Bleach Speculation (Chapters 300+)

[Ingemar]

Finalluy, if Kubo doesn't decide to prolong his fans excitement for a few more chapters, then

Spoiler for latest Manga chapter:
[Spoiler] We should be able to see Soi Fon's Ban Kai verrry soon. It's been a while since a Captain has shown his/ her Ban Kai. [/Spoiler]

My prediction?

[spoiler]I'M COVERED IN BEEEEEEEEEES![/spoiler]

[uc pseudonym]

This chapter makes me care about Bleach a little bit again. It really doesn't take much: whatever is behind Wonderweis is clearly the same as what appeared during the climax of the Soul Society arc.

That's been one of the few unanswered questions remaining in Bleach (which these days seems to be mostly answers to questions no one asked). I was hoping for something more than "a really big Hollow" but I guess we'll see.

[Doubleshadow]

I was hoping for something more than "a really big Hollow" but I guess we'll see.

It probably doesn't say much that instead of being intrigued, I merely thought about the odor from a truly mammoth deposit of toe jam.

[ich1990]

Hey, wait just a minute, chapters 364-365 have been pretty good. Kubo, is that you?

[GeneD]

I will appreciate it if the Vizard fights are shorter than the last few between the Aizen's people and the G13 or at least result in proper victories.

[uc pseudonym]

I would also like to note that we have eight Vizards and eight villains (three ex-Captains, three Espada, Wonderweiss, and the Menos Vomit Hollow). This is the kind of match-up speculation that made me interested enough in Bleach to make this thread in the first place. Sadly, my hopes of a carefully thought-out, well-balanced arc were cruelly dashed to pieces and I will not love again.

Still, these chapters had some style and I'm interested to see how the Vizards stand in the overall power hierarchy. Also, there was an excuse given for why they didn't show up earlier. Things are looking a bit up.

[Doubleshadow]

Sadly, my hopes of a carefully thought-out, well-balanced arc were cruelly dashed to pieces and I will not love again.

*violins*

Also, there was an excuse given for why they didn't show up earlier. Things are looking a bit up.

I had wondered where the Lieutenant of the 1rst was hiding.

[Ingemar]

So I was wrong about Soi Fon's bankai. But if Fish n' Chips appraisal of the captains remains true (lose upon first time releasing bankai = permanent cannon fodder) she has joined those ranks*.

I lucked out in that the day I decided to follow the manga coincidentally happened to be the day it started getting "good" again. I admit what I really did was watch the anime up to the end of Soul Society, Wikipedia'ed everything else, start reading when Wonderweiss one-shotted Ukitake. Then the Visoreds came.

Speaking of Visoreds, does anyone else find it really dumb that they used their hollow forms (which time out after three minutes) to kill cannon fodder?

Looks like Tosen will finally eat his hypocritical words and that a sorely-needed two-on-one is about to happen.

I also haven't forgotten about Yammy vs. Chad, Renji and Rukia. It would be nice if they actually managed to defeat him on their own instead of the narrative relying on the 'oh x is in trouble looks like the end OH WAIT CAPTAIN ______ TO THE RESCUE YAAY!' plot device.

Komamura and Mayuri are exceptions because the former had the bad luck of having his first major fight interrupted and his second major fight against the ungodly powerful Aizen and the second because he has SCIENCE on his side.

[Yamamaya]

The most recent chapters have all been build up chapters with very little actual action. *grumble, grumble*

Ah well, hopefully the upcoming chapter this week will be more satisfying.

[GeneD]

I was actually really surprised that in chapter 386. Quote from Hiyori after Hitsugaya tells her that he wants to fight Aizen: “You were having trouble with these guys [espada et al] before we got here. How do you think you’re gonna take on Aizen.”

I’m happy at least some of the characters seem to be thinking and this makes me like the Vizard even more.

[Ingemar]

Current chapter:

Kubo plays with his compass and ruler. Also I guess he doesn't want to reduce Soi Fong to miniscule dead weight captain *coughhitsugayacough* just yet.

[Fish and Chips]

What's this? A somewhat major villain taken down in a reasonably clever maneuver by a side character who isn't fangirl jailbait?

Did someone tie up Tite Kubo and write this chapter for him?

[uc pseudonym]

What's this? A somewhat major villain taken down in a reasonably clever maneuver by a side character who isn't fangirl jailbait?

Not to mention a kido user, which breaks from the general thematic premise of Bleach, which could be described as "swords swords swords swords swords." The fight didn't take terribly long, either, and wasn't resolved by a new transformation or ability.

Either your alternate writer theory is correct, or fangirls are significantly more open-minded than is commonly believed.

[Yamamaya]

Finally a semi realistic fight with no power ups. I must say Barrangan's fight with Soi Fon and Hachi was the only major battle I've seen in Bleach that was entirely ranged/kiduo based.

The next two fights will probably be poorly written, so prepare yourselves.

[Ingemar]

Who knows? Maybe they'll eventually have a fight in which a shinigami dies.

Because if "shinigami never get killed" formula is true, then Hanataro could conquer Hueco Mundo given enough time.

[Fish and Chips]

Now that would be worth reading.

[Ingemar]

What, a shinigami dying or Hanataro conquering Hueco Mundo?

[Yamamaya]

Hmm the latest chapter was kinda of interesting yet poorly written. Also it never really explained how Aizen forced Barrangan to join him in the first place.

Ah yes the unsatisfying shoeun flashback.

[Fish and Chips]

Hanataro conquering Hueco Mundo?

Exactly.

I'm actually kinda surprised he doesn't seem to be anywhere, considering the amount of damage going on. Then again, it's Tite Kubo, so not really.

[uc pseudonym]

This is the first time in a while that I've actually wished a flashback had gone on a little longer. It might have been interesting to see internal politics/society in Hueco Mundo. Barrangan seems to think himself king of it, but other strong Hollows like Halibel were presumably running around, and there are at least two Hollows currently stronger than him.

It would have been interesting if Aizen had needed to rule multiple divided factions, but then I remember which manga this is. Hopefully we'll see some more Stark in the coming chapters, but it seems to me we're due for another stretch of Hitsugaya.

Other than that comment, I'm here to share this quote from a Kubo Tite interview:

Question: Bleach has so many characters with so many different powers, weapons, personalities and relationships! How do you come up with them?

Tite Kubo: I really don't intend that characters have certain personalities when I come up with them. Sometimes I can't think of any new characters. Then other times, I come up with 10 or more new characters.

And they all appear in the next chapter.

[Ingemar]

Also it never really explained how Aizen forced Barrangan to join him in the first place.

Aizen's minions slaughtering Barragan's minions not satisfying enough an explanation for you?

Aizen also did his "shikai-mindPWN" thing so that may have something to do with it.

[Doubleshadow]

And they all appear in the next chapter.

*facepalm* I wish this was funny...

I'm a little interested in seeing how Afghan Captain and Lisa Yadomaru interact since his reaction was so wildly different form the status quo.

[Yamamaya]

Overall the chapter this week was pretty good. Nice to see that Love's zan was actually original.

I can't wait for next week's manga chapter.

[ich1990]

So, in the latest chapter:

1) We realize that even mid/high-level captains are much stronger than the strongest hollow. Thus, Ichigo's one and only reason for being in the series is to defeat Aizen.

2) Aizen is so prideful that he purposefully helps out his enemies in order to make his eventual victory more dramatic. Good job Aizen, throw out strategy to feed your ego. That always helps.

3) At least Aizen is fighting now instead of letting his forces be divided and conquered by an enemy that has superior fire power and numbers.

[Fish and Chips]

So man, nearly 300 chapters after his introduction, Shunsui Kyōraku finally did something. I guess some small part of me feels vindicated now for liking him the whole time. Shame we're probably never going to see his zanpakuto again, since its ability could easily make for some inventive (if short) fights.

Aizen, however, is a troll.

[Doubleshadow]

Oh, that was lame. Somebody shoot it.

Please don't tell me the next chapter will open with Halibel having served Aizen because she loved him.

[Ingemar]

And I think I finally realize why many people have dropped this series in disgust.

And now for something completely different:

[uc pseudonym]

Does anyone else feel like this arc isn't the end of the series? Ichigo isn't around to fight Aizen, we still haven't seen a lot of Bankais, and the Espada are getting tossed aside with relatively little drama. It just feels intermediate.

But that would suggest that there's going to be another set of villains and another arc, which in Bleach terms means another 150+ chapters. Maybe this battle will just keeping going for a long time, but right now I'm wondering if Kubo Tite plans to stretch this out for a while longer. If so, he's running the risk of exceeding his established power hierarchies and world structures. We all know he's making this up as he goes along, but that would still be too bad.

2) Aizen is so prideful that he purposefully helps out his enemies in order to make his eventual victory more dramatic. Good job Aizen, throw out strategy to feed your ego. That always helps.

It's probably too late to hope that he had any kind of reason for leaving people alive at the end of the Soul Society arc. The only way this could be funny would be if he really was so powerful that it didn't matter.

So man, nearly 300 chapters after his introduction, Shunsui Kyō]
I meant to say, didn't his ability feel very JoJo's Bizarre Adventure? We could do with more rule-establishing powers.

Oh, that was lame. Somebody shoot it.

Please don't tell me the next chapter will open with Halibel having served Aizen because she loved him.

Usually I don't bother with spoilers/summaries, but I was curious about this too. Seems like our fears are for once misplaced, and Halibel actually gets a bit of a last stand.

[Ingemar]

Does anyone else feel like this arc isn't the end of the series? Ichigo isn't around to fight Aizen, we still haven't seen a lot of Bankais, and the Espada are getting tossed aside with relatively little drama. It just feels intermediate.

There's also Gin and Tosen. And Wonderweiss. And the alleged Vasto Lorde. And the story only went twelve chapters into the negative chapters arc, which is supposedly 108 (SYMBOLISM!!!!111one) long. Tite is going to milk this cow until her teats blister.

But that would suggest that there's going to be another set of villains and another arc, which in Bleach terms means another 150+ chapters. Maybe this battle will just keeping going for a long time, but right now I'm wondering if Kubo Tite plans to stretch this out for a while longer. If so, he's running the risk of exceeding his established power hierarchies and world structures. We all know he's making this up as he goes along, but that would still be too bad.

There's still the possibility of Hell becoming a plot point. Or the real villain is Division 0/the King of Soul society. Or there may actually *be* some important plot related to Isshin or Ryuuken. Or there may be some big reveal that Bleach is a fictional world and Aizen is the main character, who happens to be a self-insert Mary Sue of some intellectual dweeb residing in Kyoto. Or Soul Society will team up with Jesus. Or Aizen has some time travelling ability that lets him reset the plot of Bleach so that he can devise new ways of pwning everyone.

There's still a lot of possibilities]It's probably too late to hope that he had any kind of reason for leaving people alive at the end of the Soul Society arc. The only way this could be funny would be if he really was so powerful that it didn't matter.[/quote]I think that's it. Because the only possibility is that Shinigami have a contractual immortality and despite my suggesting it, I don't think Tite is "meta" enough to let that happen.

Because if he did, then (as I said before) the Hueco Mundo arc could have been about Hanataro conquering everyone.

I meant to say, didn't his ability feel very JoJo's Bizarre Adventure? We could do with more rule-establishing powers.

I didn't think a thread about Bleach would make me want to check out other, better manga.

[Yamamaya]

Bleach is drifting more and more into the region of mediocre action shoenun. But it's enjoyable so I'll stick with it(just bought the second Bleach movie today).

Anyway, I have to agree with your theory about Aizen resetting the time. Because everyone knows Hanyu has far more power than any of the Espadas put together.

The problem I have with Kubo Tite's writing is threefold

No 1: Pacing. It's a grand concept of writing Kubo, learn how to use it correctly.
No 2: Power Levels. Kubo Tite attempts to create power levels but then constantly contradicts these power levels in his manga. Kubo, either ditch the power level concept altogether or adhere more closely to it.
No 3: Aizen's mad hax skills. Aizen is an even bigger troll than Beatrice from Umineko no naku koro ni and that's saying a lot!
As for how long this series will go on, there's a variety of possibilities
No 1: Aizen will put out some moar allies from his invisible hat.
No 2: Ichigo will use his new hollow form to fight Aizen and after a long epic fight he finally kills him, thus ending Bleach.
No 3: Aizen will enter the Soul King's Palace and Ichigo and pals will follow him thus beginning an entirely new arc with entirely new characters.
No 4: Aizen's bankai is a gigantic laza that allows him to pwn everyone.