Random Bleach thoughts
Quincy Chappy icon in honor of this week's chapter! (Okay, it's Ishida Chappy, but come on! It's cute!)
First things first:
SDFKJLSADKJSDFJKAS ICHIGO PLEASE STOP WIBBLING LIKE YOU'RE TWO SECONDS AWAY FROM CRYING. MY HEART CANNOT TAKE IT.
T___________________T
Seriously, somebody plz hug him?
Next: the rest of chapter 528. (I'm still refusing to acknowledge the existence of 527. Until everything that happened in it is justified, I will not speak of it.)
Still no Hisagi, Kira, or Ishida. I am displeased. Are they okay or not? Just tell us!
And:
"Oh my god, I had no idea Masaki was a Quincy!" said no one ever.
Seriously, this has got to win the award for the biggest unsurprising surprise. >.> We knew about it months ago. Now I'm just waiting for confirmation or denial about the "Isshin = Shiba" rumor. And while it would be funny to see Byakuya's face when he hears that Ichigo is nobility, just... no. Please stop turning him into a Mary Sue, KT?
I was glad to see Ikumi again. Like I told Feihu, I love that Ichigo has turned her into a second mommy that he can go to for advice... or just to feel safe and loved. ♥ He needs that so bad in his life. There's been so many times when people have asked him to save the world and I've had to bite my lip to keep from yelling "Dude, quit putting that shit on the shoulders of a KID! Do you not get what you're doing to him, asking him to put his life and sanity on the line for everyone else reapeatedly?!" If I was ever in the Bleach manga, that's what I'd turn into: another Ichigo mommy. Boy needs cuddles.
And now general thoughts on characters, and plots that haven't been revealed.
So at the time Masaki and Isshin met, he was still a shinigami captain. My personal theories on "but what division was he in?" amount to:
1) 10th Div. His power loss and subsequent stay in the real world were what caused Hitsugaya's promotion despite his age. At the time, I assume that he was either the only non-captain with a bankai, or Ikkaku had already been hiding his. Either way, he's still very young and his bankai is obviously unfinished. I imagine an emergency like Isshin's disappearance would be the only thing that would have gotten him his captaincy so early.
2) 0 Div. He was once a member of the Royal Guard and personally known to the Soul King, which would explain why the Soul King wants to meet Ichigo-- SK knew his dad back in the day. Not a strong argument for this one, but I wouldn't rule it out.
3) 7th Div. This is the only other one I could see him having come from. Every other division either has a captain who's been there a while, or their specific designation within the Gotei 13 precludes him. He wouldn't have been captain of 1, 4, 8, or 13 because those four haven't left their posts in more than a century. 2 is Kidou Ops, and I just don't see it. 3 would have had Gin, I think, but even if not. I don't see Isshin being in charge of the marigold division. 5 would have had Aizen, so no to that. 6 has always had a Kuchiki, so no to that one too. 9th would have had Tousen not long after the Visored were created, so not there. 11 is always a Kenpachi, and I cannot see him as one at all. 12 is research and development, and Mayuri would have been involved no matter what. So big no there. So if he wasn't from the 10th, it's possible he was once captain of the 7th and Komamura was his replacement. Possibly even his fukutaichou, if he'd had his bankai then. (And as well as he controls it now, I don't see why he wouldn't have.) But my personal bet is on 10th.
Then he lost his power somewhere along the way, and we never found out why. Possible reasons are (these are not mutually excusive):
1) He used the Final Getsuga Tenshou. He knew an awful lot about it: that it existed, that Ichigo would have to fight Zangetsu to learn it, and presumably what would happen once it was used. Did he learn it from his own Engetsu and use it on an enemy, losing his powers in the process? But if so, how did they come back? Urahara seemed surprised that they had, when the two met after Isshin slayed the pseudo-Arrancar.
2) He created Ginjo. This one came to me last night and intrigues me. We know Ginjo was the first substitute shinigami, but not who created him and why. Is it possible that Isshin gave his powers to Ginjo like Rukia did to Ichigo? It might not have drained him of his power completely to do so. Rukia's drain was because of the Hogokyou in her gigai. Perhaps Isshin "made" Ginjo, draining him for long enough that Urahara wasn't surprised but pleased that his powers were finally back. This would explain why Ginjo was so focused on Isshin when he first met Ichigo-- he's had dealings with the man before. And when he says that Ichigo doesn't know him as well as he thinks, it's more than just sowing discord between them, it's a partial truth. Ichigo would have had no idea that his dad had done that. (And if Isshin is a Shiba, this would explain why Kuukaku is training the Fullbringers now. Isshin asked her to, since he feels responsible for Ginjo.)
3) A Quincy shot him in those two spots that are supposed to control reiatsu. (I forget the names, soul chain and something? IDK.) It's possible that, like Byakuya with Ichigo, a Quincy thought that piercing those two areas would take away Isshin's powers and kill him. If that's what happened, he then lost his powers but somehow survived. This could be why, at the end of 528, we see him lying on the ground covered in blood. It looks like he was attacked by a Hollow and Masaki saved him, but come on. Really? A Hollow could take down a captain? I dunno. It would have to have been a natural Vasto Lord, at the very least. Unless it was a Quincy, and Masaki decided that Quincies shouldn't kill non-Hollows.
Hopefully the exposition will continue next week. I'd like some answers.
First things first:
SDFKJLSADKJSDFJKAS ICHIGO PLEASE STOP WIBBLING LIKE YOU'RE TWO SECONDS AWAY FROM CRYING. MY HEART CANNOT TAKE IT.
T___________________T
Seriously, somebody plz hug him?
Next: the rest of chapter 528. (I'm still refusing to acknowledge the existence of 527. Until everything that happened in it is justified, I will not speak of it.)
Still no Hisagi, Kira, or Ishida. I am displeased. Are they okay or not? Just tell us!
And:
"Oh my god, I had no idea Masaki was a Quincy!" said no one ever.
Seriously, this has got to win the award for the biggest unsurprising surprise. >.> We knew about it months ago. Now I'm just waiting for confirmation or denial about the "Isshin = Shiba" rumor. And while it would be funny to see Byakuya's face when he hears that Ichigo is nobility, just... no. Please stop turning him into a Mary Sue, KT?
I was glad to see Ikumi again. Like I told Feihu, I love that Ichigo has turned her into a second mommy that he can go to for advice... or just to feel safe and loved. ♥ He needs that so bad in his life. There's been so many times when people have asked him to save the world and I've had to bite my lip to keep from yelling "Dude, quit putting that shit on the shoulders of a KID! Do you not get what you're doing to him, asking him to put his life and sanity on the line for everyone else reapeatedly?!" If I was ever in the Bleach manga, that's what I'd turn into: another Ichigo mommy. Boy needs cuddles.
And now general thoughts on characters, and plots that haven't been revealed.
So at the time Masaki and Isshin met, he was still a shinigami captain. My personal theories on "but what division was he in?" amount to:
1) 10th Div. His power loss and subsequent stay in the real world were what caused Hitsugaya's promotion despite his age. At the time, I assume that he was either the only non-captain with a bankai, or Ikkaku had already been hiding his. Either way, he's still very young and his bankai is obviously unfinished. I imagine an emergency like Isshin's disappearance would be the only thing that would have gotten him his captaincy so early.
2) 0 Div. He was once a member of the Royal Guard and personally known to the Soul King, which would explain why the Soul King wants to meet Ichigo-- SK knew his dad back in the day. Not a strong argument for this one, but I wouldn't rule it out.
3) 7th Div. This is the only other one I could see him having come from. Every other division either has a captain who's been there a while, or their specific designation within the Gotei 13 precludes him. He wouldn't have been captain of 1, 4, 8, or 13 because those four haven't left their posts in more than a century. 2 is Kidou Ops, and I just don't see it. 3 would have had Gin, I think, but even if not. I don't see Isshin being in charge of the marigold division. 5 would have had Aizen, so no to that. 6 has always had a Kuchiki, so no to that one too. 9th would have had Tousen not long after the Visored were created, so not there. 11 is always a Kenpachi, and I cannot see him as one at all. 12 is research and development, and Mayuri would have been involved no matter what. So big no there. So if he wasn't from the 10th, it's possible he was once captain of the 7th and Komamura was his replacement. Possibly even his fukutaichou, if he'd had his bankai then. (And as well as he controls it now, I don't see why he wouldn't have.) But my personal bet is on 10th.
Then he lost his power somewhere along the way, and we never found out why. Possible reasons are (these are not mutually excusive):
1) He used the Final Getsuga Tenshou. He knew an awful lot about it: that it existed, that Ichigo would have to fight Zangetsu to learn it, and presumably what would happen once it was used. Did he learn it from his own Engetsu and use it on an enemy, losing his powers in the process? But if so, how did they come back? Urahara seemed surprised that they had, when the two met after Isshin slayed the pseudo-Arrancar.
2) He created Ginjo. This one came to me last night and intrigues me. We know Ginjo was the first substitute shinigami, but not who created him and why. Is it possible that Isshin gave his powers to Ginjo like Rukia did to Ichigo? It might not have drained him of his power completely to do so. Rukia's drain was because of the Hogokyou in her gigai. Perhaps Isshin "made" Ginjo, draining him for long enough that Urahara wasn't surprised but pleased that his powers were finally back. This would explain why Ginjo was so focused on Isshin when he first met Ichigo-- he's had dealings with the man before. And when he says that Ichigo doesn't know him as well as he thinks, it's more than just sowing discord between them, it's a partial truth. Ichigo would have had no idea that his dad had done that. (And if Isshin is a Shiba, this would explain why Kuukaku is training the Fullbringers now. Isshin asked her to, since he feels responsible for Ginjo.)
3) A Quincy shot him in those two spots that are supposed to control reiatsu. (I forget the names, soul chain and something? IDK.) It's possible that, like Byakuya with Ichigo, a Quincy thought that piercing those two areas would take away Isshin's powers and kill him. If that's what happened, he then lost his powers but somehow survived. This could be why, at the end of 528, we see him lying on the ground covered in blood. It looks like he was attacked by a Hollow and Masaki saved him, but come on. Really? A Hollow could take down a captain? I dunno. It would have to have been a natural Vasto Lord, at the very least. Unless it was a Quincy, and Masaki decided that Quincies shouldn't kill non-Hollows.
Hopefully the exposition will continue next week. I'd like some answers.