The ZONE Podcast: Nerdy News and Reviews
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The ZONE Podcast: Nerdy News and Reviews
Bleach: The Xtreme Review (Part 2: Seasons 5-8)
We dive into the moral complexity of Bleach's Soul Society and how the Arrancar arc revitalizes Hollows as a genuine threat after they were diminished in previous arcs.
• Introduction to Arrancar arc covering seasons 5-8
• How Soul Society is portrayed as morally gray rather than purely good
• Evolution of Hollows with their hierarchy (Gillians, Adjuchas, Vasto Lordes)
• Ichigo's struggle with his inner Hollow and the "king and horse" dynamic
• The cultural influences in Bleach including Spanish, German, French, and English elements
• Analysis of fan-favorite characters Grimmjow and Ulquiorra and their contrasting philosophies
• Expansion of world-building with Hueco Mundo and the afterlife system
• Discussion of the visually distinct qualities of Tite Kubo's art style
For more Bleach lore and detailed character backgrounds, check out the light novels that expand on many elements only briefly touched on in the anime.
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all righty. Then it's time for part two of the bleach extreme review. Uh, I'm having a weird time deciding how I'm gonna. I'm thinking should I make the first eight seasons into one part and then the other two into one part, by two part, or into four parts? But for now, part two we're going to be covering season five through eight of Bleach. That means that we're going to be covering the second half of the Bound arc and pretty much the Arrancar arc, like the first leg of it, because it's like six seasons of that, and I know the last season is the full bring, and then of course it's like some filler sprinkled in, but for the most part it's like six seasons total for Ron Carr because of like six parts. Yeah, let's go ahead and get into it Now. For starters, season five. For starters Season 5.
Speaker 1:This is the part where, okay, the Bounce decided to invade Soul Society, get their revenge and all that, and Talos was saying that it was better than what we give it credit for and honestly, once again, I still kind of don't care for it. But I do appreciate it more now because I just like the part where, uh, it was just put into perspective how the soul society is more so morally gray than the actual good guys, because you're thinking like, okay, they got me the good guys, and then there's the bad guys and I'm like no, soul Society is more morally great. It's like they have laws, they have their rules and all that, but for the most part it's like if they don't feel like helping you, they're not going to help you. But anyway, it kind of introduced this whole idea that, okay, the Soul Society created the bounce and kind of tried to, um, brush them under the rug and cario wanted to get their revenge and all that, and it just kind of makes you think that, okay, soul society can be kind of sus and that's interesting. But uh, outside of that, you know, it was like like it was better than I gave it credit for initially, but even then it's like, eh, it didn't change, it was like not really that game-changing, but it just kind of put things into perspective.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I ranked or graded the other arcs, but in case I didn't substitute Soul Reaper arc, I give that a Hmm, 3 out of 5 stars. You know, introductory arc Didn't really do much, but it did kinda Was able to introduce Characters in a way that's like, okay, well, uh, at least it wasn't getting too boring. Uh, soul Society arc, I would give that a solid 4. Characters in a way that's like, okay, well, uh, at least it wasn't get too boring. Uh, soul society arc, I would give that a solid four because it changed things from a world building point of view and a plot point of view. Uh, the bound arc. Dial it back to a three point5. Yeah, because the one part with how the society created the balance is like okay, that's interesting, it's like society can be on some such shit. But outside of that, if you liked it, cool. If you didn't like it, I don't blame you.
Speaker 2:Could guess you got anything to add on to season 5 let's see you did actually do a grading scale onto the previous ones um otherwise, like the most simplest thing into it is that the bound arc.
Speaker 2:I was like, eh, it's whatever, it's whatever, yeah, yeah, I get it. The, the soul society created them, so therefore it should be something pretty cool and things like that. But for the most part it was just one of those ones I'm like okay, like I kind of was just ready to move on to the next arc. I'm not even going to lie to you there.
Speaker 1:Nah, I don't blame you. Alright, let's go ahead and talk about the Arrancar arc, alright, so this is what. Oh, um, kogatsu kind of got booted, I don't know why, but I think he will come back in just a moment. But uh, let's keep it moving, just in case. Uh, this is the part where we get introduced to the Iran card and also the visors, and as soon as we got to get back in, we'll probably get into that. So, essentially, with the Iran card, they are hollows who have removed their mass to gain soul Reaper powers, and you get things like the Iranrancar, like the Grimjow Faxon showing up trying to cause chaos and whatnot. Like I said, we got introduced to the visors. Ezgo struggled to control the inner holo inside him, so he had to get training from the visors to master that so he can wear the mask and have like a little buff for like 11 seconds. There he is. Uh what?
Speaker 2:happened. Technology, technology, so sorry, literally technology. All of a sudden things started getting a little robotic for me and then all of a sudden, boom, I wound up finding myself out and I was like, okay, so I'm like let me go ahead and fix this real quick. But we are good, my bad continue gotcha.
Speaker 1:Well, you didn't miss much. I was just kind of doing a short little summary of like the beginning of the iran car art. Uh, essentially hollows, um, the iran car, you know, hollows that remove their mass to gain soul reaper powers. Uh, they show up trying to start shit. Uh, ichigo, he needs to learn how to control the inner hall inside him. So he goes to the visor to teach him how to master that ability to wear the mask and have like a little boost in strength for like 11 seconds and whatnot. Uh, any thoughts about that before we start talking about the real meat and potatoes?
Speaker 2:I mean, there's really a lot to unpack into their wrong card itself, but as far as the beginning. So, after we had the bound art, I'll be honest, I wasn't sure how to feel about the wrong card, but the thing about it is, the benefit is that I was reading the manga, so I didn't have to worry too much about the bound part. Um, I like the beginning of the wrong card. I actually like it so much that I have that. I only have three Bleach mangas. I'm gonna be very honest. Okay, I was broke at the time it came out. I was still in high school. It was difficult getting a job while also doing marching band. I was in like the super high honors classes where I had to do a bunch of volunteer work. It was a lot. Okay, I didn't have money like that. So bear with me on this.
Speaker 2:I have literally the beginning of three different arcs. I have the very first bleach manga, the very first book. I have the first book when they entered the soul society and then I have the first book at the beginning of the Iran card is very weird, just understand that, whatever. Anyway. Of the wrong card, it's very weird, just understand that, whatever, anyway. So, but that specific one was the only one that I actually purchased. The other two were given to me by our friends, so they was like you ain't got no manga, I'm gonna hook you up, and I'm like that's not quite the best hookup, but you know what I appreciate anyway, thank you. I still have them, though, but it's the only one that I bought, because the thing about it is is that when we understand the beginning of this arc let's put in this aspect, soul society arc we knew there were strong people when it came to the bond art.
Speaker 2:We weren't sure if they were going to be strong or not. And then come to find out technically strong. Technically, not kind of cheapskated powers, whatever the case may be, it's filler, not canon who cares as far as my concern, but the Arrancars, when they introduced themselves, it was a whole other thing. Instead of creating new character, we got pretty much an upgrade of these monsters that we had before, because, remember, at the beginning the hollows were the threat. Hollows were a threat at the beginning of bleach. Then we get to soul society. We're like man, hollows ain't nothing. It was almost like you made them weak, like, oh, we've met a minos grande. In the beginning, ichigo took down a minos grande. Oh my god, that's a big feat. Go to Soul Society, captain's like I can take down five, ten, a hundred Menos Grandes who cares about that? And you're like dang, y'all just made them like nothing, y'all turned them into Cytomine.
Speaker 1:It's like, yeah, that's what I'm thinking Like, team Force are a lot to wear to. Where, like, essentially, uh, vegeta was like break it down to krillin. To where, like, oh, congratulations, you defeated um, the equivalent of one rat. Meanwhile, nap is worth five rat. I mean, yeah, worth five rats and I'm worth 15 rats.
Speaker 2:And then, uh, it was like I hate all of you pretty much because he made, like Reddit seem like a threat, like it had to be, like Goku Piccolo had to team up, like these two mortal enemies who would fight each other on sight had to work together to take down this bigger threat. And then, like all of a sudden it was like, oh no, he was weak and that pretty much nothing. And you're like, wait, what Like, what is this? And so it was the same thing for the minnows grand days. Right, so the same thing for the minnows grand days. You're just like, oh okay, minnows grand days ain't nothing.
Speaker 1:And you're like, okay, hold on I like the way they kind of explain it to it. Oh, y'all don't, y'all don't understand. There's the gillian, right, uh right, and then they're like the second highest.
Speaker 1:I'm like I forgot what they're called again oh fuck it's, it's gaping me, but I'm probably gonna remember it when we do like part three, part four, whatever. But uh, they're like the second um level, that's like a little higher, it's like, okay, they're like smaller than gilliam's, but I'm more intelligent. And then at the tippy top you have to boss the lords and those are the. You really don't want to um be around and the crazy part is how eisen was like. You know what? I'm going to train up 10 buster lords to be espada and they're gonna be like my little henchmen, kind of like a organization 13 and, crazy enough, it is a literal organization 13 to wear, including tozin itimaru and the tennis father 13 pretty much not wrong with that.
Speaker 2:So yeah, but yeah, yeah, there is, it's the gillian, which is the weakest, minnows grandez, those ones apparently with pointy noses. They all look alike. They're like the giant cloaks that are pretty much just mindless type thing. And the Ajuchas, yes, because literally that's what they're called, yeah yeah, pretty much, because, like Ty, kubo really loves, like Hispanic culture. There's one of the cool things about it he loves Spanish.
Speaker 1:Hold on, sorry, hold on, slide, change up. Okay, I saw this one post real recently, like literally yesterday, where one dude was like you know what, man, the only thing about bleach that's eating good is the women. And I'm like, okay, hold on, I'm not gonna disagree with that part. But, bro, I would disagree to the parts where there's way more to bleep that you're giving it credit for. For starters, bleep definitely got that sauce. When it comes to cultural influence, like not only does it have spanish influence, like with the naming and some of the music, bro, listen, la Barra, la Espada by Shiro Saigisu Got me dancing like a Spaniard when I hear those Spanish guitars going off in the background. Ay, yo what up.
Speaker 2:It's true, especially when you think about how some of the bankai is called out. Like some of the bankai is called out, some of the Bankai is called out in Spanish and in French. Those two languages are heavily incorporated into Bleach.
Speaker 1:It's not just Spanish, it's German because of the Quincy's and the Bounce, and also the English because of the Fullbringers, because the way the Fullbringers, their abilities, are based on English rock music. So Bleach is culturally seasoned. Culturally seasoned Not only that it has an iconic. I'm sorry, I have to explain.
Speaker 1:It has an iconic art design. The music are bangers and the plot, eh, you know, the plot kind of gets distracted here and there, but for the most part I'm kind of digging it. Like, if you consider, okay, if you consider some two-soul reaper art, okay, introductory art, that's like a given, then soul society, you can skip the bound art, go right into the iran card, skip all these other arts right here and there and just stick to eyes and all that. It actually has a solid plot. It just gets distracted with all the fillers. And I'm not even mad about the filler. Like it's kind of come with the territory when it comes to like long format anime. But sometimes I'm like can we just get on to the good parts? You know what I mean, especially when you already been down this road before it, like the first time around, okay, it was awesome. Like I had no complaints so far. But when you rewatch it I'm like dang, I thought Bleach was shorter than this. It feels the pacing just feels so much longer than usual. Like what the fuck? Like I thought there would have been, like like when I was rewatching the Soul Society art, for instance, even then I was sitting there like I swear to God, I thought the Soul Society Art was shorter than this. It felt like they spent like two or three episodes fighting each captain or lieutenant or third, fourth, fifth, whatever, and I'm like I mean it's okay. But that's why I'm saying I mean it's okay. But that's why I'm like saying with Telo I'm like if he was here I'm like I'm sorry, but that's why I would say with Bleach it would probably get like a 4.5 at best right now, because I just felt like the pacing felt a little sluggish here and there to a point where I'm like I'm kind of ready to get to that one part that I know is going to slap, but that's just me.
Speaker 1:But for the most part, the Roncar arc, it was like essentially the Roncar showing up, fucking shit up. Vyra just helped EZO learn the powers, and then next thing, you know, ukiyora and grim job, by the way, two of my favorite spotter out of the 10 like so far. Like, uh, I'm still. Once we do part three and four of bleach, then I might have a more definite ranking of who's my favorite spot. But right now Rimja and Ukiyo-e are definitely my favorites like and, to be fair, they are fan favorites. But you gotta understand though they're just built different though.
Speaker 1:Yeah, essentially Orihime gets kidnapped because with her ability she can. It's like goes beyond time and space, regression, like they said so in the anime. By the way, I gotta say I don't know like I was re-watching that sub and the way they kind of explain things where I'm okay, I can't understand what's going on now a little bit better, but essentially, with orihime, her abilities like go beyond time and space, uh, regression is like you can, it's not just healing, but you can like make it so that it never happened in the first place, almost like some jojo's bizarre adventure type shit. And I was like, oh, I need that, I need that, I need that to get this whole shit off from the Hogyoku, so I can like fuse with, oh, jumping ahead. But yeah, since we get her, I mean, it's gonna take a while for the Hogyoku to fully awaken anyway, so we're just gonna keep you while for the hugo q to fully awake anyway.
Speaker 2:So, uh, we're just gonna keep you around until the time comes, and if your friends come and save you, we're just gonna kill them, so you might as well like kill up all hope, and far as how things go into it, because with the introduction, you know, I could get more of an understanding that there's more classifications, there's much more of a build to the hollows, they're not just a simple-minded thing anymore. I'm kind of getting more of a feel like there's something more going on here. We kind of get also an understanding of what Aizen was up to, because, remember, this whole mount arc was kind of distracting from, well, what is Aizen doing? Aizen got what he wanted. He got the jewel I was about to say the Sikyon jewel. I don't know if you're thinking of the Aizen, anyway, this is a very small pearl anyway when you think about it.
Speaker 1:But you know he got you know there's gotta be that big up in that everybody's like looking at me true.
Speaker 2:So you got the whole gyoku and it's like what is he doing with it? What is the benefit? What is going on, what is happening? And we're just like kind of left in the dry. The iran cars show up and we're like, oh, we were created using the hogioku. Oh, okay, that's interesting.
Speaker 2:Um, it says, shattered our mask and we got an opportunity to kind of really showcase who we do, what we do, stuff. And we're like, oh, so it's like okay, we have a new classification of hollow now and something that's kind of just much, much more than it's already been. And it's like these hollows are now organized as a group. They're no longer seemingly mindless creatures, because even the boss, even the vasalordes they stay to themselves. Otherwise hollows, they get stronger by eating each other. These hollows are now significantly stronger. They have pretty much their own equivalent of soul reaper powers and they don't have to eat each other in order to do that. They've just reached their own equivalent of soul reaper powers and they don't have to eat each other in order to do that. They've just reached their own classification of strength and it's now it's like okay, hollows are a threat again. It feels like we found again something hollows are a threat again. We're finally understanding aizen's back and really what's going on and it really feels like we're I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, but can you imagine aizen showing up in hueco mundo and was like we're now? I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but can you imagine eisen showing up in hueco mundo and was like we're gonna make hollows great again I mean he said I made this whole society great again and went from there.
Speaker 2:Oh whoa we're gonna you mean that, you mean that, mean that I made that was funny. But um, but also like, yes, like you said, grim joe. Grim joe was my favorite. It's straight up like by, even by now, even by a thousand year blood war standards. I'm just putting this, be very honest, onto this grim joe is still my favorite. Grim joe is still relevant in thousand Blood War. He actually comes and helps out quite a bit. So he's still current and available and doing stuff.
Speaker 1:He got the batata treatment. He was so good. I was like hey man, we gotta bring Grimjo back.
Speaker 2:Right. Honestly, from my understanding, kubo actually had intentions to continue on with Grimjo anyway, and that's the reason why we got more of a story for it, because him it was him and Uquior, remember he felt upset that he was second to him, because Uquior just seems like who cares, he's like it's like you always seem so nonchalant, like you have Uquior who's the hollow, that has no emotion, and you know well I'm not gonna. We're not gotten to that point yet. But eventually we understand that he understands emotion, but this beginning portion, he has no care for anything.
Speaker 2:I was gonna say he like he definitely he's a master of stoicism, for sure this is true, but that's also part of his background is the fact that he has had no emotion, while all other hollows would have this feel. For I need to eat to get strong. I need to eat to do this.
Speaker 1:Ukuyora is one of the few, if not, I think, the only, but he was pretty much born a vasta lorde, in a sense and I add on a little side time to where I still remember this conversation that orihime had with him, like she was still like capturing all that, right. And then ukuyora was like hey, I'm coming in and I'm like, all right, so we brought you some food. You need to eat up because we still need you alive, and all that shit, like we could just inject you with nutritional or injection or whatnot. But like, hey, man, it's one or the other. So like whatever, like pick your poison, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:And I and keep in mind, like there's like based on Chad fighting one of the other Espada I forgot what his name, noitor, that was the dude with like the. It was like this crescent moon, double crescent moon, like Zompot, so like the really tall dude with the eyepatch, if you remember that guy. Anyways, he pretty much one-shot Chad right. And then, of course, like sensing energy and dragging Mosey, like everybody can sense, like spiritual pressure and whatnot, and even Orihime can tell that something's wrong with Chad, right. And then, as soon as Uki walks in the room and Orihime, he was like Chad's not dead, you know. And I was like okay, and I was like but he's not dead. I was like look here, bitch.
Speaker 1:I'm not here to entertain your sensibilities, like if he's alive, whatever, if he's dead, cool, that makes it easier for us. But either way, him and all your other little friends are gonna die anyway, so I don't know why you even fucking care. But if you're gonna touch them on anyway and then like, laugh at me, I'll uh, you know what. Fair enough, I'm gonna be man. He did all that with a stone cold face we are, does not care.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying. He has no, from his whole thing is that he has no. He has no understanding of human life, of love, care, anything like that, because he was just born strong and so for him all he knew was strength. He recognized weakness, but didn't care about others' weaknesses because it was just a whatever type thing. Everything to him was like eh, it's whatever.
Speaker 1:It's kind of like that in the real world. That's why I feel like I swear to God. If anyone says that, oh, you know, I can't relate to who you are on a deep level, I'm like, yeah, I know what type of dude you are. Okay, I got you. I know what you're saying.
Speaker 1:Nah bro, some people feel like oh well, you're a man like what are you doing with feelings? Like what are you doing with feelings? What are you doing with emotions? That sounds like some bitch made shit. I'm like hey, bro, whoa, I'm sorry, my emotions make me human.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but then that's where Grimjo comes in, being the exact opposite. Grimjo was an underdog. Grimjo was born weak and had to consume and build himself up. He built a posse. He built his own little group around him as well too, and being able to do so much more and stuff and it was like all of it was super important for him as far as growing up. So seeing someone who's so nonchalant was like I was born with everything, so I don't really care about anything. He's like I was born with everything, so I don't really care about anything. He's like well, I had to build myself up to get here type of thing. I had to build myself up to be recognized. I don't like that small look on your face.
Speaker 1:Hey, hey, hey. Naruto versus Sasuke, the whole dynamic all over again.
Speaker 2:Well, it's true, until we finally actually got an understanding of Sasuke's background story and technically he was his underdog, of his own, of the ut himself. So it's like okay, understood. But yeah, from the whole big first big part of naruto yeah, most definitely naruto, like it's always seemed like osasuke was just born with it, he just had it that's crazy too.
Speaker 1:I was thinking the same thing with um. Okay, aside from chad and rukia, the others I feel like they have that Team 7 dynamic going Well, not dynamic, but a vibe going on between Ichigo, orihime and Uryu. Because you can definitely tell with Ichigo like he's supposed to be the main character, he's not like loud mouth, like the typical one or like not that dumb, but you know he's solid, but you know he's Solid, you know. And then um Uryu, he comes up as this riot was like oh well, I can't Stand you soul reapers and blah, blah, blah and all that. And um, once again, uryu, he's cool, outside of that he's cool. And then Orihime I still stand by it, like I said in part one, at least, with Orihime. I still stand by, like I said in part one At least, with Orihime he's definitely not useless. They make it very clear that Orihime is actually Low key, overpowered, but he's more like One of the most overpowered.
Speaker 1:Support characters you ever heard of.
Speaker 2:Until they nerfed her. But yeah, most definitely so.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to think the only other thing I have as far as the beginning into it. I like that. We have to deal with the other characters too. You know, we get like what's his dude name? Nami.
Speaker 2:I liked his, I appreciated his story. Let me put it in this aspect. I appreciated his story because we see his growth throughout these, these couple arcs. He gets pretty easily defeated, um, his arm gets cut off and he's like pretty upset about it and stuff like that. But then, um, they wind up being able to repair his arm. He has to test it.
Speaker 2:This is also something very, very important if you're a major fan of Bleach. If you're not, then I understand you probably might have missed this. So when Nami gets his arm sewn back on and repaired, he gets it sewn back on by like a spider hollow. So what happens is that, in order to test out the strength of his arm, he crushes her head, she falls and she falls and pretty much like, okay, she fell dead he, so he just killed this hollow that healed him, just to prove a point type of thing, or anything like nothing like that. So there is a book series there's like several book series for um, for bleach, and we come to find out that that spider hollow is actually not dead. She has such a strong healing ability that she was able to repair not only repair her head, but in actuality she's a secretly overpowered character, but you only know about her from the book, so we'm not really going to talk too much into it. Just understand that apparently she's actually super overpowered.
Speaker 1:Was it that same Ron Carr that Temporarily replaced Green Jaw?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay.
Speaker 2:That was a different girl.
Speaker 1:Loopy also got Domed by Green Joe Boom was the same way. Okay, never mind.
Speaker 2:But no, no, the one that actually healed him, that one that actually healed his arm and sewed his arm back together, that one is actually a secretly overpowered hollow and is super powerful, to the point that she has her own little story arc of how she became a major threat that they had to put down. But it's only in the book. It's only in the actual books, in the light novels. So just a little bit of thing there too. If you decide to read the light novels, there's significantly more world building there. Um, kenpachi, as we know, is the eighth kenpachi, but we also learned well, we haven't gotten to thousand year blunt war arc yet, but there are previous kenpaches. Obviously we get a full understanding of who all the other previous kenpaches are in the light novels also.
Speaker 1:Let me just say I kind of was surprised by who was like to say I'm kind of surprised by someone who was a kenpache and um, not just a I don't want to upset her the first.
Speaker 2:Honestly, when we get to thousand year blood war, I'm gonna be honest with you, a lot of people were very upset with how her story ends, so we'll get to that point, but anyway, um, but no, it's like I like this one because the light novels get a chance to expand more into these characters. In the manga you don't get to see it like that In the anime. We do get to see some of those light novels, just a little bit of it added and incorporated into it. So it's one of those ones, like I mentioned in our first part, that we talked about Is that I do have appreciation of the anime Because we get the manga plus some. When we stay camp Now, granted a lot of these extra filler stuff, I'd be like, oh my god, okay, I do kind of be like it is kind of a lot of filler to me, but I do appreciate that it does add into that world building.
Speaker 2:It adds into this other powers, there's other classes, there's other people, there's more than just these normalcy, and I don't I mean we're moving forward, I guess, as we're moving into, because the rest of this is just part of the Aronkar arc itself too, like you already mentioned, as far as Chad and his power up, I like the fact that my favorite group I'm going to put it in this aspect, my favorite group is the Visors. They are my favorite group, but it's also their. All of their background stories are extremely interesting, like understanding the roles that each of them played, how each of them played with hat and clogs, understanding that, like he saved them when they were pretty much dead and it was an experimentation, there was no guarantee that they were going to come back and finally getting an understanding their first initial understanding of Ichigo's powers you got to understand like I still stand by what I said in part once, where, if it's not Aizen, it was Urahara all along.
Speaker 2:True, true, but the thing is, urahara was actually trying to help. That was all it was. He wanted to make things better.
Speaker 1:He was trying to help and all that shit. But to be fair, a lot of shit wouldn't have happened without Urahara.
Speaker 2:This is true, but he didn't do any of it on purpose. Yeah not on purpose.
Speaker 1:He didn't cause it with a name. I'm just saying like circumstances, you know happenstance.
Speaker 2:Pretty much, pretty much, pretty much. But yeah, it was like, but it's, they're full on understanding. It's a whole lot to, it's a lot to dive into, but it's one of those ones that's. It's a great appreciation and understanding them. Having to accept the hollow form of themselves, understanding that they had to be hollows and this is one of the most important factors, like what happened with the visors, becomes a huge benefit of what happens and helps out the soul society in the Thousand Year Blood War arc. But it originally started here. It started from Urahara's experimentation. It's like I never intended for things to go bad and go left, but it already went there. I'm gonna do what I can to help. All the people know is like oh, urahara abandoned the Soul Society and he left.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry but what's crazy to me? Kind of side-changy, but in certain angles, especially when you actually see his eyes not even see his eyes, but more like when he takes the hat off and all that shit. He kind of reminds me of Spanner from Catechia Hitman, reborn but with longer hair you ever notice that I can see that.
Speaker 2:I can see that. So yeah but it's one of those ones that that's what. Again, one of the reasons that I appreciate when we really get to dive in these world building moments into it, understanding more about Ichigo's powers, because for the longest time we're being told that by who we believe to be Zangetsu later found out that's definitely not true. But who we believe to be Zangetsu is constantly telling Ichigo I can't help you, I can't help you, and it's like talk to him, talk to your hollow form, and it's like that conversation.
Speaker 1:I thought you were Zangetsu. I'm like nah, you'll understand when we get to Thousand Year Blood War pretty much, but understanding who, who the hollow is.
Speaker 2:And then we haven't gotten that background of him accepting his hollow form yet, but he's understanding. He's at that point. He's like I'm about to take control and I'm now going to really take control of this hollow form. And you understand that his visor powers are still weak because he does not understand his hollow form yet. His visor powers are still weak because he does not understand his hollow form yet. He's been taught by the visors that, oh, you need to subjugate your hollow form, you need to take control of it. Make it yours, type of thing. And the hollow has told him that multiple times too Make your power, your own. The whole king and horse conversation.
Speaker 1:He was like. Both can either be the king or and horse conversation he was like both can either be the king or the horse, but it all comes down to the mentality. In other words, whoever is in control mentally has control of the body. If Ichigo shows any sort of mental weakness, then Zangetsu will, you know, take over. It's almost like, either you gotta control your demons or your demons will control you.
Speaker 2:Exactly so, absolutely.
Speaker 1:it's one of those ones that we do love, and it's one of those I love, so it's fantastic, but the thing about it is I'm trying to put Bleach on a deeper level, where I'm like okay, bleach is kind of about something like when it's not being distracting with a whole bunch of filler. It actually is trying to say something, though, but then the other thing about it is, too, a whole bunch of fillers. I'm trying to say something, though.
Speaker 2:Exactly. But then the other thing about this too, like you had touched on with Orihime, understanding the importance into it, aizen saw Orihime's powers and he's like yo, we need that, we need that I'ma need that. So he's like jumping in and he's like yo, get her, snatch her up. We need that. So he's like jumping in and he's like yo, get her, snatch her up. We need that and we're gonna make her use her powers and stuff for our benefit bring that woman to me now well, understand it too, like how great power in her
Speaker 2:that part. But understand too how or he made it so willing to help, like how nice she's trying to be on things and it's like she's like, even though you're my enemy, I'm still willing to try to help out as long as you like you can be a little bit nicer type of thing. You treat her nicely, she'll treat you nicely and it's one of the most appreciative things that we have for him. You know it's the same um, but I also do like the um, so each to go gets his power. But the one person's power boost that I really want to talk about because we still do get a chance of getting a chance for him to really kind of come back is Oryu. So in Oryu in the Soul Society, he lost everything. He lost all his powers. He broke the little. Honestly, crazy enough. I know it was a special glove. When he snaps it, I swear it looks like a plastic knife, like it was so weird to me. I'm just like it looks like you just glue plastic knives on a glove, and I think that's how some people made that cosplay too, is that they actually just glue plastic knives on the glove and that's how it looks and it's like I swear. It's very crazy, um, but we're understanding that he like he lost his powers entirely, but how he gets it back?
Speaker 2:We introduce uru's dad and, oh my goodness, you talking about most powerful dude out of nowhere, absolutely this. Just there's one of those ones, I'll be honest with you. Grim joe's, my favorite, uh, um, iron car. But as far as my favorite character from bleach I'm not gonna lie to you, it would be, and I have major respect for his dad, especially now that I fully understand his story, at this point we just think he's an absolute jerk. But the smackdown that he laid on his son I'm talking about. I was watching JJK and y'all already know the Shibuya arc when, oh boy, tope, oh my goodness, I cannot remember his name. Now, one of the main characters, the dude that always has he's roasted on throughout the internet Because he's known as the crash out king, because all he does is try, all he does is get his behind, beat Megumi yes, megumi's dad, toby when Toby whooped his behind.
Speaker 2:When Toji whooped his behind. I had flashbacks to Uriu's dad Whooping his behind, but Uriu's dad was so precise with it and that's one of the craziest things about it when he said it very specifically, he was like you need to be pushed to the point that you are about to die and when you're pushed to that point where you're looking at death's door, you have to be shot at a specific point right beside the left side of your heart, a few centimeters over, and it'll reawaken your Quincy powers, because you technically never lost them, they're just locked away from you doing that. And it was like this dude did it, so calculated, but he didn't explain anything. And so after he put his son on conscious and I was like what didn't explain anything?
Speaker 1:until after he put his son unconscious and I was like what.
Speaker 2:But that fight scene, bro, that that was just fantastic. Like it's one, like it was fantastic I I love. Also because we get a chance to see um in the soul society that uriu also has their own.
Speaker 1:Like um, you say magic because you know they have their own shinigami um spells, yeah, yeah, like, I like how, even when she he was fighting um that one shit, uh the moth lady, uh suruchi, whatever it was uh, he was trying to say no, this is not um flash step, this is something entirely different yeah, yeah, but it's the same.
Speaker 1:It's all the same thing, but they call it differently depending on where you're from oh, real quick, real quick, before you say who are you first of all, who are you is one of those archers that makes me have great respect for archers, you know like. Green Arrow, Speedy Hawkeye. I'm like, hey man, y'all need to give some of these archers a little bit more respect than that, because some archers are like badass with it.
Speaker 2:Second of all, who are you Hands down to me? The best archer is from Fate Stay Night. Archer from Fate Stay Night Hands down best anime archer to me. Just saying that, Continue talking.
Speaker 1:And second of all, when he like introduced the energy swords, the steel Snyder, and he was like, oh, we don't, it's like it's the first bladed weapon that we use, it's the only bladed weapon that we use. But even then he was explaining like I never said that this was a sword, and then he fucking armed and shot it bro, he was like what and um also like how he also went up against uh, it was this one spot, uh, don't help me, don't help me.
Speaker 1:But uh, he also tried cyah world. Um, he also tried to fight him and he always used the swords and like into this, like uh, snowflake, um hexagram, you know, you've seen it um how he kind of like sealed him into place and then he kind of like dropped that little bit of rage. He's down on the ground. And then he uh was like oh, hey, man, like when were you have a badass moment?
Speaker 2:like they really uh drizzled that sauce on his moment but then they wind up getting on to him right after that because, keep in mind, after that fight he winds up getting pinned down by what was? It was a dude. It wasn't Dahls but the Duke yeah, he was. He used Dahls and whatever he would stab the Dahl, it would damage their internal organs. He wound up pinning down him and Renji and they wound up having to get saved. Now, this nigga always creeped me out, but the captain that took over after Urahara people was like Urahara did respectful uh, uh, uh, my, uh, my.
Speaker 1:I know his first name is my yuri, but I forgot his last name. He's like something, something crazy.
Speaker 2:Technically, my race is actually his last name, but anyway, um, but the thing about it is is that this dude yeah, because remember everyone calls with a heart, with a hotter, but it's so skate with a heart, his name is so skate, just like sasuke aizen. That was like a little bonding moment too. But yeah, mayuri is actually technically a class family name per se, but the thing about it is is that, yes, he was the only one that could face against this duel, just being honest, and we are talking a little bit about the big fight, this does kind of lead up to the final battle with Aizen and ichigo. So this happens. I guess, if I'm correct, it's like season eight is when this fight happens, if I'm correct. Correct me if I'm wrong, sorry, but um, we do have those moments where you know he's dangerous.
Speaker 2:He's one of those ones. He's like I modify my bankai. He said why. Everyone else is like oh, I have an absolute appreciation, my bankai. He's like no, I need to make my bunkai more dangerous, and the most dangerous way possible. My bunkai can kill me, and I made it that way and then made a special antidote specifically for if my bunkai ever does try to kill me and I'm sitting here like. Is this foreshadowing?
Speaker 1:uh, I think that's in season 10, like. That's like get past in the new captain arc.
Speaker 2:Yeah okay, okay. So yeah, it's a little bit further off, but you know it's one of those ones that we. It kind of creeps me out so I apologize. We'll talk more in that fight later on. But anyway, I do appreciate in these seasons that we're getting more of a power up. They do invade the um, they do wind up invading the hall around and the hueco mundo and keep in mind this, this is one of those ones that for the longest time, me, and like I was, like a lot of other people thought hueco mundo was hell.
Speaker 2:Because the way the, the, because think about it this way, the way it was first set up, towards the beginning of the soul society no, not before it's soul side, in the first part, it's easy to forget that this happens, like it's really easy to forget that this actually happened. So we have an understanding. If you have darkness in your heart and you find yourself tied on to the human plane, you're not letting yourself go. You don't allow yourself to go into the reincarnation life because you're supposed to die on earth. Go to the soul society for a little bit. Get reincarnated to being another human again.
Speaker 2:That's how life works and that's how life works in bleach as far as like this full-on belief in reincarnation, but this only also and this is also another weird thing kubo hasn't has actually mentioned this, but it says he may or may not expand on depends on his health. This, this is how it works in Japan's Soul Society. Keep in mind and understanding everything that's happening right now, this entire story is just Japan's Soul Society. There is other Soul Societies in other countries that are different and they're run very different, so it's like the MCU rules still yes, almost yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's almost like a different multiverse, but technically all on the same planet. It's very weird. Everyone has their own different afterlife and they're all run differently, but they're all still kind of based onto the soul king itself, onto the soul king himself. So that's still a whole nother thing into it. So Aizen trying to take over soul society was not just japan soul society, he was trying to take over everyone's soul society anyway. There's a whole lot more to it.
Speaker 2:Again, read the, read the light novels. You'll get more information on that if you choose and get more details. But as well as once like you're like oh, bleach, has some soul, has some uh, world building, things like that. No, k Kubo has been limited. He was told that he had to limit down some of the stuff that he wanted to do. So this manga only touched bases in a certain stuff.
Speaker 2:So for a while Huecomundo was believed to really be like hell. But it did happen in the very in like I think it was like the third no, the second or third season, I think the second season where there was a hollow that was so evil. He got dragged down to hell, to the actual gates of hell, but it only happened one time, so it's easy to forget that hell is different from Hueco Mundo. Hueco Mundo is like the void of nothingness. You're not so evil that you can pass on to hell. You're not. So you didn't live a good, healthy life because you're still holding on to the earth, so you can't pass on to hell. You're not so you didn't live a good, healthy life because you're still holding on to the earth, so you can't pass on to the soul society, which is why the Quincy's was such a danger to the hollows.
Speaker 1:So you mean to tell me that the Hueco Munda is more like the medium place?
Speaker 2:Pretty much, because what it is? If you hold on to your human existence, you're not letting go, and that's what makes Uquior one of my favorite ones. My second favorite Grimmjow's still my favorite, but Uquior one of my favorite ones is because he's a hollow. That's very different from the other hollows. Every hollow is like. You hold on to one of the seven deadly sins per se. You hold on to one of your human life, to something about your human life, and it prevents you from entering the reincarnation cycle because you haven't let go yet. You have to learn to let go to allow yourself to move on. They refuse to. It's like they have unfinished business. The Shinigami slice their mask open, reveals their true face. They finally let go of what it was that was holding them and then they can reenter. The reincarnation cycle Maintains balance in the soul society, because the balance of souls is the balance of energy. Quincy, when they kill a hollow actually eradicates them from existence. I had mentioned this in the first part, but it's also here where we get a more understanding.
Speaker 1:That's what makes the whole thing kind of crazy. That's why I said once again how Bleach feels like he's actually talking about something, because sometimes we just be wondering what happens after death and I'm like it can't be. Just is you just die, and that's it's like you. Just kind of makes you wonder, like what if there was a soul society? Like what if we go to these different um realms like um, how would reincarnation really work?
Speaker 1:Like sometimes I'd be wondering, like if it's like either you just get reincarnated as a totally different person or, hell, it could be like um, I want to say like joseph's bizarre adventure, and also I want to say, futurama, how they kind of dove into the whole idea of how, uh, timelines just restart, um, you know, under different circumstances, depending on the choices being made by the um, humans or what, uh, it happened in the earth. And all that whole point being is that it could either go as you, either reincarnate as someone completely different, or, as far as we know, you could die. And next thing, you know, billions, billions of years pass into the universe, the universe starts over again, billions of years pass, you're born again and you have the deja vu moments because, like, I feel like I've lived through this before. Technically you did, but you don't remember it exactly.
Speaker 2:But what? What makes hueco mundo so dangerous is that hueco mundo is is so vast because it's linked to all the other soul societies. That's why it seemed like there's almost an endless number of hollows, because technically kind of is an endless. It feels like an endless number of hollows because that whole void is connected to every other soul society that there is okay, guys.
Speaker 1:I can also add on something that I recently well, not really recently, but it calls back to when we were reviewing Doctor Strange 2, multiverse of Madness, where America Chavez said that she's the only variant in all the universes. So she's like the only one ever, ever like. She's literally one of a kind. That's also why she said that she can't dream, and they say that in the movie that dreams are more like, uh, highway to another life yeah.
Speaker 1:So in other words, like you kind of like jump to different um timelines or whatnot. So it's almost like, yeah, you could kind of explore all the different possibilities of how your life could have turned out if you put it that way.
Speaker 2:I don't know. No, no, true, true.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:It's one of those ones where there's so much into it. If you really want to get into it, read light novels. Kubo gets an opportunity to really express himself. He expresses the full history of the soul society. Right now. You only get bits and pieces of it from the anime and from the manga because there's so many other stories, there's so many other characters that he wants writing about and throws into. So it's one of those ones.
Speaker 2:Like and keep in mind this one, like when I told y'all, like dbz and rom and uh, dr and um tommy 94 or something, I can't remember the numbers. But like those two guys they read the light novels. They've done tons of videos about the characters of the light novels, how the light novels have broken down and really kind of helps the storyline A lot of those plot holes that you think is there, that it's like oh, kubo never really touched base further into the other Kenpaches he does in the light novels. It wasn't pertaining to helping the story move forward so he just left it out. The manga it didn't help the story move forward. But if you want that background, we're good to go.
Speaker 1:Okay it, but if you want that, background.
Speaker 2:We're good to go, so, but, um, otherwise I don't want there's not much else in this part. I don't have much else for this part here, like for season six through eight, because it's still just the very beginning of the iran cars. Um, we don't dive too much more into the other characters. We don't talk about how Yami winds up changing numbers. That doesn't happen yet.
Speaker 2:So this is just the buildup of understanding. We're understanding what's happening. We're understanding that Aizen's building this army, but we also understand that they're skeptical of him Because, yeah, he showed up and gave them extra power. So they're skeptical of him because, yeah, he showed up and gave them extra power. So they're respectful of him because of that. But they're also kind of some of them are afraid, because some of them like, yeah, he's probably super strong and he definitely would like kill us or something like that type of thing, and some of them are not. Some of them are just like I respect, you gave me powers. I'm just going to kind of go along with your plan because of whoever it is one of those ones that has been confirmed. Specifically, the number one is spot on. It was apparently either as strong or stronger than aizen. Um, pretty much probably before the hokioku, though, so that is something that's confirmed into it is that aizen did not want to fight hi, they just had a respect for each other can I also say that I mean this it's.
Speaker 1:It should be really surprising, but what can I say? I like how he starts Zanpato, because I'm like the only dude in the entire series where his Zanpato is two pistols.
Speaker 2:It's the only dude with guns. I think Kubo did that on purpose, because he was supposed to be kind of a top-out type thing. Think about this Everything's been built on Samurai. I mean, if it was Gunblade I would have understood it a lot better, but no out type thing. Think about this everything's been built on Samurai, and I mean, if it was Gunslaver I would have understood it a lot better, but no, just Flicky. But then I mean, when we get to Thousand Year Blood War, we get more guns.
Speaker 1:Okay, fair enough. So, but because keep in mind, that's crazy I didn't watch thousand year blood war yet because, to be fair, I was reading the manga. So I know about some of the details that happened thousand year blood war. That's why I'm telling you some of the details, but I'm trying to completely spoil, because I read the manga way before this anime even got greenlit. So don't tell me that I don't know shit about this stuff, because, trust me, that's how I knew about Ichigo. You know, that's why it was the thousand year blood war art that got me convinced. You know what? Ichigo is? A fucking mutt. He's a fucking mutt of anime.
Speaker 1:I'm like we're're gonna explain more of that later, when we get to um the later parts. But, yeah, I, I read thousand year blood war when it was manga only, but, uh, I didn't watch the anime just yet. So, uh, there's a bunch of details that kind of got lost, because you know know, it was years since I read the manga versus the anime finally happening. You know, like for a few years we were assuming that um Thousand Year Blood War is gonna be like um Zad's Bell, to where, oh, we never gonna get the King's Festival apparently. I don't know why, but I'm like would've been great if we did.
Speaker 2:That part I like it. But, like I said, as far as the beginning, I don't really have much else for this beginning portion. Like I said, there's much to talk about, definitely towards Thousand Year Blood War too, site before we really get to thousand year blood war, really unpacking the iran cars going further into um, you know, full bringers and stuff like that too. So there's a lot to really kind of still dive into but it's not much to really come up with the stopping at eight. We don't really have much else. The only thing that I would say the best fight for that um I appreciate season eight's fight with um ichigo going at his full holoform but getting hit not as full but getting his holoform and going after grim joe and that fighting of like really getting a chance to see grim joe's resurrection can I also say I like how, when itio and grim jaw fought, uh, it was like okay, I see you kind of banged up so I got a surprise for you.
Speaker 1:Uh, I brought your girlfriend. I was like like a woman, heal him now. Now I'm like okay, because I'm like I need to fight you at your best. It's almost like Greenjaw essentially gave him a sense of me.
Speaker 2:Pretty much, pretty much you know what.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm pretty much spent on the whole thing. Anyways, there was some moments that I did like Between seasons 5 and 8, but I'm not gonna take away too much from Anyone who, for some reason, haven't watched Bleach yet, but I'm assuming that y'all did. In any ways. I'm not gonna spend too much time on what y'all probably already watched. Ah, seasons 5 through 8. Okay, I already said with the Boundary it was like 3.5 and I'll still stand on that. The Ron Carr arc so far I'm like appending.
Speaker 2:If I can mention one other thing about the arrival of the Ron Carrs, before we really got to the Espada, we got an understanding it's kind of another world building thing about the arrival of the Arrancars. Before we really got to the Espada. We got an understanding it's kind of another world building thing about when I mentioned the energy of the Soul Society. All the captains have to show up and they have to show up weakened and it's hilarious that when before we fought the Espada, before we even really met the Espada, we just got just the Arrancars. We get that moment of was it H a guy wrong EQ and ikaku ikaku. I feel so bad cuz his his bunk eyes forever broken. I liked his fight but it was just it felt more short but his bunk I was definitely marked as weak after this one, unfortunately.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but can I also say that I like how Ikaku made a whole deal out of? Oh well, nobody's supposed to know that I have a Bankai.
Speaker 2:Don't tell anybody. I told you this. I mean he won't be able to use it no more, so it doesn't make a difference now, unless he actually goes to get it repaired. But he doesn't want anybody to know it. So he forever has a broken bankai. We'll never see it again.
Speaker 2:Right, it sucks, but um, like how even the captains were, um, even captain his guy it was one of those ones is like they were losing that fight and like the iran cars was just like y'all really this week. Like we had the scissor guy to do with the, like the scissors and stuff, and um he was like is this really the best? As y'all got like I really thought even a captain would be much stronger. And then he's a guy had to be like you know what we're gonna have to do it. It's like yo, we gotta put on, we gotta remove our limiters, and he's like what we're gonna have to remove our limiters. He said we came here. We're literally fighting at like 10 power right now because our power is so strong that it would throw the soul society into disrupt, into disarray, by putting our energy here into the human world. But you guys are already disrupting it and we got to put you down, so we're gonna have to remove our limiters.
Speaker 2:Removes limiters, one shot. Still wrong cars. I'm like really, oh, but I love also. We get a tease. This is my only last thing that I have before I let you close out. We get a tease for his sugaya as far as his bankai, because forever we're constantly being told with his bankai that, um, that his flowers, his ice flowers, that when he runs out of his ice flowers he's going to run out of his bankai energy. And we're constantly being told that because he's never stayed in bankai long enough for all of his iceai energy. And we're constantly being told that because he's never stayed in Bankai long enough for all of his ice flowers to disappear. So we have even he has no clue what happens when he runs out. But when we do find out what happens when his ice flowers run out, you find out that it's not a timer down, it's a timer up. But that's for another time, that's all.
Speaker 1:I got.
Speaker 1:Alright, then, with that being said, let's just go ahead and close out this part on that note. That's the thing. This is part 2. Part 3 is going to be seasons 9 through 12, and then part 4 is going to be 13 through 16. After that found your blood war, it's going to be 13 through 16. After that, thousand year blood war is going to be it's own thing. But that's the funny thing part 4 being confirmed for 2025. I don't know when is that going to come out, but let's just assume that we're going to come back in December again to talk about Bleach one more time. But you know, until until part three, just stay tuned for more and we'll see you. Then Remember to take it easy and all that other stuff.
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