Bleach 596: Rub-Dolls III

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/596

Kensei and Rose are now under Kurotsuchi's control, turning Giselle's greatest strength around on her/him.  And, despite Byakuya's objections to using "corpses" of fallen Soul Reapers in combat, Kurotsuchi argues that any true Soul Reaper would be proud to protect the Seretei, even after death.  Still, will their combined power overcome Pepe's "love?" 

I highly doubt Giselle is down and out, and while the above panel from the chapter makes it look like Giselle was cut down, this isn't the first fatal wound we have seen.  Furthermore, we still know very little about Giselle, despite the obvious intrigue surrounding this strange character.  While most Sternritter are abnormal, Giselle has crossed a line in abnormality that hints that there is back-story that we have yet to see.

Bleach 595: Rub-Dolls II

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/595

Byakuya is being backed into a corner.  Not only does he have a new Sternritter opponent, but now he also has to face a fellow Soul Reaper, Shuhei, who is twisted by the power of Pepe's "love."  However, things become even more dire when Senbonzakura is possessed by Pepe's power, turning zanpakuto against Soul Reaper.  Just when Byakuya appears finished, Pepe is attacked from out of nowhere... by Rose and Kensei?!?!

This chapter really felt short, and in terms of story, it was.  Basically, other than the brief skirmishes, not much goes on until near the end.  Pepe explains the nature of his power, because all villains in anime must explain their powers to their enemies.  Then, the only real development was when Pepe was attacked by Rose and Kensei.  They appear to have been hijacked somehow, judging by the markings on their faces.  I believe they're still "zombies," but Kurotsuchi likely took over control of their bodies somehow.  While they obviously don't look cured, it would likely be simple for Kurotsuchi to restore them once they went back to his lab.  Right now, this development could likely turn this battle around, and lead to a late upset in terms of how the war turns out within Soul Society, but we still have Juha Bach to contend with.

Bleach 594: Rub-Dolls

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/594

While Kurotsuchi begins an experiment on the now-paralyzed Hitsuguya, Giselle brings 3 more zombified Soul Reapers to the fight: Rangiku, Rose, and Kensei.  However, Kurotsuchi isn't about to let anything stand in the way of his experiment, and quickly sends the arrancar to keep them occupied while he conducts his mysterious experiment.  Meanwhile, Byakuya has already dispatched several of the Quincy, and soon is reunited with Shuhei Hisagi, but what does this mean for the ongoing battle?

I'm not sure what to think of Giselle having seemingly zombified half the Seretei when nobody was watching, it just makes all these twists feel much more random.  Bambietta made plenty of sense, but how she got around to taking control of 3 captains and a vice-captain, all without anyone noticing, is a little too convenient for my taste.  Plus, Byakuya taking out 3 enemies off-panel brings some mixed reactions from me, as well.  I'm all for moving things along, so not delving into every detail of every fight is a good thing, but it's also somewhat unwelcome to take active characters like Candice and seemingly dispatch them off-panel.  Of course, they might not be dead, and could get up for future fights, but the Quincy have been sure to dispatch anyone who returned to them in defeat, so it seems that their fates are sealed no matter what.

Bleach 572: The Blaster

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/572

This week, we finally see the return of our favorite advocate of relentless violence, Kenpachi Zaraki.  While he doesn't come back in until the end, and doesn't do anything, it's nice to see his return.  The twist involving Yachiru's opponent was interesting, but it might also mean the loss of a couple of fan favorite characters from the previous arcs.  While I'm still not 100% convinced of their deaths, I still have to wonder what limitations this new Sternritter's power might have, because like so many we've seen, he's far too powerful, especially for an underling.

That brings me to one of the more irksome things about this arc.  While I do enjoy the fact that Kubo has turned the heat up, and tossed aside some of that pesky plot-armor that virtually the entire cast of the show was wearing, I feel like he's gone about this a little backward.  Instead of just saying the opponents are on a level playing field, he's made this seem extremely one-sided.  While I don't mind that it builds up the suspense, and sets up for a desperate struggle for survival, I still find it a little inconsistent with the story we've experienced so far.  While the tone hasn't completely changed from previous arcs, it still feels like there's a big shift with characters dying off, which makes this arc feel much more distinctive from the previous ones.

Overall, I'd say this new direction for the series is an improvement, but not without some drawbacks if you've been a fan from day one.  I'm anxious to see what Kenpachi can do next chapter, and just how he'll fight this strange kid and his even stranger power (probably with his shiny new zanpakuto, if he even needs it).  

Bleach 561: The Villain

Zach Gooodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/561/1

Well, unfortunately "The Superstar" is still alive and kicking, but we did see a nice counterattack by Rose and Kensei, which showcased their awesome abilities that had previously been overlooked.  While they put up a good fight, and took down the little sidekick (which leads to Rose being called a "villain"), both eventually fell to his powers, and it is unknown if they will even recover, but just as Rose lay close to death, Renji arrives just in time to stop the final attack from finishing him off, and when asked who he is, he simply responds, "a villain."

It looks like we might finally be picking up the pace a bit, which I am extremely thankful for.  I expected this to turn into another 5 chapters of dragged out fight, and while the fight hasn't ended, it at least feels like things are moving along at a brisk pace, with Kensei and Rose getting a condensed, yet action-packed and entertaining fight to demonstrate what they are made off, and quickly moving things forward with a rapid transition into Renji taking on our villain.  I think Kubo should keep this kind of pace up, instead of making a single battle take 5 chapters like he's been doing.  I can see how it could help build suspense, but when your audience has to wait a week for the next chapter, it just makes it all seem that much longer.  I'm not saying that he needs to skip to the final fight, but if the narrative is stuck in one place for more than a couple weeks, it feels monotonous, like the story is essentially stalled.  I'm liking what story and conflict there is, I just hope we can move through it in a more condensed way, without spending half a chapter explaining a new power or ability and then seeing one or two attacks before calling it a week.  

That being said, I found this week to be a refreshing change of pace, and a lead-in to seeing Renji show off what he's been learning at the palace of the King of Souls.  So hopefully, we can keep things moving along, and see some more action-packed excitement next week.

Bleach 560: Rages at Ringside

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/560/2172/1

Ok, I'm going to start out by saying that this chapter started out on a strong note, and then kind of just made me slap myself in the forehead.  I've been a Bleach fan for a few years, but this is getting a little silly.  So Sternritter "S" is beating on several officers, when Kensei and Rose show up to fight him, just as he was getting ready to go off to fight Renji and Rukia.  The first round is clearly all Kensei, who unleashes his bankai and thoroughly devastates his opponent.  However, Shuhei desperately warns Kensei that the true danger is his small sidekick, who soon starts cheering to rouse his comrade from his battered state... AND IT WORKS!!! Not in the way that it boosts his morale, and gives him the emotional support needed to find the strength to get up, but in the way where the man is apparently powered by cheering, like a battery that get's charged up by girly screaming.  

I enjoyed the fight, initially, it was fast, awesome, and showcased the strength of one of the cooler Vizards, Kensei.  However, that couldn't be the end.  Now, it appears we'll have another 3 or 4 week mini-arc of just these guys fighting, and the plot will be at a standstill again.  Oh well, I'm at the point where I just want to get through it so I can see something else, like something that actually moves the story along.