(L) Bleach - Thousand-Year Blood War Arc - anime episode discussion

[Kanon]

It's four cours. 52 episodes.

[Mad Pierrot]

What?! With the current pacing I have no idea what else can they do for so many episodes.

[FlareKnight]

Heck of a ride this episode. That speech from Byakuya was pretty perfect. Really hammered home how far his character has come. Both knowing he could ask this of Ichigo and knowing that he wouldn't need a verbal response. These two have had a questionable history, but there's no questioning the faith Byakuya has in Kurosaki Ichigo.

I don't even feel bad about Ichigo not winning. While that guy was having a lazy chat with Aizen, Ichigo was desperately struggling to escape that jail. Now I guess there's two ways to look at it. Without the jail he doesn't awaken to being able to use that Blut ability. Which...would have been bad. But without it he arrives much sooner, he isn't fatigued, and a lot more people might be alive. Heck, maybe when Yhwach shows up he could stop him from cutting down Yamamoto or stealing his Bankai. It's all what-ifs though. Maybe things end up even worse.

I sure hope the Quincy need a long rest before being able to come back...this is brutally bad. They lost the Head Captain, other captains, and many are injured. It's a total disaster. Just recovering as an organization is going to be brutal.

Hopefully Inoue is ok. They really need her over there in a hurry. Although exposing her to a massacre like this would be brutal too. But that all depends on who the heck showed up and maybe attacked Urahara.

I'll also guess that Yhwach was talking figuratively about Ichigo being his son. Since I fully believe Ishinn is Ichigo's father .

Originally Posted by Mad Pierrot

What?! With the current pacing I have no idea what else can they do for so many episodes.

I guess we're going to find out . I think there's plenty that can be done. Yhwach's plans aren't even clear at this point. Just destroying Soul Society isn't likely to be the end of it. It is hard to gauge what else will happen since the main antagonist remains in shadow to a degree. We've seen him fight, seen the past, and have a good idea of the overall history. But the present and future could lead to a long ride that needs 40+ more episodes to explore.

[Strahan]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

I don't even feel bad about Ichigo not winning.

Especially not since it's a given. A shounen action hero can't be beating the end boss in seven episodes, lol. Gotta follow the formula - fight, do ok for a bit, get stomped, train, return and triumph If anything, I wish they'd have hastened the fight a bit since we know it wouldn't go anywhere. I'd rather not waste time on it.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

I'll also guess that Yhwach was talking figuratively about Ichigo being his son. Since I fully believe Ishinn is Ichigo's father .

Oh, Isshin is definitely his father. Them sharing Getsuga Tensho as a technique is all the proof you need. Besides, his Shinigami powers have to come from somewhere. Yhwach specifically singled out his mother, so that's how he's connected to the Quincies.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

If Ichigo defeating Aizen with a Getsuga-asspull didn't already shatter my respect for Bleach writing, this twist probably would've done it.

[Galaxian]

Originally Posted by Kanon

I don't remember the order of events too well, but I feel like they'd want to go this far in this cour even if it means postponing other stuff until later.

Hope not...

Spoiler for :

...because that would mean the anime will rush through the Everything but the Rain chapters and that would be a tragedy.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

If Ichigo defeating Aizen with a Getsuga-asspull didn't already shatter my respect for Bleach writing, this twist probably would've done it.

That beatdown still satisfies me to this day .

[rladls2121]

This Domino guy, was he talking to Ichigo, other people using "Katanas", or to himself before Ichigo just "killed" him?

Does everyone think Ichigo's current Blut Vene work on Ulquiorra at his best two years ago?

[Mad Pierrot]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

If Ichigo defeating Aizen with a Getsuga-asspull didn't already shatter my respect for Bleach writing, this twist probably would've done it.

This sure brings back memories (though I gotta give credit for Urahara being the actual winner of that fight as Aizen wasn't defeated back then by the Getsuga)

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Mad Pierrot

This sure brings back memories (though I gotta give credit for Urahara being the actual winner of that fight as Aizen wasn't defeated back then by the Getsuga)

Well, Urahara had the method that finally sealed Aizen but Ichigo was the only reason Aizen was in a position for it to work if I remember right.

[MAX_COLA_POWER!]

Originally Posted by Frontier

Well, Urahara had the method that finally sealed Aizen but Ichigo was the only reason Aizen was in a position for it to work if I remember right.

You remembered right. Even though Kisuke already placed the sealing Kido in Sosuke long before the final battle, it took Ichigo fighting him to his absolute limit for it to finally kick in.

Also, I read somewhere that apparently instead of having episode 8 and 9 next week and the following week, they're gonna lump them together as a 1 hour episode for December 12 since some other programming will be taking up their usual time slot the next 2 weeks. Just want to make sure if anyone else has read something like it.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by MAX_COLA_POWER!

Also, I read somewhere that apparently instead of having episode 8 and 9 next week and the following week, they're gonna lump them together as a 1 hour episode for December 12 since some other programming will be taking up their usual time slot the next 2 weeks. Just want to make sure if anyone else has read something like it.

I've heard nothing of the sort. The episode will air on Monday as usual, preview images are even already out.

[MAX_COLA_POWER!]

Ah, just found it. It’s only one station that’s doing so: https://twitter.com/BLEACHanimation/...lpFueCVIe9iwaQ it’s only for Sendai broadcasting. Everyone else will be showing it as per the usual schedule.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by rladls2121

This Domino guy, was he talking to Ichigo, other people using "Katanas", or to himself before Ichigo just "killed" him?

Does everyone think Ichigo's current Blut Vene work on Ulquiorra at his best two years ago?

He was definitely talking to Ichigo there. Getting ready for his big villainous introduction against a very pissed off Ichigo that wasn't bothering with it. Although he might as well have just been talking to himself since Ichigo definitely wasn't listening . That was a fun first-person scene too. Just Ichigo quickly grabbing Akon and blasting past that idiot to get him to (relative) safety.

I'm going with a strong "maybe" to that second question . Although it might have made things worse since it could have turned that fight into more of a stalemate. Ichigo wasn't exactly finding good ways to hit and do damage in that situation. Maybe it stops Ulquiorra from his fetish of punching holes through people, but at his absolute best? Hard to say. I think it's possible though since Yhwach is hardly a pushover.

[Frontier]

The Soul Society has a lot of injured and a lot of dead to take stock of...and it's enough to bring poor Isane to tears .

Oh hey, Hanataro! Worried about Ichigo's health as always! We even got to see the blonde healer guy too .

It's nice to see Ichigo and Rukia have their great rapport as always and not even being heavily injured will prevent Rukia from calling him an idiot. Even Shinji's still doing it too. Although Rukia knows Ichigo well enough to recognize that Ichigo's got more weighing on his mind than just his inability to defeat Yhwach and his broken Zankapto .

Good news, Byakuya and Kenpachi aren't dead! Bad news, they're in comas .

Tensions are pretty high in Gotei 13 with Yamamoto dead, especially from Soi Fon, but Shunsui's doing his level best to keep everybody on-point and focused. But that shot of him overlooking the crater of Old Man Yama's death was so powerful .

Mayuri basically just telling Ichigo that Zangetsu's permanently broken. Well, that's a fine way to start a new morning .

Holy crud, Kon! Basically a cameo, but Kon! And Ichigo had no idea where he'd been this whole time. And Mayuri turned Kon into a projector communication device. And like nobody else reacts to him being there, poor guy .

Time for Squad Zero to enter the fray! Five individuals more powerful than the entire Gotei 13! And in true Bleach fashion, they're quite the characters! And they have history with our current captains as well, with this big fun Kirio woman having known Shinji and Hiyori (their former captain?), Tenshiro and his weaponized pompadour having apparently taught Unohana everything she knew about healing, and this icy beauty bone lady who was the head of the science division. Wow .

Wait...Grimmjow was the one who saved Urahahara, Chad, and Orihime!? I'd recognize Junichi Suwabe's voice anywhere. And it looks like he's as angry at Ichigo as ever. Also, Chad was trying to hold him back with frikkin maracas ?

Unohana really did not appreciate getting her healing called into question or the implication of what she has to do now .

Oh hey, Kukaku! It was nice to see her again. Always launching people in rockets. And long-haired Ganju. And the...Fullbringers!? Including Ginjo!? Didn't he die? Like, what .

(Why did the hair of that captain they were flashing back to look familiar...)

It's funny how Ichigo managed to achieve what Aizen was after the whole time so casually thanks to Squad Zero's muscle Ouken's, even if he's not at a point in the story where he can meet the Soul King in his crystal and weird eye state .

Jeez, Squad Zero has their own castle and domains? That seems like pretty cushy living !

Hot Springs episode? Where people get tossed to and from a hot spring into a bloody pool? Um...okay .

Kenpahic being surprisingly beautiful in his next episode preview poem !

[MAX_COLA_POWER!]

Kirio Hikifune was Hiyori’s old captain before the turn back the pendulum flashback mini arc. But yeah, her, Tenjiro, Senjumaru, Ouetsu, and Ichibei look like quite the group of characters.

[LKK]

Manga spoiler questions have been moved to the manga discussion thread.

[Gerard07]

They moved my questions, but it's okay XD.
Just to confirm, will this part of the Bleach anime have 13 chapters or not?

[Mad Pierrot]

Man, I noticed that it wasn't only in the Arrancar arc only but the Shinigamis take over the main plot always. Orihime, Sado and Uryu are kinda minor in comparison. But why were they even covering Grimmjow? They forgot to ask the designer?

And I gotta say, all the chaos in this arc kinda disappeared with the revelation that only two known Shinigamis died. Taguchi gave this arc a nice sense of despair but only Yamamoto got quite a good death. I barely remember the other dude's name.