So I have finished the Arrancar arc as of a couple days ago and I’m glad I didn’t try to squeeze my thoughts on those last few chapters into this video…because naturally, I need to talk about Yammy for 10 hours. ;) See you next time when we actually finish this arc! -Agamotto 👁️
Once you finish the series, you should review the poems that are in every volume. They are from the character’s perspective, and gain new meaning over the course of the story.
I've been vaguely following your journey for a while, and haven't really spoken before Mr. Eye, but since you're at the crossroads of a one time experience I thought I'd present an idea that will surely be disagreed with by everyone if not have me executed by the Sogyoku.🥲 After you finish Bleach Chapter 422 before continuing on watch Episodes 310 and 317-341 of the anime as well as 342 if you wanted to see where it resumes in Chapter 423 of the Manga. This is an Anime only Arc that I personally think is high quality, but most importantly I think it gives *really* good setup emotionally for the next Arc in the Manga and doesn't hit as hard if it's seen after the fact. A bold ask I'm sure that I don't expect to be entertained, but I thought I'd at least *try* to anyways.
@@dearls921Still unironically think Chad should have been the one to defeat Gremmy because "Gremmy couldn't imagine Chad losing". That would genuinely go so hard
Note that the sword fusing with the arm wasn't restricted to Aizen, as he notes in this similarity with Ichigo. It wasn't just the chain; if you look close, Ichigo's fist has been literally melded with his sword; he wasn't gripping it anymore. This feature isn't there to imply something about Aizen's psyche, but rather to imply something deeper, about soul reaper and zanpaktou bonds in general.
I love Aizen's speech when he's getting sealed, the quote "A winner doesn't dictate how the world is, but rather how the world should be" really stuck with me
Fun fact: the anime version of the Mugetsu completely kills the entire audio. Until it fades, as long as the sky is blacked out, there is NO SOUND. Also im so curious what you're gonna think of the next arc. It gets a lot of hate and I dont understand why. I personally consider it a top 3 arc in the series.
@@agamotto5354 Question: Do you watch the anime after reading the manga before recording these reviews? Asking because watching both sources would be extremely recommended for the final arc (The Thousand Years Blood War). Love your videos, keep it up. Looking forward for your opinion on next arc.
I think a lot of it had to do with the shift in pacing and tone. Arrancar arc moved fast, with a lot of action. Lost Agent is a much slower burn, and, in some ways, is almost Kubo taking a swing at horror. I still love it (as writing goes, it's some of Kubo's best), but I think it works better now that everything is already out there. I suspect I might have been frustrated as a weekly reader back in the day.
People begged Kubo to make an arc different from the previous arcs, he does so, people proceeded to bitch and moan. Next arc is amazing, fuck the haters
"A part of me kind of wants the SK to remain this kind of unknowable thing. To have Aizen go through all of that but still not be able to fully understand is pretty great." God I can't wait for Agamotto to inevitably be like "This is so much better, I'm so glad I didn't get what I wanted" again.
Ichigo went through true introspection, ascending to Godhood, and while he lost his powers, he still has his friends and family. Aizen on the other hand, achieved his Goodhood via fabricated means (the Hōgyoku) and when he lost the battle, he was left isolated and alone, the one thing he truly wanted to break free from. The duality between the two is a fascinating one indeed!
Yes. Ichigo kept his humbleness and humanity while Aizen disregarded it as base and unnecessary, loneliness inevitably took hold. But in the end Aizen was the dog chasing the proverbial car. He would do nothing with his godhood but just sit and look down on everyone as his godly ego says, maybe terrorizing them on occasion. It's a shallow and quite sad existence.
@@manuelacosta9463I do think there is a part of Aizen that wished for a connection with someone. His dynamics with Ichigo, Kaname and even Kisuke seems to support this. Yet, his own lack of wanting to confront those feelings, ultimately lead him into being more isolated then ever. It is a tragic self-fulfulling prophecy.
@@jrgenvellesen7800 Yes. He was too much of an egomaniac. His power and unuiqness drove him to the edge and he could only accociate with people as strong as him, everyone else were ants as far as he was concerned. He could not control Tousen for obvious reasons and that perhaps allowed him to carry himself with him the way he did. But again it was an exception, Aizen only sees the world as fit for his rule however a bloody or empty a tyranny it would be.
@@manuelacosta9463 Indeed. Him not simple killing Tosen knowing he was immune to his power, does support the idea that he wanted someone he could form a bond with. But Kaname feeling that he would have no place in the world Aizen would make, thus leaving without his one confidant, probably made him even less willing to try and form a bond with another. It is quite sad honestly.
Aizen would've eventually caught up to Ichigo if Ichigo hadn't used Mugetsu, which is why he went ahead and used it. Also, people have a habit of undersrlk8ng that "mountain destruction" feat, since it was in Soul Society, it takes exponentially more power to destroy an object made of reiryoku/reishi like a mountain in Soul Society than to destroy an object made of kishi, like a mountain in The World of the Living.
So super cool thing about the names in bleach they show just how connected ichigo and aizen have been since the start Zangetsu - Moon Cutting Sword Kyouka suigetsu - the Moons reflection on the water Mugetsu - Moonless night
Regarding the names Zangetsu and Mugetsu, the moon theming of Ichigo's Zanpakuto appears to have been inherited if Engetsu and Isshin's own variation of Getsuga Tensho is anything to go by.
I've always loved how the height of Aizen's breakdown is him resorting to schoolyard bullying, by calling Kisuke a loser. Like, he's spent this whole series making grandiose speeches about how great and powerful he is, and how he's always been in control of everything, and when all that starts to unravel, Aizen resorts to the simplest insults imaginable.
Ichigo has done the "barely winning" kind of fights so many times, it was refreshing to see him just wipe the floor with Aizen. And he didn't do it with anime protagonist drama, he did it almost reverently, knowing that this would be the end of the war, and the end of his power. I completly understand wishing for a more drawn out and nerve wracking kind of battle though. I have loved your reviews, and will continue to look forward to them as long as they last. We are so close to TYBW Arc! I would really love for you to actually do a reaction video to the show rather than these section by section reviews once you get there. Maybe that's not in the spirit of your channel, but it would be really hype!
A clarification: the reason I want you to watch the TYBW rather than read the manga is because the anime added a lot of material and cleaned up story lines that are missing from the original manga. It would be a shame for you to miss out on that. Plus i love TYBW reactions...
15:56 BTW, this form underlines a crucial subplot in the later parts of BLEACH as a story, specifically the way Ichigo looks with "his" [(Red eyes and Jetblack Hair)] keep an eye out for that
Been watching since you released your first Bleach video, and what a ride it has been. Love how you actually are understanding the story even when the manga does not spoonfeed all the information and a lot is just reading between the lines, which I am honestly very glad you are understanding in your first read and giving Kubo the respect he deserves as an author. Really looking forward to your reaction to the Lost Agent arc, which is SUPER underrated.
Just in case you missed it (likely because it's in the little skits at the end of each episode) but at the moment, Kon has been kidnapped by the Department Of Research And Development (aka Mayuri squad) when they were putting the whole town to sleep. So he's not in Karakura town at the moment. So if you're wondering where he's at, just keep that in mind Here's the skit of him being kidnapped. ua-cam.com/video/8qnhyN0VlE8/v-deo.htmlsi=oySZkL_MtiF-2l0R
I just think the fact that Aizen didn’t use kyoka suigetsu on Ichigo and Urahara because he wanted to prove that he was stronger and smarter than each of them respectfully, just to get overpowered by Ichigo and then outsmarted by Urahara is just so well written.
It's my favorite in the original series as well. It was an arc made solely to be about Ichigo and being thankful to him and for Ichigo to be thankful for everything.
It would be very close to being my favorite, but it took a turn that felt like it diverged from what (or who!!) it should've, at least partially, been about
The most interesting part about aizen defeat, is how some of the espada death aspects come into play. If you think about why yammy was actually the hidden strongest 0 espada. It's cuz aizen strongest and hidden emotion is RAGE. Just like yammy was the hidden strongest espada. We see aizen show much rage and anger after his defeat for the 1st time ever. Its surprising and jarring at 1st but then you start to see who aizen actually is. Also barragan his aspect is aging now that aizen is a true immortal, Aizen will never age that's what barragan death and trying to take aizen down with him was showing us, Aizen has now surpassed the concept of aging that's why barragan blade couldn't reach aizen.
I think all of espada`s aspects of death represent an aspect of Aizen himself as a person, in order. Saw such a theory ones and thought about it quite a lot. He was always so incredibly strong and smart that he simply was too different from other soul reapers around him, especially low ranked ones early in his life that he just couldn`t connect with them, thus he was always "lonely", as Ichigo points out. As a coping mechanism, he convinced himself that he was way above all of them, something absolute, like Baragan and his "aging", so he didn`t need the company of others, because they are supposedly worthless and meaningless compared to him. For that reason, he newer cared about anyone, probably not even himself, easily "sacrificing" whatever and whoever for his plans. The lack of care led to "emptiness", he had nothing an no one valuable to him, so what`s the point of it all? This in turn led to "despair", "despair" - to "destructive" tendencies, him wanting to destroy the current world order because it is flawed, no matter what then - let the world he despises burn. It made him "intoxicated" in his own supposed greatness and exceptionality, leading to "insanity", than to "greed" (for personal power and infinite evolution) and, finally, when it all began to fall apart, by his own doing - to blind "rage". I guess Aizen was always kind of a tragic villain, pretty much a highly functional psychopath who became this way because of how different he was in his natural power and intelligence. This logical sequence of personality aspects which we had partially seen on screen was his personality decay and degradation, which resulted in his will breaking and his control over Hogyocu with it. In a way, Ichigo saved him by defeating him, first fully breaking him emotionally, pushing him to and over his limit both power-wise and mentally, then forcing him to rethink it all while in Muken. Pretty much unintentionally forcefully making him snap out of it before he completely lost himself to his god-complex psychopathy.
@@ВікторСидорчук-э1ф absolutely, adds a whole new layer to the espada as a villain group, and why I never really hated the yammy twist and what it ended up representing for Aizen's own character (despite yammy's individual character being unremarkable at best)
@@STarman-k9p Honestly, Yammy's character is fitting. Isn't rage often shallow? People get angry over the smallest things. That's what Yammy personifies in his base form as the lowest Espada. He is out for brawls but if someone orders him to withdraw, he grumpily does as he is told (just like bickering people can leave it be). However, rage can also be so vast that it consumes all. This is the zeroth Espada. Yammy's evolution escalates more and more with no end in sight. Still, there is always an end to rage; at some point it will have consumed everything, including the one who bore (has born) it. Eventually it is gone without a trace - just like Yammy dies off-screen and Byakuya and Zaraki barely lose a word about it.
Ichigo calmly taking Aizen down and Aizen's increasingly delusional assumptions while absolutely losing it was a highlight. In the end Aizen was literally too smart for his own good, his massive ego dictating too much. Ichigo defended his home and Kisuke corrected the wrong that Aizen set up all those decades ago. Aizen would never care to understand that, but it his actions that led to his defeat.
Aizen's defeat is rather poetic and a lesson to him. He wanted to be the new all powerful king deity but misunderstood in the process he would become something that doesn't mirror Aizen. He would lose who he was and who he is is what mattered most to him. At this point the hogyoku was controlling Aizen, In the TYBW arc he says no one controls Aizen so I guess Aizen now has a clearer vision for himself.
The whole story of Bleach is analogous to the Buddhist "middle-path". It's all about Ichigos spiritual journey and enlightenment. Aizen is also a character trying to take the middle-path but ends up failing in a crucial way. He lacks the spiritual awareness to take it himself so he uses his intellect and the Hogyoku to forcibly break the boundaries between Hollow and Soul Reaper. Aizens confusion in the final fight is evidence that he doesn't understand what it means to be spiritually enlightened. That final form of his also furthers this point. It mimics Ichigos full Hollow transformation + the fusing with the sword. It's a desperate attempt to copy an enlightened being in order to attain it for himself. Being unable to die, in a way does make Aizen a transcendental being but instead of enlightenment he has become an alien monster forced to stew in his own head from here on out.
Aizen turning from an angelic figure in his Butterfly form to an hellish demon is also a relection of his character, which could see a parallel with Lucifer. Anyway, the payback was so satisfying, Ichigo pulled out his drippiest form for the event, Urahara set the trap, but the irony in this outcome is that Aizen lost because of Aizen. He had many chances to remove Ichigo from the board, he chose to do nothing about him, for his personal experiment, obviously not expecting the strawberry to surpass him (especially not in his trascendental status, already above anyone else), but that was perhaps his only error and a fatal one.
Aizen's ascent to godhood being an illusion for himself (because that is not how the world works) is a brilliant point. It also means that in the process of growing and improving himself Aizen went off the rails; his path is inherently wrong, misguided (quite literally, as he turns into a monster instead of a god). Ichigo at that point outclasses Aizen so completely because he has followed the proper path to realise his full potential. He has reached the end of his powers, and that is farther than Aizen has ever come himself, it's beyond Aizen's imagination. That path requires sacrifice, something utterly foreign to Aizen who has always taken what he wanted (albeit for the longest time only subtly and through carefully elaborated schemes), who basically considers the entire world up for grabs as he set out to usurp its order. You point out this diametrical opposition of the characters but don't look at it as something from which the nature of that world could be inferred. This difference in power (as well as Aizen's deterioration after being felled) underlines how grotesque and perverse Aizen's aspiration was. To me, the finality of Mugetsu doesn't have to make up for Ichigo bodying Aizen in this fight, it's just that the thing that stopped (could stop) Aizen at all was something like that and not any less. It's implied later that Aizen is actually immortal, which is why the 46 do not order his execution.
Make sure you remember the design of the final getsuga tensho VERY closely. It's be another one of those "A-HA!" Kubo moments that you have figure out yourself, but when you finally get it later into Bleach it's a super cool catch. No spoilers tho :)
I love that at this point where Ichigo is more connected to his powers and his inner selves than he's ever been up to this point, in particular his Hollow side, he pulls the same kind of petty getback shenanigans with Aizen (catching his sword, throwing his words about retreating back in his face) that his Hollow did with Ulquiorra (appearing to charge from the front, then suddenly grabbing him from the side).
Honestly, the next arc is easily one of my favorites. I am looking forward to your analysis because every time I watch these videos I am greeted with speculation and understanding of themes, ideas, and concepts I would have never noticed without you. Thank you so much see you next video.
No matter how you feel about Bleach, the reveal of Mugetsu and the final getsuga tenshou is probably one of the hardest and most aura filled moments in manga/anime history. Absolutely generational
Aizen losing was such a great moment his rage and speech about about how a victor should speak on how the world should he is so great, I hope you’ll talk about that along with what comes next between the talk Urahara and Ichigo have
The Zanpakto is something I absolutely adore as a weapon and power concept. And there’s still so much more we can learn about it and the evolution. As for Aizen… Yeah there’s a lot to unpack because he’s a very tough character to figure out in the moment. It’s sort of terrifying the only reason Aizen *lost* was because of his arrogance and something else you’ll read. Because he was 100% able to kill Ichigo after Mugetsu. And yeah his entire speech (especially him losing his shit in the anime) was filled with so much fascinating details. Aizen is a legendary fictional villain.
I recommend watching episode 342 before the next arc as although it's filler, it feels like a really good and emotional way of moving you forward to the next canon events.
Get ready for one of the most important, yet misunderstood arcs of the entire Bleach series coming up. Its an underrated masterpiece and narratively speaking, probably the pinacle of the series.
FINALLY IT'S TIME FOR THE FULLBRING ARC! In my opinion, fullbring is tied as the best arc in Bleach with soul society. Can't wait to see your reaction to it
the fact that Aizen cut and Split in half, literally; and then stitches back together had me like "oh noooooo" when I first watched the episode man what a time!!
im surprised you didnt talk about the whole thing where Aizens true desire was to find an equal and at the end he just felt so lonely that he in fact yearned to lose
Kisuke also mentions that his Kido seal would NOT have activated without Ichigo's help. Ichigo pushing Aizen to his limit weakened him enough that Urahara's plan could activate.
17:09 in the episode when Kisuke used the kido, he stated that Aizen really let his guard down, as if Kisuke was glad that Aizen took the hit but also disappointed that a genius as Aizen let the power get to his head.
Aizen loosing his shit as he's slowly starting to realize victory is slipping through his grasp is my favorite part of the entire series. Looking forward to your insights on the next arc. When it originally dropped opinions were mixed. But honestly I do think it aged better then people thought it would a decade ago.
I like how part of Aizen's slide into arrogance and intellectual sloppiness is, in part, due to all the people Aizen perceives as actual threats have been dealt with. He was already very smart and powerful when he was still a captain, but he knew he probably couldn't defeat Yamamoto one-on-one and he acknowledged that Urahara is still smarter than he was. And among that and other minor threats to him he still needed to be cautious, have contingencies. But with all notable names taken care of and him ascending to new power, it solidified in his mind that he was correct so there is no way he could be incorrect about anything else.
Tbh this fight also kinda shows that Ichigo is just as petty as White, both went out of their way to humiliate their opponent by doing something that their opponent did to them just to show how much stronger they are, Ichigo with stopping Aizens sword with one hand and White grabbing Ulquiorra and slamming him into a wall
So something to note about the fights (and this is gonna be far more apparent moving forward) is that Kubo takes a lot of inspiration from Akira Kurosawa, the legendary filmmaker who made films like The Seven Samurai, Fortress of Darkness, etc. In Kurosawa's films, many of fights take an "end before it begins" philosophy. The fights aren't so much about the individual strategies or techniques, but more about the mentality and self-reflection of the characters. You'll see going forward that individual abilities will matter far less than where the character is mentally and spiritually. ESPECIALLY with Ichigo.
A big part about the power difference in this fight is that if it would have been closer, Aizen would just evolve to the next level and win. So this gigantic power gap was needed so he could be beaten before he could catch up and ultimatly win.
So i think this fight is so satisfying because of how completely it dismantles Aizen's beliefs. He thinks because he’s superior he doesn’t need anyone, and instead starts relying on the Hogyoku to go even further. But Ichigo was just better then him, and could still rely on people, getting stronger from introspection not some unnatural force.
The way I see Aizen's Zanpakuto fusing with him is less so that he's being one with it but rather that he subdued it to his will like he did with the Hogyoku. The whole idea of Mugetsu is brilliant and the design starts to make much more sense later on and even the way it works would suddenly make soo much sense when you compare it to something else to where you just gotta go "Oh my god it was right there all along" That whole thing about the Soul King all I will say it's not about Aizen not getting a good look or not understanding it but rather he's outright disgusted by it calling it a thing and I hope later on you understand why it's such a grotesque thing for someone like Aizen. Personally I think Aizen becoming more and more careless the stronger he had become is accurate to his character he is the personification of arrogance imo seeing himself above all else even above the Soul King which Urahara says is the lynchpin for the 3 realms and yet Aizen says it himself that nobody was standing on the top except he who will vacate the empty throne. The fight being one sided is something I also didn't like about the Ulqiora fight which is why the Grimmjow fight is my favorite. Ngl it's hard to make comments when everyone else says everything that needs to be said lmao.
The chain is connected to ichigo during his final attack becuz becoming the blade makes him unable to escape his fate of losing all his shinigami power. He's as powerful as ever and able to topple gods, but he can only do it once before becoming vulnerable. It represents a pyrhic victory. Normally he's all about beating the odds by overcoming fate (see literally all his fights). The final attack puts it all on the line and fate converges for ichigo. Saying all this because that's been a theme of zangetsu and getsuga tenshou since its conception.
15:38 Only real ones notice this and it makes me happy when others realize that him becoming Getsuga looks nothing like Ichigo, Kubology at its finest.
Let's goo! Felt like I was Gin for how long I've been waiting to see this. Glad Don Kannoji and Zennosuke Kuromadani (Imoya-san) were there for this moment.
My take on the fight was that he had to be so overpowering over aizen for the cube thingie (forgot the name and cba to look it up) to reject aizen so the seal would work. If it was a closer fight, it might still have found him worthy, seal not triggered, and evolve further. Could be wrong, but I for one believes that is something Kubo definitely would plan for, write, and not tell us xD
Through the one sided beatdown and brutal defeat, Aizen shed all illusions and revealed who he is and what his motivation is... He shouts why Urahara would not act, when knowing about existence of Soul King. To him, Soul King is not an entity deserving to stand above all. An undeserving ruler, that needs to be toppled. Makes one wonder what does that tell about Soul King. Whichever the case, in Aizen's eyes, someone with his intelligence and abilities is required to act and do something about it. A revolutionary mindset, set on changing the world from it's very core, the linchpin that holds the worlds together. And for grand cause like that, all the atrocities that Aizen have committed that be reinterpreted as necessary sacrifices for sake of that goal.
I think it’s honestly really sad in a way and really works that Ichigo is so far ahead of Aizen here; even ignoring the obvious sacrifice he has to make at the end of all of this, but I find it oddly sombering to have the culmination of an entire arc where our MC who lives to protect others; realises he does… genuinely love battle? And in a way by being so far above Aizen here, he almost had to sacrifice that sentiment too. He realises through Grimmjow and expressed Ulquiorra his hatred for such a defeat, he realises he loves battle, and is robbed of that love of battle, to instead be forced to fight against the stopwatch of evolution itself Ichigo doesn’t have the time or the chance to let this fight go any longer than it *has* to; he’s forced to yet again give totally in to his role as the protector, and act almost solely for the benefit of others; robbing himself again of the elation we now know through this arc he seeks in battle. And in a way is forced to make this a one-sided almost unearned (at least from his P.O.V) wallop; when since SS a part of him was probably longing for a longer, more even, more satisfying way of getting back at the man who destroyed him then, and later was revealed to have planned not only his life, but also to have manhandled the lives of all his previous comrades too For as long as it’s taken Ichigo to get here for as much as Aizen has walloped him over and over to get here; Ichigo finally reaches this point and is forbidden from savouring it. He reaches the pinnacle of power so instantaneously that he can barely call it his own; and is unable to revel in any form of the joy of an even battle, and instead showcases the lethality of overwhelming power both to Aizen and himself. His role is to protect, and this fight reminds him of that over and over. The Final Getsuga Tensho is so mechanical and so robbed of self, that on top of the sacrifices it requires. It literally requires Ichigo to mechanically a technique itself; he *becomes* his technique. He sacrifices his humanity and any chance at a longer, more satisfying bout in exchange to become the exact “Moonless Sky” that extremely mechanically is designed to perfectly counter Aizen’s moon He’s a tool, he’s a machine, he’s forced to become yet again the technique and savior for the people; and is made to demonstrate that all in a fight against the clockwork of evolution itself. So while I think Ichigo walloping Aizen could be considered as primarily Aizen’s humiliation; I think there’s a great degree for sadness for Ichigo asw on top of the obvious sacrifice FGT requires; that he’s almost made to sacrifice the chance at a satisfying, payoff of a bout that we as viewers wished for almost just as much as he did. Being made instead to be immediately hoisted to the pinnacle of power, be made into a “cog” of a technique that serves the express function to defeat Aizen, and immediately lose all those gifts as soon as that role is fulfilled. It’s really sad stuff imo There’s also an angle, that by Ichigo taking on this insurmountable power; that on top of this fight serving to save his obvious friends, family and world. That that is also his way of saving Aizen too. That he sees the inklings of this lonely self-convinced God; and is forced to reach a sentiment of power so above him; as that is the only way he can confirm those suspicions, and act in service of protecting him asw. In some ways I do think Ichigo tried to end this quickly as well, on top of all the other stuff I’ve said; *to* save Aizen, to end this as quickly as possible for him, and put this crying lonely-child of a god out of his humiliation and torment as quickly as he could. Gaining enough power to achieve a miracle (As vocalised by Aizen when Ichigo breaks his Hado 90) is the only way Ichigo believes that he has any chance of conversing with Aizen at all Virtually; everything in this fight from its speed to its techniques is primarily for everyone else’s sake but Ichigo’s. While it’s definitely not fair to say that *none* of it is for him, the majority of it isn’t; with the speed of it being closest to the top of the list of those things he’s designed this fight for others around
oh the Hannibal Lecter scene comment got me laughing so much, and yeah, this battle felt a little weird but it was really well done, specially when you have hindsight about all that the final getsuga tenshou implies for Ichigo, and yeah, the design is really different from what we've seen, and it honestly feels fitting, as for the soul king, yeah, at this point in the manga is such a tease, but yeah, it opens so many questions and possibilities. we still have some goodbyes to have but the arc is basically over, and I'm really curious about how you feel about it as a whole, because it for sure was a wild ride
fusing with ones zanpakuto is the ultimate evolution of a zanpakuto which allows the user to use thier swords powers without needing the sword itself to physically exist thats what that is what Aizen achieved
Loved this video just like I thought I would! Can't wait for your thoughts on the next arc, I'm sure you've already been told that it has many people split between loving it and hating it (some people even try calling it filler even though it's in the manga), Although I have seen the love for it increasing over the years...
This fight is where the characters entered godhood. Never sure whether deicide was either Gin or Ichigo. Or just Aizen who wanted to cut down the soul king
Imo this fight being so one-sided in favour of Ichigo is why it's my 2nd favourite fight of the series as a whole......it shows not only the differences in their growth, but more importantly the differences in THE WAY they growed....Aizen's entire evolution to a transcendent being upto this point has been done through artificial methods, he literally GIVES UP his soul to the Hogyoku, and this is even further substantiated when Aizen decides to denounce his zanpaktou after the fight..........and Ichigo goes through the opposite, he grows by EMBRACING his Soul, embracing his individuality despite having danced around in Aizen's palms his whole life, EMBRACING ZANGETSU Aizen and Ichigo truly are polar opposites in more ways than one, from their journey throughout the story, their growth, to the conclusion of this fight, wherein they both parallel each other by essentially losing their powers but through very different means, Ichigo through his own conscious choices and being honest with himself and Aizen through his subconscious desire to be weak and not alone, something he couldn't ever recognize due to always ignoring his own soul (again, shown through him deciding his zanpaktou to be unnecessary after the fight) and that's why their dynamic is one of the best in the series, and one of the best protag-antag dynamics in all of fiction imo
for the longest time i thought that aizens monster form was the hogyoku forcing aizen to become the horse and it to become the king referencing what "white" said to ichigo in his hollowfication training. Meaning the hogyoku took control of aizen to try to finish the fight that aizen is taking way to lightly.
-if you compare the transformations that aizen had you will notice small details, for example. -aizen before gin stabbed him did not have wings and the hogyoku was on his chest but it was not visible ,after gin stabs him and aizen evolves now aizen grows wings and the hogyoku is visible on his chest. -and when he faced ichigo you can see that the hogyoku made him evolve again but this time the hogyoku is completely visible on aizen's chest and also now he has more wings and in them he has eyes, -then when aizen grabs ichigo and surrounded him with his wings his eyes open to see ichigo up close. not even the hogyoku understood what was happening 💀🔥
There's a lot of hidden messages in this fight. You really need to spend time to think and sink it in. Ichigo chose to accept his power and cherish his friends to obtain his power. Aizen chose to abandon himself/ Zanpakuto and people to obtain similar power. They both became transcended, but Ichigo's ideology won. Yet there is also a side of Ichigo where he became someone everyone expected him to be. All the captains and everyone wanted him to be a hero. He achieved the peak power but ended up being sad. Look closely, ichigo just look depressed and lost himself. He's not himself anymore. Then he hit rock bottom and lost it all.
Something that you didn´t mention is how much Ichigo looks like Old Man Zangetsu while holding the Mugetsu form, it´s a cool detail that will become important later on
Well i feel the "real aizen mask" interpretation was a bit of the Arrancar arc was personally a way Kubo did to blur the line between Shinigami and Hollow
Next arc I think is the best the anime was ever handled in the original run and personally I think it's worth to watch without skipping, bc even in like the soul society arc and anything afterwards there's shit that I skip, be it long recaps, filler episodes checking in with kon or just a fight that I don't care much for or that they managed horribly, not this next arc they did excellent
Something i heard is that during the arrancar arc, Kubo had a lot of problems with his editor, who constantly told Kubo that the story was "going too fast" or "going too slow", which messed with the pacing and a lot of the arc suffered for that (one of the biggest examples being Yammy)
Yeah, slow with Yammy back and forth story telling, and too fast with Aizen fight (I am talking about the whole fight sequence up to him leaving Fake Karakura). It is never a good thing where the "strongest" minion gets off-screened, worst, dying after the opponents returned home.
Aizen's downfall is some of Kubo's best work. Bleach uses Zanpakuto to not so subtly set up a battle of wills, and those help paint a lot of the character stories within the show. Urahara and Ichigo defeating him is great and all, but Aizen's Zanpakuto spelling out his breakdown and defeat is so much sweeter.
Great video also one advice ill give you is read the light novels too you will understand about more characters deeply and meet new ones which include new backstories and new bankais and interactions
So I have finished the Arrancar arc as of a couple days ago and I’m glad I didn’t try to squeeze my thoughts on those last few chapters into this video…because naturally, I need to talk about Yammy for 10 hours. ;) See you next time when we actually finish this arc! -Agamotto 👁️
Yammy's dog is the best part about him.
Once you finish the series, you should review the poems that are in every volume. They are from the character’s perspective, and gain new meaning over the course of the story.
I've been vaguely following your journey for a while, and haven't really spoken before Mr. Eye, but since you're at the crossroads of a one time experience I thought I'd present an idea that will surely be disagreed with by everyone if not have me executed by the Sogyoku.🥲
After you finish Bleach Chapter 422 before continuing on watch Episodes 310 and 317-341 of the anime as well as 342 if you wanted to see where it resumes in Chapter 423 of the Manga. This is an Anime only Arc that I personally think is high quality, but most importantly I think it gives *really* good setup emotionally for the next Arc in the Manga and doesn't hit as hard if it's seen after the fact. A bold ask I'm sure that I don't expect to be entertained, but I thought I'd at least *try* to anyways.
I'm ready to defend Yammy's bumbling behind.
10 ````0
Now that the fodder are out of the way, it is time for Yammy's tattoo to turn into a -1
But that's because the espadas go from -1 to 8
It's fine, Chad is still in Hueco Mundo and I can't imagine him losing
@@DarrielOni Lmao imagine if it wasn't -1 but √-1. His Espada number is imaginary. 😭
@@dearls921Still unironically think Chad should have been the one to defeat Gremmy because "Gremmy couldn't imagine Chad losing".
That would genuinely go so hard
Finally, he's going to meet our favorite Uncle!
He's our only uncle!
Meeet? He's been there throughout our whole journey, don't u remember
All time classic agamoto co-host
Hey, are you talking about that guy? Hell yeah, that guy helped me bounce back when I was in massive debt.
That guy helped me battle my addiction to heroine and was there when I fell off the wagon. He's truly our one and true friend.
Note that the sword fusing with the arm wasn't restricted to Aizen, as he notes in this similarity with Ichigo. It wasn't just the chain; if you look close, Ichigo's fist has been literally melded with his sword; he wasn't gripping it anymore.
This feature isn't there to imply something about Aizen's psyche, but rather to imply something deeper, about soul reaper and zanpaktou bonds in general.
I'm sure there must be a catchy way of saying that. Maybe it could be the title of a chapter or something if there was...
I love Aizen's speech when he's getting sealed, the quote "A winner doesn't dictate how the world is, but rather how the world should be" really stuck with me
Fun fact: the anime version of the Mugetsu completely kills the entire audio. Until it fades, as long as the sky is blacked out, there is NO SOUND.
Also im so curious what you're gonna think of the next arc. It gets a lot of hate and I dont understand why. I personally consider it a top 3 arc in the series.
Yes! I loved that. Added to the moment for sure.
@@agamotto5354 Question: Do you watch the anime after reading the manga before recording these reviews? Asking because watching both sources would be extremely recommended for the final arc (The Thousand Years Blood War).
Love your videos, keep it up. Looking forward for your opinion on next arc.
He does@@gustavmetal
Lost agent is genuinely such an amazing arc i really dont know ehy people hate it
I think a lot of it had to do with the shift in pacing and tone.
Arrancar arc moved fast, with a lot of action.
Lost Agent is a much slower burn, and, in some ways, is almost Kubo taking a swing at horror.
I still love it (as writing goes, it's some of Kubo's best), but I think it works better now that everything is already out there. I suspect I might have been frustrated as a weekly reader back in the day.
Remember how the Hougyoku grants wishes, even the subconscious ones? Aizen lost. Think about that for a second.
Here comes the most controvertial and misunderstud arc of Bleach. I actually love this arc and know that you'll be able to see what makes it great.
same
We trust
People begged Kubo to make an arc different from the previous arcs, he does so, people proceeded to bitch and moan. Next arc is amazing, fuck the haters
"A part of me kind of wants the SK to remain this kind of unknowable thing. To have Aizen go through all of that but still not be able to fully understand is pretty great."
God I can't wait for Agamotto to inevitably be like "This is so much better, I'm so glad I didn't get what I wanted" again.
Ichigo went through true introspection, ascending to Godhood, and while he lost his powers, he still has his friends and family.
Aizen on the other hand, achieved his Goodhood via fabricated means (the Hōgyoku) and when he lost the battle, he was left isolated and alone, the one thing he truly wanted to break free from.
The duality between the two is a fascinating one indeed!
Yes. Ichigo kept his humbleness and humanity while Aizen disregarded it as base and unnecessary, loneliness inevitably took hold. But in the end Aizen was the dog chasing the proverbial car. He would do nothing with his godhood but just sit and look down on everyone as his godly ego says, maybe terrorizing them on occasion. It's a shallow and quite sad existence.
Great point!
@@manuelacosta9463I do think there is a part of Aizen that wished for a connection with someone. His dynamics with Ichigo, Kaname and even Kisuke seems to support this. Yet, his own lack of wanting to confront those feelings, ultimately lead him into being more isolated then ever. It is a tragic self-fulfulling prophecy.
@@jrgenvellesen7800 Yes. He was too much of an egomaniac. His power and unuiqness drove him to the edge and he could only accociate with people as strong as him, everyone else were ants as far as he was concerned. He could not control Tousen for obvious reasons and that perhaps allowed him to carry himself with him the way he did. But again it was an exception, Aizen only sees the world as fit for his rule however a bloody or empty a tyranny it would be.
@@manuelacosta9463 Indeed. Him not simple killing Tosen knowing he was immune to his power, does support the idea that he wanted someone he could form a bond with. But Kaname feeling that he would have no place in the world Aizen would make, thus leaving without his one confidant, probably made him even less willing to try and form a bond with another. It is quite sad honestly.
Aizen would've eventually caught up to Ichigo if Ichigo hadn't used Mugetsu, which is why he went ahead and used it.
Also, people have a habit of undersrlk8ng that "mountain destruction" feat, since it was in Soul Society, it takes exponentially more power to destroy an object made of reiryoku/reishi like a mountain in Soul Society than to destroy an object made of kishi, like a mountain in The World of the Living.
So super cool thing about the names in bleach they show just how connected ichigo and aizen have been since the start
Zangetsu - Moon Cutting Sword
Kyouka suigetsu - the Moons reflection on the water
Mugetsu - Moonless night
Regarding the names Zangetsu and Mugetsu, the moon theming of Ichigo's Zanpakuto appears to have been inherited if Engetsu and Isshin's own variation of Getsuga Tensho is anything to go by.
I wonder what you’ll think of the next arc. There’s a lot of opinions out there!
I've personally enjoyed it honestly. It has a differente tone, new cute tsundere girl, and lastly my uncle is a pretty great and carismatic character.
I love it.
I've always loved how the height of Aizen's breakdown is him resorting to schoolyard bullying, by calling Kisuke a loser. Like, he's spent this whole series making grandiose speeches about how great and powerful he is, and how he's always been in control of everything, and when all that starts to unravel, Aizen resorts to the simplest insults imaginable.
"You've gotten sloppy and weak you never would've got hit by that move before"
"And you ugh..... you're a loser"
Ichigo has done the "barely winning" kind of fights so many times, it was refreshing to see him just wipe the floor with Aizen. And he didn't do it with anime protagonist drama, he did it almost reverently, knowing that this would be the end of the war, and the end of his power.
I completly understand wishing for a more drawn out and nerve wracking kind of battle though.
I have loved your reviews, and will continue to look forward to them as long as they last. We are so close to TYBW Arc! I would really love for you to actually do a reaction video to the show rather than these section by section reviews once you get there. Maybe that's not in the spirit of your channel, but it would be really hype!
A clarification: the reason I want you to watch the TYBW rather than read the manga is because the anime added a lot of material and cleaned up story lines that are missing from the original manga. It would be a shame for you to miss out on that. Plus i love TYBW reactions...
@@Jerome616 Agamotto both reads the manga and watches the anime, in this order.
@ I’m aware, but I’m interested in watching him watch it. I would still like him to review the manga however.
15:56 BTW, this form underlines a crucial subplot in the later parts of BLEACH as a story, specifically the way Ichigo looks with "his" [(Red eyes and Jetblack Hair)] keep an eye out for that
I hope when he the understand the connection between "him" and that form knows the truth
He's so close
He's so close to THAT Arc
It will break him
Been watching since you released your first Bleach video, and what a ride it has been.
Love how you actually are understanding the story even when the manga does not spoonfeed all the information and a lot is just reading between the lines, which I am honestly very glad you are understanding in your first read and giving Kubo the respect he deserves as an author.
Really looking forward to your reaction to the Lost Agent arc, which is SUPER underrated.
Just in case you missed it (likely because it's in the little skits at the end of each episode) but at the moment, Kon has been kidnapped by the Department Of Research And Development (aka Mayuri squad) when they were putting the whole town to sleep. So he's not in Karakura town at the moment. So if you're wondering where he's at, just keep that in mind
Here's the skit of him being kidnapped.
ua-cam.com/video/8qnhyN0VlE8/v-deo.htmlsi=oySZkL_MtiF-2l0R
I just think the fact that Aizen didn’t use kyoka suigetsu on Ichigo and Urahara because he wanted to prove that he was stronger and smarter than each of them respectfully, just to get overpowered by Ichigo and then outsmarted by Urahara is just so well written.
The Next Arc is my favorite. I'm really looking forward to listen your opinions 😁
Wow that a unpopular opinion that arc is many ppl least favorite arc
It's my favorite in the original series as well. It was an arc made solely to be about Ichigo and being thankful to him and for Ichigo to be thankful for everything.
It would be very close to being my favorite, but it took a turn that felt like it diverged from what (or who!!) it should've, at least partially, been about
It's my favorite as well, although it could have implemented some aspects in a better way.
@@youmeltube Yes, I think the same about the that turn. However, I think it's my favorite arc still.
The most interesting part about aizen defeat, is how some of the espada death aspects come into play.
If you think about why yammy was actually the hidden strongest 0 espada. It's cuz aizen strongest and hidden emotion is RAGE. Just like yammy was the hidden strongest espada. We see aizen show much rage and anger after his defeat for the 1st time ever. Its surprising and jarring at 1st but then you start to see who aizen actually is.
Also barragan his aspect is aging now that aizen is a true immortal, Aizen will never age that's what barragan death and trying to take aizen down with him was showing us, Aizen has now surpassed the concept of aging that's why barragan blade couldn't reach aizen.
you, my brother, speak the same language as me, bar for bar word for word...
we might be soulmates, you know😆
I think all of espada`s aspects of death represent an aspect of Aizen himself as a person, in order. Saw such a theory ones and thought about it quite a lot. He was always so incredibly strong and smart that he simply was too different from other soul reapers around him, especially low ranked ones early in his life that he just couldn`t connect with them, thus he was always "lonely", as Ichigo points out. As a coping mechanism, he convinced himself that he was way above all of them, something absolute, like Baragan and his "aging", so he didn`t need the company of others, because they are supposedly worthless and meaningless compared to him. For that reason, he newer cared about anyone, probably not even himself, easily "sacrificing" whatever and whoever for his plans. The lack of care led to "emptiness", he had nothing an no one valuable to him, so what`s the point of it all? This in turn led to "despair", "despair" - to "destructive" tendencies, him wanting to destroy the current world order because it is flawed, no matter what then - let the world he despises burn. It made him "intoxicated" in his own supposed greatness and exceptionality, leading to "insanity", than to "greed" (for personal power and infinite evolution) and, finally, when it all began to fall apart, by his own doing - to blind "rage". I guess Aizen was always kind of a tragic villain, pretty much a highly functional psychopath who became this way because of how different he was in his natural power and intelligence. This logical sequence of personality aspects which we had partially seen on screen was his personality decay and degradation, which resulted in his will breaking and his control over Hogyocu with it. In a way, Ichigo saved him by defeating him, first fully breaking him emotionally, pushing him to and over his limit both power-wise and mentally, then forcing him to rethink it all while in Muken. Pretty much unintentionally forcefully making him snap out of it before he completely lost himself to his god-complex psychopathy.
@@ВікторСидорчук-э1ф absolutely, adds a whole new layer to the espada as a villain group, and why I never really hated the yammy twist and what it ended up representing for Aizen's own character (despite yammy's individual character being unremarkable at best)
@@STarman-k9p Honestly, Yammy's character is fitting.
Isn't rage often shallow? People get angry over the smallest things.
That's what Yammy personifies in his base form as the lowest Espada. He is out for brawls but if someone orders him to withdraw, he grumpily does as he is told (just like bickering people can leave it be).
However, rage can also be so vast that it consumes all.
This is the zeroth Espada. Yammy's evolution escalates more and more with no end in sight.
Still, there is always an end to rage; at some point it will have consumed everything, including the one who bore (has born) it. Eventually it is gone without a trace - just like Yammy dies off-screen and Byakuya and Zaraki barely lose a word about it.
@xCorvus7x oh wow, never thought of it like that, thnx man
Ichigo calmly taking Aizen down and Aizen's increasingly delusional assumptions while absolutely losing it was a highlight. In the end Aizen was literally too smart for his own good, his massive ego dictating too much. Ichigo defended his home and Kisuke corrected the wrong that Aizen set up all those decades ago. Aizen would never care to understand that, but it his actions that led to his defeat.
you have NO IDEA on how long ive been waiting for this🔥🔥
Aizen's defeat is rather poetic and a lesson to him. He wanted to be the new all powerful king deity but misunderstood in the process he would become something that doesn't mirror Aizen. He would lose who he was and who he is is what mattered most to him. At this point the hogyoku was controlling Aizen, In the TYBW arc he says no one controls Aizen so I guess Aizen now has a clearer vision for himself.
The whole story of Bleach is analogous to the Buddhist "middle-path". It's all about Ichigos spiritual journey and enlightenment.
Aizen is also a character trying to take the middle-path but ends up failing in a crucial way. He lacks the spiritual awareness to take it himself so he uses his intellect and the Hogyoku to forcibly break the boundaries between Hollow and Soul Reaper.
Aizens confusion in the final fight is evidence that he doesn't understand what it means to be spiritually enlightened. That final form of his also furthers this point. It mimics Ichigos full Hollow transformation + the fusing with the sword. It's a desperate attempt to copy an enlightened being in order to attain it for himself.
Being unable to die, in a way does make Aizen a transcendental being but instead of enlightenment he has become an alien monster forced to stew in his own head from here on out.
Aizen turning from an angelic figure in his Butterfly form to an hellish demon is also a relection of his character, which could see a parallel with Lucifer.
Anyway, the payback was so satisfying, Ichigo pulled out his drippiest form for the event, Urahara set the trap, but the irony in this outcome is that Aizen lost because of Aizen. He had many chances to remove Ichigo from the board, he chose to do nothing about him, for his personal experiment, obviously not expecting the strawberry to surpass him (especially not in his trascendental status, already above anyone else), but that was perhaps his only error and a fatal one.
Aizen's ascent to godhood being an illusion for himself (because that is not how the world works) is a brilliant point.
It also means that in the process of growing and improving himself Aizen went off the rails; his path is inherently wrong, misguided (quite literally, as he turns into a monster instead of a god).
Ichigo at that point outclasses Aizen so completely because he has followed the proper path to realise his full potential. He has reached the end of his powers, and that is farther than Aizen has ever come himself, it's beyond Aizen's imagination.
That path requires sacrifice, something utterly foreign to Aizen who has always taken what he wanted (albeit for the longest time only subtly and through carefully elaborated schemes), who basically considers the entire world up for grabs as he set out to usurp its order.
You point out this diametrical opposition of the characters but don't look at it as something from which the nature of that world could be inferred.
This difference in power (as well as Aizen's deterioration after being felled) underlines how grotesque and perverse Aizen's aspiration was.
To me, the finality of Mugetsu doesn't have to make up for Ichigo bodying Aizen in this fight, it's just that the thing that stopped (could stop) Aizen at all was something like that and not any less.
It's implied later that Aizen is actually immortal, which is why the 46 do not order his execution.
Oh boy we were getting closer to my second favorite antagonist mostach king
Make sure you remember the design of the final getsuga tensho VERY closely. It's be another one of those "A-HA!" Kubo moments that you have figure out yourself, but when you finally get it later into Bleach it's a super cool catch. No spoilers tho :)
I love that at this point where Ichigo is more connected to his powers and his inner selves than he's ever been up to this point, in particular his Hollow side, he pulls the same kind of petty getback shenanigans with Aizen (catching his sword, throwing his words about retreating back in his face) that his Hollow did with Ulquiorra (appearing to charge from the front, then suddenly grabbing him from the side).
15:09 He becomes the blade itself...
Weird!
The time has come.....
Honestly, the next arc is easily one of my favorites. I am looking forward to your analysis because every time I watch these videos I am greeted with speculation and understanding of themes, ideas, and concepts I would have never noticed without you. Thank you so much see you next video.
No matter how you feel about Bleach, the reveal of Mugetsu and the final getsuga tenshou is probably one of the hardest and most aura filled moments in manga/anime history. Absolutely generational
Aizen losing was such a great moment his rage and speech about about how a victor should speak on how the world should he is so great, I hope you’ll talk about that along with what comes next between the talk Urahara and Ichigo have
Remember his final Getsuga Tensho form design in detail.
The Zanpakto is something I absolutely adore as a weapon and power concept. And there’s still so much more we can learn about it and the evolution.
As for Aizen…
Yeah there’s a lot to unpack because he’s a very tough character to figure out in the moment. It’s sort of terrifying the only reason Aizen *lost* was because of his arrogance and something else you’ll read. Because he was 100% able to kill Ichigo after Mugetsu. And yeah his entire speech (especially him losing his shit in the anime) was filled with so much fascinating details. Aizen is a legendary fictional villain.
I recommend watching episode 342 before the next arc as although it's filler, it feels like a really good and emotional way of moving you forward to the next canon events.
Get ready for one of the most important, yet misunderstood arcs of the entire Bleach series coming up. Its an underrated masterpiece and narratively speaking, probably the pinacle of the series.
Really really really EXCITED to see you read fullbring arc and my favourite arc Thousand Year Blood War!
FINALLY IT'S TIME FOR THE FULLBRING ARC! In my opinion, fullbring is tied as the best arc in Bleach with soul society. Can't wait to see your reaction to it
It was different, but still satisfying. It really fits the characters and the plot, even if it might not have been what fans expected or wanted.
15:12 he said the Thing😂😮
Now that you have reached the end of the Arrancar arc, you should read the short story "Nestle to Night".
the fact that Aizen cut and Split in half, literally; and then stitches back together had me like "oh noooooo" when I first watched the episode man what a time!!
Notice Aizen sheds his face literally while Ichigo covers his in their strongest forms.
im surprised you didnt talk about the whole thing where Aizens true desire was to find an equal and at the end he just felt so lonely that he in fact yearned to lose
It's always great to see Ichigo get his get back and revenge for Aizen stopping that version of his theme forever
to say without spoilers. the next big arcs big bad is a nice reflection of aizen in a way. they're like poetry and rhyme
He didn't expect someone to be willing to give up everything all of their power to win because he was never willing to give up any power
Kisuke also mentions that his Kido seal would NOT have activated without Ichigo's help. Ichigo pushing Aizen to his limit weakened him enough that Urahara's plan could activate.
17:09 in the episode when Kisuke used the kido, he stated that Aizen really let his guard down, as if Kisuke was glad that Aizen took the hit but also disappointed that a genius as Aizen let the power get to his head.
Aizen loosing his shit as he's slowly starting to realize victory is slipping through his grasp is my favorite part of the entire series.
Looking forward to your insights on the next arc. When it originally dropped opinions were mixed. But honestly I do think it aged better then people thought it would a decade ago.
I like how part of Aizen's slide into arrogance and intellectual sloppiness is, in part, due to all the people Aizen perceives as actual threats have been dealt with. He was already very smart and powerful when he was still a captain, but he knew he probably couldn't defeat Yamamoto one-on-one and he acknowledged that Urahara is still smarter than he was. And among that and other minor threats to him he still needed to be cautious, have contingencies. But with all notable names taken care of and him ascending to new power, it solidified in his mind that he was correct so there is no way he could be incorrect about anything else.
Tbh this fight also kinda shows that Ichigo is just as petty as White, both went out of their way to humiliate their opponent by doing something that their opponent did to them just to show how much stronger they are, Ichigo with stopping Aizens sword with one hand and White grabbing Ulquiorra and slamming him into a wall
6:55 You'll understand why this fight was one sided... And you'll understand why ichigo looked like that in his final form... Just wait
So something to note about the fights (and this is gonna be far more apparent moving forward) is that Kubo takes a lot of inspiration from Akira Kurosawa, the legendary filmmaker who made films like The Seven Samurai, Fortress of Darkness, etc. In Kurosawa's films, many of fights take an "end before it begins" philosophy. The fights aren't so much about the individual strategies or techniques, but more about the mentality and self-reflection of the characters. You'll see going forward that individual abilities will matter far less than where the character is mentally and spiritually. ESPECIALLY with Ichigo.
A big part about the power difference in this fight is that if it would have been closer, Aizen would just evolve to the next level and win.
So this gigantic power gap was needed so he could be beaten before he could catch up and ultimatly win.
Ichigo hasn’t fully embraced himself yet. You’ve gotta hang tight for TYBW.
So i think this fight is so satisfying because of how completely it dismantles Aizen's beliefs. He thinks because he’s superior he doesn’t need anyone, and instead starts relying on the Hogyoku to go even further. But Ichigo was just better then him, and could still rely on people, getting stronger from introspection not some unnatural force.
The way I see Aizen's Zanpakuto fusing with him is less so that he's being one with it but rather that he subdued it to his will like he did with the Hogyoku.
The whole idea of Mugetsu is brilliant and the design starts to make much more sense later on and even the way it works would suddenly make soo much sense when you compare it to something else to where you just gotta go "Oh my god it was right there all along"
That whole thing about the Soul King all I will say it's not about Aizen not getting a good look or not understanding it but rather he's outright disgusted by it calling it a thing and I hope later on you understand why it's such a grotesque thing for someone like Aizen.
Personally I think Aizen becoming more and more careless the stronger he had become is accurate to his character he is the personification of arrogance imo seeing himself above all else even above the Soul King which Urahara says is the lynchpin for the 3 realms and yet Aizen says it himself that nobody was standing on the top except he who will vacate the empty throne.
The fight being one sided is something I also didn't like about the Ulqiora fight which is why the Grimmjow fight is my favorite.
Ngl it's hard to make comments when everyone else says everything that needs to be said lmao.
Ironically Aizen's final hollowfication isn't him putting on a mask like the Vizards but his regular face spliting to act as his mask
that thing is truly beyond comprehension
The chain is connected to ichigo during his final attack becuz becoming the blade makes him unable to escape his fate of losing all his shinigami power. He's as powerful as ever and able to topple gods, but he can only do it once before becoming vulnerable. It represents a pyrhic victory. Normally he's all about beating the odds by overcoming fate (see literally all his fights). The final attack puts it all on the line and fate converges for ichigo.
Saying all this because that's been a theme of zangetsu and getsuga tenshou since its conception.
15:38 Only real ones notice this and it makes me happy when others realize that him becoming Getsuga looks nothing like Ichigo, Kubology at its finest.
Let's goo! Felt like I was Gin for how long I've been waiting to see this. Glad Don Kannoji and Zennosuke Kuromadani (Imoya-san) were there for this moment.
My take on the fight was that he had to be so overpowering over aizen for the cube thingie (forgot the name and cba to look it up) to reject aizen so the seal would work.
If it was a closer fight, it might still have found him worthy, seal not triggered, and evolve further.
Could be wrong, but I for one believes that is something Kubo definitely would plan for, write, and not tell us xD
Through the one sided beatdown and brutal defeat, Aizen shed all illusions and revealed who he is and what his motivation is... He shouts why Urahara would not act, when knowing about existence of Soul King. To him, Soul King is not an entity deserving to stand above all. An undeserving ruler, that needs to be toppled. Makes one wonder what does that tell about Soul King. Whichever the case, in Aizen's eyes, someone with his intelligence and abilities is required to act and do something about it. A revolutionary mindset, set on changing the world from it's very core, the linchpin that holds the worlds together. And for grand cause like that, all the atrocities that Aizen have committed that be reinterpreted as necessary sacrifices for sake of that goal.
Aizen is both powerful and smart. That's why he was defeated by both Ichigo and Urahara: one is more powerful than Aizen and one is smarter than Aizen
Excited to see you react to the next arc, it's always been my personal favourite but very controversial for a lot of people.
I think it’s honestly really sad in a way and really works that Ichigo is so far ahead of Aizen here; even ignoring the obvious sacrifice he has to make at the end of all of this, but I find it oddly sombering to have the culmination of an entire arc where our MC who lives to protect others; realises he does… genuinely love battle?
And in a way by being so far above Aizen here, he almost had to sacrifice that sentiment too. He realises through Grimmjow and expressed Ulquiorra his hatred for such a defeat, he realises he loves battle, and is robbed of that love of battle, to instead be forced to fight against the stopwatch of evolution itself
Ichigo doesn’t have the time or the chance to let this fight go any longer than it *has* to; he’s forced to yet again give totally in to his role as the protector, and act almost solely for the benefit of others; robbing himself again of the elation we now know through this arc he seeks in battle. And in a way is forced to make this a one-sided almost unearned (at least from his P.O.V) wallop; when since SS a part of him was probably longing for a longer, more even, more satisfying way of getting back at the man who destroyed him then, and later was revealed to have planned not only his life, but also to have manhandled the lives of all his previous comrades too
For as long as it’s taken Ichigo to get here for as much as Aizen has walloped him over and over to get here; Ichigo finally reaches this point and is forbidden from savouring it. He reaches the pinnacle of power so instantaneously that he can barely call it his own; and is unable to revel in any form of the joy of an even battle, and instead showcases the lethality of overwhelming power both to Aizen and himself. His role is to protect, and this fight reminds him of that over and over. The Final Getsuga Tensho is so mechanical and so robbed of self, that on top of the sacrifices it requires. It literally requires Ichigo to mechanically a technique itself; he *becomes* his technique. He sacrifices his humanity and any chance at a longer, more satisfying bout in exchange to become the exact “Moonless Sky” that extremely mechanically is designed to perfectly counter Aizen’s moon
He’s a tool, he’s a machine, he’s forced to become yet again the technique and savior for the people; and is made to demonstrate that all in a fight against the clockwork of evolution itself. So while I think Ichigo walloping Aizen could be considered as primarily Aizen’s humiliation; I think there’s a great degree for sadness for Ichigo asw on top of the obvious sacrifice FGT requires; that he’s almost made to sacrifice the chance at a satisfying, payoff of a bout that we as viewers wished for almost just as much as he did. Being made instead to be immediately hoisted to the pinnacle of power, be made into a “cog” of a technique that serves the express function to defeat Aizen, and immediately lose all those gifts as soon as that role is fulfilled. It’s really sad stuff imo
There’s also an angle, that by Ichigo taking on this insurmountable power; that on top of this fight serving to save his obvious friends, family and world. That that is also his way of saving Aizen too. That he sees the inklings of this lonely self-convinced God; and is forced to reach a sentiment of power so above him; as that is the only way he can confirm those suspicions, and act in service of protecting him asw. In some ways I do think Ichigo tried to end this quickly as well, on top of all the other stuff I’ve said; *to* save Aizen, to end this as quickly as possible for him, and put this crying lonely-child of a god out of his humiliation and torment as quickly as he could. Gaining enough power to achieve a miracle (As vocalised by Aizen when Ichigo breaks his Hado 90) is the only way Ichigo believes that he has any chance of conversing with Aizen at all
Virtually; everything in this fight from its speed to its techniques is primarily for everyone else’s sake but Ichigo’s. While it’s definitely not fair to say that *none* of it is for him, the majority of it isn’t; with the speed of it being closest to the top of the list of those things he’s designed this fight for others around
oh the Hannibal Lecter scene comment got me laughing so much, and yeah, this battle felt a little weird but it was really well done, specially when you have hindsight about all that the final getsuga tenshou implies for Ichigo, and yeah, the design is really different from what we've seen, and it honestly feels fitting, as for the soul king, yeah, at this point in the manga is such a tease, but yeah, it opens so many questions and possibilities.
we still have some goodbyes to have but the arc is basically over, and I'm really curious about how you feel about it as a whole, because it for sure was a wild ride
fusing with ones zanpakuto is the ultimate evolution of a zanpakuto which allows the user to use thier swords powers without needing the sword itself to physically exist thats what that is what Aizen achieved
Loved this video just like I thought I would!
Can't wait for your thoughts on the next arc, I'm sure you've already been told that it has many people split between loving it and hating it (some people even try calling it filler even though it's in the manga), Although I have seen the love for it increasing over the years...
Can't wait for the upcoming reviews cause I remember the next big arc in the story, but i can't remember the stuff between here and there
Now that Agamotto has hit this part, he can watch the rebirth of souls character trailers with no fear of spoilers!! (unless the game goes past FKT)
This fight is where the characters entered godhood. Never sure whether deicide was either Gin or Ichigo. Or just Aizen who wanted to cut down the soul king
Now my favorite arc begins. And now for the oblygatory begging for TYBW live reactions 😂😂😂
Very interested in how you feel about the next arc. I loved it and I have a feeling you might also. And so, once more into the Bleach!
Imo this fight being so one-sided in favour of Ichigo is why it's my 2nd favourite fight of the series as a whole......it shows not only the differences in their growth, but more importantly the differences in THE WAY they growed....Aizen's entire evolution to a transcendent being upto this point has been done through artificial methods, he literally GIVES UP his soul to the Hogyoku, and this is even further substantiated when Aizen decides to denounce his zanpaktou after the fight..........and Ichigo goes through the opposite, he grows by EMBRACING his Soul, embracing his individuality despite having danced around in Aizen's palms his whole life, EMBRACING ZANGETSU
Aizen and Ichigo truly are polar opposites in more ways than one, from their journey throughout the story, their growth, to the conclusion of this fight, wherein they both parallel each other by essentially losing their powers but through very different means, Ichigo through his own conscious choices and being honest with himself and Aizen through his subconscious desire to be weak and not alone, something he couldn't ever recognize due to always ignoring his own soul (again, shown through him deciding his zanpaktou to be unnecessary after the fight)
and that's why their dynamic is one of the best in the series, and one of the best protag-antag dynamics in all of fiction imo
for the longest time i thought that aizens monster form was the hogyoku forcing aizen to become the horse and it to become the king referencing what "white" said to ichigo in his hollowfication training. Meaning the hogyoku took control of aizen to try to finish the fight that aizen is taking way to lightly.
I'm excited for the next arc.
A lot of people have mixed views on it, but I think you personally will enjoy it
-if you compare the transformations that aizen had you will notice small details, for example.
-aizen before gin stabbed him did not have wings and the hogyoku was on his chest but it was not visible ,after gin stabs him and aizen evolves now aizen grows wings and the hogyoku is visible on his chest.
-and when he faced ichigo you can see that the hogyoku made him evolve again but this time the hogyoku is completely visible on aizen's chest and also now he has more wings and in them he has eyes,
-then when aizen grabs ichigo and surrounded him with his wings his eyes open to see ichigo up close. not even the hogyoku understood what was happening 💀🔥
the end of an era. o7
*rubbing my hands* can't wait for the next arc.. :D
There's a lot of hidden messages in this fight. You really need to spend time to think and sink it in. Ichigo chose to accept his power and cherish his friends to obtain his power. Aizen chose to abandon himself/ Zanpakuto and people to obtain similar power. They both became transcended, but Ichigo's ideology won. Yet there is also a side of Ichigo where he became someone everyone expected him to be. All the captains and everyone wanted him to be a hero. He achieved the peak power but ended up being sad. Look closely, ichigo just look depressed and lost himself. He's not himself anymore. Then he hit rock bottom and lost it all.
Aizen decided to pull a Ganondorf and just not die to the point he has to be sealed away.
Cant wait for the next video starting the Yammy arc!!
Finally we've got final getsuga!
Something that you didn´t mention is how much Ichigo looks like Old Man Zangetsu while holding the Mugetsu form, it´s a cool detail that will become important later on
Well i feel the "real aizen mask" interpretation was a bit of the Arrancar arc was personally a way Kubo did to blur the line between Shinigami and Hollow
YEEEAAAAAHHHH!!! I just sounded like a cod zombie irl…. 😅
Can’t wait to watch this episode
Next arc I think is the best the anime was ever handled in the original run and personally I think it's worth to watch without skipping, bc even in like the soul society arc and anything afterwards there's shit that I skip, be it long recaps, filler episodes checking in with kon or just a fight that I don't care much for or that they managed horribly, not this next arc they did excellent
Something i heard is that during the arrancar arc, Kubo had a lot of problems with his editor, who constantly told Kubo that the story was "going too fast" or "going too slow", which messed with the pacing and a lot of the arc suffered for that (one of the biggest examples being Yammy)
Yeah, slow with Yammy back and forth story telling, and too fast with Aizen fight (I am talking about the whole fight sequence up to him leaving Fake Karakura). It is never a good thing where the "strongest" minion gets off-screened, worst, dying after the opponents returned home.
So that Kido that Aizen used against Ichigo, its the same Kido Aizen used to one shot komamura back in soul society
yeah, but this one was full incantation while transformed, way more powerful here.
Aizen's downfall is some of Kubo's best work. Bleach uses Zanpakuto to not so subtly set up a battle of wills, and those help paint a lot of the character stories within the show. Urahara and Ichigo defeating him is great and all, but Aizen's Zanpakuto spelling out his breakdown and defeat is so much sweeter.
Wake up baby agamotto just dropped peak
Great video also one advice ill give you is read the light novels too you will understand about more characters deeply and meet new ones which include new backstories and new bankais and interactions
now comes my favoritw arc cant wait to see how you like it. its a really good arc for itchigo
you're gonna love it when you find out the history of the soul king and its lore implications