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Interesting chapter. Well, I suppose it was about time Ishida and Chad get some action. I'm not sure that there is all that much to talk about in this chapter, since there was so much action, but I'll try my best. Hope you enjoy, even if my comments are shorter than usual this time. This time I'm using Binktopia's images, since I prefer their cleans the most. However, I must say, in their Edited Manga, while the font is improved over last week, the text IS a little bit on the small-ish side. Otherwise, a bang-up job, guys.
Speaking of Edited Manga groups, I mentioned M7 last week being unusually weaker in their cleanings than usual. Well, looks like only ONE guy is cleaning for them - and he's got two jobs and school! Yowza. No wonder the chapter wasn't HQ. If anybody is interested in helping them out, they're definitely looking for more people at Bleach7.com. They'd probably appreciate it. Of course, Binktopia, Ju-Ni, Bleachsoul, and Jinchuuriki all could use more people too, so check with whatever group you want to support. Let's try our best to get ourselves some more nice-looking Bleach chapters, eh!
Alright, here goes. Feel free to comment as always!
* * * Gold Knight's Ten Comments on Bleach Chapter 242: Two Men Are Burning. * * *
Take a good look; those three don't run away very often.
1. Quick Thinking. Even though Chad, Ishida, and Ichigo all would have probably rather fought than run away, I wouldn't blame them for thinking that they didn't want to tangle with THAT creepy monster... Looked like it was crawling along the ceiling at first, and I had grisly images of some kind of spider-like beast entering my mind. Of course, Ichigo, always ready for a battle, still wanted to stand and fight regardless, but I have to credit Ishida for thinking rationally. Even if the retreat did make the upcoming fight even tougher in the end, I'd still prefer to go against two Arrancar instead of having to worry about the ceiling falling on my head.
Funny, though. I wasn't expecting to see these three guys - each one having significantly improved their abilities since the Rescue Rukia arc - running away from a Hollow like that. Ishida's expression especially looked like he was actually scared. Maybe he just didn't like the monster's fashion sense.
(Yes, I know he was probably just annoyed that he was having to drag Ichigo by the neck. I'm just kidding.)
I don't blame Ishida for being exasperated here...
2. More Bickering...? Okay, one more thing before we move on. It's obvious that Ishida and Ichigo don't know how to speak to each other without arguing, which they do as fiercely as any other two rivals. Last week, I did mention that it was refreshing to see that the relationship between Ishida and Ichigo hadn't changed in this respect. I still feel that way - the comedy that comes out of their conversations are pretty much enjoyable for the most part.
HOWEVER - Ichigo just looks like an idiot here. He should have realized that the absence of windows meant that they were underground. He's NOT that dense, like his father - he did make good grades in high school! So, unfortunately for once, I think Tite Kubo is overdoing it here. It's almost as if Ichigo was arguing with Ishida just because he didn't want to agree with him.
Well, I can see him doing that, but he also ends up looking like a moron. In that respect, I think Tite Kubo's having a little too much fun with their dialogue and forgetting that he's making his protagonist look pretty bad in the process. I'd like a little more intelligent debate between the two.
You rang?
3. So Much for "Minimal Interference!" Even though Ishida ended up dragging them all into a trap, I didn't think much about it being a fatal mistake. Now that they're in a bigger chamber, they have far more room to maneuver around while fighting.
Hmm. Well, the big guy's a new character, but the "bird-man," Iceringer, appeared before in the series. He was the Arrancar that was fixing up the Grand Fisher at the end of volume 3. Another indication that Tite Kubo does plan way ahead of time in his writing. Pretty cool...!
I think some people actually had thought that was Grimmjow, though. Guess not.
Well hello there!
4. Anti-Gravity's Fun. Cover commenting time. Well, not much to say. This week we got one of Ishida and Chad standing alongside each other, except Chad's upside-down here.
Definitely a retro, 70's type of cover. No, I don't know much about music, being deaf, but I could tell here, for once, that Tite Kubo was likely inspired by some sort of album cover art. The title as well - but also for a change, it's pretty understandable as Chad and Ishida were definitely rarin' to take the stage instead of their orange-haired friend for a change.
Tite Kubo is one of very few manga artists I've seen who titles his chapters in English, too. I wonder if he finds the English alphabet as equally fascinating as we do Japanese kanji at times.
Something else I found funny here too. Note that in this perspective shot, one of Chad's legs are about as big as Ishida's whole body. Pretty good way to show the contrast between the two obviously different guys.
Oops, my bad!
5. Get Outta the Way, Buddy. Gotta admit I don't blame Chad for being a little... rough with Ichigo here. Even though he's usually such a gentle giant, he was pretty crushed that he couldn't be able to help his closest friend out against D-Roy. Wasn't surprised when Chad admitted to Ishida that he had been wanting to give Ichigo an elbow to the head for quite some time now.
Yup, step back, Ichigo. Time for you to find out that your friends aren't ALL that helpless. I can understand why Tite Kubo decided to do a minor battle at this point, so that Ichigo can witness that firsthand and feel a little more confident once they get closer to the really dangerous guys.
You know something I just realized, though? We have three guys invading Las Noches: Ichigo, Ishida, and Chad. We have three Soul Society traitors: Aizen, Gin, and Tousen. I can't help but wonder if we're headed for some sort of three-way battle with all these guys.
Of course, where would Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and Yammy factor in...? Maybe we'll be seeing these three first. And then there's Wonderwice...
If the shoe fits...
6. Dumb n' Dumber. I actually found this part to be the most interesting one in the chapter. I hadn't thought much about how exactly the Hollows became Arrancars, and why they all seemed to take on variable bodies. Of course, we already know that some will appear grotesque, whereas others will, as Ishida said, appear more human.
Well, got our answer here. If the human form of an Arrancar is directly proportional to their level of intellect, then no wonder the Grand Fisher was still such a monster, 'cause he sure was one dumb brute.
Can dish it out, but can't take it, eh?
And no, I don't think Iceringer had his form out of choice. Why? Because I'd think it would be harder to gain a spot on Aizen's Espada if you're an incomplete Arrancar. I don't think Iceringer really wanted to stay a grunt.
Plus, looked like Ishida's words hit the mark in his case, too. If Iceringer was so sensitive to his words, then it was probably true in his case, too. Iceringer's just lying and trying to cover it up. Poor dude. Must've been picked on by all the other Arrancar at some point. XD
Them's two very ticked off Arrancar...
7. Choose Your Poison... Who'd you want to fight? A small, bird-headed guy, whose arms are actually thin tendrils with long, flowing, whip-like fingers that can fry your bones. And another dude that can manipulate spirit particules under his massive fist to create an even greater impact upon the fragile top of your skull. Gee, tough choice.
Do a pirouette, Chad!
8. Switching Places. Yeah, good for Ishida to recognize that they each would have been better off fighting against the other opponent. I suppose even Iceringer recognized it too, knowing that Chad didn't have the necessary speed to keep up with him.
But yeah, in power vs power situations, Chad's the ideal choice, and in dexterity vs dexterity contests, who better than the best archer in the series to take that one?
There goes his jaw.
9. Pow! To the Moon! Always love it when Chad delivers one of these eye-watering, bone-mashing punches right to the cheek. Haven't seen that in quite a while, so it was pretty fun to see him do it again here. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that, tho.
Bye-bye, Demoura! Nice knowin' ya!
That can't be good for Iceringer.
10. Here Comes Ishida... Looks like we'll be getting to see what Ishida's bow looks like already. I was somewhat expecting it to be much later and against somebody much stronger, but I suppose both Chad and Ishida needed their own "pwning" moments just to warm up. Too bad, though, I kinda liked Iceringer...
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars. Action-packed, but not much drama. You knew Chad and Ishida were going to wipe the floor with these guys.
Predictions: Will see Ishida do a smackdown on Iceringer. After that, not sure. Possibly another look at Orihime while the three guys continue their search.
Credits: Thanks to Binktopia for doing a nice Edited Manga.
Hope you enjoyed, and looking forward to seeing what you think!
Comment, or he'll lick you!
