[Ashura5000]

I've been rereading the Fake Karukara Town Arc recently, since I've been collecting the books as they have been released, so it's been interesting going through THAT war again and comparing it to what looks like the first stage of the 1000 Year War Arc.

It looks like, at the very least, Kubo has learned from his mistakes- not dragging out fights that don't matter, for one. Especially when they seemed to stick to a formula back in the previous arcs.

Bad guy and good guy trade blows all confidently, then the bad guy released his sword and then the good guy would release theirs and, if they have done so before, they'd reveal a new technique and win.

(On an unrelated note, a lot of people were annoyed at Stark's death at the hands of a Shikai- personally, I found that it makes sense considering the guy was pretty much fighting around 4 Captains and never really seemed to be on defence until he got stabbed in the back, after what must have been just a period of time of Shunsui just observing and waiting for the right moment to strike- BIG unrelated though XD)

But back on this arc! It seems that things are developing at a faster rate with this wars focus bieng on the things that matter which is probably leading up to, I think, a period of time where Soul Society is "destroyed" and Ichigo comes to it only to find that he is too late. Sort of like in Naruto with the fights versus Pein and how they all moved at a very fast rate with lots of changing in perspectives and it felt like a countdown to SOMETHING- and that something was Pein nuking Konoha and then Naruto arriving too late.

After that I guess we'll see a big change in the dynamic of the series, since I still feel as though the Arc has only just begun.

Off course I am more than willing to admit/believe/suspect that I am totally wrong :P