Reel it back in, Ichi!: the Bleach Mega Catch-up (Bleach 441-446)

So it's been a while, yea? Well, instead of boring you with a bunch of small reviews, I'm going to consolidate the reviews that I would have done for each series into a mega review for each series. Therefore this is going to be chapters 441-446 of Bleach, but I will indicate a change in chapter with a link to the chapter itself.

So without further adieu, Ikuze!

[441] We open Ichigo paying a visit to Ikami, asking her to let him take off a couple more weeks from work, presumable to train. Ikumi, with Kauru listening in from the back room, begs for Ichigo to trust her with his secret, but instead, he thanks her and bolts.


Heading to Ginjo, he begs for two things: an explanation and training. Ginjo, happy to oblige him with both, starts with the explanation, telling Ichigo that Tsukishima, Xcution's former leader and a powerful Fullbringer, helped them formulate the plan to use a shinigami to cleanse Fullbringers of their powers, but suddenly killed the shinigami and went rogue. As proof of the events, Ginjo holds up a shinigami badge. He also explains that he is behind the attacks on his comrades and reveals that the second stage of his training is nearly prepped.

Wait, what did he do . . . oh, yeah now I remember. Sorry, it been a while. X'D

Leaving, Ichigo spies his father hanging out around a street light outside Xcution's lounge. Hiding behind a wall, Ichigo observes as Isshin meets with Urahara; Isshin suggests that they should move on, just in case, and they do. (speculative comment: Is it possible that Isshin helped Urahara look into the power of Fullbringers with using Ichigo as a subject? Could his special mix of human and shinigami blood triggered his ability to master both? This would also seem to suggest that Urahara purposefully imbued Ichigo with hollow/Visored abilities, wanting to see the limits of his greatest subject to date.)

Urahara, what have you done?

Ichigo is left to ponder this trusted duo's true intentions with Ginjo's words echoing in his head, but soon decides to focus on regaining his powers first. Coming back the next day to the lounge, Ichigo sees Rurika waiting with a fish tank on a table. After allowing him to enter, we see Jackie Tristan waiting in ankle-high water with dirt underneath, and before you know it, the fight is on!

Funny story, he also has boots made for walking.

[442] Jackie activates her Fullbring "Dirty Boots" and seems to disappear right before Ichigo's eyes. Barely managing to dodge her first advance, Ichigo quickly goes on the defensive, carefully dodging and weaving away from Jackie. This fight is absolutely fantastic, and it only gets better in 443, but we will get to that later. Meanwhile, Inoue finally calls Chad to talk about the recent events and her encounter with Tsukishima.

Now you see me, . . .

She reveals that for a moment, she felt as if she knew Tsukishima from some far distant past, even going so far as to call him a friend. Chad fears the worst in Tsukishima's ability, which he believes may allow him to plant memories or project false pasts into a targets mind. Tsukishima, on the other hand, is thinking about heading directly for his target.


[443] Ichigo and Jackie are still going at it. "Dirty Boots," as the name suggests, refers to the power bonus her Fullbring provides as her boots become more and more sullied. The imperfections came come in the form or blood, dirt, mod, crap, whatever. Obvious a fish tank with plenty of available mud does not bode well for Ichigo, as Jackie announces that she plans to get more aggressive in her attacks, in order for Ichigo to evolve his Fullbring attacks. Seeing him attacking blindly, Jackie picks apart Ichigo's technique move by move, avoiding all three of his attacks before launching a counter; the attacks, however, are a feign by Ichigo, who offers up a powerful counter of his own. Jackie, seeming to have some to an understanding about Ichigo's ability, speculates that he took the brunt of all of her hits so that he could counter with even more power.

[444] Meanwhile Chad arrives to talk to Ginjo about Tsukishima's abilities and reveals to him the what Inoue confided in him. Ginjo waves off Chad's concern, saying that he know the extent of Tsukishima's abilities and Fullbring abilities never evolve. An interesting concept, that Fullbrings have a set max, like a tiered tower; however I would be far from surprised if it turned out that Tsukishima had found a way to bend that rule.

Back in the tank, during a momentary lapse in the battle, Ichigo's badge goes haywire, and dozens of black tendrils begin consume the right side of his body. Fearing the worst, Jackie calls off the training but Ichigo begs her to reconsider, saying that he has always had it this hard. They go back at it, and outside the tank, Ginjo tells Chad to see what Ishida remembers about his attack, fearing that the one who attacked them both might not be Tsukishima; all of a sudden the man of the hour cuts through the door of the lounge.

Go Tsukishima!!! Use Cut!

While everyone stands around dumbfounded, Tsukishima Cuts the tank in two, releasing Ichigo and Jackie. When the dust settles, Ichigo stands before Tsukishima half-cloaked in a Shinigami outfit produced by his Fullbring with half a zanpakuto.


[445] Chad describes his Fullbring as a "clad-type," remarking that his bankai had a similar effect, while Jackie lies bleeding on the floor. Impressed by Ichigo's progress, Tsukishima attacks using Book of the End but is blocked easily by Ichigo. Chad, wanting to protect Ichigo, blasts a hole though a wall, ejecting Tsukishima out of the lounge. Ichigo follows Chad outside and overhears him and Ginjo talking about Inoue's attacker, exciting him into a vengeful rage.

A natural Ace at Fullbringing, Ichigo knocks Tsukishima into the air, then chasing after him by Fullbringing the concrete roof and the air. Tsukishima blocks the attack; Ichigo still unstable Fullbring fractures on his left arm, allowing Tsukishima to easily kick Ichigo back to earth. Diving at a defenseless Ichigo, Tsukishima seems to have won this fight, but like lightning, Ginjo intervenes.

[446] He knocks out Ichigo, then turns to Tsukishima. They duel for a bit before Ginjo releases a massive amount of energy around his blade and strikes at Tsukishima, who predicts his attack nicking Ginjo on the forehead with his countering blow. As building crumble about them, Ichigo jumps back into the fray. Tsukishima blocks his attack, but then he notices Ichigo's Fullbring going berserk again, starting to engulf his head in darkness (are we close to seeing a Fullbring version of his sadistic side?). Knocking him back, Tsukishima seems impressed by Ichigo's current power, which apparently has been dubbed "Invaders-Must-Die."

And we can't wait to see it!

Right then, several black panels fly out from behind Ichigo's head, and start connecting together in front of Tsukishima . . .

And now we're back on track, and I have to say I'm excited for upcoming future of Bleach. Most likely in the next 5 chapters, we will see some significant changes in both Ichigo's and (given the preview text seen at the end of 446) Inoue's powers, culminating the the first of many battles with Tsukishima and his disciples. My only question is, when will Soul Society get involved? Do they even know about what is going on, or are they purposefully choosing to ignore these developments? Stay tuned and we'll find out together!

Shot Through the Heart, and You're To Blame . . . (Bleach 440)

The chase is on as we begin Chapter 440 of Bleach, as Chad and Ichigo are now hot on the trail of Inoue, who is emitting peculiar reiatsu patterns. Ichigo is obviously very concerned, but his is still in a weakened state from the training he just completed. Chad cannot lock onto her precise location, but Ichigo notices that it seems to be coming from the direction of her apartment.

Meanwhile, at the Justice League, Inoue stands between Tsukishima and Shishigawara, vowing to not let the former leave with holding him accountable for injuring Ishida. Tsukishima scoffs at Inoue's assertion as she contemplates her battle strategy. As Tsukishima turns to leave, Inoue seizes the opportunity to activate Santen Kesshun, but is countered instantly by Tsukishima, appearing behind her.

Just then, Ichigo and Chad arrive to find a perplexed, yet unscathed Inoue standing alone by her apartment door. She claims to have just have experienced a stomach ache after her "friend" left. Bewildered by her own response, referring to Tsukishima as "friend," she tells Chad that she will text him later, so as to not get Ichigo involved (as Inoue is unaware of Ichigo's recent exploits), and plays along with the ruse.

Suspecting that there is much more to this that both Inoue and Chad are letting on, Ichigo returns to the Xcution headquarters, where Kuugo reveals to him the true source of the attacks on his friends: Xcution's former ally and fellow Fullbringer, Tsukishima.

After witnessing Inoue's response to Tsukishima's attack, you have to wonder if his Fullbring, Book of the End, has other special properties, such as some sort of mind-manipulating poison or something like that. Possibly poisoned works, or something of that line, to fit with the book theme. Only time will tell I guess. This chapter was quite solid, a good 9/10 with much to look forward to in the chapters to come.

. . . And the Bag is in the River . . . (Bleach 439)

Bleach 439 is live and a go! Looks like we are still dealing with the aftermath of Ichigo's training will finding out a bit more about the newly introduced antagonist, Shūkurō Tsukishima. If you have been keeping up with the manga lately then you know a bit about Tsukishima, in that he is the bastard responsible for the attack on Ishida!He also revealed himself to Inoue, who is now stuck between him and one of his cronies, Shishigawara.

Things start to get a bit more serious in 439, as Mr. Pork starts freaking out over the fact that he was kidnapped; really, he's being a big baby about it, yelling and screaming like a toddler who had his toy stolen from him my a magical puppeteer who locks people in dollhouses. Seriously, grow up dude. Riruka shuts him up quickly, gives him a phone so that she can use him whenever the occasion arises, then orders Ichigo to go home and rest. Kuugo seconds this opinion, adding that a couple more days of powerlessness couldn't hurt lil' Ichi. And then there was Inoue . . .

Kuugo gives Ichigo a steer warning against training to hard.

Oh, Inoue. How do you manage to stumble into some of the worst possible situations possible? Will you never learn? Bah . . .

Right when things start to get awkward, Tsukishima breaks the tension by scolding Shishigawara, ordering to take his proper punishment like a man. What's the sentence? Death. He closes his book, removes the bookmark and initiates his Fullbring, Book of the End, which makes his bookmark take the form of a katana. Inoue says she can't let the attack on Uryu go unavenged, and we cut to Chad and Ichigo heading back to their homes.

Tsukishima unleashing his R.O.D.-esk Fullbring, Book of the End.

Chad's complaining about accepting Inoue's bread baskets and offers Ichigo half of whatever she has left for him today; arriving at this door, though, Chad senses traces of Inoue's reiatsu, but it feels . . . off. In shock, Chad shouts out to Ichigo that something must be happening to Inoue, and we can only assume that Tsukishima is the cause.

This chapter is another nice bridge, with enough suspense and answers to keep you reading throughout. 7.5/10, I guess. Not terrible, but nothing really stuck out really, other than Tsukishima.

'Knuckle Down' and Grit Through it! The Ends Justify the Means! (Bleach 438)

What can possibly follow one of the best chapters of Bleach in resent arcs? Some sneezing, self-punishment and a merchant of death. But enough talk, let's hop right in!

If you have not read 438, then click here.

Bleach is really starting to heat up now that Ichigo isn't just a useless baby anymore. Of course, they still need to tie-up some loose ends before moving along with Ichi's training, while creating even more questions about the true nature of Ichigo's Fullbring. After Riruka breaks her Fullbring, Ichigo notices something odd about his badge: it seems to be talking.

Elsewhere, Inoue has her own problems to deal with, as she is confronted by Moe Shishigawara, a punk who can't beat up girls. After a slip of the tongue, Moe slips that he may have been responsible for Uryu's attack, and Inoue preps for battle. Suddenly, Uryu's real attacker appears, sticking fear into the heart of both Moe and Inoue. OMG NO! After what's been going on with MSPA, I can't take anymore main character deaths!

But he can't strike her! How could you break such a beautiful frame?!?

439-442 should be a blast, depending on exact goes down between Moe, Inoue and (slight spoiler) Tsukishima. Just have to wait and see. 6/10

Well That's Something I Did Nazi Coming (Bleach 436 & 437)

Hey all! How's it hanging? Sorry about the absence, I haz so many irons in the fire. In fact, I have all of them. ALL OF THEM!!! Anywho, time to catch up on some Bleach, eh? I figure no one will mind me merging my review and impressions of the last two chapters into one review, since 436 is kinda boring. If you do have a problem with this, take it up with the complaint department.

So 436 really felt like a filler chapter, as nothing really happens that advances the plot. In fact, when I was going to do the review of 437, I forgot that I hadn't done 436, since it just re-affirms some long standing ideas that I held about the story. The only cool part about the chapter involved the revelation of Giriko's Fullbring ability, "Time Tells No Lies."

It seems that Giriko can put a timer on any object, and if the conditions of the timer a broken, that object and any other object linked to that timer are consumed by the flames of time. Pretty cool, eh? I look forward to seeing this ability in action later on in the series, but for now, it is quite the ingenious way of framing a training exercise.

After that, there is more running and yelling, with the obligatory flash back to Ichigo's and Chad's pasts, and suddenly we are in chapter 437, where all the awesome shit happens.

First off, let me say that a battle-swastika is one of the best ideas ever. I don't support the Nazi agenda in any way, form or fashion, but you have to admit that the weapon looks cool as shit.

Anyway, this Fullbring ability seems to to have similar properties to Zangetsu flange attack, but it can only maintain that power as long as Ichigo is holding the badge (awww, no swastiken!). he can use it as a shield, and he is also able to produce a Getsuga Tenshou release from the Fullbring.

This chapter is a definite 10/10 for this scene alone, but it doesn't end there. You'll see . . .

As for chapter 436, eh. 5/10. Kinda forgettable, imo.

. . .And This Little Piggie Cried, "I'm Gonna F^ck!ng Kill You!!!" (Bleach 435)

Oh the Bleach train keeps chug-chug-chugging along. Next stop? PIG BATTLE!!!

That's right, Bleach 435 picks up in Riruka's Doll House, with Ichigo training against a giant pig doll to help him get in touch with his Fullbring abilities. Honestly it's become more interesting than I originally anticipated, but it's still in it's infancy right now. There is definitely some potential for 436 to be really fantastic.

It's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality.

As Ichi runs from the stuffed menace, he begs Riruka for a hint on how to unleash his potential. Scoffing at his inquiry, she notes that there are not hints or secrets. All of the members of Xcution have had these powers since birth, with no clues on how to control them or to harness their full abilities. At that moment, the pig-bear starts to talk!

Yesh, Ichigo he can talk. He can also kill.

Turns out that Riruka kidnapped a member of the yakuza and sealed his soul into the pig-bear, making him a . . . OMG MANBEARPIG!!! N0t only that, it is on a 15-minute timer. What happens when the timer is up? Well, I guess we'll see, in time. What we do know is that he doesn't kill Ichigo within the time limit, he'll be stuck inside the Doll House forever.

As Ichigo flees will concocting a strategy, Chad enters and gets the news: Ichigo is in a fight for his life with no knowledge of how to defend himself. Ripping the lid off the Doll House, Chad slips Ichi some knowledge: he should use his Shinigami Badge, for it is something that he deeply cares for and always has on him. Ichigo agrees, but right as he reaches for the badge, the time goes out. And all hell breaks loose.

I believe there is a term for this type of scenario: ohfuckrunweregonnadie.

Like I said, the next chapter looks exciting, but this one mainly filler till then. 7/10. Until next week, folks.

This is About to Get Really, REALLY Boring, Isn't It?(Bleach 434)

So Bleach 434 has been out for a bit now, and it's . . . um, insightful. Not the best, no, but hey not everything can be. The best, that is. Blah, anyway on to the recap.

Yuzu and Karin are staying up late, waiting for Ichigo to return. He's been missing now for two days, so Karin says. Right as they start to get into it, Ichogo walks in, cool as sh!t, tells them to go to bed, and cruises up to his room. So cool.
The next day, Ichi is summoned to the Fullbring lounge by Jingou for some training with Riruka, who bursts in screaming as always. She kicks down the door, caring a box, and , of course, yelling. Yukio, playing a PSP (I assume) comments about he tired of seeing her panties every time she enters the room, and more fighting ensues, although it's a bit one sided.
The box, which is very cute by the way, is one of objects of focus. It seems that she can freely insert and remove items or people from her Doll House. This plaything, she says, will become Ichigo's training camp. Flicking a heart onto his chest, Riruka draws Ichi into the Doll House, and orders him to bring out his Fullbring powers in order to survive a fantastic scene from "Akira".
Eh, this chapter was OK, I guess. Story-wise, that is. 6/10, but I think that might be pushing it a bit. The next chapter might be better, But I think that this whole Doll House bit might just suck over all.

And the Big Reveal! (Bleach 433)

Hey guys! Sorry about the long drought, it's been a weird week. I though I was going to start class, but now I'm going to be sitting here til next Tuesday. Yay? It's like some cruel joke. "What, you want to start your last semester and get out of school? TOO BAD BITCH!"

Anyway you don't want to hear me complain about not being able to start class. You want to hear about Bleach and Kamen Rider! No OOO right now, but I do have a review that I have been meaning to post about Episode Yellow. But first, Bleach 433, the return of Chad!

So in the last chapter, we ended with Chad and Ichigo being reunited in the lounge of Xcution. We start 433 with the two standing face-to-face, with Ichigo absolutely dumbfounded by what he see. Raging, Ichi starts demanding answers from Jingou, who calms him quickly, then requests a drink for Chad while he explains how and why Xcution plan to restore Ichigo's power.

Turns out that Jingou and the others' powers come from, in part, Hollows. Each Fullbringer has a parent who was attacked by a Hollow. A residual amount of that energy from the Hollow was then transferred to the child upon their birth, thus manifesting itself into powers such as Jingou's. The Fullbringers gathered in Xcution to help erase themselves of their acquired abilities, which can only be done if they can transfer their powers into a person who has both human and shinigami powers. Who do we know like that? Hmmmm. . .

So here's the deal: Xcution will help Ichigo gain his powers back in exchange for him taking their powers, therefore restoring the humanity of the members of the group. Sounds. . .suspicious, but even Chad is in for it. Turns out that he is also a Fullbringer (I still suspect that Inoue is as well, but we might not find that out till much later), and he fully supports any plan to restore Ichigo back to his former glory.

Reluctantly, Ichigo agrees to the plan (bad idea dude), and Xcution become bound to Ichigo. Things are about to start going down soon, but I'm not sure that either Ichigo or Chad have fully though this through yet. . .

Overall, 6.85/10 for the chapter. Not perfect but exciting, and it was a decent resolution of the 432 cliffhanger.

Wait, Do What Now? (Bleach 432)

So sorry folks, a major combi of work and family crap has kept me off the net for a bit, but I'm back with a review of Bleach 432, among other things. So let's get on with it!

So we open with Ruruka (you remember her, the loud mouth companion of Juugo) picking up another one of their comrades. Seems to be the strong silent type, as he can just barely put up with with her yapping.

Cut back to Ichigo and the Xcution gang. It seems as if Ichigo is just as surprised as I was with what Juugo said in the last chapter. To calm his jets, Juugo decides explain this bit by bit over drinks. It seems as if Juugo is "human" with the ability to draw souls out from matter and re-purpose them. He can, for instance, draw the soul of liquid out and use it to force it into his mouth.

His powers don't end there. He can also change the form of an object if he has a high compatibility with it, which he demonstrates by changing his necklace into a sword. He calls this ability "Fullbring," and it sounds very much like what Inoue can do with her hairpin. You could even say that Chad and Ishida's abilities are also akin to this fullbring ability, as Chad has a strong link to the necklace his grandfather gave him; Ishida focues through the Quincy equipment.

All of a sudden, Riruka bursts in, with her guests. And you'll never guess who it is: Chad Sado! Better yet, he doesn't seem surprised at all! WTF is going on?!?

First of, the ending and explanation of these new abilities makes this chapter a pure 10/10, hands down. Can't wait for the next chapter just to see what Chad's role is in all of this.

Where in the world is Sado-kun? (Bleach 431)

So things are getting kinda crazy in Karakura Town. Ishida is out of commission (spoiler alert! . . . oh . . .), Sado is out of contact and Kurosaki is in contact with some shady bedfellows known as Xcution. Bleach 431 picks up with Ichigo still on the phone with the Xcution's concierge, who gives him some odd instructions for contacting Juugo.

Call twice, hang up a weird intervals and the third call puts you though to the man? Who they hell does that? Anyway Ichigo finally gets through and requests a meeting time with Juugo. He still doesn't trust him (I wouldn't either, that MoFo is really creepy), but where else can he turn?

Later on at Karakura High, Inoue catches Ichigo in the hallway. To be more accurate, Inoue crawls through a window to ask Ichigo if he has seen Sado-kun recently, 'cause that is normal. Well I guess for Inoue that is . . .

She reveals that Sado hasn't been seen in a couple of days (worst fears are starting to come back again), and proceeds to ask Ichigo out on a date to find the big teddy bear (too far?). Ichigo declines, stating that he has plans, which we find out meeting Juugo in a creepy alley in a creepy part of town.

Inoue goes over to Sado's anyway with a sack of bread and a worried soul. With the worlds of Kyuken still ringing in her ears, she tries to repress the idea of Sado lying in some ditch ( . . . oh, I just made myself sad again . . .) and leaves him some bread to help him recover some strength.

Meanwhile in a dark alley in a bad part of town, Ichigo tries not to get raped while waiting for Juugo. The shady character finally shows, and leads Ichi into a rundown building with a keycard-access door. After sliding his card, Juugo opens the door to reveal a GIGANTIC lounge with three men inside waiting. One of them is Kutsuzawa, the other two are brand new.

Juugo explains off the room causally, then reveals Xcution's true purpose for drawing Ichigo closer: to jump-start his shinigami powers. Dun-dun-duuuuuuuun!

Holy hidden objectives, Batman, we've got ourselves a plot twist! All this time I feared that they were the cause of Ishida's attack and Sado's disappearance (I still do, 'cause these guys can't be trusted) because they wanted to eliminate all the competition in Karakura Town before they started a grand assault. Turns out they just want what I want: for Ichigo to get back to kicking some Hollow ass. But for what purpose? Only time will tell. I just hope that they find Sado soon, and we can worry about the rest of the ramifications later.

Guess that will have to wait another week. As for this chapter, I'd rate it a 9/10 simple because of the twist. Yeah it's slow to develop, but the payoff was well worth it. It definitely gets you stoked for next week's chapter.

A.D.D. (Bleach 427 and rantings)

Sorry about the late post folks, but you know how it goes. School and work always get in the way of having fun. :-/

Anywho, enough about boring shit, let's talk about our favorite strawberry superstar.

Haven't read 427 yet? Well stop now, and click here.
No, not Inoue. Well, sort of. In the latest chapter, we enter to find Inoue chasing after the rumors swirling around Ichigo's sudden disappearance at from the school grounds. Ishida calms her, saying that is was only his boss, when Inoue points out that she's felt some strange aura surrounding crimson Shinigami. Odd seeing a Ichigo should have any reiatsu remaining . . .

(Writer's note: So yeah, it looks like everyone is gonna start noticing the return of Kurosaki's reiatsu soon. I mean if Inoue & Ishida can sense it, I'm sure Isshin has too. Speaking of, I'm interested to see where this next chapter is going, but we'll get to that soon enough)

Ishida plays it cool and shrugs off the idea as Inoue rushes off to work (I guess she working at a bakery now, given the art for the title.). Meanwhile at the batcave, I mean Ikumi's shop, the Unnamed Stranger finally spills his unusual request: he want to investigate Isshin Kurosaki.

Now I figured we were going to get some background info in Isshin soon but not like this. Also U.S. is creepy as shit. He's pretty much stalking Ichigo, carrys around ramen for no reason and kinda reminds me a of young Aizen.

Creepy . . .

Anyway we take a break from the intensity at Ikami's to check on the young baseball ace, Jinta. Looks like he's grown a bit and decided to take on the "Wooden Sword" Ryu look. Suits him well actually, since they are both worthless pricks with just enough of a redeeming value to them for you to like them. But only a little. Ururu done some growing up too, and it looks like she might be in school (note the outfit she's wearing). Tessai also shows to beat the crap out of Jinta, who is harassing some school boys. I sure hope we see Genocide mode again soon.

Soon after, someone come by looking for Urahara. It's Karin! WTF? Ichigo mentioned that he powers had started to mature, but is she really wanting to train with Urahara? Or is she just looking of answers? I hope it's the later, 'cause I'm not sure if the world is ready for three Kurosaki warriors.

So yeah, not a bad chapter, all in all. I'd give it an 8/10. Didn't see the whole Kiren thing coming (should have, since Kubo REALLY fond of foreshadowing), but it could lead to an interest side-plot. What I'm more interested in is what Isshin is hiding from Ichigo. We've always know that many to be a quagmire of mystery, so watching Ichigo dive in will be a welcome way to spend the next few chapters. My predictions? Either a) Isshin knows about Ichigo's returning powers, which stem from his bloodline (Which means we will finally lean some more about Masaki; maybe she is was a Shinigami as well, but I have the feeling that she might be much more than just that. It seems to me that she could sense reiatsu at eh very least, given that she was able to protect Ichigo form Grand Fisher.) or b) he's partial responsible for Masaki's death. Or c) it's a bluff, and U.S. doesn't realize that Ichigo already knows that his dad was once a Captain. >.<

Anyway, look out for posts on OOO 10, Fallout: New Vegas (almost have that beat, but I keep dicking around with side quests), and Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 coming soon. ish. Now back to school work. T_T

Beginning of a new arc (Bleach 424 & 425) (Massive Spoilers)

Once again, if you haven't finished the series up to the fight with Aizen, watch out. I'm going to ruin the story for you. I'll take a second for you to look away; take your time.



Ok, now that everyone is caught up, here's the scoop. Ichigo has lost all of his Shinigami powers after defeating Aizen to save Karakura Town from ultimate destruction. Now he can finally enjoy life as a normal high school student. No spirits, no missions, no Hollows, no problems. Right?

Wrong! While Ishida has taken over the duties of protecting the town from Hollows, it seems as if Ichigo still can manage to find some trouble to get himself tangled into.



424 opens with Ichigo, a senior now, getting ready for school, while sidestepping various obstacles at home. He does note that Karin's powers have gotten stronger, which might be an interesting plot development in the future. After arriving at school, he meets up with Mizuiro, Keigo and Tatsuki. Tatsuki asks him t return her copy of Tekken so that she can practice for the next one, (I assume she's gotta be talking about Tekken Tag 2(>.<)b) when Ichigo notices that he still has Shinigami Representative Badge from the Soul Society. I'm going to break off for a sec, and speculate about some shit. From what I remember, no one without a significant amount of spiritual energy can see the Seal of Approval. (See Chapter 183) Sooooo we have to assume at this point that Ichigo hasn't lost all of his powers, they just have diminished significantly. Back to 424; While Ichigo reflects on his time as a Shinigami, Ishida rushes out of the room, presumably to confront a Hollow, (my have the turned tables) and later we see Ichigo sulking on the roof with Keigo contemplating his future and of what became of Rukia. Poor little lover boy. He acts tough, but he's a big softy on the inside. On the way home from school, Ichigo beats the crap out of some street punk that steals a mans bag. Ichigo walks away after he returns the bag, telling the man to not say anything about it, when we see a Seal of Approval slip out of this mysterious strangers bag. DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!!!! Moving on to 425: Ichigo has a strange dream of Renji, Byakuya and Rukia telling him to wake up. (creepy!) Upon waking, Ichigo must defend himself from another one of Isshin's surprise attacks. When he tells him about he weird dream, he immediately forgets what it was about.

Back at school, Ichigo is screening different clubs to make a little extra money so that he move out of his dad's place once he graduates. Tatsuki shows up, and tells him of her new job as an assistant of a dojo that they both attended as children. Orihime stops by, making a flashy entrance.

As Tatsuki runs off to work, she reminds Ichigo of his other job, which he has completely forgotten. Blowing off soccer practice, Ichigo calls his employer and pretty much gets himself fired. Responsibility WTF!

As he hangs up, a gang representing the dude that Ichigo beats up in 424 crashes the school gate, looking for revenge. Before Ichigo can get involved, Ishida sticks his d*%k into the situation. Ichigo rushes in to help his best frenemy, a shadowy figure stands off in the distance, watches as sh!t goes down.

An with that the new arc begins. Obviously Ichigo will be getting his powers back at some point, he just need to awaken to them. The real question is how. Is this mysterious man an ally or enemy? Will Shinji and the Visored make a comeback to help a fallen ally? (I hope so because Mashiro is the sh!t) When will we see Rukia again! Will Kon ever have a three-way with Orihime and Rukia? Probably no change on that last one every happening, but they rest will be seen with time I guess.