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Bleach #71
Bleach, Vol. 71: Baby, Hold Your Hand
As Mayuri struggles against the monstrosity that is Pernida, his daughter Nemu joins the battle. For the first time, Nemu disobeys Mayuri's orders and acts on her own. But will it be her final act? Meanwhile, Kyoraku faces his own demons...
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2016
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December 15, 2024
"The scary thing about children's games is that you have no idea when or what game's about to start. No matter how uninterested you are, once they take you by the hand, it's all over. You're stuck playing it until death. Your hand's already been taken. So let's keep playing until death, shall we?" [Kyoraku]
I was deeply torn about what rating to give this volume. I'm not happy with everything that happened there, so I thought about giving it four stars and move on. However, I didn't want to be unfair to all the good things that this volume has, so I ended up giving it the highest rating.
"Precious victories always require precious sacrifices." [Mayuri, BLEACH Volume 70]
To prevent you from racking a brain to think what I could consider as issues, I will give the straight answer right away. I do not like the whole thing with Nemu had ended and how G didn't get any moment to shine. After the way the previous volume ended, I picked up the next one with anticipation of how the Pernida vs Nemu fight will look like. I expected an engaging battle that will get Nemu the much needed spotlight, but that's not what had happened. She got to make one attack that she thought it will be a final one, but her calculations were completely wrong and she paid the highest price for it. Her fate was really gruesome, and I always liked this character, but somehow I ended up not being affected by it as I would expect to be. Maybe it's because of the shock at how everything looked like? How quickly things ended? I also thought that Nemu will have much bigger impact not just on me, but, let's be real, on Mayuri's character as well. All it ended up to be was that at one second she was there and on the next she wasn't anymore. There wasn't any impact on Mayuri, except for his joy that he will now finally surpass Urahara. I mean, it's not that I haven't expected it, I always knew that Mayuri is a heartless bastard, but part of me wanted to believe in him. If not as a father figure, then as a creator. He failed in both roles.
"I see... So you're come to feed on Nemu's meat scraps. Go on. Eat up every last piece of her flesh." - WTF EVEN??
Look. I understand why it was needed for Pernida to do so. I understand. But oh boy, it was DISTURBING AS HELL. First because of how heartless Mayuri was (I cannot find the words to express how I dislike this character), second of all because of how of a big nausea I have felt while seeing Pernida doing it. It was so disgusting. This was the moment when, except for nausea, I also felt like crying, finally, for Nemu's sake. I haven't cried on her final scene, no, I cried only when I saw how what was left of her got treated. AND MAYURI ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN! 🤢
Now when it comes to my other issue, the Askin vs G one, I really expected that G will get to shine. We finally got to see him after so long and this is how he got treated? Really? REALLY?? Will this happen to N too?? I was so excited to not only see G fight, I was excited to see his particular battle with Askin. But there was no battle! G got tricked and that was it! Askin left to find some other opponent! I couldn't believe this! 😭
"Impressive. I'm glad you pick on things quick."
"You're glad, huh? It was a mistake explaining the rules to me. You can't play this game anymore."
"Not necessarily. It's a game only when both sides understand the rules, isn't it?"
Despite starting the volume with the Pernida fight, Volume 71 focuses on Kyoraku and his battle against Lille Barro. It was a battle that was hyped up by my social media for so long, so I couldn't help, but eagerly looking forward to it. I wasn't disappointed at all! Kyoraku was always a fun character with fascinating powers. A strong guy, who could probably kill you with a finger, but with a kind-hearted and easy-going personality. A powerful goofball, that's how I would describe him. In his fight against Lille Barro he had not only shown the playful side we get to see this whole time, but also a purely intimidating one that we hadn't the opportunity to witness before. If anyone had ever any doubts why it was Kyoraku who was chosen as a new head commander of Gotei 13, this fight clears those doubts. I'm not just talking about his Bankai reveal, I'm talking about him in general. He's clearly one of the most powerful Soul Reapers that have ever existed and I'm genuinely shocked that Yhwach hadn't considered him one of the most dangerous threats.
I also have to say how incredibly human Kyoraku's character feels. He is an intimidating head of Gotei 13, a master of the shadows, but also a guy who's carrying an enormous weight on his shoulders for who knows how long. He is giving it all to make sure that his comrades are safe and to defeat the enemy, but isn't foolish enough to fight until he collapses. He knows when the show is at end and he knows when he will not have the opportunity step away from the stage. He is strong, but loses the strength and wants everything to be over. We all arrive at the point that we no longer feel like we can put a fight. We feel weak and pray for an ending, no matter how that ending would look like.
BANKAI. KATEN KYOUKOTSU KUROMATSU SHINJU.
That was SICKKKKK!! 🔥🔥🔥 I cannot find the words to describe what I have felt when I finally saw Kyoraku's Bankai! I always knew that it will be a dark and intimidating one, but o my gosh, that completely went beyond my expectations! It was beyond epic! I finally understand why Kyoraku had never shown his true strength before - his Bankai is an incredibly powerful one that's dangerous for his opponent, but also dangerous for his comrades. I already knew that, but didn't understood why was the case. I understand now. I also have to admit what a crazy difference is between the looks of the Bankai and its master. The Bankai is a shadow master, so it represents darkness, while Kyoraku, with his goofy and sunny personality, represents light.
"I am certain the man I admire will think a curse is ridiculous."
Here we come to the highlight of Volume 71. THE NANAO AND KYORAKU'S RELATIONSHIP. I will be honest here, I did not expect to see what I saw. I wasn't prepared for it in any way. I never heard of it, never saw it, honestly had zero idea about it. So you can only imagine the amount of shock I had been through while actually witnessing it! See, I wasn't a Kyoraku and Nanao fan. Or should I say, I wasn't a big Kyoraku and Nanao fan. I always liked and admired these characters, but never felt any true bond with them like with others. This volume completely changed my perspective and I think I can say that these two land on my list of not only BLEACH's favorite characters, but also on the list of its favorite relationships. Nanao was a side character that seemed like a, well, perfect assistant material. She was always a few steps behind her captain, always making sure that he will not make any foolish mistake. She had a quite light relationship with Kyoraku where Kyoraku was the playful one while Nanao was the serious one. Just a well-crafted captain and a lieutenant relationship, with a big loyalty and trust on both sides. But it's not just that! It's MUCH MORE THAN THAT, O MY GOSH!!! Before anyone will have any questions, no, it's NOT a romantic relationship (that would be weird and well, inappropriate in so many levels...), thank God for it. I fell in love immediately, mostly because I'm a sucker for such relationships. It caught me off guard, but in a good way! I need more surprises like this one! 🥰
"Just as my mother made the decision to rid herself of the curse, I'm also making the decision to live with it."
ANY NANAO ISE FANS IN HERE?? WHERE CAN I FIND HER FANCLUB?? I WANT TO JOIN ONE!! 🙌
I knew that Nanao will have her spotlight, but damn, I did not expect to get such a wholesome and painful backstory for her. I'm so happy that she got her time to shine and that we finally got some informations about her and where she came from. I already knew about the curse thingy (thanks to the courtesy of the Bleach: Brave Souls game), but I had no idea what's the background of it and what exactly it meant. She is so brave for taking her family's burden on her shoulders. Her mother made the ultimate sacrifice to prevent it from happening, but Nanao's much stronger than anyone anticipated. She will not stop until she will defeat the evil and make sure that her captain is safe. I admire this woman so much! P.S. how much does she even remember about her parents? Does she remember anything at all?? 😥
"Nanao. Let me... Let me protect you."
The whole Kyoraku and Nanao backstory is crazy. I had tears in my eyes the whole time, didn't even realize that I was crying until I saw my phone drenched. I can't imagine the amount of pain Kyoraku had to went through and I'm truly surprised how he could still put on a smile on his face after everything he had lost. He wanted to give up. He wanted to give up so badly, until he realized that there is someone out there who still needs him and who believes in him. He lost so many people, true, but there was still someone alive. I can't explain how important the scene of Nanao waking up Kyoraku and her standing up to her opponent with Kyoraku's shadow behind her means to me. These two are so precious to my heart now. I hope that none of them will be harmed, because I will throw hands otherwise! 😤
"I am immortal. I am invincible. I am god's messenger, granted special privileges. There is nothing you sinners can do to this messenger of god!"
Okay, let's talk about this volume's opponent for a minute. I know that there are people out there who absolutely hate Lille Barro's look, and that's fine. For me this look is not only very impressive, but also makes a lot of sense, considering Lille Barro's personality. He might appear as "just a chicken", but for me he looked like a creepy edition of a god's servant. He has an angel-like appearance (with a chicken head, yes, so what?) with the brightly shining halo and the enormous wings and also his attacks looks like a god's servant could use. I wish we could get the opportunity to see his backstory. It's just my guess, but I think that Lille Barro, before he met Yhwach, might have been some kind of soldier that had an incredibly strong belief in god - a belief that twisted into a conviction that he's a god's emissary. Maybe by "god" he meant Yhwach, because Yhwach was the one who gave him the powers. I don't know, but I would like to find out. Anyways, I really liked Lille Barro's design and how intimidating he was as an opponent (and kind of creepy, too). I wonder how long he will stand on his feet after the Kyoraku and Nanao duo will fight back!
Anyways, we're getting closer and closer to the final fight and the final of the story in general. It looks like Ichigo is the one who will fight Askin next while Kyoraku's group are up against Gerard Valkyrie. But what about Jugram and Ishida? They are doing nothing so far, but it can change at any moment. What are their agendas anyway? Will we find out in the next volume? Maybe! We will see! :)
Some things I need to talk about: (look out for the spoilers!!)
~ The Szayelaporro appearance took me completely out of guard. What the hell was he doing there?! Was he just Mayuri's imagination? It looked that way, but was it really? I didn't care about him making fun of Mayuri, but he was also insulting Nemu and this is something I cannot forgive, no matter if he was real of only a creation of Mayuri's twisted mind.
~ Since I haven't seen either Hisagi, nor Kiyone and Sentaro, I'm guessing that all three of them were shot and left behind by Kyoraku's group. I hope that they are all right (as much as a person who got shot might be) 😥
~ Lille Barro calling Kyoraku an idiot was kind of on point 😆
~Kyoraku's Bankai is incredibly impressive, but let's not forget how amazing his Shikai is. How did Tite Kubo even think of this is truly beyond me (and how is Kyoraku even handling all of this).
~ I wonder if Pernida hadn't regenerate, would Nemu be alive or would she still die?
~ I HATE the fact that Nemu died feeling an enormous amount of pain and screaming her lungs out 😥
~ How was Mayuri losing his strength in legs suddenly a problem? He recovered his arm after it got chopped off by Pernida earlier, and besides, he was in the deaths's door after his fight with Ishida in the Soul Society arc and survived!
~ I did not understand the Ikkaku and Yumichika kneeling before Mayuri scene. I understand that they felt grateful that their captain were kept away from harm, but their reaction felt to be too big for someone like Mayuri.
~ Why did Nemu bring only two containers with Toshiro and Rangiku? What happened with Rose and Kensei?? Did they got healed too?? The fact that I don't know the answer to this question gives me a severe amount of anxiety.
~ How powerful is Gerard Valkyrie that he was ready to take on all of Kyoraku's group?! Is he just overly confident or actually a "close to god" being like Lille Barro is? Should I be scared??
~ I can't believe that Kyoraku's Zanpakuto form is an exact one like in the filler episodes from the anime (the Zanpakuto arc)! Does it mean that the author is behind the designs of all the Zanpakuto's from the filler? Not sure how I should feel about this (if this is true).
~ O-Hana is so beautiful (and her design is crazy)! 🤩
~ The episode with Nanao and Kyokotsu that supposed to be one of the fillers in the anime has a totally different meaning to me now.
~ I find the Kyoraku and O-Hana relationship incredibly interesting.
~ Mayuri's Zanpakuto gave birth, Kyoraku's Zanpakuto gave birth... Who's next? 🧐
~ I can't with Kyoraku's sad face expression after he thought he defeated Lille Barro. It reminded me strongly of Ichigo's face expression after his battles.
~ Would Kyoraku be dead now if Nanao didn't intervene? 😶
~ I can't imagine how strongly Kyoraku's brother had to love Nanao's mom that he decided to marry her despite the Ise clan curse 😭
~ The fact that Kyoraku wears the cloak and the hairpins that belonged to Nanao's mom breaks my heart.
~ I love the fact that Kyoraku and his brother's relationship became better after Nanao's mom married Kyoraku's brother.
~ I always thought that Aizen's massacre on Central 46 was an incredibly evil move, but I'm not as certain now. These old hags sentenced Nanao's mom to death just because she attempted to hide the Ise clan's sword - trying to save her only child from the curse.
~ I know that the Nanao sword is cursed, but it's so beautiful! It can't cut anything, but has the power to oppose the gods - how awesome is this?! I love it! 🤩
I was deeply torn about what rating to give this volume. I'm not happy with everything that happened there, so I thought about giving it four stars and move on. However, I didn't want to be unfair to all the good things that this volume has, so I ended up giving it the highest rating.
"Precious victories always require precious sacrifices." [Mayuri, BLEACH Volume 70]
To prevent you from racking a brain to think what I could consider as issues, I will give the straight answer right away. I do not like the whole thing with Nemu had ended and how G didn't get any moment to shine. After the way the previous volume ended, I picked up the next one with anticipation of how the Pernida vs Nemu fight will look like. I expected an engaging battle that will get Nemu the much needed spotlight, but that's not what had happened. She got to make one attack that she thought it will be a final one, but her calculations were completely wrong and she paid the highest price for it. Her fate was really gruesome, and I always liked this character, but somehow I ended up not being affected by it as I would expect to be. Maybe it's because of the shock at how everything looked like? How quickly things ended? I also thought that Nemu will have much bigger impact not just on me, but, let's be real, on Mayuri's character as well. All it ended up to be was that at one second she was there and on the next she wasn't anymore. There wasn't any impact on Mayuri, except for his joy that he will now finally surpass Urahara. I mean, it's not that I haven't expected it, I always knew that Mayuri is a heartless bastard, but part of me wanted to believe in him. If not as a father figure, then as a creator. He failed in both roles.
"I see... So you're come to feed on Nemu's meat scraps. Go on. Eat up every last piece of her flesh." - WTF EVEN??
Look. I understand why it was needed for Pernida to do so. I understand. But oh boy, it was DISTURBING AS HELL. First because of how heartless Mayuri was (I cannot find the words to express how I dislike this character), second of all because of how of a big nausea I have felt while seeing Pernida doing it. It was so disgusting. This was the moment when, except for nausea, I also felt like crying, finally, for Nemu's sake. I haven't cried on her final scene, no, I cried only when I saw how what was left of her got treated. AND MAYURI ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN! 🤢
Now when it comes to my other issue, the Askin vs G one, I really expected that G will get to shine. We finally got to see him after so long and this is how he got treated? Really? REALLY?? Will this happen to N too?? I was so excited to not only see G fight, I was excited to see his particular battle with Askin. But there was no battle! G got tricked and that was it! Askin left to find some other opponent! I couldn't believe this! 😭
"Impressive. I'm glad you pick on things quick."
"You're glad, huh? It was a mistake explaining the rules to me. You can't play this game anymore."
"Not necessarily. It's a game only when both sides understand the rules, isn't it?"
Despite starting the volume with the Pernida fight, Volume 71 focuses on Kyoraku and his battle against Lille Barro. It was a battle that was hyped up by my social media for so long, so I couldn't help, but eagerly looking forward to it. I wasn't disappointed at all! Kyoraku was always a fun character with fascinating powers. A strong guy, who could probably kill you with a finger, but with a kind-hearted and easy-going personality. A powerful goofball, that's how I would describe him. In his fight against Lille Barro he had not only shown the playful side we get to see this whole time, but also a purely intimidating one that we hadn't the opportunity to witness before. If anyone had ever any doubts why it was Kyoraku who was chosen as a new head commander of Gotei 13, this fight clears those doubts. I'm not just talking about his Bankai reveal, I'm talking about him in general. He's clearly one of the most powerful Soul Reapers that have ever existed and I'm genuinely shocked that Yhwach hadn't considered him one of the most dangerous threats.
I also have to say how incredibly human Kyoraku's character feels. He is an intimidating head of Gotei 13, a master of the shadows, but also a guy who's carrying an enormous weight on his shoulders for who knows how long. He is giving it all to make sure that his comrades are safe and to defeat the enemy, but isn't foolish enough to fight until he collapses. He knows when the show is at end and he knows when he will not have the opportunity step away from the stage. He is strong, but loses the strength and wants everything to be over. We all arrive at the point that we no longer feel like we can put a fight. We feel weak and pray for an ending, no matter how that ending would look like.
BANKAI. KATEN KYOUKOTSU KUROMATSU SHINJU.
That was SICKKKKK!! 🔥🔥🔥 I cannot find the words to describe what I have felt when I finally saw Kyoraku's Bankai! I always knew that it will be a dark and intimidating one, but o my gosh, that completely went beyond my expectations! It was beyond epic! I finally understand why Kyoraku had never shown his true strength before - his Bankai is an incredibly powerful one that's dangerous for his opponent, but also dangerous for his comrades. I already knew that, but didn't understood why was the case. I understand now. I also have to admit what a crazy difference is between the looks of the Bankai and its master. The Bankai is a shadow master, so it represents darkness, while Kyoraku, with his goofy and sunny personality, represents light.
"I am certain the man I admire will think a curse is ridiculous."
Here we come to the highlight of Volume 71. THE NANAO AND KYORAKU'S RELATIONSHIP. I will be honest here, I did not expect to see what I saw. I wasn't prepared for it in any way. I never heard of it, never saw it, honestly had zero idea about it. So you can only imagine the amount of shock I had been through while actually witnessing it! See, I wasn't a Kyoraku and Nanao fan. Or should I say, I wasn't a big Kyoraku and Nanao fan. I always liked and admired these characters, but never felt any true bond with them like with others. This volume completely changed my perspective and I think I can say that these two land on my list of not only BLEACH's favorite characters, but also on the list of its favorite relationships. Nanao was a side character that seemed like a, well, perfect assistant material. She was always a few steps behind her captain, always making sure that he will not make any foolish mistake. She had a quite light relationship with Kyoraku where Kyoraku was the playful one while Nanao was the serious one. Just a well-crafted captain and a lieutenant relationship, with a big loyalty and trust on both sides. But it's not just that! It's MUCH MORE THAN THAT, O MY GOSH!!! Before anyone will have any questions, no, it's NOT a romantic relationship (that would be weird and well, inappropriate in so many levels...), thank God for it. I fell in love immediately, mostly because I'm a sucker for such relationships. It caught me off guard, but in a good way! I need more surprises like this one! 🥰
"Just as my mother made the decision to rid herself of the curse, I'm also making the decision to live with it."
ANY NANAO ISE FANS IN HERE?? WHERE CAN I FIND HER FANCLUB?? I WANT TO JOIN ONE!! 🙌
I knew that Nanao will have her spotlight, but damn, I did not expect to get such a wholesome and painful backstory for her. I'm so happy that she got her time to shine and that we finally got some informations about her and where she came from. I already knew about the curse thingy (thanks to the courtesy of the Bleach: Brave Souls game), but I had no idea what's the background of it and what exactly it meant. She is so brave for taking her family's burden on her shoulders. Her mother made the ultimate sacrifice to prevent it from happening, but Nanao's much stronger than anyone anticipated. She will not stop until she will defeat the evil and make sure that her captain is safe. I admire this woman so much! P.S. how much does she even remember about her parents? Does she remember anything at all?? 😥
"Nanao. Let me... Let me protect you."
The whole Kyoraku and Nanao backstory is crazy. I had tears in my eyes the whole time, didn't even realize that I was crying until I saw my phone drenched. I can't imagine the amount of pain Kyoraku had to went through and I'm truly surprised how he could still put on a smile on his face after everything he had lost. He wanted to give up. He wanted to give up so badly, until he realized that there is someone out there who still needs him and who believes in him. He lost so many people, true, but there was still someone alive. I can't explain how important the scene of Nanao waking up Kyoraku and her standing up to her opponent with Kyoraku's shadow behind her means to me. These two are so precious to my heart now. I hope that none of them will be harmed, because I will throw hands otherwise! 😤
"I am immortal. I am invincible. I am god's messenger, granted special privileges. There is nothing you sinners can do to this messenger of god!"
Okay, let's talk about this volume's opponent for a minute. I know that there are people out there who absolutely hate Lille Barro's look, and that's fine. For me this look is not only very impressive, but also makes a lot of sense, considering Lille Barro's personality. He might appear as "just a chicken", but for me he looked like a creepy edition of a god's servant. He has an angel-like appearance (with a chicken head, yes, so what?) with the brightly shining halo and the enormous wings and also his attacks looks like a god's servant could use. I wish we could get the opportunity to see his backstory. It's just my guess, but I think that Lille Barro, before he met Yhwach, might have been some kind of soldier that had an incredibly strong belief in god - a belief that twisted into a conviction that he's a god's emissary. Maybe by "god" he meant Yhwach, because Yhwach was the one who gave him the powers. I don't know, but I would like to find out. Anyways, I really liked Lille Barro's design and how intimidating he was as an opponent (and kind of creepy, too). I wonder how long he will stand on his feet after the Kyoraku and Nanao duo will fight back!
Anyways, we're getting closer and closer to the final fight and the final of the story in general. It looks like Ichigo is the one who will fight Askin next while Kyoraku's group are up against Gerard Valkyrie. But what about Jugram and Ishida? They are doing nothing so far, but it can change at any moment. What are their agendas anyway? Will we find out in the next volume? Maybe! We will see! :)
Some things I need to talk about: (look out for the spoilers!!)
~ The Szayelaporro appearance took me completely out of guard. What the hell was he doing there?! Was he just Mayuri's imagination? It looked that way, but was it really? I didn't care about him making fun of Mayuri, but he was also insulting Nemu and this is something I cannot forgive, no matter if he was real of only a creation of Mayuri's twisted mind.
~ Since I haven't seen either Hisagi, nor Kiyone and Sentaro, I'm guessing that all three of them were shot and left behind by Kyoraku's group. I hope that they are all right (as much as a person who got shot might be) 😥
~ Lille Barro calling Kyoraku an idiot was kind of on point 😆
~Kyoraku's Bankai is incredibly impressive, but let's not forget how amazing his Shikai is. How did Tite Kubo even think of this is truly beyond me (and how is Kyoraku even handling all of this).
~ I wonder if Pernida hadn't regenerate, would Nemu be alive or would she still die?
~ I HATE the fact that Nemu died feeling an enormous amount of pain and screaming her lungs out 😥
~ How was Mayuri losing his strength in legs suddenly a problem? He recovered his arm after it got chopped off by Pernida earlier, and besides, he was in the deaths's door after his fight with Ishida in the Soul Society arc and survived!
~ I did not understand the Ikkaku and Yumichika kneeling before Mayuri scene. I understand that they felt grateful that their captain were kept away from harm, but their reaction felt to be too big for someone like Mayuri.
~ Why did Nemu bring only two containers with Toshiro and Rangiku? What happened with Rose and Kensei?? Did they got healed too?? The fact that I don't know the answer to this question gives me a severe amount of anxiety.
~ How powerful is Gerard Valkyrie that he was ready to take on all of Kyoraku's group?! Is he just overly confident or actually a "close to god" being like Lille Barro is? Should I be scared??
~ I can't believe that Kyoraku's Zanpakuto form is an exact one like in the filler episodes from the anime (the Zanpakuto arc)! Does it mean that the author is behind the designs of all the Zanpakuto's from the filler? Not sure how I should feel about this (if this is true).
~ O-Hana is so beautiful (and her design is crazy)! 🤩
~ The episode with Nanao and Kyokotsu that supposed to be one of the fillers in the anime has a totally different meaning to me now.
~ I find the Kyoraku and O-Hana relationship incredibly interesting.
~ Mayuri's Zanpakuto gave birth, Kyoraku's Zanpakuto gave birth... Who's next? 🧐
~ I can't with Kyoraku's sad face expression after he thought he defeated Lille Barro. It reminded me strongly of Ichigo's face expression after his battles.
~ Would Kyoraku be dead now if Nanao didn't intervene? 😶
~ I can't imagine how strongly Kyoraku's brother had to love Nanao's mom that he decided to marry her despite the Ise clan curse 😭
~ The fact that Kyoraku wears the cloak and the hairpins that belonged to Nanao's mom breaks my heart.
~ I love the fact that Kyoraku and his brother's relationship became better after Nanao's mom married Kyoraku's brother.
~ I always thought that Aizen's massacre on Central 46 was an incredibly evil move, but I'm not as certain now. These old hags sentenced Nanao's mom to death just because she attempted to hide the Ise clan's sword - trying to save her only child from the curse.
~ I know that the Nanao sword is cursed, but it's so beautiful! It can't cut anything, but has the power to oppose the gods - how awesome is this?! I love it! 🤩
August 24, 2023
I ALWAYS wanted to know about Kyoraku’s full powers. So much more than just children’s games. I love how we finally get his backstory during these final battles. Solid.
July 9, 2020
This volume concludes the battle between Pernida, Nemu, and Mayuri, and then focuses on Kyoraku and his battle against Lille. With the focus set upon his character's bankai as well as Nanao's origin story, the volume ends by teasing the second-half of this confrontation.
It is odd that such an interesting backstory was presented so late in the franchise, especially at such a critical moment where the stakes are at their highest.
There are some good moments introduced here but much of it is diluted by another poorly-developed villain who is simply there only for the sake of allowing these secondary characters the chance to battle.
Obviously, this is also another stretched out volume that is stalling the upcoming battle involving Ichigo and the main boss.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
It is odd that such an interesting backstory was presented so late in the franchise, especially at such a critical moment where the stakes are at their highest.
There are some good moments introduced here but much of it is diluted by another poorly-developed villain who is simply there only for the sake of allowing these secondary characters the chance to battle.
Obviously, this is also another stretched out volume that is stalling the upcoming battle involving Ichigo and the main boss.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
March 19, 2016
Kyoraku! ♥
March 31, 2022
THIS WAS SO GOOD
July 25, 2025
The downside with so many characters in one series, is that not everyone you love gets enough page time. But when one of your faves gets almost an entire volume to himself? Yes, please 🥰
April 22, 2021
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
And we are continuing right on with a bit more Nemu in this one! She is just great! I love her! Her fight in this volume... she gave it all she had and it was awesome! It was such a cool fight!
Even though Nemu is on the cover, I feel like this volume was more Nanao and Shunsui-centric... which I am totally okay with because I love them! They were just so cute and I’ve always loved their relationship and all their interactions. However, this volume had some revelations...
All that being said, I do like Shunsui. He’s very fun and sassy but also totally badass! His zanpakuto has an interesting ability and his bankai was very interesting too!
I really enjoyed this volume! I loved that it was centered around Nanao and Shunsui—I’ve always loved this pairing... up until a certain revelation, that is 😅 But overall, it was great!
And we are continuing right on with a bit more Nemu in this one! She is just great! I love her! Her fight in this volume... she gave it all she had and it was awesome! It was such a cool fight!
Even though Nemu is on the cover, I feel like this volume was more Nanao and Shunsui-centric... which I am totally okay with because I love them! They were just so cute and I’ve always loved their relationship and all their interactions. However, this volume had some revelations...
All that being said, I do like Shunsui. He’s very fun and sassy but also totally badass! His zanpakuto has an interesting ability and his bankai was very interesting too!
I really enjoyed this volume! I loved that it was centered around Nanao and Shunsui—I’ve always loved this pairing... up until a certain revelation, that is 😅 But overall, it was great!
December 8, 2020
At this point this just feels so much like filler stuff, there is nothing good happening, same old unnecessary battles. Like okay Mayuri had a good battle and then some good moments between the captain commander and the X-Axis but then this battle which should be over within 3chs will take 20 chs to get over. Disappointing volume and just an unnecessary slog to get through.
May 1, 2024
I’m really glad Nemu and Nanao-chan got to shine. I didn’t even realize until now that Nanao-chan never carried a zanpakuto. The story behind it, along with her clan and her relationship with Shunsui was interesting and definitely a major highlight of this arc. She looked so cool wielding Shinken Hakkyōken
Also Shunsui’s bankai 🛐
Also Shunsui’s bankai 🛐
December 10, 2021
Great volume. I have no clue how it could wrap up so quickly but I guess I'll find out.
Summary:
Nemu sacrafices herself to defeat the hand. When it eats her remains Kurotsuchi reveals her body will kill it. Kurotsuchi shows squad 11 that he has built containment chambers to heal people. When they open it, toshiro comes out alive. Then they put kenpachi and Kurotsuchi in the chambers to heal. Shusui discovers where the sniper quicy is hiding and challenges him. Shusui uses bankia. Ichego challenges a quincy to a battle. Shusui gives Nanao some insight on her family background and gives her her sword.
Summary:
Nemu sacrafices herself to defeat the hand. When it eats her remains Kurotsuchi reveals her body will kill it. Kurotsuchi shows squad 11 that he has built containment chambers to heal people. When they open it, toshiro comes out alive. Then they put kenpachi and Kurotsuchi in the chambers to heal. Shusui discovers where the sniper quicy is hiding and challenges him. Shusui uses bankia. Ichego challenges a quincy to a battle. Shusui gives Nanao some insight on her family background and gives her her sword.
November 11, 2022
Wow Shunsui and Nanao bodied a fucking ANGEL! Epic as all hell.
February 4, 2024
Finding out backgrounds of side characters have been really fun
February 15, 2025
13.02.25
Definitivamente el capitán Kurotsuchi es de mis favoritos.
Definitivamente el capitán Kurotsuchi es de mis favoritos.
July 21, 2025
★★★½
Everyone’s bringing out the big guns now. But these flashbacks are getting more rushed and confusing.
Everyone’s bringing out the big guns now. But these flashbacks are getting more rushed and confusing.
January 24, 2019
Would have thought a story with more Nemu and Nanao would be more interesting.
September 16, 2024
Finally Shunsui’s bankai‼️
Also mY girls Nanao and Namu CARRIED
Also mY girls Nanao and Namu CARRIED
August 2, 2025
I do not want to waste my time ranting about this volume so ill keep this short and sweet. Mayuris small section was as good as it was last volume. Askin was pretty cool and is a great character no doubt.
Now, onto my issues. Shinsui got done so dirty in my eyes. One of the coolest bankais in bleach, we have to wait until volume 71 to see it, its just as awesome as we could have hoped and then the fight goes like that...
Bit of a joke not gonna lie. Can't justify this one Kubo as much as I love you. Just underwhelming and frustrating.
Now, onto my issues. Shinsui got done so dirty in my eyes. One of the coolest bankais in bleach, we have to wait until volume 71 to see it, its just as awesome as we could have hoped and then the fight goes like that...
Bit of a joke not gonna lie. Can't justify this one Kubo as much as I love you. Just underwhelming and frustrating.
September 21, 2017
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
By Volume 71 and in the final story, Kubo is using these these minor arcs to give us more backstory of the main characters. Completing the Kurotsuchi and Nemo story as they continue their battle and then on to former 8th Division captain and now commander Kyoraku Shunsui's and squad vice captain Nanao's turn.Story: Nemu has sacrificed herself for her captain and Kurotsuchi can only watch as her flesh is devoured. But Nemu's physique has a secret that will change the tide of battle. Meanwhile, a flawless sniper is keeping Kyoraku and his group on the run. But he's tired of the game and turns to battle - only to find there is much more to the sniper. Can his own Bankai and squad vice captain Nanao save him in time?
In this volume, we get Kyoraku's backstory - why he wears a woman's kimono and hairpin and how it relates to Nanao. We also get his very capricious Bankai Sakuranosuke - and its female representative Ohana. They are an interesting couple, captain and sword, considering neither can figure out how they were paired together since they have such different temperaments. And yet, they make perfect sense as well.
We are also given a glimpse of Nanao now that she finally has the sword that has been kept by Kyoraku for safe keeping. We'll get more about her bladeless, mirrored sword and its very unique powers in the next volume. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
December 1, 2015
The problem with long-awaited reveal, is that they can never fully live up to expectations. This one doesn't do too bad, and I liked some of the character-design in this volume, but I wish it had come sooner (that whole arc is wayyy too long anyways)
February 19, 2016
642-651
Meeeeep. Reading for the end that is not coming.
Meeeeep. Reading for the end that is not coming.
October 24, 2025
TBA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2020
Given that Manga, and especially Shonen is split up into bigger arcs as composed to volumes I will be analyzing and reviewing this by Arc. I also reread this manga over the span of 2 months, some days reading as much as 100 chapters a day. It would be quite tedious for me to review each 7-8 chapter volume. So this will be copy and pasted throughout all of the 74 manga volumes. That being said, if you're looking at this without having viewed the series...spoiler warning. I don't recap anything, but I also mention things that happen. If you want me to answer the question "Should I pick this up?" Yes. Even if you stop at the end of the Soul Society Arc. It's worth it.
Karakura Town Arc - Chapters 1-56 - Rating: 7/10
(The official page lumps this in with the Soul Society Arc however I feel as if they are two very separate arcs with two very separate themes)
- A fun introduction.
-An interesting premise on the idea of ghosts and demons (Hollows)
-Does a good job of introducing the characters and I especially enjoyed the love for characters like Chad, Orihime and Uryu as these characters would later lose more and more spotlight as the series went on.
-It is a bit of a monster of the week. When it works, like with Chad's introduction story. It works. But Characters like Don Kanonji felt superficial and very gimmicky. Which, fair. I didn't enjoy them as much.
Soul Society Arc - Chapters 57-182 - Rating: 10/10
-The height of Bleach
-Establishes an afterlife seemingly perfectly. Later on revealed to be full of plot holes and never fleshed out but hey! That's not an issue in THIS arc. The fights are top tier, the themes of Ichigo owing a life debt to Rukia and his passion and determination to rise above literally God's army is inspiring and to this day is why I love Ichigo so much. He doesn't have some grandiose plan. He doesn't have a major goal to accomplish. He is a protector by heart, losing his mother has made him sour to failing to protect those he cares about and he'll do anything in his power never to feel that helpless again. Very powerful stuff.
-The twist near the end of this arc is revolutionary and would make waves for the next 200 chapters onward. A perfect ending and set up for the forthcoming arc.
-The only issues I have for this arc would be Ichigo's lightning speed progression. The guy goes from being able to barely defeat a third seat to besting multiple captains in roughly 100 or less chapters. I get that that is the point and him defeating captains was more of a struck of luck, but progression and pacing wise it feels very unearned and a factor of "for the plot he needed to be this strong" It only seems as fast as it is because Ichigo's progression slows drastically down for the rest of the story moving foreword so it's only now that I make that criticism.
-Also, and this will be an issue in most Shonen. There are 13 Captains with 13 Vice Captains and seats that branch all the way to 10 I believe? Regardless, there's a fudge ton of characters that are introduced here and it can get a little jarring at times. Luckily, Kubo does a great job at making their designs and characters unique despite such a large cast.
Hueco Mundo Arc - Chapters 183-423 - Rating 7/10
-This is another arc where personally I would split it up into two separate arcs. But for the sake of this review I will simply refer to the first half of the arc and the later half of the arc. First Half 9/10. Second Half. 5/10.
-The first half of this arc is a great continuation of the last. Ichigo now struggles with his inner demons and it affects his ability to protect the ones he loves. We are also introduced to a deadly unknown new villains. The Arrancars/Espada to this day remain one of my favorite villain factions in all of manga enemies.
-Just so you're aware I would say the first half of this arc ends right around the point of Ichigo vs Grimmjow. Grimmjow is one of the first Arrancar that Ichigo faces. And he's also one of two Espada that he faces three times. The conclusion of that fight shows Ichigo conquering his inner demons. Where Grimmjow is very much fighting to establish himself. Grimmjow has to fight Ichigo to prove to his fallen comrades that he is as good as he says he is. He doesn't care about Aizen, he doesn't care about the rest of the Espada. It is very personal for him. For Ichigo, Orohime is within his grasp of saving and he views this as his "final" battle. It's my favorite fight in all of Bleach.
-However, this is where things start to take a bit of dip in quality in my opinion. We had a goal and we were striving towards that goal. Each character of the original cast coming to repay the debt they made to their friend who had risked her life to save them in the Soul society arc. But somewhere along the way it seems we just had a fighter fest. Captains would face enemies with no themes or character revelations. The Espadas got a little light but nothing that made their fights compelling. You almost just feel bad for the Espada as they were monsters turned into a military force by an unstoppable tyrant. But even that wasn't enough to make half of the fights interesting. Now, that's with knowing the outcome. These fights played little importance in the larger scheme of things. Where at least in the Hueco Mundo fights each match up had the protagonists striving for a goal. Rukia to defeat Aaroneiro to free her former superiors soul. Byakuya to defend Rukia. Renji and Uryu teamwork. Nel to protect Ichigo and get revenge on Nnoitra. Whereas Stark fought Kyoraku.....cause.....and Hitsugaya fought Halibel because Water vs Ice would be cool.
-This leaves me to the end. I won't say it wasn't satisfying that Ichigo was able to defeat Aizen. And yes, I do feel like his new power was earned. 3 months of training. But this was clearly a last minute decision to save Aizen for a later date and the show must go on. I do feel like it wasn't as satisfying as 200+ chapter buildup needed to be.
The Fullbring Arc - Chapters 424-479 - Rating: 8/10
-A very underrated arc. And yes, I acknowledge that rating wise I think the Fullbring arc is superior to the Hueco Mundo arc. That is mostly true. Though I like the first half of the Hueco Mundo Arc more than the Fullbring arc. The end of the HM arc really brought it down for me. The Fullbring Arc is much more concise and is actually the shortest arc in the series and works as a glorified Ichigo getting his powers back arc. But that doesn't mean its bad.
-When I read it originally back when it was coming out in 2010. (Cause I'm Old) It wasn't phenomenal. In fact, I hated it. But wouldn't you? It took just short of a year to get to the point that we were at. But upon rereading it, it gave much deserved love to the characters who hadn't been shown love in quite some time. The original cast. It was a very character focused arc. Ichigo never seemed more human. And despite me hating it before for taking so long, reading weekly can sometimes hurt these mystery based arcs. The twist is heavily foreshadowed and I really appreciated it.
-That being said, the end was super rushed. This was a big bummer for me. The villains this time around were humans. And the ones who had the most exposure and relations with these characters were the original cast who again....were humans. So to have the soul reapers, who have no connection to the fullbringers show up and basically no diff most of the fullbringers felt very forced and fanservicey to me. This very well could have not been Kubo's call. As the community was very vocal about their dislike for this arc as it was going on. But I appreciate it now much more as I appreciate character and story over big sword fights. Lol.
The Thousand Year Blood War Arc - Chapters 424-689 - Rating: 5/10
-And we're finally here. The final and largest arc within the Bleach story. And man...does it not stick the landing.
-That being said, this arc has phenomenal moments. Kenpachi's Shikai and Bankai. Ichigo's double swords. Renji's true Bankai. Rukia's Bankai. And many more. However, they are put together against the most break neck speed arc that I have ever read. Kubo was very ambitious when he introduced 26 new villains. However, most of them got barely any screen time and a lot of them even got off screened by higher level captains. This was unlike the Espada who each got a full double page spread for their Resurrections.
-Yhwach himself was a phenomenal villain but was dealt with swiftly and imo dirty. They did him dirty.
-There was just something off. The mood changed and it was very apparent. The villains had random powers instead of the powers reflecting their personalities or needs. The finale felt so underwhelming.
-Ichigo gets to be the strongest he's ever been....but he doesn't defeat a single person besides the main villain despite being in several fights.
-It isn't a good arc. In fact, I would say it's the worst. Hopefully the anime does a better job with this already mammoth of a story. 260 chapters is no joke.
This gives the story of Bleach an Overall rating of 7.4/10. Which to me is above average. It has it's ups and downs. It's not perfect. But when it's high, it's peak shonen. But when it's low, it's very forgettable.
Karakura Town Arc - Chapters 1-56 - Rating: 7/10
(The official page lumps this in with the Soul Society Arc however I feel as if they are two very separate arcs with two very separate themes)
- A fun introduction.
-An interesting premise on the idea of ghosts and demons (Hollows)
-Does a good job of introducing the characters and I especially enjoyed the love for characters like Chad, Orihime and Uryu as these characters would later lose more and more spotlight as the series went on.
-It is a bit of a monster of the week. When it works, like with Chad's introduction story. It works. But Characters like Don Kanonji felt superficial and very gimmicky. Which, fair. I didn't enjoy them as much.
Soul Society Arc - Chapters 57-182 - Rating: 10/10
-The height of Bleach
-Establishes an afterlife seemingly perfectly. Later on revealed to be full of plot holes and never fleshed out but hey! That's not an issue in THIS arc. The fights are top tier, the themes of Ichigo owing a life debt to Rukia and his passion and determination to rise above literally God's army is inspiring and to this day is why I love Ichigo so much. He doesn't have some grandiose plan. He doesn't have a major goal to accomplish. He is a protector by heart, losing his mother has made him sour to failing to protect those he cares about and he'll do anything in his power never to feel that helpless again. Very powerful stuff.
-The twist near the end of this arc is revolutionary and would make waves for the next 200 chapters onward. A perfect ending and set up for the forthcoming arc.
-The only issues I have for this arc would be Ichigo's lightning speed progression. The guy goes from being able to barely defeat a third seat to besting multiple captains in roughly 100 or less chapters. I get that that is the point and him defeating captains was more of a struck of luck, but progression and pacing wise it feels very unearned and a factor of "for the plot he needed to be this strong" It only seems as fast as it is because Ichigo's progression slows drastically down for the rest of the story moving foreword so it's only now that I make that criticism.
-Also, and this will be an issue in most Shonen. There are 13 Captains with 13 Vice Captains and seats that branch all the way to 10 I believe? Regardless, there's a fudge ton of characters that are introduced here and it can get a little jarring at times. Luckily, Kubo does a great job at making their designs and characters unique despite such a large cast.
Hueco Mundo Arc - Chapters 183-423 - Rating 7/10
-This is another arc where personally I would split it up into two separate arcs. But for the sake of this review I will simply refer to the first half of the arc and the later half of the arc. First Half 9/10. Second Half. 5/10.
-The first half of this arc is a great continuation of the last. Ichigo now struggles with his inner demons and it affects his ability to protect the ones he loves. We are also introduced to a deadly unknown new villains. The Arrancars/Espada to this day remain one of my favorite villain factions in all of manga enemies.
-Just so you're aware I would say the first half of this arc ends right around the point of Ichigo vs Grimmjow. Grimmjow is one of the first Arrancar that Ichigo faces. And he's also one of two Espada that he faces three times. The conclusion of that fight shows Ichigo conquering his inner demons. Where Grimmjow is very much fighting to establish himself. Grimmjow has to fight Ichigo to prove to his fallen comrades that he is as good as he says he is. He doesn't care about Aizen, he doesn't care about the rest of the Espada. It is very personal for him. For Ichigo, Orohime is within his grasp of saving and he views this as his "final" battle. It's my favorite fight in all of Bleach.
-However, this is where things start to take a bit of dip in quality in my opinion. We had a goal and we were striving towards that goal. Each character of the original cast coming to repay the debt they made to their friend who had risked her life to save them in the Soul society arc. But somewhere along the way it seems we just had a fighter fest. Captains would face enemies with no themes or character revelations. The Espadas got a little light but nothing that made their fights compelling. You almost just feel bad for the Espada as they were monsters turned into a military force by an unstoppable tyrant. But even that wasn't enough to make half of the fights interesting. Now, that's with knowing the outcome. These fights played little importance in the larger scheme of things. Where at least in the Hueco Mundo fights each match up had the protagonists striving for a goal. Rukia to defeat Aaroneiro to free her former superiors soul. Byakuya to defend Rukia. Renji and Uryu teamwork. Nel to protect Ichigo and get revenge on Nnoitra. Whereas Stark fought Kyoraku.....cause.....and Hitsugaya fought Halibel because Water vs Ice would be cool.
-This leaves me to the end. I won't say it wasn't satisfying that Ichigo was able to defeat Aizen. And yes, I do feel like his new power was earned. 3 months of training. But this was clearly a last minute decision to save Aizen for a later date and the show must go on. I do feel like it wasn't as satisfying as 200+ chapter buildup needed to be.
The Fullbring Arc - Chapters 424-479 - Rating: 8/10
-A very underrated arc. And yes, I acknowledge that rating wise I think the Fullbring arc is superior to the Hueco Mundo arc. That is mostly true. Though I like the first half of the Hueco Mundo Arc more than the Fullbring arc. The end of the HM arc really brought it down for me. The Fullbring Arc is much more concise and is actually the shortest arc in the series and works as a glorified Ichigo getting his powers back arc. But that doesn't mean its bad.
-When I read it originally back when it was coming out in 2010. (Cause I'm Old) It wasn't phenomenal. In fact, I hated it. But wouldn't you? It took just short of a year to get to the point that we were at. But upon rereading it, it gave much deserved love to the characters who hadn't been shown love in quite some time. The original cast. It was a very character focused arc. Ichigo never seemed more human. And despite me hating it before for taking so long, reading weekly can sometimes hurt these mystery based arcs. The twist is heavily foreshadowed and I really appreciated it.
-That being said, the end was super rushed. This was a big bummer for me. The villains this time around were humans. And the ones who had the most exposure and relations with these characters were the original cast who again....were humans. So to have the soul reapers, who have no connection to the fullbringers show up and basically no diff most of the fullbringers felt very forced and fanservicey to me. This very well could have not been Kubo's call. As the community was very vocal about their dislike for this arc as it was going on. But I appreciate it now much more as I appreciate character and story over big sword fights. Lol.
The Thousand Year Blood War Arc - Chapters 424-689 - Rating: 5/10
-And we're finally here. The final and largest arc within the Bleach story. And man...does it not stick the landing.
-That being said, this arc has phenomenal moments. Kenpachi's Shikai and Bankai. Ichigo's double swords. Renji's true Bankai. Rukia's Bankai. And many more. However, they are put together against the most break neck speed arc that I have ever read. Kubo was very ambitious when he introduced 26 new villains. However, most of them got barely any screen time and a lot of them even got off screened by higher level captains. This was unlike the Espada who each got a full double page spread for their Resurrections.
-Yhwach himself was a phenomenal villain but was dealt with swiftly and imo dirty. They did him dirty.
-There was just something off. The mood changed and it was very apparent. The villains had random powers instead of the powers reflecting their personalities or needs. The finale felt so underwhelming.
-Ichigo gets to be the strongest he's ever been....but he doesn't defeat a single person besides the main villain despite being in several fights.
-It isn't a good arc. In fact, I would say it's the worst. Hopefully the anime does a better job with this already mammoth of a story. 260 chapters is no joke.
This gives the story of Bleach an Overall rating of 7.4/10. Which to me is above average. It has it's ups and downs. It's not perfect. But when it's high, it's peak shonen. But when it's low, it's very forgettable.
December 1, 2019
Bleach, Vol. 71 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next ten chapters (643–652) of the on-going manga series with an additional bonus story.
Pernida Parnkgjas eventually kills Nemu Kurotsuchi, but by devouring her body, it explodes and dies due to the presence of lethal materials in the corpse. Mayuri Kurotsuchi retrieves Nemu's brain and heals himself with Kenpachi Zaraki. While Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto cured of their zombications, join the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Lille Barro tries to kill the entire remaining group of Shingami that are running along to the palace, but he is stopped by Shunsui Sōzōsuke Jirō Kyōraku, starting a fight against him. Kyōraku seemingly gains the upper hand against Lille, but the latter activates his Vollständig and dominates the Captain-Commander. While Gerard Valkyrie confronts Byakuya Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, Shinji Hirako, and Momo Hinamori, Kyōraku releases his Bankai and manages to seemingly defeat Lille.
However, the Quincy manages to survive and undergoes another transformation of his Vollständig and nearly kills Kyōraku until Nanao Ise intervenes. Kyōraku decides to tell Nanao the history of her family and gives her back her Zanpakutō, which he kept safe as a promise to Nanao's mother. Shortly after that, the Captain and the Lieutenant return to face Lille.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The tankōbon continues the second invasion of the Seireitei by the Sternritter. It focuses on the outer-fights mainly concluding the fight with Pernida Parnkgjas and Mayuri Kurostsuchi's group and continues the fight with Lille Barro and Shunsui Sōzōsuke Jirō Kyōraku’s group, which should be concluding soon. Once again, there is a lot of retrospective musing and world building – even this late in the series.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 71 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
Pernida Parnkgjas eventually kills Nemu Kurotsuchi, but by devouring her body, it explodes and dies due to the presence of lethal materials in the corpse. Mayuri Kurotsuchi retrieves Nemu's brain and heals himself with Kenpachi Zaraki. While Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto cured of their zombications, join the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Lille Barro tries to kill the entire remaining group of Shingami that are running along to the palace, but he is stopped by Shunsui Sōzōsuke Jirō Kyōraku, starting a fight against him. Kyōraku seemingly gains the upper hand against Lille, but the latter activates his Vollständig and dominates the Captain-Commander. While Gerard Valkyrie confronts Byakuya Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, Shinji Hirako, and Momo Hinamori, Kyōraku releases his Bankai and manages to seemingly defeat Lille.
However, the Quincy manages to survive and undergoes another transformation of his Vollständig and nearly kills Kyōraku until Nanao Ise intervenes. Kyōraku decides to tell Nanao the history of her family and gives her back her Zanpakutō, which he kept safe as a promise to Nanao's mother. Shortly after that, the Captain and the Lieutenant return to face Lille.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The tankōbon continues the second invasion of the Seireitei by the Sternritter. It focuses on the outer-fights mainly concluding the fight with Pernida Parnkgjas and Mayuri Kurostsuchi's group and continues the fight with Lille Barro and Shunsui Sōzōsuke Jirō Kyōraku’s group, which should be concluding soon. Once again, there is a lot of retrospective musing and world building – even this late in the series.
All in all, Bleach, Vol. 71 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
November 7, 2017
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
By Volume 71 and in the final story, Kubo is using these these minor arcs to give us more backstory of the main characters. Completing the Kurotsuchi and Nemo story as they continue their battle and then on to former 8th Division captain and now commander Kyoraku Shunsui's and squad vice captain Nanao's turn.Story: Nemu has sacrificed herself for her captain and Kurotsuchi can only watch as her flesh is devoured. But Nemu's physique has a secret that will change the tide of battle. Meanwhile, a flawless sniper is keeping Kyoraku and his group on the run. But he's tired of the game and turns to battle - only to find there is much more to the sniper. Can his own Bankai and squad vice captain Nanao save him in time?
In this volume, we get Kyoraku's backstory - why he wears a woman's kimono and hairpin and how it relates to Nanao. We also get his very capricious Bankai Sakuranosuke - and its female representative Ohana. They are an interesting couple, captain and sword, considering neither can figure out how they were paired together since they have such different temperaments. And yet, they make perfect sense as well.
We are also given a glimpse of Nanao now that she finally has the sword that has been kept by Kyoraku for safe keeping. We'll get more about her bladeless, mirrored sword and its very unique powers in the next volume. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
August 27, 2024
VOLUME 71: CHAPTER 643-652
Arc 11: The Thousand Year Blood War
Nemu managed to destroy Pernida's body but it can regenerate back. Nemu's body is special that she can regenerate too but since Pernida stabbed her with its nerves, the regenerative factor transferred to its body. Pernida cannot withstand the regeneration and ended up destroyed. Mayuri managed to save Nemu's brain. He and Zaraki then were put in a pod. Toushiro and Rangiku were successfully dezombified using the pod. In other place, the Gotei 13 blindly walk through the Wahrwelt as they cannot sense enemy reiatsu. Barro take the opportunity to attack them.
Kyouraku fights Barro. Kyouraku can manipulate shadow and blend it with child's game. Barro used Vollständig: Jilliel. After being cornered, Kyouraku used his Bankai: Katen Kyoukotsu: Karamatsu Shinjuu. The atmosphere in Wahrwelt become darkened. Kyouraku demonstrates the first, second and third act of his Bankai. The final act, Kyouraku slashed Barro's throat. He is heavily injured and lying on his Zanpakutou's lap. Suddenly, Kyouraku was stabbed by Barro who is still alive. Nanao arrived and Kyouraku gave her a Zanpakutou, Kyoukotsu. Kyouraku's brother was married with Nanao's mother who is from Ise Family. Ise Family have a curse where when the woman married, the husband will die. Ise Family have a Zanpakutou that will be passed from generation to generation. It cannot kill man but it can kill a god. Nanao take the bladeless Zanpakutou, Hakkyouken to fight Barro. Barro is still standing. Kyouraku joined the fight together with Nanao.
Arc 11: The Thousand Year Blood War
Nemu managed to destroy Pernida's body but it can regenerate back. Nemu's body is special that she can regenerate too but since Pernida stabbed her with its nerves, the regenerative factor transferred to its body. Pernida cannot withstand the regeneration and ended up destroyed. Mayuri managed to save Nemu's brain. He and Zaraki then were put in a pod. Toushiro and Rangiku were successfully dezombified using the pod. In other place, the Gotei 13 blindly walk through the Wahrwelt as they cannot sense enemy reiatsu. Barro take the opportunity to attack them.
Kyouraku fights Barro. Kyouraku can manipulate shadow and blend it with child's game. Barro used Vollständig: Jilliel. After being cornered, Kyouraku used his Bankai: Katen Kyoukotsu: Karamatsu Shinjuu. The atmosphere in Wahrwelt become darkened. Kyouraku demonstrates the first, second and third act of his Bankai. The final act, Kyouraku slashed Barro's throat. He is heavily injured and lying on his Zanpakutou's lap. Suddenly, Kyouraku was stabbed by Barro who is still alive. Nanao arrived and Kyouraku gave her a Zanpakutou, Kyoukotsu. Kyouraku's brother was married with Nanao's mother who is from Ise Family. Ise Family have a curse where when the woman married, the husband will die. Ise Family have a Zanpakutou that will be passed from generation to generation. It cannot kill man but it can kill a god. Nanao take the bladeless Zanpakutou, Hakkyouken to fight Barro. Barro is still standing. Kyouraku joined the fight together with Nanao.
August 24, 2022
In a surprise move, Nemu has not only acted on her own, not waiting for instructions from her Master Mayuri, but she has openly defended him. But at what price? Captain Kyoraku attacks the Quincy Lille Barro, utilizing his ability to turn a child’s game into reality. He isn’t really surprised that Nano has kept up with him. She says she won’t leave, but he sends her to deliver a message to the others. She vows to return afterward. Hinamori is confused when Shinji doesn’t immediately offer to assist Shunsui, but he says he knows that the help is not wanted or needed, that Shunsui will be fine, and there are other fires to be put out.
Kisuke and the others run into another Quincy, one with a winged helmet. He claims they will never get past him, and he wants to take all of them on, all at once! Ichigo runs into the Quincy who battled Grimmjow. His name is Naak le Var. Meanwhile a wounded Shunsui is adrift in his past until he is yanked awake by Nanao, who reminds him of the promise he made her mother!
And still the fight continues. Only three volumes left, barreling toward the conclusion, whatever that might be. I have to believe that all will end well, and yet I am biting my nails, fearful for Shunsui. This volume ends on a cliffhanger, of course, ala Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid involving Shunsui and Nano. Let’s hope it has a better outcome! Can’t wait for the next one!
Kisuke and the others run into another Quincy, one with a winged helmet. He claims they will never get past him, and he wants to take all of them on, all at once! Ichigo runs into the Quincy who battled Grimmjow. His name is Naak le Var. Meanwhile a wounded Shunsui is adrift in his past until he is yanked awake by Nanao, who reminds him of the promise he made her mother!
And still the fight continues. Only three volumes left, barreling toward the conclusion, whatever that might be. I have to believe that all will end well, and yet I am biting my nails, fearful for Shunsui. This volume ends on a cliffhanger, of course, ala Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid involving Shunsui and Nano. Let’s hope it has a better outcome! Can’t wait for the next one!
April 13, 2025
I have a lot of things to say and not a lot of time right now plus I need time to gather my thoughts and think of how to say all that so that this review wouldn't be all over the place.
I haven't seen tybw season 2 and 3 yet because I wanted to finish the manga first, so I really hope that it changed some things from this volume because the more volumes I read, the more I understand why people said this arc felt rushed in the manga, plus I felt so bad for Nemu and the character who came back from the Arrancar arc (not going to say his name to avoid spoiling for anybody), especially after having seen the third TYBW opening, I was so excited, thinking it would be a great fight, it wasn't, it wasn't much of a fight at all😞 I feel similarly with Kyoraku's bankai reveal. There was so much hype when the anime episode was going to come out last year, that I had such high hopes but tried to avoid it so that I wouldn't be spoiled beforeI read the chapters or watched the episodes (whichever came first), but it was over so quickly.
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
I haven't seen tybw season 2 and 3 yet because I wanted to finish the manga first, so I really hope that it changed some things from this volume because the more volumes I read, the more I understand why people said this arc felt rushed in the manga, plus I felt so bad for Nemu and the character who came back from the Arrancar arc (not going to say his name to avoid spoiling for anybody), especially after having seen the third TYBW opening, I was so excited, thinking it would be a great fight, it wasn't, it wasn't much of a fight at all😞 I feel similarly with Kyoraku's bankai reveal. There was so much hype when the anime episode was going to come out last year, that I had such high hopes but tried to avoid it so that I wouldn't be spoiled beforeI read the chapters or watched the episodes (whichever came first), but it was over so quickly.
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
January 26, 2018
Ha tardado en llegar, pero el tomo 71 de Bleach ya adorna mi estantería (hasta que lo relea, momento en el que pasará a la parte de atrás…). En éste tomo no sucede absolutamente nada relevante para la trama, y es que simplemente tenemos la finalización de un combate (que ya ni recordaba) y el desarrollo de un segundo, además de la vuelta a la lucha de dos personajes que parecían ya perdidos.
Es un tomo puro de combate, centrado en la figura del actual comandante de las trece divisiones.
Como tomo de combate no funciona mal, técnicas que no hemos visto, momentos sacados de la manga, pero el caso es que entretiene.
El problema con el tomo lo tengo al pensar lo cerca que está el manga de terminar y lo lejos que parece mientras de lo lees, con un nulo avance en lo que a trama se refiere, un tomo que no aporta absolutamente nada y que visto en retrospectiva lo único que consigue es seguir cabreándome con la obra y con el autor. Si no quedara tan poco me planteaba dejarla, y eso para mí es casi herejía XD.
Quien la ha visto y quien la ve :_(
Es un tomo puro de combate, centrado en la figura del actual comandante de las trece divisiones.
Como tomo de combate no funciona mal, técnicas que no hemos visto, momentos sacados de la manga, pero el caso es que entretiene.
El problema con el tomo lo tengo al pensar lo cerca que está el manga de terminar y lo lejos que parece mientras de lo lees, con un nulo avance en lo que a trama se refiere, un tomo que no aporta absolutamente nada y que visto en retrospectiva lo único que consigue es seguir cabreándome con la obra y con el autor. Si no quedara tan poco me planteaba dejarla, y eso para mí es casi herejía XD.
Quien la ha visto y quien la ve :_(
March 26, 2023
I loved that Nemu took down Pernida, and I actually loved that her sacrifice advanced her character arc even in death. I think the version of her we knew is dead, but another version of her will be born by this story’s end. I liked Nemu’s death and it made me realize that as much as I love all these characters, it might benefit the story if some of them permanently died. I liked how the zombified Soul Reapers returned to the fight. I loved seeing Shunsui’s Bankai and how abstract it was, however I felt like we got a very short time with it. I loved seeing his sword’s spirit, and it made me wish we’d see more sword’s spirits throughout the story. Nanao’s backstory was interesting despite the fact that I didn’t understand it completely, I’m glad her character got to shine here and how we saw her discover her sword for the first time. One of my favourite parts of this arc is how we are getting to see secondary characters shine for the first time after knowing them for so long.
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