oo-ooo-oooooohhhhh, caught in a bad romance
Oh, Bleach.
Bleach.
Bleach.
Why do you do this to me?
Kubo, in the past two years, reading your manga has been like an abusive relationship for me. I kept going back, every week, as if you had something to offer me, as if there was some sort of future for us, even knowing I was just going to be figuratively slapped over and over again with your descent into madness, your slow destruction of everything I loved about your manga.
And then, you gave me Bleach 424.
You sucked me in with your beautiful color pages. The quiet melancholy of an Ichigo without powers, soft colors, even a shoutout to your very first title splash. All the secondary characters' heads were facing away from the reader. It was beautiful in its tragic ache. I clenched my teeth. No. I couldn't allow myself to be lured back in with your serpent's tongue.
Character development for Yuzu and Karin. Isshin shenanigans. Ichigo's old narrative voice, solemn and declarative. I flashed back to June of 2007. Back when I loved you, Kubo. Back when I loved this. I saw Mizuiro and tried not to cry. He was my favorite guy, back when I thought he was going to have any bearing on the narrative. Karin's ponytail was adorable. Keigo's kissyface and subsequent beating nearly undid me.
Tatsuki.
Oh, god, Tatsuki was beautiful.
I don't even want to talk about my ship right now.
The scene of Ichigo staring at his badge, the last physical reminder of what he went through, I just stared. Stared at it. The loss was so tangible. Ichigo returning to his old tsundere self, back when he actually HAD a personality. Back when he was something more than Shonen Protagonist. Ichigo ruminating that he's finally gotten what he used to crave. Remember that? I do. I do, Kubo. I do remember.
And then that foreboding in the last panel. Just like you used to do.
Fuck you, Tite Kubo. Because it could have been this good for the past three years, and it wasn't. Because you fucked it up, you piece of shit.
And what's more, you managed to prove I still goddamn care.
Oh, and by the way, you stole this arc's founding idea from Yu Yu Hakusho. Like everything else that was ever good in this series. Maybe that goddamn says something.
Bleach.
Bleach.
Why do you do this to me?
Kubo, in the past two years, reading your manga has been like an abusive relationship for me. I kept going back, every week, as if you had something to offer me, as if there was some sort of future for us, even knowing I was just going to be figuratively slapped over and over again with your descent into madness, your slow destruction of everything I loved about your manga.
And then, you gave me Bleach 424.
You sucked me in with your beautiful color pages. The quiet melancholy of an Ichigo without powers, soft colors, even a shoutout to your very first title splash. All the secondary characters' heads were facing away from the reader. It was beautiful in its tragic ache. I clenched my teeth. No. I couldn't allow myself to be lured back in with your serpent's tongue.
Character development for Yuzu and Karin. Isshin shenanigans. Ichigo's old narrative voice, solemn and declarative. I flashed back to June of 2007. Back when I loved you, Kubo. Back when I loved this. I saw Mizuiro and tried not to cry. He was my favorite guy, back when I thought he was going to have any bearing on the narrative. Karin's ponytail was adorable. Keigo's kissyface and subsequent beating nearly undid me.
Tatsuki.
Oh, god, Tatsuki was beautiful.
I don't even want to talk about my ship right now.
The scene of Ichigo staring at his badge, the last physical reminder of what he went through, I just stared. Stared at it. The loss was so tangible. Ichigo returning to his old tsundere self, back when he actually HAD a personality. Back when he was something more than Shonen Protagonist. Ichigo ruminating that he's finally gotten what he used to crave. Remember that? I do. I do, Kubo. I do remember.
And then that foreboding in the last panel. Just like you used to do.
Fuck you, Tite Kubo. Because it could have been this good for the past three years, and it wasn't. Because you fucked it up, you piece of shit.
And what's more, you managed to prove I still goddamn care.
Oh, and by the way, you stole this arc's founding idea from Yu Yu Hakusho. Like everything else that was ever good in this series. Maybe that goddamn says something.