Bleach

[Sho]

It's also basically telling you Ichigo is about to have another transformation. The last image on the left is only his foot...not like we didn't already know it would likely be coming, but I'm sure Kubo thinks this is some amazing foreshadowing.

I really wasn't all to disappointed with the chapter TBH. Then again, not hard to jump a bar that is on the floor. He really wrote himself into a corner, and he had to get out of it. Aizen trying to create a Hogo first makes some sense in the timeline at least, even if it does seem pulled outta Kubo's ass. Gin dying is a shame and a waste of a great character, but something major did need to happen to get things moving along.

It's a reset to a point and we just (hopefully) will have a decent fight to end this awful arc.

On another note, I'm starting to think Bleach makes a better anime than manga. It's almost as if the anime is trying to bridge in some of the gaping holes that Kubo continuously leaves around. Maybe I'm just numb to it at this point, but Aizen slaughtering his creations didn't feel like complete plotkai this time around.

Haha, the irony of your post is that I've had 3 friends already tell me Bleach is a better anime than a manga for the reasons you've stated.

And to be honest Kubo making it as if Aizen devised his Hogo was probably the only plot he could use at this point without looking totally retarded. It makes sense from a "scientific" point-of-view, so it saved Kubo for a while. :3

Even if he wastes time giving some a decent backstory, Kubo can think up a hell of a character that everyone can enjoy. Very few people hated Gin and many were even angry that he was killed off before doing some real OG shinigami action. And I definitely don't know anyone who doesn't love Kenpachi.

[Xanthe]

Maybe I'm just numb to it at this point, but Aizen slaughtering his creations didn't feel like complete plotkai this time around.

I think you have a point. The mention in this week's manga of needing to feed the Houguoku empowered souls in order to unleash it's power combined with the additional back story provided in this week's anime actually made some sense. The Espada were created for nothing more than fewell for the Hougyoku.

[Serif]

It's also basically telling you Ichigo is about to have another transformation. The last image on the left is only his foot...not like we didn't already know it would likely be coming, but I'm sure Kubo thinks this is some amazing foreshadowing.

http://www.bleachanime.org/manga/cac...1.png_1050.jpg

More than likely he will look like Aizen and it will be this. But with normal eyes or something.

[Boyiee]

I actually liked the chapter and the colored title page. It was nice to see old ichigo and how he's evolved to meet the strengths of the overpowered enemies he faced lol.

I like the new look, like how the chain is so visible in both title page, and on the last panel. Story's been pretty shitty, but I liked this chapter compared to most. Sad that Gin is gone, but I like how he opened his eyes and showed a different side to himself through flashback.

With aizen so rediculous right now, I'd like to see how ichigo absorbed the ninetails and is a match for him.

[Deadgye]

While I loved the cover also.. he hasn't even learned how to use his viking mode yet, and furthermore it's screwed up his normal hallow mode too. Should he really be getting another form so soon?

Also, his progression is reminding me of naruto lol. Trained to use the nine-tails and then backpedaled to relying on his own strength. Ichigo will probably go back and get full control of his viking mode after his new form starts becoming not enough. :3

[Lucavi]

So Aizen making the vizard stronger than shinigami as pre-arrancar, then "slaughtering" them, was supposed to strengthen his hogo. Aizen making all those arrancar into pre-espada, then having ichigo and co. slaughter them, was supposed to strengthen his hogo. Aizen making all those espada into mini-aizens, then slaughtering them along with others, was all supposed to strengthen his hogo.

It would have made a lot more sense if you saw the souls or essence or SOMETHING getting "sucked away" or "stored up" or something. It just seems pretty lame now to say that everyone had to die for my hogo, especially when Kubo didn't do the little flashback thing where he points out the most minute little object in the corner of the panel so everyone say "ah HAH! So THAT'S what that meant!"

[Serif]

So Aizen making the vizard stronger than shinigami as pre-arrancar, then "slaughtering" them, was supposed to strengthen his hogo. Aizen making all those arrancar into pre-espada, then having ichigo and co. slaughter them, was supposed to strengthen his hogo. Aizen making all those espada into mini-aizens, then slaughtering them along with others, was all supposed to strengthen his hogo.

It would have made a lot more sense if you saw the souls or essence or SOMETHING getting "sucked away" or "stored up" or something. It just seems pretty lame now to say that everyone had to die for my hogo, especially when Kubo didn't do the little flashback thing where he points out the most minute little object in the corner of the panel so everyone say "ah HAH! So THAT'S what that meant!"

It never ceases to amaze me how much people forget what has happened in the manga. It shows Aizen experimenting on souls, remember the whole Pendulum Arc was about? Then people are shocked when, WHAT AIZEN WAS A SCIENTIST BUT IT NEVER SHOWED HIM DOING ANYTHING WITH SOULS?!?!

I don't get where you are saying that the Hogo only got stronger because of the souls Aizen clearly didn't absorb. He never absorbed any of the main characters or villians. After a certain point the Hogo was in its final state and just needed time to evolve into Charybdis from Magikarp.

[Lucavi]

That's not what I'm talking about. We know Aizen experimented on souls, but the manga never gave any inclination that those souls were going anywhere once Aizen experimented on them. All we knew is that it would take a shit ton of souls to make the royal key.

I suppose it makes sense in the long run, that Aizen, a soul reaper, would be reaping souls and storing them into some orb that he planned on using to achieve some penultimate power. I guess.

[Furoris]

On another note, I'm starting to think Bleach makes a better anime than manga. It's almost as if the anime is trying to bridge in some of the gaping holes that Kubo continuously leaves around. Maybe I'm just numb to it at this point, but Aizen slaughtering his creations didn't feel like complete plotkai this time around.

I have always thought this, but it is also very telling that Kubo's editors are not very good, and/or have little power (or spine) to actually change anything, thats it is up to the anime's showrunners (or whatever the JP equivalent is) to fix his shit.

Kubo would be solid as the initial writer of a team, with other decent people to clean it up, and actually telling him when something is meh. Other then that he just needs to plan much further ahead then he has with bleach.

[kuronosan]

it's not a stretch to believe Aizen being a scientist. He's said since the beginning of the manga that he experimented on hollows.

It's a stretch, and a degrading of Urahara's character, to say that he made something to hollowfy souls before Urahara ever needed to. It's just another "I always knew" moment from Aizen.

"Oh, you thought you were the first one to create the Hougyoku? No, I was the first one to make it. You merely gave it a name, lol"

"Oh man, Urahara, you thought you saved the Vizards and Ichigo? No, I was the one who did it."

"Oh, Urahara, you thought you hid the device in Rukia and even apologized to her for using her that way? No, I knew the device was in Rukia the whole time I just wanted Ichigo to grow and bring me the Hogyouku so that I could extract it and see his exponential growth, while combining it with the one I made"

Look. Argue how you want. The chapter was decent, and pretty good for development (and glad to see Ichigo back after 10 chapters of his friends running for their lives) but Aizen's story is still bullshit and always will be. Kubo has totally fucked up his story and he knows it. He just keeps making it more and more ridiculous and then whenever he writes something into a corner he can't get out of, he either makes it so that Aizen used KS, or... "lol I am a liar so what makes you think I wasn't lying back then".

It's contrived and silly.

[Lucavi]

Aizen: "Oh, you!"

[kuronosan]

Kubo and Tim Kring should collaborate.

[Hyan]

Kubo should have taken more breaks like the Hunter x Hunter/Berserk mangakas. If this is the alternative, I'd have gladly waited for him to sort his shit out instead.

Hell, maybe moving to monthly releases would have probably helped too.

[Eratosthenes]

I finished this chapter thinking "So, the hougyoku is a philosopher's stone?"

[Serif]

I am personally liking Psyren a lot more than Bleach right now but it still keeps me reading every week.

Even though Psyren just pulled the Hypberbolic time chamber as well.

[arus2001]

Kubo should have taken more breaks like the Hunter x Hunter/Berserk mangakas. If this is the alternative, I'd have gladly waited for him to sort his shit out instead.

Hell, maybe moving to monthly releases would have probably helped too.

If it didn't pull the Claymore shit and come out with like 20 pages monthly, sure. I don't think it's too idealistic to ask for 50 a month, but I don't even think FMA pulled that often outside of the final chapter.

[kuronosan]

Hyperbolic Time Chamber is what every story writer uses in Shonen when they've made an impossibly-strong villain.

Honestly I can't see how Bleach can't not end here. Aizen can't possibly get any stronger, and to believe that Aizen now is probably just as strong as Yamamoto was (or close to it) and that no Shinigami is stronger than Yama... how can the Royal Guard stand a chance, since they're due to be introduced?

Not only that... how can Ichigo possibly find a stronger opponent than Aizen? Vasto Lorde arrancar? Halibel, Ulquiorra, Barragan, and Stark were all VL arrancar (Kubo's interview confirms that 'some' or 'most' of the Espada were VL) who were pissed on by the likes of Shunsui, who with Ukitake still wasn't sure they could even stand against Yamamoto.

Man. I really wish I was Kubo's editor right now. A fan basically told Kubo on his twitter that he's ruining the story and his response was "If you don't like what I'm doing don't buy the manga". Yes Kubo, fans of your manga that have spent hundreds of dollars on Bleach merchandise don't like that you are ruining your story, so I suppose they should go buy something else.

[Tymon]

Hyperbolic Time Chamber is what every story writer uses in Shonen when they've made an impossibly-strong villain.

Honestly I can't see how Bleach can't not end here. Aizen can't possibly get any stronger, and to believe that Aizen now is probably just as strong as Yamamoto was (or close to it) and that no Shinigami is stronger than Yama... how can the Royal Guard stand a chance, since they're due to be introduced?

Not only that... how can Ichigo possibly find a stronger opponent than Aizen? Vasto Lorde arrancar? Halibel, Ulquiorra, Barragan, and Stark were all VL arrancar (Kubo's interview confirms that 'some' or 'most' of the Espada were VL) who were pissed on by the likes of Shunsui, who with Ukitake still wasn't sure they could even stand against Yamamoto.

Man. I really wish I was Kubo's editor right now. A fan basically told Kubo on his twitter that he's ruining the story and his response was "If you don't like what I'm doing don't buy the manga". Yes Kubo, fans of your manga that have spent hundreds of dollars on Bleach merchandise don't like that you are ruining your story, so I suppose they should go buy something else.

It's fan pandering for the most part. The thing is though, the fans he's pandering to are the shounen demographic.

Preteens, up to around 15-16 years old. I've seen bleachasylum, I've seen the kids of that age on there. They love this shit. They soak it up.

Really, it's exactly what he's aiming for. He's keeping their attention by giving them something to talk about. "Ohhh shiiiiittttt bro lolllllll did you see that shit mannnnnnnnnn"

The otaku aren't really interested in buying Bleach. They do what we do, they read it online, for free. Contributing nothing to the sales, and complain about it. Rightfully so, because it's a horribly contrived plot for an intelligent adult.

The real fans, the ones that actually buy (or get their parents to buy) the manga, are the demographic. And largely, they're satisfied.

---

All that said, the easiest counter to this, is by just straight up stating that Bleach has fallen way off the sales chart since this arc started, and keeps falling. That can basically refute everything I posted.

Who knows, who cares, the plot sucks. That's my stance, when everything is said and done.

[Xno Kappa]

I have always thought this, but it is also very telling that Kubo's editors are not very good, and/or have little power (or spine) to actually change anything, thats it is up to the anime's showrunners (or whatever the JP equivalent is) to fix his shit.

Kubo would be solid as the initial writer of a team, with other decent people to clean it up, and actually telling him when something is meh. Other then that he just needs to plan much further ahead then he has with bleach.

Some of the manga forums shat enough bricks to make a second Burj Khalifa when the anime took the liberty of saying Harribel was a VL lmao.

A lot of times, it's not Kubo but the fans themselves who ridiculously hype shit and over-analyze everything. Shit, I'm guilty of it. I'll say it before and I'll say it again, Bleach would probably make a much better monthly manga. This would give Kubo more time to create and give the manga a longer feel of progression besides the average five minutes of time in the story the chapters give each week.

[Max™]

I've said it many times, if you gave Bleach the DBZ Kai treatment, it would be utter fucking badassery, right now though, reading it is like watching DBZ the first time on Toonami.

Except instead of the network doing it, the author is actually making the "Fuck yes! Finally, Goku is about to land on Namek... THEN RADITZ OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE" shit happen.