrupt albeit temporary cessation in fighting when Starrk has the point of a massive sword poking through his chest.

After the shock of the surprise attack we learn the interruption has been caused by none other than Shunsui Kyōraku who has decided to join the fray as a result of, as we learn a few cells later, that his Zanpakutō, Katen Kyōkotsu  Flower Heaven, Crazy Bone) was now in the mood to ‘play’. It’s interesting that Kyōraku uses the word play to describe his Zanpakutō’s willingness to fight as being in the mood to ‘play’ which not only suggests his Zanpakutō has some sort of personality and conscientiousness but also that it’s quite a sinister one at that.

It is particularly sinister because  Kyōraku’s Zanpakutō attacks are based on childrens games and it works by adding quite harsh penalties to both the wielder and the victim if they loose. For example, the first attack which Kyōraku makes on Starrk is a game called Kageoni (Shadow Demon) and the rules are basically whoever steps on a Shadow loses.

With Kyōraku’s Zanpakutō, Katen Kyōkotsu, the rules are quite simple. If you win, you live. If you lose, you die.

Katen Kyokotsu Fan Art

As a side note, I have struggled to work out who is in control in this Soul Reaper-Zanpakutō relationship of  Kyōraku and Kyōkotsu, because at times it is almost suggested by Kyōraku that he is being controlled by the will of his Zanpakutō, Kyōkotsu. It definitely brings an interesting element to mix.

Taken aback, Starrk regroups ready to attack but Kyōraku (or is it Kyōkotsu)  begins another game, Irooni ( Colorful Demon). This one, as the romanized name suggests, is a colour-based game where you say the name of the color you want to cut and you cannot cut anything else. If, however, the colour you called does not exist on your body then the damage is minimal, even if normally the attack would inflict a much more severe wound. This is evident by Starrk’s surprised by how slight the damage was on his arm despite it appearing as though Kyōraku attacked with all his might, which would have otherwise been enough to sheer Starrk’s arm clean off.

To maximize damage when playing Irooni, you have to choose  a colour that maximizes the risks to yourself as well. So by selecting a colour that you are wearing the most of, you inflict greater damage provided that person has that colour on them as well. Therefore you attacks are weighted. The greater the risk to the attacker, the greater the attack.

Kyouraku Shunsui Fan Art

Starrk quickly analyses the situation, making the connection between the game and the last call, working out that his arm is clad in grey but Kyōraku has no grey on himself. Quite soon after, Starrk retaliates, calling ‘White’. An excellent choice against a Captain of the Gotei-13 who wear the all-white Haori.

The Chapter here switches to a brief backstory for Starrk (a signal the end is near for him possibly?) and we learn that the reason he has become two is out of a loneliness. There could be some link here to the back story we had a while back for Grimmjow where we learned more about the process Hollow take to become Espada. Essentially the Hollow grow in strength buy eating other weaker Hollow and as they grow stronger they become lone wolves, constantly consuming any weaker Hollow that crosses their path.

Here, we see Starrk’s cries for a companion result in him splitting himself, just so that he would have company. This whole back story helps attribute a greater level of humanity to Starrk. It makes the reader want to sympathise with his plight. He doesn’t want to fight but his fighting is necessitated by the fact he wants to save his friends as we saw in the previous Chapter.

But, before we can get too deep into  Starrk’s past, Kyōraku makes his next move. Kyōraku throws his Haori off toward Starrk, revealing the standard all-black Kimono that all Soul Reapers wear as he prepares for his next ‘Irooni’ attack — calling “Black!”.

Shunsui pwns at Irooni

And there it ends for Starrk, or does it?. What is going to happen from here? Can Starrk really survive such an attack? What other games do you think Kyōraku’s Zanpakutō will come up with next? Tell us what you think below:

Starrk Fan Art

This is one of those intermittent chapters that really sets the stage for things to come, particular as we begin to see what Aikawa is really capable of in terms of his sheer brute strength even without his Hollow mask. We are also finally introduced to his Zanpukto, Tengumaru — which seems to be where the inspiration for the title of this chapter is derived, as a Cludgel is simply a term for a club that is used as a weapon. I certainly didn’t know that but could have guessed at the link in the title.

Love’s club, Tengumaru, is gigantic and he appears to swing it with great swiftness and ease that cause the Primera Espada some trouble that he soon ends up on the floor, seemingly defeated.

Aikawa Love Fan Art

It is at this point that we gain a little more insight into the Primera Espada, Starrk. We have already seen that his personality is one that can quite easily be described as  nonchalant. He cares little for battle and fighting in general and in many ways is similar to Shunsui Kyōraku in disposition.

After the death of Barragan, he explicitly stated that he did not care for vengeance because he was not that way inclined and he portrayed a sense of emotional distance from his fellow comrades.

This chapter seems to suggest that he was only putting on a facade and actually dislikes to fight because it means his friends will die and is the reason he is despondent and ready to give up after being beaten to the ground by Love. However, after some encouragement from Lilynette/Ririnetto, (his only Fraccion who joins with Starrk as part of his Resurrección form), tells  Starrk that he should act like the Primera and he must fight in order to save his comrades, dare we translate it as ‘friends’, from being killed off.

Starrk Fan Art by FEE_MUH

Have we misjudged the Primera? Does he actually care more than we really know? It definately seems to be more than he has portrayed thus far. At the end of the chapter, with his new resolve, we see the next stage of Starrks power as a horde of unknown ghost-like and wolf-like creatures appear behind him as the battle really starts!

Is this Starrk, the Primera Espada getting serious? We hope so! Next week can either be great or a disappointment. I will predict they will switch back to the Tres Espadas (Tia Harribel) fight next week to keep us guessing about whats about to take place between Starrk and Love, either way it’s going to be a massive battle.

What did you think of this chapter? What do you think those creatures where behind Starrk and what will Love do? Add your thoughts below.

This episode feels almost as if it ends where it started, we seemingly have got no further after conclusion of the episode. We are still watching the face-off between Muramasa and Ichigo (and his Hollow alter ego), while both Renji and Hisagi battle their respective Zanpakutōs.

Bleach Title Screen

It’s interesting that while this episode is entitled, Gekitotsu! Hisagi vs Kazeshini, there is very little of Hisagi or Kazeshini in it. We see long and quite frankly annoying scenes of Renji fighting his Zanpakuto, Zabimaru – which happens to be two entities joined my a massive chain – who continually fight between themselves seemingly for Pesche/Dondochakka-esque comedy value. Did I mention it’s annoying to watch? Particularly if, like myself, you want them to stop constantly switching between the three fights which serves no other purpose than to drag the storyline out for a full 20+ minutes.

Hisagi and Kazeshini

As the story unfolds we know that the Zanpakuto are now free of their Shinigami and their existence is no longer tied to them, allowing them to exterminate their former wielders without fear of death. The problem for the Shinigami is that if they kill their Zanpakuto, they may lose them forever. This seems to be the central theme of this episode as we see Renji so reluctant to face his Zanpakuto that we basically get to watch him getting beaten up for practically the whole episode. This is stark contrast to Hisagi, who from early on and in other arcs he was quite clear that he hated his Zanpakuto because it was seemingly designed to take lives. Where Renji is being held back by the fear of losing his Zanpakuto for good, Hisagi holds no reservations as he faces Kazeshini who appears to be quite powerful in his own right.

Hollow Ichigo

Meanwhile, Ichigo is still facing Muramasa in his own mind. The Hollow Ichigo has been battling with Muramasa since the last episode and has proven to be faster and more powerful than Muramasa had expected. Towards the end we see Muramasa’s special ability which is some form of manipulation and he gains control over Hollow Ichigo rendering him unable to move or break free. At the moment Ichigo steps in to save the Hollow Ichigo claiming that despite who he is, he is still a part of him.

Quite simply, little is achieved in this episode. I certainly hope the pace picks up and soon! If we have many more episodes like where nothing actually happens, with the exception of the last 2 minutes, I don’t think I’ll be watching the filler for much longer.

Why not tell me how you’ve been finding the filler so far in the comments below. Is it just me or is it utterly dire? Speak you mind below:

The Formidable Foes

This chapter is no exception to that rule.

During this flashback we learn where Barragan came from and how exactly he came to be under the rule of Sōsuke Aizen. One of the things I think is executed brilliantly is the absolute power Aizen commands and the amazing gentility in which he commands it. He appears so polite, so friendly and at the same time his power is quite ferocious and devastating.

Throughout the chapter we get glimpses of the raw power of not just Aizen, but also Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen. It’s almost as though this chapter serves two purposes. While we learn more about Barragan we also see that Aizen, Ichimaru and Tosen are formidable foes and they are strong enough even to bring the king/god of the Hueco Mondo under their authority.

There is not much else to this chapter. There are some poignant words spoken, particularly by Hachigen, who explains that even though Barragan appeared powerful, he had the same weakness and fears as anyone else, despite the fact he continually maintained that he was a god.

Beyond such sentiments it feels more a case of 1 down 2 to go, as now just the Primera Espada and Tercera Espada stand in the way of the Gotei-13 and a showdown with Aizen, Ichimaru and Tosen.

Bleach Fan Art

How exactly they will take down the Primera, Starrk remains to be seen, especially as he has already proven to be more than a handful for potentially the most powerful Captain (with the exception of the General) of the Gotei-13, Shunsui Kyōraku – who looks uncannily like Jubei Kibagami from Ninja Scrolls. Anyone else noticed this?

Well I think it’s safe to say we are all looking forward to the next showdown with ever increasing impatience, especially since the Bleach anime is running filler at the moment. All I can say is, I cannot wait till this section of the story reaches the anime. To see how the manga is interpreted into motion is always a delight to behold.

Till then, drop some feedback below on how you think this arc is progressing. Who do you think will be the one to take down the Primera?

What normally happens with filler is that they brew up some strange storyline based on a set of villains that will obviously be defeated in a way that ultimately upon returning to canon, can in no way corrupt the direction the manga intends to take things. So don’t expect to learn anything new about any of the characters or for any seemingly new abilities they pick up to be carried through. Nor should you expect to have anything particularly revelatory revealed to about anyone, least of all any of the central characters.

Title/Splash Screen for #234

What you can expect is for pre-existing concepts known to the reader to be extrapolated into fully fledged filler content. That’s a bit like what we have on this occasion and during this arc which is being referred to (by Wikipedia at least) as the ‘Zanpakutō Unknown Tales’. In this arc we are seeing the Zanpakuto rebel against their Shinigami masters. Now we already knew that Zanpakuto have a human form and the Shinigami have to face their Zanpakuto and master them to obtain their Bankai. So not much new there. What we didn’t know is what all these Zanpakuto looked like, particularly for the other Shinigami. Of course we knew Ichigo’s Zanpakuto is Zangetsu (斬月?, literally “cutting moon”) as we watched him gain his Bankai, but we have not had the pleasure of seeing anyone else’s Bankai. Can you see the extrapolation taking place?

Now the concept is still one that can be considered interesting, particularly in the case of some of the more advanced Captains of the Gotei-13 such as Byakuya Kuchiki, Yamamoto-Genryūsai, Shunsui Kyōraku and Kenpachi Zaraki, to name but a few. Most notably, Kenpachi Zaraki – who of course we know is the only Captain without a Bankai as he doesn’t know the name of his Zanpakuto. At the same time, this is where we will be disappointed because we quickly hear that Kenpachi is not around and Yamamoto has been captured because his Zanpakuto would not cooperate, so immediately we see again that nothing new will be revealed in this filler either. With that being said, I would love to be proved wrong.Zabimaru

Zabimaru

This episode picks up after the quite impressive battle between Ichigo, Zangetsu and Muramasa where we see Ichigo seemingly fully release his hollow form. It was something totally different to the Vizard/Visoreds half-masks, instead he was completely hollow and displayed some amazing power. We also see that the Gotei 13 are still recovering from the attack and the Zanpakuto are no where to be found nor is the missing Bayakuya or Yamamoto.

Quite simply, the whole episode really amounts to nothing. The whole 20+ minutes are spent revisiting what happened in the previous episode along with snippets of the start of three seperate encounters, setting the scene for future battles between Renji and his Zanpakuto and Shūhei and his Zanpakuto, Kazeshini. There is plenty of posturing, even some down right time wasting as we see Renji’s Zanpakuto, Zabimaru arguing with itself effectively for a good few seconds on screen. It seems when even filler has filler in it something is seriuosly wrong with anime. It really comes across as a poor attempt to just make up the minutes required for a full episode.

Hollow Ichigo

There really is not much to take away from this episode at all. We also see Muramasa attempt to draw out Ichigo’s hollow doppleganger in an effort to free him from Ichigo as he did with Zangetsu. It is at this point that the episode effectively ends. What we do know is that it seems Ichigo’s hollow self has the ability and strength to oppose Muramasa but we won’t know the full extent of this till subsequent episodes, but there is enough at the end to allude to this fact.

At the end, you can only groan in despair at how painfully disappointing the episode was to watch. I know it’s filler but does it really have to be this bad? Lets hope next week is much better as we are due to see  Shūhei face off against his Zanpakuto, Kazeshini, which I can again only presume will be the first/third (if you include Rukia and Ichigo’s fight) in a long line of Shinigami vs Zanpakuto fights which may no make up the sum total of the arc. Again, I do hope I am very wrong.

Let me know what you thought of the episode. Did you think it was as bad I thought it was. Let us know below.

Well since Bleach #200, we were in the throws of another massive show down between Nnoitra Jiruga and Kenpachi Zaraki. Since then a number of the Espada have fallen and Sōsuke Aizen, along with his cronies (Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen) have made their way to Karakura Town, albeit the fake Karakura Town.

The encounter between Aizen (plus cronies) and the remaining Espada (with the exception of Ulquiorra who was left behind to hold the fort in Hueco Mundo and is amidst a show down of his own against Ichigo) encounter the full-force of the Gotei 13, including the Commander-General, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai.

First to face off are the Vice-Captains; Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa , Izuru Kira and Shūhei Hisagi against Barragan Luisenbarn’s Fracción (his minions who fight at the level of Vice-Captains).

Still with me?

Before this current episode, both Yumichika and Izuru have beaten their Fracción counter-part in quite prolific fashion, in particular Izuru, who has, arguabley, both the lamest and most ingenius weapon/zanpakutō (depending on who you talk to, I lean toward the latter opinion), Wabisuke. Which not only has the ability to double the weight of whatever it touches bet seems to lend itself quite well to spectacularly gruesome beheadings.

Now, on to today episode, and let me just begin by saying: Wow!

It’s been a long time since I can quite easily say, “I enjoyed watching that episode”.  Not only was it action packed from start to finish, it was well produced, the artwork was top-rank and the all round quality of the scripting and direction was nigh on faltless.

I dare say that it was almost as good as Ichigo vs Grimmjow – and you can quote me on that!

The battle scenes where fast paced, helped my plenty of flash-step, a personal favourite and the build up toward the end and the final crescendo was just right – dare I say, perfect.

What contributed to such an amazing episode was the contrast between the two leads for this episode,  Shūhei Hisagi – who is humble, downcast and melancholic, and the Fracción, Findore Carias, with his confident, proud and arrogant exclaim of “Exacta!”, on multiple occasions.

There is plenty in this episode to commend it to you to watch at the earliest opportunity and maybe even, more than once.

This was indeed a welcomed break from slow pace of late and the punishment of filler. Lets hope that they keep this pace up when  Ikkaku, who ends the episode appearing to be down-and-out, can defeat the final Fracción, Choe Neng Poww.

I’m interested to hear whether, you agree with the above or disagree entirely. Leave a comment – it makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

Well, this is the 200th episode of the Bleach saga, and for those that need to catch up — you’ve not missed much. Since the collosal fight between Ichigo and Grimmjow in episode 1xx (need reference!) and the commencement of the filler which featured the lovable Captain Amagai amidst a fairly weak storyline, especially for Bleach filler, known commonly as The New Captain Syūsuke Amagai arc. If you really want to know more about it see here.

Well, returning to the current episode there’s not much new thats exposed to here. I think everyone is waiting to find out more about the Espada, particularly the higher ranked Espada for which (at the present) have only been revealed up to No. 4 which is Ulquiorra [Schiffer].  Instead, we are greated by the closing section of possibly the longest, most boring and tiresome fight in the history of Bleach - Szayel Aporro [Granz] vs others. It seems that Szayel has fought the most people over the most episodes to date with the inital fight being against Uryū Ishida and Renji Abarai which last for a at least two episodes and then continued against the insanely annoying Pesche [Guatiche] and Dondochakka [Bilstin], whos obvious inclusion for light comic relieft is infuriatingly annoying as they seem to serve no purpose other than to delay the progression of the storyline. After that fight, which holds a few surprises, moves onto the arrival of the Captains of the Gotei 13 and in particular Mayuri Kurotsuchi who now battles Szayel.

The closing sequence to this battle is quite sinister and slightly chilling but quite enjoyable.  I’m unsure if the enjoyment is the fact that the fight has finally reached a conclusion or the fact that Mayuri is so utterly weird.

One thing that has to be said is that while the anime appears to be faltering in delivering the goods, for those that follow the manga each week along side the anime, there is some relief there in terms of getting a decent Bleach ‘hit’ like the Bleach addicts you are.

All we can do is hope that the conclusion to the fight between and Nnoitra Jiruga and Kenpachi Zaraki is either swift in its delivery or extremely entertaining as it seems to be building up to be a fantastic episode.

As the Zen Master said, we’ll see.