Bleach 529
How appropriate to begin blogging Bleach chapters anew at what seems to be the beginning of the TBTP2 arc.
So - Isshin is a Shiba, and captain of the Tenth, with Matsumoto as his fukutaichou and Hitsugaya as his third seat. Holy geez! I hadn't realized we were that "close" in timeline to the current characters, though I also forgot that shinigami age differently than humans. And Isshin is about as Isshin as you'd expect, though it's funny to see the irony - that Matsumoto is the one who has to drag him around and make him do his paperwork when now she and Hitsugaya recreate the dynamic in a different way now that they're partners (which is kind of heartbreaking, come to think of it). Matsumoto's had to deal with a lot of loss, hasn't she? They both have.
This gives me hope we'll see some of the other characters that popped up in the databook, including Kuchiki Soujun. I have a hunch that Byakuya's family might be related in some way to what went down, which might also explain some of his initial animosity to Ichigo. At any rate, it seems like the Shibas are still in good standing around this time period, so I assume it's what Isshin did that turned the tables.
The only thing I think that surprises me is the implication that all of the shinigami knew, Renji included. Which also casts their actions in a bit of a different light - they've been helping him and befriending him in spite of everything. I think that aspect might stretch credulity a bit, but...
And god, it was good seeing Gin, Aizen, and Tousen again. I miss those days.
So - Isshin is a Shiba, and captain of the Tenth, with Matsumoto as his fukutaichou and Hitsugaya as his third seat. Holy geez! I hadn't realized we were that "close" in timeline to the current characters, though I also forgot that shinigami age differently than humans. And Isshin is about as Isshin as you'd expect, though it's funny to see the irony - that Matsumoto is the one who has to drag him around and make him do his paperwork when now she and Hitsugaya recreate the dynamic in a different way now that they're partners (which is kind of heartbreaking, come to think of it). Matsumoto's had to deal with a lot of loss, hasn't she? They both have.
This gives me hope we'll see some of the other characters that popped up in the databook, including Kuchiki Soujun. I have a hunch that Byakuya's family might be related in some way to what went down, which might also explain some of his initial animosity to Ichigo. At any rate, it seems like the Shibas are still in good standing around this time period, so I assume it's what Isshin did that turned the tables.
The only thing I think that surprises me is the implication that all of the shinigami knew, Renji included. Which also casts their actions in a bit of a different light - they've been helping him and befriending him in spite of everything. I think that aspect might stretch credulity a bit, but...
And god, it was good seeing Gin, Aizen, and Tousen again. I miss those days.