Sorry about starting the new chapter thread...I know that several other people usually want to start it.

Anyways, an ok chapter for me. Ikkaku's character seems to have changed somewhat.

And, at this point, I'm really thinking that someone told Tite that the whole Aizen fight was a bit of a let down. He doesn't really fight and hardly uses his zanpaktou's abilities, etc. So, Tite just recycled the character and gave him a new name. Tsukishima's ability works on anything? Really? And, not only can he add himself to someone's past, he can learn an item's entire history? I know that it's shounen, but there are limits...

You gotta admit though. This is a pretty cool twist. The only question is how will he work his way through this one. Done properly, this will be an epic part--anything less is a huge let down.

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Ikkaku is the best thing in this arc so far. That was an OK chapter just for those few pages.

Also. For feck's sake Kubo, will you stop overestimating your own cunning and making up hack powers that are only going to increase the number of plot holes in this further? It was bad enough that Orihime can bend time and space, but that was years ago and manga-readers have short memories. There's so many things wrong with this one that I can't even be bothered to think of them..

What I don't get is that byakuya is a badass and he keeps saying he's not underestimating him yet he doesn't just send out his entire swarm of blades to just annihilate him or use his bankai off the bat(I mean no way he's fast enough or good enough to hit all of them from all directions right?).

He just waits and gives him a lot of time to figure out a way to make the fight last longer than 1 chapter. In reality it should've been like kenpachi's fight with one page slaughter but now we get artificial lengthening with a seemingly gimped byakuya against a pretty crappy enemy. What did Byakuya forget he has flash step(or what the proper name is)?

I thought this arc was finally getting interesting as the soul society guys really showed their power to a bunch of weaklings, but when the second most powerful one(Kenpachi is #1 in my book always) gets trouble with a slow guy with one sword that changes memory its starts losing me again.

I think the Byakuya/Tsukishima fight will get interesting, and I can see why Kubo took it in the direction that he did. Intellect wise, Byakuya and Tsukishima are similar, they remind me of cats just circling each other, measuring the other before attacking, and I think that's what they were doing. So it seems that Tsukishima got the upper hand on Byakuya, but no matter what, Byakuya is 1) a shinigami and Tsukishima is a human and 2) I think Byakuya is infinitely older than Tsukishima, thus he has a lot more experience.

Either way, I enjoyed Ikkaku's speech and I enjoyed the chapter

The captain use their shikai release when they are not underestimating their opponent. If you noticed the captains unleash their powers as the match goes on in order to change the tide of battle if they are losing or tied with their opponent. If they are winning, they have no need to expend the extra energy.

They never use Bankai at the start of a fight unless they realize that they don't stand a chance without it (arrancar). Otherwise they would be overestimating their opponent. Using bankai off jump is silly as it shows the opponent all that you are capable of before the fight begins.



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"“That's the difference between me and the rest of the world!
Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!” "

If tsukishima is thinking of Bringing Byakuya to their side he clearly doesn't realize Byakuya will kill his own allies if it assures victory for soul society. It doesn't matter to him if your are his best friend or his sister. Much like Kenpachi. Except he isn't dumb enough or bloodthirsty enough to not care who he kills or for what reason. That fight better not go on for more two more chapters. Its already too long.

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Sarcasm just doesn't work over the internet.

I thought it was a pretty interesting chapter

Well actually, that way you're hitting your opponent with your very best attack while he still has no clue what your abilities are, and probably is expecting a few dozen warm up exchanges. It might start off the fight by showing your opponent all you're capable off, but unless you're completely outmatched, it has a damn good chance of ending the fight too.

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"It is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science."

It was a solid chapter. Also, some people forget that Bleach is fictional. You cannot logically explain any type of power.

Yeah, but since when has that stopped anyone?

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i just think not using bankai in the beginning now is a ploy that Kubo Tite used to stretch out the fight as long as he can

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"when i'm sad, i stop being sad and be awesome instead."
- Barney Stinson

True, but after the arrancar fights, you realize that all the enemies now have some sort of ability that could end up defeating someone stronger with some rule or something. You'd best save your best for last when you're still trying to figure out someone's power.

Kenpachi never has to worry about that, cause all the tricks and abilities just never seem to work on him cause he's a loon.

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"“That's the difference between me and the rest of the world!
Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!” "

I tend to err on the side of caution. Especially for Tsukishima: it was quite obvious he anticipated Byakuya's shikai, so just jumping into Bankai is simply asking for him to produce his already prepared counter-attack. The best policy is to wait, find the mistakes and chinks in his armour - then end it asap.



Yes, I think so too. Except experience sometimes limits our ability to think outside the box, to expect the unexpected - clearly, Byakuya has been thrown into a disorientating fight. But otherwise yes, I don't see why or how Byakuya should lose this bout, past or no past. Even if Tsukishima can change the memory of his past, it should not affect the actual replay of it, nor others' pasts.