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 635: Hooded Enigma

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/635

The battle between Bazz and Hashwalth is over; meanwhile, Liltotto and Giselle have fallen trying to kill Yhwach, and the Sternlichter are still trying to locate the rest of the intruders. Grimmjow is still in pursuit of Askin, but the battle takes a dangerous turn when Grimmjow is hit with a poison ball and drops to the ground. Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi are also facing off with Pernida, who's abilities continue to confuse, but if there's a pair that can face him, it's those two.

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 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 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 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.

Bleach 603: What the Hell

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/603

Juha Bach steps forward, forcing Niyama to pause and question what abilities he is faced with, beyond what he already knows of from the previous battles with Yamamoto.  However, it is quickly revealed that what Juha Bach is doing is not stepping forward to fight, but culling the power of his Sternritter back to him.  This doesn't bode well for the Quincy still battling down in the Soul Society, but it also doesn't bode well for Squad 0, as Juha Bach uses his power to resurrect his fallen guards, seemingly more powerful than ever.  

I was either expecting Juha Bach to roll over Squad 0, or pull some other ace from up his sleeve, otherwise Ichigo wouldn't even be needed in this fight.  It is unclear if Squad 0 will be able to maintain the edge over the Sternlichter, or if Ichigo's friends will have to assist in these battles.  Still, if things continue to bode ill for Squad 0, Ichigo and his friends may be the last hope to stop the Vanden

reich.

Bleach 601: Verge on Vermillion

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/601

Niyama, the "#1 Zanpakuto Creator" has drawn his sword, and stepped up to challenge the entirety of Juha Bach's elite guards.  Despite their confidence, the Sternlichter quickly realize the true power of Squad 0 is not to be dismissed so easily.  However, despite Niyama's seemingly effortless dispatching of the Sternlichter, at least one is still holding on.  Does this mean trouble for Squad 0, or is this just a minor stepping stone in Niyama's path of carnage as he dispatches the invaders?

I'm loving that this chapter finally picked up the pace a bit, and brushed aside a lot of the newcomers.  There is also the issue of Sternlichter "D," who's powers are starting to reveal themselves.  I'm not sure if this just means that he is unable to be cut down, or if this is just the tip of the iceberg, and he'll have more to show in the coming chapters.  However, I'm still expecting some cheap trick to restore the Guards, so they can all use their full power and take on the entirety of Squad 0.

Bleach 589: "The Shooting Star Project" [The Old and New Trust]

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/589/2452/1

Ichigo and his friends prepare to go to the Soul King's Palace to finish what they started, but in the meantime, Urahara works to set up his special canon to send them there, but needs enough energy to send them.  Meanwhile, Ikkaku and Yumichika fight Giselle and her zombie version of Bambietta.  As they soon realize, since Bambietta is already dead, whatever damage they do to her body won't be enough to put her down for good.  Will they be able to defeat this mysterious zombie master?  Only the next chapters will tell.

It's starting to feel like things are moving along at a faster pace now, with Ichigo getting his bearings before he sets out to face what might be his last battle.  But, we still see plenty of action going on as Ichigo's friends struggle to mop-up the forces Juha Bach left behind when he invaded the Palace.  I'm still waiting to see how some of the other characters will appear, and how their appearance will impact the battle.  It could be the eventual appearance of the Fullbring and other Arancar that upsets Juha Bach's plans and tips the scales against him, but it is likely Ichigo that must face him in order to defeat him outright.  Only time will tell, and we will likely still have a lot of that left before we get any answers.  Until next week, we can all just keep guessing.

Bleach 585: The Headless Star 4

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/585/2413/1

This week, Ichigo hears the voice of Juha Bach, who tells him that because of his arrival, in particular arriving from the Soul Palace with clothes made of the hair and bone of Squad 0, the defenses keeping intruders out of the Soul Palace will be down for 6000 seconds.  This means that Juha Bach means to invade the Soul Palace while those defenses are down, upping the pressure on Ichigo to hurry and face him.  However, Ichigo has 8 Quincy surrounding him, and they have no intention of letting him go.  Still, after a series of attacks, Ichigo is unhurt.  However, will he be able to break away to face Juha Bach, or will he be too late to stop him from invading the Palace of the King of Souls?

I'm hoping this bout between Ichigo and the other Quincy is finally over.  I wasn't minding it, but now that the pace is picking up, I'm hoping it means he'll be able to move on up, if not facing Juha Bach himself, than Hashwald or Uryuu.  Renji and the others arriving to hold off the Quincy was helpful, and it kept this fight from dragging out any longer than necessary, plus it does give us the chance to let the rest of that fight unravel mostly out of sight of the reader, since we've seen most of the abilities each character has.  I'm still waiting for the rest of Ichigo's new "allies" to arrive, like the Fullbring and the mysterious partner of Urahara's, but it is still unclear when or if we'll get a peek at them during this round of fighting.  Until next week, we'll just have to keep grasping at straws, hoping we get there soon.

Bleach 584: The Headless Star 3

Zach Goodier

Link: http://readms.com/r/bleach/584/2408/1

Ichigo still holds the upper hand against Candice and the other ladies; however, Ichigo clearly isn't looking to shed any unnecessary blood if he can avoid it.  His enemies won't be so forgiving, however, as his fight begins to draw the attention of the other Quincy, who are all eager to eliminate Ichigo and take the glory of killing him for themselves.  Ichigo is strong, but as his enemies circle around him, we can only wonder if he is truly ready for the fight ahead, as it seems nobody else is capable of resisting.  And even as we worry about the sharks circling Ichigo, Juha Bach is setting another plan into motion, and we can only wonder (and dread) what that plan is.

It was nice to see Ichigo easily handling these opponents, and now that more are showing up, he might really start to turn it up.  However, we're still missing some key supporting players, so it might be possible that they'll show up to take some of the pressure off of Ichigo, or maybe Urahara is holding them in reserve in case of some other eventuality.  In either case, we still have to worry about Juha Bach, and what his "key" is going to do, and how this is going to put even more pressure on Ichigo.  Clearly, Juha Bach was waiting for Ichigo to arrive to set this plan in motion, but it is still unclear what exactly his plan is.  As usual, we need to hold off until next for the possibility of any answers.

For the LOLZ: Bleach Edition (MANGA SPOILERS!!!)

Too soon? Too bad.

Bleach 566: What is Your Fear?

Zach Goodier

This week, we start up a new round of battles, this time with Rukia facing As Nodt, "The Fear."  Renji is also being pursued, but he hasn't been openly engaged yet.  The chapter opens with a flashback to just before Rukia and Renji arrived on the battlefield, discussing their plan to hide after finishing a battle so that they don't become surrounded by the enemy.  By using guerrilla tactics, they apparently hope to get the jump on some of the sternritter before arriving at their base for a final attack on the stronghold.  However, it appears that they might have a tough go of it before they even get the chance to regroup for their assault.  However, Rukia was able to get help for Rose and Kensei, who were badly wounded in their fight with "The Superstar."

After the last chapter, it's really interesting to see what happens, since even if Rukia and Renji go around dominating their battles, it seems like they would only be making Ywhach even stronger, or at least stopping his power from diminishing.  So it looks like even though the Soul Society appears to have some momentum built up, with Rukia and Renji arriving as backup, in the long-run it might be problematic if Yhwach becomes stronger due to the elimination of the Quincy army. It will be interesting to see how events continue to unfold, and when and how the other characters will become involved, such and Ginjo, Sado, Orihime, Urahara, and all the other returning/supporting characters that have yet to join the fray.

Bleach 565: God like You

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/565

This week, we're taking a break from all the action, and we're turning back towards the most mysterious (and dangerous) figure in the arc, Yhwach/Juha Bach.  This delves more into his origin as a blind, deaf, immobile child that couldn't function at all.  However, he had the unique ability to gift pieces of his own soul to others to cure them of their afflictions and ailments. However, they would almost always die soon after, returning the pieces of his soul back, but with their experiences and strength being gifted back to him, eventually allowing him to function.  Unfortunately for him, he must keep taking souls in order to sustain himself.

This ultimately leads up to the present time in the arc, where we understand that one of the reasons the Quincy are conducting this war is to provide souls to Juha Bach, and to strengthen him even more.  However, There is still a great deal that hasn't been delved into regarding his character, but this is starting to paint a picture.  Regardless, there is still a lot of battles to be finished, and Ichigo still hasn't arrived.  However, there is more going on this chapter, specifically between Hashwald and Uryuu.  After finding out the nature of Juha Bach's power, Uryuu starts to see the position he has gotten himself into, and how he will proceed should be interesting in the coming chapters.