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

Bleach Review: Sensitive Monster

"What the hell is that thing up to?"

Kenpachi and Mayuri continue to fight Pernida however they begin to struggle against her Compulsory powers.

Wow now this chapter really ups the gore quite a bit but I guess that couldn't be helped with the kind of power Pernida has. As before I am liking the teaming up between Kenpachi and Mayuri and their different approaches to fighting but I also liked that they treat each other as comrades such as Mayuri getting Nemu to heal Kenpachi's arm or paralyzing him. Starting with Kenpachi he gets completely wreaked in this fight by first having to rip off his own arm off and then getting both his legs twisted (which is where the massive amounts of gore come in). I always like seeing Kenpachi fight but Pernida is defiantly not the opponent for straight up attacks which is where Mayuri steps in. I've always thought Mayuri is one of the most dangerous Captains with his quick ability to analyse an enemy's power and counter it; he saved Kenpachi by paralyzing the rest of his body with his Ashisogi Jizo, which we get to see a new power from! Mayuri then completely owns the fight by figuring out that Pernida's power relies on her nerves entering her opponent's body however I doubt that it is going to be that easy as Pernida seems to be finally ripping off her robe. As for Pernida I do find her to be a really interesting character and her power is awesome and gory but I am finding it too similar to Barragan's Respira for my liking (like how Kenpachi had to rip off his arm before it can consume his whole body). Plus while an explanation to her power is good and makes sense for a Quincy I swear she didn't seem to have this nerve limitation before, she used to just point and whisper so has Kubo changed her powers? Finally I did like the quick banter between Nemu, Ikkaku and Yumichika and I hope they step in to fight soon.

Time for Mayuri to own this fight!

Overall a solid fight chapter and while Mayuri has got the upper hand now I think Pernida will probably turn it around in a chapter or two.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Kenpachi fighting and the gory wreck he became
                   Mayuri owning the fight
                   All the shots with Pernida because she is awesome to see

Let - Downs: Too similar to the fight with Barragan
                       Has Pernida's power changed?    

Bleach Review: Gate Of The Sun

To battle!!!

Yhwach has now assimilated the Soul King's power and transformed the Soul Palace into Wahrwelt however Ichigo, Shunsui and all the others have infiltrated and prepare to battle the Quincy.

Your probably wondering why it has taken me so long to review Bleach and that is because besides being busy with Arrow, Flash and Gotham I have been so bored with Bleach lately. The story has barely moved along for months with only the return of Aizen and Grimmjow to keep me interested but it looks like it has picked up now. First off I just want to say that the new Wandenrich City and the castle Wahrwelt look so freaking awesome! Kubo is not really known for detailed backgrounds but he has put a lot of effort into the Quincy buildings which is a definite plus. Next I liked how the heroes are now split up into three groups because some characters can get more spotlight and some fights, like Mayuri and Kenpachi. The funniest part of the chapter was from those two and how they are at each other's throats and since they haven't had much interaction since the early chapters of Bleach I really hope they team up in a fight. Also it is typical of Mayuri to go off on his own to gather data but I wonder if he has some hidden plan? Plus I do hope he brings the revived Arrancar from down below somehow because we have not seen enough of them. Then there was the appearance of Askin who is attacked by Grimmjow and that was a match up I wasn't expecting but should be interesting. I really like Askin and I don't think he is going to die soon because I just think he is always hiding his true power; unlike almost every villain in Bleach he is never arrogant like how he is dismayed with finding Ichigo's group, there has got to be more to him. I also have more hope that we will get more Sternritter soon because besides from the fact that Wahrwelt looks like it can hold an army there is just too few Sternritter and too many Soul Reapers. Finally Bazz - B, Giselle and Lilotto arriving at the old castle makes me think they have their own plan to take out Yhwach but the menacing shot of Haschwalth at the end makes me think they will end up as cannon fodder for his powers. I wouldn't mind that because Haschwalth is a good character but he just needs to do more.

"Home sweet home"

Overall this chapter looks like the pace is really about to pick up and makes me look forward to some great fights. The only down side was that it spent too long with Ichigo's group chatting away before the arrival of Askin which bothered me in the previous chapters; their group just keeps yammering on and on, stuff can be discussed shortly is dragged on because Kubo wanted to add some comedic moments with them or a long winded explanation of the situation.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: The environment art is amazing
                   Mayuri and Kenpachi team up
                   Askin vs. Grimmjow?
                   Haschwalth looks like he will actually do something soon

Let - Downs: Ichigo's group  

Bleach Review: Marching out the Zombies 4

Bleach took a break last week, but it is back with Marching out the Zombies 4!

The chapter begins immediately after the events of the last chapter with Mayuri saying he has tons of medicines he wants to test on the zombie Toshiro. Toshiro wastes no time and strikes at Mayuri however he dodges the blade and tries to trap Toshiro in some sort of net that shoots out from the sleeves of his robes (probably the same thing that saved Charlotte last time but to me it looks like Spiderman's webbing!). Toshiro dodges this however and they both clash with swords for a while before Toshiro tries to knee Mayuri who blocks it with a jelly - like shield. The shield attaches itself to Toshiro's leg and explodes leaving it a bloody ruin however Toshiro merely covers the wound with ice and activates his Bankai, slicing Mayuri down the middle and stabbing him through the heart. However it then cuts back to the very beginning of the chapter with Mayuri saying to Toshiro that he has tons of medicines he would like to try on him. Toshiro notices this but simply goes in for the kill again, activating his Bankai sooner and freezing Mayuri whole who then shatters. However it cuts back to the beginning of the chapter once again and Toshiro, now very annoyed, asks Mayuri what is happening. Mayuri is glad that Toshiro has finally noticed and says his drug has allowed Toshiro to "see through the future". Toshiro's short term memory is being affected and that he will be trapped in an endless loop each time he kills him but if Toshiro chooses to do nothing Mayuri says he will just kill him (It's a win, win situation for Mayuri!). He also says that the drug has some serious side effects and whenever someone goes through this loop of battle ten times (we only see three but I guess seven more has passed for Toshiro off screen) their sense of balance with be disrupted and they will collapse for thirty seconds, which Toshiro does. With Toshiro immobile, Mayuri advances on him with his sword drawn, asks of Toshiro if he ever noticed when he gave him the drug, before slashing his sword down.

This was a great chapter however it was not as good as Marching out the Zombies 3 and may not have been worth the two week wait. I will go in to why soon but first I want to go over what I really liked about this chapter.

Firstly it is great seeing Mayuri enter the front lines of battle once again (it has been ages since the last time) however this time he actually makes a more psychical effort by actually clashing swords with his opponent. His fights are always really interesting because he likes to prepare much before hand, like with Szayelaporro and here as well too, but it is great seeing him fight someone properly. Also zombie Toshiro is again better than regular Toshiro because he is such a complete badass and fights like the regular one should have all along. Like I mentioned in my previous review zombie Toshiro uses his ice moves in a more better and hard-core way and in this chapter he doesn't spam the Bankai like regular one does. We got some great cerography in the fighting, with some great art to compliment it like Mayuri's face at the end.

However there are a few things that bugged me; while the drug that Mayuri infected Toshiro with was interesting a lot panels in this chapter was repetitive. While this was a great battle chapter it just felt really short because it kept going back to the beginning again which could have been used for some more fighting. Also the effects of the drug is never fully explained; I mean this time travel? is this all in Toshiro's head? And the last thing I want to point out is that we get no shots of Giselle or the Arrancars this chapter, I really hope that Kubo uses the Arrancar more soon.

Overall this was a good chapter and follow up to the previous one but it felt really short and the repetitiveness and explaining of the drug could have been replaced with more action.

SCORE: 7/10

As for predictions it is possible Mayuri doesn't succeed in stabbing Toshiro at the end because we didn't actually see it, maybe Giselle or one of her zombies got in the way? However if Toshiro is really down for the count now I don't really mind because Kubo has been keeping the pace of this last arc really fast and I don't want him to slow down. As much as I have enjoyed March of the Zombies, I do want to see the other Sternritter fights, also I really do hope that Toshiro stays dead!

Guess I got the prediction of a new Bankai wrong :(

Bleach Review: Marching out the Zombies 3

A fan art on what his bankai could look like if he get a new form in zombie mode

Got another review for Bleach and like I said during my last one I will now be review the chapters as they come out.

This chapter begins with everyone surprised to see Toshiro Hitsugaya as one of Giselle's zombies however they quickly get over that as Toshiro springs in to action. He choses to fight Yumichika and Ikkaku first but quickly overwhelms them by delivering some deep slashes and freezing a large area. Ikkaku loses his leg and his stabbed in the back before he can do anything else and then Toshiro finishes off Yumichika as well. Mayuri figures out that Toshiro is different from the zombie Bambietta in that he has no conciseness, Giselle confirms this by telling him that she turned Toshiro in to a zombie before he ides so he is easier to control. Mayuri asks what the fun is in controlling someone with no conscious thoughts while Giselle replies that she is a sadist and doesn't care. Charlotte then steps in to fight Toshiro but is quickly cut down but Mayuri intervenes before he could he can do anything else. Mayuri says that he dislikes this form of control and that he has tones of new medicine he would like to test on him.

Great chapter this week, it mainly focuses on the newly arrived zombie Toshiro overpowering his opponents but it was just so awesome. Those who have read my previous reviews know that I am not a big fan of Toshiro, his fights are alright but he mainly relies on his bankai and convenient ice based moves for victory so much that it became annoying. However the fighting style of zombie Toshiro is the kind of fighting style I wanted to see from him all along; rushing and overpowering his opponents with swordplay combined with his ice moves. He was completely brutal with Yumichika, Ikkaku and Charlotte and I hope he keeps this up when facing Mayuri.

There isn't much else to say about this chapter since it is all about Toshiro rushing the battlefield however Giselle mentions that he turned Toshiro in to a zombie before he died. I really, really hope that this doesn't mean that Toshiro will turn back to normal because as I mentioned in my review of Marching out the Zombie 1 + 2, Kubo really needs to start killing off some of the good guys and Toshiro was such an unexpected choice.

If I had to pick one thing I did not like is that Charlotte was taken out quickly by Toshiro when I wanted to see him fight more. From what Mayuri said it sound like Charlotte can't die but he took so much damage that I don't know if he will be re-joining the fight anytime soon.

SCORE: 9/10

At the end of this chapter it looks like Mayuri has personally stepped in to the battlefield but it sounds like he may try to take out Toshiro in a similar matter he did Szayelaporro, so while that will be interesting to see I hope he does more this time round. Also I want to see more of the Arrancar but maybe they can focus their effort in taking out Giselle now.

Bleach Review: Marching out the ZOMBIES 1 + 2

Been awhile since my last Bleach review and that is because I said I wanted to only review fights when they finished but that seems to be taking ages so I am going to do individual chapters now when I can. I thought however to start off I will review the two recent chapters in the Giselle vs. Mayuri.

Marching out the Zombies 1 starts out with the arrival of Mayuri after Yumichika and Ikkaku are injured by the zombified Bambietta. We get to see just how sadistic and perverted Giselle is when Bambietta vaguely asks for something from Giselle, who then slaps her and then says she will "reward" her after the fight is done. Bambietta goes to attack Mayuri with her Explode ability but Mayuri already has a counter for it by trapping her Reishi is several balls (that look like Pokeballs!) but releases it back at Bambietta after three seconds (just like in her previous fight her power is used against her). With Bamietta down Giselle orders her zombified Soul Reapers to attack but Mayuri is once again prepared with several revived Arrancar; Charlotte Chuhlhourne, Luppi Antenor, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, and Cirucci Sanderwicci.

Marching out the Zombies 2 continues with the reveal that the revived Arrancar still have their personalities intact as they start to banter among each other. A very funny scene involves Charlotte trying to remember Yumichika's name but they says his usual line of "I can't remember the names of the ugly", and Yumichika isn't too happy about that. Dordoni and Cirucci complains that they wanted to find both Ichigo and Uryu while Luppi tells them not to bother with them right now. Mayuri gives them all an electric shock to the brain when he wants them to stop talking (though Charlotte only changes his pose) and reveals that the bodies hanging in Szayelaporro Granz's laboratory where in fact Dordoni and Cirucci that he took (He must have got Charlotte's from the fake Karakura but I have no idea how Luppi is here since he was blasted in half). The fight then commences with the Arrancar decimating the zombie Soul Reapers while figuring out that only the blood of Giselle will affect them. Charlotte then confronts Giselle because she looks like him (again hinting at the fact that Giselle is a transvestite) but ends up fighting Bambietta but easily overpowers her. The chapter ends on a cliff hanger with Giselle calling out a new zombie of hers; Toshiro Hitsugaya!

I guess I will start off by saying that this is turning out to be my favourite part of the entire arc so far! Not only have the art, cerography of all the fighting and the humour have been some of Kubo's best but we got revived Arrancar who we haven't seen in ages and a zombified Toshiro. Now does this mean that one of the most popular characters in Bleach is dead now? I don't know but I will go in to more detail about it further down.

As for the characters firstly Giselle is now a contender for being one of my favourite Sternritters, I just really like her sadistic, playful attitude, the way she doesn't care about anyone dying (even her comrades) and she is way more perverted than anyone else in Bleach. Not only does she say stuff like "I am getting wet" when thinking and seeing death but she treats Bambietta like some zombie sex toy, Kubo is really pushing the limits of how far he can go with her character. Now I know it has been hinted that she is a male but I just don't have an opinion yet on whether it is true or not because it has only been hinted at by other characters.

Next we have the big reveal of the four Arrancars that Mayuri has revived to help in the fight and I am pleased with the choices of who is here. Luppi has always been one of my favourite Espada and I hated the way he was killed off last time (I liked him even more than Grimmjow as number six) and since Toshiro is here I wonder if he will finally get his revenge. As for Dordoni and Cirucci I enjoyed their fights before so I am looking forward to seeing what they can do now however the scene stealer here is Charlotte who is just as comedic as ever. Like Luppi, Charlotte always been a favourite of mine because he is so funny but never in a annoying way also he proves in March out the Zombies 2 that he can still kick ass by b***h slapping the hell out of Bambietta in to a building.

Lastly we have the arrival of Toshiro and even though he has never been a favourite of mine I have to say he does look badass in his new uniform (the Vandenreich uniform makes everyone look cool). I can't wait to see him fight it out with the Arrancars but maybe we might get the arrival of other characters like Shinji or Momo?
However I do have to say that I really hope Toshiro is dead because Kubo keeps constantly teasing us with major character deaths and he never delivers. There was the build up of Byakuya's death at the hands of As Nodt but Kubo then brought him back, he is one of my favourite characters but even I thought he should have died. If the Vandenreich really are the biggest threat to the Soul Society, Kubo really has to kill off some of the major characters, don't hold back like the Naruto manga does all the time!

I think that is all I have to say about the March out the Zombies chapters so far, it is going in a really great and darker direction  and I hope Kubo keeps it up.

SCORE: 10/10

As for what I want to see in future chapters I want Giselle to bring out some revived Sternritters, in particular Bernice, Jerome and Lloyd who where killed off screen during the first invasion. This would be a great time for some insight in to these three characters we barely knew anything about. Also it would be great if Mayuri and Giselle step in to the battle personally but I won't hold my breathe on that since Mayuri always prepares before fighting so he barely has to make any effort and Giselle looks like she prefers to lets others do the fighting for her.