Some Thoughs on Bleach -99

2038-01-19T03:14:07Z

Not in essay form because, frankly, I have to write enough of the damn things for school. Besides, I have no coherent topic, rather just bobbles and bits that I've been pondering since Friday.

1. The Color Spread: How much do I love it? Loads and loads. As much as I've been enjoying the gaiden, it's nice to see the regular crew again. Much has been said about the innuendo in this spread, and I've seen a couple of folks mention that this is Kubo's "revenge" for what's been happening in the anime arc. Do you know what convinces me that Kubo is definitely saying something to so-called animators? The fact that Ishida is EATING! In the general hue and cry following the new opener for the anime, some of the loudest voices were screaming "Good God, Ishida! Lay off the heroin and EAT A SAMMICH!" Other things I love about the color spread -- that may or may not be related to Kubo thumbing his nose at animators and certain groups of fangirls alike? That Kurosaki is arguing with Ishida (like an 'old married couple', someone said) and scowling mightily as the Kurosaki Of Old? Oh God yes! Halleluja, yes! (Filler-Opener-Kurosaki smiles -- yes, smiles I tell you -- and for me, the effect is just disturbing.) That Rukia's nibbling on Ichigo's leg of prehistoric Tofurky (or whatever the hell that is)? Good. That if you tilt your head right it looks like Ishida about to take a bite out a nice Leg of Renji? Even better. There may be even more 'secret messages' on that picnic table, but I'm pretty tickled with what I saw.

2. Aizen v Shinji: Oh yeah. I think it was last week I noted that Shinji and Aizen didn't seem to have a typical Gotei 13 Captain/Lieutenant relationship. (Where's the respect/adoration? Where's the teasing? Where's the subtext?) Well, seems Aizen noticed it, too. Much has already been said about that, and I really haven't anything to add except for this question: Back Bleach -107 when Shinji finds Aizen spying on him, Aizen says "When did you realize?" Shinji's reply: "Since you were still in your mama's womb." Now in -99, that scene replays almost exactly. This sort of echo is a wonderful narrative device (and truth be told, I was anticipating it, because it's just too good a line to throw away in one panel), but it made me wonder if there was something more to it. We know that Shinji has been suspicious of Aizen, but we're never told why. This makes me wonder if there's even more backstory. If you take Shinji's line literally rather than figuratively, it could mean Shinji knew Aizen's mother and/or family. Possibly Aizen comes from a shifty, suspicious family? No idea if it is true, but Kubo can be tricksey, and sometimes I wonder if he isn't hiding clues in plain sight.

3. Neha Makes a Crazy Ass Prediction: Periodically I lurk around on some Bleach forums just to see what upcoming chapter predictions people come up with, and having read a few about the Vizard, I decided my own ideas really couldn't prove any more laughable.

Since we last saw Aizen staring down Urahara and Tessai lo these 90 years ago, and when last scene in the SS arc, Aizen was a Captain and Urahara and Tessai were banished Personae Non Grata as far as SS was concerned, I'm gonna creep out on a limb and say that Urahara and Tessai are about to get their asses framed. Most probably by Aizen. OK, yeah, that's kind of a gimme. But what about the Vizards?

Here's what we know: 1) they all defeat their Hollows and become Vizards; 2) they don't seem to have anything to do with SS anymore -- despite the fact that they were all high-ranking officers/elite Shinigami; 3) that Hiyori (at least) hates Shinigami. From past experience we know that 4) Sereitei, esp the Gotei 13 can be incredibly hide-bound and short-sighted. 5) We know about the Maggot's Nest -- and I'll say right now that I don't think we were given that much info on it just because that's where Mayuri came from. We also know that 6) the Maggot's Nest is full of people who Soul Society thinks might possibly be a danger to them. The implication is that anyone who doesn't conform to normal standards gets popped in there; 7) if you're a member of the Gotei 13, you're there for life. No such thing as retirement. You're in the Gotei 13, or the Royal Guard, or the Kidou Corp, or you're dead or you're in the Maggot's Nest. Or in exile.

And since Kubo is too good a story teller just to trot all that information past us and not do anything with it, here's the way I'm leaning: that the future Vizard are about to whup ass on their inner Hollows and show what they've become; that even tho they look like normal Shinigami, they're obviously Different, and SS won't trust them as officers anymore; that they either get stuck in the Maggot's Nest, or are going to be put in the Maggot's Nest forever and ever. (I think that would sour me on Shinigami if my many years of devotion and service were about to be rewarded that way, don't you? What do you say, Hiyori?) That Urahara knows they have been/are about to be locked away, springs them outta jail and sends or takes them off to the Real World; that Tessai and Yoriuchi help him do this, or help him escape if he hangs around afterwards. And you pretty much know the rest of the story.

Oh, and can we go back to the framing thing for a minute? I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find that Mayuri is involved in that. Not a bit. Was he in cahoots with Aizen? I think he was to some extent. To the point I'd bet some money on it. Was he supposed to go to HM with the others? I don't think so. He stood everything to gain by getting rid of Urahara and Hiyori, I don't think he needed more of a reason than that. And, as I commented in someone else's journal (forgive me, I don't recall whose, or who responded), isn't it interesting that when Unohana calls everyone to the execution grounds when Aizen is doing the Hueco Mundo Shuffle, Mayuri -- getting out of his bath/shower -- tells Nemu that "he's not concerned with that". Yeah, I'm thinking he and Aizen had a little understanding with each other -- we can help each other out, and afterwards, we don't mess with each other. Which, alas, leads me to...

Chilling Realization #1 (which annieroo actually came up with but which just keeps getting more chilling as we think of these things): For the sake of this Chilling Realization, let's say Mayuri was in cahoots with Aizen. Let's also just go ahead and acknowledge that Mayuri is wholly amoral (Bad Science). So, does anyone in the room really believe that Mayuri is loyal to Soul Society? Or is Mayuri always going to do whatever is Good for Mayuri? Show of hands, please. Uh huh. Right. So, where is Mayuri right now? He's in Hueco Mundo. In the ruins of Freak-Espada Szayel's laboratory. Full of wide-eyed wonder at whatever the hell is in Szayel's Storage Facility.

With Renji and Ishida. Whom he may or may not be healing.

Do the possibilities that arise from that arrangement not give any one else an acute case of the creeping willies? Because they do me.

Chilling Realization #2: That Chilling Realization #1 would make one HELL of a dystopic Bleach Alternate Reality. Brrr.

That's all I got!

Cries and Whispers

Some Thoughs on Bleach -99