Bleach Vol 23

[meganbmoore]

Sometimes, I lament my tendency to change around icons a lot. Parts of this volume are just perfect for an icon of Ichigo waving around a giant sword and claiming he isn’t overcompensating.

Random, unconnected comments.

Ok, so, I totally forgot that Ulquiorra popped his own eye out and crushed it. Probably because I don’t like him much. It’s the kind of thing you remember, though.

Grimmjow’s comment about how he could beat Urahara and Yoruichi make me want him and Yoruichi to have a fight. Though I’m not sure his ego could handle it.

The canon proof that Byakuya won’t let Rukia advance in the Soul Society because he thinks she can’t take care of herself. Right. I sometimes forget why I don’t like him much. Despite my respect for his being able to make a technique centering around a shower of sakura petals be badass.

Meanwhile, I continue to love Rukia’s verbal and quasi-physical smackdown of Ichigo for getting his head too big and spouting one too many “Stay out of trouble and I shall protect you!” lines. More manga characters would benefit from that than I can name. Sadly, most mangaka would never dream of letting the girl do it. Sometimes the token butt-kicking mentor lady, never The Chick.

I love how certain people’s Bankai are just Really Big Swords With Significant Lack of Overcompensation! Really! Ichigo, Ikakku and Renji off the top of my head, but I think there are others, too.

I do not think I’ve seen the omake at the end of this volume before. Poor Nanao. For her, there is no escape from People Who Do Not take Life Seriously Enough. She should stage a protest.
 

Comments

[wistfulmemory.livejournal.com]

Despite my respect for his being able to make a technoque centering around a shower of sakura petals be badass.

Every time I think about this, it makes me giggle. (And I don't think it helps that I now picture him singing and dancing, too, because of the musicals.)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Any time I'm annoyed with him (usually when I think about the way he treats Rukia) I think of that and get over it.

[chomiji]

Actually, I was really annoyed at what happened to Rukia in this volume.

And I was really touched by how Yumichika looked while explaining that if Ikkaku died in the fight "then he'll die happy." Whatever the actual nature of their relationship, you know Yumichika was not happy with that idea ... .

(Also, wasn't this the volume with the "Rangiku straightens Orihime out" scene? I really liked that. Despite the obvious fanservice aspect, their faces and body language were really good.)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Hmm...which part with Rukia? There were several things. (Mostly, I think she was returning to her pre-Soul Society arc self, and the fighting stuff was what we've been told before, but the first time she's been in a position to display it.)

Yeah, this has that Rangiku and Orihime scene. I'm pretty fond of it, but stumbling over several discussions regarding the scanslations ("OMG! This proves Ichigo loves Orihime!" "How dare anyone translate it that way! Orihime will never be as important to him as Rukia!") of the scene are a large part of what scared me off the Bleach fandom, even though it's a scene I'm extremely fond of.

[chomiji]

Mostly, that Rukia finally gets to fight and then gets her butt handed to her almost immediately thereafter. Yeah, Grimmjow's a badass, but still ... I didn't like the timing.

Re the scanslations: huh? "Orihime has rather a crush on Ichigo" does not equal "Ichigo loves Orihime." Especially at this age, girls having an interest in boys who only think of them as friends (if that) is all too likely.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was a problem.

IIRC, the Viz translation said "you are both very important to Ichigo"(nice and neutral) while the scanslations were closer to "you are each equally important to him, in different ways."

I'd probably be more inclined to believe Ichigo has romantic feelings for Orihime than Rukia (as of the most recent chapters) if I were forced to "choose" one, but I'm not really inclined to think he has romantic feelings for either one. Or anyone, for that matter. But really, he seems to view Rukia more as a combination of overbearing sister and guiding influence, and Orihime as a friend who's so nice that maybe he should be a little more careful with his mouth around her, but mostly totally oblivious to the fact that either one is, you know, a girl.