Throwback #55 - Unbreakable Bond (Dust & Ice Dragon)

My favorite Bleach movie is Diamond Dust Rebellion, the 2nd movie in the Bleach Quad (4 films) because it centers around on one of my favorite characters ~ the Ice Dragon himself. So in a film like this, it's nice to see the direction, pacing, and progression of where it's going. Did I predict what was going to happen? No and that's a good thing because it leaves the audience feeling invested in what's going to happen next. One of the key scenes, in my opinion, of the film was when Rangiku helped out Toshiro. Toshiro and Rangiku's affinity is up there on my Top favorite Bleach couples and it goes without saying. Rangiku, inspiring Toshiro to enlist in the Gotei 13, genuinely cares for Hitsugaya and treats him with both respect and admiration. Same can be said with Hitsugaya's take on Matsumoto, but her lack of enthusiasm for paperwork is what boils Hitusgaya. The chemistry is perfect and I just love this scene because it  displays how far they'll go for each other despite one initially having believed to have defected. They care, love, and support each other and that's something worth no monetary value because it's genuine.

I hope you enjoyed this week's weekly Throwback. Look forward to Throwbacks every Friday. Until then, you all stay classy now & I'll see you all Monday. WBCR & BCC #3 are posted below.

WBCR - You'l fall in love with me so hard! (Grade: C)

Bleach, alongside other famous Manga, are being released later due to strict regulations surrounding anti-piracy. This makes scans of the Manga incredibly difficult to arrive on time since the cracking down on anti-piracy has become an issue. So that means WBCRS will be posted when the chapter is available and the keyword is IF. The chapter was released a day later on a different website, but nonetheless here I am to give you my review of this week's chapter. Was it any good? Was it worth the wait? Well, to be honest, again it's a set-up chapter and I was expecting a lot more. Ending last week's chapter, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi implanted Hitsugaya with a drug and now, being impaled by Mayuri's Zanpaktou, is being administered another drug that'll either do one of two things ~ cure Hitsugaya or kill him ultimately. However, the deceased Captains Rose & Kensei alongside Lieutenant Matsumoto arrive in the scene and Mayuri orders his Arrancars to deal with them while Mayuri is dealing with Hitsugaya. Meanwhile, the unnamed Sternritter, NaNaNa, & Candice were beaten by Byakuya off-screen. We see Hisagi congratulate Byakuya, but he sees foul play as Byakuya is quick to attack Hisagi. Hisagi tries to defend himself, but ultimately unveils that he's doing this for Pepe, Sternritter L ~ The Love. Pepe Waccabrada's abilities allow his opponent to fall in love with Pepe to the point that his victims will do whatever he says. So in another words: Manipulation or Sovereignty of another person. However, the surprising thing is Pepe attacks Meninas and Meninas sucker punches Giselle. That pretty much concludes the chapter ~ Pepe's twisted vision of love is tearing apart friends & enemies. So what are my gripes with this chapter? I'll boil it down to 3 points:

1) The Offscreen ~ This is self-explanatory. When you have a fight scene going off, it isn't smart to end the fight and not even show it. What, wasn't there time to fill in so that all the fights can be introduced? With multiple fights going on, it's okay to jump back and forth depending on the context of where the fight is, but when the audience sees a fight scene that wasn't even show, but the results are there ~ it's an empty-feeling. There was no excitement or tension. There was no anticipation of a fight and when you, the audience, are invested in it ~ it's a big middle finger to us because we wanted to see the fight, but you're going to end the end rather than the start. It's like watching the end credits of a movie and saying you've watched it ~ that's horse sh*t and you know because the anticipation of watching a movie should be from start-to-finish. So that's gripe #1 ~ any offscreen fight will piss me off (much like how Yammy was sidelined).

2) The Zombies ~ Now I'm well aware that the 10th division was heavily wounded during their battle, but to think they're already dead is a bad ending to their character arc. When Gremmy was fighting, he explained that Kensei & Rose were imagined to be dead and.....BOOM.....they're dead. So does this make their deaths any more meaningful to the story progression? Well, a part of me thinks that Mayuri can reverse the effects, but if it's KO for those charactrers ~ then Tite Kubo didn't do a good job on ending them correctly. Since it's a war, there will be deaths, but at least end the character correctly rather than axing him off just because you are limited on time or just because you want to focus more on another fight. Take one step at a time and I'll ensure you, the story progresses better that way.

3) Pepe ~ When I saw that fat f*ck, I was like WTF is this guy. When his powers were revealed, I wasn't impressed. Sovereignty over a person isn't original at all. Making that person fall in love with you to the point that they'll do your bidding ~ that's "been there, done that." To me, Pepe isn't interesting and much like Mask De Masculine, I could give two sh*ts about them because their character doesn't appeal to me in anyway.

Overall, the chapter's a set-up for Pepe's arc. It'd be nice to see the Byakuya fight scene, but the damage is done and we won't know. I am curious to know Mayuri's next steps and that is the saving grace for this week's chapter. Mayuri is a smart smart man and if he can reverse the effects of the Zombified Shinigami, then that'll be cool. Other than that, the chapter has it's problems and I was expecting a bit more. Mayuri's way of thinking is something I've come to admire ~ he can either troll you, help you, or kill you ~ pick your poison. I'll give this week's chapter a C. Thanks again for following the Bleach Zealot blog. WBCRS will be posted when chapter's available. Until then, you all stay classy.

BCC #3 - Candice Catnipp vs. Nami (Big-BEEWBED Lightning Rods)

VS.

This is quite the electrifying matchup we got here. Quite a shock to say the least, but then again maybe these two girls are what's needed for the perfect storm. Do they have hazardous personalities or perhaps they have electrocuted bodies. If you haven't realized by now, the third installment of BCC are what I'd like to call the Hot & Electrifying Lightning Rods starring Nami (One Piece and Candice (Bleach). Without further ado, let's jam on some BEEWBZ!

Personality (Candice)

Candice is a member of what I'd like to call the TGPZ Sisters and is a very hot-tempered woman, easily getting angry with her teammates over petty matters. Much like the stereotypical blonde, she acts like a bitch as she is very key at her appearance ~ shown when Ichigo beat the living sh*t out of her and she was extremely irritated when her hair was all f*cked up. 

Personality (Nami)

Starring off as a common thief and a greedy & bossy individual, Nami's personality underwent a major change when she joined the Strawhat Pirates. Despite having an obsession with $$$, she'll go through any lengths to save her comrades as she cares for them like her own family. Her maturity as a character soon develops into that of a steadfast & reliable navigator for the crew. 

HCA Levels (Candice)

Candice, upon seeing her in the Manga, is pretty damn hot ~ her attire, her hairstyle, and just overall her design as a character. In terms of cuteness, I don't see any charm with her because she comes off as a stereotypical bitch, but that won't stop me from thinking she's cute as a well-drawn character. Candice, without question, is an attractive girl ~ sexual appealing to the Bleach audience by showing off her goods and wearing a very provocative uniform, BUT she doesn't possess a trait that's considered charming, delightful, or even super attractive (other than her wardrobe). I'd say she's very keen on the hotness scale, but she doesn't come off as charming or delightful (cuteness & adorableness). 

HCA Levels (Nami)

Nami, as a character, goes through substantial change going from a petty thief to the navigator of one of the most renowned pirate crews in One Piece. In terms of Hotness, you get she gots it ~ using her sexual appeal & charm to win over the hearts of many. Being one of the male protagonists, she displays cuteness & adorableness quite well in the context of her sexy multiple wardrobes, appealing nature to both friends & enemies, charming in the sense of likability, and overall displaying that looks are to be deceiving as she's well-versed as both a navigator and a capable fighter. To me, she's an ideal example of a woman that displays all 3 respectable HCA traits. 

BEEWBZ (Candice)

Though only displayed in the Manga, Candice's BEEWBZ aren't fully exposed, but rather her Sternritter outfit displays her cleavage being kept closed by her buttoned up shirt. That uniform of hers is an appealing part of her character, but its unfortunate that it's not shown enough since she's a minor character. 

BEEWBZ (Nami)

On numerous occasions, Nami has displayed her cleavage. One of the times is when she exposed them to the Strawhats in Alabasta when bathing with Vivi. One piece is known for displaying numerous fanservice scenes revolving around Nami & Nico Robin and the picture shown is a pefect example of that. They're BEEWBILICIOUS! 

Decision

And the winner is..

To me, Nami displays a lot more than Candice since she's a central figure in the One Piece world. Nami's development as a character has more depth than Candice because she went from a greedy & petty thief to a caring, loving, funny, & reliable navigator of the Strawhats. While Candice is shown more as a minor character, I thought she would've been utilized more since she possesses the element of Lightning by her side. Though Nami, at first, doesn't have the capabilities of defending herself, she soon becomes well-equipped and is able to do both her job as a navigator and fend off various pirates. The concept of Candice's character has potential, but in the case of Nami ~ she's an idea hotty, a cute, and is quite the steal for the Strawhat crew. Nami wins! 

So who do you think won the 3rd BCC Round ~ Candice from Bleach or Nami from One Piece. Comment below and let me know. Look forward to BCC posts on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from August 25th-September 29th. Until then, you all stay classy now. WBCR & Throwback will be up momentarily.

RBT #37 - Dat Cute Face (Hinamori)

In any fictional or nonfictional form of media or entertainment, many of its characters, whether male or female, will undoubtedly make a face that expresses the way their feeling. Some range from making happy, angry, & sad faces while others make cute, funny, & WTF faces. The face shown on Hinamori's is from a filler episode of Bleach and it's described (in my opinion) as both a cute & funny face. The episode, if I recall, is about Kite fighting and, out of nowhere, Hinamori makes a face like the one shown when talking to her fellow Shinigami. She is seen as both excited and curious, a deadly combination of cute and funny. Though serving no purpose to the story, gestural expressions of any kind are a reason why we are invested in characters ~ we're being fed information on that character and their relevance to the series as a whole. With fillers, it doesn't progress the story, but does fill in time for comedy/shenanigans to ensue when the heroes aren't fighting. It's good to see a light form of comedy in gestural expressions because, as a kid, making faces was a form of not only entertainment, but bringing joy & laughter to all those around us.

I hope you enjoyed this week's RBT. Look forward to RBTS every Thursday. The latest chapter was Bleach was released today, but I'll post my WBCR of it tomorrow alongside BCC #3 & weekly Throwback. Until then, you all stay classy now.

BCC #2 - Kukaku Shiba vs. Revy (Big-BEEWBED Guns & Cannons)

VS.

Welcome back to our 2nd BCC post where Bleach girls will go up against various Anime women in a no-hold bar contest to see who has the better personality, has the higher HCA level (Hotness, Cuteness, & Adorableness), and has the knockers that'll make men gasp. As I said before on Monday's post, BCC posts will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from August 25th-September 29th. Without further ado, let us start off by comparing guns & cannons. Both do comparative damage, but the complete package is either a bullet or a ball. Cannons are louder and larger whereas guns are smaller and lighter. Both these destructive mechanisms are mean ~ adult supervision is requires after all when arming yourself with guns & cannons. Today's Matchup is the Cannon (Bleach ~ Kukaku) versus the Twin Guns (Black Lagoon ~ Revy). Let's jam on some BEEWBZ!

Personality (Kukaku)

Violent and very Aggressive, Kukaku isn't afraid to scold & beat up her younger brother, Ganju, or our main hero, Ichigo. Usually seen smoking a pipe, Kukaku, when not annoyed, is rather calm and enjoys the scenery of her household. Kukaku is also respectful to her deceased brother, Kaien. Kukaku only shows genuine care, love, & support for her little brother Ganju when he aided Team Ichigo in rescuing Rukia. 

Personality (Revy)

Very much like Kukaku, Revy often displays a violent, aggressive, and trash-talking demeanor. Other words to describe her are: Loud, merciless, battle hungry, competitive, sarcastic, rude, and ill-tempered. Nonetheless, she opens up to the protagonist, Rock, and genuinely comes to respect/care for his wellbeing as well as the Black Lagoon crew. With everybody else, bullets will be flying everywhere if you piss her off. 

HCA Levels (Kukaku)

Hotness? Check. Cuteness? Check. Adorableness? Check, Kukaku, when I first laid my eyes on her in the Anime/Manga was pretty damn hot (attire) & cute (looks relatively young & sexy), but the clincher was her sexual appeal/attractiveness (relates to hotness & cuteness). She opens up about caring for Ganju's wellbeing, which is cute + she's a very , but other than that ~ her exposed cleavage steals the Hotness show. In my opinion, she displays all 3 traits.

HCA Levels (Revy)

Hotness? Check. Cuteness? At times. Adorableness? Yes. Revy, as the star of Black Lagoon, only wears a black tank top (exposes her naval & tattoos) and short shorts. The only time she's displayed any cuteness is when she opens up to Rock and gradually comes to be protective of him + she's a pretty cute  & sexy gunslinging chick . In terms of adorableness, does saying sh*t like c*cksucker and dipsh*t sound adorable? Nope, but I still find her rather attractive/appealing in terms of wardrobe. In my opinion, she displays all 3 traits

BEEWBZ (Kukaku)

Just looking at this picture and seeing her outfit says it all ~ she got dem Big BEEWBS that she can smother whenever she wants. Her cleavage is pretty much exposed and I can't help but stare at em if she and I talked (that's why you should wear sunglasses). Score ~ Perfect: 10/10.

BEEWBZ (Revy)

Though her cleavage is never exposed throughout the show, she has a pretty good set of knockers. In the shower scene (OVA), we see her BEEWBZ and it's quite a sight to see. However, if you stare at em ~ you're just asking to get a bullet in your cranium. Score ~ Perfect: 10/10.

Decision
And the winner is...

To be honest, when I first saw Revy ~ not only did I think she was really hot, but when you got a gunslinging badass chick by your side, you know nobody wants to f*ck with you. That's why I envy Rock ~ he's got that businessman mentality, but is the only one who can straighten out the violent tempered Revy. Revy wears very VERY provocative clothing ~ a short black tank-top and short shorts. What's not to love about her? Other than her demeanor, she's every action star's dream girl ~ a gunslinging, trash-talking, and duel-wieling badass chick. With Kukaku, she isn't fleshed out as much + her appearance is limited to a few episodes/chapters. Though Kukaku's BEEWBS are exposed more, it wasn't love at first sight, but just pure appreciation for her attire. For Revy, it gradually went from thinking she's hot to wanting her to be my fictional Anime girlfriend ~ wanting to be invested in the Black Lagoon Company with their adventures, taking down thugs, and overall just being around Revy. Revy is the reason why Black Lagoon is one of my favorite Anime(s). Revy wins!

So who do you think won the 1st BCC Matchup? Kukaku from Bleach or Revy from Black Lagoon? Who do you think is hotter? Cuter? Adorable-r? BEEWB Size Differential (BSD)? Better Personality? Comment below and let me know. BCC Month is based on the criteria of Personality, HCA Levels, and BEEWBS (though this doesn't always constitute as the deciding factor for the Round). As always, look forward to BCC Month from August 25th-September 29th on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays (Wednesdays & Fridays will be back-to-back posts). Until then, you all stay classy now.

WBCRs will be delayed due to the new regulations surrounding the release of Bleach chapters. 

Criteria for the BCC (Judgment on the Hotties)

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed yesterday's final BK post (Bleach won 13-10 against MK) and the very 1st BCC Post. I wanted to reiterated once again the criteria on how I judge the Matches. Much like Bleach Hakusho & Bleach Kombat Month, the criteria for those Matchup(s) were based on the character's story and their overall powers/abilities. When judging them, MechG and I chose 3 routes:

1) Full Plate/Empty Plate (Story) ~ explaining the character's involvement in story as well as the importance of their role alongside other characters (Full Plate) OR explaining a character's blandness in a story that could potentially build up that character in the future (No Plate)

2) Hypothetical Route (Powers/Abilities) ~ hypothetically speaking, who has an advantage over the other in terms of powers/abilities.

3) Potential (Character Development) ~ explaining the character's development in the story as either grand or minuscule, but overall leaves an impression nonetheless.

With BCC Month, the criteria for the Matchup(s) are based on 3 different things that I'll reiterated again so as to avoid confusion/cause misunderstanding on decision. Though BCC isn't  based on the character's story or even if they possess powers/abilities, their overall impression/development in their respective franchise is very key. Allow me to explain:

1) Personality (Likability) ~ With any character, you want to feel invested with their world. What do they do? What are their hobbies? How do they act towards others? Their overall likability is the basis of why characters are the gravitas (important) in any book, movie, TV show, etc. Much like Potential, Personality displays the development of that character as they interact and leave an impression on the audience.

2) HCA Levels (Character) ~ With any character, male or female, we want to see how they look. You can't judge a person without looking them in the eye first. HCA stands for Hotness, Cuteness, & Adorableness. Hotness relates to a character's overall look ~ are they good lucking, are they ugly, or are they just bland? Cuteness relates to a character's charm, but could also mean a person's appearance (Cuteness is related to Hotness). Adorableness relates to a character's attractiveness/appealing nature.

3) BEEBZ ~ Is there anything else to be said? This is a factor relating to their exposure of skin to the audience (Adorableness Factor), but it doesn't necessarily constitute that bigger BEEWBS = better person.

Deciding on the BCC Post #1 ~ When judging the very first BCC post, I gave the victory to FMA's Izumi because her overall impression in their franchise left more of an impact than Ikumi is Bleach. She was more fleshed out as a character, but she was still a very likable, hot, and cute character. With Ikumi, she wasn't fleshed out enough, but I still found her to be hot, cute, and have incredibly large BEEWBZ compared to Izumi. I didn't say they were adorable because at the time, I didn't explicate whether or not the characters were appealing/have attraction. I mainly focused on the in-depth personality/development and I gave it to Izumi mainly because of that. The BEEWBZ decision is opinionated, but NOT the deciding factor. BEEWB size or not, the character's impression is more important than their looks. So the first BCC post was a trial and I still stand by my decision ~ Izumi from FMA wins.

Thank  you so much for allowing me to reiterate the rules of BCC. In future BCCs, I will judge them accordingly based on the criteria set above. As always, look forward to BCC Month from August 25th-September 29th on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays and I'll see you all tomorrow for weekly WBCR + BCC #2. Stay classy!

Affinity #52 - Afroman's Replacement (Ryunosuke & Shino)

So at the very beginning of the current Bleach arc, these two were comically introduced as being the guardians of Ichigo's hometown of Karakura, replacing Afroman Zennosuke Kurumadani. The guy is named Ryunosuke Yuki and the chick is named Shino. Ryunosuke is a timid looking Shinigami whereas Shino is more outspoken and isn't afraid to scold Ryunosuke. So why bring these two up at all? Well, as you recall, Bleach has many Affinities and I'm covering pretty much every single one of them despite if their canon to the series or fillers. Now this is canon to Bleach, but their development as characters is more of an introduction to the arc itself rather than  a fleshed out character from the get-go. I find their chemistry much like the cliche opposite attract romantic comedies you see. Do they like each other? Does Shino's outspokenness truly reveal that she may have feelings for Ryunosuke? Does Ryunosuke's timid nature truly a call out for help towards Shino? Am I reading way too much into this? Yes, I am. If they recurred more in the Manga, then I'd say a lot more, but for now ~ their just supportive of the main heroes.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Affinity. Look forward to Affinities every Tuesday. BCC Posts Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays. RBTs (Random Bleach Thoughts) on Thursdays. Throwbacks on Fridays. Until then, you all stay classy now. Later, I'll be posting the in-depth criteria on BCC.

BCC #1 - Ikumi Unagiya vs. Izumi Curtis (Big-BEEWBED Teachers)

VS.

Isn't Ichigo & Edward Elric lucky to have Big-BEEWBED teachers like them? I mean, they are strict on our protagonists, but both mean well. They genuinely care for our main heroes, are strong-willed women, and above anything else ~ have HUGE knockers. Welcome to our very 1st installment of BCC (Big-BEEWBED Catfight) Month that'll run from today (August 25th) to September 29th. BCC Posts will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays. Today's Matchup is between the Teachers ~ Ikumi Inagiya from Bleach and Izumi Curtis from FMA. Unlike most Fight Nights where Story & Powers/Abilities play an important factor on who'd win, the following will be incorporated specifically for BCC Month: Personality, Appearance, HCA Level (Hotness, Cuteness, & Adorableness), &.....BEEWBZ. Let's jam on some BEEWBZ!

Personality (Ikumi)

This picture pretty much sums up Ikumi. She can sweet and loving towards her son, but ruthless and violent when it comes to Ichigo (later . Upon meeting Ikumi, you find out Ikumi is Ichigo's boss and Ichigo has found himself a job (Fullbringer Arc). After defeating a bunch of thugs, Ikumi surprises Ichigo by....kidnapping him so he'll work and not call in sick/slack off/pick up fights. However, Ikumi has grown to be a sister/mother-like figure to Ichigo, embracing him + knocking him senseless if need be. She wants Ichigo to rely on her more often because she genuinely cares for Ichigo's wellbeing (that and Ichigo is her employee so she NEEDS to know what's going on with him at all times). 

Personality (Izumi)

This picture, much like Ikumi, sums up Izumi. Izumi can be sweet and loving to the Elric brothers, but also can be downright scary, having temper issues, and overall displays a rather intimidating aura about her. The Elric brothers can be seen as both her students and her sons since the Elric Brothers lost their mother when they were children. Izumi is hard on the Elric brothers, but means when teaching them martial arts + alchemy. Overall, Izumi is a hard worker that value work and discipline, but is shown being caring/loving, wise, and overall displaying her sense of helping others over herself. Supportive of the Elric Brothers & her husband, Izumi is no pushover. 

HCA Levels (Ikumi)

Ikumi, upon seeing her, has very VERY Big BEEWBS. Of all the Bleach women, she's the 1st human woman that I've seen that I personally think is very cute and hot, but is she adorable? Well, she's kinda adorable in the sense of her caring for her son (though it's all a facade to her son), but her caring nature for Ichigo is seen more as cute than adorable (in my opinion). Overall, she displays 2/3 traits (Hotness & Cuteness). 

HCA Levels (Izumi)

Hotness level? 10/10. Cuteness level? 10/10, Adorableness level? 0/10. I find Izumi's scary, but caring nature to the Elric brothers as very cute because she is displaying opposites and yet her heart is in the right place, but adorable? I'm sorry, when you got a teacher whose skilled in alchemy, martial arts, and has a temper ~ that sh*t is not adorable at all. Overall, she displays 2/3 traits (Hotness & Cuteness). 

BEEWBZ (Ikumi)

Her BEEWBS are so big that it's literally resting on her arms. That's how huge they are. Only problem ~ doesn't expose cleavage at all. But, I still love em! Score: 9/10.  

BEEWBZ (Izumi)

Unlike Ikumi, Izumi's cleavage is exposed more as seen in the picture. Are her BEEWBS bigger than Ikumi's? I don't personally think so, but nonetheless, still nice to see a hot teacher show some skin. Score: 9/10. 

Decision

When it comes to Teachers ~ we see them as wise, sophisticated, and knowledgable individuals. Though Ikumi is Ichigo's boss, she explicates that the reliance on others is important + the wellbeing of people. Izumi displays more of a ideal teacher ~ strict, disciplined, and a tight-@$$, but deep down ~ caring, loving, and wants what's best for survival in the real world and the challenges that people will face. Though Ikumi didn't expose any skin + doesn't really have much of a role in Bleach, she has very impressive knockers compared to Izumi. With Izumi, though not as big, she displays more skin than Ikumi + plays an important role in FMA. I find Ikumi to cuter than Izumi (and younger), but Izumi takes the cake on hotness level ~ showcasing teachers can be badasses, but show a little something something for motivation (if you know what I mean). Izumi, as a teacher and woman, is more fleshed out (Personality and HCA Levels). than Ikumi. Ikumi has potential, but in this case ~ Izumi wins.

So who do you think won the 1st BCC Matchup? Ikumi from Bleach or Izumi from FMA? Who do you think is hotter? Cuter? Adorable-r? BEEWB Size Differential (BSD)? Better Personality? Comment below and let me know. BCC Month is based on the criteria of Personality, HCA Levels, and BEEWBS (though this doesn't always constitute as the deciding factor for the Round). As always, look forward to BCC Month from August 25th (Today)-September 29th on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays (Wednesdays & Fridays will be back-to-back posts). Until then, you all stay classy now. Final BK Round is posted below.  

FINAL Bleach Kombat Round: Liu Kang vs. Ichigo Kurosaki (Hero Time!)

VS.

Welcome to our final Bleach Kombat Round featuring our main protagonists ~ Liu Kang from MK & Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach. If you recall, the MET Trilogy was handpicked + judged by MechG and, since it's my Birthday ~ I'll be judging today's final BK Round. BK Month has been an exciting month, but do not fret ~ MechG and I will continue to collaborate when possible. We have ideas on what franchises can go toe-to-toe against Bleach, but if you recall the 2nd half of Bleach Hakusho Month, it was very VERY uneven. If I made BH Month just 1 month, then it'd be fair. What MechG and I want to explicate (explain) is having a balance of Bleach vs. Another Franchise and NOT making it one-sided. For the 2nd half of BH Month, it clearly was one-sided since Bleach won every Round. It almost was one-sided for Bleach Kombat, but wouldn't you know it ~ MK bounced back up and is giving Bleach the fight for it's life. That is why the criteria for judging is based on 3 things:

1) Potential of Character

2) Full Plate/No Plate of Character (Story, Powers, & Impression)

3) Hypothetical Route (Technically speaking)

Without further ado, I'd like to conclude BK Month on a strong note and give my honest impression on who'd win in a fight between these 2 heroes. Following after BK, BCC will officially start. As always, the following will be incorporated in our Rounds: Story, Powers/Abilities, & Final Verdict. I'd like to thank you all for following us on our Bleach Kombat journey. Let's jam! 

Story (Ichigo Kurosaki)

Ichigo's character constantly is revolved around his history. He had a loving Quincy mother who died trying to protect her son from a hollow attack, a father who is a member of the Shiba Clan & former 10th division Captain, and two twin sisters who are spiritually aware of Spirits & Hollows. Ichigo was once a happy little boy up until her mother's demise and since then, he constantly is reminded of that day. His father still mourns over her loss, but knows that there's more work to be done in the Kurosaki household. Ichigo is childhood friends with Tatsuki and later makes a promise with Chad to protect him if he does the same for him. Ichigo is a renowned fighter growing up and to this day, is still challenged by various delinquents because of both his strength and his trademark orange hair. Since enrolling in school, Ichigo has made many friends - Keigo, Mizuiro, and the love interest herself, Orihime Inoue. 

In order to protect his family from danger, Ichigo made a pact with Rukia and became the 2nd Substitute Soul Reaper. Rukia's involvement in Karakura had a big influence on Ichigo's life - going from a regular teenager to a Shinigami fighting off Hollows and eventually ~ other Shinigami (Byakuya & Kenpachi), Bounts (filler), Arrancar (Grimmjow & Ulquiorra), Manifested Zanpaktou (filler), Reigai (filler), Fullbringers (Ginjo & Tsukishima), and, currently, Quincy (led by Yhwach). Ichigo, at first, was tasked in fighting off Hollows in Karakura Town, but soon Rukia is taken away and Ichigo has to save her before her execution. Later, it would be explained that Rukia's Gigai body holds the Hogyoku, capable of breaking the boundaries of Shinigami & Hollow. It wouldn't be long before Ichigo meets the Visored, who inform him of the Hollow within him. After conquering his Hollow powers & getting stronger, Ichigo's primary enemy became Aizen up until he defeated him after the Hogyoku rejected him. After Aizen's defeat, Ichigo lost all his Shinigami and Hollow powers and was now back to being a regular human. However, the battle wasn't over as Ichigo met a newfound enemy - The Fullbringers. Ichigo was thought to have lost after receiving his fullbringer powers, but Rukia comes back and saves Ichigo by giving him Shinigami powers. Ichigo would soon come to learn of the history behind his mother's death, who is father is, and who the Gotei 13 are currently facing - The Wandenreich. Ichigo's hidden Shinigami powers have resurfaced and it's up to him to once again save the day before the Human World & the Soul Society collapse. He has twin Zangetsu(s) and is now back in the Soul Society (after training and getting stronger in the Royal Palace) fighting the TGPZ Sisters while also protecting Kenpachi from harm. Ichigo currently is heading towards the Royal Palace to confront Yhwach and prevent any more casualties. 

Story (Liu Kang)

Orphaned as a kid, Liu Kang was taken in by the Order of Light hidden in the mountains of a province in China to train under the martial arts teaching patented by the Great Kung Lao. Liu impressed the monks with his talented utilization of the martial arts and eventually caught the attention of the thunder god, Raiden. Raiden saw great potential in Liu Kang and saw the young Shaolin Monk as possibly Earthrealm’s last hope. He took Liu Kang to Outworld to see the martial arts drunken master, Bo’ Rai Cho. Cho further enhanced Liu Kang’s martial arts skills and taught him to do the Flying Kick. After spending his early years training under the martial arts, Liu Kang earned a top spot in the White Lotus Society and as the 10^th generation of Mortal Kombat approached, Liu Kang was chosen to represent Earthrealm by the Shaolin grandmasters to compete in Mortal Kombat on Shang Tsung’s island. He promised not only to defeat Shang Tsung, but restore order in the tournament.

Aside from himself, Liu was accompanied by two other warriors to represent Earthrealm: movie star and martial artist, Johnny Cage and Special Forces lieutenant Sonya Blade and the three shared a bond and an oath to protect Earthrealm at all costs. Though it is unknown how many opponents Liu Kang faced in the tournament, he earned his right to battle the defending champion, Goro. Liu Kang put the four-armed Shokan to the test, pushing his boundaries until overconfidence got the best of Goro and Liu Kang defeated him, putting Outworld’s 9 tournament winning streak to a halt. After being crowned the new champion, Liu Kang challenged Shang Tsung. The two engaged in a fight of epic proportions until Liu Kang bested the sorcerer and finished him off with the Flying Kick technique Bo’ Rai Cho taught him. After the tournament, Liu Kang returned to the temples only to find many of his Shaolin brothers killed by the Tarkatan horde under orders from the Emperor, Shao Kahn. This heinous act angered Liu Kang as he decided to go to Outworld along with his fellow White Lotus friend, Kung Lao, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Jax, and Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang). While venturing into Outworld, he encountered Shao Kahn’s adopted daughter, Kitana and fell in love with her. Liu Kang saw through Kitana’s motives to overthrow Kahn and agreed to do so to be involved to make that a reality. Again, not much is known how many opponents Liu Kang faced in the tournament in Outworld, but he manages to beat Shang Tsung in a rematch in front of Shao Kahn, beat another Shokan, Kintaro, and beat Shao Kahn despite Kahn’s overwhelming power. After defeating Shao Kahn, Liu Kang hastily retreated back to Earthrealm via portal as the Emperor ordered an all-out attack on the Earthrealm warriors. Before the invasion, Liu Kang and Kung Lao began training a new generation of Earthrealm warriors. During the invasion, Liu defeated Shang Tsung once again and challenged Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat with intense rage after Kung Lao’s supposed “death” at the hands of the Emperor. Kang bested Kahn once again and left the Emperor and his Outworld forces weakened as they retreated back to Outworld, effectively ending the merger. When the Fallen Elder God, Shinnok ascended from the Netherrealm, Liu Kang was called upon again to defend Earthrealm as its champion and assist Raiden against his old god nemesis. Liu Kang bested the Elder God and though he won, he had regrets of failing to save Kitana and Edenia from the Netherrealm’s forces. However, Kitana appeared in front of Liu Kang’s eyes and he was offered a seat to sit by Kitana to rule as potentially King and Queen, but Liu Kang respectfully declined in order to continue to serve as Earthrealm’s grand champion. After pretty much MK1-MK4, Liu Kang took a backseat as the main protagonist as he was eventually killed off by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, the Deadly Alliance while he was meditating. He would return again as a supporting character in Deception where his soul was free from Shang Tsung’s grasp after his “demise” during the battle against the Dragon King. However, Raiden was reincarnated into a corrupt, vengeful god after his sacrifice and reanimated Liu Kang’s body without his spirit and sent it on a rampage. Liu’s spirit felt remorse for his own actions and he found out his once deceased comrades were resurrected and under Onaga’s control. Liu’s spirit enlisted the help of the soul-structured ninja, Ermac to free his friends from Onaga’s control and bring his own corpse under control. After teaching Shujinko some of his moves, Liu Kang set out on his two tasks and successfully freed his friends from Onaga’s control although he still had to reunite both his spirit and body. Liu’s spirit stayed close to Kitana due to their strong, affectionate bonds with each other and Kitana kept his spirit in tact until his body and soul could be reunited. His corpse was still on a rampage, bent on exacting revenge against Shang Tsung. During the race to Argus’ Pyramid, Liu’s corpse battled Shang Tsung close to the top although both of them didn’t make it out alive, well only Liu Kang’s corpse didn’t make it out, but his soul survived. In MK9, Liu Kang would still win against Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn in the tournaments, but he was accidentally killed by Raiden as Raiden was pleading with Liu to ensure Shao Kahn’s merger with the realms was successful so the Elder Gods could intervene, but Liu Kang’s distrust in the thunder god and his vengeance for Kitana and his fellow Earthrealm warriors’ death caused his own demise. It’ll be unknown if he’ll return for MKX.

Powers/Abilities (Ichigo Kurosaki)

Ichigo, being a Shinigami/Quincy hybrid, is easily one of the strongest characters in Bleach and is considered a special war potential to the Quincy. As a Shinigami, he was capable of both Shikai & Bankai, Shunpo, and being an expert swordsman. However, he also is capable of Hollowification ~ amplifying his power to that of a great or equal extent to a Captain-level Shinigami. Probably the most famous of Ichigo's techniques is Getsuga Tensho, a black wave of condensed spirit energy. After defeating Aizen, he temporarily lost his Shinigami powers and completely lost his Hollow powers, later to learn about Fullbring ~ only later to have it taken from him by Ginjo Kugo. Rukia and various other Shinigami gave Ichigo another opportunity, but Ichigo soon would come to realize that his actual Shinigami power was actually his true Quincy power. He had to find his Asauchi and soon, he has a newfound form of his Zangetsu & his newfound Quincy powers (capable of using Blut Vene). At the heart of it all, Ichigo is a Shinigami/Quincy hybird, the son of Shinigami Isshin & Quincy Masaki.

Powers/Abilities (Liu Kang)

Of all the main characters, Liu Kang is able to deal twice amount of damage to an opponent than any regular playable character, certifying him as one of the most powerful characters in the side of good in the MK franchise. Kang possesses great agility, acrobatic skill, and abundant knowledge in the martial arts excelling in notable martial arts fighting styles such as Karate, Jun Fan, Pao Chui, Jeet Kune Do, Choy Lay Fut, Monkey, and Dragon. He did wield a sword in MK4 called the Dragon Sword, but in the later games as a zombified corpse, he uses chains and Nunchucks. It is said during the games Liu Kang often meditates to retain or improve his strength and notably, he is driven by anger, will, and determination as evident in his battles against Goro, Shang Tsung, and Shao Kahn also since he possesses the title of Mortal Kombat Grand Champion, Liu Kang cannot age until he is dethroned. Liu Kang can manipulate fire, shooting fire ball projectiles shape like that of a small dragon’s head and can shapeshift into an actual Chinese Dragon to bite half of his opponent’s body off, which is one of his notable fatalities. His other notable ones include the Deadly Uppercut, where he cartwheel kicks his opponent and uppercuts them, though it is not a gruesome fatality, it reflects Liu Kang’s character and his dedication to the Shaolin teachings of valuing the preservation of life and respecting his opponent. However, he would develop more violent natured, but not gruesome fatalities such as his Dragon fatality mentioned, Incinerate where he disappears and morphs himself as living fire to burn his opponent and reappear and the Soul Invasion, a reflection of his zombified state where his body transforms into a spirit and possesses his opponent’s body and letting him/her rip his/her own head off.

Verdict (By Stillmattic) 

And the winner is...

Boiling down to who'd win this fight came down to one of three things ~ Potential, Full Plate/No Plate, or the Hypothetical Route. Liu Kang from MK may/may not return to MKX due to his demise in MK9 whereas Ichigo is still alive and we have yet to see how his battle will be against Yhwach + just how much powerful he's gotten. To me, this is the Full Plate/No Plate scenario where I see Ichigo's plate is full, but there's still stuff piling on that makes that plate even heavier than it should be ~ building a character arc while still giving him depth on the gravitas of his role. Detailing Ichigo's life, Ichigo's strength stems from his duty to protect his family & friends. The same can be said with Liu Kang from MK, but when I see Ichigo's growth as a character throughout the series ~ I think there's more to his development than Liu Kang because, of course, Bleach is still continuing weekly whereas with MK, you'll have to wait for the next game and it'll become a 50/50 gamble. Ichigo gained, lost, and gained again Shinigami/Quincy Powers, but those powers of his always resided him. The blood of the Shinigami/Quincy Hybrid lies within our Strawberry hero. That is why Ichigo's character has so much depth ~ his mother's death, his father's origin, the reason why he resembles Kaien Shiba, and the fact that his sisters are now involved ~ it all stems from Ichigo's backstory defining who he is and what'll he eventually be ~ Gotei 13's hero. As much as I like Liu Kang, I just didn't see much development in his character and, whereas Ichigo was created by Tite Kubo himself, Liu Kang pays homage to the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee (which isn't bad, but when you have creation vs. inspiration, I'd think a creation has more of an impact that a character whose based off someone). The extent of Ichigo's powers is still unknown and I think he'll mop the floor with Liu Kang because....ICHIGO WINS....FLAWLESS VICTORY! 

So who do you think won in the final BK Round? Liu Kang from MK or Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach? Comment below and let us know. Thank you so much for following MechG and I's collaborative Bleach Kombat Month ~ look forward to future collaborations. Until then, you all stay classy now. Here's the final Scoreboard for BK Month:

1) Jax Briggs vs. Yasutora "Chad" Sado ~ MK (July 4th)

2) Jade vs. Yoruichi Shihoin ~ Bleach (July 7th)

3) Johnny Cage vs. Mask De Masculine ~ MK (July 9th)

4) Sonya Blade vs. Sui-Feng ~ Bleach (July 11th)

5) Kenshi vs. Byakuya Kuchiki ~ Bleach (July 14th)

6) Mileena vs. Bambietta Basterbine ~ Bleach (July 16)

7) Kung Lao vs. Uryu Ishida ~ Bleach (July 18th)

8) Reptile vs. Sajin Komamura ~ Bleach (July 21st)

9) Sektor vs. Renji Abarai ~ Bleach (July 23rd)

10) Sindel vs. Tier Harribel ~ MK (July 25th) 

11) Sub-Zero vs. Rukia Kuchiki ~ MK (July 28th)

12) Baraka vs. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez ~ Bleach (July 30th) 

13) Fujin vs. Candice Catnipp ~ MK (August 1st) 

14) Quan Chi vs. Toshiro Hitsugaya ~ MK (August 4th) 

15) Scorpion vs. Ad Nodt ~ MK (August 6th) 

16) Goro vs Kenpachi Zaraki ~ Bleach (August 8th) 

17) Kitana vs Orihime Inoue ~ MK (August 11th) 

18) Shang Tsung vs. Kisuke Urahara ~ Bleach (August 13th) 

19) Raiden vs. Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto ~ Bleach (August 15th) 

20) Shao Kahn vs. Baraggan Louisenbairn ~ MK (August 18th) 

21) Onaga vs. Yhwach ~ MK (August 20th) 

22) Shinnok vs. Aizen Sousile ~ Bleach (August 22nd) 

23) Liu Kang vs. Ichigo Kurosaki ~ Bleach (August 25th)

Final Score: Bleach wins 13-10 against Mortal Kombat. 

Also be sure to check out MechG's Sports Blog ~ http://trueraiderlaker.blogspot.com/