Bleach Review: BABY, HOLD YOUR HAND 7 (Never Ending My Dream)

"SURPRISE!"

With Pernida defeating Mayuri enters a pod to recover meanwhile Shunsui and his group deal with the Sternritter sniper Lille Barro.

It looks like the Pernida fight is truly over now and I got to say this has been one of the best fights of the arc; it was one of the longest, very entertaining and my favourite captain was fighting it. After they fight he retreats to a pod to heal and I'm guessing this is an excuse for Mayuri to have a break now from this arc and let it focus on other character. Kenpachi is also healed and since he got taken out pretty quickly by Pernida I think he will recover faster so he can have a proper fight later on. I did really like how Mayuri states that he has surpassed Urahara because of Nemu which is something he wanted to do for ages and we also get an image of Mayuri and Nemu floating together in water (with Nemu being naked for fan service). It was cool because it rounded up the father/daughter relationship these two have, with Mayuri finally appreciating Nemu and most likely going to bring her back with the brain he has. However what I really, really didn't like about this chapter was the reveal of Toshiro and Rangiku now alive and well because I just do not like those two characters and would have preferred them to stay dead. The reason for this is because Toshiro loses all of his fights, makes himself out to be really strong thought I think he is the weakest captain and I bet he was only brought back based on his popularity. It was a big WTF moment when I thought Kubo killed him off (I gave him praise back then for having the guts to do it) but no he has now ruined it but what really annoys me is that I bet great captains like Rose and Kensei are still dead because they just wasn't as popular but that is Kubo's fault for mostly ignoring them in favour of Toshiro. Moving on from this it looks like the new fight will be with Lille Barro which I have been looking forward to and I hope he kicks some ass! I liked how Shunsui managed to trick him but I am interesting in seeing is how Lille Barro is going to fight such a large group? Because Shunsui was travelling with quite a few people I would be annoyed if they all are just going to wait on the side-lines.

I wonder if these two will fight during the arc?

Overall I really good end to the Pernida fight and set up for the next big show down however I have got to dock this chapter quite a bit of score for bringing back to of the worst characters in Bleach and all in all it was a bit slow. However I got to say that I hope in the future we will get a Flashback showing how Perndia came into existence and that Yumichika and Ikkaku will get to have a fight and they finally use their Zanpakuto to the fullest instead of always holding back which got annoying years ago.   

SCORE: 6/10

Highlights: Mayuri's joy at beating Urahara
                   Shunsui vs. Lille Barro

Let Downs: Toshiro and Rangiku now alive and well

Bleach Review: BABY, HOLD YOUR HAND 6 (Waiting For Love)

"I'm back!"

Nemu's succeeds in severely damaging Pernida however the Left Arm is not ready to go down just yet meanwhile someone from the past haunts Mayuri.

I think I'll will first talk about the biggest WTF moment in this chapter and that was the return of my favourite Espada, Szayelaporro Granz! Now I am getting a bit carried away because Szayelaporro is dead but it is such a genius was for Kubo to have him return as a vision to taunt Mayuri. I loved this moment because it made sense since it goes back to Szayelaporro and Mayuri's opposing views on perfection because Mayrui thought that Nemu was perfect something he said he hated while fighting Szayelaporro. Plus I like this throwback to a old fight because it shows that it actually meant something and that Szayelaporro left a lasting impression on Mayuri, unlike characters like Byakuya who doesn't seem to care about his old fights again after his has won them. A shocker is that it seems Nemu is defiantly dead now which some of us saw coming with her recent flashbacks and development = but I didn't expect it to be really gruesome! This is thanks to Pernida who is one of the most gruesome, creepy and disgusting villains in Bleach with the way it killed Nemu, tired to eat her remains and grew eyes all over it's severed parts. However I am not liking the end of this chapter because Nemu's regenerative powers which is causing Pernida to explode was just too convenient of a way for it to be defeated. Now I do see this fight being over now because I don't see how much longer it can go on after this but it was just as cheap way to end it.

So Pernida has a tongue now?  

Overall this chapter gets high praise for bringing back Szayelaporro the way it did and if this is the end of Pernida we defiantly need a Flashback or two showing how the Left Arm became like this.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: The return of Szayelaporro
                   The gruesome scenes with Pernida

Let - Downs: Pernida's defeat is just too convenient

Bleach Review: BABY, HOLD YOUR HAND 4 (When I Am Sleeping)

Just keep firing! Your bound to hit him soon

Mayuri and Nemu now team up to fight Pernida who continues to evolve and gain more abilities.

This chapter is a continuation of fight we have enjoyed recently and I just want to first say that while Mayuri is my favourite Captain and this fight is one of the best of the arc, I admit it should come to some sort of a conclusion soon. What I really liked about this chapter is the team up between Mayuri and Nemu because I liked how Mayuri has come to care more and more about his artificial daughter since they where first introduced and it really makes me want a Flashback about their past. Speaking about when they where first introduced Mayuri used his limb regrow serum on his arm which we have not seen since his fight with Uryu. As for the fight Mayuri is really good at dodging as he manages to evade many all of Pernida's arrows which is actually just a distraction to provide Nemu time to inject a drug into Pernida. However Pernida continues to evolve even further by taking on the personality of Kenpachi and using Mayuri's Bankai ability to shed it's skin and heal itself. Pernida does seem really overpowered but I guess this is to be expected of the Elite Sternritter and makes me think Mayuri, Nemu or both will die soon and while it would be a shame I hope it is a least a nice send off. As for Pernida it is interesting it takes on the personality of those it comes into contact with which makes me think "Pernida" is actually someone the Left Arm came into contact with before, we'll just have to see. Finally chapter showed some really awesome artwork such as the three Pernida's attacking Mayrui or the shadowed Pernida as it's talking, it's really cool Kubo can put that menacing expression on a hand and not a face lol.

"Been a while since I had to use this"

Overall still just a battle chapter but was a really entertaining one and again I liked this new team up of Mayuri and Nemu.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Mayuri and Nemu vs. Pernida
                   Pernida's evolution and new abilities
                   Awesome artwork

Bleach Review: BABY, HOLD YOUR HAND 3 (Mad Lullaby no.7)

Time for Nemu to shine!

Pernida manages to survive being swallowed and begins to attack with a new set of moves which has Mayrui on the defensive.

Well this was a bit of an odd chapter which I am not to sure I like too much. First off the chapter starts with a vague Flashback of possibly Nemu awakening as a child and seeing a hand greeting him which is probably Mayuri's. Unfortunately we didn't get much of that when back in the present Pernida escapes from Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō and attacks Mayuri, though I think everyone must have called this. What is interesting however is that Pernida begins to use a Quincy bow and arrow and it's speech and behaviour keeps changing, something that Mayrui notices and believes Pernida is evolving. Mayuri then has a hard time dodging the arrows and we get some and shot of his arm being ripped off (and later Nemu's) but  again it was obvious Pernida was going to get the upper hand in this fight eventually. However its seems that Nemu has finally stepped in something that Mayuri berates her for and then calls her Nemuri Nanago (something that Manga Stream translated to Sleeping no.7) which was a surprise. I guess Nemu was not the first artificial being Mayuri created which makes me think there could be a Flashback to her creation soon. However like with Mayuri trying to figure out Pernida's behaviour it is to vague and I would have wanted some more background and flashbacks to explain these more.



"Looky what I can do"

Overall that is all we got, the chapter was not long and the only things that was interesting was Pernida still believing it is a Quincy (I think Yhwach brainwashed it) and some background on Nemu. Also while Mayuri is my favourite Captain I do hope this fight changes up a bit soon like Ikkaku and Yumichika joining in or Ukitake arriving because he had the Right Arm inside him.

SCORE: 6/10

Highlights: Pernida's evolution and using bows and arrows
                   Background on Nemu

Let - Downs: The fighting was alright but just mostly dodging
                      Could have used more Flashbacks and the explanations of Pernida and Nemu are too vague
                      Chapter felt short because nothing much really happened

Bleach Review: BABY, HOLD YOUR HAND 2

Not a very pretty Bankai

Though Pernida has taken some serious damage it refuses to give up the fight so Mayuri reveals a new ability of his Bankai

Back with a Bleach review and before I start I want to say I did manage to read the two chapters on holiday and finding out that Pernida was the Left Arm of the Soul King was a big WTF moments. It has also been a really awesome fight so far with Mayuri (my favourite Captain) kicking some serious ass! On with this chapter it just continues the fight but with some surprising twists with the most obvious one being a new form to Mayuri's Bankai; Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo: Makai Fukuin Shotai. Having a modified Bankai that can adapt to the enemy does sound OP but it is so typical of Mayuri and the new Jizo bursting through the fat thing's stomach was really disgusting lol. As for Pernida that thing just refuses to go down and even have some disgusting shots as well such as pulling off it's own fingers to make new fingers and hands (I don't know how the anime is going to adapt this with it's censoring lol). We also get some more back story on the hands and a shot of a younger Mayuri studying up on the Soul King's arms which was interesting. All in all the chapters feels short but that is typical of ones that just involves fighting and I don't think this is it for Pernida which Nemu seems to agree with, with her stare at the end.

Bleach has made an Alien reference!

Overall another great addition to the Mayrui vs. Pernida fight and probably one of my favourites this arc. What I really like about this fight is how Mayuri is taking a more active role in the fighting like he did with Uryu.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Mayuri's modified Bankai
                   The awesome fight
                   Some great disgusting shots with Mayuri's Banaki and Perndia

Let - Downs: Felt short