Bleach 119

[Nai]

http://yhbt.mine.nu/t/b119.torrent

Yes, it is out. Go get it!

[Yukimura]

Hmm, I wasn't expecting them to stretch Ikkakku's back story to an entire episode. But it was interesting enough.

[RyougaZell]

Some don't like this kind of episodes. For me it was great.
Every aspect of Ikkaku's past was very well done. And even some surprises for some, like Renji looking up to Ikkaku, even when Renji became a Vice-Captain. Wonder how powerful is Yumichika as well. He did defeat Hisagi easily on the Rescue Arc.

LOL at the cadet telling Yachiru to go... I was hoping for her to scare the life out of the poor idiot.

[DarthEnderX]

Oh man. Totally new favorite character.

Even though his reason for hiding his bankai I had already guessed, I never would have guessed that he had been stronger than Renji for the entire series.

It's wierd because the first episode with Ikkaku in it just aired on Adult Swim. And it's so much more awsome watching it now that you know he could have defeated Ichigo at any time and just didn't.


Also, really looking forward to Kon's Erotic Adventures in Soul Society!

[DayoftheDante]

I'm always up for seeing more Kenpachi backstory. But they still haven't shown what the hell it is that Yachiru does, other than drawing Kenpachi slaughterfests with chalk.

[mage]

My new favorite episode.

[Kraco]

Like Yuki I wasn't expecting them to use the whole episode for a backstory, but in retrospect I have no complaints. This certainly revealed interesthing facts about Ikkaku as well as other characters, and you can't say this would have been a boring episode at any point! It's also interesting how Ikkaku basically is as old or nearly as old as Kenpachi, at least as a shinigami. We don't really know how long Zaraki idled outside of the order.

It also looks like Zaraki purposefully waited long enough for Yachiru to learn to walk and talk before he went and became a captain. I guess those are the minimum requirements for a vice-captain... :p

[itadakimasu]

I have this ep on my flash drive... just waiting for another 15-20 minutes to watch!!! pretty excited... i think this and the next 5-6 episodes are going to be very good.

[Dark Dragon]

too many ppl looks down on yachiru, watch she end up killing Aizen or something.

[DB_Hunter]

That or killing Ikkaku so he can have his military funeral.

It is interesting that Ikkaku let Ichigo beat him. I also wouldn't have realised that Renji looked up to Ikkaku, since Ikkaku seemed only like a nut previously.

Still though, it leads me to wonder whether or not Yumichika has attained his Bankai. I suspect he has, as it usually isn't a trend in anime's to let a character stand idly by without shaking at the power of the fighters without being an awesome fighter himself. Plus he only ordered that containment field around the other Shinigami, not himself which could be due self confidence in his own abilities. Maybe all these fighters were sent to protect Toushiro!

Of course assuming that Yumichika has attained his Bankai, it only leaves Rangiku out of the current group without one. If we assume that each of these Arrancar are atleast as powerful as the one Ikkaku just took down, it would mean that she would need a Bankai to have a chance. Any takers on this?

Personally I can't wait to see the fight between Grimmjow and Ichigo. You know that's going to be hectic, with Rukia getting knocked out and all.

[Sasori]

I found that episode strangely unsatisfactory. It was great to get a little history on Ikkaku and Kenpachi etc, but I found it to be a little too much talk. Or perhaps I just want to see some action.:p

[masamuneehs]

i was surprised enough when Ikkaku pulled out Bankai, but I was even more surprised that Renji was his student for so long. I was also shocked that none of the other Vice-Captains have achieved Bankai. I thought others would, but that was largely off of seeing that Renji and Ichigo could obtain it. I mean, I guess I just took it for granted that other Vice-Captains and strong seats would have Bankai...

I don't think Ikkaku let Ichigo beat him. He set the terms of the battle (no Bankai) and tried his hardest within them. Maybe limiting himself like that caused him to lose to Ichigo, but that's not the same in my book as letting him win.

I love backstory episodes, so I was completely satisfied to have just about the whole thing as a flashback. Also reminded me how complete a badass Kenpachi is.

Looks like Yumichika misjudged his friend. I still think that's weird. I guess Yumichika counted on Ikkaku not using his Bankai, otherwise I don't understand ordering the funeral... Yumi was also pretty cool in the flashbacks. The long hair and the flowered robe really fits his character, although I'd like for them to have gone more into the actual beginning of him and Ikkaku. They're probably leaving that for Yumichika's background episode... There's no doubt in my mind he's as strong (possibly stronger) than Ikkaku.

I really thought Ikkaku was going to bite the big one, especially since minor characters who suddenly get entire episodes dedicated to their backstory generally don't make it very long... But, is he out of the woods yet? Next episode preview made it look like it'll be Hitsugaya and Renji fighting... so Edoardo is dead? Like, all the way dead? I never trust a death until the head comes off or the fucker disintegrates.



Also, really looking forward to Kon's Erotic Adventures in Soul Society!

Totally! I usually don't care for those end of episode things, but the whole prospect of Kon in Hanatarou's body, going around all pervy in Soul Society, ah man I wish they'd make an entire spin-off series for stuff like that...

[Munsu]

Well, with almost being split in half, I bet he's dead... I think that's the importance of him saying that he was glad he asked for Ikkaku's name.

[Narasho]

I enjoyed this episode.

To me, it seemed like they were building up to the death of Ikkaku, but then he didn't die, which was somewhat anti-climactic - although I am glad they kept him around since he's a good character.


I never trust a death until the head comes off or the fucker disintegrates.

Or, if you're watching Gundam Seed, never.

[Munsu]

I wouldn't have seen it as building up to the death of Ikkaku... If they wanted to do that, they would've incorporated the the flashbacks with the actual fight so that it would've had more impact. But dedicating one whole episode to a character who just exchanged a final blow with the opponent would seem kinda useless if they were going to kill him off. So, if you felt it was anti-clamatic, I think the show succeeded in fooling you with the added suspense.

[Deadfire]

THat was a interesting EP, some back story here and there isn't bad at all. Like the others I was surprised that it took the entire EP but whatever it was good. 2 things bugged me though and I'm still trying to think on them.

1. They seem to already have their swords in the flashback before they joined the protection squads, which I guess makes sense, however what about the flashbacks about the other characters, they never had their swords. How does one really get their soul slayer? Does it just appear?

2. Does anyone find it weird how those two got into the protection squads? I mean we saw the school in the previous flashbacks but those two look like they just walked in, got black robes and joined a squad.

[Kraco]

2. Does anyone find it weird how those two got into the protection squads? I mean we saw the school in the previous flashbacks but those two look like they just walked in, got black robes and joined a squad.

Sounds plausible. They were probably highly badass already when they walked in, unlike Renji or Rukia who were pretty much noobs and could do little else than form some reiatsu orb (weren't they playing with something like that in a flashback?).

After all, it's kind of hard to believe Zaraki would have first attended the school with all the younlings for a few years and then challenged the captain. If he walked it, killed a captain and thus became one, I don't see why those two couldn't have just walked in, kicked some instructors' collective asses to skip the school and joined the squad. I think the captains might be able to pick special cases straight from the academy, so it would also make sense Zaraki could have accepted those two in right away even officially.

[DB_Hunter]

@Deadfire:

1) My guess is that yeah, they just appear. Kind of like what happened to Ichigo when he became a Shinigami, but obviously less dramatic.

[masamuneehs]

i hadn't noticed that. it does seem strange that Yumichika would just manifest a Zanpaktou before formally becoming a Shinigami. Ikkaku and Kenpachi, on the other hand, make a lot of sense. I feel that real warrior spirits like those two would naturally manifest weapons upon taking their spirit form.

Renji had no desire to fight until Rukia got adopted by the Kuchiki's. Even Rukia and Kira (Gin's vice) don't have that kind of bloodlust, love for battle, whatever you want to call it, that'd naturally summon the spirit of their Zanpaktou. Like I mentioned, the only one who it strikes me as weird as having a Zanpaktou prior to becoming a Shingami is Yumichika. But, who knows? Maybe he's secretly a sadist or something like that...

and it totally makes sense that if they can already manifest their Zanpaktous and (at least) one of them can stand toe to toe with a guy who just defeated a Captain, that they just get in after some kind of basic exam.

on that note, has the defeated 11th Squad Captain ever been mentioned? From the looks of the guys he left hanging around, he wasn't much to remember... I had thought Kenpachi killed him, but maybe that's not the case... Probably unimportant.

[Munsu]

My understanding is that you either are a Shinigami or you aren't... you can't become one, unless it's by borrowing someone else's reiatsu or you already have a latent Shinigami side inside of you. So that they went to Soul Society's school or not should be irrelevant for becoming a Shinigami.

[RyougaZell]

Its more like you can manifest Reiatsu or not.
Those who can manifest it are the ones that also get hungry, but not all became Shinigami. Like Shiba Kukaku for example.

[Munsu]

Well, I didn't want to generalize manifesting Reiatsu because we got the likes of Orihime, Chad, and the Quincies.

[RyougaZell]

I should had added that what I said only applied to those of Soul Society.
Living Shinigamis like Ichigo must be rare. I mean... Ishin and Urahara must be using gigais... or not? Argh... plothole?

[Kensee]

I should had added that what I said only applied to those of Soul Society.
Living Shinigamis like Ichigo must be rare. I mean... Ishin and Urahara must be using gigais... or not? Argh... plothole?

Haha ok this I have wondered as well. Ishin and Urahara ... are they just shinigami who escaped to the real world or they just using gigais? Confusing ...

Ikkaku vs Kenpachi flash back was pretty good. "I want to die under his command!"

[Assassin]

amazing episode. for a completely filler ep, they did a really nice job with it. I just dont like how they implied that ikakku had his bankai sine before he even knew renji. I had always took it to mean that he had developed it sometime after he lost to ichigo and the who thing with aizen happened. Also the fact that this ep kind takes away from renji's bad ass character....but still, awesome ep. loved every minute of it.

[Kraco]

I just dont like how they implied that ikakku had his bankai sine before he even knew renji.

I didn't get that kind of impression. Rather, I got the impression he kept fighting with Renji for a long time, and possibly achieved his bankai during that time. After all, Renji was pictured quite a newbie when they began, and when they quit, Renji looked pretty much like he did when the series began, with shikai and the style.

[DarthEnderX]

amazing episode. for a completely filler ep,.Wait, your saying none of that flashback stuff was in the manga?


Holy shit. Once again, props to whoever writes Bleach's filler.

[Munsu]

Some of it was on the manga... can't tell for certain what, but some.

[complich8]

It's manga chapter 206. Yumichika's presence isn't really made obvious (there's someone standing around that might be him, but way in the background in one frame). Ikkaku's lifestyle and the lead-up to his fight with Kenpachi isn't there, nor is the actual fight. Also, his relationship with Renji isn't there either. It's pretty much just Ikkaku lying around bleeding and getting lectured to, and then Renji begging him to be a captain.

So the episode was about 50% manga chapter and 50% filler.

[Assassin]

i wouldn't even say 50%.....the only thing i remember is the scene with renji asking ikkaku to be a captain. Even with the other stuff you mentioned its like barely 5 min worth of material. The rest was all filler, and very well done at that. cudos to the bleach team.

[NeoCybercoin]

Well it was a nice ep. Is it still a filler if it gives a scene more info then it had in the manga that actually improves the story?

[Animeniax]

I wasn't as impressed as the rest of you with this episode. Good enough story, but the animation was lackluster, as was the background music. Ikkaku is an interesting character indeed, but the fights were boring and uninspired, as was the dialogue.

I don't think Ikkaku had bankai when he fought Ichigo. Regardless of any "limits" he puts on his fight (like not using bankai), he would not limit himself to the point of losing and almost dying. The flashback scene between Renji and Ikkaku occurs after the Aizen saga, so he could have obtained bankai somewhere in between, like Renji did.

I also didn't like how they wussified Renji.

[DarthEnderX]

The flashback scene between Renji and Ikkaku occurs after the Aizen saga, so he could have obtained bankai somewhere in between, like Renji did.No, only part where Renji is trying to convince him to become Captain takes place after. All the scenes where he's training Renji, including the one where Renji first mentions his Bankai, took place before.

[Animeniax]

No, only part where Renji is trying to convince him to become Captain takes place after. All the scenes where he's training Renji, including the one where Renji first mentions his Bankai, took place before.
Sorry, that's what I meant, the captain talk was after Aizen left. I forgot about the part where they talked about his bankai, which was before the Aizen saga. Still kind of weird that Ikkaku wouldn't go all out in his fight with Ichigo, even with his style. I think that's something of a plot hole on the filler writers' part, and they just ad-libbed when Ikkaku obtained Bankai without taking into account how easily Ichigo defeated him in the SS arc.

[Mizuchi]

I wasn't as impressed as the rest of you with this episode.

you said that about naruto too. if u dont like the series why dont you just stop watching it instead of whining so much about it.

This ep was great, i always enjoy seeing kenpachi, especially his backstory.

[FullMetalAlchemist]

Sorry, that's what I meant, the captain talk was after Aizen left. I forgot about the part where they talked about his bankai, which was before the Aizen saga. Still kind of weird that Ikkaku wouldn't go all out in his fight with Ichigo, even with his style. I think that's something of a plot hole on the filler writers' part, and they just ad-libbed when Ikkaku obtained Bankai without taking into account how easily Ichigo defeated him in the SS arc.


He doesn't want anyone to know of his bankai, if he would have used it in soul society everyone would have known he obtained bankai. Besides that you are thinking to much and seem to find the negatives instead of the positives in every post you make it's sad really.

[Animeniax]

I was one of the few who defended fillers, so it's weird to be accused of trying to find faults with the regular series. However, most of this episode is filler anyway, but somehow everyone here likes it, even though a lot of the Bounto filler stuff was better. Kind of odd if you ask me.

Anyway, I want to love this series and Naruto, but they are making it damn hard. The animation is so poor and the colors are so washed out (is that just DB?), it's hard to watch, plus they're slaughtering out favorite characters and making them act out of character. It really sucks. I'd rather they stopped making the shows altogether until they get the finances and effort to do a good job.

So what you're saying is, he'd rather lose a fight to a ryoko and die than reveal his bankai? Sounds far-fetched to me. I think it's another plot hole by the filler writers. And you have to admit, the way they treated the Renji character was just shameful.

[Kraco]

However, most of this episode is filler anyway, but somehow everyone here likes it, even though a lot of the Bounto filler stuff was better. Kind of odd if you ask me.
This was one mostly filler material episode in the middle of the manga based story, and pretty well integrated and executed by any resonably measure. The Bounto arc was longer than a year of famine and had some really poorly executed parts and ideas.


Anyway, I want to love this series and Naruto, but they are making it damn hard. The animation is so poor and the colors are so washed out (is that just DB?), it's hard to watch
Doesn't seem so bad to me. Nothing worse than I would expect from a long running series, certainly. If you want to ogle superb quality and production values, go fetch Kanon 2006 HDs somewhere, or something.


plus they're slaughtering out favorite characters and making them act out of character. It really sucks. I'd rather they stopped making the shows altogether until they get the finances and effort to do a good job.
Slaughtering characters? Who? Renji? While it could have been bit of a stretch, it wasn't anywhere near slaughtering. We don't really know that part of Renji's past, how he was after Rukia got adopted into the noble family, and the horizon probably seemed to escape very far from his reach. He didn't have even Shikai, but still he was probably already desiring to get as strong as Byakuya.

And a good idea to halt making the show to get money... Oh, wait, they are animating now the main arc, so how exactly would stop making anything help them get money? I was under the illusion they must have episodes to deliver to the TV stations to fulfill their end of the bargain.


So what you're saying is, he'd rather lose a fight to a ryoko and die than reveal his bankai? Sounds far-fetched to me. I think it's another plot hole by the filler writers.
Why not? He just said in this episodes all he wants is to die serving under Zaraki. Sure, he will want to die after having fought really hard, and he did that against Ichigo. He could have beaten Ichigo with his bankai, but what would have happened after that? Would he have been able to continue to serve under Kenpachi just like before? He probably would have had no way to know. So, beating Ichigo could have destroeyd his wish to die in Zaraki's squad.

[complich8]

Ikkaku is a slow starter. He doesn't have particularly insane reiatsu like Kenpachi, but he does have Kenpachi's passion for a good fight.

What that means is that for the majority of his first fight with Ichigo, he was toying around, fighting below his peak, goading Ichigo on. Then when Ichi finally figured things out and got serious, his strength somewhat billowed up and crushed Ikkaku. But, if Ikkaku had given his opponent a slightly higher estimation, that might not have happened.

Ichigo didn't have an easy time with any of his fights in soul society. That's what made them exciting. If he just calmly demolished someone like Byakuya did to Ganju, it would be pretty dull. One-sided fights aren't particularly interesting.

[Mae]

I liked that they filled out his backstory. It's nice when a character you never had much regard for suddenly gets interesting. I also thought Renji was a bit too self-effacing in this, but it wasn't too much of a stretch. Both he and Rukia started out fairly weak as fighters, and it's not like Renji knew anyone in SS to start out with or really had anything to trade for lessons. He just had to ask for a favor.

I was wondering about the timing a little. Did they mean that both he and Kenpachi joined not long after SS was founded? That would make them pretty damn old.

[Animeniax]

@kraco: good points, maybe I'm just in a bad mood and had higher hopes for non-filler episodes. I can see validity in his reasons for not revealing bankai, but I'm not totally convinced. Losing to a ryoka is just too shameful.


Ikkaku is a slow starter. He doesn't have particularly insane reiatsu like Kenpachi, but he does have Kenpachi's passion for a good fight.

Ichigo didn't have an easy time with any of his fights in soul society. That's what made them exciting. If he just calmly demolished someone like Byakuya did to Ganju, it would be pretty dull. One-sided fights aren't particularly interesting.
Ikkaku was Ichigo's first fight against a ranked SS opponent and he was relatively weak when they fought, but Ichigo was still able to beat him even against Ikkaku's shikai. I can't say for sure if Ikkaku can sense his opponent's power level, but you might be right about him not taking his opponent seriously enough. I have to go back and watch, but the fight might have ended before Ikkaku even had a chance to consider revealing his bankai.

@mae: what made you think they joined not long after SS was founded? I didn't see anything to suggest that.

[Kraco]

I can see validity in his reasons for not revealing bankai, but I'm not totally convinced. Losing to a ryoka is just too shameful.

That's true. It's indeed a somewhat open point, unless Complich's theory is the truth.

Of course it could also be that Ikkaku held something back (like a bankai) at the end giving Kenpachi thus a chance to fight. But that doesn't sound like a very plausible theory at all...

[Testarossa Autodrive]

Having just watched the dubbed episode on Adult Swim, I've come to some conjecture (and agreement with some of you) that it might've been Ikkaku had simply underestimated his opponent. When you're in the mindset of enjoying the fight, I don't believe you're really focused on winning so much as having a good time doing it. I'm sure Ikkaku believed that Ichigo wasn't all that powerful, which would lead him to underestimate his opponent's skill/luck (whatever you wanna call it), but when they showed him running towards Ichigo and Ichigo imagined fighting/training with Urahara, there must have been some drawing in of that insane power resting inside.

Keep in mind that Ikkaku had been training for years before this, as were the rest of his colleagues. But Ichigo's power and skill shot through the roof in such a short time; way more than any Shinigami in Soul Society. This is also a plausible excuse for the reason he beat Ikkaku so easily.

[dragonrage]

Well I am glad that you all have found a new favorite character, I must say that you that you have all made a very good choice.

Bankai...... the first time i saw his bankai on a manga page (by accident, since i don't read the manga) I was very impressed, and I must say that I was not disappointed at all.

Well the next episode seems to be one filled with comic relief and lessened tension so well heres to episode 120, can't wait to see how Ichigo reacts (finally).

[Dark Dragon]

While this episode was very good, it made me worry. In the future, this might compromise any real background story that has something to do with Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kenpachi and Yachiru. I wonder if that mean Bleach might skip the last arc due to the anime and manga storyline conflicting.

[anime nomad]

excellent episode.

i dont think it out of character that renji acted so meek with ikkaku, in flash backs during the SS arc, Renji was very eager to please and seemed a bit of a clutz in classes. he developed confidence later on.
what i did find strange was that renji himself was not considered for captain seat, since at the time that he asked ikkaku to be captain, he also had his bankai. (although now that i think about it, i dont think byakyuya would have endorsed his captaincy, something about it being years too early for him to fight with bankai)

[itadakimasu]

seeing yachiru makes me think about how badly i want to see if she has any power at all, or if she is just kenpachi's companion...

[Munsu]

Yamichika, during the Soul Society arc, said that Ikkaku was the third strongest of the unit, so we can only assume that she indeed is strong.

[Kraco]

Yeah. And we have seen a few scenes with the lesser shinigami clearly even afraid of her (just like they are afraid of any the higher, named shinigami), so that's also an indication she has other considerable skills in addition to the head bite.

[DB_Hunter]

I think we saw some of her reiatsu just as the Ichigo vs Kenpachi fight was finishing. The part I'm referring to is when a messenger, sent by Yamamoto I think, wanted to deliver a message to Kenpachi. She told him to go away but when continued to insist she started to get angry.

[complich8]

Consider the analogy to DBZ's gravity training. Normally, people live in normal gravity, and tend to be fairly weak. But if you lived in 1.5x gravity, you'd naturally have a higher base strength.

Being in the presence of someone with a significant reiatsu is stressful. Even people with some reasonable amount of it (Nanao near the Yamamoto fight, Ganju around Kenpachi and Byakuya) are stressed by the presence of significantly stronger reiatsus. Not dissimilar to dumping a normal person into a significantly higher gravity environment ... the victim can barely move, barely breathe, barely think. They're just not strong enough to resist that pressure.

Now, Ichigo's friends generally have reiatsu unlike the average human (eg: Tatsuki and Keigo being able to see hollows and shinigami) just as a result of exposure to his pre-shinigami reiatsu leakage.

Now, you figure, Kenpachi's longtime companion is Yachiru. She's been either at his side or riding on his back for basically as long as she's existed. If Ichigo's baseline reiatsu leakage was a 1.5, the even with the eyepatch, Kenpachi's base leakage is like a 50 -- so high that post-shinigami, pre-bankai Ichigo had to focus all of his active reiatsu to be able to hurt him. Given that such a base strength is taxing to people near it, and using the gravity-training analogy, you might as well think of Yachiru as having lived in dbz-style 50x gravity for her entire life.

In other words, she's really, really strong. Strong enough that Kenpachi's uncontained bursts of reiatsu don't phase her in the least. In the whole series, ichigo and the hollow in him are a big wildcard, but I think Yachiru is just as much of one.

[Kraco]

A very good theory. However, I think it's not only because of the exposure to Zaraki's reiatsu. She must have had some latent powers to begin with, or I don't think Kenpachi would have paid her that much attention and went through the trouble of taking care of a baby.

But no doubt she was made stronger because of the situation you described. We know that happens, after all.

[NeoCybercoin]

I really wish to see that sometime. To see just how powerfull she really is. She is way younger then Hitsugaya but if you compare him to her at the same age you could say that she could become more powerfull then him at the end.

[Animeniax]

I'd imagine Yachiru is an incredible fighter as well. A large part of being in Kenpachi's 11th squad is having the ability to fight, and I mean with brute strength, not with demon magic or special Zanpaketou abilities. Remember way back when Yamichika was fighting Lieutenant Oba(sp?), and he said he would reveal his sword's abilities, but to keep it quiet since 11th squad hates flashy Zanpaketou techniques? So unless Kenpachi and the rest of 11th squad are lenient of having a weak lieutenant, then Yachiru is strong.

Plus what complich8 said :D .

I have a question though: how long will she continue to act like a little kid? I'd figure she's like the little girl from "Interview With a Vampire": child's body, adult's mind. Maybe she's perma-brain-damaged from all the violence she saw as a child.

[DB_Hunter]

I think there was a something Yachiru made Kenpachi realise, I can't remember what it was. I'll try and check up on the eps where they were telling Kenpachi's backstory to see what it was. I think thats why Yachiru always hangs around with Kenpachi.

Speaking of wildcards, I think there a lot of potential in most characters in Bleach. That said, the person I want to see fight seriously is Kisuke. If I had to pick a favourite character I would choose him... he just seems so chilled out and you don't really know what he can do as he never bigs himself up.

[Inazuma]

I Want to see Ise Nanao's Shikai Daaamnnnn

[masamuneehs]

as for Yachiru always being a child... I didn't see her as any more grown-up in the Soul Society arc than in this flashback. I mean, maybe she got a little more vocabulary, but that's just experience...

I always thought that whatever age you were when you died was your age in Soul Society, end of story. Otherwise Yachiru just doesn't make sense... The noted exception to this was seen with Soi Fong and her backstory, where she clearly grew up as time went on in Soul Society. So, now that I think about it, I'm just plain confused...

anyone have any ideas?

[DB_Hunter]

Yea, they just all age very, very slowly. I think it was said during a conversation to Ichigo during the SS arc that Rukia is like a couple of hundred years older than him.

[Kraco]

It has been a while, but wasn't Yachiru barely a toddler in the flashback of her and Zaraki's meeting? I don't think she even understood people had been slaughtered around her, and she had no idea what the blood all around was.

I don't think aging makes much sense at all in SS. I've a feeling it would be an issue that would leak like a sieve if studied more closely.

[RasenDori]

correct me if my wrong manga readers, but didnt renji teach ikkaku how to attain bankai in the manga? i thought this episode was a strange deviation from the original.

[Dark Dragon]

negative, i don't remember that ever happening in the manga.

[Munsu]

correct me if my wrong manga readers, but didnt renji teach ikkaku how to attain bankai in the manga? i thought this episode was a strange deviation from the original.
I don't remember this happening, and even if it were true it wouldn't make sense, especially since Ikkaku doesn't want to use bankai... so it'll be very out of character for him to go to someone else and ask them to teach them, especially bankai.

[Animeniax]

as for Yachiru always being a child... I didn't see her as any more grown-up in the Soul Society arc than in this flashback. I mean, maybe she got a little more vocabulary, but that's just experience...

I always thought that whatever age you were when you died was your age in Soul Society, end of story. Otherwise Yachiru just doesn't make sense... The noted exception to this was seen with Soi Fong and her backstory, where she clearly grew up as time went on in Soul Society. So, now that I think about it, I'm just plain confused...

anyone have any ideas?
They definitely showed her as a younger child when she first met Zaraki. She looked like a 4 year old. Now she looks like an 8 year old. But aside from the slow physical change, surely her mind must develop at a normal pace so she acts more grown-up and comprehends her surroundings better. But she's probably mentally-stunted for life from all of the violence. Poor kid.

[el_boss]

Just saw it. WTF IS THIS SHIT!? They show a stupid fucking falsh-back instead of the actual fight? What they run out of paint or something? I was looking forward to having an orgasm to this ep. Biggest anti-climax ever.

[StillAlive]

Just saw it, too. And I have to say I really liked it! It was quite an interesting episode as I never considered Renji looking up to Ikkaku. I don't think this makes Renji less bad ass or something.
As for the aging thing: Maybe in Soul Society you only can age if you use your reiatsu to fight or to make fireworks or whatsoever. So "normal" souls won't age because they do not know how to use their spirit power but shinigami who use it do age. It's like: You use reiatsu --> you get hungry because you've wasted your body/soul --> you age. Now Yachiru doesn't fight very often (never :rolleyes: ) as she's always with Kenpachi and he doesn't leave any opponents to her at all :D that's why she only ages very slow.

[NeoCybercoin]

Unusually slow metabolism?

[Kraco]

Maybe Zaraki just told her not to grow up. After all, it would be more cumbersome to carry a grown-up woman on your shoulder all the time than a little kid...

[DB_Hunter]

Not to mention that it would be very suspicious...

[RasenDori]

I don't remember this happening, and even if it were true it wouldn't make sense, especially since Ikkaku doesn't want to use bankai... so it'll be very out of character for him to go to someone else and ask them to teach them, especially bankai.

i just went back an checked m7's release of chapter 206. in the flashback renji clearly notes that he taught ikkaku bankai

[Dark Dragon]

hmmm weird, i just reread 206 too at mangavolume.com and it seem that the only filler content in the episode is the fight scene and the stuff that happen after kenpachi became captain. Ikkaku state that he taught renji how to fight, yumichika show up in 2-3 frame wearing clothes that was similar to the anime and kenpachi speech about how he is lucky that he survive was also in the manga.

[Deadfire]

Maybe Zaraki just told her not to grow up. After all, it would be more cumbersome to carry a grown-up woman on your shoulder all the time than a little kid...

Yet he had no trouble when Orihime-chan has on his back...:p



Not to mention that it would be very suspicious...

It was...:rolleyes:

[RasenDori]

ok, i just looked at bleach portals version, and the translation in that shot with renji and ikkaku is much more clear. in m7s version it seemed more like renji was talking especially since ther were no pointers indicating who was speaking.

[Sukaruuma]

i downloaded it it was pretty cool.