Haven't been around for a while and I'm sorry for that. Family issues + Schoolwork piling up (should be doing that) But I couldn't let this chapter pass by without mention. Why? Simple reason
I.SO.CALLED.IT
It's chapter 444 people and it's the ULQUIORRA Number. And while many psychotic people where fantasizing about Ulquiorra coming back (I was just fantasizing about a color page but oh well, I'll settle with what I got) at least the first character to appear this week was Ulquiorra, even if it was just flashback. I don't know if Kubo did it on purpose, but it seriously made my day. (And it's the Ulquiorra month to top it. Really, I couldn't be happier)
But moving on to the actual chapter, after two weeks of so-so chapters I was starting to get dismotivated, but really, this week was great. The pace was nice and Kubo kept us always on the line with the right amount of suspense right until the end.
I got a bit frustrated with Ichigo and Jackie shouting at each other whilst I didn't understand what was going on at all, it was confusing and I didn't really know if Ichigo should stop being so stubborn or if Jackie should just let him be (though it looked like the former). And without Riruka around it was kind of stressing because there was no way out.
What I didn't like was that Kugo said Tsukishima's "Book of the End" can only "cut through anything". Really? That's its only ability? I'm so disappointed. The "sword that cuts everything" has been done ever since Shura's Excalibur (Saint Seiya) and probably before (and even CLAMP used it in Card Captor Sakura). It's been done to death. With such an awesome name I expected something amazing, Kubo has always been the kind of guy to come up with awesome techniques (look at Kyoraku's, it's just... it still makes me fansqueal). Even Dirty Boots, no matter how unoriginal the technique in itself is (getting stronger... nooo waaay) has a unique taste to it because it gets powered up through dirt. I expected an awesome character like Tsukishima to have an awesome power. I really hope he's hiding something or that Kugo was lying *sigh*
As I said at the beginning the tension was built perfectly with Tsukishima's entrance (though his teasing was a bit... too much for my taste) and attacking the Dollhouse (well, fishtank). The final picture was a masterpiece, with Ichigo being finally enveloped in his Shihakusho.
What do I think about it? I don't know. I think it's too soon for him to have his powers back even if I do want him to get them back because this trainings haven't been really as satisfying or exciting as one would expect (though the Bankai training wasn't really awesomesauce imho). I've seen people saying his powers aren't back because he didn't hear Zangetsu's voice and whatnot, I don't really know. I don't know how you go from Fullbring to getting Shinigami powers either, that's what rings me the most. We don't see his zanpakuto, but he's holding something. But he's clearly wearing a shihakusho, so... I'm not going to call on either, rather wait for next week to give me the answer. What I'm hoping to see is, regardless of whether his powers are back or no, is what kind of ability this transformation of the badge is going to bring, if he got his powers, will he recover them fully or what will he have to do to go back to the stage he was in prior to his Dangai Training? And if not, of course I want to see how he'll cronfront Tsukishima