I have an abundance of questions swirling around in my mind. What on earth did Dark Ichigo imply when he made the statement that Ichigo would be king? Was it a prophecy of some sort, or did it hold a deeper, more hidden meaning? And then there's the question of Kenny. Is he truly, undeniably dead? There are just so many uncertainties, so many loose ends that remain untied. It feels as if I'm constantly searching for answers in a vast, dark void. So many questions, and yet, there never seem to be enough answers to satisfy my curiosity. It's frustrating, really. But perhaps that's what keeps me coming back, eager to uncover the truth and finally have all of my questions answered.
I'm back on the Bleach train after petering out last year. And damn does it feel good! Volume 13 finds us right in the middle of things that are already in motion. Thankfully, I was already up to speed on this, courtesy of watching the three or four episodes of Bleach that lead into them. Namely, it's Ichigo's big battle against his first Captain, Kenpachi. While we get appearances from a number of beloved characters, especially on the Soul Society side of things, Ichigo v Kenpachi really dominates the page count.
For those of us who have read or watched through this arc before, this fight is one of the highlights. It's not just a highlight of this arc, but of the whole series. So the strong focus on this battle doesn't feel out of place at all. It's exciting to see Ichigo push himself to his limits against such a powerful opponent. The art in this volume really brings the fight to life, with dynamic panels and intense action scenes. I can't wait to see what happens next in this thrilling series.
Było to strasne zmatene pomoc. It was such a terrifying and confusing help. The situation seemed to be out of control, and the so-called help only added to the chaos. People were running around, not knowing what to do. The confusion was palpable in the air. There were shouts and cries everywhere. It was as if the world had turned upside down. The assistance that was supposed to bring order and relief had instead become a source of more stress and worry. Nobody could understand why this was happening. It was a mystery that needed to be solved quickly. But in the midst of all this chaos, there were still a few people who remained calm and tried to make sense of the situation. They were the ones who would hopefully be able to turn this terrifying and confusing help into something useful and beneficial.
Despite his imposing size and brute strength, Chad has unfortunately been defeated by 8th Squad Captain Kyoraku. When his lieutenant, Nanao, shows up with a crucial message regarding the death of Captain Aizen of 5th Squad, she offers to take care of Chad, suspecting that the Ryoka might be the cause of Aizen's death. However, Shunsui firmly tells her no. They can't be certain about that, and instead, he wants Chad to be taken to the 4th Squad for proper healing. Shunsui sighs deeply, realizing that "Things are getting complicated."
Meanwhile, Ichigo is engaged in a fierce battle with Kenpachi Zaraki, who is one extremely scary and fierce individual. This makes Zaraki's lieutenant, Yachiru, happy because it means Kenny is happy. Ichigo, however, becomes overly cocky, which leads to him being careless. As a result, he is run through by Zaraki's sword, much to the captain's disappointment. Bleeding and dismayed, Ichigo recognizes Zangetsu, his zanpaku-tô, who poses a thought-provoking question to him: “Do you want to win or do you want to live?”
At the same time, Ganju and Hanataro have managed to reach Rukia's cell, fully prepared to liberate her. But there is a significant hitch in their plan as Ganju realizes who she is. Now the question remains: Will he still go ahead and rescue her, or will he decide to try and kill her himself?
The action-packed events continue in this volume of Bleach. I am truly impressed by how relentless Ichigo is. He is extremely determined, but at times, he can be headstrong and brash. Well, after all, he is just a teenager, probably filled with the same sense of seeming immortality that many teens possess because they can't fathom the possibility of dying. Ichigo is loyal to a fault and would do anything for his friends, but he doesn't always think before taking action. I absolutely love his interactions with Zangetsu. The old man is usually quite effective at instilling a certain amount of good sense into Ichigo, along with strength.
I also really enjoyed seeing the back story between Kenachi and Yachiru. At first, I found her rather annoying, but she has gradually grown on me. There is a wealth of back story in Bleach, which I thoroughly enjoy. The situation with Ganju and Rukia sets up an interesting question of principle, but I suspect there is much more to this story than what meets the eye, and there will probably be a flashback to accompany it.
The ending of this volume contains a great cliffhanger, leaving me eagerly looking forward to the next volume to find out what will happen!