Bleach 637: Baby, Hold Your Hand

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/637

Pernida reveals his true form: the left arm of the Soul King. This raises a lot of questions, such as how the Soul King's left arm is serving the man who seeks to kill the Soul King, but more pressingly, how will Kurotsuchi handle this revelation? He feels instantly thrilled, because he's witnessing power from a being that few have even glimpsed before, and he revels at the thought of learning more about this creature, but first, he has to survive it. As Pernida begins to unleash his nerve attacks, and grow out to his full size, he lashes out to attack the mad scientist, who is holding his own, but how will he stop this force of nature, and what does Pernida's working for Juha Bach mean?

Bleach 633: Friend 3

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/633

The flashback concludes, as Juha Bach reveals that Jugo's power is the ability to "share," like Juha Bach himself. He also reveals that it was this ability that allowed Bazz to increase his power the way he did, not his own prowess. Bazz resents this realization, and tries to kill Juha Bach, only to be stopped by Jugo himself. Back in the present, Jugo easily stops Bazz's arrow, and uses his blade to land a potentially fatal blow on Bazz. Is this the end of their friendship, or is there still hope for Bazz?

Bleach 632: Friend 2

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/632

Hashwalth and Bazz continue their training to defeat Juha Bach in the past, but one day the Quincy army shows up looking for recruits for the new sternritter army. Excited, Bazz volunteers to protect the future of the Quincy, and urges Hashwald to join, as well. The recruiter resists the children at first, thinking them foolish and naive. However, Bazz challenges him to fight if he thinks he is unworthy, and that if he wins, Bazz gets to take the officers rank in his place. However, as they prepare to fight, they are all pinned by the immense spiritual pressure of Juha Bach. He states that he has found his "other half," as he stares down at Hashwalth.

Bleach 631: Friend

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/631/?ref=email

Bazz-B and his old friend Jugo face off, and ass they start to fight, we are shown glimpses of the past, when Jugo Hashwald was an inept quincy, and Bazz was a skilled hunter who vows vengeance against Juha Bach when he conquers their village, killing everyone in his way. However, Jugo doesn't bear any real animosity towards Juha Bach, but follows Bazz's plan anyways. They decide to get close to Juha Bach, in order to get close to him so they can wait for the chance to undermine him. The story also shows when Juha Bach had successfully conquered the human world, and decided to set his sights on the Soul Society.

I saw this coming last week, with a lot of backstory for characters most of us have little, if any, investment in. On the positive side, they focused on the story, rather than quickly tagging 3 or 4 different groups, meaning we see them, but with only a couple pages each, they can hardly get anything done. So the pacing felt much improved this chapter, but I hardly feel any deeper connection between these two, just the added knowledge that there are other quincy who seem intent on fighting Juha Bach.

Bleach 629: Gate of the Sun

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/629

The teams are inside "Wahrwald," the new kingdom of the Quincy. However, the Sternlichter are mobilizing to stop them, and without the ability to create footholds out of reishi, they have to hoof it on the ground all the way to the top of the massive spire where Juha Bach has made his throne. Our heroes have the advantage in numbers, but will they be able to overcome the dangerous bodyguards of the new King?

I'm finding some of these developments interesting. Juha Bach is clearly stacking the odds against his foes, but I wonder if on some level, he is still worried about Ichigo's abilities. It doesn't seem like he would have reason to at this point, but then why go out of his way to make sure they can't create footholds to move around freely. This theory was further supported when Urahara questioned why the central spire to the throne room was so tall. While Kyoraku thought it was simple vanity/show or strength, Urahara seemed to think there was something more. Perhaps this means that even the "Almighty" might have something to fear.

Bleach 628: New World Orders

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/628

The entire palace has been altered into the shape of a Quincy cross, and the buildings have all been redone in the style of the Quincy. As both teams emerge within the palace, they are stunned by what they see, and realize they were fortunate to not have been present when it was reshaped, or it may have killed them in the process. However, Yoruichi quickly senses her brother, who tries to leap towards her, only to realize he can't manipulate reishi in the palace like in the seretei. This leads everyone to conclude that Juha Bach has altered the concentration of spirit energy in the palace to suit Quincies, while making it difficult for soul reapers. 

This chapter really felt like a continuation of much of what we already understood from the previous chapter, and that's not a good thing. The pacing of this story arc has been painfully slow, and this chapter really showcases why. In terms of actual progress, the teams combined took a total of 3 or 4 steps in this chapter, just making idle dialogue and redundantly explaining all of the same material we've seen in previous chapters. I think this series would benefit from dropping all the excess baggage and driving the main story forward. Some of these detours have been interesting, but mostly just hold us back from making any real headway.

Bleach 627: The Creation

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/627

Ichigo's party prepares to assault the Quincy, but Yukio says that he has no interest in helping any further in the fight, and that he would stay behind. Ganju gets frustrated, saying that if they fail, the world would be destroyed, to which Yukio questions whether they plan on losing. Ichigo intervenes to state that if Yukio wants to stay, it's his choice, and that Riruka should stay too, to "guard their escape." Riruka is initially mad that Ichigo intends to leave her behind, but Ichigo thanks her for coming to help, noting that despite her love of the "cute," she came to such an ugly place to assist them. Riruka then, reluctantly, agrees to stay behind with Yukio.

Meanwhile, The invasion party in the Seretei prepares to open the gateway, but as they do, the Seretei begins to break apart around them, with buildings being drawn into the sky and destroyed. And then, as both groups open their portals into the palace, they immediately see that the landscape has been populated with Quincy buildings, and realize that Juha Bach has willed the palace to be remade to his own liking in the short time since their last fight.

Bleach 626: Holy Newborn

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/626

As the group prepares to ambush the Quincy, the Soul King has been fully absorbed by Juha Bach. He claims that now the world's existence depends on his, since he has taken over the Soul King's body and powers. However, it seems that Juha Bach isn't able to fully control his own powers, and the building around him suddenly breaks apart, forcing the Sternlichter to make a hasty recovery as they are nearly sent tumbling from the palace. Is this a sign that this power is unstable, or maybe it will still take time for Juha Bach to fully control it?

Bleach 625: Living Jaguar

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/625

Grimmjow arrives, and he's brough Nel with him. They greet Ichigo, in their own ways, but the even bigger surprise is that Riruka and Yukio are with them, as well, and plan to use their powers to help. Their plan is to drop in on the Quincy and catch them off guard, allowing them to take them all out at once. However, while they go over their plan, Juha Bach has finished absorbing the soul king, and now his power is greater than ever before. Can Ichigo truly stand against him now, when their previous battle was already so one-sided?

I like that some of the old favorite side-characters are back, and there was some comic relief. I am eagerly anticipating the final battle, God knows it's been teased enough over the previous 20 chapters. Hopefully things will be full ahead from here on, and we can finally get some decisive fights started in the next couple of chapters, and get Ichigo one step closer to his final fight with Juha Bach. 

Bleach 623: Against the Judgement

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/623

Aizen prepares to bring down the palace; however, at the last moment, his restraints stop him. It is at this point that Kyoraku and Kurotsuchi explain the nature of Aizen's restraints, explaining that they are the one of the Soul Society's proudest achievements, since Aizen's power cannot by normal means be contained. However, as the captains boast of their achievement, trouble arrives in the form of 3 Sternritters, who appear to mean business. Can the Soul Reapers afford to keep Aizen restrained, or will they have to find another means to deal with this new threat?

This chapter is very significant, since *SPOILERS* several Sternritters are now joining with the Soul Reapers to get revenge on Juha Bach for abandoning them. I am unsure if Juha Bach is ready for this, or if he even cares, but this is a big twist, since it means many former enemies are banding together to come after him. I don't think they will be able to take him on, as they seem keen on doing, but they can still make a big difference at the right moment if they join in the fight with the Sternlichter. I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks we get a glimpse at what happened to Ichigo after his fall from the palace, because he'll need to get back in this fight soon by the looks of things.

Bleach 621: The Dark Curtain

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/621/2729/1

Juha Bach is absorbing the Soul King. However, even Juha Bach can't contain the power he's taking. His body overflows, and strange creatures begin to pour out of him, and spill down to the Seretei. The invasion party, still unready to depart, starts to fight these creatures to prevent them overrunning the lab, and the rest of the Seretei. However, swords don't quite cut it against these creatures. Just in time to win the "good timing" award, Aizen shows up, explaining that the solution is to use their spirit energy to crush the creatures. Is Aizen really planning to help the Soul Reapers, or is there another motive we've yet to learn?

Aizen is looking to be a help at this point, but I definitely think there's more he's not sharing at this point. Even Kyoraku seemed to view Aizen as a desperate measure when he released him from prison, so I'm not the only one to anticipate some ulterior motives behind Aizen's assistance, ones that go beyond stopping the end of the world.

Bleach 620: Where Do You Stand

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/620

Ichigo stands before Uryuu, trying to talk him out of fighting for the Quincy; however, it's to no avail, as Uryuu shoots out the floor under Ichigo and sends him tumbling down from the palace, before he falls, Sternlichter X shoots him, to make sure he's dead, so they don't have anything to worry about. The rest of the Sternlichter appear, expecting an army to have come to stop them. When they find that it's just Ichigo's friends, they're sorely disappointed. The Soul King's right arm tries to fend off Juha Bach, but it's to no avail, and Juha Bach decides that he will absorb all the powers of the Soul King, starting with the right arm. The rumbling begins in Soul Society once again, as Urahara and the rest of the reinforcements are still getting ready to depart. Will they be able to make any difference this late in the battle, or is their chance already long gone?

A couple of things are bothering me about this chapter. For one, the whole "let's play 20 questions with Uryuu" part felt like a waste of time, since it's clear he's already sided with the Quincy. Whether he intends to change sides again or not, he wouldn't discuss such a course of action right in front of everyone, and it felt like all that was restating what everyone, including the characters, already knows. Also, we already know that Urahara had opened the gateway to the palace, and yet during the course of this battle, they still haven't departed, despite the urgency to get there. I wonder if it's for the plot convenience, because Aizen might have to be there to help in the battle, as well as a couple other potential allies, but it feels like the story is starting to tread water again, and at what should be such a fast-paced part of the story arc. Hopefully that's just for the next chapter or two before things pick up again, but until then, back to waiting for next week.

Bleach 619: The Betrayer

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/619

Back at the palace, Juha Bach and Ichigo begin their fight. However, Juha Bach claims that he has no need to control Ichigo, sense Ichigo has always acted in accordance with his will due to his Quincy blood. He also states that the true enemy Ichigo faces, the source of all his suffering, is himself, since he allowed his mother to die from his own weakness. Ichigo succumbs to rage and charges forward, only to be interrupted by Uryuu, who still stands against him. Yoruichi tries to intervene but is attacked by the Sternlichter. 

I find his recent "revelation" from Juha Bach to either be a major plot point that could make this fight even more difficult, or an attempt at psychological warfare to undermine Ichigo's resolve and weaken him. Given how early this came in the fight, I'm thinking it may be an attempt to undermine Ichigo's resolve to gain the upper hand. However, there is no doubting that Juha Bach's power is real, and either way, this fight is far from over.

Bleach 618: The Dark Arm

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/618/2709/1

Aizen steps forward, free of his bonds. Kyoraku stands his ground, offering to take Aizen up to the surface. Aizen remarks that Kyoraku is carrying the key to the gates of the prison within his chest, meaning if Aizen killed Kyoraku he would be trapped in the prison forever. Both men find their situation somewhat amusing, and Aizen finds the offer to go the surface to be a thinly veiled request for aid. However, Kyoraku states that they are at a point where both men find their goals to be parallel, so he intends to set Aizen free in order to add another piece to the board in the struggle against Juha Bach.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, Ichigo attacks in earnest, starting what could very well be the final major battle of the series. Does he have what it takes, or will he fall before the Quincy King, just as so many others have?

Bleach 617: Return of the God

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/617/2700/1

Quick Note: Sorry for the late post this week, I've been under the weather, so please excuse my tardiness in posting this week's Bleach manga.

The situation appears to have turned, at least for the moment, as Ukitake's sacrifice appears to buy everyone a brief reprieve from the destruction brought on by the plans set forth by Juha Bach. However, as everyone attempts to break through to the palace, they find that without Ukitake, they don't have enough power to open the doorway. However, Kurotsuchi arrives with an answer, a device from his lab to boost everyone's power enough to break through.

Meanwhile, back in the underground prison, Head-Captain Kyoraku decides to talk with Sosuke Aizen, who has been imprisoned for the last several years. He is bound by numerous seals, and Kyoraku only has permission to unlock 3 of them to talk with Sosuke. However, after unlocking only one, Aizen breaks free from the rest of his bonds, and steps out of his dark prison to face Kyoraku. Does Aizen plan to turn on the Soul Society once again, or perhaps he might be able to help find a way to avert the imminent disaster?

Bleach 616: Mimihagi-sama

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/616/2695/1

Ukitake reveals an incredible secret, and claims he has the ability to replace the Soul King. However, even if he is able to do this, what will stop Juha Bach from simply killing him, as well? As Urahara is, for once, caught totally by surprise with this new development and Rukia and the other soul reapers present listen to Ukitake explain what he is about to do, Kyoraku goes deep into the underground prison, to confront Sousuke Aizen. Does this mean that Kyoraku means to set Aizen free in an act of desperation, or is there some other purpose behind his actions?

This chapter finally answers a lot of the persistent questions as to the nature of Ukitake's illness, and why he turned out this way. However, it also raises more questions, specifically how he was able to encounter a piece of the Soul King's body. Did the Soul King cast away parts of his own body in anticipation of this day? Only time will tell if all of these actions were intended to save the world, or if there is some other intent. However, the most interesting part is the final page, where Kyoraku seeks out Aizen. This could mean that the Soul Society's traitor could actually be making a return to the series soon.

Bleach 615: All is Lost

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/615/2684/1

Ichigo unwilling strikes at the Soul King, and as he stands in helpless horror at what he's done, not only the Soul Society, but also the Real World starts to crumble. Juha Bach says that with his power to see all possible futures, he knew that Ichigo's presence would be the end of the Soul King, but even as Ichigo regains control of himself and strikes at the Quincy King, Juha Bach questions Ichigo over the futility of his actions, now that the world is ending. Orhime tries to use her power to restore the Soul King, but even her power is unable to undo the damage. However, it may not quite be the end, as captain Ukitake seems to have something up his sleeve, but can he halt the seemingly inevitable end.

Bleach 614: KILL THE KING

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/614

Ichigo faces the the "almighty" Quincy King, and his friends stand next to him. He stands ready to face his toughest opponent yet, when he notices his strange eyes, and the swords thrust though the Soul King's crystal. Despite his quick attempts to save the Soul King, Juha Bach is not fazed in the slightest, claiming that his all-seeing eyes have gazed into the future, and Ichigo would bring about the ruin of the Soul Society with his actions. Undetered, Ichigo moves forward to draw out the sword, only to find a familiar pattern racing up his arm, and he suddenly loses control of his arm. Was the prophecy accurate, and does this mean the end of the Soul Society is at hand?

Meanwhile, back in the Soul Society, Urahara gathers up the Visoreds and remaining Soul Reapers to open a gateway to the palace, claiming that it will likely be a one-way trip. Can they arrive in time to make a difference, and will they be able to prevent the foretold apocalypse that Juha Bach seeks to bring about?

This article doesn't really delve into the fight, but does reveal some interesting possibilities for the the near future of the series, with the deadly prophecy and the potential end of the Soul Society. The Quincy royal guards have yet to reveal themselves again after the previous battle, and they will likely stand in the way of Ichigo's friends as they try to come to his aid. However, the Fullbring and Urahara's mysterious "friend" have yet to step up to help in the battle, so that might be the tide-changer later on as the climax is on the horizon.

Bleach 612: Dirty

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/612/2664/1

Juha Bach stand before the Soul King, claiming that he suffered humiliation because of his father. Ichigo and his friends are on the way, determined to stop him.  However, Ichibei stands idle, silently claiming that Juha Bach is now completely unstoppable.  Does Ichigo have what it takes to end this threat once and for all?

Back in Soul Society, Kisuke Urahara is gathering the captains of the Soul Society in order to attempt to break into the the Soul King's palace.  However, with half of the captains wounded or missing, will his plan still be able to work? The other is that even with the collective power, they lack the means, at least until Urahara explains that the Heavenly Armor owned by the Shihoin clan can be used to get in.  Does that mean this is another key, or does the armor have some other means of getting them into the palace?

After the long wait, this felt like another filler chapter, which is disappointing.  It's not that Kubo wasted time, but aside from Kisuke's plan, which doesn't seem all that great, there really wasn't anything new or noteworthy that wasn't already covered in the last chapters.  I just thought that after such a long wait things might move forward a little more quickly, but it looks like we'll have to remain patient until everything is ready.  The Captains might be needed to help with Juha Bach's personal guard, but I'm not sure if any of them will be able to put up any sort of fight against the king himself, but since it's Urahara's plan then it will probably work out, somehow.

Bleach 611: Soul King

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/611/17

The Zero Division has fallen, and Juha Bach moves ahead to face the Soul King, who is still confined inside some giant crystal.  However, Ichigo arrives, finding the dead or incapacitated bodies of the Zero Division.  But, as he looks down on the pieces of Ichibei, he hears his voice, asking Ichigo to call his name.  When he does, Ichibei gets back up, all in one piece.  He explains that names have power, and by calling his in time, Ichigo brought him back.  He also goes on to explain that if Juha Bach kills the Soul King, that Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the World of the Living will all blink out of existence.  He then asks Ichigo to stop Juha Bach at all costs, since his power still hasn't come back.  Can Ichigo stop the seeming unstoppable Quincy King, the son of the Soul King himself?

I'm not very surprised by the revelation that Juha Bach is actually the Soul King's son, given his intimate knowledge of the Soul King's castle, as well as the melancholy feeling he seemed to get when he arrived.  But, there are still a lot of things that are unclear, whether Juha Bach will be able to take his place, as his son, or if Ichigo has the power to stop him at this point.