Review by K.M. : "A lot of swordplay. Boring."

is that a bleach reference

Friday, I can't wait for you! I loved it! Makes me want to watch season 2 of Bleach over again. I might do that too! Review to come!

Another enjoyable volume! I liked getting glimpses into Ichigo’s friendship with Chad/Sado. On to the next volume!

Where even was aizen, fake news

Loved this volume, it features my favourite character in Bleach: Kenpachi, and one of my other faves Kyoraku.

Here’s what happened as a refresher for people:

Following Renji’s defeat by Ichigo Izuru arrives (assistant captain 3) and brings him back to base where Momo (assistant captain 4) is. It’s clear momo is friends with izuru, Renji, and Tashohiro (captain 10) and she’s very kind. She’s upset to see Renji so injured but Byakuya shows up and tells her to throw him in a cell as he broke the rules by going after going after the Ryoka without permission and being defeated.

Renji is indeed thrown in a cell but also healed. Tashohiro warns momo about Ichimaru and Izuru and not to trust them…
Yamamoto (captain 1) gives emergency powers to captains and senior officers to carry zanpakto and use force if they encounter the Ryoka. Momo is terrified of fighting.
Momo goes to see Aizen because she’s worried they will now have to fight. He reassures her and falls asleep in his rooms.
Aizen leaves the room while she’s asleep.
Momo wakes up and is worried she’ll miss morning assembly and is running there taking a shortcut. Unfortunately she finds the body of Aizen pinned to a wall with a sword. Her screams bring the other captains who are nearby - rangiku, ichimaru,Tashohiro, Izuru etc. Momo remembers what Tashohiro told her which was not to trust ichimaru with Aizen when he is alone. Momo attacks Ichimaru and Izuru defends him and they start to fight. Tashohiro stops them and has them both arrested, and blames Ichimaru for trying to get Momo killed by not stopping Izuru.

In the mean time Hantaro heals Ichigo and Ganju and tired himself out and they continue to make their way through the tunnels. Hanataro sees Ichigo’s hollow mask which was in his pocket and it is cracked. It seems ichigo’s wounds weren’t as bad due to the mask, Hanataro is concerned about this.

They continue their way to Rukia and are suddenly overcome with massive spiritual pressure. Kenpachi has been waiting for them and identified Ichigo as the strongest of the three. He meets them and tells Ichigo he wants to fight. Ichigo tells Hanataro and Genju to go on without him and help Rukia. Kenpachi and his second make no move to follow and Kenpachi explains he just wants to fight Ichigo or die and they’re not interested in stopping the Ryoka or executing Rukia. Kenpachi offers Ichigo the first hit and Ichigo unwillingly takes it and is unable to hurt Kenpachi due to his unconscious release of spirit energy being stronger than Ichigo’s blow.

The captain Kyokura and assistant captain Nanko of eighth see one of the Ryoka are on the way and Kyoraku grudgingly says he will go and stop them since Yamamoto will be angry otherwise. We see a bit of the relationship between Kyoraku and Nanko where he is affectionate and tells her she’s beautiful etc and she scolds him. She’s definitely a bit of a Megune/ Tsundere character.
Meanwhile we go over to Chad who is figuring out where he needs to go and eventually meets third seat of eight company. He defeats him easily.

Kyoraku appears and tells him he will have to stop him from going further but offers to just sit and have tea within him or let him retreat. Chad declines and tries to fight him and keeps missing.

We have a flashback where we learn more about Chad and Ichigo. Chad I’m initially saved Ichigo in middle school after he was attacked for having orange hair. Ichigo gets his name wrong and calls him Chad instead of Sado. I wonder if this is meant to be a mispronounced version of his name based on Chad not looking Japanese?
Either way, Ichigo later helps Chad out when he’s been attacked and Chad explains that he lived in Mexico before moving here and he doesn’t fight back as he promised his grandfather. Ichigo comments that Chad told him he was from Okinawa before. Chad affirms in his own monologue that this is true it’s where he was born, but when he was 8 his parents died and he moved to Mexico to live with him grandfather who was his only relative. In the real world he explains that he carries the coin around his neck from Mexico and it means everything to him.

Someone left a phone on Chad and Ichigo throws it away.
The next day Chad is attacked again and they heard about his coin being the most precious thing. Ichigo rescues him and they agree that instead of using his fists to hurt people for himself or defend himself they would help each other and only use their fists to protect other people. Hence chad’s decision to help Ichigo even if he didn’t know Rukia well.
He explains this somewhat to Kyoraku and he says they will fight then but slashes Chad and he collapses.

The volume ends there but then there’s some extra stories.
Mainly about their other friends in the real world Keigo and Mizuiro. We find out that Mizuiro clearly has adult female sexual partners despite being a middle schooler / starting high school as his mother is absentee and always out with men and he’s got some misplaced need to be looked after by adult women. Keigo obviously knows about this.
They find out that Ichigo and Chad are joining the same high school and Keigo tells him rumours about how they’re in a gang and take drugs. Mizuiro points out they’re going to be in their class. As this happens Ichigo and Chad show up and are being attacked, Keigo is then attacked as Mizuiro introduces himself to Ichigo and Chad since he doesn’t end to judge them before knowing them. The guys attacking Ichigo are also in their new class.
Ichigo asks who the guy being attacked is and Mizuiro says he’s Keigo and Keigo doesn’t get good grades but is actually very smart and much nicer than he is as a person. Ichigo complement him for complimenting his friend and having his back and asks Mizuiro if he can make up a good excuse why he’s beaten up the kids attacking Keigo so he can help him.
Mizuiro ends the chapter by Keigo asking him if he will call the older woman / maybe his mum that was unclear. But he says no and Keigo is happy to hear it. Mizuiro has an inner dialogue that he finally feels like he’s found a place and a connection where he is noticed.

There’s also a very small comic throughout the chapters about the crafts club as they’re having a meltdown over Orihime and Uryu not being there for the summer camp and they want to go to nationals.

More next time. Idk if anyone else cares about my breakdowns of each volume but I have fun writing them.

i can't stop reading! ahhhhh kenpachi is so scary. i fear for everyone.

Chad, best character

DAMN this just keeps getting better and better! First we get Soul Society intrigue, then we get ICHIGO VS. KENPACHI! And Chad vs. Shunsui!! 10s across the board.

Also I loved the little side story included at the end about Kojima. Kubo does a really good job of fleshing out all the classmates and making them feel grounded and real in the midst of this crazy story.

haven't had that much time to read novels in ages so these manga volumes are actually a life saver. I've been too swamped with uni work to try and pick up something else

A fantastic volume that not only brings Ichigo to get a chance at revenge on a rival but to also see the eerie mystery among captains of the Soul Society. So many fascinating characters are teased for the bigger picture!

The best part of this volume is the end with the grand arrival of Kenpachi. His presence is overwhelming through the drawings and it's absolutely beautiful. I can't wait for the battle to begin!

Chad also encounters a very suspicious captain that seems kind in the outside but it's Chad's origin story that remains most reinvigorating and captivating.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

Ichigo starts to go up against Kenpachi and Chad fights another General. Good as always. I look forward to the next installment. You also learn a little about Chad and Ichigo's past as friends.