Bleach Special - Next Movie? Zanpakutou Avatars

[Bells]

This isn't really a Spoiler. But just to be on the safe side, i'll spoiler it.

http://www.dotup.org/uploda/www.dotup.org269500.jpg

Left to Right : Suzumebachi, Hyorinmaru, Tobiume, Senbonzakura, Zabimaru, Kazeshini, Sode no Shirayuki, Haineko, Wabisuke

http://www.dotup.org/uploda/www.dotup.org269506.jpg

Left to Right: Fujikujaku, Ryujin Jakka, Ashisogi Jizou, Sogyo no Kotowari, Katen Kyokotsu, Houzukimaru, Gegetsuburi, Minazuki, Tenken

I just stumble onto these images today, but i still couldn't find any clear information on it that would confirm what it really is. The next movie? a Manga special? A Tv Special? An new OVA?

Either way, the idea of exploring the actuall Zanpakuto Avatars is insteresting and it could even make a decent Filler Arc, so i'm interested so far.

Plus, the Designs are good looking (most of them...)

[01d55]

It's a filler arc - the latest filler one shot (Freak Out kid's big sister is in love with Baldy McBadass, and by "in love" we mean "is a goddamn pyscho stalker and that's totally romantic") advertised this in the preview for the next episode.

While most of these designs are at least okay I have to say that I have two objections overall:
These guys shouldn't be effectively carrying themselves (egregious offender: Suzumebachi)
Zanpakuto are allowed to be animals and some of these guys really should be. (Egregious offenders: Suzumebachi, Haineko)

[Aerozord]

does seem wierd. I was under the impression Zangetsu's human appearance was unusual. Granted he still looks more human then most of those designs. I just hope this is the type of filler arc the writer had alot of say so in.

[01d55]

Well apparently now Zabimaru is a chick with a kid on a leash? So I guess the rest of the Zanpakuto normally look different.

The first ep of the arc is out and they aren't wasting any time.The villain basically shows up and says "Hey I've liberated your Zanpakuto and we're having a coup p.s. my name is Muramasa." And the Zanpakuto are all loose and wrecking shit on his say so and posing behind him like "Yeah we are totally rollin with this dude now."

[Bells]

Well, at least this is the sort of concept of fillers i can get behind...

Also, i feel silly now, can we merge threads?

[Fifthfiend]

Welp, Bleach is furries now.

Lock thread, ban everyone, kill world.

[01d55]

Fifth,
http://xh.ferventfire.org/xh/pic/images/bleach/Komamura_bankai.jpg

That ship sailed a long time ago.

[Bells]

Indeed

http://agsma.acparadise.com/AX05/koma4.jpg

Regardless, i liked the filler. The Zanpakuto seem to have assumed a "new" real form. For example, Zabimaru has shown up in Bleach before (when Renji and Ichigo were training Bankai) and it's not even Humanoid.

They were smart about this, in just one move they've locked all powerlevels and double the cast with Antagonist that were already familiar to the viewer. As far as filler seasons go, this could go very well, at least in concept.

Just one thing i would like to note here... the new enemy (Arrankar? He has no mask whatsoever ) seem to be mind-controlling the Zanpakutos, so If Ichigo looses Zangetsu and his sword does NOT revert back to it's first form... that's a blooper right there. Although i would bet that ichigo is the only one not loosing his Zanpakuto.

Also, it would be interesting to see how Urahara, Yoruichi and Goddamn Zaraki play out in this scenario...

PS: Props for the animation quality in this episode.

[Aerozord]

I hope he loses zangetsu, but instead of getting zangetsu they instead release hollow-ichigo. Seeing that guy running around would be like adding another kenpachi, and no way that can be bad

[Fifthfiend]

Fifth,
http://xh.ferventfire.org/xh/pic/images/bleach/Komamura_bankai.jpg


Yep, Komamura sure is awesome.

Shame he's stuck hangin' out with alla them fuckin' furries.

[Bells]

I hope he loses zangetsu, but instead of getting zangetsu they instead release hollow-ichigo. Seeing that guy running around would be like adding another kenpachi, and no way that can be bad

If they do that, i'll name this Filler Arc the most awesome filler ever conceived.

[01d55]

Just one thing i would like to note here... the new enemy (Arrankar? He has no mask whatsoever ) seem to be mind-controlling the Zanpakutos, so If Ichigo looses Zangetsu and his sword does NOT revert back to it's first form... that's a blooper right there. Although i would bet that ichigo is the only one not loosing his Zanpakuto.

He's obviously a Zanpakuto that went crazy for some reason. His name is Muramasa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muramasa)!

[Sithdarth]

For the briefest second I thought he might be Kenpachi's Zanpakuto but I'm not entirely sure they'd go that far for a filler arc. It would certainly explain his hatred of Shinigami and all that talk like they are imprisoning Zanpakuto. The tears of blood and the overall sense of pain he seemed to exude certainly support the conclusion. It would also be a logical explanation as to why Kenpachi is missing aside from the obvious fact that we don't know his Zanpakuto's name and powers. But again I don't think they'd mess with the back story of a more main stream character that much.

[Aerozord]

I assumed Kenpachi was missing since he's the only one that wouldn't be gimped, and therefor could crush them all

[Sithdarth]

Which is the kind of meta-explanation that would be avoided or minimized if Kenpachi's Zanpakuto was the mastermind and had done something to keep him out of things. Of course once again I don't think they'd screw with a main character that much. It would certainly be much nicer then him just being gone for the hell of it. In fact it would be down right awesome if the whole thing came about because Kenpachi was finally able to communicate with his sword and by materializing it he set it free to take its revenge. Fat chance of that though.

[01d55]

That's not the way filler arcs work.

The way filler arcs work is, A Long Long Time Ago the Room Full 'o Jerks decided that somebody had to die/be exiled and now they are Back For Revenge.

Plus, right and the end Muramasa formed a sword (basically himself) so he could stick it into the ground and do fireworks, and it had a different hilt than Kenpachi's.

[Sithdarth]

That's not the way filler arcs work.

Pretty sure I said that twice only not in as many words.

Plus, right and the end Muramasa formed a sword (basically himself) so he could stick it into the ground and do fireworks, and it had a different hilt than Kenpachi's.

That's not entirely clear mainly because its not entirely clear in what state Kenpachi's Zanpakuto is in to begin with. We really have no idea what his shikai form might look like and so far the swords wielded by the avatars have all been shikai forms. I can't honestly imagine Kenpachi's personality allowing a shikai that is any thing other then pretty much a sword. Of course it also doesn't seem badass enough to be Kenpachi's shikai which goes along with the fact that filler arcs always introduce new characters and never change anything important. Kenpachi's Zanpakuto going crazy and enslaving the soul society would have been a nice story line though.

[Aerozord]

well yea, if filler arcs changed something important you'd break continuity. Its that you have to put that stuff out of your head or a filler arc, no matter how good, will seem lacking

[Bells]

The only real rule of Fillers is that when the last filler episode ends, everything will be the same as it was when the first filler episode started.

Which is to say that, they can do whatever the hell they want, really, but the more they do, more likely their explanation to revert it in the end will be stupid...

Still, i'm torn about Muramassa. He dresses like an Arrankar, but has no mask, his motif DOES fit to bit Kenpachi's zanpakuto, but he has a Zanpakuto of his own... however, his showed out of thin air... either way, so far so good. But the next couple of episodes will definitely tell if it will be worth it.

[Fifthfiend]

That's not entirely clear mainly because its not entirely clear in what state Kenpachi's Zanpakuto is in to begin with.

Eh, Kenpachi's power control is shit. If it were a Shikai he'd be swingin' a sword the size of Kansas.

[01d55]

I'm pretty sure that the rule about Zanpakuto size applies even before Shikai - Ichigo's sword was about as big at the very beginning than as it is now, so Kenpachi is at least good enough to do that.

[Bells]

Just in case someone wants it, i just found this

http://i26.tinypic.com/hwa9w1.jpg

[Fifthfiend]

I'm pretty sure that the rule about Zanpakuto size applies even before Shikai - Ichigo's sword was about as big at the very beginning than as it is now, so Kenpachi is at least good enough to do that.

If there were a relationship between sealed and released then I don't know how you'd explain... probably every released state besides Ichigo's that doesn't become a standard-issue samurai sword.

At least as far as I've ever figured it goes like:

sealed state: size based on reiatsu / ability to compress that reiatsu

shikai: whatever it is that your shikai happens to be

Granted there's still half-releases like Prettyboy McFifthseat and this all amounts to trying to discern consistent principles in Bleach which is itself a pretty outright sucker's game.

I dunno. To be honest I think I mostly lean towards Mesden's "Kenpachi is actually Lieutenant Pinkhair's living Bankai" theory.

[01d55]

Man when the latest episode came out I wanted to make a post but I still had the last post in the thread, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to edit it into that post or if you can double-post if there's both A. new content and B. a sufficiently large gap in time, so I just figured I'd wait until someone else posted.

ANYWAY.

Kurotsuchi was weirdly upbeat throughout all of the scenes with Muramasa at the execution grounds. He never stopped smiling for more than a moment and he didn't say or do anything mean to anyone the whole time. I guess he must have been up to some botany when the "emergency meeting" was called, if you catch my drift.

And if you don't, I'm saying that he was totally stoned.

[Aerozord]

Zabimaru's appearance is from the omake when they talked about zanpakto sexchanges. Which is pretty freakin messed up. Especially since Zabimaru is male

[Fifthfiend]

And if you don't, I'm saying that he was totally stoned.

I have a problem seeing him as being stoned because I have a problem not seeing him as 24/7 tripping balls.

[01d55]

I have a problem seeing him as being stoned because I have a problem not seeing him as 24/7 tripping balls.

Hey man he is a scientist he's gotta be experimenting with new drugs like all the time.

That stuff he put into Espada No. him was basically a psychedelic drug. He was totally checking to see if it worked so's he could use it himself later.

He just happened to be getting around to some kind of pot that night.
Like, experimental anti-hollow pot.

[Fifthfiend]

Like, experimental anti-hollow pot.

Dude, they're trying to get hollows to stop eating.

[synkr0nized]

Recent conversations have me still holding out for a character whose attacks are all based on their shit-talking.

[01d55]

Extra heads up: the tagged spoiler is unusually awesome and you should probably not read it before you see it.

It's not exactly what you're hoping for synk, but in today's ep Rukia beats Sode no Shirayuki - who just got done kicking Ichigo around like a soccer ball - by fast talking Sode into letting her walk into point blank and blow them both up with Kidou.

And then Ichigo is flabbergasted by the most obvious reveal ever.

[Fifthfiend]

No yeah what Synk is talking about is where basically the apex of everything Bleach would be a character who literally defeats you with his shit-talking. Like he delivers a particular devastating insult, and like blood explodes out of your chest as you are sliced open by the force of his words.

Like basically a battle rapper except along with crushing your ego he physically crushes your actual body. The only way to defeat him is like with the Guardian in Marvel Comics, where you somehow have to shake his enormous self-regard.

That said Ichigo getting wrecked followed by Rukia kicking ass is the sort of thing that sells itself regardless.

[synkr0nized]

And then Ichigo is flabbergasted by the most obvious reveal ever.

I always hate that, and not just in this show. Anime is notorious for "Let me tell you what you already figured out so that the slow people in the audience can have fun, too", and it's often quite frustrating when MAIN CHARACTERS WHO SOMEHOW WIN ALL THE TIME have to be hand-held through the "by the way this is what's what, which we've dropped numerous hints about" process.

I guess the alternative is to have retards like L and Light yapping back and forth/to themselves, so I should take my own opinion with a grain of salt.


Rukia's stupid haircut still bothers me for some reason.

[Bells]

And they semi-broke the filler now because when Zangetsu comes out on the next Episode, Ichigo's sword doesn't revert back to it's first form.

Although one could still argue that the Zangetsu ichigo is holding at that time will be his Hollow form instead of original flavor zangetsu, but i'm still going to call bullshit on that one.

Also, is the "Muramasa is Kenpachi's Zanpakuto" train here yet ?

[Sithdarth]

Been here and gone all on its own. You're like 2 weeks late.

[Aerozord]

Although one could still argue that the Zangetsu ichigo is holding at that time will be his Hollow form instead of original flavor zangetsu, but i'm still going to call bullshit on that one.



whole reason I said they might get his hollow instead is because his hollow form is Zangetsu. Fairly certain you cant pull out one without the other, but last time we saw his hollow was the dominant power, and thus the one that manifests

[Sithdarth]

Zangetsu has demonstrated the ability to split the hollow form off from himself and allow it to act separately. Maybe what ever pulled Zangetsu out of Ichigo, it certainly isn't normal manifestation as seen from the other Zanpakuto, left the hollow inside or maybe it got the hollow and left Zangetsu. It certainly isn't canonically outside the realm of possibility.

[Fifthfiend]

Zangetsu has demonstrated the ability to split the hollow form off from himself and allow it to act separately. Maybe what ever pulled Zangetsu out of Ichigo, it certainly isn't normal manifestation as seen from the other Zanpakuto, left the hollow inside or maybe it got the hollow and left Zangetsu. It certainly isn't canonically outside the realm of possibility.

It's Bleach, things that outright contradict established canon aren't canonically outside the realm of possibility. Hell on average they're probably more likely.

[Sithdarth]

This is also true. If anything the filler would be most consistent with the rest of Bleach by being inconsistent with the rest of Bleach.

[Aerozord]

Hey if it means we get to see hollow Ichigo rampage I say screw canon

*crosses fingers for hollow Ichigo vs Kenpachi*

[01d55]

I always hate that, and not just in this show. Anime is notorious for "Let me tell you what you already figured out so that the slow people in the audience can have fun, too", and it's often quite frustrating when MAIN CHARACTERS WHO SOMEHOW WIN ALL THE TIME have to be hand-held through the "by the way this is what's what, which we've dropped numerous hints about" process.

The way you ought to do it is have the guy guess the obvious and usually the answer is "yeah, basically. Now, my Life Story, let me show you it." Occasionally you have "No, actually, <insert wacky shit here>" to justify asking if the obvious is in fact the case all the time.

[Aerozord]

It is filler, they'll milk it for every second they can. I still remember at the start of the arrancar arc watching Yoruichi eat for like 5 mins

[Bells]

well at least their filler has some existential purpose. Better to make so-so fillers than to fuck up with canon.

Also, they brought back Full Hollow Ichigo. What more can you ask of filler?

[Wigmund]

What more can you ask of filler?

Kenpachi beating the ever-living shit out of everything in his way.

[Aerozord]

Kenpachi beating the ever-living shit out of everything in his way.

Kenpachi needs a reason to do that, and hollow Ichigo is probably the best reason I can think of

[01d55]

Kenpachi needs a reason to do that, and hollow Ichigo is probably the best reason I can think of

The entire point of Kenpachi is that he does not need a reason to do that.
He does need something that can credibly be said to be in his way, though. That is a role Hollow Ichigo can play.

[Specterbane]

Personally I think it'll be more likely Kenpachi will just get lost looking for a good fight again. Actually was he even up at the Sokyoku hill when the had the big "You just lost your Zanpaktuo!" reveal?

[01d55]

Did you see him taking on all the Zanpakuto at once?
No?
I guess he must not have been there.

Anyway man is Muramasa thick. "What're you?" "I'm the embodiment of this loser's instincts." "Whelp I guess I'd better unleash your instincts, since that's kind of my thing."

They've been pretty good about having lots of fighting and not very much being unnecessarily mysterious. Zangetsu vs. Ichihollow was pretty rad.

[01d55]

Maaaan I am so torn over this episode.

On the one hand they come right out and say they've jobbed out (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Jobber) Renji even though he deserves better. On the other hand "he can use shikai just by wanting to hard enough" is straight up bullshit. Seriously, that happens.

On the other-other hand, Ichigo's inner hollow fights even radder than his outer hollow.

Muramasa is the invisible hand of the market!

[Specterbane]

Clearly Murumasa is the Zanpakto of Bleach Execs. who want to buy as much time for the filler as possible by offering everything the fans want at the cost of established cannon. Although I seriously want to know how he can grip a sword with finger nails that should be slitting his wrists when he does.

[01d55]

Although I seriously want to know how he can grip a sword with finger nails that should be slitting his wrists when he does.

He bends only the two knuckles closest to his hand.

[Specterbane]

He bends only the two knuckles closest to his hand.

I just don't see how that can be a solid grip at all...but then I'm looking for something more substantial in an animation.

Either way, seeing Hollow Ichigo make Zangetsu act like Kazeshini was very entertaining.

[InThroughTheOutDoor]

Just when the hueco mundo arc was getting good, well watchcha gonna do, can't catch up with the Manga too fast I suppose. So far I have to say this filler arc is looking much better than the Bounto arc, which sucked til the very end lets be honest.