Bleach Manga/Anime Discussion Thread II

[The Drunkard Kid]

Of course, Arrancar seem a bit... different. I mean, Szayel and Aaroniero went to Hell in that sidechapter, but we never get confirmed that any of the others went to Soul Society or Hell. And Ulquiorra and Barragan probably disappeared entirely because they weren't killed by Zanpakuto.

...Does that mean Kaien's soul is in Hell?

[1505627]

...Does that mean Kaien's soul is in Hell?

no, the soul that ate kaien's soul is in hell

[MKTerra]

Notice that the running joke of people not knowing where Loli keeps her sword is still going strong.

Hah!

I thought Yammy killed those two? I'm surprised they survived somehow, and doubly surprised they survived this chapter

...Does that mean Kaien's soul is in Hell?

I dunno, Szayel and Aaroniero were both killed(?) again in the same chapter. In Hell.

[Jabare]

Quincy forever!!!!!!!!!!!!





Death to all Hollows!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ragnorok64]

Anyone else find it odd those two grunts get killed on panel in such a graphic way when they are apparently totally human?

[MKTerra]

Anyone else find it odd those two grunts get killed on panel in such a graphic way when they are apparently totally human?

I'm surprised the Vandenreich has low-level grunts, especially in their HM hunting party. Their leader just wasted a couple of decently-leveled/competent Arrancar minions, after all.

[nervmeister]

Quincy forever!!!!!!!!!!!!

**salutes** SIEG QUINCY!

[chilled monkey]

I dunno, Szayel and Aaroniero were both killed(?) again in the same chapter. In Hell.

It was explained in the 4th movie that anyone that dies in Hell will be revived later. That's how the Hell Guards torture the inmates; by killing them over and over again.

[Sound Silence]

no, the soul that ate kaien's soul is in hell

Of course, hollow identity and what happens to all the souls a hollow eats when they are purified was never fully explained. Did those souls now disappear, and Kaien's gone?

(I mean, really, what happens to Shinigami when they die? Do they get born on Earth?)

I think perhaps Starrk and Lilynette illustrate this a bit, in that they were one, and split into two. I'm guessing when a hollow absorbs another, that one becomes dominant, but it is possible to split another one off into its original personality.

[Ragnorok64]

I dunno all the trappings of souls and balance and what not are so contrived. I've accepted it's all a setting for people blowing stuff up with swords and lopping off arms, but Bleach seems the have the setting that falls apart the fastest among the big Shonen titles.

I mean soul society isn't big enough to contain the souls of all the humans that die, so does it only deal with Japan or a particular region of Japan? If all these souls are supposed to be recycled amoung earth, soul society, and hueco mundo wouldn't that mean "Hell" would cause an imbalance since people that die there apparently just come back to life again there? Shinigami and apparently reproduce among themselves, but can arrancar and hollows?

I guess it's best not to think about these things and just enjoy the sword explosions and arm slicing...

[Sound Silence]

I dunno all the trappings of souls and balance and what not are so contrived. I've accepted it's all a setting for people blowing stuff up with swords and lopping off arms, but Bleach seems the have the setting that falls apart the fastest among the big Shonen titles.

I mean soul society isn't big enough to contain the souls of all the humans that die, so does it only deal with Japan or a particular region of Japan? If all these souls are supposed to be recycled amoung earth, soul society, and hueco mundo wouldn't that mean "Hell" would cause an imbalance since people that die there apparently just come back to life again there? Shinigami and apparently reproduce among themselves, but can arrancar and hollows?

I guess it's best not to think about these things and just enjoy the sword explosions and arm slicing...

I think it's possible to get out of hell, when you've been punished enough, if this works like other reincarnation systems.

Quincies are bad because their methods destroy the soul entirely, instead of just sending it somewhere else.

You're right, though. There are several places Kubo doesn't seem to have thought all this through.

[Ghost]

The point is it's FUN! to root for our favourites. Do you not understand the concepts of "fun," "suspension of disbelief" and "emotional investment with the story/characters"?

Oh, I understand those things just fine. See, I'm a writer, which means I enjoy stories a bit differently then other people. While I can certainly have favourite characters, I also try to look at things form a larger perspective because that lets me better appreciate the story as a whole. Of course I have fun reading manga, but I also see a lot of beauty in the structure of a narrative. That's a whole extra layer of fun all for me.

Anyway, let's say Ichigo fights a bad guy. I can pretty much guess how that will turn out - either Ichigo wins because he's the good guy, or the bad guy wins for dramatic or plot related reasons. (See: both Ulquiorra fights.) I don't prefer one outcome to another; rather I judge the outcome by how it affects the story in general. Ichigo will probably be alright anyway, so wether he wins or loses isn't important. The important thing is how he wins or how he loses, and what that brings to the story.

Or, to use a better example, take Grimmjow. I rather liked Grimmjow; I don't want him to die and if he goes down I want him to go down in style, and I hope that any battle he fights will serve some sort of a purpose to the plot. But does any of that mean I'm rooting for him to win? Of course not. He's a bad guy, so hoping he wins doesn't even make sense. The story wouldn't work.

Ichigo vs Grimmjow is one of my favourite fights of all time, but what I enjoyed was the fight in and of itself. What I enjoyed was the style and the emotions and the banter and the pace and the buildup. Why would I care who wins? If Kubo does his job right, that shouldn't matter.

[Holy Spirit]

Anyway, let's say Ichigo fights a bad guy. I can pretty much guess how that will turn out - either Ichigo wins because he's the good guy, or the bad guy wins for dramatic or plot related reasons. (See: both Ulquiorra fights.) I don't prefer one outcome to another; rather I judge the outcome by how it affects the story in general. Ichigo will probably be alright anyway, so wether he wins or loses isn't important. The important thing is how he wins or how he loses, and what that brings to the story.

Hmmm....

So..... the Ulquiorra fight..... would you say that battle was written well or written poorly?

[The Transient Guest]

Hmmm....

So..... the Ulquiorra fight..... would you say that battle was written well or written poorly?

Eh, very poorly written. When it turned into page after page of black, then of shadows, then ink blots, then black rain, then another page of just black I kinda checked out on that fight.

[burninganimefan357]

Eh, very poorly written. When it turned into page after page of black, then of shadows, then ink blots, then black rain, then another page of just black I kinda checked out on that fight.

I don't know. It may just be me, but I kind of liked how Kubo drew that fight. Yes, some would say that the conspicuous amounts of black was lazy and looked boring. But I thought it looked pretty cool.

Take this scene for example, which some of you previously derided as a waste of panels. I saw it as Kubo's way of showing Ulquiorra at the top of Hueco Mundo, both literally and figuratively.

And Kubo's art has always been rather minimalistic.