New Bleach chapter out
On the one hand: nii-sama, you sexy bitch.
On the other hand: nii-sama, I am so scared for you.
I do have to say that I love this new Byakuya as he enters the chapter, but he also scares the shit out of me, because the way he's fighting testifies to the nature of the threat in Soul Society. Byakuya is an honorable fighter, by and large - even with Tsukishima (where at the end he allowed himself to be wounded and to act spontaneously) the fight itself was generally ordained by principles of strike, counterstrike, and the like. In other words, Byakuya often fights to humiliate and to "punish" his enemies, I guess - here, he's simply seeking to eliminate them. Getting in strike right off the bat? Collapsing the ground below Wrestler Quincy (in a move very reminiscent to me of Ishida taking down Yammy)? This is not typical nii-sama stuff, and it's amazing.
The plan, on the surface, seemed like a good idea. The captains seem prepared to fight without their bankai, which is heartening, and the ByaRen in this chapter - Byakuya essentially trusting Renji to defend him and to fight alongside him - made me wibble a little. I love that this extended to the other pairs fighting as well. But, as always, there's a wrinkle that Ichigo back in HM already knows about...
Oh, hate hate hate the way Kubo drew Byakuya in that next-to-last still I posted: so small, nii-sama, and you look defenseless. I'm a little extra-concerned on Byakuya's behalf since Senbonzakura acts as a defense mechanism as well. On the bright side, Renji still has his bankai; the other captains, unfortunately, seem not so lucky. That said, Byakuya's also a canny fighter and it's not above him to bring some Black Ops shit to this particular party so I am trying - trying - to tell myself not to worry. (I do anyway. Most of the time I'm blase about nii-sama fights, but the look of Yo-Landi Quincy and the fact that this is the final arc, plus all the foreboding, leaves me fretting).
On the bright side, there are a lot of important shinigami unaccounted for still: Shinji, Unohana, Rukia, the soutaichou... (My boy has theorized that Yama-Jii's bankai is going to be something like Total Immolation, which would burn up him and everything around him - devastating, but a scorched-earth tactic. I wonder). Plus, Yoruichi has a tendency to get involved in the SS goings-on. I wonder, I wonder....
For the first time in a while, I have no idea where Kubo's going to go. It scares me, but it's got me hooked, too.
EDIT: Point 1 that I just realized: no Kenpachi, either, and Kenpachi would be especially apt for this fight as he has no bankai to speak of. Point 2: Renji's fought against Senbonzakura before, so maybe he'll have a leg up here?
On the other hand: nii-sama, I am so scared for you.
I do have to say that I love this new Byakuya as he enters the chapter, but he also scares the shit out of me, because the way he's fighting testifies to the nature of the threat in Soul Society. Byakuya is an honorable fighter, by and large - even with Tsukishima (where at the end he allowed himself to be wounded and to act spontaneously) the fight itself was generally ordained by principles of strike, counterstrike, and the like. In other words, Byakuya often fights to humiliate and to "punish" his enemies, I guess - here, he's simply seeking to eliminate them. Getting in strike right off the bat? Collapsing the ground below Wrestler Quincy (in a move very reminiscent to me of Ishida taking down Yammy)? This is not typical nii-sama stuff, and it's amazing.
The plan, on the surface, seemed like a good idea. The captains seem prepared to fight without their bankai, which is heartening, and the ByaRen in this chapter - Byakuya essentially trusting Renji to defend him and to fight alongside him - made me wibble a little. I love that this extended to the other pairs fighting as well. But, as always, there's a wrinkle that Ichigo back in HM already knows about...
Oh, hate hate hate the way Kubo drew Byakuya in that next-to-last still I posted: so small, nii-sama, and you look defenseless. I'm a little extra-concerned on Byakuya's behalf since Senbonzakura acts as a defense mechanism as well. On the bright side, Renji still has his bankai; the other captains, unfortunately, seem not so lucky. That said, Byakuya's also a canny fighter and it's not above him to bring some Black Ops shit to this particular party so I am trying - trying - to tell myself not to worry. (I do anyway. Most of the time I'm blase about nii-sama fights, but the look of Yo-Landi Quincy and the fact that this is the final arc, plus all the foreboding, leaves me fretting).
On the bright side, there are a lot of important shinigami unaccounted for still: Shinji, Unohana, Rukia, the soutaichou... (My boy has theorized that Yama-Jii's bankai is going to be something like Total Immolation, which would burn up him and everything around him - devastating, but a scorched-earth tactic. I wonder). Plus, Yoruichi has a tendency to get involved in the SS goings-on. I wonder, I wonder....
For the first time in a while, I have no idea where Kubo's going to go. It scares me, but it's got me hooked, too.
EDIT: Point 1 that I just realized: no Kenpachi, either, and Kenpachi would be especially apt for this fight as he has no bankai to speak of. Point 2: Renji's fought against Senbonzakura before, so maybe he'll have a leg up here?