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Tite Kubo's Bleach Manga Nears Ending
- Thread starter HypnoDarkrai
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Yeezus H. Christ
Banned
Don't know why Aizen had to rank his Espada in the first place
ShockingAlberto
Member
So Kubo could "subvert expectations" by adding more.
ATXAlchemy
Member
He wants to fire the bottom 10% every year.
Because who said the Espada went from 1 to 10?
erotic grandpa
Member
Hey, maybe they'll all go to Hell? Through one of those gates, from early on in the series?
God this series had so, so, so many loose ends and tangents. WSJ chapters for other comics are popping up, so it's almost time.
God this series had so, so, so many loose ends and tangents. WSJ chapters for other comics are popping up, so it's almost time.
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
I suppose keeping the Espada all plotting against each other fretting over their numbers was a good way to keep them in line.
ArgyleReptile
Banned
Just wanted an excuse to tattoo numbers on people.
It's like playing reality sims, except better.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
It feels like people are pedantic about really silly things when it comes to series that it's cool to hate on lol. How is this even a negative?
SoulUnison
Banned
Because it served no real purpose except ending in a twist that seemed to exist just for the sake of itself, and didn't even seem to follow its own internal logic. Does Aaroniero really deserving of an Espada spot? Ulquiorra really 4, with Segunda Etapa? Shouldn't Barrigan be higher? If Yammy's so ridiculously strong, why wasn't his battle important enough to bother showing?
I can't see how you can't see at least one angle from which it was poorly done.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
It's been years since I read/saw it, but the main purpose was to give an instant idea of power levels and add some hype to the strongest of the strong. Ulqui was a surprise, which I don't find an issue with. I don't remember if he could turn into his other form when Ichigo showed up or at a latter time. Barrigan was number two, is that a problem? In regards to the Yami thing, yeah I don't know how to answer that. The original premise itself is pretty good though and you add something similar in a more popular series, and no one complains.
TheSpoiler
Member
Aaroniero was up there because he ate thousands of hollows, and can do so without limit. Shit, he's even able to eat dead ones AND take their abilities and memories.
Nobody knew (according to him, but I bet Aizen did) that he had SE in the first place. He even states that.
Barrigan's ability probably doesn't allow him to bypass high ki. Remember how Soi's ability doesn't work on Aizen? That's sorta how it works - even the most OP abilities can be routed if you are strong enough. That being said, Quincies bypass that largely because they work on a different route.
Yami was garbage, though. Made no sense at all.
Sixfortyfive
He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Barragan being #2 was honestly kind of funny (in a good way). Aizen takes over his kingdom, forces him into his army, and then lets him know that he's not even top dog.
I think that when he used the infamous line ''Who thought the Espada where 1 to 10?'' was when it became stupid.
He tried to do a ''subversion'' or a twist, but all it did was ''why'' ''this is stupid'' ''how''. Even more so because the fight was out of screen.
Ah kubo. Can we get that chapter soon so we can forget Bleach forever?
He tried to do a ''subversion'' or a twist, but all it did was ''why'' ''this is stupid'' ''how''. Even more so because the fight was out of screen.
Ah kubo. Can we get that chapter soon so we can forget Bleach forever?
Bleach has lots of these moments that are actually kind of clever and interesting, which I guess is why some of us were drawn to it. Too bad he loses his way all the time.
The Silver
Member
There's nothing wrong with numbering them, Aizen's reasoning was probably to bolster competition between them(additionally it gives them something to think about besides maybe plotting against him), for the reader(as the person above me said) it serves to hype them up with an easy to understand hierarchy.
Where Kubo fucked up was making them all a bunch of jobbers in the end.
And a nitpick but Harribel didn't feel like a number 3, she seemed Grimmjow level. Kubo sucks at scale and displaying relative power levels, for instance I have no idea if Ichigo is supposed to be stronger than Mugetsu because his feats pale in comparison.
Where Kubo fucked up was making them all a bunch of jobbers in the end.
And a nitpick but Harribel didn't feel like a number 3, she seemed Grimmjow level. Kubo sucks at scale and displaying relative power levels, for instance I have no idea if Ichigo is supposed to be stronger than Mugetsu because his feats pale in comparison.
Crimson_Echidna
Banned
That reminds me, the Yammy reveal was the dumbest fucking thing ever, especially since Kubo then decided not to do anything with it.
Didn't the story cut away at some point only to cut back later to him already defeated?
God what a crock.
(Not that I wanted to see giant Yammy job it up)
Crimson_Echidna
Banned
Yep, the Yammy twist was literally just a plot device to keep some of the Captain from returning with Ichigo to Karakura town.So despite being "the strongest Arrancar" he just jobs off screen and dies.
ASilentProtagonist
Member
What number would've Ulquiorra been ranked if he showed Aizen his Segunda Etapa?
Yeezus H. Christ
Banned
it's the definition of show, don't tell
what makes it worse is that Kubo's rankings came to bite him back in the ass when Barragan looked stronger than Stark ever did and Halibel looked even weaker than Nnoitra, someone two rankings beneath her
Principate
Saint Titanfall
The current Espada aren't the only arancar around, there was a whole another set of previous espada who the current espada usurped which was plot point. It's basically the same mindset as ranking children in class, gives you the motivation to be number one. It wasn't really illogical either unless your going have another organisation system i can't see why that system is worse than not having one.
WhiskeyDiver
Member
That's something that always irked me. Those two aspects of his power are at the core of his very being. I can't see them just being gone forever. There's no doubt a way for him to gain those powers back through some long, drawn out and over the top process. Juju Bach's slurping of his quincy and hollow powers was merely a temporary setback OH WAIT THE SERIES IS COMING TO AN ABRUPT CONCLUSION. Oh darn. We'll never see the 50 chapter epic that would painfully describe, in detail, the process of how Chichigo got all of his powers back.
With how the series is wrapping up I guess he'd just take them right back then and there!
Though it was stated in that earlier chapter that his Quincy powers really were holding back his Shinigami powers. I speculated on if there was some intended symbolism with the Bankai's apperance, but even if that was a fluke on his part it wouldn't surprise me if being a hybrid was holding him back and his full shinigami power would wreck him.
Which also leaves without much of an answer for why he was so disproportionately powerful just from his dad's side though. Kubo bullshit once again, though I guess it could be argued those other powers let his main shinigami powers strengthen through stress and that they helped kickstart his acquiring of powers in the first place even if they weren't particularly useful at the end game (and hell, looking at the either Visoreds seems to prove the Hollow power is overrated as hell anyway.)
Sho_Nuff82
Member
If anything you can argue that Harribel was ranked so highly because her power over water was so broken. It's a power that would give anyone accept Yama and Hitsugaya a lot of trouble.
Even with that, she's still clearly below Ulquiorra's first form, which should be just comically beyond captain level for h2h combat if any of the previous fights make sense logically.
Both Stark & Barrigan pretty effortlessly fought Captain-level opponents without sustaining damage (with Stark only being defeated by a rule-fucker power after being literally stabbed in the back), so their ranks seem justified.
Yami's reveal was obviously a mistake. He's slow as shit, not remotely invulnerable to standard sword slashes, and has no special powers. Pure filler.
I dunno man. Bleach has gone so far past my previous definition of "awful" that I don't even know what to call it anymore. It's so bad that I can't even comprehend how bad it is anymore.
It wouldn't even be a wet fart. It would be like... some kind of Lovecraftian wet fart.
Nocturnowl
Member
Thread reminding me that Aaroniero actually existed, surprised I didn't remember such a quirky design.
Kubo Tite
That was from a ex espada wasn't it? plus Aizen was a lying shit of course he probably didn't tell them the true numbering
Haha, that's hilarious.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
It doesn't really make sense though, because it was stated his hollow powers are his shinigami powers and always were. I mea who the hell is chilling out in ichigo's inner world right now because if power are really gone it can't really be old man Zangetsu or hollow ichigo (though it should be hollow ichigo)..
It's a shame such a neat design was wasted.
...
That's kinda the standard in Bleach, isn't it?
Watch as he's boring enough to just have his normal self in there.
SkywardBeam
Member
He also had by far the best death sequence, at least in the anime. Soundscape to Ardor (easily the best track from Bleach's OST) combined with Toshihiko Seki's maniacal laughter gave me goosebumps and made me shed more than one tear when Aaroniero died. He deserved better (like my boy Dordoni)
But instead Kubo gave us dozens of chapters/ episodes with shit heads like Szayel or that lame ass Ulquiorra. How the latter became such a fan favorite is still beyond me. He had zero personality and one of the most bland designs Kubo ever created. Not as bad as the pumpkin guy, but still one of the worst Arrancar.Same here.
The problem w/ Yami was his personality was awful, he acted like a runt/do-boy and he got smacked around like one. Who cares if he's almost invincible if she still gets punked around anyway?
JonahHillno.gif Szayel Aporro and Ulquiorra were two of the best characters in the entire series. Kubo's execution of Ulquiorra was as close to flawless as he's probably capable of; even as a fan of the character I thought the send off was beautiful (for a shounen). I would read a manga focused on Mayuri vs Szayel and their twisted asspull wars.
I did notice you said episodes... the arc w/ SA dragged in the anime (lol running thru dungeons) but in manga form it was a lot more enjoyable.
The Ulquiorra fight was one of the best things Kubo ever did, art wise. Lots of feeling expressed in that ink.
Nocturnowl
Member
Well I guess that happens when you never stop designing characters, even if the man could pace things well you'd still get most of the cast shafted.
I'm inclined to agree on the bold.He also had by far the best death sequence, at least in the anime. Soundscape to Ardor (easily the best track from Bleach's OST) combined with Toshihiko Seki's maniacal laughter gave me goosebumps and made me shed more than one tear when Aaroniero died. He deserved better (like my boy Dordoni)
This week is the last chapter of Bleach?
I remember years ago when Naruto popularity was in full swing in the USA and my friend got into Bleach and I watched it with him and it was fun, up until the end of the Soul Society arc and basically nothing happened. I was like yeah this is trash and a waste of time, there's no good storytelling here. A bunch of my friends continued to watch/read it but I'm glad I stopped, sounds like it was a real shit show.
I remember years ago when Naruto popularity was in full swing in the USA and my friend got into Bleach and I watched it with him and it was fun, up until the end of the Soul Society arc and basically nothing happened. I was like yeah this is trash and a waste of time, there's no good storytelling here. A bunch of my friends continued to watch/read it but I'm glad I stopped, sounds like it was a real shit show.
The Silver
Member
man I was rereading the Ichibei/Yhwach fight, goddamn that last chapter was Asspull City. I was cracking up when Yhwach kept going "Nope, that's not gonna work on me, don't need to explain why, fuck you".
It makes SOME sense now that we know he can transform the future, but why didn't he just explode Ichigo in this fight then? Maybe he just thought it'd work better for him if he tried to absorb him but it still seems like throwing the fight effectively.
AntraxSuicide
Banned
Considering how rushed the Arrancar and Fullbringer arcs are. Are we sure Kubo is being rushed or maybe he's not good at endings?
I don't know about the Arrancar ending, but I'd imagine there was a lot of push from editors and fans to wrap that up fast. People weren't liking it at all.
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