Bleach 195. Current manga discussion. *MAJOR SPOILERS!*

[Captain Highwind]

maybe it's just me

but i think there's something different with Isane, either that's not the real one or someone is in control of her (her eyes and sweat drop namely give me that feeling)

She's usually nervous like that, but I haven't seen the collapsed fish-tank espada in any of the manga panels these past few issues...

Man, if that theory were true, that would be a very underhanded plot-twist...considering Rukia and Hantaro are out cold while Capt. Kuchiki just left. :p

EDIT: Oh wait, Espada evaporate when they die. Nevermind then carry on.

[Malex]

Did anyone else notice that whenever a shinigami kills an Espada that the Espada starts yelling nonsense before dissolving? It's something strange that I noticed from Zommari and Aaroniero's demise by the hands of the Kuchiki Siblings.

[Captain Highwind]

Did anyone else notice that whenever a shinigami kills an Espada that the Espada starts yelling nonsense before dissolving? It's something strange that I noticed from Zommari and Aaroniero's demise by the hands of the Kuchiki Siblings.

Or that the recent Espada have pretty much the same power, just a derivative of mind/body control?

[1 of 3]

Oh, by the way

http://i18.tinypic.com/81ykvht.jpg

"This cover is simply FABULOUS*"

* to steal a joke from someone on Gamefaqs, who stole it from Little Kuriboh, who stole it someone else, blah, blah, blah

[Captain Highwind]

Why is he grabbing his shirt...?

[Malex]

Why is he grabbing his shirt...?

He is saying "Can't mess wit dis" since he has lasted in battle longer than any other Espada.

[Mr. Obsession]

Chapter 303

Mayuri blinds Szayel with "Science!™" (and a face full of Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou).

[Anime Freak]

303 spoilers are out:
-That last scene from 302 with Mayuri was actually him faking.
-He basically tells Syzael that he planned for this battle before he appeared in front of them and Syzael is stunned.
-Mayuri kicks Syzael's ass and gives him a beatdown.
-Mayuri unleashes bankai and it looks like its pretty much bye bye for Syzael

All I can say is that hopefully this is really the end of Syzael. He's lasted wayyy too long for such a low level espada and i'm glad it's finally over. Hopefully this means Kenpachi vs Noitra is next week. Seems Kubo is finally moving things at a faster pace.

Btw, did anyone else find it odd that Byakuya left Isane all alone? I mean seriously, would anyone expect Isane to be able to hold his own against espadas 1-3 or Yammy?

[Rocketboy]

Ah, so my eye question is answered in this chapter.

And Szyeal can't die until he makes a Nemu doll.

[Anime Freak]

wow, it seems Mayuri freakin pwned Syzael's ass. The latest spoiler shows that Mayuri implanted a bacteria into Ishida way way back in Soul Society and has been watching him ever since. Thus he saw the whole fight with Syzael and replaced his organs with fake organs. :eek:

[Kyuss]

Well it's certainly helpful to have a good strategy, and Mayuri has proven to be an effective strategist in this instance.

[silvanoir]

Why must my poor Quincy boy constantly be tortured and traumatized? *cries in a corner* :crying:

If Mayuri has been watching him the whole time through these bacteria, then he also knows about Urahara's storeoom (where Uryuu got his new weapon), as well as Uryuu's father also having Quincy powers. NOT GOOD.

My loathing for Mayuri knows no bounds. He'd better bite the dust before Bleach ends.

[Kyuss]

Silver,

I have connections. Killing shinigami isn't hard for some of us deities.

[Karl Olson]

Silver,

I have connections. Killing shinigami isn't hard for some of us deities.

what have I told you about roleplaying in threads...

[Captain Highwind]

303

Wow, I guessed Mayuri's plan. (Close enough anyway.)

Hopefully he liquifies Aporro with his bankai. Smashing large objects into espadas doesn't really do the trick.

Ho ho, sucks to be Ishida. You've been used for ...how many chapters since the Mayuri battle...?

[Kyuss]

Highwind,

They say close is only good in horseshoes, hand-grenades, and ICBMs. Take that saying for what its worth.

I like the smashing of things into other things, especially into squishy mortal beings.

[Rocketboy]

Wow, I'm really surprised at how Mayuri handled that fight. It was excellent.

[Kyuss]

Eh I'm more interested (as I've said before) about Nnorita versus Kenpachi.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

So, Mayuri has been spying on Ishida ever since their battle. That's certainly very interesting. While I expected Mayuri to win, I'm surprised he won so easily. Mayuri's probably stronger than a lot of people give him credit for.

Now this just leaves us with Kenpachi vs Nnoitra, which could wind up being the final battle of this arc. If so, then we might be able to get to the Winter War and the end of the manga before too long. Although I'm sure the Winter War will be the longest arc in the series.

[GWOtaku]

So, Mayuri has been spying on Ishida ever since their battle. That's certainly very interesting. While I expected Mayuri to win, I'm surprised he won so easily. Mayuri's probably stronger than a lot of people give him credit for.

Not sure if its strength so much as a "with enough preparation he can take on almost anybody" thing. He certainly deserves credit for his cunning, I'll give him that.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Not sure if its strength so much as a "with enough preparation he can take on almost anybody" thing. He certainly deserves credit for his cunning, I'll give him that.

Well, I meant more his overall battle ability, which would include that. The person who has the most overall strength doesn't always win. Mayuri is a fearsome opponent, inspite of his loss to Ishida earlier in the series.

[Mr. Obsession]

Poor, poor Ishida. He’s been Mayuri’s private little reality show all this time.

I’m also a little surprised that Mayuri only replaced all his organs just before going to Hallow Land. I would have expected he had already done so years ago during his other self-experiments. Though I wonder if they’ll just disappear and be replaced by natural ones once when he uses one of his instant regrowth serums, or turns into a goo puddle after stabbing himself again.


then we might be able to get to the Winter War and the end of the manga before too long.Unless KT pulls another plot twist like at the end of the Winter War like he did with Aizen in Soul Society leading to yet another story arc.

[Rud]

Unless KT pulls another plot twist like at the end of the Winter War like he did with Aizen in Soul Society leading to yet another story arc.

how about if the gates of hell appear to take Aizen away just like that hollow soul that tortured that possesed bird chad had, then one thing leads to another and its going into hell time.

I can see it now, Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, Orihime, Renji, Rukia & Grimmjow
(who pulled a Renji during the current arc) going to save some girl, again.

the reason i think Grimmjow will pull a Renji is cause of some plot simmilarities between them that probably mean nothing.

.Renji and his superior arrive on earth & have a brief fight with ichigo. Like what Grimmjow did.
.Ichigo beats renji in soul society & Renji has many flashbacks during the battle. Grimmjow did that too.

alls left is for Grimm to fight and be completly emasculated by Ulquiora and then hes in the gang.:D :D

[1 of 3]

Here's my ideas for the rest of the series:

After the current fights are over, the captains and Ichigo's team try to escape. Through some form of trickery, Aizen makes Orihime join him. Grimmjow dies allowing them to escape.

The Winter War breaks, and Aizen wins!

The surviving soul reapers chase Aizen through the King's dimension, they come close to catching him, but again they ultimately fail. Aizen becomes god and remakes the universe to his desires. In a last act of friendship, Orihime spares a few soul reapers, vizards, etc. with her shield.

Now, we've come full circle and the survivors have to do what was once Aizen's goal, and take down god.

Also, at some point during these events, Ichigo becomes completely taken over by his hollow and runs off, so after Aizen's apocolypse, part of the group separates to find him.

Anyway, that's just my idea. I'm sure we'll see nothing like it.

[Anime Freak]

eh,kinda lame but no real chapter this week. Instead we just get a "special" chapter that shows what Hitsugaya's life was like before he became captain and how he ended up leaving his old home. I think this was done to promote movie 2 which is supposed to be focused on Hitsugaya.

in other news, the title for next week said that there's a shocking turn of events in the Mayuri vs Grantz battle. Good lord plz dont him still be alive!

[Captain Highwind]

eh,kinda lame but no real chapter this week. Instead we just get a "special" chapter that shows what Hitsugaya's life was like before he became captain and how he ended up leaving his old home. I think this was done to promote movie 2 which is supposed to be focused on Hitsugaya.

That actually surprises me in a good way. Nice to see a mangaka have pretty good communication with the anime staff.

[Anime Freak]

ugh, early spoiler is out for 304 and its bleh! Syzael is still alive!no no no no! wtf, why does Kubo like this lameass loser so much??? And I mean come on, using Nemu to escape getting killed is just bleh :sad: . I need to go rest and hope that the rest of the spoilers coming out tomorrow show mayuri owning his ass once and for all. He's lasted since chapter 264, a total of 40 chapters too many!

[KuwabaraTheMan]

This is the fight that never ends.

Yes, it goes on and on my friends.

Kubo started drawing it not knowing what it was. And now he'll keep on drawing forever just because...

This is the fight that never ends.

(etc, etc)

Szayelapporo is freaking ridiculous. This might be one of the, if not the longest fights in manga history. Please let it end this week, or next chapter at the latest.

[MezzoDragon]

This is the fight that never ends.

Yes, it goes on and on my friends.

Kubo started drawing it not knowing what it was. And now he'll keep on drawing forever just because...

This is the fight that never ends.

(etc, etc)

Szayelapporo is freaking ridiculous. This might be one of the, if not the longest fights in manga history. Please let it end this week, or next chapter at the latest.

ROFLMAO. Szayelapporo and Captain Mayuri are extremely cruel; both willing to use Nemu as a Shinigami shield. If anyone that should have the right to use her in such a manner is Captain Mayuri; her creator and surprior, and not an Espeda.

[Malex]

The only thing that might kill Szayel now is a sudden hydrochloric acid bath. This guy never dies! He better have the toughest iron skin or something because the Espada adjacent to him in rank are already dead. Dead and one of them was killed by Rukia of all people. I just hope Mayuri has another Bankai technique that could take care of Mr. 8.

[MezzoDragon]

9th Espada was an Gillian-Class; the weakest of the 3 Menos classes. Although stronger than Yammi, he was an absolute idiot; despite having 2 brains. Aside from that, Rukia is stronger than she seems.

[Mr. Obsession]

Szayelapporo is freaking ridiculous. This might be one of the, if not the longest fights in manga history. Please let it end this week, or next chapter at the latest.

I think at this point we should just count our blessings and be glad that the anime isn't going the Shippuden route and adapting roughly one chapter per episode. That'd be, what, nine(!) months of animated Szayelsauce?


As for the previous chapter: “When Toushirou met Rangiku…”

It was a pleasant surprise and I liked it. We get a flashback to happier days for Momo. We learn exactly why Hitsugaya entered the academy in the first place. We got the first meeting between Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, which was as amusing as expected. And we were once again reminded that Matsumoto is a far more perceptive character than she likes to let on.

And then there was the reminder of just how potentially powerful Hitsugaya really is. Hyorinmaru had awakened and was trying to talk to Hitsugaya before Hitsugaya even knew what his powers were. Hitsugaya was that close to achieving shikai before he even had a physical zanpakuto, which I’m wondering if well actually see him do during the “Hitsugaya’s academy days” portion of DiamondDust Rebellion.

And on the bright side, when the anime catches up to the current manga chapters we’ll at least have one canon chapter they can use for tangent episode before descending into filler once again.

[Malex]

9th Espada was an Gillian-Class; the weakest of the 3 Menos classes. Although stronger than Yammi, he was an absolute idiot; despite having 2 brains. Aside from that, Rukia is stronger than she seems.

I will admit that Aaroniero was an idiot and was from the weakest Menos class, but the idea that Sode no Shirayuki's third dance is repairing the broken sword with ice seems a little contrived to me. Rukia was also at her last breath when doing the third dance so she was at a last resort. Hardly seems like she is stronger than she is letting on.

[Anime Freak]

I don't know,I think that Rukia's defeat of the 9th espada showed to us how strong she really is and she didnt even have to use bankai. Imagine once she uses Bankai,she might actually be as strong as the 5th/6th espada at least. :sweat:

[KuwabaraTheMan]

I don't know,I think that Rukia's defeat of the 9th espada showed to us how strong she really is and she didnt even have to use bankai. Imagine once she uses Bankai,she might actually be as strong as the 5th/6th espada at least. :sweat:

...

Except Rukia doesn't have bankai. She didn't 'have to use' it because she can't. That's like me saying 'Maki Maki only ran from Mayuri because he didn't even have to use shikai. He could have won with bankai."

You can't invent powers a character doesn't have.

[Mr. Obsession]

All that chapter really did was just screw with my mind further concerning the age logistics in the Soul Society. Hitsuguya's still a prepubescent boy but Matsumoto's fully formed. I thought they were supposed to be the same age?I'm not quite sure where you got that idea. From Momo's flashbacks durring the Soul Society arc we see Gin as an adult with Aizen, when Momo first saw Aizen at the academy (which took place around the same time as this chapter). From Matsumoto's flashbacks we see when she first met Gin when they were both children, before becoming shinigami. Clearly there had to be some time gap between Matsumoto's childhood with Gin, Matsumoto's growing up and going through the academy to become a shinigami, and Matsumoto meeting Hitsugaya after becoming a shinigami.


Wait, how do they age in the first place, they're dead.

Animal Hoooooooooouse! D:A wizard did it.

[Captain Highwind]

A wizard did it.

It's always those damned Potter larpers.

[Anime Freak]

...

Except Rukia doesn't have bankai. She didn't 'have to use' it because she can't. That's like me saying 'Maki Maki only ran from Mayuri because he didn't even have to use shikai. He could have won with bankai."

You can't invent powers a character doesn't have.

I didn't say she had bankai, i simply stated that she didn't have to resort to using bankai like other characters (Mayuri,Byakuya,Ichigo). I was merely stating that she has a strong shikai that is able to take down an opponent as storng as the 9th espada, so imagine if she actually "did" have bankai, then she might possibly be able to take on espadas 6/7 ....

[Rocketboy]

Well, he survived because he....knocked up Nemu.

Guess no one can say he's gay now, huh?

[Mr. Obsession]

Whobajabawha? O_o


Poor, poor Nemu it's not like she doesn't have enough traumatic experiences already.

[Anime Freak]

304

Good lord I think Kubo has lost his mind. Somehow it seems Syzael suddenly knows this powerful technique of Fornicus Aparacus which made it so he was able to impregnate Nemu and be reborn from her. Damn that Nemu is always so abused :sad: . Mayuri doesn't seem amused and just stands there.

Oh and Rukia and Chad are finally awake, but who cares? Oh and Ichigo wants Innoue to heal Nell, but I didn't realize she got beat up that bad by Noitra :sweat:

[Captain Highwind]

Well, he survived because he....knocked up Nemu.

Guess no one can say he's gay now, huh?

Yeah except now he's his own papa.

Weirdest fight ever!

[Baseball]

Szayelaporro is just gross. I can't believe he actually did that. At least he's not going down without a fight.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Szayelaporro is just gross. I can't believe he actually did that. At least he's not going down without a fight.

When you've been fighting for literally 9 months, I don't think anyone can claim you'd 'go down without a fight'.

Okay, Kubo. He's tough. We get it.

Now end it.

[Captain Highwind]

Wow, nine months?

No wonder a baby resulted from this.

[Rocketboy]

The way I see it, this can go 2 ways.

1. Mayuri put stuff inside Nemu, and it affects Szyeal and he dies.

2. Szyeal now has Nemu's blood in him which means Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo can't hurt him.

[laactor101]

The way I see it, this can go 2 ways.

1. Mayuri put stuff inside Nemu, and it affects Szyeal and he dies.

2. Szyeal now has Nemu's blood in him which means Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo can't hurt him.

AH! Too Much Science for my small head

[KuwabaraTheMan]

The way I see it, this can go 2 ways.

1. Mayuri put stuff inside Nemu, and it affects Szyeal and he dies.

2. Szyeal now has Nemu's blood in him which means Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo can't hurt him.

So we're either looking at the fight ending in two weeks (no Jump next week) or 2009.

Knowing Kubo, I'd say #2 is the more likely option.

MakiMaki to the rescue, mirite?

[rubberchicken]

Szayelaporro is just gross. I can't believe he actually did that.
Japan.

I do believe he now has Mayuri beat for the title of most blaaaaaargh Bleach character, though.

[Rocketboy]

I just realized that Szyeal now knows everything Nemu knows, which means that he knows how to kill Mayuri, which means Mayuri is in deep trouble.

[Captain Highwind]

304

I'm going to laugh if another Nemu pops out of the new Aporro, then another Aporro pops out of the new Nemu, etc. etc.

[FireStarterLE]

i call this latest development a minor inconvenience for Mayuri, not a big problem.

But this fight probably won't go on much longer. Uryu surprised Mayuri a few times when they were fighting, but during this fight when has Mayuri kept a "surprised" look on his face?

Believe it or not he is a scientist and those guys like to know everything about what they are doing before they actually do it.

[Captain Highwind]

And all the while Ishida and Renji continue to get jacked up. There's not going to be much left of them after this.

[FlyByNite77]

Wow, nine months?

No wonder a baby resulted from this.

lmfao

God just when you think he is finally dead and this arc can move on without him... Kubo resurrects him.

:(

[Mr. Obsession]

This chapter is going to be icky to watch when it gets animated.

At this point I find myself now hoping the Szayel fight doesn’t end soon. I'm actually morbidly curious to see how much longer Kubo can keep it going.

Also, Byakuya makes it sound like this isn't so much a rescue mission, but rather a "eliminate as much of Aizen's resources as possible" mission.

[Captain Highwind]

At this point I find myself now hoping the Szayel fight doesn’t end soon. I'm actually morbidly curious to see how much longer Kubo can keep it going.

I wonder if he's crazy enough to try my infinite loop theory.

[Anime Freak]

lmao, mayuri's face in the last panel is hilarious, I was cracking up.

[Baseball]

Man, I always feel so sorry for Nemu. She's always getting abused whenever we see her. This time, I suppose she dies. Szayel Aporro is just ridiculous.

[FlyByNite77]

Man, I always feel so sorry for Nemu. She's always getting abused whenever we see her. This time, I suppose she dies. Szayel Aporro is just ridiculous.

Well since she is an artificial creation I'm sure she can be revived, it would be pretty funny if by being rebirthed through her body and absorbing/using her spirit particles that Szayel inherits the obedience to Mayuri that is programmed into Nemu.

Then Mayuri just orders him to beat himself up.

[Rocketboy]

305

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/7080/788900ee5.jpg

Does this mean what I think it means?

[Captain Highwind]

Apporo has been erased? :confused:

[Mr. Obsession]

At the next Gotei 13 bake sale Mayuri’s table will have jars of preserved Szayel Aporro Granz?

[Anime Freak]

we can only hope this is the end of grantz! Hopefully when rest of spoilers are released today, we'll see Mayuri doing a total pwnage of grantz and finally ridding us of him! (who would've thought we'd all be cheering for Mayuri so much? especially after he almost Ishida way back when lol) . :sweat:

[DBZALLSTAR]

As long as the story actually moves along and Nemu is able to be revived (Enter: Orihime negating her "death"), I will be happy. I am loving the recent chapters, but even though there are things happening in each chapter, we aren't really moving anywhere with the story.:sweat:

[Rocketboy]

So, there was poison in Nemu and it's affect is that a second will seem like a hundred years. And by the time Mayuri's done talking in Szyeal's point of view, he'll be dead.

What an odd way to die.

[Captain Highwind]

So, there was poison in Nemu and it's affect is that a second will seem like a hundred years. And by the time Mayuri's done talking in Szyeal's point of view, he'll be dead.

What an odd way to die.

And yet...the in-joke is quite obvious.

[Kaiser0120]

I think Mayuri managed to, at the last second, take back his spot as Creepiest Mofo in Bleach.

*Shivers.* What a terrible way to go. @.@

[Mr. Obsession]

Oh Mayuri, you magnificent bastard. Only you could come up with some way to let your opponent experience a quick death prolonged over hundreds of years.

I did think it was interesting that Szyeal gained control of Mayuri's bankai, if only temporarily. Also, I have to wonder if Mayuri's idea of having various poisons in Nemu's body was a result of what happened to Kaien all those years ago.

[Anime Freak]

muahwahhaha, what an awesome end to one of the most annoying bad guys in bleach history that has lasted for a almost a year, which is too long in my book :sweat:

[laactor101]

I think Mayuri managed to, at the last second, take back his spot as Creepiest Mofo in Bleach.

*Shivers.* What a terrible way to go. @.@

I always thought he was really weird seriously but not creeper than some guy with pale skin that was obsessed with an raven haired child whom life's dream is to avenge his clan whom was killed by his brother.

Other than that Let's pray that Szayel FINALLY dies.

[MessyB]

No chapter this week, or has the release day changed in 08?

[Rocketboy]

306

Nemu's alive and kicking, and Kenpachi can't hurt Nnoitra because of his steel skin.

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/7430/743700dr4.jpg

Cirucci & Dordonii?!

[Mr. Obsession]

and Kenpachi can't hurt Nnoitra because of his steel skin.Good. That means he's either going to learn his sword's name and power up during this fight, or someone's going to come to Kenpachi's rescue, which will humiliate him and force him to grow as a character.


Cirucci & Dordonii?!Dondochakka & Pesche?

And is someone going to heal Renji and Ishida, or are they just going to keep laying there bleeding internally?

[rubberchicken]

Good. That means he's either going to learn his sword's name and power up during this fight, or someone's going to come to Kenpachi's rescue, which will humiliate him and force him to grow as a character.
Or he's going to say "to hell with this!" and strangle him with his bare hands.

[FireStarterLE]

Or he's going to say "to hell with this!" and strangle him with his bare hands.

i'd actually enjoy seeing that

go Kenny show them you're multi talented!!!

[Baseball]

Szayel Aporro's death is so horrifying to imagine. Good thing he's gone, now.

I wonder what Mayuri is going to do with the corpses. Also, considering that Kenpachi can't do a thing about Nnoitra's Hierro, I wonder if we're going to see a release out of him.

[Scirel]

semi-related:

Nel in real life:

http://opeth-metal.deviantart.com/art/Nel-Bleach-3-71925463

It's scary how much she looks like her.

[FlyByNite77]

semi-related:

Nel in real life:

http://opeth-metal.deviantart.com/art/Nel-Bleach-3-71925463

It's scary how much she looks like her.

Which one? did you look at the two links below someone took a girl who cosplayed as Nel and looked pretty good and then photoshopped it, increased the bust, changed the face a bit, etc... Little odd heh

[Mr. Obsession]

So Szayel has finally learned what it felt like for all of us who have been following his fight since it started with Renji almost a year ago. However, when Mayuri snaps off his blade to prolong Szayel's suffering I have to feel sorry for the guy.

Also, I can say that, unlike Renji and Ishida, I have no desire to learn how Mayuri , uhh, "refreshed" Nemu.

Finally, Kenpachi and Nnoitra. Nnoitra's lost his satellite dish and while Kenpachi's attacks aren't cutting him, the look on Nnoitra's face at least makes it look like they still hurt like hell. Plus Kenpachi looks serious but not concerned.

[Rocketboy]

Popularity results!

10 Ulquiorra
9 Kira
8 Inoue
7 Byakuya
6 Hinamori
5 Ishida
4 Grimmjow
3 Ichigo
2 Rukia
1 Hitsugaya

[MezzoDragon]

Ichigo is a rank lower than Rukia. That must be a huge blow to his ego.

[Grenzer]

Why the heck is Kira in the Top 10? A few years ago he was only somewhere in the 20's, and he actually was in the manga at that time. Gin has been run out of the Top 10 as well I see.

[Mr. Obsession]

Hitsugaya I can understand because of the second movie coming out last month. Rukia probably got bumped up to #2 because of the recent episodes with Aaroniero. I know nothing about the second movie, but I assume because of her past with Hitsugaya she gets some kind of important role in the move putting her at #6.

But what the hell is up with Kira? When was the last time he was in an episode or a chapter?

I’m guessing that when the next character poll comes around Ichigo and Grimmjow will be going at it again so the list will be back to normal.

[FlyByNite77]

So Kenpachi, but Kira makes the top-10? KIRA?

Kira has done jack the entire series and hasn't appeared in god knows how long it's been.

[Scirel]

I know of a Kira in Death note and a Kira in Gundam Seed, but no Kira in bleach... remind me who he is again?

I didn`t know Hitsugaya was so popular as well. No wonder they made a movie about him.

[CartoonOverlord]

I know of a Kira in Death note and a Kira in Gundam Seed, but no Kira in bleach... remind me who he is again?

I didn`t know Hitsugaya was so popular as well. No wonder they made a movie about him.Gin's former lieutenant. Yeah, I'll have to agree, how in the heck did he get so high?

[Rud]

its no surprise Ulquiorra is number 1, he is so cool, id have him as an avatar if there wasnt already a thousand other avatars of him all over the internet.

[Don_East]

its no surprise Ulquiorra is number 1, he is so cool, id have him as an avatar if there wasnt already a thousand other avatars of him all over the internet.
No, he's number ten, being beaten out by the other nine listed, even one character who hasn't any actual involvement with the storyline for quite some time.

[Rud]

No, he's number ten, being beaten out by the other nine listed, even one character who hasn't any actual involvement with the storyline for quite some time.

woah, i guess i read the list wrong, seing it again i guess i assumed he was on #1 because his name was at the top of the list, guess i should have read the numbers:sweat:

the fact that Ulquiora lost to the likes of Kira and Orihime make me sick.

[Don_East]

woah, i guess i read the list wrong, seing it again i guess i assumed he was on #1 because his name was at the top of the list, guess i should have read the numbers:sweat:

the fact that Ulquiora lost to the likes of Kira and Orihime make me sick.
Must. Not. Lose. Temper.

Anyway, I'm more irked that Ichigo lost to Rukia AND Toshiro. Rukia I can see, but come on(no offense to Hitsugaya's fans).

[Rud]

i dont get the toshiro fandom, the only thing he has going for him is the "im a kid protegy" angle. it woulve been more interesting if they made a kempachi movie.

[Baseball]

I'm surprised Uryu is so popular, even with all that's been going on. Even so, I hope Chad sees some love soon. He's my favorite, anyway.

[kaine23]

New chapter: They show Kenpachi's fight finally.

[silvanoir]

Mayuri saying not is he going to heal Uryuu but "modify" him as well.... oh god. Oh god, oh god, OH GOD. I can only hope he's stopped before he does so or Orihime uses her power of rejection to get rid of whatever Mayuri changes.

And Renji wanting to run off to help his friends, I could smack him for that... what about the new friend you have right there? It's not ok for Szayel to torture him, but you're fine with Mayuri doing so, just because he's a shinigami captain. BLAH!

Also, Ken and Noit stab holes through eachother. fun times.

Ichigo finally getting healed by Orihime in a panel. also good.

(Why didn't we get to see who was in Szayel's meat locker? I'm pretty sure one of those dangling pair of legs was Cirucci... )

[beren]

Ken didn't poke a whole in noit, I am pretty sure that hole was already there.

[Lord Andy]

That's what I was thinking. I mean, a sword right through the head with no injury? Makes me wonder where Nnoitra's hollow hole has been this whole time ...

[MeggieMay]

Mayuri saying not is he going to heal Uryuu but "modify" him as well.... oh god. Oh god, oh god, OH GOD. I can only hope he's stopped before he does so or Orihime uses her power of rejection to get rid of whatever Mayuri changes.

And Renji wanting to run off to help his friends, I could smack him for that... what about the new friend you have right there? It's not ok for Szayel to torture him, but you're fine with Mayuri doing so, just because he's a shinigami captain. BLAH!

I have to say that after reading last night I've been thinking what a tummy turning turn of events :( . Then I had one of those "you've been up too late and been thinking about it too much crack idea moments" and I had to share :anime:

Now wouldn't it be fun if Urahara decided to show up at this point. I'm not sure if that would exactly be a "save" for Uryuu or not (well it would be better than Mayuri having his way IMO) but I would think having Urahara and Mayuri run into each other would be a interesting turn of events (and I've not read anything that says Urahara stayed behind this time, so I'm not sure it could be ruled out as something that could happen) :evil:

I know - I'm probably officially losing it with that one so I'd better go to bed :sweat:

[silvanoir]

Now wouldn't it be fun if Urahara decided to show up at this point. I'm not sure if that would exactly be a "save" for Uryuu or not (well it would be better than Mayuri having his way IMO) but I would think having Urahara and Mayuri run into each other would be a interesting turn of events (and I've not read anything that says Urahara stayed behind this time, so I'm not sure it could be ruled out as something that could happen) :evil:

I know - I'm probably officially losing it with that one so I'd better go to bed :sweat:

Oh, I've been hoping for a Urahara/Mayuri showdown for a while. If it doesn't happen in the manga, at least I can make it happen in the Bleach game for the Wii.... I love playing as Urahara and totally smacking Mayuri around with his cane, great stress relief. (Though, I'd also hoped for a Szayel/Mayuri showdown before it happened... and it did not turn out like I would have liked at all). You're right though, Urahara is another person who could undo any damage Mayuri does to Uryuu.

[beren]

What if he is actually upgrading him? Did you ever think of that?

[Rud]

What if he is actually upgrading him? Did you ever think of that?

i find it more likely hes planting a mind control device inside him.

[Mr. Obsession]

Actually, I was wondering what if Mayuri is doing something that will unlock the Quency's Final Form so Ishida's body doesn't completely shut itself down after using it (for science!).

Mayuri was caught completely off guard when Ishida used it against him in Soul Society, Mayuri has a perverse fascination with the Quency in general, and he already has the means to monitor Ishida whenever he wants. Doing so would already fit in with his character and it would allow Ishida to keep up with the power advancement of the other characters.

[MezzoDragon]

Captain Miyuri is a bastard, but seems to have some redeeming qualities. He is far better than Aizen, you have to admit that. Also, seeing Ishida use Final Form again will be awesome. Perhaps there is more to the Final Form than has been shown.

[Anime Freak]

Cahpter 308 is out!
-Kenpachi shocks Noitra by cutting him.
-Kenpachi reveals that he's been toying with him and is now ready to really fight him.
-Kenpachi's eyepatch comes off
-At the very end,we see Noitra gettin cut in half, but somehow I doubt this is his end...

[FireStarterLE]

Cahpter 308 is out!

-At the very end,we see Noitra gettin cut in half, but somehow I doubt this is his end...

If Szayel didn't die when you thought he was earlier to you can bet that Noi and Kenny have more to offer. And Kenpachi's eyepatch always makes fights better (Ichigo beat him once he removed it but I doubt that'll be the case here)

*Grimmjow looking nice in his powered up form on the soon to be released volume 32

http://i28.tinypic.com/wtycea.jpg

[silvanoir]

I don't think Nnoitora is done for yet either. Not with how much this fight has been hyped up.... there will be a few more abilities pulled out for both sides and will last a few more chapters, that's my prediction. Though I'm also sure Kenpachi will win in the end.

[beren]

I liked the look on noit's face when he realized there was an eye underneath the eye patch.

[Baseball]

Nnoitra's seriously something else. So far, Ichigo, Chad, and Nel have managed to do absolutely nothing to him.

Kenpachi seems to defy all logic. I don't understand how you can just reflect a Cero with one hand without any damage. Back in the day, the Cero seemed like it was an automatic instakill if it touched your body.

[Mr. Obsession]

I think it goes back to when Kenpachi was fighting Ichigo and told him "it's all about pressure, weaker spiritual pressure can't cut something that's stronger" (paraphrase).

I posed this question back when we learned about Nel's past, are the newer Espada really that much stronger than the old Espada? Nnoitora got promoted from #8 to #5, but when Nel released he was still scared as hell. He may have the strongest iron skin out of all the Espada, and he relies on it to win his battles, but if you can get past his defenses Nnoitora might just be weaksause.

[silverwings]

I think it goes back to when Kenpachi was fighting Ichigo and told him "it's all about pressure, weaker spiritual pressure can't cut something that's stronger" (paraphrase).

I posed this question back when we learned about Nel's past, are the newer Espada really that much stronger than the old Espada? Nnoitora got promoted from #8 to #5, but when Nel released he was still scared as hell. He may have the strongest iron skin out of all the Espada, and he relies on it to win his battles, but if you can get past his defenses Nnoitora might just be weaksause.

Haha, yeah. That's what I'm thinking, too.

I loved Kenpachi's face when he ripped off the eyepatch. Sort of a "oh, you've done it now" type grin.

The eyepatch was what was holding down his spiritual powers, right?

[GWOtaku]

Haha, yeah. That's what I'm thinking, too.

I loved Kenpachi's face when he ripped off the eyepatch. Sort of a "oh, you've done it now" type grin.

The eyepatch was what was holding down his spiritual powers, right?

Yup. Kenpachi's at full strength now, so if the fight isn't already over I'm betting it wraps up next chapter.

[silverwings]

Yup. Kenpachi's at full strength now, so if the fight isn't already over I'm betting it wraps up next chapter.

Except that Norita hasn't released yet. ;)

[DBZALLSTAR]

Yup. Kenpachi's at full strength now, so if the fight isn't already over I'm betting it wraps up next chapter.

Nnoitra still has to show his released form, doesn't he? I don't think he's dead yet, considering the way Kubo writes his battles.

[GWOtaku]

Heh, I forgot. Maybe we'll see Kenpachi's release after all, then.

[FireStarterLE]

how great would it be though, for all the gloating he has ever done, that Noi gets killed before he can even release

[FlyByNite77]

when you look at how strong nnoitra is and then realize the 3 top ranked Espada haven't even done any fighting and then for Aizen to actually have come into Hueco Mondo and taken over means he must be so far ahead of them power-wise too...

[silverwings]

how great would it be though, for all the gloating he has ever done, that Noi gets killed before he can even release

If it were anyone but Kenpachi, I'd say yes. But I want Kenpachi to own him. Badly.

You know Kenpachi is going to pull back just so the guy will release - for the thrill of the fight. :D

[Scirel]

Am I the only one who thinks Noi has already released, that he's a version of what Kenpachi and Ichigo have with a premanently released zanpakto? I mean, that thing is waaaaaay too big and odd lookin' to be an unreleased one. All pre-release forms, look 95% like standard katana.

[SigmasonicX]

Am I the only one who thinks Noi has already released, that he's a version of what Kenpachi and Ichigo have with a premanently released zanpakto? I mean, that thing is waaaaaay too big and odd lookin' to be an unreleased one. All pre-release forms, look 95% like standard katana.

Cirucci had a yo-yo thing and... that guy Chad fought had these spikes on his wrists for an unreleased zanpakuto. I doubt the standard rules of zanpakuto really apply to the Arrancar.

[DBZALLSTAR]

Am I the only one who thinks Noi has already released, that he's a version of what Kenpachi and Ichigo have with a premanently released zanpakto? I mean, that thing is waaaaaay too big and odd lookin' to be an unreleased one. All pre-release forms, look 95% like standard katana.

Ichigo's zanpakto has always been bigger than a regular zanpakto, even in its unreleased form. It actually shrinks when Ichigo uses his Bankai. Maybe it's the same for some of the Arrancar.

[Mr. Obsession]

Hurray for early spoilers.

Nnoitra becomes part of the Hindu Pantheon...

[MezzoDragon]

Hindu Pantheon? Sorry for sound like an idiot (which I am), but what's Hindu Pantheon?

[SigmasonicX]

Hindu Pantheon? Sorry for sound like an idiot (which I am), but what's Hindu Pantheon?

He's saying Nnoitra resembles a Hindu god now, with the four arms.

[Baseball]

Wow. Nnoitra's released form is tight. Also, I think Kenpachi probably will release during this battle.

Also, no wonder everyone was getting owned by this guy. Not only does he have the toughest Hierro out of all the Espada, but he has ultra-fast healing. What the hell. Ichigo and his pals really jumped into something they couldn't handle.

[1 of 3]

Nice to see when everyone elsewhere on the net was pegging Nnoitra with a snake-like release he ending up having something completely different (course now some are calling for Kenpachi to lose this fight).

[Anime Freak]

Chapter 309 spoilers are out! yay!

-Kenpachi laughs at Noitra and infuriates him,causing him to release
-Noitra releases into a "praying mantis" type thing with 4 arms.
-Noitra's previous wounds instaheal and he lures Kenpachi to attack him
-Kenpachi is disturbed when Noitra stops his attack with one hand
-Kenpachi gets pwned totally when Noitra slashes him hard...is this the end for Kenpachi??

Here's hoping Kenpachi isn't dead :sad:

[GWOtaku]

Nah, this is where Kenpachi raises the stakes and retaliates even stronger than before. The way I see it he's either going to go mad with glee over having such a tough opponent and will become even more of a juggernaut, and it'll be like Yusuke vs. Chuu in Yu Yu Hakusho: two tough guys slugging it out until someone falls down. Either that, or we're finally going to see his release. Probably not a Bankai, that'd be a really huge jump forward for him.

[Lord Andy]

They're leading up to something with Kenpachi's sword, he's been hinting at it. First in in 308 he refers to his sword as a person, and now in the end of 309 Noitra is talking smack about Kenpachi's sword. That's a setup for something if I say so myself. Maybe we'll have some flashbacks or inner thoughts in the next chapter?

It's also nice to have a crazy evil insect espada release.

[Funkatron]

Isn't Ken's sword a permanent shinkai like Ichigo's? So a release would have to be bankai, no?

[Kaiser0120]

Isn't Ken's sword a permanent shinkai like Ichigo's? So a release would have to be bankai, no?

Actually, no. It's unreleased, entirely.

[FlyByNite77]

What type of sword would be fitting for Kenpachi? Maybe something long, jagged, and blood red?

Although it would be funny if it was cutesey and pink :anime:

[rubberchicken]

Probably a saw, like Shira from Blade of the Immortal.

[1 of 3]

I'm thinking what he said about how Nnoitra's reiastu could "grindin' my blade to a point" (at least that's what the translation I read said) might be a hint at what his sword does. It gets sharper the higher level of reiastu the enemy has.

[beren]

Meh, I bet his lieutenant comes to save him.

[Captain Zechs]

So, what Espada have been killed thus far?

[MezzoDragon]

Luppi, but I doubt he is even worthy of an Espada.

[Mr. Obsession]

I find Nnoitra’s release fascinating. It almost looks like he’s covered by an exoskeleton now. And while those scythes (and the release command, and name) invoke the image of a praying mantis, the uneven crescent horns remind me of artwork involving beetles.

Also, I love the image of him against the moon on the chapter’s title page.


What type of sword would be fitting for Kenpachi?

A giant chainsaw.


So, what Espada have been killed thus far?
Luppy, by Grimmjow (taking back his Espada rank)
Aarniero by Rukia
LeRoux by Byakuya
Szayel (presumed, hasn’t shown dissipating yet) by Mayuri

[Anime Freak]

Chapter 310 spoilers are out!

-Kenpachi doesn't get up after Noitra's attack from last chapter so Noitra starts to lunge an attack at Yachiru,Ichigo and Orihime.

-Yachiru stands there calm and warns Noitra not to make "Ken-chan" mad while Noitra throws an attack at her!

-Orihime runs after Yachiru, Ichigo tries to stop her but finds that he's been trapped in a barrier setup by orihime.

-Orihime extends her barrier and is able to bounce back Nnoitra's attack while Yachiru shocks everyone by telling Noitra to "watch out behind you" as Kenpachi slashes at him.

-Kenpachi slashes off 2 of his arms only to have 4 more grow back for a total of 6 arms that are able to wear Kenpachi down and land a deadly blow on him yet again just as the chapter ends.

So basically not much happening except to show Yachiru is still there, Hime can still be useful and Noitra is seeming to have the advantage right now.Which mean Kenpachi is sure to bring out some badass move next chapter.... :sweat:

[MezzoDragon]

Yachiru is silly. She will do anything, including help the opponent, just to extend Captain Kenpachi's fun.

[Anime Freak]

Wow, only one response to chapter 310 last week, guess ppl are starting to get bored, but chapter 311 is out and a bit more exciting....

Ch. 311 spoilers:
-Ken gets up from the last attack unphazed which infuriates Noitra, who starts unleashing a fury of attacks against Kenpachi.
-Kenpachi is able to hold his own and add even more force with each blow against Noitra, and Noitra becomes furious that he's cut kenpachi and he's still fighting alrite.
-Kenpachi has to stop after Noitra cuts his neck, and tells Yachiru that this is a cut that could become serious so he basicaly needs to finish the fight now.

-Kenpachi tells Yachiru that he's gonna have to use Kendo, something old man Yamamoto tried to get him to practice so long ago. Kenpachi asks Noitra if he knows that a sword's strength is increased when it is held with 2 hands instead of 1.

-Noitra says "No" and runs at Kenpachi. Kenpachi stands still and calmly lifts his sword up with 2 hands and just as Noitra appears, Kenpachi forces his sword right down the middle of Noitra, ending the chapter with Noitra possibly dead.

Well here's hoping that Noitra is finally dead!!!!! And its pretty cool to see that Ken-Chan knows more than just swingin his sword around :sweat:

[MezzoDragon]

Although a battle-hungry psycho, and there is nothing wrong with that if you only attack those that can fight back, Captain Kenpachi is a lot smarter than most people want to believe.

[GWOtaku]

Heh...there's his upgrade, swinging with two hands instead of one!

All of this and he STILL doesn't have a release. Kenpachi is just crazy strong.

[SigmasonicX]

*tries to lift box with one hand*

Hmm... this won't work.

*lifts box using both hands*

ZOMGWTFHAX

This power up is quite... strange. So what will happen when Nnoitra using his six arms (to killing you) to swing one scythe? The universe blows up?

[MezzoDragon]

It may be too difficult to swing. In any case, NNoitra may have survived. He will be badly wounded, but still (ironically due to the fact he is a spirit) alive. It could be enough to force Captain Kenpachi to reveal his sword.

[FlyByNite77]

Wow if Kenpachi's power-up turns out to be two hands on the hilt I'm gonna be seriously let down... heh

[Baseball]

This fight is seriously going to be cool when it's animated. Although the chapters keep ending, um, the same way, I hope it's different in animation.

[Zach Logan]

Here comes Zaraki's shi-kai...

[Mr. Obsession]

As much as I dislike Nnoitra as a character I have to admit that being able to spit new scythes out of your wrists like some sort of demonic bizzaro Spider-Man is a pretty awesome power.

With the addition of more arms, which I wonder what his limit is, I'm starting to think that Nnoitra was originally some kind of centipede as a hollow.

Honestly though, I am hoping this is the end. As much as I'd like to see Kenpachi bust out some new sword ability, or reveal his blade's name, Kubo needs to advance the plot before the anime catches up.

[kidx]

I think that since Ulquiorra does seem to show some sort of emotion. I think that she may be his breaking point from when he is all cool and calm to where he turns into another Itachi. Just my opinion though.

[MezzoDragon]

Seeing Ulquiorra losing his cool could be funny. It may force him to use his release and confirm his status as a Vasto Lordo.

[Mr. Obsession]

Early Ch. 312 spoilers:

Kenpachi’s “Double Fisted Kendo Hax of Doom™” defeats Nnoitra, but doesn’t kill him. Nnoitra ridicules Kenpachi for not finishing the job, then flashes back to when he kicked Nel out of the Espada and she took on her child form.

[MezzoDragon]

Captain Kenpachi may consider NNoitra to be too much fun to kill, since he was pushed farther than anyone in such a long time. At least we will learn more of NNoitra and Nel's past. Perhaps it will explain why Nell became a child.

[animewolf17]

Early Ch. 312 spoilers:

Kenpachi’s “Double Fisted Kendo Hax of Doom™” defeats Nnoitra, but doesn’t kill him. Nnoitra ridicules Kenpachi for not finishing the job, then flashes back to when he kicked Nel out of the Espada and she took on her child form.

Based on that I see a potential scenario where Nnoitra gets so pissed that he charges at Kenpachi while hes walking away who sees it at the last second and releases his shikai for an insta-kill.

[Anime Freak]

Ch. 312 Spoilers are out and it seems Noitra is finally down for the count!!

-Noitra has several of his arms cuts off and is furious with Kenpachi and rushes at him saying that he's still powerful enough to beat him. Kenpachi just snickers.

-As Noitra rushes towards Kenpachi, we get a nice flashback. Noitra and Nell have just come from a hollow village and Nel is unhappy because Noitra killed hundreds of Hollows even though Aizen's orders were "to find Vastolordes".

-Noitra tells Nel that since they're against Aizen probably,that its better to kill them now instead of later. And asks Nel why she even bothered to come with him then?

-As he does, we get a split screen of Noitra landing a final blow at Kenpachi and as Kenpachi slashes him down, back in the flashback Nell says: "It's because you're weaker than me! That is why I came with you!"

-Noitra only has one arm left and struggles toward where Nell is sitting right now. Nell says " Noi to..ra.." in a sad manner and he smiles as he falls to the ground defeated at last.

-Preview for 313: Trouble for Ichigo and the gang! A new threat appears, will their true colors be revealed?

I have to admit it's kinda surprising about Nel and Noitra possibly having feelings for each other and the fact that it seems like Nel might have remembered Noitra at the end there. But it seems like Noitra might/and is hopefully dead at least, still not quite the ending I expected KT to give him but still an interesting one.

[FireStarterLE]

-Preview for 313: Trouble for Ichigo and the gang! A new threat appears, will their true colors be revealed?


Trouble huh? Non sense! Ichigo should be at 100% now and ready for another round of Espada butt kickin!!

Speaking of the Espada I wonder which one it will be to appear and cause trouble for the group

[Mr. Obsession]

Is it too much to hope it's Gin?

[Anime Freak]

Some are speculating that its gonna be Nell turning to the dark side since it says "true colors revealed" , but I have a hard time agreeing with that prediction :sweat:

[Icer]

I'd expect it to be Ulquiorra or the other female espada who was watching the battle. Then again, those "next week" previews aren't always on the mark.

[Rud]

"They all have the nerve to take pity on me.... and they dont even know.... How much their hurting me"-Noitra

thats one of the best lines in this manga, at least i consider it to be, good chapter.

[Mr. Obsession]

I'd expect it to be Ulquiorra or the other female espada who was watching the battle.I'm betting that plotkai will keep Ulquiorra trapped in the pocket demension until Ichigo and Co. escape Hueco Mundo.

Halibel's been watching that area for a while now, so she's a likely canidate.

Equally likely would be the unnamed old man, since now would be a good time for KT to do something with him.

Stark's too lazy a character to do anything unless Aizen personally ordered him to battle.

Then there's Yammy, the only other remaining Espada who hasn't done anything since Ichigo and Co. entered Hueco Mundo. But quite frankly at this point Yammy's a joke and unless Aizen does something to power him up he wouldn't be a threat.

Based on his history I could see Tosen going out on his own once he learned that Kenpachi was in the area. Or if Aizen ordered him.

Likewise Aizen could have ordered Gin to kick the intruders out now that they've done thier likely part in Aizen's grand scheme by eleminating some of the weaker Espada, freeing up the ranks for brand new Vasto Lorde class arrancar.

Or it could be Wonderweiss, you know, for the giggles... >_>

Honestly though, I suspect that it will be a new freshly Hogyoku'd Espada replacement character.

[Rocketboy]

313

Aizen is back, and he has brought plot with him. I repeat. AIZEN IS BACK AND HE HAS PLOT WITH HIM.

[GWOtaku]

313

Aizen is back, and he has brought plot with him. I repeat. AIZEN IS BACK AND HE HAS PLOT WITH HIM.

Tease!

*starts searching*

[Captain Highwind]

Wow, and according to the spoilers, that's quite a jump in plot.

And Stark does something

[kidx]

Oooooh this is definently a must read!!!!

[Sparticus]

Holy crap! The Plot... it... it might be coming back. D: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! *flails*

[Rud]

Wow, and according to the spoilers, that's quite a jump in plot.

And Stark does something

whos stark?

its about time Aizen shows up to own everyone and take Orihime (probably), now the fun begins anew.

[Malex]

whos stark?

Stark is the espada that was napping while Aaroniero was killed by Rukia. His fraccion stuck her fingers down his throat to wake him up when the event happened.

[Rud]

oh i remember him, k thanks

hey, whatever happened to Grimmjow, did Noitra kill him or is he still alive on the ground somewhere?

[Anime Freak]

Chapter 313 spoilers are out and finally some plot movement!!!!!!!!!!!

-Starts off with a flashback from Tesla's point of view,where Noitra tells him never to take pity on a loser. We then see a scene with Nnoitra and Nel where she asks him why he wants to fight so bad? And he responds that he wants to die while fighting a strong opponent.

-Tesla's eyes white out as he and Noitra both die at last. Kenpachi looks at Nnoitra and tells him that it was a fun fight, and then goes over and breaks Hime's barriers and tells Ichigo it's time to go and Orihime to heal him.

-Stark appears suddenly and apologizes to Orihime, and grabs her and teleports away. Ichigo and Kenpachi are stunned by how he disappeared so quickly.

-Orihime appears before Aizen,Gin and Tousen. He tells her to cheer up as a vision of Karakura town appears behind him and he tells her that very soon it will be destroyed!

[Baseball]

This should be exciting. I didn't see that coming. Just as Orihime believed she was going to be saved, she's abducted back to Aizen's palace to destroy her hometown. Now I'm looking forward to reading Bleach again.

[Mr. Obsession]

I wonder what Aizen’s thinking. He doesn’t have his Espada full of perfect Vasto Lorde Arrancar, and half his current Espada are either dead or benched from injuries. Is this some kind of gambit on Aizen’s part because Ichigo’s group and the Captains backup forced his hand earlier than expected? Or is an early assault on Karakura Town a meant as a distraction?

I mean, sure Aizen’s been depicted as being amazingly powerful, but I thought the whole point of his plans was that even with his, Gin, and Tosen’s combined strength he couldn’t take on all of Soul Society and guarantee a win.

Hopefully this means something from Urahara, Ishin, and Ryuken soon. Or maybe we’ll finally see all the Vizards in action, and they’ll surprise Aizen with numbers he wasn’t expecting.

[FireStarterLE]

Or is an early assault on Karakura Town a meant as a distraction?


Maybe he still has some unfinished business in the Soul Society and needs the assault to be a distraction while he makes his move.

There's always been talk of the highest power in soul society ... maybe Aizen's ultimate plan involves that somehow

[Captain Highwind]

Throughout the Kenpachi fight I was curious as to Orihime's powers developing, since Ichigo made a note how strong her barrier was.

Now Kenpachi just kicks through it. :sweat:

[laactor101]

Well what an unexcepted turn of events just when everything seems to all happy and stuff like that Stark comes out of nowhere and snatches Orihime and now the plot just got more interesting all of the sudden. Even though I am kinda of mad at this it still an very good chapter.

[kaine23]

Great chapter, looks like Aizen's end game finally begins?

No wonder they saved Kenpachi's fight for last. ^^ I hope we get to see the Vizards back in action soon and see what Urahara was up to with the backup group.

[Lord Andy]

I think all that needs to be said about this chapter is -

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/lordandy/11.jpg

Yachiru FTW

[Captain Highwind]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who felt like screen capping that.

Boy Aizen sure was creepy in this chapter. Don't go kissing Orihime now. :X

[Sparticus]

AIZEN-SAMAAAAAAAA!!!

That's all my sister and I had to say about this chapter. XD

[GWOtaku]

Hmm. If they're about to attack the town, that could leave our heroes with a quandary. Does Ichigo pursue Inoue, or defend his home? Though, I guess that's moot if Aizen is planning to take her with them, but if he didn't that would sure be a good way to screw with our boy.

[rubberchicken]

Throughout the Kenpachi fight I was curious as to Orihime's powers developing, since Ichigo made a note how strong her barrier was.

Now Kenpachi just kicks through it. :sweat:

*sigh*

[laactor101]

Sooo does this mean the Huedo Mundo Arc is over and we are finally moving on to the Lone awaited Winter War Arc?

[Captain Highwind]

Is it even Winter yet? I mean, this was all supposed to last a few days. The infiltration into Hueco Mundo was probably half a day's span.

I hate how this manga shows little visual cue as to the weather. It's either sunny, night, or light rain.

[Rocketboy]

314

HOLY CRAP!

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/2713/52201136pt0.pnghttp://img388.imageshack.us/img388/6926/12863563vd1.png

[summerskies]

This is a great chapter!! I really enjoyed it, although ithas been a while since I read it so I kinda forgot what its about.. -_-;;;;;;

I really look forward to see what's next.

[Captain Highwind]

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/2713/52201136pt0.pnghttp://img388.imageshack.us/img388/6926/12863563vd1.png

That's it? where's Isshin and Urahara?

Matsumoto's hanging out more than usual...

[Mr. Obsession]

Matsumoto's hanging out more than usual...Well it is Matsumoto's first chance to be with Gin since he left. Maybe she just wants to make the reunion extra specal. :sweat:

Wait. If Hitsugaya, Komamura, Yamamoto, Shunsui, Ukitake, and Soifon are there, apprantly waiting for Aizen. And Byakuya, Unohana, Kempachi, and Mayuri are still in Hueco Mundo. Then who's protecting Soul Society right now?

As cool as that spread is, this seems like a very unsound strategic move.

[Captain Highwind]

Then who's protecting Soul Society right now?

Hanataro! Hold the fort!

Hanataro: Squeeeeeee?! D:



*Assuming he went back after getting healed...

[rubberchicken]

Hanataro! Hold the fort!

Hanataro: Squeeeeeee?! D:



*Assuming he went back after getting healed...
God, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the premise for a filler arc in the anime...

[Rud]

why wasnt Ikkaku and gay-looking guy in that spoiler pic?

[FireStarterLE]

Wait. If Hitsugaya, Komamura, Yamamoto, Shunsui, Ukitake, and Soifon are there, apprantly waiting for Aizen. And Byakuya, Unohana, Kempachi, and Mayuri are still in Hueco Mundo. Then who's protecting Soul Society right now?


why wasnt Ikkaku and gay-looking guy in that spoiler pic?

I think these two questions might answer each other (in a small sense).

Ikkaku is very capable of defending SS even by himself. He's has that 11th Division attitude of fighting till the end ... oh yeah, and he has a overly powerful bankai.

And Yumichika's shikai can weaken most of his enemies and make it easier to finish them off. And who knows, maybe even he has bankai now.

[MezzoDragon]

Excuse me, FireStarterLE, but you may want to edit that squad position. Ikkaku belongs to Squad 11. They have the 'fight to the death' attitude. Also, seeing Yumichika use his weapon's true form (and be stereotypically gay) will be cool. Seeing him and Ikkaku use bankai will also be cool. I wonder if Yumichika's bankai is going to be a giant peacock or something.

[Scirel]

You'd think Ikkaku would be promoted to captain by now, since 3 vacancies are open and he has a good bankai. ^_^

[FireStarterLE]

Excuse me, FireStarterLE, but you may want to edit that squad position. Ikkaku belongs to Squad 11. They have the 'fight to the death' attitude. Also, seeing Yumichika use his weapon's true form (and be stereotypically gay) will be cool. Seeing him and Ikkaku use bankai will also be cool. I wonder if Yumichika's bankai is going to be a giant peacock or something.

:sweat:

i don't know why i always want to associate Zaraki with Squad 10 ... must be something about that number

[Mr. Obsession]

You'd think Ikkaku would be promoted to captain by now, since 3 vacancies are open and he has a good bankai. ^_^Only problem is he's hiding his bankai because he doesn't want to be a captain.

[laactor101]

Whoa that pic looks like Kubo is pulling all the rabbits out of the hat(Get it?)

[kaine23]

Looks like Karakura Town isn't so defenseless after all.
;)

[Mr. Obsession]

Oh man. So Aizen was never interested in using Orihime’s powers (though he did find them interesting). Rather she was bait to get Ichigo and co out of Karakura, and to scare Soul Society, so Karakura would be unprotected. Thus, Aizen could destroy it with minimal resistance (I wonder if Grimmjow told Aizen about Shinji?), and then after obtaining the key eliminate his enemies one by one, at his leisure. Too bad it seems like his plans didn’t take Urahara working with Soul Society into account.

So unless Aizen is willing to fight all those captains at once, which is doubtful, the Winter War will still happen in the winter “‘cause that’s when Yamamoto said so.”

Also, I find it interesting that he told everyone where Orihime is right now, like he’s daring them to rescue her because he knows Stark is there to deal with them if they do. More evidence, I suppose, that Stark is the Primera Espada.

[Captain Highwind]

Also, I find it interesting that he told everyone where Orihime is right now, like he’s daring them to rescue her because he knows Stark is there to deal with them if they do. More evidence, I suppose, that Stark is the Primera Espada.

Stark, and the old man Espada too. Old people are unpredictable in this series, so he'll probably be a handful.

There's got to be more to Aizen's plot than that. I mean, it's well-planned, but it seems so passive. And to just tell everybody what he's about to do?

I know he knows what Urahara's capable of, and obviously the remaining Shinigami Captains are pretty weak...if the Soul Society arc tells you anything (anime filler too, if you count that). At least in comparison to Aizen anyway.

I hope more stuff unfolds. I don't want it to be just a sparring match with Ichigo, which is what Aizen hinted at when he said he'd be back to finish off everyone in Hueco Mundo.

[GWOtaku]

The thing is, Aizen is incredibly arrogant. This is the man who basically wants to kill the equivalent of God in the Bleach world. Clearly, to him, all Espada besides Gin and Tousen are expendable. He was willing to let some of his strongest fighters die just to ensnare Ichigo and company, as well as four Soul Society captains. I'm sure he doesn't care if they rescue Inoue or not, since he's figuring they're trapped anyway and they can be killed regardless once they've won. And remember, aside from from Stark and the old man Ulquiorra will escape from Grimmjow's prison eventually.

Aizen may have confidence in his remaining Espada but fundamentally, he's probably figuring that it will be enough if they weaken Ichigo's group or kill just a few of them. In any event, Aizen's plan is absolute genius. As the good guys commented Soul Society's elite fighting force has basically been cut in half thanks to Aizen, and he succeeded in faking them out. He has use for Orihime, but obviously if he destroys Karakura Town and defeats most of Soul Society he can proceed with his plans at his leisure. In the end, Yamamoto and Ichigo both got played.

Things are definitely looking bad. Obviously Ichigo and the others will find a way to escape eventually, but in the meantime Aizen wields a tremendous advantage. Most of the captains defending Karakura town are very strong, but Aizen and Gin and Tousen were great fighters before they became Arrancar. I'm sure Aizen believes he can defeat Yamamoto, who has to be Soul Society's strongest fighter, and I'm thinking he's right about that.

Of course, there are wild cards: there are the Vaizards, Yoruichi, Isshin, and hopefully Ishida's father if he can get over himself and see it as defending the city, as opposed to helping Death Gods. I'm not so sure Urahara can be counted on though--after all, someone has to devise a means to allow Ichigo and the others to escape and get back into the fight.

Man, who would've thought the plot would advance so suddenly and quickly?

[bigdeath]

I love bleach and this is why I love Azien. Great villian! :anime:

[Baseball]

That all happened very quickly. It seems like the series really is going to end soon, which makes me a little sad. Considering how long it has lasted so far, it's inevitable. But I hoped we would explore their world more, giving visual representations of both Heaven and Hell.

Then again, Kubo could always surprise us and have Aizen successfully raze Karakura into the ground. As for Ichigo and his pals, I hope they see some action soon.

More than anyone right now though, I want to see Unohana tear some mess up. Considering sword-fighting is only a hobby of hers and the fact she was mentioned in passing to be one of the strongest captains, I really am excited to see her in battle.

[Rud]

meh, they brought Soifon and Yamamoto's Vice Captains but not Ikaku and Gay looking guy, what was Kubo thinking? (its no secrete those two guys suck and Ikaku and Gay looking guy could probably beat them)

[Kaiser0120]

meh, they brought Soifon and Yamamoto's Vice Captains but not Ikaku and Gay looking guy, what was Kubo thinking? (its no secrete those two guys suck and Ikaku and Gay looking guy could probably beat them)

Ayasegawa Yumichika.

Not. Gay looking guy.:\

[MezzoDragon]

Yumichika can be flamboyant, but is not gay. Soifon, however, is gay... for Yoruichi. Anyway, aside from being 3rd seat, why isn't Kiyone and her rival here? I want to see them fight. Also, why isn't Nanao here? Is it because she and General Captain Yamato are still at odds with each other?

[Rud]

Ayasegawa Yumichika.

Not. Gay looking guy.:\

Sorry, that names just so hard to remember, so many vowels............

[FlyByNite77]

Yumichika can be flamboyant, but is not gay. Soifon, however, is gay... for Yoruichi. Anyway, aside from being 3rd seat, why isn't Kiyone and her rival here? I want to see them fight. Also, why isn't Nanao here? Is it because she and General Captain Yamato are still at odds with each other?

Because Kiyone is weaker then her sister Isane who Ichigo just completly owned in the soul society arc.

Well I'm not sure that's ever been said, but I think so anyway...

[Furu]

Oh like levels of strength have ever been consistent in Bleach :P

[warnerbroman]

meh, they brought Soifon and Yamamoto's Vice Captains but not Ikaku and Gay looking guy, what was Kubo thinking? (its no secrete those two guys suck and Ikaku and Gay looking guy could probably beat them)
who know he my be stronger then you think and did the 1st vice do anything

[Rud]

who know he my be stronger then you think and did the 1st vice do anything

i think we all saw how pathetic Soifons Vice captain was in soul Society & yamamotos vice captain got beat by Ichigo with 1 hit, those squad 11 guys would own them easily.

[EroSennin]

I wonder if next chapter we'll get to see Tatsuki and Mizuiro. I wonder how strong they've gotten.

[Captain Highwind]

I wonder if next chapter we'll get to see Karin and Mizuiro. I wonder how strong they've gotten. Especially Karin being another child of a captain.

To be honest I didn't know Mizuiro had any power, but I guess they could use that excuse of 'hanging around Ichigo awakens latent abilities' thing...

[Mr. Obsession]

Aizen may have confidence in his remaining Espada but fundamentally, he's probably figuring that it will be enough if they weaken Ichigo's group or kill just a few of them. In any event, Aizen's plan is absolute genius. As the good guys commented Soul Society's elite fighting force has basically been cut in half thanks to Aizen, and he succeeded in faking them out. He has use for Orihime, but obviously if he destroys Karakura Town and defeats most of Soul Society he can proceed with his plans at his leisure. In the end, Yamamoto and Ichigo both got played. Ichigo, sure. But if anything Yamamoto played Aizen. Aizen's plans never took into account Urahara working with Soul Society again. Aizen was using Orihime to scare Soul Society into recalling all the Shinigami to shore up the home front defenses. Right now all the captains who aren’t in Hueco Mundo are waiting in Karakura for Aizen to step out of the portal, the exact opposite of what he predicted.


Gin and Tousen were great fighters before they became Arrancar.Wait. What? Gin and Tousen can't be Arrancar since they were never Hollows. Only a Hollow can become an Arrancar. Now it's possible they might be Vaizards, but I thought it was Aizen's plan to wait for the hogyoku to fully awaken before using it to hybridize himself, Gin, and Tousen to ensure a perfect transformation.


I wonder if next chapter we'll get to see Tatsuki and Mizuiro. I wonder how strong they've gotten.I figure if Mizuiro and Keigo get powers, it would be a Wonder Twins type deal.

As for Tatsuki, I know there's at least one color sketch Kubo did of her as a Shinigami in the art books.

[GWOtaku]

Wait. What? Gin and Tousen can't be Arrancar since they were never Hollows. Only a Hollow can become an Arrancar. Now it's possible they might be Vaizards, but I thought it was Aizen's plan to wait for the hogyoku to fully awaken before using it to hybridize himself, Gin, and Tousen to ensure a perfect transformation.

....Oops. Yeah, I messed up on my Bleach terminology.

[Captain Highwind]

I figure if Mizuiro and Keigo get powers, it would be a Wonder Twins type deal.

...

Oh lord the visual in my head is awful.



As for Tatsuki, I know there's at least one color sketch Kubo did of her as a Shinigami in the art books.

She sports some kind of ferret sword.

[Mr. Obsession]

...

Oh lord the visual in my head is awful.

Keigo: "Form of an ice puddle!"
Mizuiro: "Shape of a ferret!"

[MezzoDragon]

It could be interesting to see Tatsuki as a shinigami. She could be Ichigo's lieutenant or something. I wonder if Chizuru could be getting into the fray.

[Captain Highwind]

Keigo: "Form of an ice puddle!"
Mizuiro: "Shape of a ferret!"

Spandex was involved as well. I'm going to try blocking it out now.

[kaine23]

Yumichika can be flamboyant, but is not gay. Soifon, however, is gay... for Yoruichi. Anyway, aside from being 3rd seat, why isn't Kiyone and her rival here? I want to see them fight. Also, why isn't Nanao here? Is it because she and General Captain Yamato are still at odds with each other?

Wouldn't you want to be gay for Yoruichi? :P

[Kaiser0120]

Wouldn't you want to be gay for Yoruichi? :P

What about gay for... Sajin Komamura!? Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAA!

[bigdeath]

What about gay for... Sajin Komamura!? Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAA!

Wouldn't that involve beastality. I think I'll skip on that.

[Kaiser0120]

Wouldn't that involve beastality. I think I'll skip on that.

Well technically and very much practically isn't not beastiality, it's anthropomorphic. But this is totally getting off topic.

I do hope to see Yamamoto beat some ass.

[FinnMacCool]

I really want to know what Gin's Bankai is. We know Tousen's, and Aizen's is bound to be something super-hax given the power of just his shikai, but Gin's has me curious. I mean, he can already extend his sword to any length he wants, so I imagine his Bankai can't simply be a bigger version of that. My guess is that his Bankai will be some sort of giant cannon that shoots sword at people (since his shikai command his "shoot to kill").

[Rocketboy]

New spoilers confirm that 2 hours= 37 chapters. If you know what I'm getting at.

[Captain Highwind]

New spoilers confirm that 2 hours= 37 chapters. If you know what I'm getting at.

That's...that's not even an evening.

That's an underpaid employee's lunch break.

[Mr. Obsession]

It's about damn time Ulquiorra.

Oh noez, Aizen brought the top 3 with him (and the old guy finally gets a name?).

[MezzoDragon]

The old man Espeda (who could be Sado's grandfather) will finally get a chance to do something aside from complain. He better have a cool release. Perhaps it will explain why Sado has Hollow-style armor. Also, the female faction (excluding Loli and Monoly) are going to get some screen time too. I wonder if any of the four will survive this invasion. I hope they do. Lilinette kinda reminds me of Wonderwise. Speaking of whom, where is he?

[Anime Freak]

The even bigger question...where's Grimmjow and Yammi???:confused:

[Rud]

i just saw a chinese raw, and im wondering if Ichigo seriously believes he can beat Ulquiora, i mean he just got his ass kicked by him 2 hours ago........, for the record i like Ulquiora better than Ichigo so i hope Ichigo gets his ass kicked once again

[Anime Freak]

Didn't he somehow enhance his abilities during his fight with Grimmjow??? So I would think he might stand a better chance this time. Oh and there's no need for spoiler boxes...the topic does say "MAJOR SPOILERS" in it...

[Rud]

hes not going to get stronger than the guy who almost killed him withought breaking a sweat in 2 hours, no way.

[Captain Highwind]

The old man Espeda (who could be Sado's grandfather) will finally get a chance to do something aside from complain. He better have a cool release. Perhaps it will explain why Sado has Hollow-style armor.

Huh. You know, that would be very cool and I hope it comes true. It would certainly make up for the Rukia/Kaien drama that fizzled into nothing but a 1980's Mad Ball homage.

Chad would have to fight somebody he respects to the core, then the possibility of being tempted to join the Espada, etc. etc.

[FlyByNite77]

Ichigo went through some power-ups in a short period of time in the Soul Society arc, although to be fair there was that whole training break.

BTW I was wondering something since Chad's powers are hollow-based and he discovered he was stronger in HM, how come Ichigo hasn't had a similar thing when he's using his hollow mask?

[kidx]

Maybe when him and Grimmjow went at it for such along time was his HM Power up...

[Baseball]

Wait, wait, wait. Ichigo got killed by Ulquiorra only 40 chapters ago. He got owned by Nnoitra and Tesla around 20 chapters ago. And without changing in strength at all, he's taking on Ulquiorra again?

Yeah, he's definitely getting some kind of Hollow power-up. Maybe he'll obtain that skeleton mask with the horns from that cover page a while back.

[Rud]

he wont win, no powerup will make him stronger than Ulquiora, who easily killed him 2 hours before.

[thenewme93]

But Ichigo has been known, (like most shonen heroes) to randomly pull new, powerful, moves out of his rear-end

[laactor101]

But Ichigo has been known, (like most shonen heroes) to randomly pull new, powerful, moves out of his rear-end

That is so true! Anywho It's time for Ichigo Vs Ulquriora part 2 or 3 I don't remember.

[thenewme93]

I'm pretty sure it's round 3

[Mr. Obsession]

So, Ulquiorra returns in the manga the same week he gets banished in the anime. I wonder if that was a coincidence.


Wait, wait, wait. Ichigo got killed by Ulquiorra only 40 chapters ago. He got owned by Nnoitra and Tesla around 20 chapters ago. And without changing in strength at all, he's taking on Ulquiorra again?

Ichigo was "owned" by Nnoitra after he was worn out from fighting Grimmjow. Ichigo was defeated by Ulquiorra right after having gone all out, when he didn't need to, against Dordonii.

Right now, thanks to Orihime, Ichigo is healed and ready to go.

Ichigo's already got the potential to beat Ulquiorra. When he was first introduced Ulquiorra said that when Ichigo's power fluctuated to its high end it was greater than his. So the question isn’t of having enough strength to beat Ulquiorra, but rather has Ichigo gained enough control over his power since then to beat Ulquiorra now?

[beren]

I think ichigo would be strong enough, but the 2 hours ulqi had in the trap have made him stronger somehow also. Its ok, its a shonen, time for ichigo to attain the level of super-shinigami.

[bigdeath]

Didn't you guys know that Ichigo's mutant power is the ability to constantly increase his power level to insane heights ridiculously quickly. OMG, his power level is over 9,000. I'm still waiting for Ichigo to blow up a planet. :p

[FinnMacCool]

During the Ulquiorra fight, Ichigo went into Vaizard mode exactly twice: once to hit him with a Getsuga (which was at least enough to make Ulqy bleed), and once to block a Cero blast. However, during the Grimmjow fight, Ichigo was able to use his Hollow powers seemingly indefinately. So this we'll be the first time we'll see Vaizard Ichigo and Ulquiorra going at it for more than 11 seconds at a time. Plus he's kinda outnumbered. Beating Ulquiorra is definitely possible, though I've got a feeling he's gonna have a very cool release.

[Mr. Obsession]

Am I the only one who wonders if Ulquiorra's release is identical to his unreleased state?

If the early Vasto Lorde silhouette was actually Ulquiorra, as has been hinted at by the remains of his mask, then his Hollow form would be nearly identical to his Arrancar form. If so would there even be an advantage to releasing?

[Captain Highwind]

I think ichigo would be strong enough, but the 2 hours ulqi had in the trap have made him stronger somehow also. Its ok, its a shonen, time for ichigo to attain the level of super-shinigami.

I figure if Ulquiorra's just spent two to three hours hammering away at a demensional gateway, he might be a little taxed, or unphased, but I wouldn't say he's gotten any training out of it.

That's one more point in Ichigo's bucket.

[Rud]

Am I the only one who wonders if Ulquiorra's release is identical to his unreleased state?


i hope your right, cause he has an awesome character design that i dont want to see turn into a monster.


anyway, i predict the captains will get their asses kicked and go back limping to soul Society where they belong.

then the REAL heroes will show up to woop Aizen back to Las Noches, they are belong........... Ichigo's dad, Uryu's dad, Urahara (and his strore keepers), Yoruichi and maby a vaizard or two.

[Rolling Cloud]

This will be my only post in this thread, for personal reasons.

http://www.bleachasylum.com/showpost.php?p=277013&postcount=82

Wonder if the timing is still good...

[Baseball]

Even the manga's taking a break? Holy cow. Maybe the anime's going to have to go on hiatus after this...

[Rud]

there better be a Kempachi flashback to how he pwned the previous captain...

itd be also cool to see an Aizen flashback to how he got evil and or when he began to conspire with Tousen and Gin, or when he established Las Noches.

i also wanna see an Ulquiora flashback like the one Grimjow got, which would answer once and for all why his mask resembles a Vasto Lorde's

one about Yamamoto's early days would also be a treat.

(those are realy the only people id want too see flashbacks about)

[Grenzer]

Even the manga's taking a break? Holy cow. Maybe the anime's going to have to go on hiatus after this...

Well the anime adapts the side stories as well, so I don't see where this is going to affect its production schedule. It's not like Kubo is going on hiatus from work.

[Captain Highwind]

So we'll actually get back story on Isshin and Urahara somewhere down the road...?

[Furu]

Wow. Didn't see that coming.