Manga Bleach Manga [Warning: Spoilers]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Raiyuu']Hah. No way is Harribel going down that easily. I'm hoping once she gets out, she takes notice of Hitsugaya's slip-of-the-tongue about his countdown timer, and just dodges around until it reaches zero and he turns into a snowman or whatever.

Also, I'd forgotten how exciting it is when a Captain says "bankai" for the first time.[/QUOTE]
[SIZE="1"]
The fact that Kubo pulled the exact same move with Yumichika earlier in these fights leads me to hope that Hali will indeed survive this. However the fact remains compared to previous Espada fights this one has turned out to be a complete yawn-fest given Kubo is plotkai-ing all the Shinigami into victory.

Funnily enough all the Shinigami victories lead me to believe the Vizard are going to side with Aizen now.[/SIZE]

[Lawliet]

Didn?t Hitsugaya say something about if Aizen could recruit even 10 vasta lorde that the good guys were screwed? So if he turned a vasta lorde hollows into arrancar and greatly increased its power, shouldn?t soul society be mega screwed? anyway this is making me think that the Espada, even the top 4, are not vasta lorde arrancar. Originally I thought that they were, since during Hitsugaya?s big rant about the hollow?s power-tiers the vasta lorde silhouette looked like Ulquiorra, meaning (to me) that Ulquiorra and everyone above him were vasta lorde level, but considering how well Hitsugaya is doing against Harribel I do not think that she is vasta lorde. Also Stark seems to be fighting pretty evenly with Kyoraku so I?m not thinking that he is a vasta lorde either. Maybe Aizen is saving his most powerful arrancar for a battle with someone more powerful than the 13 Squads? maybe the 0 division that was talked about in the turning back the pendulum thing or for the battle with God himself. I think a battle between the Vizard and any vasta lorde arrancar would be amazing, because I want to see them in action and if the villain?s roster isn?t replenished with some more bad guys the remaining Espada (only Stark, Yammy, Barragan, and possible Harribel left) will be dead by the time the Vizard get to the scene.
Speaking of Yammy? if Barragan is that powerful and he is only number 2, Yammy must be a beast in his released form. Chad, Rukia, and Renji shouldn?t be able to even scratch him. Of course Ichigo, Ishida, and the 4 Captains and their underlings are there, but you think Ichigo would be mad tired and Ishida isn?t any more powerful than Chad, Rukia, or Renji so I?m thinking that its going to be up to the Captains to fight the strongest Espada. I?m personally hoping that Unohana fights him 1 on 1. She has been around longer than any other captain except Yamamoto and possible Kyoraku and Ukitake so she must be just as powerful. Plus that scene back in the Soul Society arc were she walked in on Aizen, Gin, and cut up Hitsugaya and Hinamori keeps jumping in my head. Why didn?t Aizen just take her out like he did the other two? I think it?s because she is so much more powerful than Hitsugaya (who just managed to possible beat the 3rd Espada) and Aizen didn?t want to fight her? or he was in a hurry to get Rukia?

[Magus]

[quote name='Lawliet']Didn?t Hitsugaya say something about if Aizen could recruit even 10 vasta lorde that the good guys were screwed? So if he turned a vasta lorde hollows into arrancar and greatly increased its power, shouldn?t soul society be mega screwed? [/quote]
Honestly, I wouldn't know what to think now. As far as I'm concern, Toushiro can rot for all I care. His explanations on everything seems to be complete garbage at this point. However, going from what you're saying though, about none of these espada's being vastolordes. I can see that. But then again, we still have a problem. In Nnoitra's flashback we have both Nell and Nnoitra out to recruit vastolordes. We don't know if it was a success or not.

However, I don't think none of the top 3 espada are fighting at their full potential. Starks lazy. Barragan is idiotically toying with Omeada. Hallibel.... I'm so dissappointed with this. This fight should've been long over with, with her as the victor. I don't even care about abilities at this point. Even if Toushiro is matched against someone with almost the same abilities as him. If he wins this fight this also means that he's stronger than Ichigo, Kenpachi, and Byakuya. Which means Ichigo's mask is pointless also making Vaizards pointless. And yeah, we know all of that is a load of garbage.[/rant]

I'm still not certain about Yammy and this 0. IMO, 0 can be taken as either high or low. (Like an Ace being 1 or 11) And I'm just not buying the whole 0 is the strongest argument. I need to see what he can do. Expanding his size means nothing to me.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Yammy being 0 is just a plot piece for Kubo so Unohana can be labelled a Royal Squad class Shinigami after she WTF pwns him because he realised he'd killed off or paired up all the original top 4 already.

I just want this arc to be over with already, for the last 2 years it's basically plodded along with only occasional moments of suspense or drama and could be written off as the Soul Society arc with a Hueco Mundo redeco.[/SIZE]

[Lawliet]

[quote name='Magus']Honestly, I wouldn't know what to think now. As far as I'm concern, Toushiro can rot for all I care. [/QUOTE]

Hmmmm I don't really like his character but I do like his concept. To me it makes prefect sense,to me, that he was able to beat the [I]Tercera[/I] Espada. He is pretty much reincarnated awesome-ness with the most powerful ice type zanpakuto. Yamamoto's zanpakuto is the strongest fire based one and its power is kind of ridiculously. Toushiro's is still immature but if it can control the heavens now (judging by his last attack) when he is older he should be just a powerful as the old man's, or at least in the same ball park. Plus she was at a huge disadvantage, they could use each others attacks as their own, but she needed to wait for water to preform her finishing strike, Hitsugaya did not.

That not may have been a good explanation but it makes sense to me... I am more of a Soi Fon fan anyway and the end of this weeks chapter has me so excited. Although I am finding it hard to imagine what is better than death in two hits, except death in one. Bandages wrapped around a building does have me a little confused though. I'm thinking maybe its some trap to keep him still, but getting close to him doesn't seem like the best idea which means shes in trouble, unless her ban kai is ranged (but that doesn't really fit her style).

[quote name='Magus']Even if Toushiro is matched against someone with almost the same abilities as him. If he wins this fight this also means that he's stronger than Ichigo, Kenpachi, and Byakuya. Which means Ichigo's mask is pointless also making Vaizards pointless.[/QUOTE]

I think that the Espada being numbered in terms of power was a good way to help gauge the strength of the Captains, roughly though… I think that Yamamoto is the strongest, then the next tier of power has Aizen, Unohana, Kyoraku, and Ukitake, then the next one is Soi Fon, Hitsugaya, and Gin, then Byakuya, then Zaraki, then Tosen and Komamura, and finally Kurotsuchi. That is just a rough estimate though based on the people that they have fought.

I think the Vizard’s masks just grant additional power to what wearer already has. So Ichigo used it against Ulquiorra, then Ulquiorra released. I think that Ulquiorra’s power up from releasing was just more than Ichigo’s from the mask. Then… Hitsugaya is more powerful than Ichigo with mask but maybe not when some powerful Vizard ex-Captain like Shinji uses his. All of that also assumes that when a Vizard uses their mask that (no matter who the Vizard is) the mask will always increase their power by a set amount… I personally think that each Vizaard’s mask raises their power independent of what other Vizard’s mask do.

That didn’t make much sense going back and reading it, but deleting it would mean I wasted like 2 and a half minutes typing all that out…and I’ll never get those back so I think I’ll just leave it.

My posts seem to be really long...

[Magus]

Sorry, not going to go into the other stuff.

[quote name='Lawliet][b]I think the Vizard’s masks just grant additional power to what wearer already has.[/b'] So Ichigo used it against Ulquiorra, then Ulquiorra released. I think that Ulquiorra’s power up from releasing was just more than Ichigo’s from the mask.[/quote]
If that were true then that would make Aizen's explanation (when he left Soul Society) completely bogus. End of Hypnosis chapters.. But continue believing what you want. I can't/won't persuade you. (I'm no good with that stuff.)

If it seems like I'm being a jerk, sorry, I reread the chapter again and while I don't think this fight is over (not by a long shot) it's still pissing me off. (This fight has me angered at Toushiro fans because they keep defending him with bogus stuff.)

[Lawliet]

[quote name='Magus']Sorry, not going to go into the other stuff.


If that were true then that would make Aizen's explanation (when he left Soul Society) completely bogus. End of Hypnosis chapters.. But continue believing what you want. I can't/won't persuade you. (I'm no good with that stuff.) [/QUOTE]

Hmmm, I guess I should have gone back and reread some of the older stuff before running my mouth :(

[quote name='Magus']If it seems like I'm being a jerk, sorry, I reread the chapter again and while I don't think this fight is over (not by a long shot) it's still pissing me off. (This fight has me angered at Toushiro fans because they keep defending him with bogus stuff.)[/QUOTE]

I?m pretty upset about Hitsugaya?s defeat of Harribel too, she was my second favorite Espada, after Szayel, but if his technique does what it?s suppose to, she died when the last snow flake fell? or something like that. I don?t really like Hitsugaya, but I can see where he would have the power to defeat the third Espada. It makes me sad that the only character I still like that isn?t a total gimp is Gin, which is sad considering how many characters Bleach has.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]It's all [strike]a genjutsu[/strike] an illusion created by Aizen's zanpakuto the second he got to the real world. The Shinigami have really been fighting Numeros who've been made to look like the Espada and once they've demostrated their fighting styles fully the illusion will be dropped and the genuine Espada will beat the crap of the Shinigami forces. [/SIZE]

[Magus]

Ch. 360 spoilers

[spoiler]- Ukitake steals Lilinette?s sword and plays keep away with it.
- Omeada continues to play decoy.
- Soi Fon dialogs about why she doesn?t like her bankai.
- Soi Fon?s bankai is a giant bee-stinger wave motion gun. [/spoiler]

Er... At the moment there don't seem to be anything mentioned about Toushiro and Halibel. Anyway, I don't like what I'm hearing about Soifon's bankai... >_>

[Gavin]

[quote name='Magus']Ch. 360 spoilers

[spoiler]- Ukitake steals Lilinette?s sword and plays keep away with it.
- Omeada continues to play decoy.
- Soi Fon dialogs about why she doesn?t like her bankai.
- Soi Fon?s bankai is a giant bee-stinger wave motion gun. [/spoiler]

Er... At the moment there don't seem to be anything mentioned about Toushiro and Halibel. Anyway, I don't like what I'm hearing about Soifon's bankai... >_>[/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Not particularly fond of this week's plot either. Guess Kubo is going to make us wait for any real resolution to the major fights. If Barrigan gets killed by Soifon's bankai I will be rather annoyed though.
[/SIZE]

[Lawliet]

How lame, Soi Fon's ban kai is a gun. I haven't heard about the wave motion gun since I watched an episode of Star Blazers a long time ago. I wonder why all these people dislike their swords. I kind of want Ukitake to actually do something, half of the captains that are at the scene aren't doing jack ****. Mr. Doggy seems to be guarding the injured people (sadly there are not very many of these), Yamamoto killed Harribel's minions and their pet (what a waste of his awesome power) and Ukitake is playing with small children. Stark hasn't done much either and I don't think he is going to do much of anything until he gets orders too. To bad Aizen has been MIA for a while now. I bet they went to own up the real town.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Apparently Soifon doesn't like her BFG because it's not very stealthy. Given however it's pretty much an established rule that Bankai are inherently large she might've expected it, although admittedly to go from 2-hit kill to Wave Motion Gun is a bit surprising.[/SIZE]

[Lawliet]

I wasn't expecting a wave motion gun... maybe a wave motion engine (but that's like Ichigo's) anyway. I think because every other revealed bankai is related to its shikai I was expecting something different for her... now I feel like I can't even begin to guess at what some of the unrevealed bankai are. It does explain why she didn't use it against Yoruichi way back when. I don't think you could hyper beam her to death, she too quick.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Ukitake apparently enjoys beating up children.. My idolisation of Captain TB has come crashing down...[/SIZE]

[Magus]

I agree, Lawliet. It's only natural for the captains bankai resemble, or have some characteristics of their shikai. And seeing how Soifon's don't have any type of resemblance (maybe the blast will kill in one shot?) what so ever, this opens up quite a few doors as to figuring out what kind of bankai the other captains (as well as Aizen and Gin) has.

I really wish Omaeda would just die already. I don't find him funny at all, and he's real annoying.

Ukitake's a pedo... (As well as Yoruchi. Seducing a younger Byakuya.. "coughs") Man these people really know how to make me dislike them. If he's going to kill the girl, just kill her already. All this sandbagging is garbage, and did he not forget that this is war. If he dies he deserves it. This makes me wish Kubo would go back to Ichigo and folk (when I'm tired of seeing them.)

One more thing. Is Ukitake even sick anymore? I don't know what TB does, but seeing how when he has panel time he don't cough or anything. He looks as if he is as healthy as can be. Playing around with little girls and whatnot.

[Gavin]

[quote name='Magus']I agree, Lawliet. It's only natural for the captains bankai resemble, or have some characteristics of their shikai. And seeing how Soifon's don't have any type of resemblance (maybe the blast will kill in one shot?) what so ever, this opens up quite a few doors as to figuring out what kind of bankai the other captains (as well as Aizen and Gin) has.

I really wish Omaeda would just die already. I don't find him funny at all, and he's real annoying.

Ukitake's a pedo... (As well as Yoruchi. Seducing a younger Byakuya.. "coughs") Man these people really know how to make me dislike them. If he's going to kill the girl, just kill her already. All this sandbagging is garbage, and did he not forget that this is war. If he dies he deserves it. This makes me wish Kubo would go back to Ichigo and folk (when I'm tired of seeing them.)

One more thing. Is Ukitake even sick anymore? I don't know what TB does, but seeing how when he has panel time he don't cough or anything. He looks as if he is as healthy as can be. Playing around with little girls and whatnot.[/QUOTE]
[SIZE="1"]
Basically Soifon's bankai is just a gigantic stinger thereby tying it back to her shikai and overall "bee" theme, whether or not it retains/improves on the two-strike kill of her shikai will probably be covered next week.

Also agreeing on Omaeda's need to die, he's taking up panel time that could be better dedicated elsewhere towards actually advancing the story instead, though Barrigan is obviously equally a moron for chasing a Lt when there's a wounded Captain to be killed.

As for Captain TB, it seems his condition seems to strike during periods of great emotional stress, i.e. when Kaien was possessed and Rukia was scheduled for execution. Given the fact he fought Yamamoto with Shunsui which would likely have caused considerable physical exertion it's entirely possible his TB is primarily psychologically driven and his lack of connection with any of the Arrancar is unlikely to trigger it. If the Vizard arrive and turn out to be Soul Society's enemies however that will likely change.[/SIZE]

[Lawliet]

I didn't like the idea of evil Vizard at first, but I am starting to like it more and more. The Espada are a massive disappointment and don't stand a chance of only an average level captain can wipe out a bazooka for her bankai. I still really like Ukitake, but (like i said in a previous post) the fact that he isn't really doing anything important is making me a little annoyed. Aizen, Gin, and Mr. Blind Guy are still trapped (hopefully not) in a huge fire ball. There are three of them and three Captains who aren't doing anything. They could all totally fight one on one with each other. I have wanted to see Aizen fight Yamamoto for a while now, the Mr. Doggy can fight his blind friend, and Gin can go at it with Ukitake...even if that doesn't happen, Ukitake should at least bind the little girl with a spell and take up and epic pose like Mr. Doggy and maybe cough up a lung or something.

[Magus]

[IMG]http://i39.tinypic.com/308xye9.jpg[/IMG]

Kubo might've out did himself here. I don't even care about the spoilers this week. That form is awesome.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Agreed. It's about damn time we got some guns in Bleach, shame if previous fights are anything to go by Kyouraku's bankai will be specifically designed to negate his attacks.[/SIZE]

[Magus]

Full spoiler
[quote=sgs2008 @ mangahelpers][spoiler]ソイフォンの卍解はなんかロケットランチャーでした。
Soi Fong's Bankai was somewhat like a rocket launcher.
爆発の衝撃でビルに吹き飛ぶ大前田、ソイフォンも銀条反が破れ、吹っ飛ぶが大前田が受け止める 。
Omaeda was blown off the building by the explosion's crash. Soi Fong's silver cloth was torn, Omaeda got caught in the explosion.
大前田「隊長やりましたよ・・・！！」ソイフォン「・・・放せ・・・気色悪い・・・」
Omaeda "Captain, you did it....!", Soi Fong "... Get away from me, it's disgusting.."

361,Hate Loneliness, But it loves me

スタークがソイフォンの戦闘をみて卍解は皆あんな強いのかをきき、さらに非番谷と享楽だとどっ ちが強いかを 問う。
Stark saw Soi Fong's battle and asked, "Everyone's bankai sure is sort of powerful, aren't they?". He also asked, "I also wonder which one of you and Hitsugaya is stronger..."
享楽は、彼は天才だからあと百年もしたら追い抜かれちゃうと思う、と。
Kyouraku "Because he's a genius, If he had lived a century more, I think he would surpass me."
スターク、じゃあ今はアンタのほうが強いってことだといい、卍解が観てみたくなりやる気になっ たらしい。
Stark "Well, if that's the case, I'd be right if I said that right now, you're stronger than he is. Seeing your bankai has been on my mind for some time now."
享楽は羽織を浮竹にあずける。
Kyouraku left his haori with Ukitake.
スターク、リリネットを呼ぶと享楽がどうしてその子を？と問う。
Stark called Lilinette, Kyouraku asked, "Why that kid?"
すると説明開始。
From there starts the explanation.
俺たちは二人で一人、虚から進化する時に他の破面が肉体と刀に分けた虚の力を俺たちは二つの体 に分けた。
By being two, we are one. The time we evolved from being Hollow, we separated into body and blade. Our Hollow power is separated into two bodies.
俺たちが一つに帰るとき、俺たちの力も解放される。と説明し、リリネットの頭をなでて一つにな ると同時に帰 刃。
When we return back to being one, our power is released. [He] pats Lilinette's head, And simultaneously, they do the Resurrecion.
「蹴散らせ　群狼（ロス・ボロス）」
"Kick about, Wolf Pack (Los Lobos)"
享楽も始解する。
Kyouraku also starts to understand.
帰刃したスタークの姿で次週。
Stark's Resureccion will be next week.
二丁の少し銃身の長い銃を持ってる。左目にはスコープというかスカウターみたいなのつけてる。
Carrying two weapons, a small gun barrel and a long gun barrel, the left eye seems to have a scope, and the right eye has something which looks like a scouter.[/spoiler][/quote]

I'm not going to say anything, yet. Good thing that pic is awesome though. Don't get me wrong, the chapter itself sounds good.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]The fact that Kubo hasn't made any reference to Barrigan being killed by Soifon's bankai leads me to believe when the smoke clears he's going to be standing there shielding himself with his axe and looking rather miffed.

Interesting fusion idea behind Stark, I remember reading something along those lines a couple of weeks ago when possible resurrecions we being discussed but thought it was just WMG in action. [/SIZE]

[Magus]

Definately an interesting fusion. People are saying that Lilli is his zanpakuto. (which sounds just about right)

I'm also thinking that Barragan and Halibel are still alive. I don't believe in one-shotters against characters who're stronger than Ulquiorra.

The thing that caught my eye is this

[spoiler]スタークがソイフォンの戦闘をみて卍解は皆あんな強いのかをきき、さらに非番谷と享楽だとどっ ちが強いかを 問う。
Stark saw Soi Fong's battle and asked, "Everyone's bankai sure is sort of powerful, aren't they?". He also asked, "I also wonder which one of you and Hitsugaya is stronger..."
享楽は、彼は天才だからあと百年もしたら追い抜かれちゃうと思う、と。
Kyouraku "Because he's a genius, If he had lived a century more, I think he would surpass me."[/spoiler]

I'm not going to start speculating yet, but in the back of my head, I'm thinking this really sucks.

[Gavin]

[quote name='Magus'][spoiler]スタークがソイフォンの戦闘をみて卍解は皆あんな強いのかをきき、さらに非番谷と享楽だとどっ ちが強いかを 問う。
Stark saw Soi Fong's battle and asked, "Everyone's bankai sure is sort of powerful, aren't they?". He also asked, "I also wonder which one of you and Hitsugaya is stronger..."
享楽は、彼は天才だからあと百年もしたら追い抜かれちゃうと思う、と。
Kyouraku "Because he's a genius, If he had lived a century more, I think he would surpass me."[/spoiler]

I'm not going to start speculating yet, but in the back of my head, I'm thinking this really sucks.[/QUOTE]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/yagamisan/Gifs/Noooo.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[SIZE="1"]Just no.[/SIZE]

[Magus]

Stark is like all of us. (or most) He wants to see their bankai's... Err.. Do we even know what their shikai's can do? One would think Shunsui is a wind user while Ukitake is the lightning user....

[Gavin]

[quote name='Magus']Stark is like all of us. (or most) He wants to see their bankai's... Err.. Do we even know what their shikai's can do? One would think Shunsui is a wind user while Ukitake is the lightning user....[/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]I figure you're right about Shunsui being a wind user, but I reckon Ukitake is probably a joint lightning/water user. Still, just knowing what their shikai do when there's the guarantee of a bankai showdown makes me far more interested in the latter than the former.
[/SIZE]