Bleach Chapter 502 - Falling Soul - Review / Thoughts

Wow.... just wow. Bleach 502, what an incredible chapter, and one that as a Byakuya fan wasn't easy to read!

So showing that the Stern Ritter aren't to be messed with, Kubo did something that at one time fans would have said was impossible - killing one of the main characters in the series. I have been a Byakuya fan for years and so am of course gutted he's been killed off, but it shows Kubo isn't afraid to take risks or to upset the fans anymore.

This is what a REAL war is. Not like the one Kishimoto is writing where nobody dies, and not even like the last war Kubo wrote with Aizen and the Espada, this is the real deal and has been nothing short of amazing.

Seriously, if you dropped Bleach because of the Aizen arc, or even more recently with the Fullbring arc, I strongly urge you to pick the series back up. Needless to say this chapter was fantastic, and yet again Kubo has outdone himself, but also the arc itself could well be the best stuff Kubo has ever done.

The first arc was brilliant, and I personally loved Turn Back the Pendulum as well, but at this rate neither of them will stand up to this current arc. It's as if Tite Kubo listened to all the complaints from the fans, and then changed and fixed all the things he was previously criticised for.

But yeah, Byakuya not only died, but did so because of As Nodt using Senbonzakura's power against its' owner. That's bloody cruel and such a bad way to go out, not to mention it looks like Rukia and Renji have both been badly injured because they were angry / concerned for Byakuya.

I am actually really worried about who might be next. At the moment it looks like a toss-up between Rukia, Renji and Urahara for who may die next, and needless to say I would be very sad to see any of them go, particularly Urahara or Rukia who are two of my favourite characters in the series.

Oh, and of course I can't talk about this chapter without mentioning the sheer badassery from Kenpachi.

Every time you think he can't be any more of a badass, he comes along and does something that makes you think again! The way he just showed up with a couple of dead Stern Ritter slung over his shoulder/on his blade and asked if the other guy(s) in front of him were in charge, it was just such an incredibly awesome and badass moment, and in all honesty I see Kenpachi being the best hope Soul Society has after Ichigo.

This chapter was very emotional, and I don't blame Renji in the slightest for flipping out over what happened to Byakuya. As Nodt is just plain scary, and it's going to take a heck of a lot to defeat him that's for sure. I am hoping for some craziness from Kenpachi (and Ichigo when he escapes), and also I am curious to see what Shinji does whenever we eventually get to see him.

I honestly can't fault this chapter or this arc at all. If you haven't read it yet, go do so now, Kubo has made sure that Wednesdays are quickly becoming the most exciting day of the week with all the fantastic chapters he is producing.

Bleach Chapter 501 - Hear.Fear.Hear - Review / Thoughts

Wow, Tite Kubo sure knows how to make a war arc! Chapter 501 of Bleach is another good one, but also be prepared for something that's as creepy as feck too!

Seriously, I felt so damn bad for Byakuya in this chapter. Here we have one of the strongest guys from Soul Society, and already he has had his Bankai stolen and made to feel fear like he has never felt before. As Nodt did compliment him on even remaining sane after being hit by the attack, but damn, it was such a messed up thing to happen.

If this sort of thing happened to Byakuya of all characters (one who beforehand most people would have guessed would be well suited to fighting him), then who knows how the heck anyone is going to be able to stop As Nodt.

Also of course it looks like it could be the end of Byakuya, which if it turns out to be the case will be a shame as I have always really liked him. It would certainly show that Kubo is taking no prisoners though, and that no character is off-limits in terms of who dies in this arc.

Unlike Naruto which has been hit and miss through it's own war arc, Bleach has consistently been turning out great chapter after great chapter, and Kubo has done a great job in actually making this feel like a real war with real casualties and sacrifice.

This was a really good chapter yet again, though I admit it creeped me out seeing the panels with Rukia (Byakuya's worst fear version of course) and to a lesser extent the bugs crawling all over him. As Nodt is a sadistic person and he must have the creepiest ability yet seen in Bleach.

Whether Byakuya is dead or not is still anyone's guess at this point, but what I do know for sure is that Soul Society needs a plan and fast, and at this rate, it needs to be a plan WITHOUT Ichigo.

Bleach Chapter 500 - Rescuer in The Deep Dark - Review / Thoughts

So here it is, Bleach has finally reached the 500 chapter milestone! Bleach and Tite Kubo have taken some flack before for various reasons, but the series now can't be faulted at all, while Kubo is showing just how excellent Bleach can be with this fantastic arc.

So yes, Bleach is now at 500 chapters, and chapter 500 itself was another fine chapter from what has been an excellent arc. Things have really gone crazy, and this week was no exception. Jidanbou was raging for unknown reasons, Ichigo was desperately trying to escape the prison he was put in, and Kirge gets sliced in half by some unknown person!

I don't know who it is obviously, but Urahara seemed genuinely shocked by whoever it is, and that itself is not only a rarity but is also worrying. This being Urahara I have faith that even if it turns out to be an enemy, he will probably escape with his life, but I would be absolutely gutted if anything bad did end up happening to Urahara.

The two names that I keep seeing mentioned are Grimmjow and Aizen, but of course that's just pure fan speculation. I can't honestly see it being Grimmjow, as there's no way Urahara would have such a reaction unless he had improved/changed significantly since the last time we saw him. Aizen would definitely warrant such a reaction, but in my opinion it won't be him either. While I do definitely think Aizen will make a return, it's probably still too early for him to make an appearance yet, so I wouldn't bet on it being him either.

This chapter certainly threw up some interesting questions, and nobody bar Kubo himself has any idea what the answers will be. What I can say for sure though is that it made for a very enjoyable chapter, and as this is such a landmark I am really pleased for Kubo and for Bleach as a whole. There are a lot of mysteries in this arc, and Kubo has done a fantastic job of keeping things both exciting and interesting.

This was yet another excellent chapter from this excellent arc, and I have to say that if this does ever get animated in some way, I think the quality will easily win over all the people who doubted Bleach and Kubo after the Fullbring arc.

Bleach Chapter 499 - Rescuer in the Dark - Review / Thoughts

In my reviews I have frequently praised Bleach during this arc, and with Bleach almost at the milestone of 500 chapters, I am happy to say that Bleach 499 continues the trend of top quality chapters from Tite Kubo.

Alright, I admit to one thing from the start - initially I didn't realise just how much explaining was done in this chapter. A lot of it was taken up by Urahara talking to Ichigo and explaining about the Quincy/Stern Ritter. I only noticed when going over it a second time, though to be honest for once I feel glad, as it helped to add to tension and menace to the Stern Ritter. If anyone can make you believe what they are saying, it's Urahara, and to borrow a wrestling phrase, he put them over well.

That said, Urahara did make the one mistake of thinking Kirge was dead, and as a result it looks like both Chad and Orihime got pretty badly hurt. Also of course, it resulted in Kirge trapping Ichigo at the end of the chapter. Ichigo aside, it looks like the Stern Ritter have little to fear, and with Ichigo gone now it's going to take something special to defeat the Quincy and protect Soul Society.

Urahara did a good job of hyping the Stern Ritter as I said, and the explanations didn't seem drawn out and boring at all like some chapters have in the past. Kubo did a great job with this chapter, and of course the parts that weren't explanations were excellent too.

Overall this was another excellent Bleach chapter, and with Ichigo seemingly taken out of the equation, things are going to get very difficult for Soul Society. For us readers though, it should be very interesting to see how Soul Society try and fight back, especially as Urahara is almost certainly going to get involved personally before too long which in of itself is a rare treat.

Bleach Chapter 498 - The Black Rescuer - Review / Thoughts

Yes, here's a slightly late review of Bleach chapter 498. Unfortunately I never found time to read or review the chapter yesterday, but thanks to Urahara being awesome, it was definitely worth the wait.

In this chapter it was mainly focused on Ichigo's battle with Kirge, and with Soul Society desperately trying to get in contact with Ichigo.

I was glad to see things move back to that fight to be honest, as while I certainly have enjoyed the Soul Society invasion, Ichigo vs Kirge felt a bit neglected recently. Ichigo went to show what a badass he is, and I love how he is just kicking Kirge's ass. Kirge is an asshole anyway, and his arrogance annoys me to no end, so it's great to see Ichigo doing so well against him.

Ichigo hit the nail on the head when he spoke about the Quincy being afraid once they found an opponent who couldn't have their Bankai stolen, and it does lead me to believe that the Quincy may not be as strong as expected. Don't get me wrong, they are clearly strong opponents, but it does show that they are also relying heavily upon the fact they can prevent the captains from using their Bankai.

Oh, and there was a lot of panel time for Urahara which is always a huge positive in my book. Urahara is my favourite character in Bleach, and I am going to avoid talking about the reasons why as I would end up on some long unrelated to the chapter tangent. But yes, plenty of action for him, and the way he blasted Kirge was badass.

Badass is the most accurate word to describe Urahara, and although it does look like Kirge has been defeated by him, it wouldn't surprise me if there was still a bit more to come from him. As far as my own taste goes, I don't care who or what Urahara is fighting, as a proper Urahara fight is something I have been desperate for for a very long time. This arc is the perfect chance to give him a good long fight, as well as plenty of other characters for that matter.

I loved the Urahara parts of this chapter as you probably gathered, and I also really enjoyed seeing Ichigo fight and Soul Society scrambling to try and find them both. To repeat what Akon himself said, Ichigo is such an unpredictable man, and so it's always going to be interesting seeing just what he does next. This was yet another great chapter to add to what has been a fantastic arc, and I highly recommend you check this chapter out.

Bleach Chapter 497 - Kill The Shadow 2 - Review / Thoughts

Bleach 497 continues where the last chapter left off, and once again the Captains are in a mess trying to come up with a way of actually fighting the Stern Ritter without Bankai, and once again the chapter is decent but not anything special.

This week (and last week) are more like setup chapters, basically letting everyone know how disadvantaged the Shinigami are currently and how much of a threat the Stern Ritter are. Soul Society is in a mess at the moment, and to be honest without Hitsugaya's quick thinking of getting Matsumoto to send a message to all the other captains, almost certainly a lot more of their Bankai would have been stolen.

Renji was a bit of an idiot for being about to use Bankai even though he was warned not to, so it's just as well Byakuya was there to stop him. I do understand to some extent though because it's clear that panic and frustration are starting to set in, and nobody has any idea what to do.

Ichigo being called back though will most likely change things. We know that for some reason his Bankai can't be stolen, and it wouldn't surprise me if the reason they want him back isn't so that he can necessarily help in the fight (for the moment anyway), but is instead for maybe Mayuri doing some research in to what is preventing his from being stolen so that they might be able to use it for the other captains.

Even Kyoraku seems to be having a tough time against the Stern Ritter, and being slashed like that hardly increases his chances of winning. I can definitely see a fair few casualties during this war, with Kira and Sasakibe being the first couple of what is likely to be many. This again does beg the question of just what Soul Society can do to try and defend themselves, but I guess we will find out in the upcoming chapters.

Overall this was a decent enough chapter, the past two weeks have certainly done a pretty good job of setting things up, but admittedly I am hoping for something a bit more epic and / or action packed in the next chapter.

Bleach Chapter 496 - Kill The Shadow - Review / Thoughts

Bleach chapter 496 is out nice and early today, and after the recent chapters being so good this is of course good news. However, for one of the only times during this arc, I felt the chapter was somewhat of a letdown.

It just seemed to rush by in no time, no sooner had I started than it came to an end. Of course technically it was the same length as any other week, but I just went through the pages really quick hoping something would happen, but sadly very little did. The recent weeks have all had excellent chapters, but this one was definitely lacking in terms of awesome or shocking moments.

I won't deny that the Bankai of the captains being stolen was pretty cool, but that aside there really isn't anything to talk about either in regards to content or something that I particularly enjoyed. As I said, the Bankai thing was pretty good, and I did enjoy the panel with the pic I used above, but as a whole I just don't think the chapter was anything special, and in fact was pretty average.

With that said though, next week could well be very good as the captains try and figure out what to do without their Bankai. Also, Kubo has been churning out excellent chapter after excellent chapter of late, so I can more than forgive the odd chapter like this, and heck, it's still average even now, certainly not bad.

As a whole then I will wrap this review up by saying it's a pretty average chapter, but one you should still read since it is pretty much setting up for next week which could well be another brilliant chapter for Kubo.

Bleach Chapter 495 - Bleeding Guitar Blues - Review / Thoughts

Initially I was unsure of what to think about Bleach chapter 495, but after going back through it, I realised how awesome a lot of it was. The captains mean business and came across great, plus it sets up well for some fantastic battles between Shinigami and Quincy.

It's surprising how quickly my opinion has changed on whether the Shinigami have any hope of beating the Quincy as well. Before now I have commented on how I just can't see them winning, but after reading this chapter, Kubo has honestly made me believe they could actually do it.

It's not that they pulled of something spectacular or showed anything new, but the Shinigami themselves seem to be pretty sure of themselves, and Kubo did a good job of making each and every captain have the aura of a badass. Even aside from the awesome panel with Byakuya telling Renji that he shouldn't hold back, guys like Komamura (and Rose especially), weren't taking any crap from the Stern Ritter.

They just seemed to have somewhat of an air of confidence around them, and from that alone it has completely opened me up to the idea of the Shinigami being far stronger than previously thought, plus having a real chance of winning. Rose was an absolute badass and so awesome in this chapter too. I have never had a strong opinion of him either way, but I won't deny that he had the joint best part of this chapter, heck, maybe the best.

Him and Byakuya both got to be really cool with their little speeches, and I honestly can't wait to see Rose kick some ass, and also hopefully see just how much Renji has improved since the Aizen arc. Actually, truth be told I am extremely excited to see how much stronger a lot of the captains have become, and of course that includes seeing some new Bankais as well!

The sheer awesomeness of Rose and Byakuya alone is enough to make me like this chapter in all honesty, and the fact it has already set up a clash between members of the Gotei 13 and the Stern Ritter leaves me incredibly excited at the mere prospect. Overall this was just slightly worse than the past couple of chapters, but all round still very good and one you should definitely check out.

Bleach Chapter 489 – March of The Starcross – Review / Thoughts

This week I have to say that without a doubt, Bleach 489 was the standout chapter between this and Naruto. Whereas Naruto was firmly rooted in past events, Bleach was very much in the present, as well as setting up something brilliant for the future chapters.
 
Last week we got to see what looked like the beginning of Ichigo vs Kirge, but Ichigo instead starts off against a few other Quincy instead as you can see in the picture above. It doesn’t take long for Ichigo to realise that the people who before were only known to him as the Vandenreich were in fact Quincy. Kirge even comments on the fact that he invaded without even being 100% sure of who they were, not that it makes a difference to Ichigo as we all know by now.

Rather than Ichigo fighting, this chapter was more focused on the strange events that have been taking place in Soul Society, and who’s to blame for it. To begin with we just see Rukia pacing the floor in Soul Society where she is waiting for the captain’s meeting, with Renji telling her to calm down and take it easy, only for Kira to appear and interrupt. He tells them that something is bothering him, and explains how he used to think all the Vandenreich / Quincy stuff was connected with the disappearances from Rukongai, but now he realises that’s not the case.

Kira begins to explain his thoughts on the matters, and asks a question as well. When Yachiru answers, it confirms things for him, and he asks Nemu what Mayuri is hiding (having concluded that there was something odd about the way things had been done and investigated by his group). Nemu says Mayuri never told her anything about the disappearances, with Kira saying he will just have to report it to Yamamoto himself. Later in the chapter, we see Yamamoto confront Mayuri about it and asks him what’s going on. Mayuri tells him that it’s true he was behind the disappearances, as he had some Shinigami go in to Rukongai and kill the people to keep the balance between spirits and people even. Yamamoto asks why he didn’t ask for permission, saying that under the current circumstances it would have been approved anyway.

Mayuri says that if things had got worse, his unit would have been held responsible for it, hence why he went ahead and did it anyway. Yamamoto responds by saying that if they had reported things sooner, then maybe things wouldn’t have become so serious in the first place. Without hesitation, Mayuri tells Yamamoto he is wrong. He then says how right back when Ishida first invaded Soul Society along with Ichigo etc he warned him of what could one day happen, but that Yamamoto claimed his fears were baseless and denied it.

Mayuri then says Yamamoto is the one to blame because he didn’t lill “that man“  1000 years ago. Meanwhile, with Ichigo distracted by his battle with Kirge and the other Quincy, the king declares that now is the perfect chance to invade Soul Society, and so they head off to do just that.

But yes, that was the main content of the chapter. As you can tell, things are getting very serious with potential consequences being unthinkable. The dischord in Soul Society just reminded me of something Kubo said in the interview he did shortly before the arc came out, that being that Soul Society would be devastated like never before (or something along those lines).

I mean, while I know the Quincy invasion is going to have a huge impact on everything, maybe a part of what will make things so devastating and like nothing they have ever seen before will be that Soul Society will become full of rifts between the Gotei 13. With this chapter we can already see that Mayuri is unhappy with Yamamoto, and Yamamoto doesn’t seem too happy with Mayuri either. Of course we have no idea who “That man” is / was, but he could even come back to play some huge role, whether that be what happened in the past or even if he is still alive and active somehow today.

I was expecting this to be an action and battle filled chapter, but instead we were given something that is playing far more with the distrust and psychological aspect of things, and as a fan of that sort of thing then I enjoyed it a lot. Kubo really has done a spectacular job with this arc, and I can’t commend him enough for it. Kubo gets a lot of stick from people for all his trolling and “asspulls” that seemed to be brought up for every arc, but this time I can’t imagine there are too many fans who would criticise what he has done in this war arc.

This was a pretty awesome chapter, despite not being what I (and I suspect many others were expecting), and I really can see next week being fantastic, especially if the Quincy do indeed reach Soul Society by then.

Bleach Chapter 488 – Bond Behind Blast – Review / Thoughts

I have to say this was a pretty good chapter. This week I definitely have to say that Bleach was better than Naruto, so needless to say I was pretty happy with chapter 488.
 
There was a fight with the three Fraccion loyal to Harribel – Sun-Sun, Mila Rose and Appaci in this chapter, and Nel was doing her best to hype them up to Ichigo. Speaking of Nel, she was pretty funny in this chapter as she was riding on Ichigo’s back and doing stuff like covering Ichigo’s eyes so he can’t see where he’s going etc. But there was also some serious stuff in the form of the battle I mentioned above, and also with Soul Society preparing for war with the Vandereich.

This chapter confirmed what everyone knew already, that being that the Vandenreich are in fact Quincy. Mayuri confirms it during a meeting between the Gotei 13 and Yamamoto where they are relaying all the info they have on the Vandenreich and preparing to go to war with them. Yamamoto asks if they have found where the Vandenreich (who from this point on I shall refer to as Quincy since it’s been confirmed now) are located, but he is told that they still don’t know yet. Yamamoto tells them to start preparations for war immediately since they were given the 5 day deadline, with Yamamoto saying that they can’t trust people as despicable as the Quincy to even live up to their word, and that they could strike at any time.

Elsewhere, the trio (who Nel referred to as Tres Bestia) finally stop arguing amongst themselves, and instead start fighting and defeating some of the Quincy soldiers. Nel tells Ichigo that they are really powerful and scary, and tells him that he doesn’t even need to do anything as Tres Bestia will probably wipe out the entire army themselves in no time. Of course Ichigo still continues on anyway, while one of the Quincy runs up to the captain and says they are really strong and that they should retreat for now. The Quincy who said it is then just mercilessly killed, and the Quincy captain tells the Fraccion that he has a proposal for them.
He says that they are strong and that it’s wonderful, as they would be perfect pawns for “his majesty”.

He says it’s why he doesn’t want to kill them, and suggests that they surrender instead and become pawns, where at least they would be reunited with Harribel. He then says that there could be no greater joy for them than what he just said, but the Fraccion refuse to listen, telling him not to underestimate them, with them then trying to attack the captain. The Quincy captain says it’s a shame they don’t want to negotiate with him.

Ichigo meanwhile hears a loud explosion, and Nel says it’s probably from the 3 devils and that she won’t make fun of Ichigo if he decides to go back. Just after she finishes saying it however, we get to see the Quincy captain standing on top of a rock or a hill (or something like that anyway) with the three bloody (and presumably) dead bodies of Sun-Sun, Mila Rose and Appaci at his feet. He then notices Ichigo, and comments that now with a Shinigami having arrived that it has been a really busy day for guests.

So yes, that was pretty much the content in the chapter, and it all tied together pretty well. We had the classic mix of seriousness and light hearted scenes / panels which has always been one of my favourite things about Bleach as a whole, and of course it was nice getting 100% proof and confirmation that the Vandenreich are members of the Quincy afterall.

No doubt fans of Sun-Sun, Mila Rose and Appaci will be pissed off that they were wiped out so quickly and effortlessly, but I guess Kubo is doing it just to build up some hype and add some feats to the Quincy before they go up against the Gotei 13 and Soul Society.

Speaking of which, of course it was very interesting to see Ichigo being noticed by the Quincy captain, as it means there could very well be a fight between the two of them in the next chapter. Obviously it’s no guarantee as the captain could have other plans, but if it does go ahead it should be awesome, especially if / when Urahara eventually catches up to Ichigo as well. There is still a lot to come and a lot to expect from this arc and the upcoming chapters, and admittedly this chapter didn’t advance things too much, but overall it was still an enjoyable chapter and one that I really liked reading.

Bleach Chapter 487 – Breathe But Blind – Review / Thoughts

Just as promised in the previous chapter, this week with Bleach 487 we got to see both Ichigo and Urahara, and even some colour panels like the one above! But aside from the awesome colour pictures of Urahara, how was the chapter itself?
 
My first impression of it wasn’t that great to be honest, compared to previous weeks it just didn’t seem as good. Upon reading through it again though my opinion of it is a bit more favourable. I loved the colour panels with Urahara and Ichigo as you probably guessed, and was more than happy with them. Urahara was his usual silly self at times which always makes me laugh, and in what was a mostly serious chapter this kind of humour is a welcome distraction.

In this chapter we do get to see Ichigo, Urahara and Nel etc go to Hueco Mundo like they had planned in the last one. When they get there, the first thing they notice is that they are surrounded by the dead bodies of Arrancar who had been killed during the Vandenreich’s invasion.  The group soon notices that there are a group of Vandenreich gathering yet more Arrancar just as the king had previously requested. The Arrancar are seen being dragged away, and when Ichigo asks what will happen to them, Pesche answers that they will be taken to a camp and be divided in to two groups – one that will end up becoming abducted and held prisoner, and another where they will all be killed immediately.

Without hesitation, Ichigo stands up and says he is going off to save them too, despite Pesche telling him to wait and saying Dodonchakka wasn’t amongst the ones captured. Ichigo replies by saying that it doesn’t matter, and that he will still save Dodonchakka but that in the meantime he might as well save these captured Arrancar as well.  Urahara jokingly comments about how he wonders if Ichigo realises that not too long ago these people were his enemies, but Chad comments on the fact that they all know it doesn’t make a difference, as with the type of person Ichigo is he always wants to save people. Everyone else then begins to follow after Ichigo who had rushed ahead while they were talking.

We then see the supervisor/captain of the Vandenreich’s hunting team – Kirge Opie – who is watching as all the captured Arrancar are made to line up in front of him. A couple of the hooded Arrancar debate amongst themselves whether to go through with their plan or not, with it pretty much being agreed they would soon after. The person in charge then tells all the Arrancar that, starting from the right hand side, he was going to stab them all to death. He then asks if they absolutely wish to live, and to become their comrade, and that if they did, then they are to bow down in front of him and lick his boots.

One of the Arrancar asks that if he agrees to it right away, will they spare his life. He is then stabbed right through the chest, with the captain saying that anyone who fails to understand what he just said will end up the same, and that there is an admission test they all must pass. It’s so illogical even a couple of the other Vandenreich nearby are commenting on whether the captain had any real intentions of taking any of the Arrancar alive in the first place. Just as the captain is about to stab another Arrancar, his attack is knocked back by a sword, which is then pointed in his face.

The captain doesn’t even flinch, and comments that it’s weird they have their swords, as they were supposedly all removed from them.  Then the cloaks are flung off by the Arrancar, who proudly proclaim themselves as aides of Aizen-sama, with them turning out to be Loly and Menoly. Despite their claims that they were superior, both Menoly and Loly are slashed and taken down in almost an instant by the captain. The other Vandenreich nearby asks if they should kill them both, but are told to instead keep them alive, but just give them a severe beating. He then comments to himself about Aizen, thinking that he must not have been worth much if he had such lowly people working for him, though at the same time remembering that even the much stronger Harribel was still no match for the Vandenreich king.

With his back turned, something is suddenly thrown at him, though he catches it without taking any damage all the same. As he turns around, he asks his attackers what they are. They reply by saying that despite badmouthing Harribel-sama, he doesn’t know who they are and refer to him as a useless underling. The people who attacked him turn out to be Apacci, Sun-Sun and Mila Rose.

So yes, that was the content of the chapter, and overall it was a pretty dark one. The Vandenreich of course are extremely oppressive and treating the Arrancar like crap. Anyone who is put in front of them is either cut down on the spot or else taken prisoner, so Kubo is actually doing a great job of making them come across as true villains and complete assholes.

Despite the claim at the end of the last chapter, there was no kind of fighting with either Ichigo or Urahara, so we will unfortunately have to wait a bit longer for that. This chapter did also show the return of more than a few familiar faces, though I personally am not particularly fond of any of the returning characters. But that said, with all the Arrancar members making returns recently, it does mean there is a pretty damn good chance that before long we will end up seeing Grimmjow return as well, and I know myself and plenty of other people will be genuinely delighted with that.

One thing that did piss me off (though in a good way if you get my point) was the way the captain of the hunting team badmouthed Aizen. Now I know Aizen acted like a jerk and trolled countless people, and for that some people dislike him, but I always liked him because he made for a great villain. He was someone who you could love to hate basically. The way he was basically being called weak or inferior by that piece of trash Vandenreich captain really annoyed me though, and made me wish so much that Aizen were free so he could go there, kick his ass, and have him begging for mercy.

Don’t get me wrong here, I am not angry with or criticising Kubo, in a way this is actually praising him. With Aizen he had almost that cool guy feel to him despite being a villain, someone who was just so powerful and hax that you could almost like him for it, but with the Vandenreich they are just being portrayed as purely loathsome and hateful pieces of trash. I have no problem with this, and being a villain is all about getting people to hate you, so in actual fact by getting me to hate them and get so angry with them is actually Kubo doing exactly what he set out to do, and I commend him for his writing.

But yes, it was an enjoyable enough chapter. It wasn’t the best in the world and far from my favourite, but with the colour panels, the few comedy moments, and the possibility of seeing more Arrancar return in the future, it certainly had its’ good points too.

Bleach Chapter 486 – The Crimson Cremation - Review / Thoughts

With chapter 486 I feel Kubo did a great job of placing emotion in to Sasakibe’s funeral, while also possibly hinting at some big stuff happening down the line.
 
As you probably guessed, this chapter has the funeral of Sasakibe in it. I want to praise Tite Kubo though, because considering what an incredibly minor role the character played in the series, it still felt emotional because of the way Kubo wrote it. Byakuya is with Renji and gives a little speech about the kind of man Sasakibe was, and basically it went a long way to showing how loyal and dedicated he was to working with Yamamoto. Yamamoto himself, in a rare turn, is shown to be upset over it too. When he has his back turned to everyone else, it’s clear Sasakibe’s death has made an impact on him, with even Byakuya commenting on how he doesn’t know how Yamamoto must be feeling at the moment.

Moving on, we also found out a little more about what has been happening with Hueco Mundo. As well as Nel’s return, in this chapter we also see that her friend Pesche has come to the human world as well. It’s explained that after the deaths of Starrk and Baraggan, Harribel became the new leader. However, Hueco Mundo was invaded during this time and she was dragged away, while Dondochakka was also kidnapped. Elsewhere, we get to see a bit more from the Vandenreich king, who is seen talking with one of his men. The white haired guy is looking at Ivan’s medallion and comments on how it seems like Ivan couldn’t capture Ichigo’s Bankai. The king then says that it seems like they will need to use a special way to get him, and then orders that the hunting unit of Hueco Mundo is sent out to bring him a few more “idiots” to use.

Back in the human world, everything has clearly been explained to Ishida, Chad and Orihime. Chad immediately knows that this means Ichigo will want to go to Hueco Mundo to rescue the prisoners and says as much, but then Ishida tells them that this time he won’t be joining them. He doesn’t give any reason, but Ichigo doesn’t make a big deal out of it and seems happy enough, saying that he won’t need Ishida’s help anyway. Then, Urahara appears at the window and asks if he should arrange the trip to Hueco Mundo. The chapter ends with a guy in Hueco Mundo ordering some unseen people to keep moving and not to stop. Though with that said, the writing underneath flat out says that next time Urahara and Ichigo will be attacking the enemy army.

This was a really good chapter, and Kubo has delivered once again. The Sasakibe part was awesome as I said, and I loved the Ishida / Ichigo part too. This is a great way of hinting at a possible turn from Ishida, or at the very least having thoughts or doubts about certain things. Since Ishida has helped and backed Ichigo in practically every situation he has ever been in, it does raise questions as to why he is opting out this time. Of course we can guess because he is a Quincy he will play a big role somewhere down the line, and as an Ishida fan I welcome this possibility. I have been wanting more panel time and more of a main role for him for ages, and if he does end up siding with the Quincy it will be very interesting indeed.

I am also extremely excited to hear that Urahara and Ichigo will be fighting in the next chapter. Considering how rare it is for Urahara to physically get involved, this should be a real treat and a real epic moment. It also goes to show how serious things must be if Urahara is willing to get involved again, only previously doing so during the Aizen arc.

I am very excited by a lot of possibilities with this arc in all honesty, Kubo has done a brilliant job thus far and I can forsee that will continue since it is to be the last Bleach arc. A lot of major events are going to happen over the coming chapters, and I can’t wait to see them unfold. With this arc so far, Tite Kubo is showing Kishimoto just how a war should be written.

Bleach Chapter 485 – Foundation Stones - Review / Thoughts

Let’s see, what can you expect from Bleach chapter 485?  A character’s death? Check. Two characters returning to the story? Check. More info on the Vandenreich? Check.  Kubo has really outdone himself this week, and between this and Naruto the Shonen Jump Manga is doing one hell of a great job to make up for the sadness of the Anime coming to an end.
 
The chapter actually starts out pretty grim in tone, we find out that Sasakibe really has died from the wound inflicted upon him by the Vandenreich, and Yuki is informed that he is to go back to Soul Society immediately to attend the funeral. Ishida speculates that the reason Soul Society called to inform someone as low down the ranks as Yuki about what has been happening recently is because they know Ichigo is with him, and that it’s a good indirect way of keeping him informed too. Ichigo is clearly upset and can’t rest properly, so he decides to go out and patrol Karakura just to try and clear his mind. Then from out of nowhere, Nel comes falling from the sky and crashes straight in to Ichigo.

I am delighted to see Nel again, and she is back in her child form for those wondering. Ichigo is rightly surprised and asks about why it has taken all this time for her to come and see him, but then we move on to the palace of the Vandenreich where the king is asking for the reports to be given to him.

I am going to cut to the chase here to keep the review brief and fluid. The king of the Vandenreich is a ruthless S.O.B. The guy he was talking to, Luders Friegen, the same person who’s arm was hacked off by him in the last episode, was lying on the floor in agony. He is panting away and trying to get up off the floor, only to be told by the king that he can stay on the floor if he wants. As Friegen is seemingly about to accept, the king says if he won’t be sitting then he doesn’t need his legs anymore and that he will hack those off too. Friegen is obviously terrified and makes some comment about never lying on the floor while talking to the king as it would be so disrespectful. Friegen then gets up and speaks to the king about the plan to take down Soul Society in 5 days, and comments that in the near future Soul Society will lose it’s balance of souls with the human world.

The king then asks him if he is some sort of prophet. Friegen isn’t sure what he means, but the king repeats himself. Friegen hesitates and says he isn’t, only to be asked why he is talking about the future then, and that the king only wants to talk about now. As soon as he finishes saying that, the king slaughters the guy with one fell swoop, and then starts speaking with Ivan. He tells Ivan that he has no reason to praise him, though he has nothing to blame him for either since he at least slowed down Ichigo. Ivan thanks the king, only to be told that his job is now over and that he would serve as a foundation stone to build peace. Again, as soon as he finishes his comment, the king cuts down Ivan without a shred of mercy.

One of the hooded Vandenreich ask if it was really ok to do that, saying that Arrancars are excellent soldiers because they don’t need to be taught how to fight. The king however says he doesn’t care, as he can easily get as many Arrancars as he likes. Then we get to see a full page of just Harribel chained up somewhere (as you can see from the picture at the top of this page), and one of the hooded Vandenreich comment on the fact that they have already taken over Hueco Mundo, while the king says it’s just another foundation stone to invading Soul Society.

Wow, what an incredible chapter this was! So much revealed, plus the return of both Nel and Harribel just like Kubo spoke of in the recent interview! I am delighted to see them both return, though naturally I feel bad for Harribel being held prisoner by the Vandenreich. Speaking of whom, it was nice to see Ivan confirmed as an Arrancar and proving my earlier guess about him right. The way some of the Vandenreich were speaking, it again hints at the fact they are Quincy too. But having taken over Hueco Mundo is an amazing feat, and if they really can create as many Arrancar as they like, I think Soul Society is going to be in an awful lot of trouble very soon. An army of Vandenreich and Arrancar could finally be the thing that takes down Soul Society, and I really can’t wait to see how things turn out during the war!

The king of the Vandenreich really is merciless and I genuinely wouldn’t put anything past him, I can’t wait to find out what’s in store with him either. And of course, for all the people who have made jokes about Kubo never killing off characters, they can now keep quiet for a while at least since Kubo has done just that in getting rid of Sasakibe. Granted he is hardly a big name or an important character, but I get the feeling his death will be the first of many during this arc, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we end up seeing some of the most popular characters losing their lives at some stage.

Anyway, an absolutely fantastic chapter that reintroduced a couple of awesome characters and also answered some of the questions posed in earlier chapters. And of course, as always, feel free to leave a comment below on your thoughts and predictions for this and future chapters!

Bleach Chapter 484 – The Buckbeard - Review / Thoughts

Chapter 484 of Bleach was pretty interesting for a few reasons, and once again leaves some questions to be answered. Oh, and who doesn’t want to live in an ice palace?
 
On a serious note, this chapter was pretty awesome. We get to see the leader of the Vandenreich, someone who is clearly easily annoyed and very ruthless considering the way he just chopped someone’s arm off because the in-fighting was annoying him. Also revealed was the fact the Vandenreich can use a weird teleportation thing that instantly transported them away from Soul Society before Yamamoto even had a chance to react, as well as also saving Ivan from Ichigo.

I don’t know what on earth it is yet, but it’s definitely not a Garganta as Ichigo commented himself. Interestingly Sasakibe also told Yamamoto that the Vandenreich can use Bankai. This was the really shocking and interesting moment for me, as it really does leave me wondering if they can be Quincy after all. Of course Quincy don’t work the same as Shinigami, but to be able to use Bankai suggests these people must at least have some knowledge or be connected in some way to the Shinigami, as no way would a Quincy be able to use it. Then again, they told Yamamoto that it should be easy for him to work out who they are, and that’s a hint that it is Quincy.

After originally assuming they were Quincy I am now left having doubts, and I really wouldn’t like to say who they are. The favourite still has to be the Quincy, but they are probably modified versions at the very least judging by the Bankai thing and also the way they teleport. The ice palace they are staying in looks awesome too, definitely check out a picture of that if you get the chance.
Overall this was a pretty good chapter, and one that posed a lot of questions. Maybe next week it will shed some light on at least some of it, but for now we are left guessing.

*Feel free to leave a comment below with your ideas / theories on who the Vandenreich could be and how / why they have these powers

Bleach Chapter 483 – KriegsErklärung - Review / Thoughts

So, with the oddly named chapter 483 we continue the final Bleach arc. Last time we were promised war by the mysterious group of people who invaded Soul Society, and this week we see they have the deadline set.

This was a pretty good chapter that also threw up a couple of interesting points. Firstly, I will start with Ivan Azgiaro vs Ichigo which took place in this chapter.

We know Ichigo is strong even without using his Bankai, so when Ivan began taunting Ichigo and trying to get him to use it then I am sure many of use were curious as to why he wanted it to happen so badly. When Ichigo finally relents and uses his Bankai, Ivan begans chanting some weird incantation while thinking to himself that this will put an end to Ichigo’s Bankai for good. I don’t know how or what type of attack it was he used or indeed what he is hoping to accomplish by taking Ichigo’s Bankai away from him, but some people have said that it feels like the kind of thing Ginjo already tried in the last arc – ie stealing Ichigo’s power for himself.

Ichigo shocked Ivan though when, despite being hurt by the attack, he still managed to smash through it by unleashing a Getsuga Tensho. I think Ivan must be working alongside the group who are planning on taking down Soul Society, and heck, he probably thinks that if he can take out Ichigo’s strongest power then that will be a massive blow to Soul Society’s chances of putting up any kind of resistance.

Which brings me to the next point, that being not only did we find out the name for this new group of mysterious people – the Vandenreich – but they also set the deadline for when the end of Soul Society would occur. They have already seemingly killed Yamamoto’s assistant Sasakibe, though maybe he will end up surviving a spear/lance through the chest what with this being Bleach, only time will tell.

But I find it interesting that Kubo probably has plans for the next couple of years at least for Bleach, and yet now the people who appear to be the main enemies have declared Soul Society will be destroyed in five days. Now I personally don’t believe that, and I also have a feeling now that the Vandenreich will not turn out to be the main villains or challenge Soul Society will face.

Just for the fact there is still no sign of the Arrancar such as Grimmjow or Nel, as well as the fact Kubo himself has said he hopes to show Aizen in the Manga again at some stage tells me that there is no way he will allow things to be settled so quickly. I know in Manga time 5 days can be stretched out a lot, but to continue for any reasonable period of time then there is really no way 5 days would be enough even in Manga time if Kubo wanted to get more from the story.

I predict a good few twists and turns yet to come that will throw this stuff out the window, and despite the amount of criticism Kubo seems to get and being called a shit writer etc, I have faith that he will come through on this arc and do a great job. There is certainly plenty more to come and to look forward to though regardless of what does or doesn’t happen, so Bleach is definitely a series to keep your eye on now.

Bleach Chapter 482 – Bad Recognition - Review / Thoughts

Bleach Chapter 482 – What a day to be a member of the Quincy eh?  After reportedly being wiped out by Soul Society years ago, they now come back to declare war.  How Ishida and Ryuken will feel is anyone’s guess!

But yes, Shonen Jump was on a role this week as both Naruto and Bleach turned out superb chapters. After wondering who the man was on Ichigo’s bed last week, I fully expected to find out the answer with the new chapter, but instead only ended up with more mysteries instead.

Everyone assumed that since he had the mask fragment, Ivan was sure to be an Arrancar, but of course in this chapter he denied that being the case.  With what Ivan actually did of course he is either a)  Quincy or  b) working for and / or with the Quincy. It looked very much like the Quincy cross he pulled out to show Ichigo and the attack was like that of a Quincy too, so he is clearly involved somehow. Elsewhere of course people are still going missing in Rukongai with no explanation, but I get the feeling that is something that will be saved for the future.

We knew that the final arc would involve a war, and a group of people (who we can assume to be Quincy members) appeared in front of Yamamoto and flat out declared war there and then. Since they all had their faces obscured and never really said anything else, obviously we can’t know for certain they are Quincy, but for all intents and purposes I think we can safely assume that’s who they are.

That end to the chapter was the best part and pretty awesome, it will definitely be interesting to see Soul Society’s reaction to it and eventually of course both Ishida and his father Ryuken are going to be dragged in to it and forced to pick sides. I think that should this happen Ryuken will side with the Quincy (at least initially) and Ishida will, although not want to help Soul Society, will instead help Ichigo with whatever plan he has, as I can tell already by the type of character Ichigo is that he won’t want either side to fight and he certainly won’t let himself be forced in to choosing sides and going against his beliefs.

A Quincy vs Shinigami war should indeed be interesting and fun to read, and it’s definitely something I have hoped for having wanted Ishida’s rivalry with Ichigo to go further pretty much since the start of the story with his introduction. So with that to look forward to as well as finding out more about Ivan and the disappearances in Rukongai, Bleach still has plenty left to get excited about as the final arc continues.

Bleach Chapter 481 – The Tearing - Review / Thoughts

Now as those of you who read my review of last week’s chapter know, I was disappointed by the slow pace and lack of worthwhile happenings. Initially it looked as though this week would be the same, but then things became interesting at the end.
 
Well usually I go in to descriptions of what happened, but I won’t bother as not an awful lot did take place this week, but I will of course cover the points of interest.

Firstly, it was nice to see some of the Visored again. The opening panel with Hiyori and Lisa was welcome, and they even mentioned other members like Hachi too which is a good sign Kubo hasn’t forgot about them. We also got to see that both Shino and Yuki are ok after the previous hollow attack, because (as you can see from the above picture) they were saved by Ichigo, Chad, Ishida and Orihime. I love the panel showing the four of them standing there facing the hollows, it was one of the highlights of the chapter.

A bit later in the chapter Ikkaku is seen in a rush running somewhere, and when asked confirms he has some news. We don’t find out what that news is in this chapter, but we will know soon enough with any luck. The best and most interesting part of the chapter was right at the end, as Ichigo and friends were sat sorting out the food Orihime had brought over to share, suddenly a man appears on the nearby bed and introduces himself as Ivan Azgiaro. Ichigo turns round and sternly just responds by telling him to get off the bed, and then the chapter ends.

Now of course Azgiaro is a new character, and very much appears to be some kind of Arrancar. Kubo hinted in the recent interview about some members of the Arrancar making a return, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this was his way of reintroducing them. From the impression I got Azgiaro doesn’t seem like an enemy or a threat, and is most likely just some sort of messenger for someone else. With this new character’s sudden appearance and Ikkaku’s unknown news there were certainly a few interesting things thrown up in the latest chapter, and overall it was these two things that stood out and saved what otherwise would have been an extremely plain outing for Bleach.

I am looking forward to seeing what is to come next week, and if you plan on reading the next chapter then reading this one is pretty much essential too.

Bleach Chapter 480 – The Thousand Year Blood War - Review / Thoughts

So with this chapter begins the final arc of Bleach. From the recent interviews a lot of possibilities were opened up for storylines, and it appears the main overall plot will be a war between Soul Society and the Quincy. But getting back to here and now, how did the arc start quality wise with chapter 480?

Well the chapter itself wasn’t that great unfortunately, though this only being the beginning of what will probably be a very long arc, I had pretty much expected as much. It started off very well with some lovely colour pages showing Mayuri and the correction squad in a panic over the amount of Hollows in Karakura town, who were being completely wiped out on a massive scale by something other than Shinigami, who Mayuri only referred to as “Them”. While not 100% confirmed, it’s pretty safe to say that Them is almost certainly the Quincy, though that would be very interesting considering the only two remaining Quincy readers are currently aware of are Ishida and his father Ryuuken.

After we see that in the colour pages is when things take a bit of a downturn, we see a couple of new characters in this chapter who are being sent to Karakura town to help with the control of Hollows, as Soul Society does not want to place too much work on Ichigo, and the other Shinigami who was helping to guard the town had left that position. There are a few funny moments between the two new characters – Yuki and Shino. Later we see Shino and Yuki searching for Hollows in the town, but when Yuki finds one and is hoping for some help from Shino, he finds she has been attacked and defeated already by a Hollow, laid out by a single blow. Yuki panics and wonders if the same fate awaits him, but as the hollow approaches, he is saved by the sudden appearance of Ichigo who cuts down the Hollow with ease.

That was pretty much it for the chapter this week, Mayuri at the start was awesome and Ichigo’s appearance at the end was pretty damn badass and a nice way to end the chapter, but overall it just felt a little flat. No doubt over time things will pick up and we will find out a lot more about everything, so hopefully the pace can still quicken up even if only a little for the upcoming chapters.

Bleach Chapter 479 – Goodbye to Our Xcution - Review / Thoughts

My first Bleach review for this site, since the Fullbring arc is brought to a close with this chapter, I thought this was as good a time as any to start. But anyway, on to the chapter itself.

Well let me start by saying I think the Fullbring arc as a whole has been very good, it’s my favourite since Turn back the Pendulum in fact. While the ending wasn’t the greatest, overall I think it was a great way to start over after the battle with Aizen. But yes, this is the last chapter of the Fullbring arc regardless, with Kubo apparently mentioning a new arc starting immediately.

I want to say I loved the chapter this week, the arc definitely went out on a high note as we see what happens after the conclusion of Ichigo’s battle with Ginjo. Ichigo himself, ever the noble person, goes to Soul Society requesting Ginjo’s body since he wants to bury him in the mortal/human world. Of course it takes the other captains etc by surprise upon hearing his request, but really of course the readers know it’s pretty typical behaviour for Ichigo. A bit later in the chapter we also get to see Riruka’s departure. After sneaking away from Urahara’s store where she was resting, she eventually disappears herself without telling anyone since she knew everybody would remember her anyway, and she silently thanks Ichigo, Orihime, Chad and Ginjo in her thoughts before disappearing.

I don’t want to ruin it for anyone who is yet to read the chapter, but two familiar faces also make an appearance in this chapter and have apparently returned for good, something I quite honestly couldn’t be happier about, especially as one of them is one of my favourite characters.  This chapter did a good job of wrapping up a couple of loose ends and felt like a rather satisfying end to the arc, what kind of impact the returning characters will have remains to be seen, but overall I loved this chapter much like I have the majority of the Fullbring arc.

What does Kubo have in store next? Who knows, but unfortunately Bleach will be going on yet another break, and this time for 3 weeks, so we will sadly have a long wait to find out.

Bleach Chapter 494 - The Closing Chapter Part One - Review / Thoughts

Oh damn, when Kubo said about all the major stuff that was going to happen and how Soul Society was never going to be the same, he really wasn't trolling this time. 1000 deaths in 7 minutes, who says Kubo doesn't kill off any characters?

I was so surprised by what happened in this chapter I kind of went through it in a daze, I knew things were going to get serious now the invasion had started, but damn, never did I think the first named casualty would come so soon.

Of course for those of you who have read the chapter (or have seen the pic above) will know, I am referring to Kira. No way was I expecting someone like him to die, especially so early. I always thought Kira was a decent character, I didn't love him but I certainly didn't hate him, but I am not going to lie, what happened to him here just blew me away.

While reading the chapter (and for a while after) I was just stunned more than anything else, 1000 deaths in Soul Society in only 7 minutes, and one of them being Kira?! Now it's had the chance to set in, I actually feel really sad about what happened to Kira. No kind of epic battle, no backstory, just bam! one hit and he had a whole blown through him before he could even swing his sword in the Quincy's direction.

I have to commend Kubo for having the balls to do it, and he is showing Kishimoto how a war should be written. With Naruto there have been no deaths of any notable characters throughout the whole war arc, and it's been going on for a while now. Come on, a war arc without any deaths? That's just absolutely ridiculous.

Kubo on the other hand has killed off unknown (fodder) characters, and already one named character, and he has had far less time to do so. I am not saying war in Manga should be 100% about characters dying, but if there are no deaths on either side it not only looks stupid but also shows that the author lacks the courage to get rid of a character who has any sort of fanbase.

Tite Kubo has been on fire in this arc, I honestly can't fault him for anything he has chosen to do thus far, whereas with Naruto it seems extremely dragged out with nothing much of note taking place. This is not me just using this post to have a go at Kishimoto, but instead just trying to explain why I feel Bleach is handling things 1000 times better than Naruto is, and why I have a lot of respect for Kubo at this present time.

Bleach is getting darker, more serious, and all round more epic with every passing week. Kubo has shown that he is willing to kill characters off and also how bloody and brutal war can be. I get the feeling Kira will be the first of many casualties for Soul Society, and at this present time I don't know how they are going to have any hope of challenging the Quincy.

But what I can say without a doubt is that this chapter was shocking, but very good at the same time. I can't recommend this arc strongly enough for Bleach fans, and I can see people looking back in years to come and realising just how damn good Tite Kubo was during this arc.