Bleach: Mostly the Manga and Jp anime (Freaking Huge Spoilers)
 

Alternate Title: "And then it comes full circle, yet again"

Anyone caught the latest chapter of the Manga? I'll be spoiler-proofing my text, just in case someone clicks in this thread by mistake or without taking notice, as even i regret a little seeing the March 12 chapter. But everyone else... dont worry about spoiler text, it's in the title.

So, Bleach has finally become more Dragonball Z than ever. Hollow Ichigo is back.

Although, i absolutly loved the chapter... it's great to see a testament of truth being played like that, you know? "The heroes aren't strong enough to beat Ulquiorra" and what you know? Ishida end's up loosing his arm and taking a hole on the chest, and Ichigo get's almost blow in half. Awesome!

Yes, we all know... "Hero needs to save the day", but i really like the way Bleack does it. There are hints back in the story, and it's a more logical way than, say, naruto "I know how to defeat this enemy! I just have to try HARDER!" and there is no "pulling a device out of my ass on the last second"... well... sorta.

Back on Episode 125 of the anime (the big fight between Hollow Ichigo and ichigo), when Ichigo wins, hollow ichigo says "If you really want to control my power, then, don't die untill i show up again". It was kinda of a sign that Hollow Ichigo would return somehow at some point... and the way it was done, i think it's great.

Specially when you get all the little hints... like, Ulquiorra punching a hole on Ichigo's chest in their first battle (before Grimmjow) and they explain the hole (Ulquiorra likes to "brand" his favourite preys) but at the same time... that was the same place where Ichigo's Hollow version has it's hole. The middle of the chest. And Then, Ulquiorra goes and Blows a bigger hole on the same place now... and we get this great view of just how trully powerfull the last 5 espadas are (i dont even want to KNOW about that "special" espada Wonderweiss).

And the fact that Kenpachi was barely able to deal with Noitora, and he was supposed to be the "hard hitting" shinigami... but at the same time, 4 of the other captains on the real world are over 100 yr's old and probably even more powerfull, but clearly not as powerfull as Stark.

...and you can see where i get Dragonball Z out of this...

Bleach is starting to walk towards that "limit" where the series hits it's peak and it can end nicely or just become GT. I was just really pleased on how they handled the whole Ulquiorra X Ichigo business... and even if we could see this coming a mile away, now i want to know what happens next, so i guess they hooked me in.

?

Dude he went like "Oh, I guess I have to try a little" and then carved the guy in half.

Anyway I think what I liked most about this last chapter was Tits McUseless being extra-specially useless. "Oh a guy is bleeding to death and I heal people, WHAT CAN I DO? Please, guy who is bleeding to death! SOLVE FOR ME THIS RIDDLE" Maybe 99 out of a hundred episodes of the cartoon wouldn't be filler episodes if goddamn Writesey Bleachwriter could fit two episode's worth of content into any hundred given chapters of his goddamn comic book.

one thing I like about Bleach is how they handle the main character. First off, Ichigo is way WAY down the totem pole when it comes to power. Yea he beat some decent captains, but has yet to get anywhere near where some of them are. Ichigo is also self aware. On the first point he is aware of his main character status, if he only has so long to do something, he knows that means he will do it in that time. Ichigo also said it himself, it isn't that he can win, its that he must. He is fully aware he is in fights far beyond he can win, and only goes into them because there is no other way for him to save his friends.

But this has one massive differance from DBZ or Naruto, the secondary characters are actually useful. The writer did something very smart, rather then make every enemy on the level of the big bad they hit a spectrum. That way even the weaker people can still do their thing. That is tricky though, as you need to write so there are reasons why they aren't just slaughtered and he'd done a pretty good job I think.

And the main character gets beat, alot. And not just so he can come back stronger and beat the guy. Grimmjow showed Ichigo can get beat, train, get stronger, have a rematch, and still get beat.

Inoue isnt all that helpless though... she is a non-fighter. Period. She had just very basic battle training with Rukia before she got Kidnapped. and Ulquiorra was pretty clear "You're not strong enough to heal him". For someone who was trusting ichigo out of Blind faith, she was crushed to her knees on that momment... then she sees Ishida with Half of an arm just trying to buy her tiem so she can try and do something... for a tension builder, i think that one was done down to details just right.

i was expecting either that Unohana would show up (and she probably will be the one sorting this mess out later on) or that Inoue would just Flip out and unleash some Deus Ex-Machina there (Her power is beyond time travel, she can just "Negate" shit out of reality!... if she was trained properly)

I'm gonna have to roll with that sentiment, having to use two hands isn't "having a hard time." Their whole fight was basically the duel between Inigo and Westley. Except instead of not being left handed he used two hands, and you know... he killed his enemy.

well this is the guy that one-shotted a captain. The only reason I let it pass, is because from the start I knew he was purposefully fighting with poor form, and clearly using one hand for a two handed weapon. I think the sudden power jump was abit much, but it was foreshadowed enough for me

How are you getting this at all? Bleach is entirely "I have to try harder!" Not only that, when they try harder (They being Ichigo, because everyone else doesn't really matter) he pulls something straight out of his ass. Every single fight he wins because he was losing, but then decided he needed to win, and either sword-cloak guy or Hollow Ichigo give him some power to save the day. (My assumption is "well... sorta..." means you realize there is some of this in Bleach, but for the most part you think there isn't)

Only because he has yet to fight the people above him. Once he does, he will instantly be above them in power. Won't even need Shonen training.

I thought I was going to like the recent chapters because it seemed like Ishida was actually going to do something, but of course he isn't. I suppose it's nice the captains got their little moment of Dues Ex, but then they went to human world for major plot reasons with supposedly epic fights, then the story goes back to Ichigo.

well of course he is gonna beat people with a clear edge on him, its a shonen anime. But Ichigo does actually lose despite trying harder.

this is something I disagree with but cant think of how to address. Its pure assumption. These shows are based on progressively harder fights, its the bread and butter of a shonen series to one up your opponet for whatever reason.

There have been espada above him, that attacked him, beat him, and someone else had to save him. Hell once Rukia had to save him. Basically just delayed things but still. Plenty of times stronger foes outright beat ichigo, so I dont see why you are making that assumption

Assumption? He fights Zanpachi, starts losing, instant power up and wins. He fights Pedal-Sword guy, loses, instant power up and wins. He's fighting Sad-Faced Espada, lost, is now turning Super Saiyan.

Bleach author really likes instant power ups.

Hell, even Chad did the fight, lose, instant power up and win, and he's the most interesting yet ignored of the insignificant friends.


Secondary characters in Bleach are absolutely useless. At best they've killed off insignificant minions that lose in a hit to the actual important character (Or manage to not die long enough for them to show up). It's only recently that non-Ichigos have been useful with sudden Duex Ex captains (Whose lieutenants are now the insignificant), but we don't get to see them anymore.

Not true.

In his Fight with Kenpachi ichigo DID powered up and won, even thought he said himself that he had lost...

But against byakuya he flat out lost that battle. The only momment he hurted Byakuya was when Byakuya was underestimating him, once he fought seriously Ichigo's strenght went downhill. He was only able to Cause real harm to Byakuya because his Hollow side took over (While he was desperate, and seriously hurt). Which was a Important Hook to future arcs.. and Hollow ichigo is nothing at all like Ichigo. That fight he lost... In the end Byakuya showed that he still had most of his strenght and speed by simply flash-stepping away. while Ichigo could barely move.

Against Grimmjow, he simply cleaned the floor with Ichigo. And on the rematch they were pretty much equaly Matched. Even though Ichigo needs to use Bankai and Hollow Mask just to keep up. What most Shinigamis do with their Shikai, Ichigo needs his Bankai to do...

Against Ulquiorra, Ichigo once again, was totally destroyed during the entire battle. Now, yeah, Hollow Ichigo is forming back... but that was hinted at earlier. It was bound to happen at some point... so, it wasn't pulled out of nowhere.

I'm thinking you don't follow the Anime and/or manga very closely... which would make sense with what you're saying. From a few steps back, Bleach is pretty much Yu Yu Hakusho and Dragonball Z. But up close... the author takes care of common cliches in a better way (to say the least)

Also... secondary characters being useless.. well... yeah. When did that not happen?