Mildly annoying to me how Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad enter Hueco Mundo, then they all get solo fights against Privaron Espadas even after Renji and Rukia join up. Well, that's fine actually, and the fights are cool, of course; my issue is that these guys get their fights first before the natural-born Shinigami duo. We see the fights one after the other, rather than have the action swap between them, which is honestly quite appreciated compared to how e.g. One Piece might do it. But I just feel like it might have been more "clever" to throw Renji or Rukia in the second fight rather than go through all Earthlings first. I don't know. Not really an actual "problem." But it's kinda weird the true-born Shinigami are the first to get real Espada fights in Hueco Mundo. Like, instead of Ichigo, I mean. But he did get to fight Espadas on Earth, so whatever.
Volume 28: Uryu and Chad finish their fights from last volume to show a bit of their new powers (to be better revealed later). Ichigo and the boys meet the "Great Desert Bros." Hollows Nel, Dondochakka, Pesche Guatiche, and their pet sandworm Bawabawa. The humans reunite with Renji and Rukia. Everyone splits up a moment later. Ichigo and Nel begin a fight against Arrancar No. 103: Privaron Espada Dordoni.
Volume 29: Ichigo's fight with Dordoni continues. Ichigo is provoked into using his Hollow mask, which allows him to win. Nel, in the middle of the fight, showed hints of strong powers. Ichigo wins Dordoni's respect, which will kind of be repeated in Chad's own fight later, but not really Uryu's. Uryu and Pesche fight Arrancar No. 105: Cirucci. The volume ends with the start of Chad's fight with Arrancar No. 107: Gantenbainne.
Volume 30: Chad finishes his fight, then gets dabbed on by Nnoitora. We can pretend "Orihime versus Ulquiorra" is a thing, but it's really just me counting her bitchslapping him as a battle. Rukia fights the Espada with the most annoying name, Aaroniero Arruruerie. Renji fights an Espada with an annoying name as well, Szayelaporro Grantz, who bothers me because his name in romaji looks like "Zaeruaporo," which doesn't quite match how I'd think the "official" romanization reads.
****
It continues to annoy me how VIZ would have characters "swear" by saying "Blast!" just a few pages after high-pressure blood-spray....
Loly hnnnnnnnngh 🥵
Menoly is kinda cute, too, but she also looks like a female Grimmjow, which is maybe weird.
Ichigo and Nel's faces when Dordoni introduces himself lmao
Since Cirucci is introduced in a chapter called "Don't Breathe in the Bush," and she's hot, I feel compelled to say something disgusting like "I want to breathe in her bush!"...
"Den... if he wasn't with us... den Pesche musta been an illusion from da start!"
"Not from that start, fool!! What's wrong with you?!"
"...Wow... I can almost see her panties."
"I call this juice of mine 'Infinite Slick'!"
"Rats. It actually sounds kind of cool."
"WA HA HA HA HA HA!!"
(I need to stop with the Pesche quotes lest I fill this whole review with 'em...)
Finna bouta jerk it to Cirucci on the cover of Chapter 257...!
"Yeah, I lied. Sorry."
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!!"
"Well... It sounded cooler that way."
"COOLER?!"
"And then there was the whole vibe of the moment thing."
"This is a battle! There's no vibe!! Geez, you're frustrating!!"
"Make sure you let the water run down over your bellybutton. ❤️"
Loving how Byakuya's sense of art isn't too different from his sister's in the beach omake.
Emilou...! 🥵 Lilinette...! 🥵