Bleach Speculation (Chapters 300+)

[uc pseudonym]

Taking into account Chapter 206 (stop reading if you don't want a predictable spoiler) the score is currently Shinigami 2/6, Arrancar 0/6. Obviously I'm ignoring Rukia.

Though that looks almost too easy for the protagonists, judging from the end of the chapter they might be having serious trouble. It looks as though Renji and Hitsugaya are both losing without their opponents even releasing their swords, and (this would be an ominous note) I think it looks as though Hitsugaya has already been using his Bankai for some time. If so, I'll be again curious how Kubo Tite intends to run this arc.

However, Renji has backup easily available in the form of Urahara and there are plenty of other characters unaccounted for: Isshin, the Quincy (though I doubt this yet), the Shinigami-Hollow hybrids.

[MasterDias]

I read 207.

Matsumoto is down, and it appears that an injured Hitsugaya might well be tag-teamed by Arrancar.
Meanwhile, Renji is losing against his Arrancar when Ururu intervenes and goes berserk, forcing the Arrancar to step it up a notch.

I swear...that is one creepy little girl. I'm seriously thinking that she is some sort of creation of Urahara's, given her "robot-like" dialogue in this chapter.

And, speaking of which, one would think Urahara would care that a major battle is going on right next to his shop...

If so, I'll be again curious how Kubo Tite intends to run this arc.

Kubo Tite likes to keep his fans guessing... Rukia and Ikkaku winning their battles, while Renji and Hitsugaya are in serious trouble.

[uc pseudonym]

This is more like the Arrancar we expected back when they were introduced. Captain-level Bankai do not seem to be a huge threat to them. It makes one thing that Ichigo doesn't stand a chance at winning his fight, if Grim Jaw is really so powerful.

Meanwhile, Renji is losing against his Arrancar when Ururu intervenes and goes berserk, forcing the Arrancar to step it up a notch.

I can definitely say I did not see that coming.

I swear...that is one creepy little girl. I'm seriously thinking that she is some sort of creation of Urahara's, given her "robot-like" dialogue in this chapter.

I have held that Urahara made her for a while, actually. If she gets off the Arrancar's horn without apparent damage and continues attacking in the next chapter, I would not be at all surprised. However, this event does have one important note: Urahara is better prepared for Aizen's attack than was first revealed.

[MasterDias]

It makes one thing that Ichigo doesn't stand a chance at winning his fight, if Grim Jaw is really so powerful.

I think that it would be a serious blow to Ichigo's morale, if he were to lose... And right after Rukia got him out of his slump.

If she gets off the Arrancar's horn without apparent damage and continues attacking in the next chapter, I would not be at all surprised.

Neither would I.

However, this event does have one important note: Urahara is better prepared for Aizen's attack than was first revealed.

I have this gut instinct that a lot of things are more connected than we first realized: Urahara and Yoroichi's flight from the Soul Society, Isshin and the Kurosakis, Aizen's treachery, etc.

[uc pseudonym]

I have this gut instinct that a lot of things are more connected than we first realized: Urahara and Yoroichi's flight from the Soul Society, Isshin and the Kurosakis, Aizen's treachery, etc.

They had better be. I am banking on that for my theoretical Bleach fanfiction.

I'll bring up another issue entirely, one that is confusing because I've seen different translations. In some, Ikkaku was merely hiding the fact that he had Bankai from almost everyone. But in others, it sounds as though he taught Renji Bankai. This means Renji's learning of it makes more sense (though it is still unreasonable that Ikkaku lost to Ichigo so long ago). Does anyone have any light to shed on this?

[MasterDias]

I'm not sure.

I assumed from the translation I read that Ikkaku had trained Renji some when the latter was starting out as a Shinigami. The possibility that Ikkaku taught Renji bankai didn't occur to me until I read your post.

(though it is still unreasonable that Ikkaku lost to Ichigo so long ago)

Well, the Ikkaku/Ichigo fight wasn't a life-or-death situation like this recent fight was, so Ikkaku probably didn't feel the need to use it even if he lost...as he would alert every other Shinigami that he has bankai.
He's determined enough to stay a subordinate of Kenpachi...

Kubo Tite seems to be powering up a lot of unexpected characters in this arc. First Rukia, then Ikkaku, now Ururu...

[uc pseudonym]

That's true, he has been. I wonder what exactly that means. When the number of Arrancar was 22, I assumed he had everything planned out, requiring exactly that number. It is possible that he felt the good characters were underpowered. Or, it is equally possible he is giving minor characters their time in the spotlight before moving on to the climax involving the major players.

Well, the Ikkaku/Ichigo fight wasn't a life-or-death situation like this recent fight was, so Ikkaku probably didn't feel the need to use it even if he lost...as he would alert every other Shinigami that he has bankai.
He's determined enough to stay a subordinate of Kenpachi...

While that's reasonable enough, I'm really inclined to say that Kubo Tite changed his concept of the character as the story developed.

[MasterDias]

Well, I've read the latest.
Hitsugaya and Renji appear to be basically done for unless someone comes to their aid. I wouldn't put it past Hitsugaya to have an ace up his sleep however, so I guess we will see.

In the very last panal, I noticed that Matsumoto seems to be gripping something. I wonder what she's up to.

[uc pseudonym]

Break, kindly make your posts substansive.

Hitsugaya and Renji appear to be basically done for unless someone comes to their aid. I wouldn't put it past Hitsugaya to have an ace up his sleep however, so I guess we will see.

I would interprete them as beaten as well. Urahara is very near Renji, so he's the most likely prospect for saving. That's only from a logical perspective, of course. The author might find that a little too easy, or not want to have him fight again so soon.

It does look like the girl won't keep fighting. Interesting, if short, development.

Hitsugaya, on the other hand, I'm not sure about. There is a high probability that Vaizards may become involved. I would hope so, given that they have done practically nothing since their introduction.

As for Hitsugaya's Bankai: when I read the chapter, I was immediately curious if the Arrancar's statement was accurate (the response could be interpreted either way). Is it possible that the "flower petals" are counting down for a massive attack instead of the end of Bankai? That would be interesting later on]In the very last panal, I noticed that Matsumoto seems to be gripping something. I wonder what she's up to.[/quote]
I assumed it was her sword hilt (in that her Shikai causes the blade to become sand), but I could be wrong. She's another candidate for Vaizard-rescue.

[uc pseudonym]

There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for the occurance at the end of Chapter 209: the Captains and Vice-Captains had their power severely limited during the previous fights, as Renji explains when he fights Ichigo the second time. I had merely assumed these limits were lifted given the circumstances, but I might be wrong. It does feel odd they have to wait for the paperwork, which creates a funny mental image.

On the other hand, it is possible this is a new power-up. I really hope this isn't the case, and given what I've seen of Kubo Tite's writing I doubt it.

Also, the explanation about the Arrancar explains a few things, though it strikes me as a needlessly complicated system.

[MasterDias]

It does feel odd they have to wait for the paperwork, which creates a funny mental image.

That looked like a close one to me. I wonder how many shinigami have gotton killed due to complicated bureocratic screw-ups.

Anyway, yes, Hitsugaya and Renji now appear to have been fighting with some sort of limiter on and Matsumoto looks like she was faking a KO.

Also, the explanation about the Arrancar explains a few things, though it strikes me as a needlessly complicated system.

The translation I read didn't come off completely coherant at that part. But from what I gathered, the Arrancar were indeed ranked by order of birth
(like you thought) but Arrancar 1-10 were ranked such because they are very powerful.

[uc pseudonym]

Yes, my translation was rather poor as well (or the explanation is merely bad). But as I understand it, Arrancar #1-10 are the most powerful, ranked by power, and #11-22 are merely the remainder by order of age. I wonder why this is, as such a system really doesn't seem to serve any purpose (that is, why isn't it one way or the other?). A negative view could be that he didn't plan the numbering system well.

That aside, I wonder how the fights will go. Hitsugaya really shouldn't be able to win given his injuries, but that frequently doesn't matter in manga. I'm not certain about Renji, as he was doing pretty badly before (it looked as though he hadn't even gotten close). Matsumoto's fight we can't be sure about, as we don't know if she was intentionally buying time (which would be the smart thing to do), and we know nothing about her opponent.

[uc pseudonym]

Regarding the most recent chapter... I'm spoilerizing in case you don't want to know that
[spoiler]everyone wins. Easily. I can't say whether or not I'm disappointed about this. However, I'm now very curious about what will happen in Ichigo's fight, considering that it has barely even started. Perhaps everyone will fight Grim Jaw and it will be very difficult to show the power of the top ten Arrancar.[/spoiler]

[Kami]

GOMEN NASAI. -.-; I've been on hiatus a while. I finally caught up to find a whole crapload of stuff happens ! =o I was not able to read chapter 206 due to a corrupted file, but have read up to 208.

Honestly, I'm suprised about Hitsugaya winning ? When I saw him last, he was in pretty bad shape. Also, I was very impressed with Ikkaku's Ban-Kai. The Ryuumonhoozukimaru. [ I'm going to refer to this as Ryuu because when the name goes over 10 letters I don't even try ^^; ] I'll try to update more often now !

-Kami

[MasterDias]

Alright, I've read 211 although the visual quality wasn't very good. I'll go through a better one later.

[spoiler]Highlights of this chapter:

-Despite their wins, Hitsugaya and Renji don't appear to be in very good shape. Given the strength of the Arrancar, Renji is worried about Ichigo.
I'm uncertain but it seems like they may have all won by taking their opponents by surprise, not by sheer strength.

-Tatsuki is watching Ichigo's fight from behind the corner. At this point, I'm wondering how far her spiritual prowess has developed, given that it rises every time she is attacked....

-Tousen has apparantly come onto the scene, judging by the sword in the last panal.[/spoiler]

[uc pseudonym]

I've also read 211, and one of decent quality. I'll note that at least one translator felt that Renji's poor condition was due to his Bankai being more powerful than he was ready to handle. Also, I'm glad to see that Hitsugaya didn't simply lose all those wounds from before. That does bring me to an odd question: how do you even "wound" a creature supposedly made from wholly spiritual matter? I suppose they essentially operate as humans on a different plane, but this still strikes me as somewhat odd.

I'm wondering about Tatsuki. She's appeared so many times that I'm now certain Kubo plans to do something with her character, but I'm not sure what. You wouldn't think she could rise to a level of importance in such a short time, but we'll have to see. Her general combat skills seem to be pretty high.

Now, I will use a spoiler for the last of your highlights.
[spoiler]I want to see Tousen very much. This is the first time I've felt impatient for the next chapter of this manga. His appearance will answer many questions about how Aizen intends to operate, if the humans on his side have become Vaizards, and if he is more dangerous than his fight with Zaraki might indicate. While I truly doubt he'll fight seriously and die, I hope he doesn't just grab Grimmjow and vanish.

My question: if Aizen has so many forces, why doesn't he just flood his opponents? Were I him, I'd take all 10 Espada against Urahara and Yoruichi, then against Isshin and Ishida's father, then Ichigo. Presumably ten warriors that were so powerful could take down even an accomplished warrior before reinforcements arrived, especially if they are benefitting from Aizen's Absolute Hypnosis.

Of course, if the villains always used full force the series would end quickly. I'm merely glad that Grimmjow's group is getting some backup, though I hope that there is something deeper planned.[/spoiler]

[MasterDias]

That does bring me to an odd question: how do you even "wound" a creature supposedly made from wholly spiritual matter? I suppose they essentially operate as humans on a different plane, but this still strikes me as somewhat odd.

Then that brings up the whole "What happens to Shinigami and spirits who die?" question. You would think that it would be an oxymoron given that Soul Society is supposed to be the afterlife but...

I'm wondering about Tatsuki. She's appeared so many times that I'm now certain Kubo plans to do something with her character, but I'm not sure what. You wouldn't think she could rise to a level of importance in such a short time, but we'll have to see. Her general combat skills seem to be pretty high.

I'm been wondering about her for awhile now myself. If any other humans did develop spiritual abilities (like Chad and Orihime), it would most likely be her.

[spoiler]I want to see Tousen very much. This is the first time I've felt impatient for the next chapter of this manga. His appearance will answer many questions about how Aizen intends to operate, if the humans on his side have become Vaizards, and if he is more dangerous than his fight with Zaraki might indicate. While I truly doubt he'll fight seriously and die, I hope he doesn't just grab Grimmjow and vanish.

--I've always wondered how Kubo was planning to develop him. Initially, he wasn't the most likely candidate to side with Aizen. And, he did lose the last battle we saw him in...[/spoiler]

[uc pseudonym]

Regarding the last, we'll really just have to see. He could take so many different paths that it isn't worth speculating more than a little.

Then that brings up the whole "What happens to Shinigami and spirits who die?" question. You would think that it would be an oxymoron given that Soul Society is supposed to be the afterlife but...

I think that the backstory of the Quincy more or less states that spirits who die in Soul Society reincarnate, and we can presume the same happens to shinigami. However, this raises another possibility: Ichigo could die at some point in the series. Under the right circumstances, his shinigami side would live on.

[uc pseudonym]

I decided to ressurect this thread after Chapter 223 revealed a very important plot point. As an aside, this makes the filler material's 1 year gap seem a bit odd.

In any case, we now know Aizen's true objective, and I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it seems too simple. But it also explains why he hasn't been picking his opponents off one by one. So there will be four months of training... I hope we see at least some of that.

Do you think that things will actually be as simple as a final climactic battle? That seems a bit too easy. Also, the third part of Soul Society's military is supposed to be the Royal Guard... you would think they'd be top-notch. Another thing to take into consideration is if Aizen really hasn't gotten any Vastrodes on his team yet - that would mean he'll be getting more soldiers. There are certainly a lot of good guys to fight them, anyway.

[Kami]

Ok, I had a binge and read up to Chapter 227.

In response to UC-sama's question, I don't believe it will be a cheesy " Tournament style" last battle. I can see Bleach going father than that. I do see there being a battle between the Espada vs. Royal Guards vs. Ichigo's crew. o_o; Or something along those lines.

By the way, just as an added comment, I'm really enjoying the creativity behind the extra " powers " Ichigo gets with the training from the Vaizards. I was wondering what Kubo-san would use to make him stronger, thus propelling the plot.

Interestingly enough, I'm slightly annoyed at his choice with Inoue. I really enjoyed her as a character. She's one of the ONLY herione girls that I like. What I'm not liking is her lack of power, and Urahara's refusal to train her. I think she has a lot of hidden potential. At the end of Chapter 227 Aizen starts looking to Inoue as maybe another fighter for his side ? I doubt she would go over to his side seeing her reaction to what his plans are. But, you never know, evil guys are pretty persuasive little buggars.

Quick question, are the Vaizards part of Aizen's corporation, or are they just a radical group of people that have used the Hougyoku to turn into a Hollow ? It has been a while since I read from their part to the current chapters.

-Kami

[MasterDias]

Urahara's attitude seemed odd to me. He's never usually that blunt. And he nearly always has an ulterior motive.

But regardless, read chapter 228. It's a direct continuation as far as Inoue goes and manages to hint some things about her powers.

[uc pseudonym]

I was about to say that as well. 228 develops things in a pretty simplistic manner, but I suppose that was better than wasting time on a fairly minor point. However, I had my heart set on some sort of sub-conflict that both sides would participate in (perhaps over Orihime) not intending to wipe out the other, but just to control advantages for the final battle.

In response to UC-sama's question, I don't believe it will be a cheesy " Tournament style" last battle. I can see Bleach going father than that. I do see there being a battle between the Espada vs. Royal Guards vs. Ichigo's crew. o_o]
A tournament at this point would be terrible. I'm hoping for a real and massive battle, hopefully not all just one on one matches, either.

Quick question, are the Vaizards part of Aizen's corporation, or are they just a radical group of people that have used the Hougyoku to turn into a Hollow ? It has been a while since I read from their part to the current chapters.

The latter. They definitely seem opposed to Aizen (mostly because he wants to take over everything) though they obviously seem to hate shinigami as well.

Urahara's attitude seemed odd to me. He's never usually that blunt. And he nearly always has an ulterior motive.

This struck me as very odd as well. Also consider the fact that as she leaves we see him with his eyes shadowed - it could be simply intended to indicate how callous he is being, but it struck me as suspicious. There is also the fact that he seemed to be juxtaposed with Aizen at the end of the chapter.

Speaking of random suspicions: did anyone else find Yamamoto suspicious during Hinamori's conversation? He said that she fainted from her injury, but it seems to me that he definitely put his hand in front of her before she fainted (and she didn't seem that unhealthy prior to this). I'm not the type to create overblown conspiracy theories, but this seemed odd to me.

[Kami]

Ok! To respond to the older chapter questions first :

Speaking of random suspicions: did anyone else find Yamamoto suspicious during Hinamori's conversation? He said that she fainted from her injury, but it seems to me that he definitely put his hand in front of her before she fainted (and she didn't seem that unhealthy prior to this). I'm not the type to create overblown conspiracy theories, but this seemed odd to me.

YES ! I thought it was rather creepy that he put his hand in front of her face to stop her from talking. I'm still rather suprised at her behavior in which, she still hasn't faced the fact that Aizen is evil. But I suppose I wouldn't either, but her drastic change in attitude and disposition worries me.

Urahara's attitude seemed odd to me. He's never usually that blunt. And he nearly always has an ulterior motive.

I was personally shocked at his abrasive attitude towards her. Especially since he has always treated her nicely and accomodatingly before. I was also suprised to hear him tell her that in front of both Chad and Renji-san. You would think it would be more of his nature to tell her in private.

Onto 228 : Well, my chapter was in bits and pieces, but I got the general jist of the chapter. I'm glad Tsubaki is healed ^_^ He was such a lively character. I'm glad the Hacchi told Inoue that she still has the potential to fight. Out of all the characters, I was especially looking forward to Inoue's "power transformation. " - Meaning, almost everyone else has " Powered up" to a next level or next " Stage " except for her. I'm expecting great things to come from her, just because she is one of the only heroine girls that I have particularly liked, and Kubo-san has still kept her as a main character in this latest plot. [ Yamamoto including her in the "Royal Key " thing ]

Long post ! Sorry x.x;

-Kami

[MasterDias]

So....given the recent events in Bleach, I thought it would merit some discussion in this topic.


Warning: Spoilerz for the latest chapters. I'll go ahead and include everything in spoiler tags just in case (although I doubt it actually matters).

[spoiler]
- Orihime, her departure, and powers.
Folding to the Arrancar's demands so easily seemed quite wishy washy to me, especially after her making a promise to get stronger...but regardless... I found Aizen's explanation of Orihime's powers interesting. If he's right, this would likely make her far more powerful/valuable than Soul Society seems to realize.

As a rather random sidenote, this is one of those rare times where I've seen an actual confession of love in a shonen action manga...even if it was to a sleeping person...

- Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro
I had been wondering if Tatsuki was going to finally confront Ichigo after Orihime's departure....and I was right. It remains to be seen what's going to happen with them now. The fact that Tatsuki was able to sense Orihime even when she was in Soul Society seems to be quite impressive...

Although, the fact that the ever-secretive Urahara let them follow Ichigo in so easily was sort of a surprise to me...which leads into my next point.

- Urahara
I'm still not quite sure what to make of him. He's quite cunning and intelligent, and yet he has made several critical mistakes. And how exactly did he know about Ichigo's confrontation with his friends? Is he that smart at predicting what other people will do(like Aizen)?

Meanwhile when was the last time we have seen Yoroichi?

-The Soul Society people
I'm far from impressed with Yamamoto at this point. Far too rigid and unsympathetic. And he seemed to jump to conclusions about Orihime.
I wonder what he will do when he finds out about Ichigo's defiance of orders.
[/spoiler]

[uc pseudonym]

Ah, good to see you here. I'm not going to use spoiler tags, though I do say this on the outside chance that someone else stumbles upon this thread. But I think the title will communicate our intentions pretty clearly.

- Orihime, her departure, and powers.

Personally, I think that Orihime is fairly wishy-washy, though I suppose in her defense she's dealing with people that could probably kill her instantly. Her powers seem stronger to me, but she herself isn't. I'm glad that Aizen finally explained the exact nature of her powers, as I was hoping there would be more mechanics than simple healing.

But the full nature of her ability hasn't been made clear either. That is potentially immensely unbalancing, though the question is how much she can control it (an exact translation would also help). Could she "reject" a person or the Arrancar-ization process? Could she undo the making of Soul Society? I doubt it, but I hope that Kubo Tite will go further with this.

The thing that piqued my interest in the most recently chapter when Aizen greets Orihime and she feels something... what exactly happened there? I wonder if this is something Aizen has yet to reveal. He, like Urahara, has done a good job of not showing his hand.

And yes, that's the first love confession I've seen as well. I think that the willingness to do that kind of thing strengthens the story, and that it was done fairly well. Not that I want too much of a focus on that kind of thing.

- Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro

For the most part this was expected but doesn't interest me. However, I certainly hope that Tatsuki will play a future role, perhaps even a combat one. Her character deserves much more page time than she has been given.

- Urahara

I think that this recent mistake was a real one (unlike many conspiracy theorists) but not particularly well-written, which is why it seems so bad. Though I suspect that Urahara still has a major unrevealed secret, I am confident that he has a reason for holding back outside of simply being dodgy.

Meanwhile when was the last time we have seen Yoroichi?

Right. If Tatsuki is to fight, I think she would likely appear to train her. Otherwise, I expect her back for the next major conflict after the Hueco Mundo Arc that is apparently coming. She hasn't gotten a real fight since Soi Fong.

-Yamamoto

Generally speaking he has seemed unyielding on almost everything. He was going to try to kill Ukitake and Shunsui, after all. But while his decision is sound militarily (one person isn't worth such a difficult mission) it fails to take into account the fact that with Bleach universe mechanics, individuals can be worth armies. Orihime's abilities will probably be used by Aizen to very dangerous ends and a few strong fighters are capable of destroying many weaker ones.

Actually, I think that overall he is making one critical oversight: he is fighting based on Aizen's terms. If Aizen is really trying to make the Key in one giant battle, preparing to fight that battle isn't a good solution. It would make more sense to try to kill off as many Arrancar as possible beforehand, especially since they have been appearing a few at a time. Or disperse the people in the town in some manner.

As for the coming arc, I'm skeptical how well Ichigo, Chad, and Ishida can do on their own. Even if each one is capable of taking down an Espada, there are 10 of them plus the rogue captains. Somehow I doubt they'll get as lucky as in Soul Society. I was hoping that Urahara was going to go with them, as I think his experience and technology could make this mission more realistic.

[MasterDias]

But the full nature of her ability hasn't been made clear either. That is potentially immensely unbalancing, though the question is how much she can control it (an exact translation would also help). Could she "reject" a person or the Arrancar-ization process? Could she undo the making of Soul Society? I doubt it, but I hope that Kubo Tite will go further with this.

Well, I suspect that her powers are at least limited by how much strain she can take, as what you listed would be major undertakings. But, that's only my speculation. I doubt Aizen simply kidnapped her for the healing ability, however. I also hope Kubo Tite will give a deeper explanation of her abilities.

Incidently, did the manga ever say exactly where those fairies of hers came from?

The thing that piqued my interest in the most recently chapter when Aizen greets Orihime and she feels something... what exactly happened there? I wonder if this is something Aizen has yet to reveal. He, like Urahara, has done a good job of not showing his hand.

I'm not sure. But your suggestion sounds pretty good. It's possible he did "something" to see how she would react.

For the most part this was expected but doesn't interest me. However, I certainly hope that Tatsuki will play a future role, perhaps even a combat one. Her character deserves much more page time than she has been given.

Right. If Tatsuki is to fight, I think she would likely appear to train her. Otherwise, I expect her back for the next major conflict after the Hueco Mundo Arc that is apparently coming. She hasn't gotten a real fight since Soi Fong.

Yeah, Tatsuki always seemed too developed to me to remain a minor/infrequent character. And I had the same thought about Yoroichi actually...

I've always wondered if that sequence in chapter 33 was indeed hinting that the rest of Ichigo's friends would get involved in the main plot somehow...

I think that this recent mistake was a real one (unlike many conspiracy theorists) but not particularly well-written, which is why it seems so bad. Though I suspect that Urahara still has a major unrevealed secret, I am confident that he has a reason for holding back outside of simply being dodgy.

I'm suspecting that it has, at least in part, something to do with his exile from Soul Society, Yoroichi's flight with him, and maybe even how he knows Isshin Kurosaki.
I've wondered at points if he has something to do with the Vaizards as well. But, regardless, we will probably get a flashback at some point.

Generally speaking he has seemed unyielding on almost everything. He was going to try to kill Ukitake and Shunsui, after all. But while his decision is sound militarily (one person isn't worth such a difficult mission) it fails to take into account the fact that with Bleach universe mechanics, individuals can be worth armies. Orihime's abilities will probably be used by Aizen to very dangerous ends and a few strong fighters are capable of destroying many weaker ones.

Heh. Not just Bleach. Most shonen fighting/action/adventure manga I've seen those mechanics to various extents.

As for the coming arc, I'm skeptical how well Ichigo, Chad, and Ishida can do on their own. Even if each one is capable of taking down an Espada, there are 10 of them plus the rogue captains. Somehow I doubt they'll get as lucky as in Soul Society. I was hoping that Urahara was going to go with them, as I think his experience and technology could make this mission more realistic.

...which is why they will probably have backup at some point from someone, or this rescue mission is going to fail miserably.
Possibly a Soul Society team will be dispatched... Yamamoto does seem to want to keep Ichigo in one piece. Or possibly even several of the Vaizards, who did seem to get somewhat attached to Ichigo & Orihime.

I doubt Urahara would have sent Ichigo & Co. on a suicide mission, so he appears to have some sort of plan, at least.

[uc pseudonym]

Well, I suspect that her powers are at least limited by how much strain she can take, as what you listed would be major undertakings.

That's what I would expect, yes. It also seems as though she is fairly limited in skill, as her powers have gotten stronger during the series.

Incidently, did the manga ever say exactly where those fairies of hers came from?

If I recall it said that they were aspects of her own spirit that were manifested in the same way Chad's arm was. They haven't really been significant in the series.

And I had the same thought about Yoroichi actually...

Personally, I've always considered her one of the main characters in the background. Some people seem to think she's weak because of her fighting against Soi Fong and Yammi, but I expect her to take on one of the most powerful Arrancar in the final battle (if the manga actually goes there).

I've always wondered if that sequence in chapter 33 was indeed hinting that the rest of Ichigo's friends would get involved in the main plot somehow...

I think that's very likely. My personal theory is that Kubo Tite had a fairly developed idea of where he was going with the series but got seriously sidetracked during the Soul Society arc, which ended up dragging on longer than expected. Now that we return to the normal world we're seeing aspects like Orihime's powers, Shinji, etc that seem to have been put in place earlier.

I'm suspecting that it has, at least in part, something to do with his exile from Soul Society, Yoroichi's flight with him, and maybe even how he knows Isshin Kurosaki. I've wondered at points if he has something to do with the Vaizards as well. But, regardless, we will probably get a flashback at some point.

I imagine that sums it up pretty well, though Aizen might play a large role in that as well. They seem aware of each other but it isn't clear why they both know so much.

...which is why they will probably have backup at some point from someone, or this rescue mission is going to fail miserably.
Possibly a Soul Society team will be dispatched... Yamamoto does seem to want to keep Ichigo in one piece. Or possibly even several of the Vaizards, who did seem to get somewhat attached to Ichigo & Orihime.

I doubt Urahara would have sent Ichigo & Co. on a suicide mission, so he appears to have some sort of plan, at least.

From the end of the chapter, it looks as though he intends to do something to help. It would be kind of funny if his actions boil down to a distraction, because that would basically mean that the two sides used exactly the same trick and Orihime ended up where she started out.

It would actually interest me much more if this mission failed. But I don't think it's going to happen; Bleach may be unorthodox in some ways but it is a thoroughly shonen manga. Like the Soul Society arc, this one will have those insurmountable odds that Kubo seems to like.

[MasterDias]

Personally, I've always considered her one of the main characters in the background. Some people seem to think she's weak because of her fighting against Soi Fong and Yammi, but I expect her to take on one of the most powerful Arrancar in the final battle (if the manga actually goes there).

Why would people think she's weak because of her fight with Soi Fong. I don't remember everything about that battle but didn't Yoroichi win that one?

I think that's very likely. My personal theory is that Kubo Tite had a fairly developed idea of where he was going with the series but got seriously sidetracked during the Soul Society arc, which ended up dragging on longer than expected. Now that we return to the normal world we're seeing aspects like Orihime's powers, Shinji, etc that seem to have been put in place earlier.

That makes sense. He likely underestimated the amount of chapters it would take to cover the whole Soul Society arc.
Not that I minded as it turned out well regardless.

I imagine that sums it up pretty well, though Aizen might play a large role in that as well. They seem aware of each other but it isn't clear why they both know so much.

Yeah.
I still remember Hirako's cryptic reply to Ichigo that went something like "We have known about Aizen Sousuke long before you ever entered the picture."
Everything seems to somehow hint that Aizen's group, the Vaizards, and Urahara's group are all connected somehow in the past, if I'm reading this right.

[quote]
It would actually interest me much more if this mission failed. But I don't think it's going to happen]
I'm hoping this will turn out to be more than just another "rescue the other lead female" arc.
I would think Aizen would have to know that Ichigo will come for her, as he took on all of Soul Society to save Rukia.

[uc pseudonym]

Why would people think she's weak because of her fight with Soi Fong. I don't remember everything about that battle but didn't Yoroichi win that one?

Because people think that Soi Fong is weak and that Yoruichi was only about as strong as her. I think this is mostly because lots of people are thinking about Bleach like Dragonball Z or even Rurouni Kenshin: several unrelated arcs with villains of increasing power.

I simply think that is incorrect. In my mind, Bleach is part of a new wave of shonen manga that, while they may have multiple arcs, have only one storyline. It is about time, I would say. But there are those who are convinced that Aizen will lose and then there will be another arc or two, having to do with the Vastrodes or Hell.

That makes sense. He likely underestimated the amount of chapters it would take to cover the whole Soul Society arc.
Not that I minded as it turned out well regardless.

I think it turned out well too, though it did go rather long.

Yeah.
I still remember Hirako's cryptic reply to Ichigo that went something like "We have known about Aizen Sousuke long before you ever entered the picture."
Everything seems to somehow hint that Aizen's group, the Vaizards, and Urahara's group are all connected somehow in the past, if I'm reading this right.

Ah, it has been some time since I considered that quote. Yes, there is definitely more to be discovered there, though I don't have a solid theory on how it all fits together.

I'm hoping this will turn out to be more than just another "rescue the other lead female" arc.
I would think Aizen would have to know that Ichigo will come for her, as he took on all of Soul Society to save Rukia.

Kubo Tite has to be aware that lots of people didn't like the "save Rukia" premise and I certainly hope he wouldn't follow it up with "save Orihime." So far he's kept the story above that, and I'd hate for it to falter now.

I would find it interesting if Aizen actually captured Rukia not for her powers, but in order to lure Ichigo and others into Heuco Mundo. To be honest, a diversion isn't that amazing of a tactic. But if that was really just a guise for other plans I would have much more hope for this next part of Bleach.

[MasterDias]

Because people think that Soi Fong is weak and that Yoruichi was only about as strong as her. I think this is mostly because lots of people are thinking about Bleach like Dragonball Z or even Rurouni Kenshin: several unrelated arcs with villains of increasing power.

I simply think that is incorrect. In my mind, Bleach is part of a new wave of shonen manga that, while they may have multiple arcs, have only one storyline. It is about time, I would say. But there are those who are convinced that Aizen will lose and then there will be another arc or two, having to do with the Vastrodes or Hell.

Interesting. I always assumed Soi Fong was one of the stronger Captains, actually. She gave off that vibe to me.

I'm following your reasoning about shonen manga however. Although some of those "consecutive unrelated arcs" were actually the editors' fault who forced the manga-ka to keep going due to extreme popularity.

Now, what are Vastrodes again?

I would find it interesting if Aizen actually captured Rukia not for her powers, but in order to lure Ichigo and others into Heuco Mundo. To be honest, a diversion isn't that amazing of a tactic. But if that was really just a guise for other plans I would have much more hope for this next part of Bleach.

I wouldn't be very surprised if Aizen had at least some other motive for taking Orihime. He seemed to be two steps ahead of everyone in Soul Society...