Manga - The Other White Meat

Finally! We’re back on schedule. Given events beyond my control and by editorial mandate I’m writing this post before this week's chapters are out, but that is okay! Why you ask? Well, since I never actually reviewed last week's chapters because of late releases we can still have a quick recap of the latest happenings in Naruto and Bleach and discuss some new developments.

When we last left Naruto he was meditating before the Falls of Truth, a waterfall that reveals your true inner self, which in Naruto’s case was a dark version of himself full of hatred. In Bleach, one of the characters that I feel is the most powerful in the entire series but very rarely fights has made his entrance. With Ichigo and his father Isshin pushed to the brink by Aizen and Gin, Urahara Kisuke has come to join the fight and he has a rather large bag of tricks. Let’s just jump right in because it has been so long that I just want to recap something!

BLEACH

In Chapter 402 we open in the aftermath of Urahara blasting Aizen in the chest with a beam similar to a cero. Aizen seems more amused then hurt, and we find out this is the first time in 100 years that they have faced off. Aizen and Urahara speak a few words and Aizen states that the transformation he is undergoing is a result of the Hogyouku being subdued, a task that Urahara failed to complete previously. Unlike previous opponents Aizen immediately attacks, seemingly piercing Uarahara through the chest. Urahara, being the tricky person that he is, has already substituted a decoy in order to get behind Aizen. Urahara’s next move is to use Hadou to trap Aizen. He uses a series of more powerful techniques on top of each other with Aizen actually looking concerned.

Now, just as a background note, each of these techniques has a full, almost poetic, chant that weaker people can say to use the full power. More powerful people can simply state the name and number of the chants and they work. Urahara starts to chant and Aizen gets very nervous but Urahara pulls it off. The translated name Is Thousand Hands Bright Sky Cannon which appears to send people to another dimension. Aizen, of course, will not be defeated so easily and materializes out of thin air to attack Urahara. Aizen is very confident and does the traditional bad guy monologue after this and doesn’t seem to notice that Urahara has previously sealed the hands of Aizen, and the reiatsu leaking out with it. This causes Aizen to appear to basically disintegrate as his own power is turned against him. If this is truly the end, and honestly I hope it is, only time will tell what that will do for Urahara’s seeming lifetime ban from soul society. I guess we’ll find out for sure if this will continue to drag on in Chapter 403 next time.

NARUTO

For the first time in a long time, the Bleach Chapter seems to outpace Naruto for intriguing developments and good fighting. Chapter 493 begins with the face-off between good and evil Naruto. They begin to fight but match each other step for step with techniques. They have just about equal power, only the Kyuubi demon fox within Naruto prefers the feelings of hatred in this shadow Naruto to the good Naruto. The fox feeds on negative emotion and hate, which is why in order for Naruto to truly use the fox’s power; he must defeat this evil shadow within his very soul.

As the two version of Naruto battle to a stalemate Killer Bee is training with some of the large bears on the island. The demon within Bee actually tries to convince him to help Naruto even though that demon doesn’t like the Kyuubi either. Bee says that he could never, but before he finishes the statement we flash back to the fight between raging within Naruto’s mind. Captain Yamato is observing apprehensively when Naruto finally wakes up and tries to figure out how to win. Motoi, Bee’s follower and the other observer who brought Naruto to the falls, says he MUST defeat his darker half to control the fox. Naruto and Yamato find out a little bit about Bee’s past, including his relationship as brother to the Raikage of the village. Motoi says he isn’t worthy to be with Bee, because he tried to kill him once, and we are left with the cliffhanger of learning about the bloody history of the hachibi, Bee’s tailed beast demon.

See you all next week. Happy reading!