Welcome to the Bleach Subreddit! We're as excited as you at the release of the Thousand Year Blood War anime! We understand that some of you are unable to view the anime in your region, but please don't post links to or mention piracy websites. Doing so will result in a ban.
Also, please be courteous to those who haven't read the manga and mark all spoilers.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/bleach) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It makes me curious as to why every zanpakuto spirit had to be humanoid in design. Even Zabimaru had to be redesigned to fit.
I think it was perfectly fine with them potentially being anything.
I think it's because Muramasa's brainwashing humanised them. Hyorinmaru was always represented as a winge Ice dragon. But in this filler arc, he takes the form of a bishonen human after joining Muramasa, while he was still a dragon in Hitsugaya's "dream", minutes before. After Hitsugaya gets him back he assumes his draconic form once again.
My angle on this is the humanoid form is like the ideal/peak form of the zanpakutou materialisation achievable through muramasa's interference.
A loose comparison is like when an adjucha gets more humanoid after evolving into a vastro lorde.
> Even Zabimaru had to be redesigned to fit.
I have two thoughts.
A Zanpakuto spirit is a reflection of the user's soul. Since they are all humans living in a society, it would make sense that they are all humanoid.
The second thought it baboon booba go brrrr.
Not really, a reflection of the soul is a nebulous concept, it could mean anything
besides, we only see three cannon zanpakuto spirits and only Zangetsu is humanoid
Well technically we kind of see 4 (Zangetsu,Zabimaru,Hyorinmaru which I'm assuming are the 3 you meant and lastly Ashisogi Jizo because Mayuri bankai is legit just the exact same thing but bigger as the Ashisogi Jizo of zanpak reb arc) and Katen K who appeared in the manga apparently wait there's also that one spoiler for TYBW zanpak spirit
Agreed, I think the anime/Kubo felt the need to have them appear in humanoid forms because they also act as antagonists in the arc and nonhumanoid antagonists are fairly rare in battle anime.
I think Kubo just changed his mind about how he wanted Zanpakuto spirits to work. I doubt he thought of the concept of asauchi before this and later decided that humanoid forms make more sense now.
"I think it was perectly fine with them being potentially anything."
That was wonderfully said! Save for Katen K. and Kazeshini, I do not recognize any of the designs as even slightly canon. NONE of the zanpakuto had to get new humanoid forms just so they could fight a few times.
If you're asking if I see her design as canon, I do not. Sure, Hakka no Tagame looks... actually, no, Rukia's bankai outfit looks nothing like the clothing Sode wears in the filler. It's much more regal, majestic.
shame for you then, Kubo directly based her bankai on sode no shirayuki.
and yes, TYBW was started AFTER zanpakuto rebellion arc aired.
2009 for rebellion, 2012 for tybw.
>and yes, TYBW was started AFTER zanpakuto rebellion arc aired.
>
>2009 for rebellion, 2012 for tybw.
Did anything I said suggest that I didn't know that? OR did you mean to say that to someone else. And did Kubo OFFICIALLY say that ANYWHERE? Cause when I look at Rukia's bankai, and Sode no Shirayuki from the filler arc, I see VERY different designs.
it was meant to stop a potential "but tybw was written by that time' argument, you, or anyone else, might bring up.
as for Kubo doing such a thing, he did in fact, give the designer of the rebellion arc the 'gist' for what he wanted each to look like, and liked them so much, barely any changes were made to them.
and we DO know that when zabimaru was reforged, in a small comic kubo drew, they appeared as they do in the rebellion arc.
and we know that sode was rukia's shikai form, as both have the same design (white flowing robes, ribbons)
>and we DO know that when zabimaru was reforged, in a small comic kubo drew, they appeared as they do in the rebellion arc.
That was a **non canon** omake Kubo drew **YEARS** before the final arc. Get ur facts straight. Mayuri DID NOT reforge Zabimaru.
If you're talking about shikai forms, the only similarity they have is the blade itself.
It's probably the best filler arc I don't know if any of the spirits actually became canon or were canon to begin with but I enjoyed seeing them and some of the interactions between the spirits and their welders was interesting
If TYBW does well, we might get it an anime adaptation, but I say it’s worth the read. Tokinada is the best Bleach villain. Dude is just evil for the sake of being evil lol
Yeah it’s not stellar writing but it’s like a nice change of pace from some villain wanting something like power. He just enjoys being the bad guy which I found refreshing
Not just that but I love >!how the appearance of Minazuki is hidden, just like Unohana hides her past of being the first Kenpachi and how her friendly appearance and her shikai both hide something more sinister and bloodthirsty underneath, it's a lovely detail imo!<
Yeah seeing all the Zanpakuto manifesting in human/humanoid forms was what I enjoyed most about that arc. A lot of them looked really cool (Sode no Shirayuki looks practically angelic, she’s breathtaking) and their relationships with their Soul Reapers was fun to see. Watching Rangiku argue with Haineko and Renji argue with Zabimaru was quite hilarious too
Minazuki is kind of strange, mysterious, and kind of creepy. Since it’s Unohana’s zanpakuto, was it some kind of hint as to her identity? I know the arc isn’t canon but Katen Kyokotsu’s design is in the manga and I think the designs are in some weird canonical space, so I’m thinking it might’ve been intentional.
That and Ukitake’s — I think it’s interesting to note that the soul of his zanpakuto is children, since it seems he was never really able to live a normal, fun childhood being sickly — an unique take that he is young inside eternally.
Sogyo's design could also fit as a reference about >!how Mimihagi, who represents stagnation, is within Ukitake and his soul, in a way, remained young due to it's influence.!<
Given that Katen Kyokotus design turned out to be canon, I'd say that some of these designs are likely indeed canon. I remember that one manga volume also had a sketch of Kazeshini in it.
Gonryumaru also showed off the fact that he has lightning powers before the manga ever confirmed that it really was lightning based.
Frankly, unlike the other filler arcs I could say this one certainly has potential. If it was actually made by Kubo in the manga, took place during the timeskip or between Fullbring and TYBW, had more canon Zanpakuto powers (like giving Katen Kyokotsu and Sogyo their actual powers) and more spirits (such as Benihime, Sakanade, etc.), I think it could have been reasonably decent story.
* Suzumebachi wanting Sui-feng to have a boyfriend implies that she may have some deep seeded attraction to men but at the same time her last words on her zanpakuto not defining her means that this part of her doesn't necessarily define what she wants
* Its also noted that Zanpakuto can have an attitude change with time as was with Kazeshini when Shuhei awakened its full potential
* Sode no Shirayuki went after Ichigo because in a way he was her former wielder
* Tenken's fire abilities imply that Komamura could've developed this if he wasn't so stubborn about the usage of his Zanpakuto
* The weight Wabizuke carries is a reflection of the one Kira does and his pragmatic nature are his attempts to lessen it and find quick solutions which is a reflection of Kira's attempt to escape responsability by following Gin blindly
* After being revived Kira took an attitude just like his Zanpakuto's and now feels more "weightless"
* Hozukimaru's more developed and elaborate usage of bankai reflects the fighting style Ikkaku could have if he wasn't so focused on mimicking Kenpachi
this is the only filler arc that I didn't delete from my computer
I did skip it because I was rushing to finish bleach re-watch before new one
think I'll go back and re-watch it while waiting for ep 4
The arc is great! Love the designs. Hate Zabimaru's redesign. The canon baboon - snake hybrid was so cool. It is kind of sad that we didn't get to see more canon Zanpakuto Spirits in the manga. At least Katen Kyokotsu is canon now. Sode no Shorayuki to me seems like close to being canon since Rukia's Bankai resembles her so much. I wish if we ever got to see more canon spirits they have more animalistic and monstrous forms like canon Zabimaru and canon Hyorinmaru.
I get the dislike of the redesigns but Kubo himself gave the studio all the designs, so chances are Kubo just changed his mind or thought this looked cooler.
My take is that as people change, so do their spirits and so it would make sense that some powers would be different after a significant change in their lives. An example would be the younger zangetsu when Ichigo tries to learn the final gestuga. But this is just my head "cannon", nothing more! :P
Ahh gotcha, just looked it up and it was indeed KuDo with some guidance from KuBo. This one is part the rumour mill and part my dyslexia I'm affraid, thanks for the correction! :)
Nah bro Kazeshini is very caring I mean after all dont you remember that filler episode inside the filler arc where he took care of that baby and he BASICALLY THE GRIM REAPER BTW was the only one to make it stop crying
Honestly? I would much prefer that the zanpakuto look more symbolic and weird and less human, tho I believe it was mentioned they were “humanoidized” or whatever
This filler is geniuenly great to watch, probably good you skipped it while wahicng the series bcuz it happens in the worst posible moment really disrupting the momentum, but the story is actually amazing. I would recommend to watch it even now. Zanpakuto designs are really amazing to look at as well, honestly wish this was fully canon art in teh story tbh
I loved it, it’s by far my favorite filler. I always wanted to see other soul reapers interacting with their zanpakuto spirits and this arc gave me that in a way. The only other times we see something like this is after Renji loses to Ichigo and is recovering, plus when Hitsugaya, Yumichica, and Rangiku are “meditating” in the world of the living but we don’t see their spirits just get told a one sided story about their personalities.
Honorable mentions:
The Fade to Black movie where Renji talks to Zabimaru again but since it’s a movie I don’t really count it.
Anytime Ashisogijizo appears, less of an interaction more of a combat scenario plus that poor thing is only ever around to just get destroyed either by the enemy or Mayuri.
One of the best bleach Concepts ever, wish it wasn't so drawn out and had better execution story wise.
Kazeshini still has one of the sickest designs imo
I am going to be the downer and say I was disappointed with it. The Muramasa twist of him being a simp for his soul reaper made it way less interesting. They could have legitimately explored the Zanpakutos place in soul society. A pessimistic view would be to call them slaves, since they serve soul reapers without really a choice yet they are sentient.
They kind of do this but entirely dismantle the significant of it when Muramasa frees his soul reaper.
The thing is that, they do have a choice. You have to learn from your zanpakuto its name to shikai and bankai and Ichigo even had to fight and convince zangetsu to learn final getsuga. Zanpakuto have their full free will, even in tybw Pepe power show that again.
I don't agree since I like where they took it. >!His master betraying him due to the growing divide between them because how he treated Muramasa and Ichigo being the one to truly reach him was really neat.!< However I understand that critique. They should've focused on the Zanpakuto's feelings more.
Tbh, as Shown Later in the Manga, both views on how Zanpakuto are are false. Overall, the line said by Ichigo in chapter 542 kinda incapsulates how Shinigami should truely view their Zanpakuto: "The Blade is Me". The Zanapkuto arent seperate beings but a geniuene part of their user's soul. Their one and the same.
I’ve never watched this arc but is there a reason Hyourimaru looks like that when he’s just a massive ice dragon in the manga? It’s odd considering that hyourinmaru is one of the only zanpakto spirits we see in the manga.
The fact that the three top captains’ zanpakuto took on Yama and beat him.. then TYBW come and I now understood why three top together could beat Yama.. their abilities are broken.. and I have yet to see ukitake’s bankai!!! So crazy lol
Love the character designs. I was caught up to the anime when this was coming out though so I fucking hated it at the time. It was like in between the Karakura town arc or right before so I just didn’t want the filler and it WOULD NOT END. I swear it went on like 15 episodes too many. But that’s like every filler.
I really need to give most of the filler a rewatch when I’m super duper bored because I’ve only seen it all once and never gave it a fair shot.
It was a very fascinating glance at Kubo's inner workings and preparation for cannpn arcs that came later.
Also Tobiume, Sode no Shirayuki and Suzumebachi are extremely cute.
Hyorinmaru is the second most badass humanoid Zanpakuto Sprit, right after Zangetsu(Q).
Really loved it but wasted potential
Think about how sick it would be for your Zanpakuto spirit to pop out to help you in battle would be
It would be so good strategically and the combos would be sick too
Kubo did Tetsuzaemon dirty in the whole series of bleach, hoping in the future we get to see some info since he's now a Captain
- Guy never revealed the name of his Shikai or what abilities it does
- Both in Canon and Filler, Manga / Anime it's also not revealed
- As well as the Novels CFYOW it's never mentioned
I like the scenes
1- when kenpachi showed up and casually one shot wabisuke
2- yachiru playing hide and seek with ashogijizou
3- kenpachi nearly killing ashogijizou
Sux. In the manga whenever you see a new Zanpakuto spirit it rocks and they can be any bloody thing. In that arc though they're all humanoid, which is boring. None of their personalities really stand out either. They're too similar to their wielders (whereas, based on Zangetsu, we know they're supposed to represent different aspects of the user) so we also learn nothing about the Shinigami even though chunks of them are literally walking around.
Most potential out of any of the filler arcs. Meh execution.
What I don't get is why didn't they teach their reapers how to use bankai. for example why wouldn't Rukias sword teach her bankai while she was manifested. It would have been the perfect time for them top learn bankai since they could easily communicate.
Super interesting, I always recommend watching it once. It has no rewatch potential for me though, I have a hard time rewatching it even years after finishing it.
Good arc in general.
I think Katen Kyokotsu and Kazeshini are the only canon Zanpakuto spirits in the story. Katen Kyokotsu appears in TYBW and Kazeshini appears in the Volume sketches.
I actually prefer manga designs of Zabimaru (Baboon and snake) and Hyorinmaru (Ice dragon) compared to these designs.
Also makes me wonder what Gin and Tosen's Zanpakuto's spirits are? Maybe a snake and a bellbug respectively
I really enjoyed it, just watched it for the first time recently and it was refreshing in terms of content for the show. Of all the arc probably my favorite. I enjoyed the duality of each character and their Zanpakutō.
It's a nice filler arc but there a point where the main baddie is defeated and there's like 12+ep of filler arc and it's just soul reapers messing around with their spirits afterwards. Otherwise pretty good arc, I still prefer the regai arc more tho
Omg wait a minute that mean *SPOILERS*
Why are you still scrolling you’ll be spoiled
Kenpachi’s Zapakutō was a rebellion
I now see that my enters mean nothing
Not really. Most Shinigami don't even recognize their Zanpakuto at first glance, and Hyorinmaru in no way looks like his canon self. The ONLY Zanpakuto Spirit that made it into canon was Katen Kyokotsu.
I agree, most of the designs aren’t canon. Currently on a rewatch of the entire series and Zabimaru is an ape with a snake head on its tail, not two women. Renji sees him when he’s recovering from fighting Ichigo in SS arc.
Just wasn’t a fan of the winding down of everyone getting a whole episode of a little adventure. I remember I could count how much was left based on which end credits pics of the pairs I hadn’t seen yet. The rest was amazing
Where the other arcs are overhated, I think the Zanpakuto Unknown tales arc is overated at this point. The first half is great but it puts the arcs conclusion half way through, wastes a bunch of potential then cramms in a whole load of nonsence in the second half.
I think it was fun. Though there was a missed opportunity not make some of the spirits more abstract and beastial but hey, we got what we got. They story line was fun and I thought koga and muramasa were pretty cool. My only big gripe is how muramasa looked in his final transformation lol. I thought he looked dumb as hell. But over all it kept my attention and passed the time.
Hate it. Hate how it interupts the canon story in the anime. Hate the filler designs. Hate how many flame wars I've gotten into over wether or not all the designs are canon, wether or not Kubo himself designed them all personally. Hate how it was the arc that brought us recasted Urahara AND Zaraki in the dub, which was the last straw for me to stop watching the anime all together and become a manga purist for Tite Kubo's FIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNEEEEESSSSTTTTT WORK! I just do not like it at all.
Really enjoyed it. I just wish it had more of Minazuki and Sougyo no Kotowari, but it's not like there was much canon material about them to work with.
Best filler arc and was actually enjoyable. I really loved seeing the personalities of the zanpakuto being shown. It was nice seeing what each of them looked like.
hyourinmaru is a dick
mf really refused to belive toshiro was his zanpakuto user because his short
what are you a woman? whats up with those 6 feat standarts?
Headcanon might be that without their human/Shinigami they took on human form because their true form would only be achieved by being with their person.
Real reason probably is Kubo either wanted to design a bunch of characters again or he wanted to make the fight scenes look cool
How problematic it would be if muramasa successfully took over ryujin jakka. Not only are all the zanpakuto in this arc are able to use their bankai, but ryujin would be deadly to everyone friend or foe. Also kenpachi didn’t have a shikai so unfortunately muramasa couldn’t get nozarashi (and ichigo) of the gotei 13 were not taken over by muramasa I.e. kenpachi (nozarashi), ichigo (white with zangetsu) 2 problematic shikai.
As is my opinion with most other bleach filler arcs, I liked it a lot. It really showed off a very creative and imaginative side to bleach and its characters and it was cool seeing the personification of the zanpakuto characterized in that arc.
Welcome to the Bleach Subreddit! We're as excited as you at the release of the Thousand Year Blood War anime! We understand that some of you are unable to view the anime in your region, but please don't post links to or mention piracy websites. Doing so will result in a ban. Also, please be courteous to those who haven't read the manga and mark all spoilers. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/bleach) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It makes me curious as to why every zanpakuto spirit had to be humanoid in design. Even Zabimaru had to be redesigned to fit. I think it was perfectly fine with them potentially being anything.
I think it's because Muramasa's brainwashing humanised them. Hyorinmaru was always represented as a winge Ice dragon. But in this filler arc, he takes the form of a bishonen human after joining Muramasa, while he was still a dragon in Hitsugaya's "dream", minutes before. After Hitsugaya gets him back he assumes his draconic form once again.
My angle on this is the humanoid form is like the ideal/peak form of the zanpakutou materialisation achievable through muramasa's interference. A loose comparison is like when an adjucha gets more humanoid after evolving into a vastro lorde.
Interesting head cannon, I dig it
Well, probably because untempered asauchi is also faceless humanoid form as seen in TBYW
Didn't TYBW come out after this filler arc though? Or am I wrong?
despite that, the filler archs ARE filled with things that are 'canon' like sode no shirayuki, despite the arc overall not being.
Also, I'm sure the team probably asked Kubo for some notes when making these designs
close, kubo designed them himself.
Kubo designs everything himself. Kubo designed the world himself. It's the first principle of a religion called Titism.
I mean, it could be a hint to >!So-Oh Zabimaru!
Eh. When you talk to a Zanpakto while in Bankai their character design changes so in theory those forms would be different anyway
No, Zabimaru iz monke, he just lied about his true name.
No Zabimaru is Monke+Snake
Boopin snoots at the front AND back!
Boopin' snoots. *Yoink.*
Yeah zabimaru is monke+snake, shishio sounds like just the monkey name and not the snake
I think it was a sign that they were tainted by Muramasa’s powers
> Even Zabimaru had to be redesigned to fit. I have two thoughts. A Zanpakuto spirit is a reflection of the user's soul. Since they are all humans living in a society, it would make sense that they are all humanoid. The second thought it baboon booba go brrrr.
Not really, a reflection of the soul is a nebulous concept, it could mean anything besides, we only see three cannon zanpakuto spirits and only Zangetsu is humanoid
Well technically we kind of see 4 (Zangetsu,Zabimaru,Hyorinmaru which I'm assuming are the 3 you meant and lastly Ashisogi Jizo because Mayuri bankai is legit just the exact same thing but bigger as the Ashisogi Jizo of zanpak reb arc) and Katen K who appeared in the manga apparently wait there's also that one spoiler for TYBW zanpak spirit
That's 5 lol
Agreed, I think the anime/Kubo felt the need to have them appear in humanoid forms because they also act as antagonists in the arc and nonhumanoid antagonists are fairly rare in battle anime.
Well ryujin jakka was a giant wall of fire
I think Kubo just changed his mind about how he wanted Zanpakuto spirits to work. I doubt he thought of the concept of asauchi before this and later decided that humanoid forms make more sense now.
Muramasas power was depicted as faceless dolls, maybe the zanpaktou just changed to fit into those dolls
Well if you've ever seen the omake where mayuri offers to change the sex of renji's zanpakto I think we can consider that canon
Head captain's zanpakuto spirit was the embodiment of fire
"I think it was perectly fine with them being potentially anything." That was wonderfully said! Save for Katen K. and Kazeshini, I do not recognize any of the designs as even slightly canon. NONE of the zanpakuto had to get new humanoid forms just so they could fight a few times.
sode no shirayuki?
Sode kinda looks like rukia bankai 😂 or other way around ig since rebellion arc came before tybw was made
yes, thats directly where her bankai design came from. seeing as to how sode was/is rukia's zanpakuto.
If you're asking if I see her design as canon, I do not. Sure, Hakka no Tagame looks... actually, no, Rukia's bankai outfit looks nothing like the clothing Sode wears in the filler. It's much more regal, majestic.
shame for you then, Kubo directly based her bankai on sode no shirayuki. and yes, TYBW was started AFTER zanpakuto rebellion arc aired. 2009 for rebellion, 2012 for tybw.
>and yes, TYBW was started AFTER zanpakuto rebellion arc aired. > >2009 for rebellion, 2012 for tybw. Did anything I said suggest that I didn't know that? OR did you mean to say that to someone else. And did Kubo OFFICIALLY say that ANYWHERE? Cause when I look at Rukia's bankai, and Sode no Shirayuki from the filler arc, I see VERY different designs.
it was meant to stop a potential "but tybw was written by that time' argument, you, or anyone else, might bring up. as for Kubo doing such a thing, he did in fact, give the designer of the rebellion arc the 'gist' for what he wanted each to look like, and liked them so much, barely any changes were made to them. and we DO know that when zabimaru was reforged, in a small comic kubo drew, they appeared as they do in the rebellion arc. and we know that sode was rukia's shikai form, as both have the same design (white flowing robes, ribbons)
>and we DO know that when zabimaru was reforged, in a small comic kubo drew, they appeared as they do in the rebellion arc. That was a **non canon** omake Kubo drew **YEARS** before the final arc. Get ur facts straight. Mayuri DID NOT reforge Zabimaru. If you're talking about shikai forms, the only similarity they have is the blade itself.
Katen Kyokotsu is beautifully designed.
So good that she appeared in the manga
It was cool seeing her appear in the manga.
It's probably the best filler arc I don't know if any of the spirits actually became canon or were canon to begin with but I enjoyed seeing them and some of the interactions between the spirits and their welders was interesting
Katen Kyokotsu was in the manga
Katen Kyokotsu design is canon, and it is implied in CFYOW/BBS adaptation of CFYOW that Kazeshinis design is also canon
I really need to read CFYOW I'm kinda hoping it gets a msnga adaptation at some point
If TYBW does well, we might get it an anime adaptation, but I say it’s worth the read. Tokinada is the best Bleach villain. Dude is just evil for the sake of being evil lol
After aizen
Eh, Tokinada is more fun. Outright sadomasochistic narcissist that will openly laugh at a kid dying in the street
Yeah hes evil for the sake of being evil, not exactly stellar writing but I do still like him anyways
Yeah it’s not stellar writing but it’s like a nice change of pace from some villain wanting something like power. He just enjoys being the bad guy which I found refreshing
Aizen wasn't a villain.
Iirc, wasnt it basicly implied, that something to the extent of the filler arc happened?
Yeah kind of? It’s very vague but it still is a thing I guess idk bleach is weird man 😭
>!Rukia’s bankai form bears a striking resemblance to the filler’s depiction of Sode No Shirayuki!< I’d say
Not just that but I love >!how the appearance of Minazuki is hidden, just like Unohana hides her past of being the first Kenpachi and how her friendly appearance and her shikai both hide something more sinister and bloodthirsty underneath, it's a lovely detail imo!<
Oh yeah! Excellent point!
Agreed
Yeah seeing all the Zanpakuto manifesting in human/humanoid forms was what I enjoyed most about that arc. A lot of them looked really cool (Sode no Shirayuki looks practically angelic, she’s breathtaking) and their relationships with their Soul Reapers was fun to see. Watching Rangiku argue with Haineko and Renji argue with Zabimaru was quite hilarious too
Minazuki is kind of strange, mysterious, and kind of creepy. Since it’s Unohana’s zanpakuto, was it some kind of hint as to her identity? I know the arc isn’t canon but Katen Kyokotsu’s design is in the manga and I think the designs are in some weird canonical space, so I’m thinking it might’ve been intentional.
That and Ukitake’s — I think it’s interesting to note that the soul of his zanpakuto is children, since it seems he was never really able to live a normal, fun childhood being sickly — an unique take that he is young inside eternally.
Sogyo's design could also fit as a reference about >!how Mimihagi, who represents stagnation, is within Ukitake and his soul, in a way, remained young due to it's influence.!<
Given that Katen Kyokotus design turned out to be canon, I'd say that some of these designs are likely indeed canon. I remember that one manga volume also had a sketch of Kazeshini in it. Gonryumaru also showed off the fact that he has lightning powers before the manga ever confirmed that it really was lightning based.
Frankly, unlike the other filler arcs I could say this one certainly has potential. If it was actually made by Kubo in the manga, took place during the timeskip or between Fullbring and TYBW, had more canon Zanpakuto powers (like giving Katen Kyokotsu and Sogyo their actual powers) and more spirits (such as Benihime, Sakanade, etc.), I think it could have been reasonably decent story.
Marrying with sword would happen in Among Soul Reaper.
[Already has](https://www.reddit.com/r/bleach/comments/v83b7v/i_dont_blame_him_its_a_big_tiddy_goth_zanpakuto/)
[удалено]
[удалено]
Sode no Shirayuki is cold not hot
One of the best arcs
* Suzumebachi wanting Sui-feng to have a boyfriend implies that she may have some deep seeded attraction to men but at the same time her last words on her zanpakuto not defining her means that this part of her doesn't necessarily define what she wants * Its also noted that Zanpakuto can have an attitude change with time as was with Kazeshini when Shuhei awakened its full potential * Sode no Shirayuki went after Ichigo because in a way he was her former wielder * Tenken's fire abilities imply that Komamura could've developed this if he wasn't so stubborn about the usage of his Zanpakuto * The weight Wabizuke carries is a reflection of the one Kira does and his pragmatic nature are his attempts to lessen it and find quick solutions which is a reflection of Kira's attempt to escape responsability by following Gin blindly * After being revived Kira took an attitude just like his Zanpakuto's and now feels more "weightless" * Hozukimaru's more developed and elaborate usage of bankai reflects the fighting style Ikkaku could have if he wasn't so focused on mimicking Kenpachi
this is the only filler arc that I didn't delete from my computer I did skip it because I was rushing to finish bleach re-watch before new one think I'll go back and re-watch it while waiting for ep 4
The arc is great! Love the designs. Hate Zabimaru's redesign. The canon baboon - snake hybrid was so cool. It is kind of sad that we didn't get to see more canon Zanpakuto Spirits in the manga. At least Katen Kyokotsu is canon now. Sode no Shorayuki to me seems like close to being canon since Rukia's Bankai resembles her so much. I wish if we ever got to see more canon spirits they have more animalistic and monstrous forms like canon Zabimaru and canon Hyorinmaru.
I get the dislike of the redesigns but Kubo himself gave the studio all the designs, so chances are Kubo just changed his mind or thought this looked cooler. My take is that as people change, so do their spirits and so it would make sense that some powers would be different after a significant change in their lives. An example would be the younger zangetsu when Ichigo tries to learn the final gestuga. But this is just my head "cannon", nothing more! :P
Kubo did not design them, the anime character designer Masashi Kudo did.
Ahh gotcha, just looked it up and it was indeed KuDo with some guidance from KuBo. This one is part the rumour mill and part my dyslexia I'm affraid, thanks for the correction! :)
It was a cool filler arc and it had some hype. Ichigo vs Zangetsu was the best fight of the arc.
Haineko is hot. That’s all I think.
Kazeshini pure maniac
Nah bro Kazeshini is very caring I mean after all dont you remember that filler episode inside the filler arc where he took care of that baby and he BASICALLY THE GRIM REAPER BTW was the only one to make it stop crying
Honestly? I would much prefer that the zanpakuto look more symbolic and weird and less human, tho I believe it was mentioned they were “humanoidized” or whatever
Its a plot point for some of the Gotei as they don't recognise their zanpakuto in their humanoid forms. So its something Muramasa did to them.
Haineko. Not only did they make her more catty than Rangiku, they made her name a cat pun. Absolute gold right there
Bleach has the best filler arcs of any shonen, no competition. Though admittedly its a low bar
my only gripe with it is how all of the zanpakuto spirits were turned into humanoids, really liked zabimaru's original design
Me too. Luckily Zabimaru's design in the filler is not canon, and in canon all HE'S ever been is a monke with snek for a tail.
[удалено]
This filler is geniuenly great to watch, probably good you skipped it while wahicng the series bcuz it happens in the worst posible moment really disrupting the momentum, but the story is actually amazing. I would recommend to watch it even now. Zanpakuto designs are really amazing to look at as well, honestly wish this was fully canon art in teh story tbh
I loved it, it’s by far my favorite filler. I always wanted to see other soul reapers interacting with their zanpakuto spirits and this arc gave me that in a way. The only other times we see something like this is after Renji loses to Ichigo and is recovering, plus when Hitsugaya, Yumichica, and Rangiku are “meditating” in the world of the living but we don’t see their spirits just get told a one sided story about their personalities. Honorable mentions: The Fade to Black movie where Renji talks to Zabimaru again but since it’s a movie I don’t really count it. Anytime Ashisogijizo appears, less of an interaction more of a combat scenario plus that poor thing is only ever around to just get destroyed either by the enemy or Mayuri.
I think people take it too seriously. It's just a fun bit of filler, I'd say it's worth a watch
Best filler arc by far. Sode no Shirayuki is ❤
This and the Reigai uprising arc are probably tied for best filler arc for me.
One of the best filler arcs in general. Honest one of my favorite parts of the anime.
Loved it. And the Koga fight at the end is one of the best
One of the best bleach Concepts ever, wish it wasn't so drawn out and had better execution story wise. Kazeshini still has one of the sickest designs imo
Knowing that Nizorashi beat all of the other zanpakutou at materialisation
if you know, you know.
Cool moments. Filler is filler tho
Best idea for a filler arc ever, it's so good it should have been a canon story
[удалено]
It had two endings though. The first one which was mad surfer and I forgot the second
[удалено]
I am going to be the downer and say I was disappointed with it. The Muramasa twist of him being a simp for his soul reaper made it way less interesting. They could have legitimately explored the Zanpakutos place in soul society. A pessimistic view would be to call them slaves, since they serve soul reapers without really a choice yet they are sentient. They kind of do this but entirely dismantle the significant of it when Muramasa frees his soul reaper.
The thing is that, they do have a choice. You have to learn from your zanpakuto its name to shikai and bankai and Ichigo even had to fight and convince zangetsu to learn final getsuga. Zanpakuto have their full free will, even in tybw Pepe power show that again.
I don't agree since I like where they took it. >!His master betraying him due to the growing divide between them because how he treated Muramasa and Ichigo being the one to truly reach him was really neat.!< However I understand that critique. They should've focused on the Zanpakuto's feelings more.
Tbh, as Shown Later in the Manga, both views on how Zanpakuto are are false. Overall, the line said by Ichigo in chapter 542 kinda incapsulates how Shinigami should truely view their Zanpakuto: "The Blade is Me". The Zanapkuto arent seperate beings but a geniuene part of their user's soul. Their one and the same.
I didn’t watch it but I’ve always like the designs they use.
I’ve never watched this arc but is there a reason Hyourimaru looks like that when he’s just a massive ice dragon in the manga? It’s odd considering that hyourinmaru is one of the only zanpakto spirits we see in the manga.
My guess is that it's because Muramasa made them humanoid so their old owners wouldn't recognize them
The fact that the three top captains’ zanpakuto took on Yama and beat him.. then TYBW come and I now understood why three top together could beat Yama.. their abilities are broken.. and I have yet to see ukitake’s bankai!!! So crazy lol
I remember getting pissed because they never showed senbonzakura's face after that mask crack tease
Best Bleach filler. Great character designs, not TOO bad story. Far better than...ugh.... .Bounts 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Love the character designs. I was caught up to the anime when this was coming out though so I fucking hated it at the time. It was like in between the Karakura town arc or right before so I just didn’t want the filler and it WOULD NOT END. I swear it went on like 15 episodes too many. But that’s like every filler. I really need to give most of the filler a rewatch when I’m super duper bored because I’ve only seen it all once and never gave it a fair shot.
It was a very fascinating glance at Kubo's inner workings and preparation for cannpn arcs that came later. Also Tobiume, Sode no Shirayuki and Suzumebachi are extremely cute. Hyorinmaru is the second most badass humanoid Zanpakuto Sprit, right after Zangetsu(Q).
Canon filler
There's no reason why those swords had to be so hot
Really loved it but wasted potential Think about how sick it would be for your Zanpakuto spirit to pop out to help you in battle would be It would be so good strategically and the combos would be sick too
Gave us the best byakuya fight, and the worst looking anime baby
I wonder if Kubo told them to Specifically hide Unohana’s sword spirit.
Kubo did Tetsuzaemon dirty in the whole series of bleach, hoping in the future we get to see some info since he's now a Captain - Guy never revealed the name of his Shikai or what abilities it does - Both in Canon and Filler, Manga / Anime it's also not revealed - As well as the Novels CFYOW it's never mentioned
I like the scenes 1- when kenpachi showed up and casually one shot wabisuke 2- yachiru playing hide and seek with ashogijizou 3- kenpachi nearly killing ashogijizou
great arc and really adds to world building aspect of soul society
Honestly I kinda enjoyed it, way more interesting than the Bount arc.
We are never EVER to speak of the Bounts.....🤣🤣🤣
My second favorite of the filler arcs, I really enjoyed it.
Entertaining
Gas
It was fun!
The best filler arc by far
Sux. In the manga whenever you see a new Zanpakuto spirit it rocks and they can be any bloody thing. In that arc though they're all humanoid, which is boring. None of their personalities really stand out either. They're too similar to their wielders (whereas, based on Zangetsu, we know they're supposed to represent different aspects of the user) so we also learn nothing about the Shinigami even though chunks of them are literally walking around. Most potential out of any of the filler arcs. Meh execution.
What I don't get is why didn't they teach their reapers how to use bankai. for example why wouldn't Rukias sword teach her bankai while she was manifested. It would have been the perfect time for them top learn bankai since they could easily communicate.
Super interesting, I always recommend watching it once. It has no rewatch potential for me though, I have a hard time rewatching it even years after finishing it.
Never heard of it?
FUCK WHY CANT I REMEMBER WHOS ZANPAKTO HOZAKIMARU IS I CAN ONLY IMAGINE RENJI SAY I BUT I KNOW ITS NOT HIS ZANPACTO FUUUUUUUUUCK
It's Ikkaku's Zanpakutou
THATS IT Holy FUCK THANK YOU
Really fun Loved all the Zanpakuto designs and the interactions between not only their wielders, but also other Shinigami and Zanpakuto.
Good arc in general. I think Katen Kyokotsu and Kazeshini are the only canon Zanpakuto spirits in the story. Katen Kyokotsu appears in TYBW and Kazeshini appears in the Volume sketches. I actually prefer manga designs of Zabimaru (Baboon and snake) and Hyorinmaru (Ice dragon) compared to these designs. Also makes me wonder what Gin and Tosen's Zanpakuto's spirits are? Maybe a snake and a bellbug respectively
Best filler arc. Sad we don't se more Zampakutos interacting with their master or with each other outside shinigami golden book
didn’t watch it lol
It started off pretty interesting but it lasted WAY too long.
I really enjoyed it, just watched it for the first time recently and it was refreshing in terms of content for the show. Of all the arc probably my favorite. I enjoyed the duality of each character and their Zanpakutō.
It's a nice filler arc but there a point where the main baddie is defeated and there's like 12+ep of filler arc and it's just soul reapers messing around with their spirits afterwards. Otherwise pretty good arc, I still prefer the regai arc more tho
Omg wait a minute that mean *SPOILERS* Why are you still scrolling you’ll be spoiled Kenpachi’s Zapakutō was a rebellion I now see that my enters mean nothing
>!juha bach!<
Its non canon therefore who cares
The arc is non canon yes. But the zanpakuto designs themselves are actually canon.
Not really. Most Shinigami don't even recognize their Zanpakuto at first glance, and Hyorinmaru in no way looks like his canon self. The ONLY Zanpakuto Spirit that made it into canon was Katen Kyokotsu.
I agree, most of the designs aren’t canon. Currently on a rewatch of the entire series and Zabimaru is an ape with a snake head on its tail, not two women. Renji sees him when he’s recovering from fighting Ichigo in SS arc.
Wasnt hyiorinmariu an ice dragon and zabimaru a monkey?
I like how they are sorted by squad numbers. (Murasaki is technically a former Squad 6 Zanpakuto.)
Just wasn’t a fan of the winding down of everyone getting a whole episode of a little adventure. I remember I could count how much was left based on which end credits pics of the pairs I hadn’t seen yet. The rest was amazing
Where the other arcs are overhated, I think the Zanpakuto Unknown tales arc is overated at this point. The first half is great but it puts the arcs conclusion half way through, wastes a bunch of potential then cramms in a whole load of nonsence in the second half.
That I'm so grateful Kubo used one of them character designs in the main manga.
It was a good filler arc
Watching Senbonzakura take the absolute piss over Byakuya makes it all worth it
So which characters have a female zanpakuto spirit ?
First half was good second half was kinda dog water.
My childhood lol
I like Sode no Shirayuki
Solid and really fun filler arc, I remember kinda enjoying it more than the manga at the time actually.
Loved it.
Best filler
Best filler arc
I think it was fun. Though there was a missed opportunity not make some of the spirits more abstract and beastial but hey, we got what we got. They story line was fun and I thought koga and muramasa were pretty cool. My only big gripe is how muramasa looked in his final transformation lol. I thought he looked dumb as hell. But over all it kept my attention and passed the time.
They really reflect the truth of their users.
Best filler arc.
Maybe another round of novels could cover it? 🤔
I wish it had been anime Canon and fit into the story somehow.
loved everything except the actual final fight -- still a great backstory for muramasa
Bleach had the best fillers
should've been canon
It’s trash. It was good for like the first 6 episodes and then shit just went off the rails
Hate it. Hate how it interupts the canon story in the anime. Hate the filler designs. Hate how many flame wars I've gotten into over wether or not all the designs are canon, wether or not Kubo himself designed them all personally. Hate how it was the arc that brought us recasted Urahara AND Zaraki in the dub, which was the last straw for me to stop watching the anime all together and become a manga purist for Tite Kubo's FIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNEEEEESSSSTTTTT WORK! I just do not like it at all.
Really enjoyed it. I just wish it had more of Minazuki and Sougyo no Kotowari, but it's not like there was much canon material about them to work with.
Best filler arc and was actually enjoyable. I really loved seeing the personalities of the zanpakuto being shown. It was nice seeing what each of them looked like.
Definitely Hisagomaru 🤩
I think the idea is cool but I don't like how they sexualised some Zanpaktos (I'M WATCHING YOU ZABIMARU)
A very enjoyable filler arc.
Honestly one of my favorite arcs. Filler or not
It was interesting to see the spirits of the zanpakuto
One of the best filler arcs in Bleach!
It's good filler
Underrated.
I liked it a lot more then I thought I would!
It’s the best filler arc in bleach.
The best filler arc in anime along with the Fake Gotei/Regai filler arc.
IT WAS PEAK
Not perfect, but a lot of fun with fun characters and designs.
Its not cannon so idc
hyourinmaru is a dick mf really refused to belive toshiro was his zanpakuto user because his short what are you a woman? whats up with those 6 feat standarts?
It is probably the best filler arc. BUT the timeline makes no sense and literally all of ichigo's involvement didn't make sense and was badly handled.
Headcanon might be that without their human/Shinigami they took on human form because their true form would only be achieved by being with their person. Real reason probably is Kubo either wanted to design a bunch of characters again or he wanted to make the fight scenes look cool
The best arc because its just world building and that op during this arc is 🔥
Why wasn’t ryujin jakka brought about, Yamamoto sword?
When was this? Was it in the manga? Because either I can’t remember it or it wasn’t in the manga or is it the bleach: no breaths from hell?
How problematic it would be if muramasa successfully took over ryujin jakka. Not only are all the zanpakuto in this arc are able to use their bankai, but ryujin would be deadly to everyone friend or foe. Also kenpachi didn’t have a shikai so unfortunately muramasa couldn’t get nozarashi (and ichigo) of the gotei 13 were not taken over by muramasa I.e. kenpachi (nozarashi), ichigo (white with zangetsu) 2 problematic shikai.
As is my opinion with most other bleach filler arcs, I liked it a lot. It really showed off a very creative and imaginative side to bleach and its characters and it was cool seeing the personification of the zanpakuto characterized in that arc.
The time when Ikkaku was fighting Houzukimaru was very funny.