If I’m right, this is the penultimate episode of the first cour of Bleach’s new anime. Time flies when you’re having fun. We’re getting a solid introduction to this new arc with some cool fights. I think the squad zero part so far has been disappointing, but we start this episode off with some very interesting information. You see, the only way to get a Zanpakuto is by being given an Asauchi forged by mohawk over here. Ichigo seems to be the sole exception. He never got an Asauchi. Then the question begs; where does Zangetsu come from? And on that note, we start the episode.
Meanwhile Ichigo has been sent home. Isshin senses his approach but Ichigo runs away and finds shelter with the manager at his part time job. Isshin doesn’t let his son run away this time around. Also, up until this point in the manga I thought there was more to Ikumi than met the eye, but she clearly can’t see Isshin in his Shinigami form, so that dispels that. Urahara has informed Isshin about what’s going on. It’s finally time for Isshin to tell Ichigo who he really is. And it turns out he’s a quincy. What a twist.
We take a journey back in time to when Toshiro and Rangiku were both working for Kurosaki Isshin, or should I say Shiba Isshin. Following the lead of soul reapers dying, of course something Aizen was involved in, he made his way to the regular world. We then see a young Kurosaki Masaki at the Ishida household. She was taken in by Uryu’s grandparents. Turns out Ryuken used to be a nice kid before he turned all mean and unlikable. He liked Masaki and realized his mother wanted them to get married to keep the bloodline pure. No wonder Uryu ended up being so stuck up, he comes from a family of elitist pricks.
Meanwhile Isshin encounters a completely black hollow. Masaki catches wind of what’s going on and rushes out to go and help. Ryuken tells her to be careful and not go out. First the soul reapers have to die, then the half blooded quincy and then the pure blooded quincies should go out. What a fun organization. I get that they’ve been wiped out by soul reapers and are still bitter about that, but they’re very stuck in their ways. Masaki seems to be different and actually have proper morals. Good on you, Masaki.
And with all things evil in this world, the one who almost killed Isshin was Aizen Sosuke. Isshin almost bites the bullet but is saved at the last moment by Masaki. Masaki is a total badass and just takes a hit to make sure she can deliver a killing blow. When the hollow self destructs it’s Isshin who jumps in to save her. Ichigo’s parents are pretty cool. If the Soul Reapers were to send out anyone to represent them, Isshin is probably pretty high on the list of good options. A lot better than Yamamoto “a little genocide never hurt anyone” Genryuusai. And there we have it, the opening to Everything but the rain.
There’s more important information. The hollow, during self destruction, passed some sort of power on to a Quincy. Now what would happen with a union between Quincy, hollow and soul reaper. See where I’m going with this? We’ll find out more soon enough I suppose. Thanks for reading, we have one more of these before the new year is upon us.
Opal Kaharis 