New Arc Speculation Thread!

[kari_izumi]

Wow. After` six years and over three hundred chapters, Hueco Mundo is finally over with!

But now, it's time for us to post our own theories for what is next to come for this new arc! I had a post like this way back in 2008 but it seems appropriate to start a new one since the last arc has actually ended. i think I'll stick this one, if there's

Comments

[eloni]

Call me Captain Obvious but so far this mini arc strikes me as one that will concentrate on Ichigo's family, both when it comes to the past (Isshin and his backstory) and the future (Karin).

No idea about Szayel's lab, I thought we'd get info on it via Mayuri but it seemed like it got skipped. Maybe later...

[kari_izumi]

I was talking in general terms of the bigger arc, but yeah. Everyone else with a tie to Seireitei has gotten one, so Isshin sure should have some. :/

[eloni]

Not to mention that Kubo promised it, so it'd be a downer not to get to know more about Isshin's past. Thankfully, it seems like we're getting closer to it, with the new guy nosing around Ichigo.

[codegal182]

I hope we'll soon find out just what Mayuri's been up to in HM for him to return several times. :O

[x3sn0w]

Still a little bummed that the RukiHime and TatsuHime reunion was skipped, buuut I'm glad the storyline's picking up again after the LOL timeskip phase.

I guess we'll see mostly the Kurosaki family in this arc? I wonder whether if the plot's gonna dwell on Ryuuken too though, as well as Masaki.
And where the heck is Chad? D: I remember Kubo saying in an interview once about him playing an active role later on in the series, and I sure hope it's this arc XD
Still clueless about the bodies in Szayel's lab though. I guess we'll know soon enough (provided Kubo doesn't forget it)...?

[kari_izumi]

Moar Chad would be welcomed for sure.

If this does become a mostly Kurosaki-centric arc, I won't be sad. The biggest problem with this series is how completely bloated this cast has become. Not to knock anyone's favorite character, but did every Gotei 13 character need an average of three to five chapters' worth of fighting through that arc?

[eloni]

To me, Kubo seems to have this "when in doubt, create more characters!" mentality which results in too many undeveloped characters. Take the Vizards for example. So much potential for sheer awesome, so little actual development. I understand that little kids want to see nothing but fighting in shounen, but I guess that could be done with less but more developed characters?

OK, I went OT with this. What I mean is that Kubo probably felt the need to give a shining moment to each of his characters, but it kinda backfired.

[kari_izumi]

Yeah I feel ya on that. The HM arc was a bit tidieous for a while because we get a whole SIX MONTHS of battles, and no Ichigo.

To Kubo Tite's credit, most of the battles gave us some insights into the characters and all (Like the Hisagi/Tousen battle), but I hope that most of the Gotei 13 make like bananas and split.

[codegal182]

I'm actually really glad that Karin seems to be featuring more prominently in this arc. Though I hope Kubo doesn't go via the route of kidnapping cause that would really suck for me. Since she's meeting up with Urahara, I wonder if he will initiate her in all things shinigami like he did Ichigo or if he'll try to dissuade her. Not to mention, I wonder what Isshin would have to say of his little daughter turning shinigami/fighter/whatever?

[giethe]

Actually, I think Karin might not go the shinigami route if its possible. I hope Kubo lets her take a third option, the way Chad and Orihime did. It's more interesting, IMO.

[codegal182]

That would actually be all kinds of awesome to me. I do hope Kubo decides to go down that route for Karin.

[bitter_tea]

I'm kinda glad we're getting some development on the whole badge issue, since there was a scene at the end of SS that brought up how odd it was. Plus, they had mentioned something about in the event of an acting shinigami appears and if they recognize him as being beneficial to SS, then the badge is given to him.

Plus, Kubo did make it seem like Isshin lost his powers for the same reason that Ichigo just has, so I think we'll see a method for getting his powers back soon, though it won't be without plenty of backstory. I'm starting to think that Isshin was either a substitute, or maybe the shinigami linked to the ramen guy.

(Anyone notice the new layout yet? I just did it last week in what little downtime I've had.)

[codegal182]

I don't mind the new layout. Its different from your usual green choice (which I actually love). :D