THIS IS POISON LOLLIPOP!
So Color Bleach+/Official Bootleg came out in English and I picked up a copy yesterday! If you've never seen them before, kay_willow has wonderful translations of the Recruitment Fair Q/A sessions and the Divisional Profiles in her journal here. I'm not gonna go in deep detail here (if you have a particular part that you've never seen translated and are interested, ask me!), but here are the most important parts:
- Yama's VC, Choujiro, is a British otaku. He always brings back black tea whenever he goes to the human world, and has tried (and failed) to grow it. His cloak is fashioned after the British gents he saw and fell in love with in the human world and he made it himself.
- Yama and his VC are described as 'the perfect pair'
- Stripped!Ukitake's power and coolness are both ∞
- The bootleg apparently thinks Yoruichi was never in the Gotei 13
- The postcard that Rangiku sent reviewing 'Please Teach Me, Shuuhei-sensei!' is shown. She calls the article 'silly', 'stupid', 'not reliable', 'weak', and 'cute' (there's an option for both 'I like his looks' and 'I just don't like his looks' and she picks neither one). She says of his writing that she 'just doesn't like it', it's 'hard to read', and it's 'not gripping'. She says she'd read it as a regular column if it was... a one-shot(?). And at the bottom, she signs her name with hearts all around it, tries and fails three times to draw a picture of Shuuhei, scribbles it all out, and writes "GO SHUUHEI!" instead. This is what caused him to hide in his office for three days.
- Nanao is still HBIC. Eh is a pretty cool guy and doesn't afraid of Yamamoto and his green tea.
- Unohana is called the 'perfect Japanese woman' a couple of times, owing to her grace and elegance (and her ability to keep bitches in line by smiling).
- Kenpachi's stats have a typo - his Attack is supposed to be 100 (from the scans) and it's typoed as 199. Yeah, Kenpachi is so beast that he broke the editorial department at Viz.
- Hitsugaya's monthly article is called 'Beautiful Crystal' and it's about him making ice sculptures based on reader's suggestions
- Aizen's photobook was supposed to be called 'Smile of the Sun'. Gin's was supposed to be called 'White Snake'. O LOL.
- The only captain's photobooks to sell completely out have been Hitsugaya (he got a reprint), Ukitake, and Shunsui. Shunsui's book had a really low print run.
- On the Editorial PS pages, Nanao thanks everyone for the birthday presents she's still getting... in August. Shunsui reminds everyone that he's still accepting birthday presents from pretty girls... in August. Their birthdays are both in July.
- Yama is REALLY OLD AND SENILE SOMETIMES. He's also good at 'dry towel massage'. What a pimp.
- Kira's haiku are REALLY REALLY BAD.
- Momo's profile is about how she's cute when she's mad and how popular she is with other companies because she's so moe.
- There's a blurb about how important greetings and etiquette are in Sixth Division and in being a proper shinigami... right next to Renji walking around in his yukata and blowing past some girls with a 'Mornin''. Uhh.
- Renji's profile mentions he's childhood friends with Thirteenth Division member Kuchiki Rukia. Rukia's profile mentions she's childhood friends with Sixth Division VC Abarai Renji.
- The only mentions of Ichigo in the entire book (besides the two color comics he appears in) are in Kaien's profile (to say the Ryoka looked like Kaien) and in a Special Report on the Ryoka Invasion done for the Seireitei Bulletin.
- There's a small paragraph on how Kaien is the one caught and raised Bonnie, Ganju's boar. Bonnie loved Kaien more than anyone, and he's the one who gave her the ribbon she wears. This is why she doesn't get along with Ganju - he's technically her second owner.
- One of the Eighth Division blurbs is 'Enjoy Spring in a Floating World!' I actually just learned the meaning of the term 'floating world', which relates to the Buddhist influence on Japanese culture that says life is impermanent and fleeting (its original meaning was that everything dies, but...). The Heian aristocracy enjoyed the world a lot like Shunsui does. 'Spring' is the first kanji of Shunsui's name.
- Eighth Division's profile is very Shun/Nana. Oh yes.
- Tousen is described as 'a ray of light in the dark'. Uh huh.
- Rangiku is allergic to bamboo shoots.
- Rangiku shows up at the end of 'Teach Me, Shuuhei-sensei!' to drink and make heartmarks. This flusters Shuuhei so bad he can't continue.
- Shuuhei promises he'll respond to 120% of fan letters! PLEASE SEND HIM FAN LETTERS, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!
- The glasses and goggles at the Silver Dragonfly are really ungodly expensive. The pair Renji wore in the beginning of the series cost about $850 (provided kan directly convert into yen).
- Renji's column, 'Let's Do Shikai!', is so fail that even Rikichi walks out on him. Oh, Renji.
- Apparently, according to the Divisional Placement Quiz, I really would be in Twelfth Division. I KNEW IT SOB.
- The cover is reversible - you can make it into a cover of the actual Seireitei Bulletin.
- The 'Special Report' on the Ryoka Invasion is the 'official' version of what happened in the SS arc for the shinigami. Here are some interesting tidbits from that:
* Ichigo is described as 'crude', 'fearsome' and 'smug'. I think the 'crude' bit refers back to the feeling that shinigami are more 'refined' than the people in Rukongai (like the Heian aristocracy used 'countrified' and 'provincial' as the worst of insults). It also implies that rescuing Rukia wasn't his true objective, but I think this is idle speculation.
* Ishida is said to have only been there for revenge for his clan.
* Chad is called a 'barbarian' and emphasis is made on how destructive and fearsome he is.
* Orihime's blurb IS AMAZING and goes:
A Thorn Hiding Inside a Beautiful Flower: Inoue Orihime
Don't be fooled by her appearance. She attacked members of Twelfth Company and absconded with their clothes. Her offenses are odious. Do not let down your guard!
(caption on inset picture of the shinigami she robbed) The two victims of Twelfth Company. They discussed the situation fearfully.
A Sinister Ability to Control Others
What is most dangerous about Inoue Orihime is her sly way of speaking in order to get close to you -- a power that is evil and disarming. Even Captain Zaraki of Eleventh Company fell victim to her poison fangs. How frightening!
(caption on inset picture of Kenpachi giving Orihime a piggyback ride) A Court Guard on patrol took this picture by chance. Even Captain Zaraki was on hand...
* Orihime is the only Ryoka actually called 'evil'. The others are called 'murderous' and 'fearsome' as a group, but she's the only one called 'evil'. Now watch some idiot completely miss the parody here and use that as a basis for some essay talking about how Kubo acknowledges Orihime is an evil, mind-controlling witch
* The reason Aizen, Gin, and Tousen are referred to as 'on leave of absence' in the rest of the book is because the official story is that three 'shadows' went to Hueco Mundo. The Captains and VCs covered up their defection (and presumably Aizen's fake death).
* The contents of Isane's Tentei Kura are not common knowledge.
* Yamamoto cleared the Ryoka of all charges by simply saying "The Ryoka are not guilty". Hence, the shinigami at large still think of them as shady criminals.
So yes, this made my little Shun/Nana and ShuuRan shipper heart happy.
- Yama's VC, Choujiro, is a British otaku. He always brings back black tea whenever he goes to the human world, and has tried (and failed) to grow it. His cloak is fashioned after the British gents he saw and fell in love with in the human world and he made it himself.
- Yama and his VC are described as 'the perfect pair'
- Stripped!Ukitake's power and coolness are both ∞
- The bootleg apparently thinks Yoruichi was never in the Gotei 13
- The postcard that Rangiku sent reviewing 'Please Teach Me, Shuuhei-sensei!' is shown. She calls the article 'silly', 'stupid', 'not reliable', 'weak', and 'cute' (there's an option for both 'I like his looks' and 'I just don't like his looks' and she picks neither one). She says of his writing that she 'just doesn't like it', it's 'hard to read', and it's 'not gripping'. She says she'd read it as a regular column if it was... a one-shot(?). And at the bottom, she signs her name with hearts all around it, tries and fails three times to draw a picture of Shuuhei, scribbles it all out, and writes "GO SHUUHEI!" instead. This is what caused him to hide in his office for three days.
- Nanao is still HBIC. Eh is a pretty cool guy and doesn't afraid of Yamamoto and his green tea.
- Unohana is called the 'perfect Japanese woman' a couple of times, owing to her grace and elegance (and her ability to keep bitches in line by smiling).
- Kenpachi's stats have a typo - his Attack is supposed to be 100 (from the scans) and it's typoed as 199. Yeah, Kenpachi is so beast that he broke the editorial department at Viz.
- Hitsugaya's monthly article is called 'Beautiful Crystal' and it's about him making ice sculptures based on reader's suggestions
- Aizen's photobook was supposed to be called 'Smile of the Sun'. Gin's was supposed to be called 'White Snake'. O LOL.
- The only captain's photobooks to sell completely out have been Hitsugaya (he got a reprint), Ukitake, and Shunsui. Shunsui's book had a really low print run.
- On the Editorial PS pages, Nanao thanks everyone for the birthday presents she's still getting... in August. Shunsui reminds everyone that he's still accepting birthday presents from pretty girls... in August. Their birthdays are both in July.
- Yama is REALLY OLD AND SENILE SOMETIMES. He's also good at 'dry towel massage'. What a pimp.
- Kira's haiku are REALLY REALLY BAD.
- Momo's profile is about how she's cute when she's mad and how popular she is with other companies because she's so moe.
- There's a blurb about how important greetings and etiquette are in Sixth Division and in being a proper shinigami... right next to Renji walking around in his yukata and blowing past some girls with a 'Mornin''. Uhh.
- Renji's profile mentions he's childhood friends with Thirteenth Division member Kuchiki Rukia. Rukia's profile mentions she's childhood friends with Sixth Division VC Abarai Renji.
- The only mentions of Ichigo in the entire book (besides the two color comics he appears in) are in Kaien's profile (to say the Ryoka looked like Kaien) and in a Special Report on the Ryoka Invasion done for the Seireitei Bulletin.
- There's a small paragraph on how Kaien is the one caught and raised Bonnie, Ganju's boar. Bonnie loved Kaien more than anyone, and he's the one who gave her the ribbon she wears. This is why she doesn't get along with Ganju - he's technically her second owner.
- One of the Eighth Division blurbs is 'Enjoy Spring in a Floating World!' I actually just learned the meaning of the term 'floating world', which relates to the Buddhist influence on Japanese culture that says life is impermanent and fleeting (its original meaning was that everything dies, but...). The Heian aristocracy enjoyed the world a lot like Shunsui does. 'Spring' is the first kanji of Shunsui's name.
- Eighth Division's profile is very Shun/Nana. Oh yes.
- Tousen is described as 'a ray of light in the dark'. Uh huh.
- Rangiku is allergic to bamboo shoots.
- Rangiku shows up at the end of 'Teach Me, Shuuhei-sensei!' to drink and make heartmarks. This flusters Shuuhei so bad he can't continue.
- Shuuhei promises he'll respond to 120% of fan letters! PLEASE SEND HIM FAN LETTERS, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!
- The glasses and goggles at the Silver Dragonfly are really ungodly expensive. The pair Renji wore in the beginning of the series cost about $850 (provided kan directly convert into yen).
- Renji's column, 'Let's Do Shikai!', is so fail that even Rikichi walks out on him. Oh, Renji.
- Apparently, according to the Divisional Placement Quiz, I really would be in Twelfth Division. I KNEW IT SOB.
- The cover is reversible - you can make it into a cover of the actual Seireitei Bulletin.
- The 'Special Report' on the Ryoka Invasion is the 'official' version of what happened in the SS arc for the shinigami. Here are some interesting tidbits from that:
* Ichigo is described as 'crude', 'fearsome' and 'smug'. I think the 'crude' bit refers back to the feeling that shinigami are more 'refined' than the people in Rukongai (like the Heian aristocracy used 'countrified' and 'provincial' as the worst of insults). It also implies that rescuing Rukia wasn't his true objective, but I think this is idle speculation.
* Ishida is said to have only been there for revenge for his clan.
* Chad is called a 'barbarian' and emphasis is made on how destructive and fearsome he is.
* Orihime's blurb IS AMAZING and goes:
A Thorn Hiding Inside a Beautiful Flower: Inoue Orihime
Don't be fooled by her appearance. She attacked members of Twelfth Company and absconded with their clothes. Her offenses are odious. Do not let down your guard!
(caption on inset picture of the shinigami she robbed) The two victims of Twelfth Company. They discussed the situation fearfully.
A Sinister Ability to Control Others
What is most dangerous about Inoue Orihime is her sly way of speaking in order to get close to you -- a power that is evil and disarming. Even Captain Zaraki of Eleventh Company fell victim to her poison fangs. How frightening!
(caption on inset picture of Kenpachi giving Orihime a piggyback ride) A Court Guard on patrol took this picture by chance. Even Captain Zaraki was on hand...
* Orihime is the only Ryoka actually called 'evil'. The others are called 'murderous' and 'fearsome' as a group, but she's the only one called 'evil'. Now watch some idiot completely miss the parody here and use that as a basis for some essay talking about how Kubo acknowledges Orihime is an evil, mind-controlling witch
* The reason Aizen, Gin, and Tousen are referred to as 'on leave of absence' in the rest of the book is because the official story is that three 'shadows' went to Hueco Mundo. The Captains and VCs covered up their defection (and presumably Aizen's fake death).
* The contents of Isane's Tentei Kura are not common knowledge.
* Yamamoto cleared the Ryoka of all charges by simply saying "The Ryoka are not guilty". Hence, the shinigami at large still think of them as shady criminals.
So yes, this made my little Shun/Nana and ShuuRan shipper heart happy.