Bleach - Official Discussion Thread MK2 [Archive]

Uno_Caste

07-25-2006, 01:26 AM

I can't wait for the previous Bount story to end. It's honestly just starting to get stupid. Everytime, something new happens, and it just gets worse. They're running out of things to do. Sure, there's no character development. It's starting to feel like I'm watching Naruto, and I don't like Naruto right now. It's about as bad as bleach. The creators are probably talking about their plotlines with eachother, and forming new ways to make us suffer.

I don't read the manga, so I don't know what's going on right now. I do know that Ichigo is a vizard, and I guessed that a looooong time ago. I want to know when the damn fillers will end. Can someone give me a time or date?Here's an info from ANN, the titles of the coming Bleach episodes with their release date.
2006-07-25
90.Abarai Renji, Soul of Bankai!
Abarai Renji, tamashii no bankai! 「阿散井恋次、魂の卍解！」
2006-08-01
91.Shinigami and Quincy, the reviving power
死神とクインシー、よみがえる力
Shinigami to kuinshii, yomigaeru chikara
Shinigami to kuinshii, yomigaeru chikara 「死神とクインシー、よみがえる力」
2006-08-08
92.Enter the World of the Shinigami, Again
Shinigami sekai he no totsunyuu, futatabi 「死神世界への突入、再び」
2006-08-15
93.Assault of the Bounts! Chaos in the Gotei 13 divisions
BAUNTO kyoushuu! Gekishin no Gotei juusan tai 「バウンド強襲！激震の護廷十三隊」
2006-08-22
94.Hitsugaya's Resolution! The Moment of Conflict Approaches
Hitsugaya no ketsui! Gekitotsu no toki semaru 「日番谷の決意！激突の時迫る」
2006-08-29
95.Byakuya Takes the Field! Dance of the Wind-Splitting Cherry Blossoms
Byakuya shutsujin! Fuu o saku sakura no mai 「白哉出陣！風を裂く桜の舞」

Source:www.animenewsnetwork.com (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/)

If you notice the title itself gives us a hint with regards to when the Bleach Bounto arc will end. Perhaps we will have to wait until epsiode 95+ or up to 100. However, no one knows if the fillers will stop with the Bounto arc. What if they make another extension for fillers. That would really suck and would dissapoint us, Bleach fans. Let's just hope that Bleach will not go the Naruto way.

Mugetsu

08-09-2006, 02:28 PM

I see a lot of people bashing the fillers but I honestly dont think they are THAT bad. Sure we would all like them to get back to the following the manga, but at this point how far do you think they can go before they catch up again? They went from the beginning of Bleach all the way to the end of the Soul Society storyline in a VERY short time. If they start back at the story I honestly dont see them doing too many episodes before they catch back up to the manga again.

The problem is that we are going to naturally compare the quality of the fillers to that of the regular episodes. We are not gonna get the same character developement. Actually, since its a filler we probably shouldnt get any just to maintain the integrity of the story. At least they are trying to give us a decent, continuous story and not some completely random episodes like Naruto.

I appreciate the fact that they are trying to make a different story while not destroying the one they have. So even though we all want them to end maybe we should lay off of them just a little. It could be worse.

But it seems like Bleach Society is dropping Bleach due to the fillers.
Comments???

Shinigami Ichigo

08-09-2006, 02:37 PM

Scatter112

08-10-2006, 12:51 AM

My guess is that on any anime when theres a filler arc it tells the stories about all the sub-characters for ex. in naruto. shikamaru, ino, hinata etc and in Bleach. inoue, chad etc. so i guess that they might go back to the story and then go back to the filler or vise versa. no matter what they'll hav the filler there to explain or maybe support the story better to make viewers/reader to understand better that my take to ya.....

Plus i think they should show a/more filler for all the pasts for the 13 capitains in bleach.

Mugetsu

08-16-2006, 09:58 AM

I think they are trying to use it as a way to make the audience care more about the supporting characters. Sado does not get much time in the Arrancar arc so far. And when he did get time...he got his tail beat...badly. If memory serves, he was not effective in even the slightest way so far. Just Ichogos friend who is strong for a human but gets his tail whooped EASILY by the big boys. Even in the Soul Society Arc he looked great against the weaker shinigami but against a captain it was just too easy.
I really can't care much about that kind of character. But in the Bounto fillers he has shown a lot more of a personality and he got to be part of a somewhat important battle and came out on the winning side for once. Hopefully this will make people care about him more so that they will feel sympathy for him next time he gets pwnd.

Uno_Caste

08-16-2006, 10:38 PM

Dropping it? I always just thought they were slower than DB. I am in pretty much total agreement with the statement about the Bleach filler. Personally, I am waiting until they DO start with the story again to actually watch the episodes, but they don't seem too bad. The one continuous storyline is very refreshing after the totally random stuff for Naruto. But, my main theory on the filler is that the creators are using it as a chance to show some of the characters more often (like Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Kenpachi, etc). I also believe that is the main motivation for Naruto fillers (characters like Kiba, Hinata, etc). So, after this filler Arc, do you suppose they will either go back to the story, or have another filler Arc?I really hope so that after the Bounto filler arc, they will go back to the main story, but considering the gap between the manga and anime in terms of releases(one anime would cover three chapters or so in the manga, is it?), then that's still a problem. Chances are yet unsure, but it would be much better and well appreciated if they do go back on track with the original story soon enough for us to sustain and last with the fillers. But, im guessing it's a low posssibilty for now.

Mugetsu

08-30-2006, 01:27 PM

Anyone read chapter 240 yet. Its in Japanese so I didn't understand a word but it seems like Aizen is putting Oro's powers to use. He got her to give Grim his arm back. And from what I saw Gim was not happy with that 8 armed Espada that Hitsugya defeated. Actually, it looks like Grim may have killed him for fun lol.

Souhi

08-30-2006, 01:43 PM

Translation seems to be out thanks to our friends at Jinchuuriki. It was an interesting chapter. Seems Orihime has the power to infiltrate the domain of God is it? Well I always thought it had to do with time or spiritual restoration, but Aizen seems to believe otherwise. The rejection of events and circumstances...amazing. How will that come into play..I wonder.

Well anywho, has anybody heard the news on the new opening and closing for Bleach? I don't know how reliable the news is, but apparently starting somewhere around episode 105 onwards, can't quite remember, the opening will be "SPLASH" by B'z. Or something along those lines. And the new ending will be "El Mirador" by Nobodyknows. Both pretty good songs. I think we'd grow to like them. Like I said, I can't officially confirm this.

Mugetsu

08-30-2006, 02:34 PM

On Bleach 7 they say that they cant confirm the rumor either. For now I will takeit as just that...a rumor.

I gotta get the translation. I hate being in the dark lol.

Souhi

09-02-2006, 10:57 PM

Alright, latest chapter, 241 released. Good chapter. Once again, more hinting and teasing at possible events and relationships. For one thing, it seems Ishiin and Ryuken know each other. They share a relationship similar to that of their sons, I can say that much. Well, it was interesting to see. Even some parental criticism to top things off.

Now, the three seem to have arrived in Hueco Mundo, in Las Noches?. With much more ease then I had expected as well. What else...ahh yes, Ishida of course explains his reasoning for helping Ichigo (pretty flimsy loophole if you ask me) and as they arrive...who greets them? We shall wait and see.

Oh and on a side note, I'm very curious as to how much Sado has improved. Just a thought that's been in my mind for the past few chapters.

Mugetsu

09-08-2006, 05:12 PM

I was somewhat surprised when I saw Ishin just show up like that. But when you consider just how powerful those 2 probably are it makes sense that they would be aware of each other. I didn't expect them to be on such a...for lack of a better term "friendly" basis.
Getting into Hueco Mundo is easy. What I want to see is how in the hell they get out. I am still not convinced that Sado has a chance against any of the Arrancar much less the Espada. And while Ishda did defeat a captain class opponent in Soul Society, I still have doubts as to whether he can take on any of the Espada. I'm crossing my fingers lol.
I'm not even sure about Ichigos chances. Grim had 1 arm and nearly killed him. He now has BOTH. Can he maintain the transformation long enough to beat him? Plus Grim isn't even the strongest Arrancar. He's 6th!!! There are 5 stronger. Lets not even get into the fact that Gin & Tousen are probably there. Not to mention....Aizen himself. I don't see how the 3 of them can pull it off.
This will be interesting.

Gjallarhorn

09-08-2006, 06:11 PM

What I am concerned about is not the situation of Ichigo and crew in Hueco Mundo, but the discovery made by Ichigo's friends, Tatsuki in particular. Tatsuki is my favorite female character in the manga, and I hope this leads to her playing a bigger role in the series.

Now, as for Hueco Mundo, I believe Ichigo will face off with Grimmjaw, but I am still betting on the fact that he has something similar to an adrenaline rush and is able to hold his Vizard form for a longer amount of time, thus resulting in his victory.
I also want to see the extent of Sado's abilities, seeing as his arm got huge when he demonstated to Ichigo. The same applies to Ishida, who must have gained some ability after training with his father.

der Scharfschüt

09-10-2006, 06:06 PM

I just watched the first episode of bleach and it looks like a kool show, just wondering if the show gets better, worse, or about the same as the 1st episode

Souhi

09-10-2006, 06:53 PM

First episode isn't even a small measure of how good the series gets after a while. Give it a chance, trust me. I'm assuming you were one of the first to watch the dub? Well, anyways it's an excellent anime/manga.

Oh and one thing that's been bothering me a bit for the past few days, concerning the English dub. Am I the only fan paranoid enough to worry that the show may get too popular? It's much too early to say after one episode, but I really hope things don't get overexposed. It could potentially put me off from the whole series.

What else...oh yes. I agree about Ichigo's secret being let out. I didn't put much thought into it (let's face it, Tatsuki, Keigo etc don't get much face time). Odds are this will somehow come into play.

As for manga chapter 242, I've been having troubles getting it (I know it's released). I'll discuss as soon as I've read it.

der Scharfschüt

09-10-2006, 07:05 PM

no I missed it on adult swim so I'm watching it today(half way through episode 2 right now lol) well if it gets better then I'm definetly gonna watch the rest of it. thanks for the info

Coraline

09-10-2006, 07:18 PM

The American dub is poor next to the original. So I hear. But I still love Bleach. It's a wonderful series and it's earned my top fav with just 4 eps. <3

Souhi

09-10-2006, 07:25 PM

Well well. Read the latest chapter (it worked when I didn't expect it to, go figure). And a few interesting bits to point out.

For one thing, we get to see less humanoid-like Arrancar (is that what they were? I should reread it). Honestly, I thought they were lowly hollows, but now I know better. We get to see Sado kick some serious tail with a single punch. Goodbye face.

The most intriguing thing being the spiritual weapon Ishida seems to wield. He also has a new summoning artifact/pentacle resembling Ryuken's. Any theories? The bow was massive. Can't wait to see what it can do.Well, nice to see he was able to learn something new after going through hell to get those powers back.

Gjallarhorn

09-10-2006, 07:36 PM

My opinion on the dub, quoted from another thread:
Personally, I think it is decent. I do think that the voice actor used for Ichigo sounds a bit too old for Ichigo, and the sound effects were definately played louder than in the Japanese.
I'm glad about this. I have been watching Bleach since it first began airing, and it is one of my favorite anime, but I was hesitant about watching the dub as it had the possibility of tainting by vision of Bleach, as the Naruto did by view of Naruto.
The group I get the manga from has still yet to release 242, but should have it out by tomorrow morning. I don't mind waiting a bit longer for the higher quality the group has. I'll post again once I read it.

Mugetsu

09-13-2006, 03:49 PM

I only watched some of the first dubbed episode. What I saw was not too bad actually so the jury is still out. Unfortunately I don't think I will be watching the dubbed episodes much because then I will feel like I am going backwards lol.

242 was really interesting. Sado is showing a hell of a lot of confidence after getting his ARM RIPPED OFF last time he fought an arrancar. He must have all kinds of confidence in the training he received from Urahara. He really took charge in the middle of Ichigo trying to tell him to step back, and he did it forcefully. I was more worried about him than I was Ishda, but he seems to have gotten a lot stronger. I still don't think he can fight any of the Espada yet, but we will see.

Ishda is the man. He's as smart as ever. No wonder he is my 3rd favorite character...after Aizen and Tousen. We got to see his strategy and leadership. Hopefully next chapter we get to see his new revamped power.

And am I the only one that saw Ichigos friends finding out coming a mile away??? When Tatsuki mentioned not feeling Orohimes pressence I knew they were gonna try to increase her involvement somehow. After all, why else would they bother having attempt to take Ichigos head off of his body? I wonder if Urahara will start training them while the guys are in Hueco Mundo lol?

Gjallarhorn

09-13-2006, 06:41 PM

Well, Tatsuki has seen Ichigo fighting and running around in Shinigami form for a while, way back before the Soul Society arc. I will be glad if she finally gets to play a major role in the series.

242 was good, seeing as we got to learn a little more about the Arrancar, but the one thing I want to know is what that weapon/attack Ishida was holding at the end of it.

Mugetsu

09-14-2006, 09:37 AM

Yeah that kind got me too. Being that its Ishda you would just assume that its a bow but looking at it again it seems almost kind of sword like. Whatever it is, its definitely new.

Sorry to go backwards but it's still sort of unreal to me that Ichigo achieved bankai and now it seems like no big deal. He went through so much to get to that level and it was this huge deal. Yet when he faced Grim he got completely squashed with it. Does that mean that his bankai is obsolete already? And what if Sado & Ishda can compete equally with the Espada. Does that mean that they are now more powerful than Ichigo was with his bankai? If thats the case then there was a massive jump in power & skill...especially for Sado.

Does this mean that in a few months we'll be looking at Ichigos hollow transformation the same way that we do his bankai? Or will it be the final step in his getting power?

Gjallarhorn

09-14-2006, 04:17 PM

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing as well. It seems like it is following a DBZ-like path at this point. One attack/weapon/technique becomes obsolete quickly, so a new one is found, and that becomes obsolete quickly, and so on. I hope that pattern ends.

Mugetsu

09-15-2006, 09:39 AM

They always find a way to reach their "maximum" power to defeat one enemy but them a stronger enemy comes and they need to find a new "maximum". I remember when Freeza was the undisputed most powerful warrior in the universe. Now he seems below average lol. Still that seems to be the inevitable pattern for most anime storys that deal with fighting. I just hope it doesnt get to the point where they can destroy whole planets with just one attack.

Just had a look at 243. It was a raw so I have no clue what they were saying but I get the feeling that Ishdas weapon is a bow. Also I have come to the conclusion that Ishda + Sado = Not Weak!!! I'm not saying that I think they can take any of the Espada just yet...but theyre definitely not wimps.

I wonder if Sados armor will stay only on his right arm. It was mentioned in the previous thread but there is a lot they can do with him. Two arms or maybe even his whole body.

Gjallarhorn

09-15-2006, 02:49 PM

I'd be willing to put my money on a while-body armor for Sado. Seeing as it is a shounen anime, and that type of ordeal has been used a few times that I know of. Think Kazuma from Scryed.
I am hoping that the groups are able to get 243 out fast.

Mugetsu

09-18-2006, 09:36 AM

I saw the raw for 243 and I know the sub is out now....cause I just read it lol. I'm actually more impressed with Ishda & Sado now that I know what was really going on. They were toying with those guys. It was never even close. I'm starting to wonder if these guys may be stronger than Ichigo. Not hollow Ichigo...regular Ichigo. Or they may be as strong as he is when he does his bankai. I won't say stronger just yet...but it wouldn't surprise me if they were.
But these guys were just regular arrancar. I doubt they were anywhere near the class of the Espada. So we'll see how they do against the big boys. Hopefully soon too.

Gjallarhorn

09-18-2006, 06:27 PM

I don't know think they are stronger than Ichigo. Ichigo is, after all, the main character, and this is, after all, a shounen manga. It would be unusual for supporting characters to become stronger than the main character in a manga like this.

Souhi

09-18-2006, 06:46 PM

I know what you mean there Mugetsu, but I got to go with Xero on this one. But I'm sure they're strong enough to be of assistance. If things follow the particular pattern, we're in for adrenaline rushes and strength only shown under extreme circumstances. These two Arracar are barely peons, so we'll see.

Well, as it turns out, Ishida indeed wields a more powerful bow and cross. And of course he uses it to quickly dispose of Iceringer. After a bit of Wiki reference, it seems Ishida's new bow is called Ginrei Kojaku (銀嶺弧雀, Lone Sparrow on a Silver Cliff), and can fire 1200 shots consecutively (insane o_o). That'll be a force to be reckoned with for sure.

And Sado of course shows off some more of that amazing strength. I'm starting to like his character more and more. His arm is just wicked, and now he even has his own specific attack (rather than just a nameless blast of spiritual energy). Something called El Directo...all I know is the two bits of armor jet out and he lets the enemy get a faceful of fist.

These few chapters seem to be in place as a way to showcase Sado and Ishida's powers, which is great. And hopefully this time next week they'll move on.

Mugetsu

09-20-2006, 03:14 PM

I don't doubt that Ichigo will remain the more powerful of the group overall. I was just wondering where the strength of Ishda and Sado would rank among the different phases of Ichigo.

1. Hollow Transformation
2. Bankai
3. Regular Shinigami

Once Ichigo goes hollow on you I believe he is capable of taking on just about anyone. And I say just about because for some reason I think Aizen is still stronger at this point even if Ichigo could control his hollow side. After all, he mastered everything a shinigami can. He is obviously stronger than the members of the Espada who are also Hybrids. If Ichigo did that and then was able to bring out his hollow side, then I would say Ichigo easily. But I will give Aizen the benefit of the doubt.

I am glad that they have given Ishda & Sado this chance to showcase their abilities. This gives readers more of a reason to care about these characters individually. Now they are not just Ichigos friends. The are legit factors in the fight. Sados last few "fights" before this were one sided demolitions that could have been over before you could blink if thats what his opponent had wanted. And even though Ishda technically won his last fight he lost his powers as a result. Convincingly demolishing these opponents gives them a lot more credibility for future battles.

ST Paraila

09-27-2006, 06:04 AM

I feel sorry for Hinamori still (damn that Aizen)

So you've all heard the anime in english? My friend downloads the anime in japanese with english subtitles (i'm one of those people who prefers anime in jap and reads the subtitles).

Heh- can't wait to see a showdown between Ichigo and Aizen. And has it been revealed who replaces Grimmjow?

Mugetsu

09-28-2006, 04:48 PM

I also prefer the subtitles. And I doubt Ichigo will face Aizen anytime soon. HE still has not decisively beaten Grim. He has to do that and probably beat a few other Espada before they let him near Aizen. But it should be a great fight once he's ready.

We finally ot to see all of the members of the Espada. I'm not sure if where they sat at the table is determined by their rank or not. I can't wait to find out more about them and see what they can do. I am interested in knowing what the difference in power from 1-10 is.

But Aizen & Co. know Ichigo, Ishda & Sado are there...but it seems like they could care less lol. They're having tea!!! If that isn't an insult to our heros I don't know what is. Aizen knows they cant touch him. I personally think Grim on his own would give all 3 some serious trouble.

And chapter 245 is out raw. As usual I have very little clue as to whats happening, but it seems like Aizen & Tousen felt the need to put Grim in his place. It looked like he got punked bad and he looked a little worried. Whats up with that?

Gjallarhorn

09-29-2006, 10:52 PM

I think I'm one of the hopefuls who wants Grimmjaw to betray Aizen and join Ichigo and Co. He does seem like the rebellious type, and it seems he does not like Aizen that much. He is also similar to Ichigo in a few aspects. Though my hopes will probably be trampled on by Ichigo laying down some ownage on Grimmjaw at some point.

Mugetsu

10-02-2006, 01:52 PM

I think that Grimmjows hatered of Ichigo will rule out any chances of him switching sides. He seemed very eager to go and destroy Ichigo & Co. It will be a good fight because according to what Ishda said, Grimmjow will be stronger in Hueco Mundo.
But I am still trying to guess which one of the guys sitting at the table is #1.

Gjallarhorn

10-02-2006, 02:01 PM

I thought #1 was Ulquiorra(sp?)...

Anyway, it seems to me that Grimmjaw's hatred of Aizen is probably more than that of Ichigo. He wants to get revenge against Ichigo, but I think that Aizen's blantant disrespect for him may come into play some how.

More importantly? Why are their humans in Hueco Mundo? Perhaps they are souls that have yet to turn into hollows? Any one have any ideas?

Mugetsu

10-03-2006, 09:12 AM

I'm not sure about Ulquiorra being #1. For some reason I feel like he was either 7 or 5 but I can't remember. You may be right but I would have to go back & check.

I'm not sure if any of the arrancar will turn on Aizen. The way the other one spoke...you know, right after Ishda pwned him, It seems like they all revere and believe in Aizen. And with that crazy reiatsu thing he did it seems like they also fear him too much to try anything against him.

Maybe it's not really a human the hollow is chasing. At least not a living one. Maybe its a soul that somehow ended up there. Or it could be a trick. Sort of like what Grand Fisher used to do.

Souhi

10-05-2006, 06:56 PM

Crimson Eyes

10-05-2006, 08:00 PM

Here's the thing. I actually just started watching Bleach today. I love it! But the original is way better than the english version. Which seems to be true for all anime. I mean if they would just try to find better voices and leave the censorship alone, than it would be great.

Gjallarhorn

10-05-2006, 09:05 PM

I'll go read the manga...been a bit sidetracked by Death Note >>

Whoa, big news! New opening 5 (guess the rumours were false) is Rolling Star by YUI. Great song for one thing. The ending theme, which I'll look at later, still showcases filler characters...The important thing, is that this is (very hopefully) a hint at the end of the fillers. You even see Ichigo fighting his alter ego. I'll take a closer look, and see if there are Arrancar...but you know what I mean.

Any thoughts? Am I too optimistic?
In this instance, I am moving towards optimism. I wish for the fillers to end, seeing as I haven't watched the anime since they left Soul Society. I want to watch it again so badly, but with the fillers, I'm afraid it would just be a waste of time, as Naruto turned out to be over a year ago.
But, seeing Ichigo fighting Nameless may just be a hint at the beginning of the Arrancar/Vizard arc in the anime.

But the original is way better than the english version. Which seems to be true for all anime. I mean if they would just try to find better voices and leave the censorship alone, than it would be great. False. I bring up Cowboy Bebop and Full Metal Alchemist, both of which are now popular anime in the U.S. Way back when, watching the Full Metal Alchemist episodes before they were licensed in the U.S., I always found the voices to be a bit quirky. The same applies to Bebop. For both anime, the English dubs are widely considered to be far better than the Japanese dubbing.

Uno_Caste

10-05-2006, 10:29 PM

The animation of the new opening, 5th opening, is incredibly of high quality in terms of animation, the best out of the 4, not sure with the song though and yes so many hints for the arrancar/Vizard arc. And like Souhi and Xero XIII, Im also very looking forward for the fillers to end, very optimistic, perhaps after episode 105 or after the movie wil be released. Also, I notice that the previous arcs(refferring to ep 97 and 98 has an improving animation quality, could this mean that the creators/animators are increasing the budget for Bleach becasue they are about to revert back to the original storyline sooner). I'm excited.

As for the manga, I just finished chapter 245, waiting for 246. I wasn't really suprised with Ichigo and Co's' action in going to Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime in the previous chapters. Well, what I really want to see now is how Ichigo and Co will fight the Espada's. Who will first fight from Ichigo's side and from the Espadas? But seriously seeing the situation wherein there are only three of them to face against a group of powerful Arrancar's, I doubt if they will last long not unless they get help from a stronger comrade or anyone that is capable of making ownage like Shinji, or much cooler if it'd be Isshin and Urahara. I think it's possible.

Gjallarhorn

10-05-2006, 10:35 PM

Isshin and Urahara showing up is highly likely. I also have a feeling a few Captains may show up (Zaraki, Byakuya, Hitsugaya). Rukia and Renji will probably end up showing up if anyone else does, but then again, it is just a hunch.
But, man, I would love to see the Vizards show up, so we can see what they can really do.

But again, in my Tatsuki-fanboy-hopelessness, her finally learning of Ichigo's little hobby must mean something. Will it come into play now? Later? At all?
It is rather annoying having something big like that happening, and then having it suddenly discarded.

Uno_Caste

10-05-2006, 10:43 PM

Souhi

10-05-2006, 10:50 PM

Good point there Uno...the animation quality has definitely improved. Though, I'd rather not think that's a sign of the filler arc ending. I just don't want to set myself up for a bigger fall if it's false >>

Looking back on things, I think initial excitement blinded me and my fanboyness. If this was truly the opening to the Vizard/Arrancar arc, there would be clear images of them. I think that's only fair to assume. The opening hints at a few things, though it's too early to say.

And Xero, I agree with you 100% here. Tatsuki is such an ignored character up to this point, it just bugs me. They keep showing her every so often (e.g her confrontation with Ichigo at the school, and of course his secret being revealed in the underground base). It's one big tease so far.

Finally, we can only guess at who will come assist our trio of heroes. Obviously, they can't touch Aizen. Heck, Grimmjaw could cause them trouble, unless Ichigo has grown even more in the spiritually rich environment, Though that works both ways. Odds are it'll be someone from SS.

Uno_Caste

10-05-2006, 11:01 PM

Here's a quick translation of the chapter! Enjoy (since it's pretty funny)!

Page 1:

Sidetext: The “child” trying to escape! The hollows giving chase! What are they? Why is this happening? Before “Las Noches” is the totally mysterious chase…

Child: Ha….ha……ha……

Hollows: Haaahaaaahaaaahaaaa

Page 2:

Hollow 1: OOOOF!!

Hollow 2:

Page 3:

Hollow 2: Huh?

Hollows: Wuaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!

Hollow 2: Aaah, it hurts! It hurts! My head! Your attack grazed my head!

Kid: Stoooop…..Cut it out!

Page 4:

Kid: What did Nell and his friends do to you!! Stop picking on us!!!

Ichigo: A….mask….you’re a….hollow!?

Page 5:

BLEACH 246: The Great Desert Bros.

Sidetext: Hollows, DANCE!!

Page 6:

Hollows: We’re….truly sorry.

Nell: We never thought that Nell and his friends’ neverending game of chase would bring about this kind of misunderstanding…

Nell: There really isn’t a whole lot of entertainment here in Hueco Mundo so…

Ishida (mental): Neverending game of chase…

Ichigo: Game….but weren’t you crying a bit back there?

Nell: Yup!! I’m a BIG masochist so if it’s no fun if I don’t at least cry a little bit while I’m being chased!

Ichigo: What the hell kind of words are you teaching kids?

Ishida: So is “Nell” your name?

Page 7:

Nell: Yes! Nell is the Arrankar Nell To.

Ichigo: ……Arrancar…!

Pesh (Hollow 2): I’m Nell’s older brother, Pesh.

Dondo (Hollow 1): And I’m the older brother Dondo Chakker.

Chad (mental): Huh? (*literally he wonders about Dondo’s way of speaking)

Nell: And the big guy behind us is our pet Bawabawa.

Ichigo: Wait wait wait waaaaaaaaait

Page 8:

Nell: What?

Ichigo: Arrankar have siblings and pets?

Nell: How ruuuude! Of course we do! We’d have to have at least that!

Dondo: We met accidentally and he was so cute that we became brothers.

Pesh: Yup, same here!

Nell: He he he.

Ichigo: Like I said, you wouldn’t really call that being brothers.

Nell: Then….then what just what are we…..!?

Ichigo: No no, it’s fine…..my bad…brother is fine for you all…
Ichigo: Really though…

Page 9:

Ichigo: Are you all really Arrankar!?

Ichigo: And just where do you think you’re sitting?

Nell: What are you talking about? Don’t I look it with this perfectly shattered mask!

Ichigo: Well you just seem to be different from the ones who came to the real world.

Nell: Ah!

Nell: Well yeah! The ones who went to Earth were a part of the “Numeros.”

Ichigo: The nume…what’s that?

Nell: The Numeros are hollows Menos Grande and greater that become Arrankar.

Nell: They get a two digit number for their name and they get to follow the orders of the Espada.

Nell: They are truly battle eXperts! Comparing them to a bug like Nell is like night and day!

Ichigo: Bug…

Nell: You all say that, but you’re the ones who really don’t look like Arrancar!

Nell: You don’t have masks and you wear black clothes….it’s almost like a Shini…

Page 10: Um…ummmm….what are your….you know….occupations….

Ichigo: Kurosaki Ichigo, substitute Shinigami.

Ishida: The Quincy, Ishida Uryuu.

Chad: Sado Yasutora, Human.

Nell: Wuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, he’s a Shinigami! He’s a bad guy!

Ichigo: You mean you guys didn’t know who we were…

Nell: I thought it was kinda weird! No Arrankar would want to go to Las Noches!!

Nell: I’m…gonna….be…killed…

Ichigo: No…not really gonna kill you…

Page 11:

Lunuganga: Even if you are not killed by them….I, guardian of the white sands Lunaganga, will crush you all!

Page 12:

Lunaganga: Just now there was a message from those in Las Noches that there were intruders.

Lunaganga: To see that bugs like you are traveling with the intruders…

Lunaganga: Is unforgivable…I will turn you all into the sands of the desert…

Nell: No no, you got it wrong. Nell and friends aren’t…

Ichigo: Back up.

Nell: Huh?

Ichigo: Getsuga….

Ichigo: …Tenshou!!!

Page 13:

Ichigo: Alright then…

Hollows: Aaaaaaaa!! Out of the blue!! You used a sneak attack!! So unfair!! You are a bad guy!!

Ichigo: Who cares? I saved you all, right? Besides, attacking someone from the front really isn’t a sneak attack.

Page 14:

Lunuganga: Launching a sneak attack…and without remorse…more than ever I cannot forgive you!

Ichigo: What the hell is that thing!?

Nell: It’s pretty obvious. Lunuganga-sama is sand.
Ichigo: Not just “he’s sand.” That guy is aiming at you all as well so stop just hanging aroun…

Ichigo: ….d!!!

Page 15:

Ichigo: Dammit, can’t we do something about this? Ishida!

Ishida: Nope. With my bow all I can do is just make holes in him.

Ichigo: Chad!!

Chad: Probably no use against a sand opponent, but shall I try anyway?

Ichigo: We’re running!! It’s time to think of a plan so first let’s get away from this guy!!

Nell: Come on power, work work!!

Lunuganga: I…won’t…let you…run!!

Page 16:

Ishida: It’s a sand trap!! (*literally a downward spiral resembling an ant hill)

Ichigo: I know!!

Page 17:

Ichigo: Nell!! Doesn’t this guy have any weaknesses!?

Nell: I…I can’t very well tell the bad guys that…

Ichigo: Are you an idiot….if this keeps up, you’re going to be swallowed by the sand too!!

Nell: Water…it’s water….

Ichigo: Water!? Water in a desert!?

Nell: Yes. Water…

Ichigo: Where the hell are we gonna get….

?? (Rukia): The next dance…

?? (Rukia): White Wave/Ripple
Page 18:

No text, just freezing

Page 19:

Sidetext: Carrying the smiles of hope…the two arrive!!

Bottom text: Next week Bleach gets the cover and color pages!

Next week: Finally breaking into “Las Noches”

Great thanks to pocketmofo for the translation!

I found this from Bleach7 and I think it's not bad to post it here though I'm not worried if it spoils anyone here. xD
What do you think about the chapter?
Well, not much comment about the hollows there which seems like they're having fun, but Rukia and Renji appearing, okay, are they up to helping Ichigo? sure that way! Now, I'm more concern about their situation and even curious to know what will happen ahead.

Mugetsu

10-06-2006, 09:26 AM

I'm not sure if I can say that Tatsuki is being ignored, but it seems like they are just trying to focus more on whats happening in Hueco Mundo. It doesn't really make sense for them to do anything major with her right now anyway because she would be more of a hinderance than anything else. She can't help them fight. She has no knowlege or power that would be useful. The only thing she has is potential.

I think they showed her at Uraharas in order to hint that she (and possibly some of Ichigos other friends) will have a bigger role later on. After all Orohime & Sado did not get involved right away. They had to train and wait for the SS arch before we got to really see what they could do. I don't think we'll see her become a big factor for a while, but they wont just let her dissapear either. I assume at some point she will train and become a fighter.

And I am interested in why Rukia & Renji are there. They were ordered back to SS and I was assuming that SS wanted nothing to do with a rescue attempt since she seemed to have gone "willingly". I doubt that they snuck out. They must be under some orders.

But I also find it funny that Aizen told the Arrancar to stay in their rooms and basically ignore Ichigo & Co. What does he have planned?

DanTheGreat

10-06-2006, 11:12 PM

the filler arc should be ending soon...i hope. and i'm glad Ichinose finally got hiss a** whooped by Zaraki.

Uno_Caste

10-09-2006, 06:56 PM

About the recent anime episode filler...I wasn't surprised of Zaraki's ownage against Ichinose Maki. The fact that Zaraki is prone and probably immune to kidou type Zanpaktou, his fight against the weakling Tousen is a proof to that, I expected such a result seeing that Ichinose's Zanpaktou "Nijigazumi",a light type zanpaktou is likely the opposite of Tousen's "Suzumushi", a dark type zanpaktou. Well, despite how the fillers turned out which is more often boring but not a bunch of crap, I'm quite
relieved that the anime is still holding the consistency of the characters in depth profile.

As for the manga, I'm patiently waiting for the next chapter. xD I want to know what Renji and Rukia's appearance or should I say interference will do. Well, they sure can help, but will they stand a chance or they will just get in the way? o_0 Now, I'm getting hooked more. ^^

Mugetsu

10-10-2006, 03:35 PM

HEY!!! Tousen is NOT a weakling!!! He was just...um...caught off guard. Some dust got in his eye so....wait, he's blind and wears shades...I mean, some dust got in his ear. Yeah, that's it. He just couldn't hear Zaraki very well.

HE'S NOT WEAK!!! lol

But it doesn't seem like the fillers will interfere with the Arrancar Arc. Even though Ishda has "powers" (the only part that has bothered me so far) I'm sure they will be gone in no time.

This last chapter seemed like it was more about comedy relief than anything else. The only significant developement that has occured is Rukia & Renji comming. And I doubt that those two will be a hinderance in the least. After all they just saved Ichigo & co from a hollow that they had no clue how to beat. Renji could probably be considered for a captain position by now and I still don't think we've really seen the full extent of Rukias power. This is getting very interesting. I am very interested in finding out why they were sent to Hueco Mundo.

Was it to help Ichigo save Orihime? To gather intel on Aizen? Or maybe they were sent to stop them from trying to save her? While I doubt the last one it's possible. After all, these are the same guys that were ready to execute Rukia not too long ago.

MetalIsEternal

10-15-2006, 06:32 PM

i just started watching bleach recently (im on ep 25 or so) on youtube but once i got to the mid 20's youtube decided to delete all the copyright infringed videos.what the heck's up?

Souhi

10-15-2006, 06:36 PM

i just started watching bleach recently (im on ep 25 or so) on youtube but once i got to the mid 20's youtube decided to delete all the copyright infringed videos.what the heck's up?...?

You just answered your own question my friend. The english dub began recently, so I'm guessing that fansubs will begin to be removed. I'm not much of an expert in copyright laws...maybe Xero can answer you more accurately.

Gjallarhorn

10-15-2006, 07:50 PM

Yeah, I've been downloading long enough to see many sites go down, and sites get direct warnings from the American companies about the licensed media.

First of all, keep in mind that fansubbed anime is only technically legal, because it is pirated from Japan, but is being distributed in the U.S. and other countries where it has yet to be licensed. Once it is licensed, any unauthorized distribution of the media becomes illegal in that country. This includes fansubs. Because of this, most fansubbing groups will cease to distribute the files for licensed media via direct download, bittorrent, or mIRC. And, most fansubbing groups do not want their works being hosted without their permission on sites like YouTube, but some fans will put them there anyway (I personally am against this, as it takes away support from the downloading community). Anyway, YouTube became aware of the extend to which anime is hosted on it a few months ago, and since has been removing it from the site. Also, some non-licensed anime has been removed, as it will soon be licensed.
Another thing to remember is that Google just bought YouTube in a huge deal last week. Google, being a large public corporation, does not promote, nor allow any illegal media on its sites. As such, Google will be removing most, if not all, of the anime on YouTube (thankfully). Generally, seasons for anime are licensed one at a time, and thus episodes will be removed in groups, but YouTube/Google is probably just planning ahead of time and getting rid of it now..."taking precautions", if you will.

Anyway, in the conversation about Tousen, I do believe he was weaker than Zaraki when they "fought"(it was just ownage on the part of Zaraki) in Soul Society. Though, I do believe he is much stronger now than he was then, seeing as he has Arrancar obeying him, seeing as even Ichigo (who beat Zaraki) is still finding it difficult to fight the Arrancar.

And as for why Rukia and Renji are in Hueco Mundo (I so called that!), it is either to gather information for Soul Society, or they disobeyed orders and when to help Ichigo&co. with the help of Urahara.

Mugetsu

10-16-2006, 03:21 PM

Do you ever get tired of being right lol. I know...it's obviously a product of hard work. So, um Xero...what are tomorrows lottery numbers gonna be, just between us buds? You can just PM me the numbers lol.

Nothing too earth shattering happened in the latest chapter. However we do learn that
1) Rukia & Renji are indeed there against orders...sort of.
2) They were pissed at Ichigo lol. (everyone seems to be beating Ichigo up lately lol)
3) Byakuya is a big softie.
4) And Orohime has some new clothes.

It also seems that they may have arriced at Los Noches so things may start really picking up.

And Zaraki was definitely stronger than Tousen. Based on reiatsu he was stronger than just about everyone. I'm still kinda surprised Ichigo beat him, but I have a feeling that Zaraki sort of went easy on him. It's obvious Tousen got stronger. He took Grims arm in an instant and then proceeded to destroy it. Ichigio & Co couldn't even touch this guy much less hurt him (unless he went all Nameless on him).

Uno_Caste

10-16-2006, 07:39 PM

Then, again Xero hit it right! Rukia and Renji did what is called "disobedience", indeed, as the Captain Commander had to say "those impetuous fools" 0.o lol

And regarding Tousen/Zaraki issue. lol
Zaraki is indeed stronger than any other Shinigami, the captains in terms of Reiatsu and it rivals those of Ichigo. But, I dont believe that Zaraki won over Ichigo in their fight because he didn't give it her best(remember, he released the eyepatch that you know.. and he collapsed after the fight, even lost conciousness). On the other note, I do agree that Tousen has gotten stronger this time. You can just say that seeing how he just make orders to the arrancars straight and stunning and not to mention his violent action towards Grimm. lol

@Mugetsu
I apologize for calling Tousen a weakling. I know how it feels when your favorite character is being leveled down. It was actually only meant in his fight with Zaraki and not on the whole. Again, sorry.
^^

Souhi

10-16-2006, 08:10 PM

Tousen weak? Nah. None of the captains are weak really. Anyone in the show looks a bit weaker when compared to riduculous strength like Zaraki's. Notice how he wins all his battles by blowing stuff up with his reiatsu ;) He's most likely gotten a bit stronger by now.

Being one of Aizen's right hand men, it's safe to assume that Gin and Tousen have gained significant power as well. But that's for another day.

Anywho, latest chapter...not much to talk about. Rukia and Renji finally appear (Who didn't see that one coming?) against SS's orders it seems. Although no one really seems bent out of shape over it. Saw it a mile away. Byakuya finally starts to help the gang. Ichigo gets beaten up for being careless...funny and true. Inoue's given some new clothing to match her Arrancar captors...mhm mhm.

The desert bros, or whatever the heck they want to call themselves are being idiots, and providing some comic relief of course. Seeing as how Ichigo and Renji went to so much trouble to signal the intrusion, we can assume there will be a person to greet them.

Next chapter please.

Gjallarhorn

10-25-2006, 10:38 PM

Okay, so its been a while since anyone has posted here...

I hope to find out soon what Ulquiorra meant when he said that they owned Orihime's soul, and what her clothes have to do with that. I don't quite get it.
And, did the series just go Scooby-Doo on us and have everyone split up into various rooms in order to find the villians and Orihime? I think it would have been better for them to stay as one group and sweep through the place one room at a time. They are up against a strong opponent, so they should stick to "strength in numbers".

Shinigami Ichigo

10-25-2006, 11:00 PM

Inoue's motives are clear as day in my opinion. It falls into one of two categories:
1. She was feeling worthless, since everyone she knew was telling her that she couldn't help in the coming fight, and was not cut out to be a fighter. Due to that, being told that she is necessary would naturally make her move her "allegiance" towards that person.
2. I think this is far more likely, but I believe that Inoue is simply being all emo over the fact that Ichigo seems to have affections for Rukia.

Over the course of recent chapters, I had been redefining my opinion of Orihime, and in fact she was almost my favorite female character. But with this newest chapter and her betrayal, she is now my least favorite character overall (behind only Aizen's little gang) and I hope something bad happens to her soon (open definition of bad applies here). I probably just respond too negatively to characters who betray others' trust and generally any character whose actions are dictated by being emo or angsty.

Souhi

10-26-2006, 07:24 AM

And, did the series just go Scooby-Doo on us and have everyone split up into various rooms in order to find the villians and Orihime? I think it would have been better for them to stay as one group and sweep through the place one room at a time. They are up against a strong opponent, so they should stick to "strength in numbers".Aw Xero, you know better than to question unexplainable anime cliches. In all seriousness though, Bleach is just following that old tried and...sort of true method. Everyone splits up...and we'll most likely end up with several desperate and good battles. Staying as a group is no fun ;)

Sure it'll make things a lot more difficult and confusing, but that makes for an interesting result. Or at least, I'm hoping.

Mugetsu

10-27-2006, 10:14 AM

Well of course they had to split up.

1)That place is huge so it would take too long searching in one group.
2) As was mentioned by Souhi it will make for some good battles.
3) If they stay in a group the arrancar will just attack them in a group of their own (in which case they would have NO chance) as Rukia alluded to.
4) and most importantly, they could not ignore the fact that there just happened to be 5 different paths and there just happened to be 5 of them. That right there is just wayyyyy too tempting. I mean come on, what are the chances of that happening??? Thats just too good to pass up!

Just toss them a few Scooby Snacks (tm) and they'll be fine.

In the case of Orihime, I don't dislike her. She was in a lose, lose situation. If she didn't go with him she and the shinigami that accompanied her would die. But if she went with him at least the they would live and there was hope. She made the right decision. But she was also going through the whole "no one believes in my strength, why am I so weak and useless, boo hoo hoo" thing. So when they told her that they think she would be usefull I think she left more out of curiosity than out of wanting to be a part of Aizens team. She wanted to know if she could really get stronger and actually be of use to someone.

Uno_Caste

10-28-2006, 05:09 AM

The splitting up thing didn't surprise me at all seeing as how the author's style has been since SS arc. The 5 paths are part of Aizen's plan, I suppose. Besides, if they go together as a group, it'll be less exciting and would take away the chance for Chad and Ishida to showcase their new abiltites in the spot light.

Well, I don't mind Inoue's being emo at this point coz I already categorized her as that since her first appearance in Bleach, but doesnt mean that I hate her for that. That's just her plain role to the series and I think she's doing pretty good as far as being the root of this "going to rescue her" thing.

SaceGolem2

10-31-2006, 06:30 AM

the filler arc should be ending soon...i hope. and i'm glad Ichinose finally got hiss a** whooped by Zaraki.Agreed. Also I hear that Mayuri is going to beat fire out of that old man bounto.

Mugetsu

11-03-2006, 02:53 PM

Chapter 239. Nothing much at the beginning but the end has a few interesting points. Seems like Tousen and Gn are keeping an eye on Ichigos crew. Also seems that Gin feels that it was a bad move for them t split up lol.

Ok, so as I understand it from chapter 239, if an Espada loses his rank, he/she then gets a 3 digit number. Is this correct or do I have it wrong?

Looks like #103 was an Espada at one point. Have fun Ichigo.

Looks like we won't see any current Espada fighting any time soon, after all Aizen sent them to their rooms.

Gjallarhorn

11-03-2006, 02:59 PM

Err...don't you mean Chapter 250? 239 was when they departed to Hueco Mundo (just checked).

On topic, I suppose as more Arrancar were created, newer ones would over-power the older ones, thereby replacing them in rank. At least we now know there is minimally 103 Arrancar...I think...

Mugetsu

11-03-2006, 03:12 PM

....ohhhhh, my bad. Yeah 250, sorry.

Nell said that he had never heard of a 3 digit Arrancar. I'm thinking that there may be way less than 100 Arancar created. I think the 3 digit number may be given to them just to show their status as a former Espada.

1-10 = Espada (in order of strength)
11-99??? = Order Of Birth/Creation
100-??? = Former Espada

The number 3 was signficant in the name of the place that Gin & Tousen said they went. Maybe thats the area where the former Espada live?

Actually Nell himself seems to be an Arrancar. I wonder what number he is....

Gjallarhorn

11-05-2006, 12:20 AM

This was brought to my attention earlier today, and I found it amusing.
Below is an image of the cover of the first chapter of Bleach. If you look at the blocked-off characters in the background, you see a few characters you would expect to see...but guess who else is there...Shinji the Vizard. I wrote on the characters I could identify using paint...
So, I suppose this means that either Shinji was a character originally ended to be used early on, or that Kubo Tite planned everything about the Vizards(an possibly Arrancars) from the beginning. Just an interesting thing I thought I'd share.

(Minor note: I'm thinking of changing my username here to Ulquiorra, due to his awesomeness...)

Mugetsu

11-08-2006, 03:18 PM

LOL thats great. It's amazing what you can find when you take a closer look at certain things. I guess its a really good thing that Bleach has lasted as long as it has or that would have been pointless.

hvid_noire

11-21-2006, 07:41 AM

hmmm just finished watching episode 100 of this series... it's one of the series that i don't mind having many episodes!!! and it is also one of the few i watched from the opening song till the last second of each episode... whoever thought about using catch-y music and different scenes for every ending is really smart!!! hehehe also, the character design, though not as smooth as the others, is really great!!!

but sad to say, haven't read any of the manga version of bleach, though i know where i can find the scanlations! maybe because i think (at least for me) that this kind of action pack series is better watch than read.

kyubichan

11-21-2006, 08:56 AM

Bleach fan here. Although it has its many flaws, I love it. Reminds me very much of YuYu Hakusho because of the action and afterlife theme. The characters are also lovable, and though they seem cliche at first, the character development is very good. I've made a Bleach review, it sums up what I think about this anime. I know better anime will come (hopefully), but for now, Bleach is one of my top 3 faves along with YuYu Hakusho and GitS SAC 2nd Gig.

Mugetsu

11-24-2006, 10:22 AM

Latest chapter of Bleach is out. I really liked this one. It got back to a lot of the things I like about the series. Ichigo shows some determination and confidence. No more playing around. I am seriously looking forward to him fighting the Espada (Grim in particular). That fight will be all kinds of domination.

I was skeptical about whether or not I thought they could win there before, but now I see them having a chance.

Gjallarhorn

11-24-2006, 11:20 AM

Yes, Mugetsu, I agree with you greatly.

This chapter has seems to have removed that standard shounen-style Ichigo who just trains over and over to beat one enemy after the next, and brought back the Ichigo who already had the power inside him and just had to let it out. It's been a while since Ichigo has displayed that kind of confidence, or that kind of ownage.

And, in case the group didn't get it from didn't announce it, Nell is in fact a girl. Apparently it took them a while to figure it out, but some of the Kanji in chapter 252 revealed it. Well, that is what they say at least.

Souhi

11-24-2006, 02:59 PM

Quick post...need to finish a few chores..

The calm and confident Ichigo we know is back. Bankai is in full swing again.

Nell owns. I had a feeling there was more to her than crying and spouting gibberish.

I really look forward to seeing the others fight. So many possible scenarios.

Mugetsu

11-24-2006, 05:57 PM

I always wondered what the deal with Nell was. I was kind of puzzled when they had this little, weak hollow following Ichigo around. Then I remembered, Nell isn't a hollow. Nell is an arrancar (I think). So one way or another there has to be some serious power in there somewhere. Then Nell swallowed and returned a Cero almost like it was nothing. There are a lot of interesting paths they can choose for this character.

I saw the announcement about Nell likely being a girl too. But since I get dizzy when I look at japanese too long (from confusion since I don't know any lol) I cannot verify this. I'll just leave that to the experts who take their time to translate the scans JUST FOR ME.

But this is the Ichigo we need. No more doubts about whether or not he can accomplish something. Just the determination to do it. Like when he stood in front of Nell to protect her. Then proceeded to own everything in front of him. He said he would see his form for just a "moment" and a "moment" was all he got. With his ridiculous strength it seemed like even that moment was overkill for his opponent.

With the transformation at his disposal I hope his Bankai does not become obsolete. After all he worked so long and hard to achieve it. It would be way too DBZish if it became a non factor in the future. But considering what Grim did to him when he used it last I'm not sure how effective it will be now.

Uno_Caste

11-24-2006, 09:15 PM

I agree with everyone...Yeah, Ichigo is at his best now. He has got back his natural and stunning confidence like what he used to have. In that way, I could expect something good from him in his major battle, probably against Grim, Ulquiorra or maybe, Aizen(who do you think can handle him?!).

I dont think, however, that he could come up with another technique other than taking control of his hollow. There could only be one possibility and that is if he'd be able to take 'full' control of his inner hollow and use its full power effectively. It would be uncool if Ichigo will undergo major changes in terms of power level and gain a two or worst ten-fold power increase like in DBZ. We've already seen how powerful he can be when he is in that combined hollow/shinigami form, so the best he can do is rule over his inner hollow. That itself is more than satisfiable.

About the recent chapter 253:
What a good start for Ichigo to show some confident ownage. The fight has nothing special though. I was only looking forward to see Ichigo's hollow release. The transformation was instantaneous, but it was a good chance to show how he has gotten better using the new features of his power.

Souhi

11-26-2006, 06:27 PM

Uno_Caste

11-27-2006, 05:20 AM

Whoa latest chapter. Baddie went down, hard.

Is it just me guys, or is that whole Hollow thing just too easy? Ichigo pulled it on for an entire 2 pages before completely destroying the poor sap. He seems so reluctant to use it as well, as if it's unfair. I wonder if the spiritual atmosphere made the mask "hollowization" any stronger...well the point is it's powerful.

Let's see another battle please.Well, I thought the same way regarding the arrancar being average regardless of its skills . Even if Ichigo didn't transform, he could still be able to defeat the enemy in any way. I think the reason why he wanted to end the fight as immediate as possible is because he was concerned of Nell's safety and that his focus to the fight will be destructed, as he would protect the the child from the enemy's attack. Also, it was the right timing to test his newly learned ability in a new environment against an average enemy. ^^

sari

11-27-2006, 08:25 AM

I love Bleach, the opening and closing so far is awesome! I really love it!

Gjallarhorn

11-27-2006, 12:27 PM

Whoa latest chapter. Baddie went down, hard.

Is it just me guys, or is that whole Hollow thing just too easy? Ichigo pulled it on for an entire 2 pages before completely destroying the poor sap. He seems so reluctant to use it as well, as if it's unfair. I wonder if the spiritual atmosphere made the mask "hollowization" any stronger...well the point is it's powerful.

Let's see another battle please.
It's probably easy to use and cast off, but remember that it puts a lot of strain on Ichigo, and drains his reiatsu in only 11 or 12 seconds. It is also his trump card, so he is reluctant to use it against anyone whom he does not consider to be a main opponent.

Mugetsu

11-27-2006, 01:16 PM

I'm not sure if I would truly condsider his opponent to have been average considering that he was a former Espada. But I think it was a little more ownage than normal because (if I remember correctly) the powers of hollows are amplified in that environment. So when Ichigo goes hollow he probably gets much stronger there than he would in Soul Society or the real world.

Either way I dont believe that its possible for him to beat everyone in 11-12 seconds. I want to see who Renji fights.

Uno_Caste

11-29-2006, 10:55 AM

Maybe when that arrancar was still part of the Espada, he was fairly considered as far from being just an average. But when Aizen had created newer and powerful ones, he had became average, and a mere fallen Espada. That's how I based it in clasifying him as 'average', plus not to mention that he himself admitted his status. After knowing that, I was then certain that he would eventually lose.

Ichigo's kind of beating up in the early part of their battle, however, will not be an excuse to not call him average. It's given that if Ichigo wont go Bankai, he wont own as in clear as day ownage in a battle like any of his early fights(his fight against Byakuya for instance). Afterall, that arrancar was sorted to be an extra = average - in the case of being an enemy. lol

PS My bad! Im about to go nowhere.

Mugetsu

11-29-2006, 01:45 PM

He said he did not want to use his bankai against anyone but the Espada, but I wonder if his bankai would even be worth the trouble. The last time I remember Ichigo using his bankai (aside from this last fight) was against Grim and he still got totally owned. And the time before that, Aizen stopped his attack with one finger (but thats Aizen though). I wanted to see him fight this new enemy in his bankai state just to see if that was a fluke of if his bankai had truly become ineffective against these new opponents. If he does have more fights in Hueco Mundo will he utilize his bankai immediately or just jump straight to hollow transformation.

Voyueristic-Narcissist

11-29-2006, 02:20 PM

No matter what is said, you can't denie that Sado Yasutora, known commonly as Chad, is an awesome character. Kisuke Urahara is second on my awesome list!

Gjallarhorn

11-29-2006, 03:14 PM

No matter what is said, you can't denie that Sado Yasutora, known commonly as Chad, is an awesome character. Kisuke Urahara is second on my awesome list!Seriously...that had absolutely nothing to do with what was being posted, but you addressed the rest of us like it did...

Minor question: Does anyone see Ichigo's father coming into play? We saw him once after about 120 chapters of not seeing him, found out he's a shinigami (and a former captain), but yet he have not seen him since. This is one of those little things I'm dieing to get an answer to. Same thing on Tatsuki.
Also, what about the Soul Society division captains we never got to see? The only one I can think of is the leader of the 13th Division, but I think there was one other...

Mugetsu

11-29-2006, 03:44 PM

Seriously...that had absolutely nothing to do with what was being posted, but you addressed the rest of us like it did...First of all...lololololololol. For a second I thought I was the only one. I started reading some of the posts to see what I had missed.

But yes, Sado is awsome and has the potential to be even better than he is now. I'm looking forward to the possibility of a fully armored version.

Minor question: Does anyone see Ichigo's father coming into play? We saw him once after about 120 chapters of not seeing him, found out he's a shinigami (and a former captain), but yet he have not seen him since. This is one of those little things I'm dieing to get an answer to. Same thing on Tatsuki.
Also, what about the Soul Society division captains we never got to see? The only one I can think of is the leader of the 13th Division, but I think there was one other...As for Ichigos father, I think he will play more of a role after they make it back from Hueco Mundo. After all, you can't just drop a bombshell like that on us and then just pretend that it never happened. Maybe he will train Ichigo a little kind of like the training that Ishda got from his father. I know that Kisuke did a lot of training with Ichigo already but Ishin (I think thats his name, forgive me if I'm wrong) is also a captain class shinigami. I'm sure that there are things he could teach Ichigo as well. Especially after the way he toyed with Grand Fisher.

As for Tatsuki, I would not be surprised if Kisuke has already started training her and the other two that snuck into the training ground. He seems to like doing that lol. But it seems that there are other characters that have potential. I wonder what the manifestation of her spiritual powers will be.

CrimTheFallenOne

11-29-2006, 08:26 PM

I love Bleach!!!!

Gjallarhorn

11-29-2006, 08:48 PM

I love Bleach!!!!And I hate spam.

As for Tatsuki, I would not be surprised if Kisuke has already started training her and the other two that snuck into the training ground. He seems to like doing that lol. But it seems that there are other characters that have potential. I wonder what the manifestation of her spiritual powers will be.But the other two, Keigo and whats-his-face, have not displayed any spiritual ability. Tatsuki can see Ichigo in Shinigami form, and she can see blurs of Hollows, but the other two have displayed no abilities thus far. And from what we have seen in the series so far, it does not appear that normal people can just gain spiritual abilities...and it would be kind of lame if they did.

Uno_Caste

11-29-2006, 09:53 PM

I wouldn't like it if there'll be too much intrusion from the outside world, I mean those that had nothing to do with Shinagami's and Soul Society in the first place. I personally don't approve the idea of Keigo and the other friend of Ichigo to be involved in the scene and worst enter the battle field. But thats just me. I guess, Tatsuki is fine with me, considering that she is the closest friend of Orihime, but that still depends on the role that she would play. My Point here is, I dont like Bleach to go beyond the limit in terms categorizing and specifying characters according to their role. For me, those that are not involved in the problem that makes up the story going should just be an extra, instead pay attention in giving additional profile to the seemingly involved characters like the Gotei 13 Captains. Then, again that's just me.

And btw, Karakura town is involved to begin with, right? As what I've known, Aizen is planning to attack the whole of Karakura town and make it and the people in it as a sacrifice whatsoever in order to get to the King(which is said to be an unseen deity of SS). I think it was what the Captain Commander had meant when he once went down to the living world and talked to Orihime about the possible occurences in the coming "winter battle". Correct me if im wrong. Gotta read that part again. lol

If so, then there'll be enough reason for Keigo and company and residents of Karakura to get involved. lol

Mugetsu

11-30-2006, 10:04 AM

I think that its pretty much a given that Tatsuki will be having a more cative role in Bleach in the near future (like Sado & Orohime) but as for the other 2 I think they may try to work them in as kind of a support system. Remember, our heroes are still in school. The other 2 "spiritually impared" friends may be used to run interference during class or help them make up missing homework assignments or something.

And comic relief is always a factor. Keigo hates being left out. Imagine how he'll react when he finds out that EVERYONE has some kind of spirit ability except for him. He'll absolutely lose it. Besides it does not seem like they want any "pointless" characters. Over time they seem to be building a background for everyone in order to make it easier to care if they live or die. Since they are Ichigos friends you might as well make them semi-important.

I do agree that if you dont have abilities you should not be involved in battles. I doubt that there are plans for any of them to fight other than Tatsuki. And I don't want it to be a case where EVERYONE just suddenly starts developing powers. That would mean that the characters are not really special and without that it would not be an interesting series. I don't want to suddenly find out that his gym teacher was a vice-captain and that the lunch lady was a former Espada. That would be too much.

When do you think we'll hear from the Vizards again? Think theres a chance one of them will show up soon?

dog199200

12-02-2006, 04:32 AM

Bleach is an awesome series, but I wonder how many eps there are. Does any one know? If so can you please tell me.

Gjallarhorn

12-02-2006, 06:55 AM

Bleach is an awesome series, but I wonder how many eps there are. Does any one know? If so can you please tell me.

There are 108 episodes so far, and the series is still on-going. Episodes 1-63 are of the actual storyline, 64-108 are filler episodes and we do not know when the filler episodes will end. There will be more story arcs after the filler arc is over.

Edit: Just read the latest chapter. It seems interesting. Perhaps Ichigo may shed that stereotypical good-guy-with-justice trait he has somehow obtained, and become "coldhearted" as means of victory. But of course, this is a shounen manga, so in the end, Ichigo will go back to being a hero for justice, seeing the error and/or weakness in his soon-to-be cold-hearted ways.

CrimTheFallenOne

12-03-2006, 04:19 PM

i want a sword like ichigos...Zangetsu....

Mugetsu

12-04-2006, 04:37 PM

Just read the latest chapter. It seems interesting. Perhaps Ichigo may shed that stereotypical good-guy-with-justice trait he has somehow obtained, and become "coldhearted" as means of victory. But of course, this is a shounen manga, so in the end, Ichigo will go back to being a hero for justice, seeing the error and/or weakness in his soon-to-be cold-hearted ways.

He will become cold hearted for a time but at some point he will start going through the whole "Is this really me?" thing that all heroes go through when they think that they may have gone too far.

It seems like the other battles are already in progress and from that peek they gave us it doesn't look too good for Sado & Ishda. Any ideas as to whether we may see some losses?

Gjallarhorn

12-08-2006, 11:40 PM

As for loses, I think Ishida will pull something off, as will Sado. It is too early for them to lose.

At any rate, although I liked the colored pages in this weeks chapter, it seemed a bit short. Not much happened. We found out that Aizen is excited about Ichigo coming to Hueco Mundo, and that there is an Arrancar who studies the Arrancar.

Also, in the chapter title page, we get to see all of the espada, though it is in no particular order as far as I can tell. It could be looked at two different ways to find an order, that being down the left column, then down the right, or across by row. The first ends with Grimmjaw being 8th, so that can't be right, and the second shows Ulquiorra as 5th, and that certainly isn't right. But at least we do get to see all of them.

Uno_Caste

12-10-2006, 02:14 AM

I got quite bored with the latest chapter 253. I thought that I'd see another action filled scenes from either Sado or Ishida's struggle. Too much talking and less action or is it just me. I couldn't pay attention to it, seriously! Thanks to the Bleach thread mainstay's here for bringing up the thought of the chapter. Well, who else other than Xero XIII or Souhi or Mugetsu are they. lol ^^

@Mugetsu's 2nd to the last post
Good note there about the Vizards. You got me refreshed there!
I almost forgot about them since Ichigo and company had entered Hueco Mundo. As we all know, they're pretty much associated and influencial in the turn out of events in the previous goings of the story, so it would be wrong if they'll get disregarded in the happenings to come. I can see them coming soon(maybe not now, but a little later or a little more...Let the perky lineup settle their business by themsleves first) and partake in huge events. At least that's what I'm expecting. After all, they're one of the leads in the arc.

Mugetsu

12-11-2006, 11:01 AM

That Arrancar that studies Arrancar seemed like he might turn out to be pretty interesting. But he lookes completely human to me...unless I missed something. I don't remember seeing any kind of mask or marking that would suggest he was one. But when I first saw him I started to think that it was Ishdas father. That would have been a twist lol.

The chapter was not as action packed as some of the others (sorry Uno_Caste) but I think it was done to lay the ground work for bigger things. Especially when it comes to the "research" that is being done on the arrancar. I couldn't quite follow the fight with Ishda and the female arrancar, but it seemed that Ishda was at a distinct dissadvantage. I get the feeling that he'll pull it out (as they all will, probably) but it makes me wonder how well they will do against the Espada. If they struggle against the fallen Espada can they really expect to beat the big boys? Especially when its 10 on 5? They will barely be able to escape with Inoue even if Ichigo could go hollow for a full minute.

Speaking of Inoue, they have not shown us what shes been up to for a while. I wonder if she will really get a chance to carry out that plan she was thinking of. Aizen seems to have a good understanding of her powers and is a tactical genius. I wonder if he has already thought of the possibility of her doing something like that.

Uno_Caste

12-11-2006, 09:07 PM

It was due to my below average mood that day that I couldn't pay attention to the chapter and didn't sense any relevance in it and felt like it was boring. And like most previous chapters, the recent chapter also gave us another enigma to wonder about. xD

And regarding Inoue's intention...Basing from the last time we've seen her seriously making up for something which is a plan against Aizen, I assume that she'll do it....to destroy the hougyoku rather to reject the hougyoku's existence. That i believe is possible considering what Inoue's abilities can achieve that other than being able to regenerate a thing that has been destroyed may it be phyiscal or a spirtual entity in short "divine regeneration", it could as well reject, limit, and deny a particular thing/event that existed/happened a.k.a. time/spatial reversal and event rejection. But the outcome of it, that I'm not certain of. It's even hard to imagine. Aizen is godly and though Inoue's skill is amazingly and truly exceptional, her chances of accomplishing what she planned all depends on her resolution plus mind power and maybe luck. xD

Gjallarhorn

12-14-2006, 02:51 PM

Not sure if anyone here plays the Bleach games (I don't). I remember someone saying they had an imported copy, but I forget who it was. Anyway, Heat the Soul 4 is coming out in Japan soon, and features Grimmjaw as a character on it...if you check out the site (http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/title/bleach/heat4/index.html) we get to see what some of his abilities are, which may be used later on in the manga.

Mugetsu

12-15-2006, 02:40 PM

One thing about Inoues power kinda bugs me. If she can reject the occurance of an event or the existance of an object, then shouldn't the effects that it caused (and even the memory of its existance) be rejected as well. Like with Grims arm. She didn't actually heal him right? Really she just rejected the event of it being sliced off in the first place. Making it as if the even never actually happened.

So if it never happened, shouldn't the memory of it be gone as well? Hmmmmmm.

I'm guessing that the rejection is just a very localized phenomenon so it would not really effect the memories of others. Obviously she can't erase the event from history...she just negates it's effects. Just something I was thinking about.

dieing25

12-16-2006, 10:51 AM

Hey if you like bleach alot go to the site below

Mugetsu

12-19-2006, 04:19 PM

Hey if you like bleach alot go to the site below

1) Theres no site listed below.
2) Even if there was a site listed below you are not allowed to post links to sites.
3) Hi, how are you?

New chapter was pretty funny. No new earth shattering info or action, but we get to see the new arrancar in her released state. We also learn that the other hollow has a...um...unique ability.

Gjallarhorn

12-22-2006, 03:45 PM

Well folks, it's that time of the week again. What have we learned from this chapter? Ishida has a sword, and therefore has increased his awesomeness. And it finally explains why that spider-web-looking bow looks so strange. When held with the sword, it looks like a shield. Let the games begin.

@Mugetsu: That sig, though funny, may be a bit much for the site...

Mugetsu

12-22-2006, 03:51 PM

@Mugetsu: That sig, though funny, may be a bit much for the site...

I know, I know. I'm gonna change it. A little too big for my tastes anyway.

Yes, it seems like the comedy is over and that Ishda is now serious. Just like Ichigi he was holding onto his trump card but will now bring it out. Good catch with the bow/shield thing. I was thinking that myself. But it seemed like he may have even more weapons tucked away. Ishda is no longer a one trick pony. He can get you long range and close up now.

Souhi

12-22-2006, 05:37 PM

Those brothers sure have some strange and (somewhat) useful powers. The healing and now some form of oily slick. Interesting.

I knew that Ishida would pull out a sword weapon sooner or later. The thing is, will it be a powerful weapon or more of a secondary one? His bows don't seem to be very effective in his situation so we'll see.

In other news, I just watched the latest filler (yes yes I know) and the major conflict has been pretty much resolved and the side villains defeated. Are the fillers coming to an end? I think it's been pretty reasonable. No hints for another 2 weeks though.

Mugetsu

12-22-2006, 05:50 PM

In other news, I just watched the latest filler (yes yes I know) and the major conflict has been pretty much resolved and the side villains defeated. Are the fillers coming to an end? I think it's been pretty reasonable. No hints for another 2 weeks though.

I'm glad to hear/read that. I didnt think that the fillers were badly done but I'm still glad that the end is in sight. My only fear is that they'll catch up to the anime again before the manga finishes the arrancar arch and we'll have to go through fillers all over again. At least they didn't produce like 100 episodes of filler like Naruto did.

I think that Ishda will always be associated wih the bow so theres no fear of the sword becoming his main weapon. But it seems like everyone is pulling a new trick out of the bag with their opponents. Well Ichigos isn't really "new" other than the fact that he's in complete control. I wonder what Sados trump card will be? Maybe armor on both arms??? I just have a feeling that he's going to do something new because in anime/manga you don't go through training without picking up at least one new skill.

tobeza

12-22-2006, 06:36 PM

Souhi

12-22-2006, 06:40 PM

Yes fillers are ending after episode 109. Episode 110 name is "Reopening of the Substitute Business! The Terrifying Transfer Student" so all ppl who have read manga should know this ''transfer student'' :)

I knew I repped you for a reason xD

I've seen that episode title, but it would still be reassuring to have some official news on the matter. I really don't want to get my hopes up quite yet. Would everyone agree that the gap between manga and anime has widened enough? As much as I hate fillers, I'd rather have a longer arc of them now then several shorter ones later.

tobeza

12-22-2006, 06:46 PM

They'll probably make fights longer in anime than in manga so I think manga has enough gap at the moment

Mugetsu

12-22-2006, 06:46 PM

I knew I repped you for a reason xD

I've seen that episode title, but it would still be reassuring to have some official news on the matter. I really don't want to get my hopes up quite yet. Would everyone agree that the gap between manga and anime has widened enough? As much as I hate fillers, I'd rather have a longer arc of them now then several shorter ones later.

That depend on how long the series will last. In my opinion a lot of the chapters for the manga have not had an extraordinary amount of information. I fear that they will have quite a few filler episodes to try to stretch things out but I doubt that they will have another long arc like the last one.

Uno_Caste

12-22-2006, 11:49 PM

It is pretty much a given that the anime will most likely catch up with the manga for a resonable time in a matter of ++ episodes that is why in order to extend the gap for a little longer, fillers are needed. Fillers will possibly appear in between or randomly in some episodes; that is if the animators will pursue animating the manga regardless of its gap with the anime. It would be like an ongoing story following the manga with a blend of fillers in it. However, what kind of fillers could we expect? the comical type like the one's we've seen during SS arc, the Don Kanonji + Kon tandem?!

And in case the idea of having fillers will be disregarded, which I doubt is quite unlikely, then expect a long series of in-depth character profiling, lengthy dialogoues, explanations and fight scenes all for the sake of a filler-free arc or perhaps to backup the fillers. Either way is a possible option and we'll see in a little while if one or the other or perhaps both works if applied; that is if Bleach will truly get back on track later in Januray year 2007. Let us see then.

Btw, Happy Holidays, everyone.

Gjallarhorn

12-25-2006, 12:30 AM

More Bleach news for you guys. I can't be the only person here who has a Wii, so I figured at least one other person here must appreciate this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach_Wii:_Shiraha_Kirameku_Rinbukyoku).

Mugetsu

12-26-2006, 10:54 AM

I think they would most likely go the comedy route with any fillers. Kon has not had a big...um, any part in the arrancar arc so they will definitely throw him into something. Plus they now have those 3 mod souls that they will probably do more with outside the actual storyline. And as you mentioned, more episodes with Don Kanoji are always an option. I don't think that there will be much chance of them doing damage to the real story if they do fillers revolving around these side characters in the real world.

Gjallarhorn

01-02-2007, 03:18 PM

For those of you who didn't know, there originally wasn't supposed to be a chapter last week. Well, guess what? It got leaked, or something of that sort. So, we got a good chapter this week. Ishida displays the power of his new "sword", the Seele Schneider (Soul Cutter in German...funny how that in German is roughly the same as Zanpakutou in Japanese). ___*Insert Ishida handing Cirucci her [rear] on a silver platter*____. We also find out that it isn't a sword...it's a bow that looks like, and can function like, a sword. Nifty.

Sadly, there is now two weeks before the next chapter.

Mugetsu

01-02-2007, 03:40 PM

Sadly, there is now two weeks before the next chapter.

If that isn't a catch 22 I don't know what is. I the Quincy ability to see Reishi (probably spelled that wrong, sorry) is pretty useful when assesing an opponent.

I love the way Ishda fights. He'll explain everything, then when you make your comeback and think you got him he'll say something like "It seems you misunderstood me..." then totally pwn you. And then the "Quincy only use a bow" line was just beautifully done. He's easily one of my favorites. I need an Ishda sig lol.

Gjallarhorn

01-02-2007, 08:45 PM

True, true. That "Quincey's only use bows" line was well placed, and I got a good laugh out of it. It was a nice surprise for the end of the chapter.

Mugetsu

01-03-2007, 09:03 AM

That fight made me feel a lot more confident about the possibility of them actually being able to defeat members of the Espada. Afer all, the person Ishda defeated was formerly a member of the Espada. But I think that the strength of the current members is probably on a whole other level then the last 2 opponents we saw.

After all, once Ishda decided to be serious and not hold back the fight was basically over in an instant. It was like he was fighting a regular hollow not an uber-strong arrancar. I am guessing that Sado will be next. I am also guessing that he will reveal a new surprise. Crossing my fingers for more armor.

Even if its just a glove on his left hand. A glove with sparkles. Then he dances his opponent to death. Sorry, I was playing Moonwalker. Foget the glove stuff lol.

tobeza

01-03-2007, 12:21 PM

That was indeed a really great fight. Ishida seems to be really strong atm. About the power level of another Espadas. Grimmjaw is the 6th strongest of em so I guess those last two weren't so strong compared to Grimmjaw.
I think Renji's fight is next but I would like to see Chad fight first :)

Mugetsu

01-03-2007, 01:11 PM

About the power level of another Espadas. Grimmjaw is the 6th strongest of em so I guess those last two weren't so strong compared to Grimmjaw.

Actually the other 2 aren't even Espada anymore. They were surpassed and therefore lost their place among the Espada. I doubt that they're anywhere near the strength of the current Espada.

But still, I don't think that Aizen wants any of the Espada to fight right now. Thats probably why he sent them to their rooms lol.

Uno_Caste

01-10-2007, 06:10 AM

Finally, our long wait for the fillers to end(is it?)has ended, as Bleach Anime officially resumed to its original storyline from where it left out after the SS arc. Proof of the matter is the blatant appearance of Shinji Hirako in the latter part of Bleach Episode 109. Also, the preview for the next episode backs up everything.

As for the anime-manga gap issue that increases the possibilty of another fillers to emerge, I don't mind about it that much now. It's too early to think about it, so I'm not going to assume further; I'd rather enjoy what will be shown to us on screen as much as the enthusiasm goes on.

Manga updates for me, however, have been very sluggish due to the internet connection problem that I've been experiencing since 26th of December 2006,which according to my ISP was due to the damaged network cables caused by a powerful earthquake that hit south of Taiwan. It'll probably take another week before the network normalizes, so I can barely make use of all the internet services that includes downloading and accesssing the net. This sucks!

But still the confirmation of the Bleach original storyline resumption is just good. ^^

Gjallarhorn

01-10-2007, 12:38 PM

Souhi

01-10-2007, 06:09 PM

It's finally back? Looks like it's safe for me to pick it up once again...It's been a long time since I've watched a Bleach episode...

O_O That means...Ulquiorra in full, colored, moving glory! Score!

(Is psyched)

Well unless Shinji descending upon Karakura isn't a sign of filler's end, nothing is. Bleach fillers were alright but I think I'm going to follow your advice and just not to bother from this point on O_O

Here's the first of many long anticipated characters in animation.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/16/Shinjianime.jpg

Mugetsu

01-10-2007, 06:44 PM

This is wonderful news....now if only my computer would start working so I can get the episodes (sob sob sob).

tobeza

01-12-2007, 10:42 PM

I'm really waiting to hear Ulquiorra and Grimmjaw voices. Shinji's voice was like I imagined it would be and his ''evil'' smile is really great drawn too

Gjallarhorn

01-13-2007, 09:13 PM

They had better not mess up Ulquiorra, or there will be hell to pay.

I think they made Grimmjaw's hair too blue.(How do I know this? I said I wasn't watching the Bount Arc? Well, I wasn't. I just watched it all last night/ this morning.) In the colored pages of the manga in was more of an Aquamarine, in the image of him in the theme song it was like a Turquoise. At any rate, the seiyu had will hopefully be good. I can't wait for the arc to get moving(excuse the pun).

Edit: Also, all of those movie promos in the opening and ending theme animations have me dieing to see it. The animation quality in itself looks spectacular...and then there is the matter of that qute looking shinigami girl...

Cabose

01-16-2007, 09:06 PM

when does the next Bleach episode air?

Gjallarhorn

01-16-2007, 10:08 PM

when does the next Bleach episode air?

It's been nearly a year since I watched the anime actively, but I believe it airs on Tuesdays on TV Tokyo.
The U.S. airtime is 12:30am on Sundays.

tobeza

01-17-2007, 07:16 AM

It's been nearly a year since I watched the anime actively, but I believe it airs on Tuesdays on TV Tokyo.
The U.S. airtime is 12:30am on Sundays.

Bleach airs on Wednesday at 7:27pm JST (Japan Standard Time).

Gjallarhorn

01-17-2007, 04:11 PM

Bleach airs on Wednesday at 7:27pm JST (Japan Standard Time).

Heh...I couldn't remember if it was Tuesday or Wednesday...like I said, it's been a long time since I've watched the anime consistantly.

Mugetsu

01-18-2007, 01:20 PM

Did anyone take a look at the fake chapter release on Bleach7? I knew there wasn't supposed to be an episode that week and I got curious. Hilarious stuff.

Gjallarhorn

01-18-2007, 02:50 PM

You mean M7's joke chapter? Yeah, i was in their IRC channel right after it was released, so I picked it up quick.
Halarious joke. "Aizen wants us all in drag" "Hot damn!" "Aizen...I miss his hair".
"Please Aizen, tell us your secret...Why is your hair so nice?" "L'oreal. Because I'm worth it. (And it eats babies)" xD

Also, episode 111 is out. Finally we get to see everything animated. It seems suprisingly different now that it is animated and in color.

Mugetsu

01-19-2007, 11:00 AM

Nothing like a wash, a rinse and a nice hot cup of baby.

I think I'm gonna have to start watching the episodes at work during lunch. It's the only place I can download them right now.

Bluefox-chan

01-19-2007, 11:27 AM

Im finally back in the fandom again!!
(kicks the stupid critckets for chrriping)
i couldnt stand the slow updating just for the fillers so i stopped watching but at long last the anime is back on its storyline!!
oh who i missed Keigo lol
i cant wait for eppy 112!
teh drama!
teh excitement!

Ja!
teh Foxy

Mugetsu

01-19-2007, 01:45 PM

I usually use bug spray for crickets. Or fire.

Speaking of storylines, I just got a peek at the raw for chapter 259.

Naturally I don't understand a word of what was going on, but the the chapters picture content more than made of for that. I'll give you one hint as to why I'm so excited....

Sado is fighting.

Gjallarhorn

01-19-2007, 02:43 PM

Finally he is fighting. The last time he really got to fight was back in the Hollow Arc when he was first introduced. Even in Soul Society, all he did was fight for about 5 minutes before getting the crap kicked out of him. Good news for Sado fans then.

Mugetsu

01-19-2007, 04:10 PM

It doesn't look that good for him right now but I figure it will follow the same pattern as the other fights.

Hero gets smacked around.
Pulls out his trump card.
Ownage!!!

And I am definitely feeling that Sados trump card will be interesting.

Gjallarhorn

01-19-2007, 04:24 PM

And I am definitely feeling that Sados trump card will be interesting.

He needs either dual arms, or a full body suit...it has to happen at some point...

Mugetsu

01-22-2007, 10:49 AM

I know,but it seems like he has some kind of shield or extension on the current one. I have not read the translated one yet but it appears to be that way. But we still don't know the true nature of his power so this could be just the beginning for him.'

Know that I think of it, the filler arch may have caused me to care a little more about Sado. I thought he was cool before but he had a pretty important role in the filler at one point. Best filler I've ever seen.

*New Chapter is out. More action. More surprises. More Sado. Could you really ask for anything more?

Well, maybe more Aizen lol.

Gjallarhorn

02-03-2007, 06:02 PM

The Left Arm of the Devil was intense. Chad easily handled that arrancar, but sadly it has already become an ineffective weapon...Chad always ends up drawing the short straw, doesn't he?

tobeza

02-04-2007, 09:58 AM

The Left Arm of the Devil was intense. Chad easily handled that arrancar, but sadly it has already become an ineffective weapon...Chad always ends up drawing the short straw, doesn't he?

Unfortunatly ye. Chad takes care of tht arrancer easily but then his moment in the spotlight is taken off in the same chapter. Not fun for Chad.

Mugetsu

02-05-2007, 04:38 PM

Someone must REALLY hate Sado. He completely over powers his opponent and instead of getting a moment to bask in the glory of the victory and catch his breath, he is immediately confronted by a member of the Espada. I can't see this ending good. Sado went for the kill shot right away and got nothing.

Its so bad that even the guy he just beat (his enemy) is telling him to run away lol. Now we get to see the diference in power between the Espada and everyone else. And I am not of the opinion that Ichigo will have it easy just because he can control his hollow transformation. Last time he fought Grim he only had one arm and was weakened to the point where he could not even be considered a member of the Espada.

Souhi

02-05-2007, 07:17 PM

These Espada are just tanks. Unbelievable.

The opponents so far have been tough but at least they had some honor. They went down fair and square, and in Ichigo's/Chad's case, they even show concern. These Espada I'm not so sure of. Wickedly powerful we know, but I'm sure they're merciless.

I swear if Chad is beaten to a pulp again, then there has got to be some discrimination going on >> Seems like whenever he reaches the next plateau in strength, everyone's long gone. This Noitora guy (I believe that's his name) seems pretty intimidating. His crazy zanpakutō alone is scary.

Mugetsu

02-07-2007, 01:47 PM

This Noitora guy (I believe that's his name) seems pretty intimidating. His crazy zanpakutō alone is scary.

That thing is huge! Looks like it takes 2 people to swing it lol. Sado and Renji seem to get the shirt end of the stick when it comes to leveling up. Sado learns a new trick, beats his opponent relatively easy and now it looks like hes going to get his tail handed to him. When Renji revealed his bankai to Byakuya he did ok for a little bit and then got destroyed. I wonder if he is the next one to have a battle.

tobeza

02-08-2007, 11:50 AM

Just read chapter 262 and I'm now feeling quite angry. What was the point of getting Chad stronger? Just to make him look cool in couple pages and then get his *** pwned? I really hope Chad isn't done tht easily.

Seems like Rukia is fighting next.

Mugetsu

02-08-2007, 04:37 PM

It's a real shame about Sado.

It reminds me of the Soul Society Arc. Remember when Sado was chasing all those shinigami and was dominating? Then all of a sudden he was facing a captain and was compleely outclassed. I think he was the first one to actually lose and get captured.

With the way the fights were going thus far I bet some were thinking that Ichigo and the gang might be able to actually defeat the arrancar in Hueco Mundo. This is a reality check. Even when Ichigo fought Grim (I know I keep bringing this up but its important lol) in hollow mode Grim only had one arm. Now he has 2 and hollows/arrancar and apparently Sado are all stronger in Hueco Mundo.

So now the Espada that were so much trouble before are even more dangerous tha before. No wonder Aizen was just relaxing even though he knew they were there.

I'm only seeing the raw right now but it seems like Rukias opponent is like Grand Fisher on crack with regards to his ability. (I doubt thats the real thing...but I can't read japanese)

Souhi

02-08-2007, 05:58 PM

I'm getting antsy...it's like a shinigami showcase extraordinaire. Everyone's getting a piece of the action, and I can't wait to see how it all climaxes. I have yet to read the next chapter, so I'll be back with that later.

Now with the anime, I'd like to let it be known (I'm quite shameless about this) that I had a bit of a fanboy meltdown moment with the Urahara/Yoruichi appearance (action in moving animations at last!).

I'm quite satisfied with the manga to anime translation. Really good so far, and everything is a somewhat updated, e.g some fresh music to match the hueco mundo world and some new animation effects for the Arrancar.

Come ooooon Vizards. I'm dying to see the training.

Gjallarhorn

02-08-2007, 06:02 PM

Yeah, but those canon appearances by the Bounto Arc mod souls and flashbacks from the Bounto arc are getting annoying...

I haven't seen 114 yet...I should probably get on that...

Souhi

02-08-2007, 06:59 PM

Yeah, but those canon appearances by the Bounto Arc mod souls and flashbacks from the Bounto arc are getting annoying...

I haven't seen 114 yet...I should probably get on that...

Oh yes! I missed that.

I would've thought the Bounto sensors would've been put back into storage for "rest" or something....they just seem out of place.

It can't be helped now I suppose.

Gjallarhorn

02-08-2007, 10:33 PM

Finally got around to watching 114...it just reminds me how bad...well, you can guess what word I'm aiming for...Urahara and Yoruichi can be. It's too easy to forget since they don't appear that often.

It makes me wonder why they themselves haven't gone to Hueco Mundo along with Ichigo, or if perhaps they may show up out of the blue.

On another note, the animation quality has jumped drastically since the Soul Society Arc.

Edit: Just read 262 and...whoa...REALLY didn't expect that last page, though I suppose it makes sense. This may turn out to be a very interesting fight.

Mugetsu

02-15-2007, 09:14 AM

Just read 262 and...whoa...REALLY didn't expect that last page, though I suppose it makes sense. This may turn out to be a very interesting fight.

I wonder how they're going to explain that. It seems likely to me that he has some sort of Grand Fisher like ability, but you never know what twist they might throw in.

Gjallarhorn

02-18-2007, 03:11 PM

263 was one hell of a surprise. Chad really got beaten down, we find out that the Arrancar aren't necessarily that good of friends, and have a serious hierarchy problem. We also know that Noitora is either the strongest Arrancar, or the most arrogant, but I'm willing to bet on arrogant.
At the big upset: It really is Kaien, earning the trust of Rukia, only to attack her after tricking her. So, since Rukia isn't even Captain level, I doubt she will be able to handle an Arrancar, I'd say she's probably just a bit stronger than Sado, and I think that this will end up being more of Kaien "testing" her, as opposed to actually attacking her.

Kimuro Asuna

02-18-2007, 03:57 PM

and I think that this will end up being more of Kaien "testing" her, as opposed to actually attacking her.

I really hope so, cause Rukia is not that strong and I doubt she would be able to kill someone who was once close to her anyways. She already killed him one time I don't think she'll be able twice.

Mugetsu

02-19-2007, 10:01 AM

I'm not buying the whole "revenge against Aizen" thing and I don't think that its really Kaien. I think that this Arrancar just likes to toy with people emotionally before he tries to kill them.

Everyone form SS found out that the hollow that attacked Kaien was an experiment by Aizen because he told them himself. How would Kaien find out? I think Aizen would be way too smart to tell him the truth about it. If he did Kaien might want to seek revenge for himself and his wife. As good as Aizen is at manipulating people I doubt he would do that.

Unless, what he said is true except for the part about him taking over the body. If his will was really that strong, why was the hollow able to take over in the first place? Did it have to do with the way it appeared that he helped Rukia to kill him? Hmmmmmmmmm.

tobeza

02-23-2007, 08:02 AM

I believe it is rly Kaien. Dunno if it's hollow who's controlling him or is he in his own senses.

Anyway just read chapter 264. Pretty intresting conversation between Gin and Ulquiorra. We can clearly see tht they aren't the best of friends. Also seems like it's Renjis turn to fight next.

Kimuro Asuna

02-25-2007, 11:29 AM

yup I'm looking for this fight, I like Renji's bankai I hope he'll use it. And O.o Rukia's angry... At least she realized that wasn't Kaien. There's gonna be a fight there too >.>

Gjallarhorn

02-25-2007, 05:00 PM

You've just brought up one of the few things in Bleach I don't like...multiple fights occurring at the same time and interrupting others. Take, for instance, when Ichigo and Byakuya fought in Soul Society. I was greatly looking forward to that fight, but it was continuously cut off by other fights, and even those were cut off by other fights. I do realize it is like this in most shows, but Bleach will work like this:

Major fight start (minor start (minor fight) end) end

whereas other series will go:

(Major fight start) (Minor fight start) (Major fight end) (Minor fight end)
Not that they fights old any significance over one another, that's just my way of saying First Fight, Second Fight, Third Fight, etc.

<_< I hope the terrible diagrams aren't confusing...

Mugetsu

02-26-2007, 09:50 AM

I think they do the fights like that so that you know that these are all going on somewhat simultaneously. That way you know that these fights will be one on one with no interference and that the other person in the other fight can't come and help them.

Tenchi Masaki

03-06-2007, 04:18 AM

It's been a while guys! Glad to see some people are still posting since last I came here haha.

I've been busy with a lot of things here and there, but I finally got back in the groove of things and am able to post once again in AF. I really missed participating in this thread and all the discussions we had way back when. I think most of the topics(Arrancar/Vaizard/Bankai's) we were sort of throwing up in the air back then were for the most part correct haha.

Well I am caught up with both the Manga and Anime of Bleach, so I'm ready to discuss this awesome anime again!

In regards to the anime:

Glad to see the Fillers have ended! Not a bad filler arc imho though at least it had some substance comparing it to other Filler *glares at Naruto*. It's pretty funny to see Bounto flashbacks as well as the mod souls from the arc being incorporated into the manga's arc. And the way each episode begins with a pretty detailed summary of the previous episodes, I can see that the anime is trying extremely hard to slow down the progressioin on the arc in order for the manga to continue to have a good lead over the show. The Voice Acting for the Arrancar are superb, and GrimJow's as well as Ulquiorra's voices match the ones I gave them in my head as I thumb through the manga ^^ Perfect!

And about the manga:

Very surprising to see Kaien as an Arrancar. That really threw me off, but it's refreshing to see that Kubo still has some aces up his sleeve and not everyone can totally predict EVERYTHING that will transpire in the future ^^. Also, Renji not being able to use his Bankai will be a challenging fight indeed. Even though I'd like to think he'll somehow figure out a loophole around Grantz's "Bankai Blocker" it could be quite interesting to see if there's an "alternate" release for Zabimaru's Bankai which in return would not be in Grantz's "Data." Renji did train with Chad and perhaps acquired a new power as Chad did but who knows right?

Again, it's glad to be back discussing Bleach and I'm also happy to see some old faces(of course I don't expect you guys and gals to remember me >.<).

Kimuro Asuna

03-06-2007, 04:24 PM

hmm yeah that would be intesresting if Renji had a new "technique" or something like that. And I agree that I was a little shock with the Kaien thing, but it isn't completly him. He only has his body. And I like that we don't know what'll happend cause it do some "suspense". For the Anime, I'm looking for Ikkaku's fight. I hope it'll be in this week's episode. I want to see Grimjow V.S too. Well, let's just wait for this fabulous anime to developpe... xD (weird sentence)

Mugetsu

03-07-2007, 12:27 PM

Again, it's glad to be back discussing Bleach and I'm also happy to see some old faces(of course I don't expect you guys and gals to remember me >.<).

Welcome back. Next time you take such a long vacation be sure to fill out the proper form in tripplicate lol.

We have seen something new from each character during their fights.

Ichigo - Better control of his transformation and ridiculous power
Ishida - Two new bows that totally pwn the souls of babies & grown men
Chad - Addition to his right arm and a power in his left arm.

Following te pattern it seems only right that Renji (maybe Rukia too) got an upgrade. Byakuya could use his bankai in different ways. Maybe Renji will have a new, sleaker bankai. One that is more suited for tight spaces.

I must be as slow as Renji because I never connected Zaeruapollo Grantz & Il Forte Grantz as being related. I thought the Grantz was just a coincidence. I thought the family name would have come first (Grantz Il Forte, Grantz Zaeruapollo). But it's nice to see that such strong family bonds exist among the arrancar.

Here are some of Zaeruapollo's brotherly comments about Il Forte:
"You mean you actually remembered such trash as him?"
"He was mereley a container with which to transport them. I'm not so childish as to get mad over having one of my containers broken."

Can't you just feel the love?

Gjallarhorn

03-13-2007, 06:54 PM

266 was a big change of pace from the last few chapters. We finally know "Kaien"'s true identity, and that Rukia has been fighting against Noveno Espada. It's been a while since there was a really fast paced fight scene like that.

Mugetsu

03-14-2007, 06:24 PM

I knew it wasn't really Kaien. It just didn't make sense to me that he would be a servant of Aizen and became an Arrancar/Espada.

I just had a thought (forgive me if someone already asked/answered this). We know that Arrancar can release their Zanpaktos, and high level (Zaraki excluded) Shinigami have bankai. Do Vizairds have a release as well? Is there some kind of Vizaird bankai that we have not seen yet?

DuckyInMyTrucky

03-14-2007, 08:14 PM

Mugetsu

03-20-2007, 09:41 AM

Apparently Aaroniero Alulueri (9th Espada) is not Kaien....yet at the same time he is Kaien. He was a gillian level hollow who could eat other hollows and gain their powers. So since he ate the remains of hollow that fused with Kaien, on some level you can say that it really is Kaien. Thats a pretty neat trick.

So it's obvious that Everyone else is either ajucasu or vastorode. It seems obvious that Yammy was ajucasu and Ulquiorra was vastorode. But where were what class do you think the other known arrancar were?

Just saw the raw for chapter 269....The next confrontation looks interesting to say the least. It's Ichigo vs...... well, I'll let you see for yourselves. But when you see it you'll probably sqeal like a 14yr old girl at a Justin Timberlake concert.

Gjallarhorn

03-31-2007, 02:38 PM

The last two pages of 269...omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg!!!!!!
-Insert fanboy squeal-

This will be like...the greatest fight of all time. Now I'm anxious. Mugetsu, you were right in that this is someone that would come straight out of my mind.

Souhi

03-31-2007, 03:13 PM

You two have got me worked up now o_o

But I'll step back for a second to clarify a few things...How do you guys think Rukia will end up against Aaroniero Arleri? It's true she's unleashed a third dance against him in a rather desperate situation...and it allowed her to reforge her sword and wound him (rather viciously...tube head didn't stand a chance).

Do you believe he's really gone? An Espada taken down? I have a sneaking suspicion it may not be over...either that or Rukia's gotten pretty damn strong lately. At least, more so than what I've been keeping track of.

Oh quick thing about the anime....the Bounto sensors are getting really annoying. It's a necessary evil I suppose....a blessing and a curse that they're there to slow down the battles -_- They're just bad characters to me. I don't like them one bit.

Now I'm off to wait for the new manga chapter...

Gjallarhorn

03-31-2007, 03:33 PM

Do you believe he's really gone? An Espada taken down? I have a sneaking suspicion it may not be over...either that or Rukia's gotten pretty damn strong lately. At least, more so than what I've been keeping track of.

Yeah, I think he's gone. He was screaming in pain and whithered away, so I'd assume that's it for him. Rukia only beat him by luck anyway.

Mugetsu

03-31-2007, 04:07 PM

Yeah, I think he's gone. He was screaming in pain and whithered away, so I'd assume that's it for him. Rukia only beat him by luck anyway.

I'm not gonna say he's completely gone just yet. After all, he is one of the espada and beating an espada by luck is just plain wrong lol. Plus I think there was still one of the heads left. Maybe he regenerates after/before/while Rukia wakes up.

The next chapter will be great. Even if the Ichigo and *spoiler* just sit there playing cards I will enjoy it. But I do hope that they do more. But I think they'll resolve Renjis fight before they get into this next one.

Uno_Caste

04-01-2007, 07:24 AM

Haven't been posting here in a long while.
Glad to be back though. ^^

Well, the usual habit hasn't been changed a bit. Still, I'm keeping track of both the manga and anime of Bleach despite some disappointments, particularly in the anime. The only thing that's changed is the habit of posting in here, which stopped for the past three months. But, hey I'm back. And a habit is a habit so I'm on it again.

As for the disappointing thing in the anime, I'm pretty sure that everyone seems to have the same thought about it. For goodness sake the mod souls are damn annoying. I hated how they showed up so sudden in episode 120 in between Renji's fight. Other than that, the anime so far is fine, though I honestly feel unsatisfied with it to some extent.

Gotta go now. Later for the next post. ^^

Gjallarhorn

04-02-2007, 05:49 PM

Agreed that they should get rid of the mod souls already. Those things were annoying in the first place. Kon was understandable, but these three need to go.
As for the anime, since we haven't been talking about it recently, I think the animation quality has definitely been stepped up a bit. Look at Ikkaku's fight a few episodes ago. It was really well done. Also, I thought that brief filler about Ikkaku's past with Zaraki (I assume it's filler, I don't remember it in the manga) was also done well. Well enough were I wasn't sure if it was filler or just forgot something in the manga.

Souhi

04-02-2007, 06:14 PM

Gjallarhorn

04-08-2007, 11:49 PM

This new chapter was absolutely amazing. Not a lot of plot development, but perhaps what could become one of the best fights in Bleach.
Ulquiorra said when he was first introduced that Ichigo could become a threat if he lost control, and right now Ichigo is a full power blinded by rage and attacking with instinct. That along made Ulqiorra block with both hands, only to have the Getsuga Tenshou blow right over him in a massive explosion.

Oh, and the color images at the beginning...awesome. The one with Ichigo and all of the Arrancar aroung him was awesome, and the one of Renji, Shinji, Ichigo, and Ishida standing in the water lit by the twilight is now my desktop.

Mugetsu

04-09-2007, 09:10 AM

IT HAS BEGUNNNNNNNN!!!!

This will be epic no matter how long the actual fight lasts. Of course it's not over just yet lol. That would be depressing. After all, we haven't even seen Ulquiorra release yet.

My favorite part was the absolute shock on Ulquiorras face when Ichigo wen't into the transformation. I know it wasn't much but I think thats about as much of an expression as were gonna get out of our favorite melancholy espada. It reminds me of the commercial with the guy whose facial expression didn't change even after the birth of his child or winning the lottery.

I'm actually kind of surprised that he of all people would disobey Aizen though. After all Aizen told them to leave Ichigo and the others alone, yet still he purposely provokes him into a confrontation. Looks like he has a bit of a rebelious streak in him.

DuckyInMyTrucky

04-09-2007, 11:51 AM

WOOT! Itchigo hollow vs Ulquiorra! Man..... this chapter seemed short tbh, but still good lol.

The look on Ulquiorra's face was priceless when Itchigo attacked with full force. Cant wait for the next chapter now man....... O_o :Goes crazy:

Mugetsu

04-09-2007, 12:39 PM

this chapter seemed short tbh, but still good lol.

Your absolutely right. It almost seems like it was done in like 4 pages...though it was definitely more. That chapter was so awsome that it must have caused some sort of breach in the fabric of space and time. OMG I just realized that I have to wait an entire week to see what happens!!!

DuckyInMyTrucky

04-09-2007, 02:06 PM

I have a feeling that for the next chapter we'll see Ulquiorra get blown through a few walls, he'll get up somewhat injured, thinks quickly about ichigo's power. Then he will start to pull out his zanpakuto, then right when things get good....BAM, goes to Renji and Grantz fight.....I hope that Renji doesn't get owned in this fight.

WhatIsAUserName

04-09-2007, 02:23 PM

Well, I want to know what ends up happening to Uryu. It's a little too early to show the fight that he's going to get in, but after Ichigo (hopefully) finishes up with Ulquiorra, Uryu will probably face another of the Espada (not the Privaron ones).

So, Rukia isn't really dead, is she? It seems all the Espada are circulating the message that she is, probably so that there's no loss of morale at the fact that one of the strongest Arrancar has just been killed. Even if she isn't dead, I hope a fight like that doesn't take away her shinigami powers.

Gjallarhorn

04-09-2007, 03:01 PM

I was talking with Souhi about Rukia's death, and it seems that it would definitely be outside of the standard ways in which shounen series are run, but at the same time would make sense in the way that Bleach runs. I think that it is up in the air for now.

And as for Ichigo actually beating Ulquiorra, I really don't think he has much of a chance. If you think about it, he isn't any stronger now than when he fought Grimmjow last time, and during that fight he held dominance for the 12 seconds he could stay in Vaizard form, but after that was completely at Grimmjow's mercy. And let us consider how much stronger Ulqiorra is than Grimmjow. We know Grimmjow is Espada Sexta, and that Ulqiorra is either Espada Uno of Espada Duos...that's a big gap in power. I think that the fight will ultimately end undecided for now, but will resume at some later point.

Mugetsu

04-09-2007, 03:19 PM

I think the espada are basing their belief that Rukia is dead based on the fact that she was impaled and that her reiatsu just about dissapeared. Naturally there is still a chance (a good one I think) that she will live. After all Kaien told her never die alone. Why would they say that like 12 times in the chapter if they were gonna actually let her die. No major character has died yet and Rukia is just about as major as it gets. I doubt she's done so easy.

Ichigo dominated Grimmjow in those 12 seconds but I wonder how long he will be able to go full power against Ulquiorra. I find it amaizing how much the power level jumps from one arrancar to another. Remamber when Rupee took Grimmjows place. At the time it must have meant that Rupee was stronger. Yet all it took was Grim getting one arm back to completely erase his existance.

So Ulquiorra is either 1 or 2. It makes me wonder where the guy with that defeated Chad ranks. He's obviously no number 1 despite his crazy strength.

WhatIsAUserName

04-09-2007, 04:39 PM

I don't think Ulquiorra would be the strongest Espada. Even if Ichigo is going all out, it doesn't make sense for the strongest Arrancar to be threatened by him. I personally think he's closer to Grimmjow's level, though I don't think there's any way for Ulquiorra to rank below Grimmjow. Either way, both of them must be pretty influential since they sat right next to Aizen during the meeting. That alone tells something. Perhaps Aizen prided himself on the way that the two were created, or perhaps they have the most potential.

The power jumps between Espada do mean something, since Yammy was about the strength of one shinigami captain while Ulquiorra, who can't be below fourth or fifth place, considered himself strong enough to take on two. The ex-6th Espada went up against 1 captain, another captain-level (he went against Ikkaku, didn't he), 1 vice-captain, and another shinigami at vice-captain strength, and he didn't even deserve that title. So I think that by the time one reaches the 1st Espada, they'd be much more powerful than a shinigami captain. Since that's where Ichigo is around, I don't think it's plausible that Ulquiorra is the strongest arrancar.

I think that the guy that beat Chad is at most the 2nd Espada. Though I almost get the feeling that he was arguing with a higher-ranking arrancar (the girl, Haribel?) during the Espada meeting, I don't really know why. Then there's the lazy one, Stark, and of course, one of the cliches in these series is that the lazier somebody is, the more hidden inner strength they have. :D Actually, it's pretty much all in the air.

And the ex-Sexta Espada, whatever his name (Rupi? Lupi?) probably got to that rank since Aizen didn't know how weak he was (Aizen commented that he didn't expect him to be beat up that much) and it would have probably been too much of a hassle to promote everybody at once.

Uno_Caste

04-09-2007, 11:27 PM

My guess is that Ulquiorra's number is perhaps around 5 down to 1, but I'm betting more on number 4. I don't know why. xD

Regarding his powers/experties, one can easily tell that he's good in investigations/analysis as he was able to measure the power level of anyone and power gap of everyone around him back when he had a mission in Karakura. He has also proven much enough to impress us with his data gathering skills -- he has the unusual ability to replay events he has seen to others by removing and crushing his left eye, which then turns into dust and flows around those Ulquiorra intends to use it on. The dust shows images of what Ulquiorra has seen during his missions. His eye regenerates after the act.

As for his combat skills, well, he's about to show us what it's like including that of his Zanpakutō as he is now going to fight in a direct battle against Ichigo. But I wouldn't be surprised if it's something different, maybe hellacious and scary in tems of power level that would cause body tremor to anyone who sees it. Hell, we're talking about Ulquiorra here.

Also, I assume that among the Espadas, Ulquiorra is the one who has Aizens most trust. This was proven when Aizen agreed to his reasons as to why he didn't kill Ichigo. Aizen even gave him the authority to do what he think is appropriate despite Grimmjow's objection.

Gjallarhorn

04-13-2007, 03:52 PM

Quick thoughts about the new opening for the anime:
1. I don't like the song. The background music is too quiet, and I don't like the vocals, though they would probably sound good in a faster song. I just don't think that it fits Bleach as much as "Asterisk", "D-Technolife", "Ichirin no Hana", "Tonight Tonight Tonight", or "Rolling Star" did.
2. The animation, again, was great, but I think the animation of "Rolling Star" was better. The current animation has too much grey, black, and grey-blue colors, which kind of made everything blur together, as opposed the the last opening animation, which made effective use of the blacks and greys with lighter blues and reds.

On another note, the animation of the first Ichigo vs. Grimmjow fight was amazing.

WhatIsAUserName

04-14-2007, 01:12 AM

So, yes, Ulquiorra isn't numero uno as you thought. He's number 4. Haha. Well, Uno Caste was correct. Well, at least we know some more . . . Interesting new chapter, though it seems that Ichigo and Ulquiorra both have a lot of energy left to fight.

Gjallarhorn

04-14-2007, 02:26 PM

That new chapter was nuts. I was shocked that Ulquiorra wasn't at least Duos Espada, but in fact Quatro Espada. Not only that, but he impaled Ichigo's heart with his bare hand...How will Ichigo survive that? Can he survive that? That's Chad, Rukia, and Ichigo all beaten horribly. Renji isn't in a good situation, and I'm sure Ishida isn't either.
As for what may happen next with Ichigo, I think "the horse" will take control, considering Ichigo's weakened state. Ulquiorra did say earlier on that if Ichigo went berserk that even he would be threatened, and I think Nameless(aka "the horse", Hollow Ichigo, Wichigo, White Ichigo) will be Ichigo's only way of surviving. Of course, Gin or Tousen could interrupt as Tousen did when Ichigo fought Grimmjow. Heh. Either way, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Mugetsu

04-16-2007, 12:57 PM

It makes sense to me that Ulquiora would be 4. I doubt Grimmjow would mouth off to Ulquiora as much as he did if he were #1 or #2. But the fact that he is only 4 and is able to do what he did to Ichigo so easily is scary.

Another thing was bothering me. We have only seen one of the espada release his Zanpaktou and that was Aaroniero Alulueri (#9). When Ichigo used the transformation and went against Grimmjow, not only was he missing an arm but he never used his released state. So really, even Grimmjow is probably more powerful than Ichigo. So as I see it, there are at least 4 espada other than Ulquiora who can beat Ichigo in his transformed state.

Right now, even if he could control it for 12 minutes instead of seconds, I have my doubts as to whether or not he can beat Ulquiorra. Assuming that Ulquiorra was originaly a vastorode type hollow, his pre-arrancar state was stronger than that of a shinigami captain. So with the power boost he received in power afterward, he can probably take on 2 captains lol.

As for Ichigo surviving I am also inclined to believe that the horse will become king for a while. Plus I think Nel has some kind of healing power that may come in handy. But we have not heard anything from Ishida lately so I am thinking that the Quincy comes along and saves Ichigos hide. After all, his fight was relatively easy and I don't think he has run out of new tricks. And I'm sure he would just love the chance to rub it in Ichigos face that he saved him lol.

Just read the translated pages.
Poor, poor Ichigo. "If I beat you I win right, because your the strongest right? So that, means that everyone else is weaker than you and I can beat them, right? Then I can go home and eat pie right?" lol Seems like he was under the same delusion as some of us. Now I'm almost positive that Noitora is #2. He is obviously not #1 since he see the need to prove himself and I doubt the #3 guy would really fool himself into thinking he should be #1. For some reason I'm guessing that #3 is the lazy looking espada.

WhatIsAUserName

04-16-2007, 08:01 PM

So, here's the current estimates, as I see it. The only open Espada spots are 1,2,3, 5, and 7:

Stark: Somewhere between 1st and 3rd?
Noitora: 2nd (I don't dispute this)
Haribel/Halibel: ?, we don't have any clues, but I'd say 3rd since her behavior with Noitora shows she can't be a pushover.
African guy: 7th, because Bleach has continually shown that size doesn't matter. See Yammy
Old guy: 5th, because that's the only one open.

These are just my estimates. As for Ichigo and his little raid, I think he's actually going to lose. I'm not sure whether Renji would either, but I'm almost expecting vizard or/possibly and shinigami intervention. Even if Ulquiorra is defeated when Ishida arrives, and Renji wins, there would still be 7 Espada left, not including Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tosen.

Or, Isshin and Urahara might arrive. Extremely unlikely, though the former actually verges on plausibility, IMO. Also unlikely, though more likely, is somebody arriving to discipline Ulquiorra, since he did break some of the rules.

Just a thought-maybe Grimmjaw was a vasto-lorde Hollow before arrancarization, and he knew Ulquiorra? That would explain how they seem to be roughly equal in influence. While vasto-lordes have been stated as stronger than captains, it doesn't mean much since look at the difference between Hitsugaya and, say Shunsui or Ukitake. So Grimmjaw might have been a weak vasto-lorde.

Uno_Caste

04-17-2007, 12:34 AM

Woah! Did I guess it? Ulquiorra's rank as number 4. I haven't read through chapter 270 and 271 yet. But I guess my speculations are right afterall.

Now, with regards to the Espada ranking thing, it's logical to assume that the numbers given to each Espada specifies their power level and gap to one another. But imo, it's not always the case. One concrete proof to that is the thing that happened between Ulquiorra and Luppi. As far as I can remember, Grimmjow who was originally ranked number 6, was once demoted and replaced by number 7 Espada Luppi. It was right before his left or right arm(not sure)was cut off by Tousen due to his violation of orders. But then, Grimmjow reclaimed his former rank after he killed Luppi. The fact that their rank are next to each other and yet Grimmjow killed Luppi in an instant as if she were an easy prey, is one thing that leaves me confusing. What about the power gap among Espadas and their rank? Is it safe to assume that those with a high rank is tremendously powerful, twice as powerful as those with one rank below? Is it always the skills/power that serves as basis in ranking these Espadas? Would intelligence and other non-combat related skills count? Factual answers would clarifiy these issues soon after all of the Espada's rank are revealed along with their abilities.

In Ulquiorra's case, however, I was quite sure that he is ranked 4 if not 5 or 3, but not number 1. The way he carries himself around, and the way he communicates with his co-Espadas, and also the way his responsibility seems to be, doesn't fit those of the numero uno Espada. I'm not saying either that the numero uno Espada should be arrogant and full of pride like Noitira, the self-proclaimed Espada, who is yet to prove whether or not he's the real numero uno Espada. It's just that Ulquiorra's rather cool and doesn't show superiority complex towards his co-Espadas likewise his co-Espadas dont look as if they are stunned of him. His confrontation with Grimmjow at one point justified that he's perhaps close in rank to Grimmjow, possibly higher; that is why I thought of him as the 5th, firmly 4th or the 3rd Espada.

That's for my post!
Gotta read chapter 270 and 271 now.

WhatIsAUserName

04-21-2007, 01:44 PM

Well, chapter 272 kinda sucked. Ichigo, defeated in only two chapters . . . I thought he had more fight in him that that, but . . .

Then Ishida comes to save Renji. Well, it was kinda guessed that he would save somebody, but too bad he only goes up against the 8th Espada.

BTW, how do the two female arrancar work for? The ones that keep beating up Orihime?

Gjallarhorn

04-22-2007, 03:41 PM

The two female Arrancar, I have a feeling that they may be under Noitora. They seem to display a bit of his arrogance.
I have a feeling that I know why Grimmjow is there. Taking into account his desire for revenge against Ichigo, it seems they've kind of built a rivalry similar to that of Ichigo and Renji had, I think that he could be there to take Orihime to Ichigo, and have her heal him...kind of the "only I will kill him" mentality. Or something to that effect.

It's all too obvious that Ichigo won't die, or at least be left dead. If Tite wanted to take the main character from the story, it would be much more dramatic than this.

Mugetsu

04-23-2007, 10:45 AM

Sado was defeated (severe wound). Rukia was defeated (severe wound). Ichigo was defeated (severe wound). Renji was getting toyed with (beaten up badly). Basically Ishida is the only one who is in relatively good shape. And despite their power ups, none of them are really a match for the top Espada in my opinion. Forget rescuing Orohime. It seems like it will be hard enough for them to make it out of Hueco Mundo alive.

I don't really see the point of those two coming in and attacking Orohime. Isn't she under Aizens protection? Don't they think that Aizen or Ulquiora would notice the bruises and wonder what happened? Chances are that they will be brutally and mercilessly killed by Grimmjow in the next chapter so I guess the last question probably won't be answered.

Grantz doesn't have much information on Ishida as far as I know other than that he's a Quincy...and the fact that he & Xero are twin brothers. This should be an interesting fight since Ishida doesn't need a bankai to pwn you.

I wonder what the status of Sado is. In the SS arc he was imprissoned when he got beated. I wonder if the Espada will be as humane as the shinigami were.

Gjallarhorn

04-28-2007, 06:12 PM

On 273:

Ishida is a lot stronger than I would have expected...to actually tell the Octava Espada "Seems like you're not such a strong fellow after all" after seeing the way Renji looks...and while being fairly beaten up himself. It's about time Ishida redeemed himself to his typical proud self.

Souhi

04-28-2007, 07:08 PM

Ishida being tied for my favorite character, has finally gotten some spotlight in this chapter, and it got a jaw drop of me.

For one thing, I'm surprised to see that Grimmjow seems to have some form of honor, or at least the mind to repay a debt...or however you'd want to interpret that.

Anyway, I'm glad to see Ishida in control. I have a gut feeling that this Octava guy has some trick up his sleeve though (Besides his little trick with restricting the BanKai and gathering information, we've seen little from him). And if things do happen to go wrong for Ishida, then what? Everyone's down for the count. Well there's Renji, but even he's tired.

I'm rather curious to see how this entire arc will wrap up. Things are looking absolutely hopeless as Mugetsu pointed at. Everyone's not only battered, but hanging on to dear life. None besides Rukia or perhaps Ichigo (somewhat...) have even significantly hurt the Espada.

WhatIsAUserName

04-29-2007, 01:25 AM

I disagree with the idea that Grimmjow has some sense of honor. To me, it seemed more like he needed Orihime for some purposes of his, and that the "repayment" thing was simply a convenient excuse for him to use her in some way.

I think the arc is going to end with Shinigami intervention. I mean, it's going to be a bit implausible if everybody simply turns heel and runs away.

Mugetsu

04-30-2007, 10:38 AM

Glorious Quincy Pride!!!!

Grantz looked genuinely surprised by how fast Ishida was. He reminds me of Inui from Prince Of Tennis in that he can't beat you unless he has your data. How often do you get to make comparisons between a supernatural series and a sports series? I feel that Ishida will gain the upper hand to the point were the Octavia Espada will have to release his Zanpaktou. Then Ishida will probably reveal a new trick.

At this point I think that Ishida is probably strong enough to take on and beat several of the shinigami captains. I wonder if he is strong enough to beat Ichigos bankai?

As for Grimmjow, I think his helping Orohime was due more to his sense of pride than it was to a sense of honor. He just didn't want to owe her anything for restoring her arm. He could have easily stopped those 2 arrancar from touching her in the first place. I think he allowed her to get beaten up a little in order for his "rescue" to have a larger psychological effect on her. Now she will be less hesiant to resist anything that he wants her to do.

seikuya

05-07-2007, 10:45 PM

i say bleach is great!!! and cool!!! ichigo hollow.. ichigo conquering it.. plus their zampakutou

WhatIsAUserName

05-12-2007, 01:35 AM

Chapter 247 is up. I would have to say, upon seeing Orihime's abilities, I was actually surprised she could heal people from the dead. Now that is amazing, enough even the arrancar think she's a monster.

Now, as for the Zaera-Poll/Ishida and Renji fight, I actually wasn't surprised that the Espada still has another planned worked out. Maybe the Espada ranks are based more upon sheer power than killing ability. I mean, being able to analyze and neutralize all these abilities seems like something that would get you above an 8th seat.

lduke1990

05-15-2007, 11:16 PM

ok, this is going to sound really retarded, but I just saw an episode of Bleach on YTV (I'm Canadian) and HATED the voice acting. So, simple question, does any one know where I can get the first 50 episodes?

Gjallarhorn

05-15-2007, 11:22 PM

Down ask for downloading sites and things of that nature. It's against the rules here. Also, since those episodes are licensed, it's illegal for them to be distributed outside of FUNimation's consent.

As for the voice acting in the english version, it's not all that bad. It's been improving steadily.

lduke1990

05-15-2007, 11:24 PM

Sorry, didn't read all that clearly, and no the voice acting sucks

WhatIsAUserName

05-19-2007, 04:18 PM

Hmm, interesting new chapter that's up. I do got a question though: what the heck did Ishida use in order to attack Zaera-Pollo? I mean, I see a big pentacle, but I don't know if that's from the 8th Espada or from Ishida, because Zaera-Pollo says something about sealing Uryu's spiritual energy. Anybody have explanations?

And it's also interesting to see Renji use a kido spell. Seems like Zaera-Pollo didn't anticipate that.

Gjallarhorn

05-21-2007, 12:07 AM

Well, the pentacle was definetly Ishida's, and that was one crazy looking attack...I just hope the next chapter gives it some kind of explanation.

And, still no news of Sado, Ichigo, or Rukia.

Souhi

05-21-2007, 12:28 AM

Man these cliffhangers are killing me. The beauty of the manga is it's keeping me on my toes in terms of story elements. But there's so much that needs to be resolved in so many frames a week. Well, it's to be expected.

Anyway, I was positive on Renji doing some form of crazy "What the hell was he thinking" approach to contrast with a fighter like Ishida. Still, it surprised me how effectively it stunned Pollo. That attack of Ishida's was definitely out of left field. Not much to go on besides knowing it's a Quincy original.

And Xero's got a point. We can only wonder about those 3. I'm honestly ready for a main character to go down, but those three don't seem likely. Rukia...she isn't as vital as in SS, but I wouldn't say she's gone yet. Chad JUST got his powers evolved for god's sake. I don't see him dying. Ichigo goes without saying.

Might be my connection to the characters, but I'm not seeing a clearcut death here. Opinions?

Shinigami Ichigo

05-22-2007, 05:29 PM

Well, with Bleach, I wouldn't even rule out Ichigo dying. But I don't see any of those characters dying, personally (though I wouldn't mind Rukia going down, never liked her much). I do wonder though how in the heck Ichigo can possibly defeat Ulquiorra, not to mention the additional Espada. By the way, do Aizen and co. count as Espada, or something else?

WhatIsAUserName

05-27-2007, 04:04 AM

New chapter up. Kinda groddy to see Zaera/Szayel eat his own fracción in order to regain his strength, but I wasn't surprised that he would treat his subordinates like that. I just didn't think he'd actually consume them.

Well anyways, I guessed we missed out on a chance to see his arrancar release, but at least Ishida and Renji have got time to think. That's pretty much what Uryu's best at doing, anyways. That's what's most disappointing in this chapter, at least to me. I was just so anxious to see another Espada release, but I didn't get one.

And we get an update on Ichigo, though I don't know what Grimmjow intends to do.

Shinigami Ichigo

05-27-2007, 07:29 AM

Probably whatever lets him have another go at Ichigo, since their previous fight was not concluded. He is alot like Kenpachi after all.

Gjallarhorn

05-27-2007, 06:48 PM

And we get an update on Ichigo, though I don't know what Grimmjow intends to do.

I thought it was obvious (I called it a few chapters back), that he plans to use Orihime to heal Ichigo based on the "Only-I-Can-Defeat-You-Because-I-Want-Revenge" angle.

Shinigami Ichigo

05-27-2007, 07:23 PM

Sounds like what I had imagined happening. I somehow don't see Grimmjow switching sides and aiding Ichigo and crew.

Mugetsu

05-29-2007, 01:03 PM

In his mind hes not aiding Ichigo. He's just settling his score with him. Theres no doubt that he probably blames Ichigo for the humiliation he suffered (losing his arm, temporarily not being an Espada, getting all scared up from Ichigos attack) and wants to pay him back, with interest. He'll use Oro to heal him, then he will try to kill him himself. Besides, I don't think he likes the ideal of Ulquiorra being the one to kill Ichigo.

I knew Ishida had more tricks up his sleeve. Apparently his knew bow has more additional applications than just the sword like function. I'm begining to really like Zaera. He's actually giving them a chance to come up with a plan to defeat him while he slips into something more comfortable lol. Can't get much more arrogant and cocky than that. And the blatant disregard for his comrades is such a nice trait for a bad guy. Really, I can't think of the last time I saw someone eat their subordinate.

Gjallarhorn

05-29-2007, 09:30 PM

Zaera reminds me way too much of Mayuri...the two would probably get along fairly well. Disregard for allies, scientist, crazy experiments, experiments on subordinates, experiments on self, out of his mind, thinks he knows everything about Ishida, thinks he knows everything about everything...yeah, I don't even know which of the two I'm describing any more...

Shinigami Ichigo

05-30-2007, 08:03 AM

So, basically they are both creeps? True statement, though. Any thoughts which of the two will end up dealing the final blow, assuming it is Renji or Ishida?

Mugetsu

05-30-2007, 05:59 PM

Zaera and Mayuri are ridiculously similar. I think they would be too busy trying to dissect each other to start much of a friendship lol. Maybe Aizens crew is meant to reflect the Gouten 13 in a way. (10 Espada plus Aizen, Tousen & Gin = 13)

Zaera = Mayuri (Reasons described above)
Grimmjow = Zaraki (Want to beat Ichigo with their own power)
Ulquiorra = Byakuya (I'll probably catch hell for this comparison lol. Both powerful, skillful, intelligent, arrogant and have a decent fanbase)

Just a random thought.

I think Renji should be allowed to get the final blow. All this time he has been punked and toyed with despite the fact that he is one of the major characters. Ichida already got an impressive win against the former espada. Plus he has been somewhat impressive in this fight as well. So far Renji has had his bankai negated and we never even got to see HOW Zaera beat him up. I think his character kind of needs this. That way he can say that he beat both brothers.

Gjallarhorn

06-04-2007, 12:57 PM

Chapter 277...my inner Fanboy is extremely happy right now...Not quite sure what will happen in 278, but the way Kubo Tite likes to do things, he'll probably switch back to Renji and Ishida before coming back to Ichigo, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra.

Shinigami Ichigo

06-04-2007, 04:01 PM

Sounds like the way it goes. Who you think has the upper hand, Grimmjow or Ulquiorra? Rank wise, Ulquiorra is the favorite, but the way Bleach is going, nothing is for certain. I hope that this one gets resolved before Renji/Ishida's battle.

WhatIsAUserName

06-04-2007, 04:23 PM

Zaera and Mayuri are ridiculously similar. I think they would be too busy trying to dissect each other to start much of a friendship lol. Maybe Aizens crew is meant to reflect the Gouten 13 in a way. (10 Espada plus Aizen, Tousen & Gin = 13)

Zaera = Mayuri (Reasons described above)
Grimmjow = Zaraki (Want to beat Ichigo with their own power)
Ulquiorra = Byakuya (I'll probably catch hell for this comparison lol. Both powerful, skillful, intelligent, arrogant and have a decent fanbase)

You forgot the similarities between Shunsui Kyouraku and Stark. Both seem like womanizers who have domineering aides working for them.

Now, back on topic. To be honest, I was actually kinda disappointed with the new chapter. I've been tearing my hair out waiting for TK to finally show us another Espada release, but nooooo, we had to go back to Ichigo. But there's always the possibility of an Espada release shown in the battle between Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. Small consolation, but if TK goes back to the Renji/Ishida vs Grantz fight, without showing us anything new, then I think I'd explode.

Well, at least there's a limiter of some sorts to Orihime's powers. That means she can't reject everything, though I'm assuming the reason is that she hasn't quite honed her abilities yet.

Gjallarhorn

06-04-2007, 05:06 PM

I have a huge feeling that either next chapter will be back to Ishida and Renji, or we will have a quick chapter of confrontation between Grimmjow and Ulquiorra and then back to Ishida and Renji. That's kind of how Tite has always done things with Bleach.

As for who has the upper hand, I'd have to say Ulquiorra. In the Material World, when Ichigo and Grimmjow last fought, Ichigo was ahead both because of his Vaizard abilities and Grimmjow having only one arm. I believe that should Grimmjow have had both arms, the fight would have been just about equal. Considering Ulquiorra beat Ichigo fairly easily, and that even Grimmjow was afraid of Ulquiorra showing up, we know that Grimmjow at least finds Ulquiorra to be trouble for him, and assuming he's on the same level as Ichigo, he won't prove much of a challenge for Ulquiorra.

Also remember that the gaps between espada power levels have been great. Rukia, who isn't even a seated officer, was able to defeat (be it at the cost of her own life) Aaroniero, the 9th Espada, and yet Ichigo, who is at least Captain level fought fairly equally with Grimmow, the 6th Espada...and lost miserable to Ulquiorra, the 4th Espada.

Mugetsu

06-09-2007, 10:51 AM

This last chapter leaves no doubt that Ulquiorra is superior to Grimmjow in strength. After their confrontation Grimmjow was injured while Ulquiorra did not appear to take any significant damage. The fact that a guy like Grimmjow had to kind of cheat just to get him out of the way shows that he didn't think he could really beat him.

And I still don't think that Ichigo (hollow or not) is as strong as Grimmjow with 2 good arms. Fighting one handed is a significant handicap. Also, when they fought in the material world, Ichigos transformation took Grimmjow by surprise. Now he will be expecting it and prepared. But usually when a character get's their butt kicked and gets healed, they come back stronger. I think the same will hold true in Ichigos case now.

I was also wondering why Aizen would give the Espada a device to punich their enemies. That thing reminds me of the Phantom Zone device from Superman. What happened to good old fashioned dismemberment???

Gjallarhorn

06-30-2007, 11:43 PM

So, I'm going to import the Bleach artbook that came out last December (see my last journal entry), and while doing some research on it, I came across what could be an interesting spoiler. I won't post the image here, just in case someone may not want to see it, but, me being a fan of the character, I figured I'd share. I'm not sure if it's actually in the artbook, but it does appear to be Kubo Tite's artwork...so, no guarantees...

Here you go. (http://i16.tinypic.com/66eqohl.jpg)
It's Tatsuki with what appears to be a Fox/zanpakutou

Pernan

07-02-2007, 01:05 PM

Well i don't read the manga and it looks like i'm very behind in the story, i posted a question in another thread a few days ago and i'm not sure if it'll be answered so i thought i'd try in here.

Can someone tell me why the title is "Bleach" to begin with? i love this show but can't for the life of me figure out the point of the title. I appreciate any help.

Gjallarhorn

07-02-2007, 01:40 PM

Can someone tell me why the title is "Bleach" to begin with? i love this show but can't for the life of me figure out the point of the title. I appreciate any help.

As far as I know, a specific reason has never been given by Kubo Tite, but I've posted my theory previously in this thread. Essentially, bleach is a chemical used to remove stains and dark spots and make them white/light. In the series, Ichigo is like bleach in that he removes darkness (Hollows, Arrancar), and makes it good (white being a color representative of purity). Thus, Bleach is just a metaphor for Ichigo.

Wio

07-02-2007, 11:57 PM

I was also wondering why Aizen would give the Espada a device to punich their enemies. That thing reminds me of the Phantom Zone device from Superman. What happened to good old fashioned dismemberment???
The real question is why Aizen doesn't want Ichigo and Friends to be killed right off the bat. I believe he was expecting for the Espada to betray eachother with the device.

Gjallarhorn

07-04-2007, 02:27 AM

281 was epic. I can't wait for next week's chapter. Grimmjow's released form looks crazy...and kind of like Gamma Akutabi (from Kubo's Zombie Powder) for some reason.

Wio

07-04-2007, 03:20 AM

281 went by fast. Not a whole lot actually happened.

Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshouu showed no effect though. Ichigo is either screwed or he is going to come up with a new attack.

I still think that his inner hollow could fight better than Ichigo. His hollow is always in his 'killing intent' mode while Ichigo is worried about Orihime's safety.

Hitsugaya389

07-04-2007, 05:29 AM

His inner hollow could prob wipe out an entire state

Wio

07-04-2007, 07:11 AM

At this stage in Bleach, wiping out an entire state is not that difficult. The reason why Aizen wouldn't allow Karakura town to be destoyed is because he needs it.

Hitsugaya389

07-04-2007, 07:46 AM

Ah yes, forgot about that

Chris-san

07-07-2007, 07:03 AM

Gjallarhorn

07-07-2007, 08:37 PM

It means that Ichigo is gaining more control over his Hollow and that he is become stronger. If the Hollow were closer to coming out, Ichigo wouldn't be able to use his powers for such a duration of time.

I'm still waiting for the obvious, yet-to-come moment when Ichigo needs to let "the Horse" take control, be it soon or later, it will happen.

Pernan

07-10-2007, 11:25 PM

Xero XIII, thanks for the thought. At least my ignorance is justified then lol.

Ranryou Roga

07-10-2007, 11:55 PM

I may have come upon something good.

Kaien Shiba maybe the brother of ichigo. Im not sure but what if Issun left because his son died. Because of this hollow. Also Byakuya called Shiba his senior. Maybe he is older then byakuya. This could be. That could explain somethings in my book. Also if this inst ture then why do they look just alike. This is something that well be reverled later in the serios. Ichigo and Shiba.But also if that was ture ganju and his sister would have noticed that right. Right. Also put a goatee on Ganju and given him issun's hair look alike. yeah to me they do. Also Karin and Kukaku Shiba. they look alike also just a youger verion of her.

Please tell me what you think.

Could they be part of the noble Shiba family

Mugetsu

07-17-2007, 02:28 PM

...OMG....strangely enough that almost makes sense. But would that mean that Ganju and Ichigo are brothers? Hmmmmm. That would be kind of weird lol. But I choose not to feed the flames of speculation at this time.

Some interesting chapters. Looks like all the focus lately has been on Ichigo & Grimm. Even other Espada & Arrancar are taking notice, and are actually fearful. And Ichigo has obviously gotten stronger. But there is a huge gap in amount of time he can keep the mask on in his fight with Ulquiorra and this fight with Grimmjow.

Ichigo is my favorite type of hero. He is the type that gets stronger to protect others. It seems like the mask will last only as long as his resolve does. The more he feels he needs to protect, the longer he can keep it on.

Sorry Xero, as much as we all want to see the horse ride the king I don't think it will happen anymore. It seems like they got rid of Zangetsu (sort of) and it looks like they are getting rid of Whichigo. No more voices in his head.

Wio

07-19-2007, 03:18 AM

Hmmm...so 282 shows that Ichigo's Vizard for is lasting longer. Does that mean his Hollow is getting closer to coming out, or that he's just getting stronger? It seems to me that he's got some traces of humanity left after how fast he protected Orihime, but...somehow, this fight doesn't look like it'll get resolved without something bad happening to someone.
Well, if you look at the other vizards, you see that they have the ability to control their hollow for almost an endless amount of time. I think it's possible that gaining the ability to be hollow for a long time is something you achieve in great leaps, rather than slow and steadily.

As for Kaien being Ichigo's brother, it is far-fetched. I mean as much as Isshin loves his daughters, he sure as hell ditched his other daughter and Ganju.

Ranryou Roga

07-19-2007, 08:50 PM

Kaien is ichigo little sister.

Mugetsu

07-20-2007, 11:41 AM

Kaien is ichigo little sister.

:confused: WTH??? Kaien is a DUDE. A former vice captain with Rukias squad. The guy who looks just like Ichigo, only with black hair.

:glare: Your probably thinking of Karen. Please pay closer attention...lol.

So has anyone else noticed that Ichigos mask seems to look a little different just about every time he puts it on? Seems like it gets more black.

Gjallarhorn

07-20-2007, 12:20 PM

Yeah, I noticed that. I've started to think that the longer he can use he mask or the more control he gets over it, the more black appears on it. But, they haven't really said anything about it, and not enough has happened to solidify my theory.

Mugetsu

07-20-2007, 01:44 PM

Thats exactly what I was thinking. At first the mask only had a few stripes, now it's almost half black. So maybe when Ichigo gets full control of his (no time limit) the mask will be half or even all black. Also, all of the Vaizards mask seem to be white. Maybe there is more of a significance to Ichigos mask becoming black. Maybe it means that instead of controlling his inner hollow, he's merging with it. Making it a part of himself.

I believe that the more Ichigo begins to trust himself and his hollow powers, the longer he will be able to keep the mask on. Once he gets rid of his hesitation, he won't have to worry about it disappearing. With Ulquiorra, he didn't do that. He was worried about the time limit and trying to defeat him quickly. He was angry. But now with Grimmjow I think he has been able to keep it on so long because he is protecting Orohime and has more inner resolve and determination.

Just a thought.

Wio

07-20-2007, 11:12 PM

I want Ichigo to start growing a Fro once his mask is completely black. Then I want him to walk up to Aizen with a comb in his hair and a basketball by his side saying "Let me show you how it's done"

Ranryou Roga

07-21-2007, 05:25 PM

Yeah and Aizen make alot of fake himself to play. Then ichigo uses the flash steps to make alot of him to play. Gin and Tousen wear Cheerleader uniformed. Renji and Byakuya do the same.

Wio

07-22-2007, 01:37 AM

Well, we learned a bit more about the hallows. Does anyone notice that most of Ichigo's mask has been destroyed?

Edit: I gotta also add. I am very annoyed by Grimjaw saying "You actually thing you can beat me?" It's not like Ichigo has a choice. What is he supposed to do?
Ichigo: Oh snap, thanks for reminding me Grimjaw. I almos thought I could beat you for a second... Well, I'll just take Inoue and Nell and leave.

Seriously. I guess it's a japanese thing.

Tenchi Masaki

07-27-2007, 03:06 AM

Yes, I have noticed that most of Ichigo's mask has been destroyed so does that hint at a drastic drop in power?

Based on Xero's and Mugetsu's observations it is true that Ichigo's mask is starting to show some subtle changes. If I could put my own two cents into the theory, perhaps in the next chapter or two Ichigo's mask will be completely destroyed but for some reason I have a feeling his power will not disappear. I agree that perhaps Ichigo is merging with his hollow rather than controlling it which might indicate Orihime's monologues about "Kurosaki-kun not being his usual gentle self." Then again we might be looking at this too closely haha, but hey this is why we have a discussion thread.

The history behind the evolution of Hollows is quite interesting and I guess it was somewhat hinted by Rukia's opponent(Arrancar 9...forgot his name it's been a while) and the way he came to join the ranks of the Espada. Also maybe a subtle clue was given towards the last panels of Ishida/Renji's fight with their opponent consuming one of his underlings to recover health(forgot this guy's name too haha I should look them up later, time to backtrack).

Although all our eyes are turned tentively at the Grimmjow and Ichigo fight I seriously want to know the outcome of Ishida and Renji's. I'm an Ishida fan so some closure would have been nice haha, guess we'll have to wait for the outcome of this fight to see the fate of Uruyu and Abarai.

Hopefully this week's chapter will conclude the fight seeing as Grimmjow wants to humble Ichigo. With most of Team Rescue Orihime out of commission let's hope Ichigo can pull through!

On a sidenote: Those female Arrancar featured in the chapter "The Primal Fear" look purty haha. And if I'm not mistaken the one with the well endowed chest is an Espada (the one with a "kakashi-like" mask covering her lower face). It'll be interesting to see their roles in Hueco Mundo and perhaps Hollows/Arrancar CAN fall in love? haha weird thought to think about but you know. There is Nell, a child arrancar...so is it too far-fetched to believe in Arrancar/Hollow reproduction?!?

Haha just a funny thought to ponder on.

Keep the discussion rocking guys.

Gjallarhorn

07-27-2007, 03:48 AM

Actually, from what I've heard spreading around in rumor for the next chapter, Noitora interrupts Ichigo and Grimmjow's fight, or will at least show up at the end of the chapter.

Edit: 9000 post mark!

Tenchi Masaki

07-27-2007, 05:31 AM

Gratz Xero!

Haha read your little blurb there. Hmmmm that'd be an interesting turn of events...

I suppose if that were to happen they will probably switch back to any unfinished fights and perhaps everyone's fates will overlap shortly afterwards, maybe even bringing Aizen and company into the foreground.

Looks like we got a little less than 24 hours before we know our answer hehe.

Mugetsu

07-27-2007, 09:48 AM

(Wow..thats a lot of posts there Xero. This man is a machine lol)

I think the mask is more a representation of the power than the actual source. If teh mask goes I think he can still fight at a high caliber, but we'll just have to wait and see for sure.

As for Orohime's reaction, I think she was afraid of the mask, but more of his aggression when fighting. She hasn't really seen Ichigos best fights. I don't think she actually saw the fight against Byakuya even though she was in the area. And she was even afraid of his power when he fought Yammi. Now she is seeing a Kurosaki that she never imagined and she isn't used to it. To her he seemed like a completely different person.

So basically hollows eat other hollows of equal or greater status to become more powerful. Then to maintain that power they have to keep eating other hollows of equal or greater powers to not revert and lose their self awareness. No wonder these guys don't like each other. Under normal circumstances they would be trying to eat each other lol. I wonder if Arrancar still have to eat like that or did their arrancarization eliminate that need. I assume it did.

And all of those arrancar that followed Grimmjow to the material world the 1st time were with him as hollows. I noticed that their forms as Adjucas was very similar to their release states as Arrancars. Even Gimmjow was just a big cat. But with them wanting to make him King I can see how he feels he's better than everyone else.

I think she (well endowed, Kakashi masked Arrancar) is an Espada. She was the only one that didn't seem phased by Grimmjows & Ichigos power. I was wondering how Nell became an Arrancar when he/she (forgot which one) is so young. I think hollow love may be like Preying Mantis love. Once they mate the female eats the males and goes up a class lol.

I heard the whole Noitoro thing too. I would hate that so much. Why would someone who was ranked 3 or 2 jump into a fight against a weakened opponent with a line like "I'll take this prey". That is so weak. But considering that he said he would move toward a strong reiatsu some time ago it wouldn't surprise me if he showed up.

It still doesn't make sense to me because Noitoro is trying to prove that he is the strongest. Beating Ichigo who was already beaten by Ulquiorra and is currently being beaten by Grimmjow would prove nothing. He just needs to go back to his room and play video games or something.

I am so dying to know whats going on with Ishida and Renji. Plus, are Chad and Rukia dead??? These are some pretty important issues to me lol. I think Nells friends will somehow play a role in the defeat of Grantz. I would never count Ishida out because he always pulls out a new and more powerful trick, but this one is gonna be tough.

Tenchi Masaki

07-28-2007, 03:46 PM

I just finished this week's chapter!

That preying mantis theory about Hollow reproduction is an entertaining thought Mugetsu haha. We know Hollows do eat one another to evolve but seeing as I'm a sap for romance that would be so sad if it were true.

I am also concerned about the fate of Chad and Rukia seeing as they have been marked as "dead" so far. It seems that Ichigo is openly admitting that he came to Hueco Mundo to fight Grimmjow and the other arrancar on top of saving Orihime. When I read that portion of the chapter Hollow Ichigo appeared in my mind and I sort of deduce that yes, after their inner battle dozens of chapters back Ichigo now realizes that although he has a resolve to protect his friends, he is also the type of person to seek stronger opponents and become stronger himself.

It seems that some Hollows are unable to evolve regardless of how many other hollows they consume. The whole pre-determined fate/destiny is something I don't like to believe but it seems that's the case with Hollow evolution. I feel a little more for Grimmjow after this chapter, being a King is great but with no loyal subjects under you it would be a very lonely rule. The whole idea of Grimmjow consuming portions of the defeated Arrancar (D. Roy, Volcanica, etc.) you get the sense that Grimmjow does have a faint resolve. Although his comrades are dead they willingly gave them pieces of their body in order to help Grimmjow evolve. So perhaps we shouldn't count out the fact that Grimmjow has a reason to fight other than beating the words "I am better than you" into Ichigo's skull.

Well we'll find out who wins, who loses, and who will crash the party next week. The little blurb in the corner of the last page says it all:

Next: The Conclusion! With Colored Pages!

YES COLORED PAGES! haha.