Bleach 316 early spoilers (which may be revealed later as -40 or the likes)
Box says "5th Division Captain (Then), Hirako Shinji".
Shinji says "Well, aren’t you dressed normal(ly)." (Pocketmofo translation)
3rd squad captain Rose
5th squad captain Shinji, vice captain Aizen
7th squad captain Love
12th squad vice captain Hiyori
The Royal Guard, squad 0 was in existance
This was 110 years ago.
Thoughts:
- Oldskool YEAH! Urahara-time Soul Society is something all (okay, a lot of) fans have been dying to see. I've been more excited to see backstories more than the HM arc ever since the rumours of Kubo taking a two-month interlude surfaced. And I sure am excited now.
- Squad 0 is mentioned and the first thing that came to my (and other fans') mind is Isshin being its captain. But it won't be the first for Kubo to choose the unlikely way and have it be Tessai or Hacchi or somebody else.
- 110 years ago means that Urahara and Yoruichi is still around. We might even see the circumstances behind the Hougyoku creation and Urahara's subsequent exile. Though if it's true that Rukia got Hougyoku'd some time before Urahara came to Karakura, I don't think it would be revealed explicitly in this flashback, more likely to be in an in-story flashback scene for shock effect.
- No mention (yet) of captains of the 6th, 9th, 10th, all of whom must be different persons with the present-day captains.
- Speaking of captains, Gin became captain about the same time as Byakuya, less than 49 years ago. The question now is if he's Rose's successor or there's another person between them. If he's Rose successor, does this mean he left SS later and not together with Shinji?
- So many captain-level people leave in the last century! How could this not be spoken of for the entire 300 chapters before? Urahara and Yoruichi's departure had seem like a big deal, but now we have Isshin, Shinji, Hiyori, Rose and Love too. Possibly also Kensei, Risa, Hacchi and Mashiro unless they're comrades that joined later.
- Other people potentially appearing: New recruit Tousen, long-haired Soi, Yama-jii looking the same as always, Shunsui & Ukitake (possibly with shorter hair), child Gin, shinigami Tessai. Or is that too greedy of me?
- The fandom is exploding with comments with just one picture! XD (Including me.)
- I think this settles that shinigami's aging is not merely slower than humans. Shinji can still pass as a high school students nowadays despite being centuries old. Meanwhile, Aizen is an adult. Perhaps a shinigami is as old as he/she wants it to? But that doesn't explain Hitsugaya. I'm almost sure he at least would not want to be seen as a child by Momo.
Also, I looked at the newest Bleach fandom meme and the first thing that crossed my mind is if it's primarily a way to earn from ad views. O_o; (only if LJ has a program that gives a share of your site's ad revenues though)