drinkingdilutedsherry:

nocturnism:

BLEACH MEME TOP 6 CHAPTERS
 » CHAPTER 423 “FAREWELL SWORDS/BLEACH MY SOUL” (2/6)

Rukia: This is goodbye, Ichigo.
Ichigo: …So it seems.
Rukia: What, don’t look so sad! Even if you can’t see me, I can still see you!
Ichigo: What? That doesn’t make me happy at all! And I wasn’t looking sad…! …Give everyone my regards.
Rukia: I will.
Ichigo: Bye, Rukia. …Thank you.

And so Ichigo defeated Aizen, the war is done and over with, and Aizen is sentenced to 18,800 years in jail. This chapter had a bit of everything: Aizen still thinking he’s god, Central 46’s frustrating ineptitude, Soul Society recovering from the war, a dash of humor (Yamamoto berating the captains for losing their haori: “Just what do you think your captains’ robes are?!” Kenpachi: “A pain in the ass.” Byakuya: “Cheap.” Shunsui: “A fashion statement?” lmao.)… and the angst. Oh, the angst. I really do love sad chapters, and this is pretty much as sad as it gets. And such beautiful art. (That one frame of Rukia and Ichigo standing face to face as she is fading away breaks my heart every time.)

First we see Matsumoto in self-reflection, noting that the people around her were all progressing forward, while she stayed stagnant, rooted to the spot where Gin left her. Hitsugaya is refining his bankai so that he can protect Hinamori; Shuuhei and Renji are off training, preparing in case they see an enemy the likes of Aizen again (You think any Soul Society jail will be able to contain Aizen? Ha!). But Matsumoto is still grieving over Gin, looking on sadly as her friends move on without her. I’ve never been much of a GinRan fan, to be honest. (I did like them in the beginning, but then I turned into a much bigger HitsuMatsu fan.) But I can’t deny that what Gin and Matsumoto had was pretty much canon and it was saddening to see Matsumoto suffer so much, first from Gin’s betrayal, and now his death. I hope we get to see her soon, kicking ass by her captain’s side again.

Then we get to the main point of the chapter: Ichigo’s and Rukia’s farewell.

I don’t care whether you are an IchiHime, RenRuki, IchiRuki, whatever shipper: I think anybody can agree that this scene was beyond sad. What Ichigo and Rukia have, be it love or friendship or something else, is incomparable. Rukia was the one who gave him his shinigami powers and this is the end of Ichigo’s life as a shinigami. Not only has he lost all of his powers, but he also can’t sense spirits at all anymore, the one thing that has plagued him all his life. Years before he met Rukia, I’m sure he would have been glad to rid himself of that gift/curse, but now? After all they’ve been through together? You can sense the resignation in his eyes, his words. Just imagine one important person in your life, fading before your very eyes…

What makes this even more poignant - and I didn’t even realize this until not too long ago, on my 234568th re-read of this chapter - is the fact that their friends (Ishida, Chad, and Orihime) stand in the background, witnessing the farewell. But they can’t see what Ichigo sees (ie, Rukia disappearing into thin air) because they still have their spiritual power. They can’t grasp the full intensity of the situation - but even so, it’s obvious in their faces that they understand that they’re witnessing a very, very different goodbye from the last one when Ichigo left Soul Society.

And as Ichigo looks up into the clear, empty sky, he utters one more, final “thank you.” That last “thank you” just really completed the whole chapter for me. (This is the cue for my eyes to start watering ;____;) How many times have Ichigo and Rukia said “thank you” and “Idiot, that’s my line”? When Rukia entered Ichigo’s life suddenly in Chapter 1, he was just a human boy. And now she abruptly leaves his life, and Ichigo is once more just a (powerless again, but internally changed) human boy.

(I realize I wrote an essay for this but I just have a lot of feelings about this chapter, okay?! ;____;)

omg aldfja;lsdjf;alksjdf thanks ♥

(Source: kairisma, via damnyoukubo)

lady-primavera:

nocturnism:

BLEACH MEME TOP 2 PAIRINGS
» HITSUGAYA & MATSUMOTO (2/2)

Hitsugaya: It’s starting, Matsumoto. I hope there’s no hesitation in your heart (referring to Gin).
Matsumoto: What are you talking about?
Hitsugaya: …Nothing. Let’s go.

I don’t really care as much about other pairings in Bleach as I do about IchiRuki, haha. I am partial to RenRuki and I like the bromance between Renji and Ichigo although I don’t like yaoi (and hence I like IchiRenRuki but I guess that’s a OT3 and not a “pairing” XD). I guess my next favorite would be HitsuMatsu, although I like Urahara/Yoruichi and Lisa/Shunsui as well.

Hitsugaya/Matsumoto happens to be a very unpopular pairing. Probably has something to do with the fact that Gin/Matsumoto and Hitsugaya/Hinamori are so popular (and GinRan is pretty much canon). I don’t hate Hinamori (it’s not her fault she was brainwashed by Aizen); it’s just that I see Hitsugaya’s and HInamori’s relationship more as a brother/sister one, especially since they grew up together with the same Grandma. I used to be a GinRan shipper myself but I found HitsuMatsu more appealing.

I’m very fond of captain/vice-captain relationships but I think Hitsugaya’s and Matsumoto’s relationship runs deeper than that, one built on loyalty. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto are such a funny dynamic duo. Matsumoto might be the laziest woman in the world who pisses of her captain effortlessly, but when she gets serious, it’s a great sight to see her fighting next to Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto are as opposite as they come but somehow they work. Their bond started from when Matsumoto found Hitsugaya in Rukongai and (I like to think) strengthened as their childhood friends (Gin and Hinamori, respectively) “betrayed” them. Their age difference doesn’t bother me; when you live for hundreds of years, I don’t think that really matters XD (The age problem seems to never be brought up with ships like Shunsui/Nanao yet Nanao was very, very young when she first met a hundreds-year-old Shunsui. I don’t know why people only seem to bring up the age problem when it comes to HitsuMatsu.)

I admit, HitsuMatsu seems to have more filler/non-canon moments than canon. But I think what sold me to HitsuMatsu was that pre-Arrancar Arc scene where Hitsugaya and Matsumoto are sent to Karakura Town and HItsugaya is talking to a slowly recovering Hinamori via video chat. Matsumoto is seen standing outside with a very sad expression on her face and I can’t help but feel there’s something there. Maybe it’s just sadness over how much she knows her captain wants Hinamori to be better but Hinamori isn’t, or maybe it’s something else.

THANK YOU. I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way about the age difference thing. People probably only bring it up because Hitsugaya looks much younger than Rangiku, while Nanao looks closer to Shunsui’s age. Regardless, there’s a much bigger age difference between Shunsui and Nanao than between Hitsugaya and Rangiku, so I think that’s a pretty bad double-standard. And, like you said, age isn’t a big deal when you’re as old as the shinigami are anyway. XD

Judging by how Shunsui looks practically the same as he did 100 years ago and Nanao changed from basically a human 7 year old to early 20-something, I’d say we can give it another 100 years or so for Hitsugaya to finally “grow up” in appearance lol.

Yes, I didn’t realize until I reread Turn Back the Pendulum that the age gap between Nanao and Shunsui is HUMONGOUS, actually a lot bigger than between Hitsugaya and Matsumoto.

Age is just a number!

(Source: kairisma, via thevanitymonster)

leonadavinci:

nocturnism:

BLEACH MEME TOP 2 PAIRINGS
» ICHIGO & RUKIA (1/2)

“I wonder if I can keep up with the speed of a world without you.” — Ichigo, Volume 49 poem

Where do I even begin.

I should start by saying that whenever I read a book or watch a movie, I naturally pair characters off, if I see potential; after all, who doesn’t love a good love story? But Ichigo and Rukia are the first pairing that I can say I ship. They’re the first pairing that made me not only want to read fanfics, but also write fanfics. They’re what made me actually participate in fandom (and, ultimately, the fun in talking with other fans and how good the series is made me stick around for the long run). I have never felt this strongly about a pairing before in anything. This has a lot to do with the fact that I love both characters individually (Rukia is one of the few female shounen characters that don’t disappoint me) but together, they’re amazing. What sold me? I think it began with Rukia’s goodbye to Ichigo as she was being taken away to Soul Society in the beginning of the series… then to Rukia’s rescue… and more recently to the Chapter 423 Farewell Swords scene. (If I had any doubts before, it was all wiped away by that look they shared in Chapter 423.)

To me, Ichigo and Rukia were destined to meet and to change each other’s world. They balance each other out (everything from Rukia’s levelheadedness to cancel out Ichigo’s rashness down to Kubo specifically changing Ichigo’s character design to match Rukia’s). He is the sand, she is the rotator. He is the sun, she is the moon. He wanted the power to crush his destiny of powerlessness, and she gave that power to him. She was the one who changed his world. And no, she didn’t just change his world by being the one who gave him power. The extent of their relationship isn’t that shallow. She changed his world from the inside out; she stopped the rain. They would die for each other ten times over.

They understand each other at the deepest level that no other character can even attempt to match for either Rukia or Ichigo. There is no other character in the entire series that can bring back Ichigo’s confidence or who knows when Ichigo needs a good kick in the head like Rukia. There is no other character that knows what Rukia wants, whether it is to stay in the very same Soul Society who wanted to execute her or atoning for Kaien’s death.

I think the most important reason why I love IchiRuki is because they make each other stronger. Other ships may use the same reason, but I feel IchiRuki has the most valid proof of this. Both physically and emotionally — see how much Ichigo grew just with the one goal of saving Rukia in mind. He didn’t want to save her just because he thought he had some debt he owed to her. He wanted Rukia to be able to decide for herself in which world she wanted to stay, not forcibly taken away; he wanted her to just be happy, regardless of the fact that he wanted her to go back to Karakura with him (“I remember now why I wanted to save you so badly…”). In the many IchiRuki reunions, the way Ichigo’s face just changes completely whenever he sees Rukia is convincing enough for me that he has some feelings for her (but he’ll probably always be too dense to realize this). Unlike typical knight-in-shining-armor/princess relationships, Rukia does not only take from Ichigo, she gives back. They are the type to fight back to back. Rukia’s not a damsel and she won’t stand to the side to watch Ichigo fight alone (unless he requests it, a la Memories in the Rain).

They have so many in-your-face moments that sometimes I wonder how anybody can doubt that they’re in love with each other; but on the other hand, I also love them precisely for the fact that they’re subtle at the same time. Ichigo and Rukia don’t go running around declaring “I LOVE YOU.” (Actually, if they ended up being half as cheesy as many fanfics out there, I would cringe.) Actions speak a thousand times louder than words. They haven’t declared any feelings, but the meaning behind their actions are subtly there. It’s in their eyes. I think a lot of characters see it too: Hanatarou, Orihime, Renji, Byakuya.

I guess, in the end, it’s what you believe about love that influences who you ship. I think if you believe in or sympathize with the innocent, bordering-on-idolization, high school kind of love, you’d prefer other ships. But I like to believe in soul mates, people who are destined for each other, people who understand each other better than themselves, people who are also best friends. Yes, they argue - but what couple doesn’t? For now they remain “more than friends, less than lovers,” but this is why I ship IchiRuki.

Darn it I cried reading this. Owh… *sniffles*
Beautifully written. *more sniffles* 

Awww thank you! ♥ /offers you a tissue

(Source: kairisma)

BLEACH MEME TOP 1 REASON WHY YOU LOVE BLEACH
» THE HEART

I’m only slightly kidding when I say I love Bleach because of “The Heart,” Kubo Tite’s favorite theme lol. There are countless reasons why I love Bleach. The art has become beautiful and I love Kubo’s way with words (I think he’s an astounding writer; I guess a sort of unpopular opinion nowadays). But I think it’s Bleach’s amazing and vast cast of characters that makes me read Bleach week after week. It’s all of the characters, with each of their unique personalities, their character designs, and their bonds that connect everybody together: ie, the heart. To me, that makes Bleach a not-so-typical shounen series.

I once had a creative writing teacher who said that there are two types of writers: one that create the world first and then make their characters fit into that world; and one that create the characters first and then builds the world around them. The latter usually makes the more vivid, more real, more intricate characters. Kubo is this type of writer. When I write, too, I tend to focus on the characters, sacrificing the setting or even sometimes the plot (hey, I’m not a perfect writer), so I guess this is why it doesn’t bother me at all that Bleach is a character-driven story, not a plot-driven one. (Perhaps why my favorite chapters aren’t necessarily the action-packed ones.) It’s not that Kubo is a poor writer like is often claimed; it’s because he’s so good at character development that he trolls with the plot a little lol. Kubo exemplifies this even as an artist — people complain that Kubo tends to draw his characters in a blank white panel, rarely drawing in highly detailed backgrounds the likes of Naruto or One Piece. He once said in an interview that he really likes doing that because sometimes he just wants the reader to focus on the character in that panel and only that character. In another interview, talking about how Bleach came about, Kubo said that he thought up Rukia and Ichigo first. For Kubo and Bleach, characters always come first.

I realize Kubo is not the only writer who can make you sympathize with the bad guys, but he does it so exceptionally well. There were characters I was dead set on hating (Aizen, Ginjou, even Tousen) but they still get their redeeming qualities in the end. Every character is so human, no matter if the character is a death god or hollow or something in between; they all have unique hearts, histories, and philosophies. This is why I think the Bleach fandom’s ship wars are so infamously virulent; people just become so attached to certain characters and their bonds with other characters that shipping becomes much more intense than in other fandoms.

Yes, the cast of characters is massive. Every new arc introduces yet another new whole set of characters, be it the shinigami, the Vizards, the Arrancar, or the Fullbringers among many others. People always complain that Bleach already has too many characters, and I agree; there is a lot, but that’s why I love Bleach. There’s something of everything. The most amazing thing is that there’s no two characters that are exactly alike. And whereas in Naruto, I forget all the names of characters beyond the my favorite ones, I can remember pretty much all of the names of the characters in Bleach (which is saying a lot, since I’m not good with names XD). There’s rarely a completely wasted character (aside from really, really minor characters), although there’s the minor drawback of having so many characters: you can’t develop all of them at once with only 19 pages per week, so some do get neglected from time to time. But the positives outweigh the negatives; everybody gets their turn in the spotlight eventually. After all, can you imagine Bleach without its huge cast? I can’t.

Well, this meme was fun while it lasted! Very introspective as a Bleach fan. Thanks to itsbleach for organizing this! For those who read all of this, thank you :) I love it when you guys comment/add your opinion to my posts. Bleach fans for life hahaha.

BLEACH MEME TOP 2 PAIRINGS
» HITSUGAYA & MATSUMOTO (2/2)

Hitsugaya: It’s starting, Matsumoto. I hope there’s no hesitation in your heart (referring to Gin).
Matsumoto: What are you talking about?
Hitsugaya: …Nothing. Let’s go.

I don’t really care as much about other pairings in Bleach as I do about IchiRuki, haha. I am partial to RenRuki and I like the bromance between Renji and Ichigo although I don’t like yaoi (and hence I like IchiRenRuki but I guess that’s a OT3 and not a “pairing” XD). I guess my next favorite would be HitsuMatsu, although I like Urahara/Yoruichi and Lisa/Shunsui as well.

Hitsugaya/Matsumoto happens to be a very unpopular pairing. Probably has something to do with the fact that Gin/Matsumoto and Hitsugaya/Hinamori are so popular (and GinRan is pretty much canon). I don’t hate Hinamori (it’s not her fault she was brainwashed by Aizen); it’s just that I see Hitsugaya’s and HInamori’s relationship more as a brother/sister one, especially since they grew up together with the same Grandma. I used to be a GinRan shipper myself but I found HitsuMatsu more appealing.

I’m very fond of captain/vice-captain relationships but I think Hitsugaya’s and Matsumoto’s relationship runs deeper than that, one built on loyalty. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto are such a funny dynamic duo. Matsumoto might be the laziest woman in the world who pisses of her captain effortlessly, but when she gets serious, it’s a great sight to see her fighting next to Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto are as opposite as they come but somehow they work. Their bond started from when Matsumoto found Hitsugaya in Rukongai and (I like to think) strengthened as their childhood friends (Gin and Hinamori, respectively) “betrayed” them. Their age difference doesn’t bother me; when you live for hundreds of years, I don’t think that really matters XD (The age problem seems to never be brought up with ships like Shunsui/Nanao yet Nanao was very, very young when she first met a hundreds-year-old Shunsui. I don’t know why people only seem to bring up the age problem when it comes to HitsuMatsu.)

I admit, HitsuMatsu seems to have more filler/non-canon moments than canon. But I think what sold me to HitsuMatsu was that pre-Arrancar Arc scene where Hitsugaya and Matsumoto are sent to Karakura Town and HItsugaya is talking to a slowly recovering Hinamori via video chat. Matsumoto is seen standing outside with a very sad expression on her face and I can’t help but feel there’s something there. Maybe it’s just sadness over how much she knows her captain wants Hinamori to be better but Hinamori isn’t, or maybe it’s something else.

BLEACH MEME TOP 2 PAIRINGS
» ICHIGO & RUKIA (1/2)

“I wonder if I can keep up with the speed of a world without you.” — Ichigo, Volume 49 poem

Where do I even begin.

I should start by saying that whenever I read a book or watch a movie, I naturally pair characters off, if I see potential; after all, who doesn’t love a good love story? But Ichigo and Rukia are the first pairing that I can say I ship. They’re the first pairing that made me not only want to read fanfics, but also write fanfics. They’re what made me actually participate in fandom (and, ultimately, the fun in talking with other fans and how good the series is made me stick around for the long run). I have never felt this strongly about a pairing before in anything. This has a lot to do with the fact that I love both characters individually (Rukia is one of the few female shounen characters that don’t disappoint me) but together, they’re amazing. What sold me? I think it began with Rukia’s goodbye to Ichigo as she was being taken away to Soul Society in the beginning of the series… then to Rukia’s rescue… and more recently to the Chapter 423 Farewell Swords scene. (If I had any doubts before, it was all wiped away by that look they shared in Chapter 423.)

To me, Ichigo and Rukia were destined to meet and to change each other’s world. They balance each other out (everything from Rukia’s levelheadedness to cancel out Ichigo’s rashness down to Kubo specifically changing Ichigo’s character design to match Rukia’s). He is the sand, she is the rotator. He is the sun, she is the moon. He wanted the power to crush his destiny of powerlessness, and she gave that power to him. She was the one who changed his world. And no, she didn’t just change his world by being the one who gave him power. The extent of their relationship isn’t that shallow. She changed his world from the inside out; she stopped the rain. They would die for each other ten times over.

They understand each other at the deepest level that no other character can even attempt to match for either Rukia or Ichigo. There is no other character in the entire series that can bring back Ichigo’s confidence or who knows when Ichigo needs a good kick in the head like Rukia. There is no other character that knows what Rukia wants, whether it is to stay in the very same Soul Society who wanted to execute her or atoning for Kaien’s death.

I think the most important reason why I love IchiRuki is because they make each other stronger. Other ships may use the same reason, but I feel IchiRuki has the most valid proof of this. Both physically and emotionally — see how much Ichigo grew just with the one goal of saving Rukia in mind. He didn’t want to save her just because he thought he had some debt he owed to her. He wanted Rukia to be able to decide for herself in which world she wanted to stay, not forcibly taken away; he wanted her to just be happy, regardless of the fact that he wanted her to go back to Karakura with him (“I remember now why I wanted to save you so badly…”). In the many IchiRuki reunions, the way Ichigo’s face just changes completely whenever he sees Rukia is convincing enough for me that he has some feelings for her (but he’ll probably always be too dense to realize this). Unlike typical knight-in-shining-armor/princess relationships, Rukia does not only take from Ichigo, she gives back. They are the type to fight back to back. Rukia’s not a damsel and she won’t stand to the side to watch Ichigo fight alone (unless he requests it, a la Memories in the Rain).

They have so many in-your-face moments that sometimes I wonder how anybody can doubt that they’re in love with each other; but on the other hand, I also love them precisely for the fact that they’re subtle at the same time. Ichigo and Rukia don’t go running around declaring “I LOVE YOU.” (Actually, if they ended up being half as cheesy as many fanfics out there, I would cringe.) Actions speak a thousand times louder than words. They haven’t declared any feelings, but the meaning behind their actions are subtly there. It’s in their eyes. I think a lot of characters see it too: Hanatarou, Orihime, Renji, Byakuya.

I guess, in the end, it’s what you believe about love that influences who you ship. I think if you believe in or sympathize with the innocent, bordering-on-idolization, high school kind of love, you’d prefer other ships. But I like to believe in soul mates, people who are destined for each other, people who understand each other better than themselves, people who are also best friends. Yes, they argue - but what couple doesn’t? For now they remain “more than friends, less than lovers,” but this is why I ship IchiRuki.

BLEACH MEME TOP 3 ARCS
» MEMORIES IN THE RAIN 6/17 ARC (3/3)

Ichigo: You’re not going to ask anything?
Rukia: If I ask, will you answer? It’s your problem. A deep, deep problem. I have no right to know. I have no way of stepping into the depths of your heart without it getting dirty. So I’ll wait. When you want to talk, when you think it’s okay to talk… Talk to me. Until that time, I’ll wait.

I’m counting this as an arc since Turn Back the Pendulum counts as an arc, lol. “Memories in the Rain” is definitely a favorite because it explains the whole psyche behind Ichigo’s character — and, as the protagonist/hero of the series, this is kind of important, to say the least. This is the reason why Ichigo acts the way he does, the reason why Ichigo has such a huge hero complex. It all boils down to his mom’s death. It’s as Rukia said: it’s the first time since he got power/became a shinigami that he is fighting a fight of pride — for himself, not for others.

This mini-arc was also a big step in Ichigo’s and Rukia’s relationship — no longer just their initial teacher-student relationship. Rukia never knew her own family, so seeing the Kurosakis planning a trip to Masaki’s grave (“That looked fun!”) and learning to step aside in Ichigo’s fight against his mom’s murderer was a huge learning experience for her too. Knowing what we know now about Rukia and Kaien, it makes Rukia’s struggle to not interfere with Ichigo’s fight even more painful to see. I also group in Rukia’s own “Memories in the Rain” chapters with Ichigo’s… I’m glad they have helped relieve the weight of guilt from each others’ shoulders.

(omg… one more to catch up OTL…)

BLEACH MEME TOP 3 ARCS
» TURN BACK THE PENDULUM ARC (2/3)

Aizen: Let’s finish this, Captain Hirako. You were a perfect captain. Because of your vigilance, you kept me by your side. Because of your vigilance, you kept your distance. By watching me, you thought you could control my movements. Remember this in the end: the betrayal you can see is trivial; what is truly fearsome is the betrayal you cannot see, Captain Hirako.

Shinji: Kisuke said “There were no miscalculations. That was my biggest miscalculation.” Everything proceeded just as expected to the worst outcome. We really are indebted to Kisuke…. and to Aizen.

Have I mentioned how much I love flashbacks? I think some people didn’t enjoy this mini-arc because it was pretty long for a flashback, but it was very illuminating and intriguing. The moment I turned the page and saw Shinji in captain’s robes, I completely flipped out XD I love it when pieces of a story start falling into place, and “Turn Back the Pendulum” did exactly that. It explained a lot of back story in a relatively short amount of time. Before, it seemed like Urahara regarded the Vaizards as dangerous, but it turned out that all of them had been captains/vice-captains together during the same time period. Secrets about the ~mysterious Urahara~ are revealed and we see that Aizen’s betrayal runs pretty deep. Reading this arc, it’s no wonder why Shinji & co don’t love Soul Society (Central 46 is full of senile imbeciles a;dklfja;sldfkj ugh). Perfect way of setting the backdrop to the Vaizards preparing to enter the Fake Karakura Town battle.

Also, who didn’t enjoy seeing young!Byakuya being teased by Captain Yoruichi?!

BLEACH MEME TOP 3 ARCS
» SOUL SOCIETY ARC (1/3)

Chad: If Rukia already got away… then why is Ichigo still fighting?
Ishida: It’s not that simple. These people will definitely try to blame Kuchiki-san after this. In order to really help Kuchiki-san, all threats must be eliminated. Ideas such as “Execute Kuchiki-san” must be expunged before this can truly come to an end. That is why Kurosaki is fighting, most likely putting his life on the line for it!
Aramaki: You’re… You’re all crazy, aren’t you? Who is Kuchiki Rukia to all of you? Isn’t she just a friend? Is it really necessary to go this far for a friend?
Ishida: Of course it is! Because she’s —
Orihime: She’s not just a friend. To Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san is a very important person! Because… Kuchiki-san is the person who changed his world.

I find myself reading this arc and over and over again because it is just that good. If you’re reading this and haven’t picked up Bleach yet, I recommend at least reading Bleach up to the end of Soul Society arc if you can’t stomach the full 470+ chapters. This arc was so well-planned, from the moment Rukia was taken away by Renji and Byakuya to be executed which catalyzed Ichigo’s “Why am I always the one being protected/why can’t I protect” complex and the whole rescue mission. Dozens of new characters were introduced, some of my favorites. Ichigo grew by leaps and bounds, and Rukia’s background was revealed. A whole new world, Soul Society, was opened up and we saw that it wasn’t quite the pretty picture that Rukia painted to the spirits she sent to the afterlife. And the whole twist with Aizen — brilliant. Never expected that. At the end, everything fell into place, with only a few missing pieces that would lead to the next arc.

The Soul Society arc made me a IchiRuki shipper for life, lol. You just don’t go to that extent for a person who is “just” a friend. When Ichigo and Rukia say goodbye and Ichigo remembers the reason why he wanted to save Rukia so badly, it was a perfect ending to a perfect arc.

BLEACH MEME TOP 4 FIGHTS
» ICHIGO VS BYAKUYA (4/4)

Byakuya: I see… from the beginning, I was never the one he was fighting. From the beginning, he has been fighting the rules of Soul Society. He is the same as that infuriatingly liberal man (Kaien).

An amazing battle to finish off an amazing arc! This was definitely a flashy battle: Ichigo’s bankai, more moves from Senbonzakura, and Hichigo made an appearance. But I like this battle for much more than that. I love it when Byakuya realizes that Ichigo’s real opponent was never him all along; it was Soul Society itself. The fact that Ichigo is a substitute shinigami and therefore both a part of Soul Society (by virtue of being a shinigami) and not a part of Soul Society (for being human) at once is driven home in this battle. Ichigo doesn’t know a thing about Soul Society, its rules, or its traditions. Everything he does, from his philosophy about bucking the rules when the rules are wrong down to the appearance of his bankai, is (as Byakuya at one point says) an insult to shinigami pride. Yet all throughout the arc, this substitute shinigami has torn through Soul Society and made its captains question their own rules, all for the sake of saving somebody who changed his world.

Ichigo replies, is this the same pride that drives an older brother to kill his own sister just because the rules says so? He’s speaking from his heart here; Ichigo himself is an older brother and he has sought all his life for power to protect his family, including his younger sisters. One day he’s given that power miraculously by Rukia and Rukia was going to die for doing that. From Ichigo’s point of view, how on earth could that be considered a crime when she was protecting others?

This is when we get to see that Byakuya isn’t as 2D as he seems to be. His logic for carrying out Rukia’s execution may still be convoluted to readers, (“The Kuchiki are one of the four noble families. We are the role models. If we don’t obey the rules, who will?”) but we begin to see some of the inner struggle he was going through. After this battle, Ichigo definitely changed Byakuya for the better. As Gin prepares to kill Rukia later on, Byakuya steps in and takes the blow instead. Byakuya opens up and tells Rukia about Hisana and his promise to his parents. But Ichigo shows Byakuya that no such promise should apply when a family member’s life is on the line. Even more recently, hundreds and hundreds of chapters later, Byakuya is jabbering about bonds when he battles Tsukishima for being an enemy of Ichigo. Oh how far Byakuya has come :D