I’ve decided that my brain isn’t capable of handling manga on a one week delay, so I’m just going to stop doing that m’kay? I’m going to go ahead and do the whole world a favor and bring you RIGHT up to this week's issues in both
Naruto and
Bleach so that we can all sit around the water cooler at work and discuss manga like civilized people. Mega manga recap coming right up! What’s that? You don’t have a water cooler? Well I do, so live vicariously through me. Onwards to the action!
BLEACH
This combined review works really well considering the titles to the last two chapters in Bleach have been titled "The Burnout Inferno" and the ever so creative "The Burnout Inferno 2." To start chapter 393, Aizen gives my favorite copout bad guy line on the topic of characters never dying. He has just mowed through three captains, including supposedly one of the strongest, and the captain of the vizard with ease (Shunsui Kyoraku I am VERY disappointed in you! I really thought you were stronger) but then states he isn’t going to kill them. They shouldn’t even end up unconscious from the wounds he has delivered because he wants them to watch their world fall. Bad guys who don’t finish people off lose. This means is Bleach is going to continue long after this arc ends and the characters can’t be lost.
At this point we have the main focus begin of the next two chapters, the first real combat entered into by the Captain Commander of all of soul society, Genryusai Yamamoto. His zanpaktou is the strongest fire type there is, and he has been the overall captain of the Gotei 13 (the Shinigami organization) for over 1,000 years. He and Aizen trade some banter and Yamamoto begins his attack. For his first move he allows Aizen to stab him through the stomach in order to grab his arm and capture him. This is a favorite technique of another battle prone captain named Zaraki who still isn’t here for this fight.
Yamamoto calls out the name of a power loosely translated to “The Flames of Hell” and tells Ichigo, still observing, to back up with the intention of sacrificing himself and Aizen to end the fight. At this moment Wonderweiss, the mysteriously strong arrancar with a little bit of a mental condition reappears and the flames of Yamamoto’s sword extinguish. Aizen explains that Wonderweiss is the sole modified arrancar ever to be created, specifically to defeat Yamamoto’s powers which were the only ones capable of stopping Aizen.
This is the scene that chapter 394 opens to. Yamamoto does not have the power of his sword, and Wonderweiss is very strong. Quickly this devolves into a hand to hand fight with the Captain Commander showing that his strength lies far beyond just his sword. He and Wonderweiss face off for the remainder of the chapter with Aizen dodging a few attacks here and there. Wonderweiss does have the ability to rapidly regenerate and that comes in very handy as Yamamoto tears holes in him with every punch.
Eventually in a particularly cool panel Wonderweiss appears to have Yamamoto pinned with his arms to the side. He throws a huge attack into the defenseless captain, and the only response is, “Is that all you’ve got?” Yamamoto then finishes the chapter with a large panel showing him double striking Wonderweiss with the intention of blasting him apart. These two chapters were great, aside from the reveal that no one will die ever, and Bleach is definitely looking up.
NARUTO
Chapter 484 begins with Sasuke and Kakashi facing off while Sakura heals Karin and Naruto tries to get to the scene in time to avoid disaster. Sakura and Karin seem to connect as it is obvious they both loved the same person, Sasuke, but he has changed into a different person and they are coming to terms with that. Sasuke attacks Kakashi while screaming and ranting, truly looking like he has taken the final steps towards insanity. In the meantime Naruto is remembering three conversations he has had with people about Sasuke (namely with Itachi, Gaara and the Fourth Raikage) and how all have advised him that he needed to stop being naïve. Naruto cannot save his friend from the darkness and will have to confront him. If he will not kill Sasuke, then Sasuke will probably kill him. Naruto, I’m sure, has come up with another answer.
Meanwhile Sasuke has called back Susano’o to fight Kakashi, who was forced to use his own Mangekyou Sharingan that warps attacks away just to defend himself. Kakashi really has no chance but Sasuke’s vision fails him as Madara said it would. This causes Susano’o to fade away. It is at this moment that Sakura makes her 1,000th dumb move of the series and stops healing Karin to attack Sasuke. She prepares to deliver the final blow, but relives flashbacks with Sasuke and stops short because she just can’t do it. That might as well be printed on her uniform, “Almost good enough to stay out of trouble and be useful.” Okay, okay, she has had a few moments (her fight with Sasori being one, although she had help there) but for the most part she just plays the role of damsel in distress. Sasuke turns to Sakura, grabs her and before he can deliver the finishing strike Naruto flies in from the side and rips her away.
With Sasuke and Naruto facing off for the first time since the restart of the series chapter 485 starts. As Sasuke is distracted Kakashi punches him hard, driving him back into a wall. Naruto, in typical fashion, begins a conversation to try to win over people, seemingly his true greatest ninja power. He says he understands why Sasuke has done everything he has. Sasuke dismisses this and states that he has never felt as good as he did when he killed Danzou looking very convincing in his conviction to do the same to all of Konoha. Madara has twisted Sasuke well.
Before Naruto can begin the attack Kakashi once again tries to take the responsibility of finishing this fight. Naruto asks Kakashi if he is going to kill Sasuke, and when Kakashi responds to leave Naruto has his clones grab him to restrain him and attacks. Just before Chidori and Rasengan clash for the second time, Naruto things how easily their positions could have been switched. Naruto has a tailed beast inside of him and in the original series the village hated him. He was very close to losing control (a VERY brief history lesson for you).
As they clash a conversation takes place in almost a cut scene where Naruto recaps his whole experience with Sasuke. After it all Sasuke responds by stating that it doesn’t matter what Naruto says, he is going to kill everyone he loves in the village unless he stops him. Sasuke tells him to make a choice, kill him and be the hero, or die and become a victim. Naruto says he claims neither and the chapter ends as Naruto is about to state the answer he has agonized over for what seems like the last 30 chapters or more.
For the first time in a while I’m VERY excited for next week in both mangas, and can finally stop confusing myself about what chapter I left off on. Win win for this guy. Until then...
I’ve decided that my brain isn’t capable of handling manga on a one week delay, so I’m just going to stop doing that m’kay? I’m going to go ahead and do the whole world a favor and bring you RIGHT up to this week's issues in both Naruto and Bleach so that we can all sit around the water cooler at work and discuss manga like civilized people. Mega manga recap coming right up! What’s that? You don’t have a water cooler? Well I do, so live vicariously through me. Onwards to the action!
BLEACH
This combined review works really well considering the titles to the last two chapters in Bleach have been titled "The Burnout Inferno" and the ever so creative "The Burnout Inferno 2." To start chapter 393, Aizen gives my favorite copout bad guy line on the topic of characters never dying. He has just mowed through three captains, including supposedly one of the strongest, and the captain of the vizard with ease (Shunsui Kyoraku I am VERY disappointed in you! I really thought you were stronger) but then states he isn’t going to kill them. They shouldn’t even end up unconscious from the wounds he has delivered because he wants them to watch their world fall. Bad guys who don’t finish people off lose. This means is Bleach is going to continue long after this arc ends and the characters can’t be lost.
At this point we have the main focus begin of the next two chapters, the first real combat entered into by the Captain Commander of all of soul society, Genryusai Yamamoto. His zanpaktou is the strongest fire type there is, and he has been the overall captain of the Gotei 13 (the Shinigami organization) for over 1,000 years. He and Aizen trade some banter and Yamamoto begins his attack. For his first move he allows Aizen to stab him through the stomach in order to grab his arm and capture him. This is a favorite technique of another battle prone captain named Zaraki who still isn’t here for this fight.
Yamamoto calls out the name of a power loosely translated to “The Flames of Hell” and tells Ichigo, still observing, to back up with the intention of sacrificing himself and Aizen to end the fight. At this moment Wonderweiss, the mysteriously strong arrancar with a little bit of a mental condition reappears and the flames of Yamamoto’s sword extinguish. Aizen explains that Wonderweiss is the sole modified arrancar ever to be created, specifically to defeat Yamamoto’s powers which were the only ones capable of stopping Aizen.
This is the scene that chapter 394 opens to. Yamamoto does not have the power of his sword, and Wonderweiss is very strong. Quickly this devolves into a hand to hand fight with the Captain Commander showing that his strength lies far beyond just his sword. He and Wonderweiss face off for the remainder of the chapter with Aizen dodging a few attacks here and there. Wonderweiss does have the ability to rapidly regenerate and that comes in very handy as Yamamoto tears holes in him with every punch.
Eventually in a particularly cool panel Wonderweiss appears to have Yamamoto pinned with his arms to the side. He throws a huge attack into the defenseless captain, and the only response is, “Is that all you’ve got?” Yamamoto then finishes the chapter with a large panel showing him double striking Wonderweiss with the intention of blasting him apart. These two chapters were great, aside from the reveal that no one will die ever, and Bleach is definitely looking up.
NARUTO
Chapter 484 begins with Sasuke and Kakashi facing off while Sakura heals Karin and Naruto tries to get to the scene in time to avoid disaster. Sakura and Karin seem to connect as it is obvious they both loved the same person, Sasuke, but he has changed into a different person and they are coming to terms with that. Sasuke attacks Kakashi while screaming and ranting, truly looking like he has taken the final steps towards insanity. In the meantime Naruto is remembering three conversations he has had with people about Sasuke (namely with Itachi, Gaara and the Fourth Raikage) and how all have advised him that he needed to stop being naïve. Naruto cannot save his friend from the darkness and will have to confront him. If he will not kill Sasuke, then Sasuke will probably kill him. Naruto, I’m sure, has come up with another answer.
Meanwhile Sasuke has called back Susano’o to fight Kakashi, who was forced to use his own Mangekyou Sharingan that warps attacks away just to defend himself. Kakashi really has no chance but Sasuke’s vision fails him as Madara said it would. This causes Susano’o to fade away. It is at this moment that Sakura makes her 1,000th dumb move of the series and stops healing Karin to attack Sasuke. She prepares to deliver the final blow, but relives flashbacks with Sasuke and stops short because she just can’t do it. That might as well be printed on her uniform, “Almost good enough to stay out of trouble and be useful.” Okay, okay, she has had a few moments (her fight with Sasori being one, although she had help there) but for the most part she just plays the role of damsel in distress. Sasuke turns to Sakura, grabs her and before he can deliver the finishing strike Naruto flies in from the side and rips her away.
With Sasuke and Naruto facing off for the first time since the restart of the series chapter 485 starts. As Sasuke is distracted Kakashi punches him hard, driving him back into a wall. Naruto, in typical fashion, begins a conversation to try to win over people, seemingly his true greatest ninja power. He says he understands why Sasuke has done everything he has. Sasuke dismisses this and states that he has never felt as good as he did when he killed Danzou looking very convincing in his conviction to do the same to all of Konoha. Madara has twisted Sasuke well.
Before Naruto can begin the attack Kakashi once again tries to take the responsibility of finishing this fight. Naruto asks Kakashi if he is going to kill Sasuke, and when Kakashi responds to leave Naruto has his clones grab him to restrain him and attacks. Just before Chidori and Rasengan clash for the second time, Naruto things how easily their positions could have been switched. Naruto has a tailed beast inside of him and in the original series the village hated him. He was very close to losing control (a VERY brief history lesson for you).
As they clash a conversation takes place in almost a cut scene where Naruto recaps his whole experience with Sasuke. After it all Sasuke responds by stating that it doesn’t matter what Naruto says, he is going to kill everyone he loves in the village unless he stops him. Sasuke tells him to make a choice, kill him and be the hero, or die and become a victim. Naruto says he claims neither and the chapter ends as Naruto is about to state the answer he has agonized over for what seems like the last 30 chapters or more.
For the first time in a while I’m VERY excited for next week in both mangas, and can finally stop confusing myself about what chapter I left off on. Win win for this guy. Until then...
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