Bleach Hakusho 2 Round 1: Sojiro Kusaka vs. Shinobu Sensui

VS.

It's been a long time since I've done a Fight Night series myself. From the past year, I've collaborated with MechG on Bleach Fantasy 1-2 & Bleach Kombat and MIKandIK3 on SGABR (Bleach vs. Fairy Tail edition). However, I intend to change that by introducing new Fight Nights and one such series I started was Bleach Hakusho. Bleach Hakusho ran from February-Match of last year and the final verdict was 20-8. That was 2 months where Bleach just demolished YYH 20x whereas YYH won less than 10x. However, in bringing back BH and limiting it to only 10 match-ups, it'll be quite interesting to see the direction of where it'll go considering I myself am curious to see who'd win in these match-ups. Now I'm well aware I'm leaving out a lot of important people, but take into consideration ~ I'd like to make this a lot more fair and in limiting certain characters, it'd be a just match. With that being said, I'd like to introduce Bleach Yakusho 2 Round 1 ~ Sojiro Kusaka from Bleach Movie 2: Diamond Dust Rebellion going up against Shinobu Sensui, the main antagonist of the Chapter Black Saga. Like I always start any Fight Night post, Storyline & Powers/Abilities will be the deciding factors for BH 2. Let's jam!

**Note: Some of the content may be copy+paste from previous Fight Night posts. 

Storyline (Sojiro)

Before any Shinigami can enlist within the Gotei 13, they enroll in Shin'o Academy. During Toshiro Hitsugaya's studies, he befriended a man named Sojiro Kusaka. Kusaka often regarded Hitsugaya as a genius and, as such, wanted to prove that he could surpass him in every way. A friendship/rivalry surfaced - both were at the top of their game, trained hard, and surprisingly have the same Zanpaktou spirit. As a result of this discovery, the two became ever so close knowing that they possessed the same power. However, Central 46 have stated that no two Shinigami can possess the same Zanpaktou. Despite Hitsugaya offering to give up on his Zanpaktou (Hyorinmaru), Central 46 wouldn't permit anything of the sort and wanted the two to duke it out ~ one shall stand & the other falls. Kusaka was eager to challenge Hitsugaya, but ultimately this led to Kusaka's death despite the face that their battle wasn't intended to go to the Death. Thus, Hyorinmaru rightfully belonged to Hitsugaya. Despite severely wounding Kusaka, the Stealth Force executed him on the spot....what started off as a friendship soon turned to tragedy. During his death, Kusaka was in wonderment on why he should be the one to die even though Kusaka fought proudly for the Gotei 13. Captain Yamamoto stated that the King's Seal ultimately gave Sojiro a new life & Hueco Mundo raised him up again...this time with two Arrancar henchmen & a thirst for vengeance. Years later, he'd come to cause trouble for the Gotei 13 by first attacking Captain Kyoraku Shunsui. He & his Arrancar henchmen stirred up trouble surrounding Hitsugaya - this frustrates Hitsugaya as he want to know who this man this. After coming across Kusaka, Hitsugaya "left" the Gotei 13 much to the worry of his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto. All along, Kusaka's plan was to become the new King of the Soul Society ~ to be both powerful & respected as the rightful wielder of Hyorinmaru. However, even after Kusaka cut open the King's Seal & literally became a Ice Dragon, he was ultimately slain by Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya stated that they'd always be friends and, from the get-go, Kusaka wanted to end things between him & Hitsugaya. 

Storyline (Shinobu)

Shinobu Sensui is the former Spirit Detective before Yusuke and is the major antagonist of the Chapter Black Saga. Koenma took an interest in Shinobu's sense of justice and his talents in eliminating demons. However, his interest in slaying demons soon plundered as he saw the Black Black Club torture demons for their own amusement. Twisted by this sight, something inside Shinbou snapped and thus his hatred for mankind has surfaced. As leader of the Shinobu Seven, he, and his team are bent on bringing misery to the human world; a plan that Sakyo, a former member of the Black Black club, wanted to come true. Shinobu's also developed dissociative identity disorder, creating 7 distinct personalities from Shinobu whereas his original personality stays pure. He, alongside the Sensui Seven, become enemies of Team Urameshi as they clash in hopes to either save humanity....or allow it to be taken over by the Demons. 

Powers/Abilities (Sojiro)

Sojiro's Zanpaktou, much like Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, is Hyorinmaru ~ an water/ice-based Zanpaktou. Aside from that, he is a master swordsman, has keen intellect, a Shunpo expert, & has high spiritual pressure. When Kusaka cuts open the King's Key with his Zanpaktou, he becomes literally a Dragon made of Ice that has enhanced durability, strength, has regenerative abilities, & and can fire ice projectiles. He can also manipulate ice, has the ability of dimensional expansion (because of the King's Key going out of control), and can fire yellow energy blasts from his mouth. 

Powers/Abilities (Shinobu) 

Shinobu is an incredibly strong human, having 10x more spiritual energy that Yusuke. What makes Shinobu a formidable opponent is his Sacred energy (being that of S-class Demon level) - purest and most-powerful kind of energy (Koenma states it is the echelon of power) that takes 40 years of discipline to master. The difference in power, at first, with Yusuke was clear - Shinobu was stronger than Yusuke. Shinobu practices a fighting style known as Resshuken, renowned for fast footwork. With this, he utilizes his fast footwork + his spiritual/sacred energy - has a variety of attacks - Resshu Ko Kyu Ha (Fissure Kick Crimson Ball Wave), Splinter Resshuken, Offensive & Defensive armor (w/his Sacred Energy), Twisted Twister, and Energy gun (when in Kazuya's personality). His powers alone were enough to subdue Kuwabara, Hiei (with the Black Dragon), & Kurama (in Demon Form). 

Verdict

And the winner is...

Now this decision boiled down between two things ~ A character who has an entire arc built around him or a character who has a entire movie built around him? Now in some cases, you could argue if the backstory, change, & motivation are there, then it's a sure thing that that character has significance. However, there is one thing argument with this notion. YYH's antagonist has continuity within the YYH universe whereas Bleach: Diamond Dust Rebellion's antagonist has NO continuity whatsoever. So this means the build-up of Shinobu in YYH from the Chapter Black Saga has much more significance in the progression of the story than Kusaka Sojiro does in Bleach Movie 2: Diamond Dust Rebellion. However, this isn't the only reasons why I gave the win to Shinobu. Shinobu's story, in my opinion, has more tragedy. The drive behind his actions were because he saw just how cruel, unkind, & monstrous Humans can be towards the unknown (Demons). The constant strife between the two is apparent, but when you're making the Humans look so cold-less towards an enemy who is unknown by torturing them ~ we aren't much different to the Demons. To Shinobu, he saw the cruelty of Humans as a life-changing experience that swayed him from partaking in any human affairs. He saw the decline of the Human race and literally labeled it as a disease. This makes his motivation all the more clearer and the reason why he's developed multiple personalities ~ the cruelty of the Humans towards Demons was able to distort Shinobu's sense of truth & justice. To Shinobu, Humans became the new Demons & Demons became humanistic in his eyes. With Kusaka, I didn't see much motivation or drive. He was jealous of Hitsugaya, but more importantly ~ he was betrayed by the Gotei 13, the very people he looked up to. He wanted vengeance on the Gotei 13, but the approach of the 2nd movie seemed to be just Kusaka going after Hitsugaya because he technically killed him. So this brings up the question ~ which drive has more appeal? Well, I will have to go with Shinobu. It's much darker & we had a arc dedicated to seeing his origins, his transformation, & his downfall. With Kusaka, I just saw a man who was betrayed and wanted vengeance for the sake of wanting to settle things. I see the transformation into darkness much more effective than the transformation of jealousy & betrayal. That's not to say that jealousy & betrayal are overlooked, but when you're pitting it against a man who was once good, destined for greatness, & was the 1st Spirit Detective turn into a madman ~ that has much more focus & drive. Sorry Bleach, but YYH takes the cake.

So who do you think won this matchup? Shinobu Sensui from YYH or Sojiro Kusaka from Bleach? Comment below & let me know. Look forward to BH 2 posts on Mondays & Fridays all throughout September. Until then, you stay classy. YYH leads 1-0 against Bleach. 

The new schedule has started this week (effective August 31st).

Mondays ~ Fight Nights
Tuesdays ~ Food for Thought?
Wednesdays ~ Watch-List
Thursdays ~ WBCRs
Fridays ~ Fight Nights

Throwback #98 - Gentlemen's Approach

Well, this is it ladies & gentlemen. We're approaching the climax of the Throwback posts. Throwbacks will conclude on Friday, September 11th, 2015. This is my second longest-running segment (Affinities also ran for 100) and, like I've said before, all things must come to an end. Today's Throwback is when Orihime Inoue daydreams about seeing Ichigo in a suit & tie ~ blushing at the thought that her crush would have so much swag. This was shown in the time-skip after Aizen's imprisonment and illustrates Orihime's growing love & affection for her prince charming. Orihime, at this point, isn't really making any more advances to Ichigo, but of course when she's alone ~ she can't help but think about him because, well, he's so cool in Orihime's eyes. Orihime was literally the damsel in distress and to see Ichigo have such a profound influence on her friends & family shows how much Orihime values Ichigo in her life. So seeing Ichigo all swagged up is pretty funny because it's her supposed idealist view of Ichigo if he were to show any sort of romantic move towards her. I know there's a divide between Ichiruki & Ichihime fans, but this moment could potentially foreshadow that perhaps Orihime's view of Ichigo as the Gentlemen she wanted may/may not come true...we'll just have to see.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Throwback post. The final Throwback will be posted next NEXT Friday, September 11th. Until then, you stay classy as always. Next week, the new schedule will start:

Mondays ~ Fight Nights
Tuesdays ~ Food for Thought?
Wednesdays ~ Watch-List
Thursdays ~ WBCRs

Watchlist #46 - Yu Yu Hakusho

With BH 2 coming soon, I just realized that one of the most nostalgic Anime(s) I grew up watching on the Adult-Swim/Toonami line-up hasn't been talked about yet on the Watch-List posts segment. How could I have forgotten such an integral fighting Anime that, like DBZ, was so badass w/memorable characters, over-the-top fight scenes, and having the protagonist getting increasingly and scarily stronger each and every time he overcome adversity? Well, let's get to it. YYH was written by Yoshihiro Togashi between 1990-1994, published in Weekly Shonen Jump, and adapted into a 112-episode Anime series that aired between 1992-1995. There were also 2 movies based on the hit YYH series, the time Togashi wrote it, it'd take only 2 years to spawn an adaptation ~ that's pretty damn impressive. So what's the story? Well we follow a young rebellious teenager named Yusuke Urameshi who, as you expected, doesn't have the most glamorous life out there. He lives with a mother who loves to drink & bring home men, gets into fights with various thugs, and is hated by his own teachers. However, his life would change for what I'd like to call the better when he "died" saving a child from a car. From then, he awakes to find that he's dead and that a Grim Reaper named Botan is there to tell him that Yusuke may have a chance to return to the world of living depending on the tasks given to him by the Spirit World. The adventures of Yusuke Spirit Detective begins where he fights various demons and preserves peace between both worlds. And from there, the clash of demons & humans emerges where he meets friends (Hiei & Kurama and enemies (Toguro, Sensui, & Yomi). YYH has a lot going for it because of just how old-school and badass it is. This really reminded me a lot of DBZ except the fights were shorter. Both have a nostalgic value to them and if you were to ask me, do I prefer DBZ or YYH better, I will honestly openly whole-heartedly say that I wouldn't know. I love DBZ because it was the first Anime I was introduced to and there's a lot of badass (& cheesy) moments from it's long-running fight scenes to the unorthodox humor in it. I love YYH because it was the first Anime series I got into myself (my family got me into DBZ) and, like DBZ, there's a lot of badass (& chessy) moments from it's long-running fight scenes to the unorthodox humor in it. I'd like to say there's a balance for my interests in both, but I will admit the YYH fights were much much shorter &, unfortunately, the DBZ villains are far more memorable than the villains of YYH. Now you ask me who my favorite character is, it's Hiei. Hiei is a demon and, like Byakuya Kuchiki from Bleach or Vegeta from DBZ, he's the badass. Yusuke is like the Ichigo & Goku of the team, Kuwabara is the Renji & Krillin of the team, Kurama is the Uryu & Piccolo of the team, and Orihime & Keiko are the loves interests of the protagonist. See, I just threw in 3 similarities between DBZ, Bleach, & YYH. I guess fighting Anime(s) kind of have a similar format....THAT or I'm just finding conclusions based on my own observations. Overall, YYH is one of my Favorite Action/Fighting Anime that deserves mentioning. A whole lot of nostalgia here, but I will end this post with a.....Spirit Gun!

I hope you enjoyed this week's Watch-list post. Until then, you stay classy as always. Starting next week, Watch-List posts will be on WEDNESDAYS, not Thursdays. Don't forget to check out the other Watch-list posts (in order):

1) Tenchi Muyo

2) Cowboy Bebop

3) Trigun

4) Dragonball Z

5) School Rumble 

6) Is This A Zombie?

7) Fairy Tail

8) Omamori Himari

9) FLCL

10) Gurren Lagann 

11) Shin-Chan 

12) Tenchi Muyo GXP

13) Tenchi Muyo In Tokyo

14) Power Puff Girls Z

15) Kirby!

16) Samurai Champloo 

17) Hanaukyo Maid Team 

18) True Tears 

19) Zombie Powder (Manga)

20) Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai 

21) Teen Titans
22) Yu-Gi-Oh
23) Rosario+Vampire
24) Death Note
25) Pokemon
26) Digimon
27) Big-O
28) X-Men (Anime Version)
29) D-Frag
30) Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun
31) Akame Ga Kill
32) Invaders of the Rokujyōma!?
33) OniAi
34) Ben-To
35) Testament of a Sister New Devil
36) Minamoto-kun Monogatari (Manga)
37) My Love Story (Ore Monogatari!)
38) Space Dandy
39) Wanna be the strongest in the world
40) When Marnie Was There (Film ~ Studio Ghibli)
41) The Garden of Words (Film ~ Makoto Shinkai)
42) Song of the Sea (Film ~ Tomm Moore)  
43) Nagasarete Airantou
44) DBZ: Resurrection 'F' (Film)
45) Bikini Warriors (First Impressions)
46) Yu Yu Hakusho

WBCR is posted below. 

WBCR - The Number 7 (Grade: C)

Continuing off from last week's chapter, Mayuri's new reconfigured Bankai ~ Golden Ashisogi Jizou Demon Womb Wrapped in Disease is able to give birth to new Ashisogi Jizous and it just so happens that Pernida was swallowed wholly by it. However, this proves quite futile as Pernida just breaks out of it and explicates that it's a Quincy. Mayuri, hysterically laughing at the thought of Pernida saying it's a Quincy, notices that Pernida's vocabulary is.....expanding. His tone of voice and how he speaks his words were different...it felt like it was evolving faster by the minute. As with any Quincy, Pernida begins using his bow where it attaches its nerves to the end. The nerves kept extending towards Mayuri, but Mayuri was quick to catch on, but what he couldn't foresee that it was able to change its trajectory. Just as Mayuri was about to be hit, Nemu, Mayuri's "daughter," saves him. Mayuri is wondering why his "daughter" acted out of the ordinary. Mayuri doesn't take too kindly for having other save him let alone one of his own creations. Mayuri hasn't taught Nemu at all about helping others out of judgement or even personal reasons, but Nemu managed to teach herself something that Mayuri couldn't even comprehend. Mayuri then says something interesting ~ "Nemuri Nanagou (Sleeping No. 7)," the name given to her when Mayuri made her. Mayuri goes on to explain that he's taught her a little too much and how it'd be a burden if Mayuri's "next creation" were to act in the manner Nemu had just as she saved Mayuri from danger. Then, we see Mayuri snap ~ He doesn't want Nemu to sacrifice her life like that and that her purpose is only fulfilled when and where Captain Mayuri sees fit. That concludes the chapter, but it just shows how much Nemu has evolved during her time with Mayuri. Always submissive, Nemu, for the first time in her Captain's eyes, acted out of instinct. Mayuri's reprimanding of her could be a parent-child bond, but of course from Mayuri's POV, Nemu is his lieutenant and a tool as a means to aid in his research. Nemu almost throwing away her life upsetted Mayuri so much that it's very rare to see Mayuri lash out at Nemu's actions. From the comments I've read on MangaStream, it can be argued that his yelling attributes to how much he values Nemu and that he wants her to remain by his side, but on the other hand it could illustrate how much control Mayuri has on Nemu and that the thought of dying is much more relieving than having his own creation act out of the ordinary. It's a battle between purpose & reason and when they clash, you genuinely see Nemu become almost "human-like." As an artificial being, Nemu, much like Pernida, is evolving by the minute. This chapter, to me, illustrates Nemu's transition ~ she felt genuinely surprised when Mayuri addressed her as "Nemuri Nanagou." It's build-up nonetheless and that's why I give this week's chapter a C. Pernida is a unique specimen, but I still want to see the other fights.

What did you think of the chapter? Did it satisfy and deliver or just outright sucked and disappointed? Comment below and let me know. Look forward to WBCRs whenever chapter's out (if delayed, post will be up on Weekends). Until then, you stay classy as always. Starting next week, there'll be a new schedule and I intend to post WBCRS on Thursdays when the chapter's released. 

BLEACH HAKUSHO 2 IS COMING SOON!

VS.

I said before on 8/15/15 that for Fight Night posts, I'd still be continuing clashing Bleach against other series and even pitting other series together like Cowboy Bebop vs. Black Lagoon. I'm proud to announce that Bleach Hakusho 2 is coming soon, August 31st to be exact. Bleach Hakusho 2 will be a lot shorter than the first, which had 28 matchups with the 1st month being balanced and the second Bleach just demolishing YYH. Bleach Hakusho 2 (or BH2) will only be 10 matchups and will go from August 31st-October 2nd. They'll be posted on on Mondays & Fridays (MF). There'll be 2 main events. Here's my expected roster from start-to-finish.

1) Sojiro Kusaka (Bleach) vs. Shinobu Sensui (YYH) ~ M (8/31)
2) Aaroniero Arruruerie (Bleach) vs. Elder Toguro (YYH) ~ F (09/04)
3) Grimmjow Jaejaquez (Bleach) vs. Younger Toguro (YYH) ~ M (09/07)
4) Kenpachi Zaraki (Bleach) vs. Toshin Raizen (YYH) ~ F (09/11)
5) 1st Main Event (M ~ 09/14): 

 Rukia

VS.

      Kurama

6) Tier Harribel (Bleach) vs. Mukuro (YYH) ~ F (09/18)

7) Yhwach (Bleach) vs. Yomi (YYH) ~ M (09/21)

8) Renji Abarai (Bleach) vs. Kazuma Kuwabara (YYH) ~ F (09/25)

9) Uryu Ishida (Bleach) vs. Hiei (YYH) ~ M (09/28)

10) 2nd Main Event (F ~ 10/02):

 Hollow Ichigo

VS.

 Demon Yusuke

Look forward next Monday to the start of BH2 (August 31st-October 2nd). Stay classy as always! FYI, starting in September the schedule on MBZ is as follows:

Mondays ~ Fight Nights

Tuesdays ~ Food for Thought?

Wednesdays ~ Watch-lists 

Thursdays ~ WBCRS

Fridays ~ Throwbacks/Fight Night slot

WBCR - A Mad Scientist's Hard-on Part 3 (Grade: C)

Continuing off from last week's chapter, it seems Mayuri is only getting more curious about his enemy, Pernida. Pernida is the Soul King's left hand and it can infiltrate nerves. Mayuri read long ago that each of the Soul King's arm represent something ~ The Right represents "Stillness" and the Left represents "Progress." Mayuri was skeptical at first because as a scientist, he wants to witness things firsthand. Mayuri uses his Bankai and, surprise surprise, Mayuri reconfigured it ~ Golden Ashisogi Jizou Demon Womb Wrapped in Disease. Mayuri explicates that it's a metamorphosis and it can give birth to new Ashisogi Jizous. The Ashisogi Jizous have nerves on the surface of their skin and have split across 70,000 different epidermal layers. This means that even if Pernida were to attack, the epidermal layer will just shed. So unless Pernida can go through 70,000 layers of nerves, Pernida can't really do anything. Pernida is swallowed whole and that's the end of the chapter. Honestly, I can sum up the chapter by repeating what I said in last week's WBCR - "This was a VERY short read and there's not much else to say. Mayuri cannot contain his excitement and simply wants Pernida to be his test subject. Like last week, I give it a C. It just needs to speed the F up."

What did you think of the chapter? Did it satisfy and deliver or just outright sucked and disappointed? Comment below and let me know. Look forward to WBCRs whenever chapter's out (if delayed, post will be up on Weekends). Until then, you stay classy as always.

Throwback #97 - Somebody I used to know

Once again, I'd like to apologize for having posted the Throwback post late. I recently just started at a University and am getting accustomed to the new transition from Community College to a University-level College. As I've reiterated before, Throwback posts will continue for 3 more weeks and what's most likely going to happen is that Fridays, alongside weekends (unless post is delayed), there'll be NO posts. My proposed plan is to post Mondays-Thursdays, but if there's a Fight Night post, those days will range on MWF (Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays). However, I digress.

One of the most tragic moments in Bleach is Aizen's deception amongst all his comrades. He is manipulative, cruel, and is willing to do any means necessary to get what he wants at the expense of others. When Renji stumbled across the truth behind Aizen's actions, Renji felt betrayed. Aizen was once Renji's superior and to see him stoop so low...Renji couldn't comprehend why considering earlier, Aizen "died." However, Aizen didn't actually die and instead faked his own death ~ the Ryoka's involvement became the center of attention for the Gotei 13 as the Central 46 council was murdered without anyone batting an eye. Aizen ordered Renji to put Rukia down and to step away, but Renji refused upon hearing of Aizen's deception from Isane's warning. Renji stated that the Aizen he used to know is gone where Aizen pretty much said one of the most badass lines in Bleach ~ The Aizen you knew never existed. Renji snapped and attempted to use Shikai on his former superior, but alas ~ the efforts were in vain and Renji, even with Ichigo's help, were no match for Aizen's caliber. This just shows how Aizen, from the get-go, was out of everyone's league. Aizen used Aizen, Kira, & Momo as soon as he laid his eyes on them. Renji was assigned to the 6th division because Aizen foresaw Renji becoming a problem whereas Kira & Momo were easy to manipulate. At a loss, Renji is severely wounded by Aizen and Aizen just became one step closer to attaining his goal ~ The Hogyoku.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Throwback post. Throwback posts will continue for 3 more weeks. Until then, you stay classy now. WBCR will be up later. 

Watchlist #45 - Bikini Warriors (First Impressions)

For the past 44 Watch-list posts, I've reiterated the importance of Anime series & films that deserve mentioning. From my humble roots of the TCTD Quad, Anime has prominently become one form of entertainment that I'm dependent on. It's storytelling, engaging characters, unorthodox methods, and charisma ~ Anime, from time to time, has often been more worthwhile than North American cartoons. That's not to say that North American cartoons are bad, but I believe Anime can push the boundary on what they can, do, and say. Enter a new Anime I've stumbled upon titled Bikini Warriors. Starting in July, directed by Naoyuki Kuzuya, and supposedly going for 12 episodes, Bikini Warriors just started streaming by Funimation (you should be watching). This is what I'd like to fall First Impressions where I give my take on the first few episode of the series and give you the Thumbs up or down on whether to consider it. Surprisingly, this Anime has a run-time of only 4 minutes w/the opening being shown at the very end of the episode, so let's say 3:00 an episode. Wow, this Anime is the third shortest Anime I've seen. The first two, Cyclops Shojo Saipu & Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster have a run-time of 2-2:30 minutes. Now what are my thoughts on the first few episodes? Well, one word suffices the show ~ FANSERVICE. Yes, I put that in bolded letters because that's exactly what you're getting when watch this. Imagine a world of RPG and you're one of these 4 lovely skimpy-wearing ladies. You enter dungeons, earn gold, and try to make a living by killing off monsters. However, what happens when you're say....level 1? You don't automatically tackle everything handed to you, you take your time and build yourself up. Nope, not with the Bikini Warriors. Episode 1, they enter a dungeon, get their @$$e$ kicked, and get dope (and skimpy) @$$ armor that surprisingly is able to make them more durable. If you haven't guessed it yet, Bikini Warriors is an RPG-based Anime where it tackles the cliches of RPGs. Pillaging for gold from innocent villagers, try to obtain high-quality weapons when in actuality they are weak as sh*t, finding teammates who could potentially end up being a relief or a wreck, and trying to find the time to look for a stylish-looking home ~ Bikini Warriors does all that and more. So, did I like the series? Well, aside from the eye-candy, Bikini Warriors is just an OK Anime. I was expecting it to be 20-30 minutes, but hey, if they can try and entertain me in a 4-minute format, then that works. Yes I was entertained by just how pathetic they were. And, you know what, I find that relatable, Whenever I played a RPG, I did everything they did ~ find gold, find a home, and try to say I'm a bad@$$ at level 1. So I found it hilarious that they tackled that, but my expectations were low just on the grounds that it was only 4 minutes instead of 20-30. The show has promise, but don't expect much, I don't know, story/exposition. It's simply an exploration of Level 1 RPG players and the premise is, well, they got @$$ & Tits...so there's that. I'd say check it out, but don't really expect much coming out of it. There are far more better series out there, but for what it's worth, ya'll decide if you want to take a gander. For it's eye-candy or it's "premise," it's all up to you.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Watch-list post. I'm going to try and do First Impressions post whenever I can. They are a lot of new Anime(s) I've started and want to give my first thoughts on. After I've completed the series, then I'll do a thorough analysis on the show. The First Impressions is just to give an insight on what I'm expecting going into the first couple of episodes. Aside from that, look forward to Watch-list posts on Thursdays. Until then, you stay classy as always. Don't forget to check out the other Watch-list posts (in order):

1) Tenchi Muyo

2) Cowboy Bebop

3) Trigun

4) Dragonball Z

5) School Rumble 

6) Is This A Zombie?

7) Fairy Tail

8) Omamori Himari

9) FLCL

10) Gurren Lagann 

11) Shin-Chan 

12) Tenchi Muyo GXP

13) Tenchi Muyo In Tokyo

14) Power Puff Girls Z

15) Kirby!

16) Samurai Champloo 

17) Hanaukyo Maid Team 

18) True Tears 

19) Zombie Powder (Manga)

20) Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai 

21) Teen Titans
22) Yu-Gi-Oh
23) Rosario+Vampire
24) Death Note
25) Pokemon
26) Digimon
27) Big-O
28) X-Men (Anime Version)
29) D-Frag
30) Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun
31) Akame Ga Kill
32) Invaders of the Rokujyōma!?
33) OniAi
34) Ben-To
35) Testament of a Sister New Devil
36) Minamoto-kun Monogatari (Manga)
37) My Love Story (Ore Monogatari!)
38) Space Dandy
39) Wanna be the strongest in the world
40) When Marnie Was There (Film ~ Studio Ghibli)
41) The Garden of Words (Film ~ Makoto Shinkai)
42) Song of the Sea (Film ~ Tomm Moore)  
43) Nagasarete Airantou
44) DBZ: Resurrection 'F' (Film)
45) Bikini Warriors (First Impressions) 

Throwback #96 - In the face, In the face, In the face

I've reiterated before on the Blog that Grimmjow is my second favorite Espada (The 1st is my Queen, Harribel). The moment we met him, it was destined that he'd become a legitimate threat to Ichigo and one who considered him a rival. This distinction is also noted when Ichigo faced Ikkaku, Renji, Kenpachi, & Byakuya. The magnitude of power that the Arrancar(s) held was that or even great than a Shinigami Captain. Though attaining his Bankai, Ichigo is unfortunate as he copes to control the inner-hollow that wishes to consume Ichigo wholly. Grimmjow, having the #6, is much more than just an Arrancar, he's of the Espada ~ 10 Vasto-Lorde Arrancar that are even greater than that of a Shinigami Captain. To see Ichigo getting pummeled by Grimmjow just showcases that Grimmjow wasn't to be underestimated. Even without gong full power, Ichigo was no match. As seen in the gif, Ichigo is mercilessly getting f*cked up. It's weird that this scene was omitted in the Manga, I think it illustrates the magnitude of Ichigo's strength and how far apart he is from an enemy he's never faced before. Overcoming adversity is something Ichigo is fond off, but the first time he clearly was in over his head is when he first encountered Aizen. When he faces Grimmjow, it's clear Ichigo's mind is confident that his skills alone can handle someone of his caliber since just earlier, Ichigo dealt briefly with Yammy (though Ichigo's inner-hollow began to resurface and he later got his @$$ kicked). The point is, this scene is an example of how much progress Ichigo needs to make if he is to fight against Aizen & his army of Arrancar. Arrancar show no remorse, sympathy, and have little interest in the weak. Ichigo has learned from this encounter that if he can't even a henchmen, how far can he go keeping his friends & family safe from harm? Grimmjow's relentless onslaught of one-two punch is just awesome to look at and was a gif I often posted on Myspace (remember those days)?

I hope you enjoyed this week's Throwback. Throwbacks will continue for 4 more weeks. Stay classy as always.

Zealot Update (08/15/15)

Good Afternoon ladies & gentlemen, it feels like it's been awhile since I've posted on the blog. This has been a very lax week considering that Tuesday's Affinity posts came to a conclusion, the Fight Night collaboration w/MechG ended last week, and there were no Bleach chapter this week. I am well aware that I forgot to post yesterday's Throwback post, that'll be up sometime later. However, there are some things that need to addressed as I move the Zealot Blog forward. Here is my plan starting in September:

Mondays ~ Fight Nights
For the past year, I've collaborated with MechG on Bleach Fantasy 1 & 2 (Bleach vs. Final Fantasy) & Bleach Komba (Bleach Kombat)t as well as MIKandIK3 with SGABR (Sexy Girls of Anime Battle Royale). The last time I attempted a Fight Night myself was Bleach Hakusho (Bleach vs. Yu Yu Hakusho). Even though it's a Bleach-related blog, I've only started venturing forth talking about various Animes (recommendations) to you guys. However, there are some ideas I have in mind that I'm thinking about starting in September, both Bleach & Non-Bleach related:

1) Bleach Hakusho 2 (Bleach vs. Yu Yu Hakusho)
2) BBZ (Bleach vs. Dragon Ball Z)
3) FMB (Bleach vs. Fullmetal Alchemist)
4) KAGLK (Akame Ga Kill vs. Kill La Kill ~ Battle of The Kills)
5) Bebop's Lagoon (Cowboy Bebop vs. Black Lagoon ~ Battle of Badassery)
6) To Love Monster (To-Love-Ru vs. Monster Musume)

Tuesdays ~ Food For Thought?
There was once a segment called "21 Questions" on the Blog, but I will openly admit ~ I got too lazy to write down my responses, forgotten about it, and didn't know if I wanted to pursue it. However, after literally writing down a Food for Thought (Censorship in Bleach) on a recent Throwback post, I felt the need to return to this, but strictly make it one question, No worries, I'll stick to this one for sure!

Wednesdays ~ Watch-Lists 
I've decided to move the Watchlist posts that are usually posted on Thursdays on Wednesdays. It felt like a good fit to me.

Thursdays ~ WBCRS
Since chapters have often been released on Thursday, I've designated Thursdays to be when the chapter's released AND when I'll do a review of it.

Fridays ~ Throwbacks 
Fight Night Posts will continue for 4 more weeks. I will have to think about a new segment in the meantime. There'll be a 50/50 chance that I won't be posting on Fridays anymore once the Throwbacks are over.

This new schedule will take effect starting in September. 

As always, you all stay classy~

- Stillmattic (08.15.15)

Watchlist #44 - Resurrection 'F'

August 12th, 2015, I revisited my childhood and watched the limited release of the latest DBZ movie: Resurrection 'F.' It's been awhile since I've touched upon the subject of DBZ and there I was watching it on the big screen alongside my fellow DBZ fans. This is the 19th DBZ film and it was refreshing to see some familiar faces ~ Piccolo, Krillin, Gohan, Master Roshi, Bulma, and the stars of the film ~ Goku, Vegeta, & Frieza. Going into this film, I instinctively knew that it was going to be epic. A lot of fighting, destruction, havoc, and, of course, screaming. I will openly admit that Frieza wasn't my favorite antagonist of the DBZ series (That would be Buu), but his return is very welcoming. It was nostalgic to see Frieza try and best both Goku & Vegeta despite the fact that we know our heroes will prevail one way or another. Not only was this a limited release, but DBZ fans were screaming for joy at the return of familiar voice actors from the original DBZ. Hearing Goku, Vegeta, & Frieza felt like I was re-watching DBZ. I felt like a kid again and it was awesome to see that Akira Toriyama (creator) still has it when it came to writing the story & bringing back what we love so much about DBZ! I'm not going to go into detail about the story, but it's pretty much self-explanatory ~ Goku vs. Frieza. Two fighters who duke it out and there are stakes on both ends ~ preserving the Earth or witness it's destruction. This film also brought back Beerus & Whis from the previous DBZ Film, Battle of Gods. Those two, let me tell you, are 100x stronger than pretty much everyone in the series. I haven't watched Battle of the Gods, but c'mon ~ those two could've killed Frieza with just a flick of their finger. Great action, sporadic & unorthodox humor, amazing animation/resolution, and an awesome soundtrack ~ DBZ Resurrection 'F' is a DBZ fan's wish come true. It was nice seeing it in theaters, but most of all ~ it makes me want to re-watch DBZ all over again because DBZ is a classic, a marvel in Anime, and is nostalgic all around.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Watch-list post. Look forward to Watch-list posts on Thursdays. Until then, you stay classy as always. Don't forget to check out the other Watch-list posts (in order):

1) Tenchi Muyo

2) Cowboy Bebop

3) Trigun

4) Dragonball Z

5) School Rumble 

6) Is This A Zombie?

7) Fairy Tail

8) Omamori Himari

9) FLCL

10) Gurren Lagann 

11) Shin-Chan 

12) Tenchi Muyo GXP

13) Tenchi Muyo In Tokyo

14) Power Puff Girls Z

15) Kirby!

16) Samurai Champloo 

17) Hanaukyo Maid Team 

18) True Tears 

19) Zombie Powder (Manga)

20) Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai 

21) Teen Titans
22) Yu-Gi-Oh
23) Rosario+Vampire
24) Death Note
25) Pokemon
26) Digimon
27) Big-O
28) X-Men (Anime Version)
29) D-Frag
30) Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun
31) Akame Ga Kill
32) Invaders of the Rokujyōma!?
33) OniAi
34) Ben-To
35) Testament of a Sister New Devil
36) Minamoto-kun Monogatari (Manga)
37) My Love Story (Ore Monogatari!)
38) Space Dandy
39) Wanna be the strongest in the world
40) When Marnie Was There (Film ~ Studio Ghibli)
41) The Garden of Words (Film ~ Makoto Shinkai)
42) Song of the Sea (Film ~ Tomm Moore)  
43) Nagasarete Airantou
44) DBZ: Resurrection 'F' (Film)

There'll be a Zealot Update this Saturday. Stay tuned! 

Bleach Fantasy II Round 25 (The Main Event): Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Noctis Lucis Caelum

Welcome back to the final installment of Bleach Fantasy II where MechG & I once again collaborate on pitting the world of Bleach & the various installments of the Final Fantasy franchise. On Wednesday, Bleach took a victory against FF (FF still leads 13-11 against Bleach). My daily schedule of Watch-list, WBCR, & Throwback posts will be the same as always (if delayed, posts will be on weekends). Without further ado, let's get started on the final Bleach Fantasy II post Round 25 ~ Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Noctis Lucis Caelum. Take into account that Storyline and Powers/Abilities are the deciding factors. Let's jam! 

Storyline (Ichigo)

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. 

Storyline (Noctis)

Considering that Final Fantasy XV, previously titled Versus XIII is still in development by Square Enix, Noctis’ portion in the backstory and role in story is going to be handled based on pure speculation observed from the trailers, sneak peak cinematics, and gameplay. So what do we know about Noctis’ backstory so far? Noctis is the heir apparent and prince of the Caelum Dynasty. About the Caelum dynasty, they have been around in the world of FF15 for quite some time and they are the most powerful dynasty ruling the Kingdom of Lucis. According to the FF15 plotline, the Kingdom of Lucis holds the last crystal, which is crucial in order for the kingdom itself to like stay alive per se, which is why they isolated themselves because along with other kingdoms, they fought a huge war and many kingdoms lost their crystal. With only Lucis’ crystal standing, that makes them a big target for opposing kingdoms. Since Noctis is just the prince, his father Regis is current King of the Lucis Kingdom and we don’t know what the father-son relationship is like, we only see one brief cinematic of them, when Noctis was a kid, sharing a little father-son bond during one supper. One big portion of Noctis’ backstory is that he had a near-death experience, something like that and from that near-death experience, he was able to gain a great power bestowed by the goddess of death herself, Etro to be able to witness and predict someone’s death. In the recent “Dawn” trailer, we get to see more of Noctis’ backstory with his father Regis 15 years before the start of FF15 in which Regis starts to get emotional holding Noctis while Noctis continues to sleep without the realization that his kingdom is in peril. Regis whispers to Noctis that he will be with him always as he is about to potentially give him up to three anonymous, omnipotent figures. That potentially adds another puzzle to set up Noctis’ rise to power.

Again, this portion is based on pure speculation. So by the time Noctis is all grown up, the world of FF15 and its kingdoms are in a period of peace. To specify the names of the kingdoms: Lucis (of course Noctis’ kingdom), Tenebrae, Niflheim, Solheim, and Accordo, but Niflheim breaks the peace treaty and starts conquering the other kingdoms before Lucis one by one. One big clue about Noctis’ role in story is that during a party inside Lucis, Noctis meets a mysterious girl claiming to reside from the Kingdom of Tenebrae named Lunafreya (formally named Stella during early development) and the two engage in mutual conversation. According to Lunafreya, she shared the same fate as Noctis as a child also, having possessed the same power bestowed by Etro. She elaborates to Noctis about that myth that Etro greets the souls of the dead and opens the door to the afterlife and when that door opens, the souls break free from a bright light ascending to heaven. Lunafreya tells Noctis that both were able to see the light and able to possess the unique power of determining the death of individuals. The conversation of Noctis and Stella ends in sort of a positive note with Lunafreya leaving, leaving Noctis to look up in the sky possibly questioning if the myth is true or not (again just speculation). The two would later somewhat do battle against each other whether it’s by force considering Tenebrae is occupied under Niflheim rule or possibly for other reasons, which I don’t know of. As the party continued, the palace Noctis was in was raided by soldiers, presumably fighting for Niflheim. The Kingdom of Lucis is under heavy attack by Niflheim as evident with Niflheim’s ruler confronting Regis and Lucis’ main city on fire from the invasion in the trailers. I assume that Regis is going get killed off, putting Lucis under Niflheim control and they’re going to excavate for the last crystal and Noctis, based on clues in trailers, is going to lead some kind of reclamation campaign along with his companions, Ignis, the brains of the kingdom, Gladiolus, the raw strength and power character of the group, Prompto, the sure shot rifleman, and Cor Leonis, the old lion of the group considering he served the Caelum Dynasty and the Kingdom of Lucis for a long time.

Powers/Abilities (Ichigo)

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 (Noctis)

In terms of power and abilities, Noctis has a sh*tload of them in his arsenal. As mentioned, he has the unique power to be able to see and predict the death of individuals. Aside from that ability, Noctis has some unbelievable powers of his own because of his royal blood. Though his primary weapon is a sword with a large, bendy blade and a black handle representing that of an engine, he can be able to wield a variety of weapons, swords, spears, axes, firearms you name ‘em. In battle, his eyes turn red, displaying his unearthly speed and agility, able to take down a whole army of enemies, and he is surrounded by a crystal barrier with those variety of weapons making him unhittable, that barrier was able to withstand like 4 RPG missiles in a cinematic. He is able to interchange the weapons from his crystal barrier and can use them by hand or by telekinesis and he can teleport from anywhere whether on the ground, on air, or back on the ground using his engine sword. In terms of spells, he is able to cast fire and lightning and he can cast them from great distance. By virtue of playing the Episode Duscae demo, he has the ability to summon powerful, colossal Eidolons when near death (ex: summoning Ramuh and executing Bolt of Judgement to deal significant damage to enemies within range). Noctis is projected to be one of the most powerful male protagonists in the FF franchise.

Verdict (By MechG)
And the final winner of BFII is...

Before this final verdict, I have acknowledged that I will be bombarded with a question like "YOU CHOOSE A SASUKE UCHIHA-LOOKALIKE MOTHERF*CKER OVER MOTHERF*CKING ICHIGO F*CKING KUROSAKI?" Allow me to give Ichigo my respect first. Yes, Bleach has been around for a while and Ichigo has made a big impact in the story arcs. Yes, Ichigo's character development has far more depth and he still has potential to grow considering Bleach is still ongoing. Yes, Ichigo with his established powers/abilities can curbstomp Noctis in a nanosecond any day of the week. With a potential vs. potential verdict like this one, you gotta have a tiebreaker here and I've seldom used this model throughout the fight night posts. Based on outside knowledge from Stillmattic, the Wandereich arc is going to be the final Bleach arc. Once Ichigo dispatches Yhwach, there is nothing left for Ichigo to prove. His plate will be on the verge of being full. Whereas Noctis, you can't say that his story is already fleshed out as it is based on a couple of trailers and early development in-game cinematic cutscenes. Yes, there is a plethora of info on his storyline, but all of them are subject to change once the final product is finished. You could say the same for Noctis' powers/abilities section as they are all not polished yet. Noctis has been a person of interest for quite some time and offers a bit more intrigue than Ichigo at this point in time in their respective franchises. If this was the time FFXV is already out, then this verdict would've change significantly. We all know Ichigo is iconic, he already has his plaque set in the pantheon of legendary Anime/Manga protagonists. Noctis can either bring the FF franchise back to greatness since Cloud and FFVII or end up being another hit-and-miss like his predecessor, Lightning (I'm still a Lightis/Noctis X Lightning shipper btw). To be honest, I could've gone either way with this verdict because both characters still have to reach their full potential. However, I see this as a perfect opportunity for a passing of the torch type of conclusion. Let the new kid on the block come in here and demonstrate what he's made of. The future is now. Noctis takes the win here!

So who do you think won this matchup? Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach or Noctis Lucis Caelum from Final Fantasy XV? Comment below and let us know. As for that, this is the end of Bleach Fantasy II. Since I'm signing off here while Stillmattic is somewhere over the rainbow, we'll do another collaboration some time later depending on my availability as the NFL season is just around corner, ready to jump start my blog again. Anyway hope you guys enjoyed BF II. We hope it lived up to the expectations of following last year's BF posts. I'll see you guys later and you all stay classy now.

1) Yoruichi Shihoin vs. Prishe ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
2) Uryu Ishida vs. Hope Estheim ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
3) As Nodt vs. Vincent Valentine ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
4) Kenpachi Zaraki vs. Jecht ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
5) Shunsui Kyoraku vs. Auron ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
6) Sui-Feng vs. Tifa Lockhart ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic) 
7) Mayuri Kurotsuchi vs. Barthandelus ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
8) Sajin Komamura vs. Sin ~ Bleach (Verdict by MechG)

9) Toshiro Hitsugaya vs. Kuja ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
10) Tia Harribel vs. Tidus ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
11) Bambietta Basterbine vs. Rinoa Heartilly ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic)
12) Riruka Dokugamine vs. Ultimecia ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic)
13) Baraggan Louisenbairn vs. Exdeath ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
14) Ginjo Kugo vs. Caius Ballad ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
15) Coyote Starrk vs. Cloud Strife ~ Bleach (Verdict by MechG)
16) Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck vs. Kefka Palazzo ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
17) Shinji Hirako vs. Emperor Mateus ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic)
18) Orihime Inoue vs. Yuna ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic)
19) Kisuke Urahara vs. Seymour Guado ~ Bleach (Verdict by MechG)
20) Renji Abarai vs. Squall Leonhart ~ Bleach  (Verdict by MechG)
21) Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez vs. Sephiroth ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
22) Yhwach vs. Promathia ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
23) Aizen Sousuke vs. Bhunivelze ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
24) Rukia Kuchiki vs. Lightning ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic) 
25) Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Noctis Lucis Caelum ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG) 

Bleach Fantasy Round II Final Score:

Final Fantasy    14

Bleach                11

WBCR - A Mad Scientist's Hard-on Part 2 (Grade: C)

Continuing off from last week's Chapter, Mayuri's fascination with Pernida only persists. Pernida attacks, but Mayuri is quick to dodge and evade. Pernida may think it has the upper hand by almost smashing Mayuri, but Mayuri always has a trick up his sleeve ~ Mayuri had an explosion triggered armor. As he descended down, Mayuri has shown that he capable of using one of the Quincy's abilities ~ Hirenyaku, the Quincy's version of Shunpo or Sonido. Mayuri says Pernida's attacks are futile and Mayuri managed to collect a sample of Pernida's pinky finger. However, Pernida still persists on attacking Mayuri, thinking it may try to have the upper hand. However, once again, Mayuri is always 2 steps ahead ~ he rearranged the configuration of his own nerves, blood vessels, and muscles so Pernida wouldn't be able to control him. And, to be honest, that's the chapter. This was a VERY short read and there's not much else to say. Mayuri cannot contain his excitement and simply wants Pernida to be his test subject. Like last week, I give it a C. It just needs to speed the F up.

What did you think of the chapter? Did it satisfy and deliver or just outright sucked and disappointed? Comment below and let me know. Look forward to WBCRs whenever chapter's out (if delayed, post will be up on Weekends). Until then, you stay classy as always. BF II post will be up soon. 

Throwback #95 - Fall of the Giant

Upon Aizen's ascension into power, it wouldn't be long before he amassed an army ready to challenge the Gotei 13. For years now, Shinigami's primary enemy have been Hollows, creatures that weren't sent to the Soul Society and are bent on devouring those of the living & dead. Hollows are a pest and Shinigami are like the Pest control, easy no? What happens when that pest is able to defend itself? What happens when that pest proves to be too much for the pest control? Their is a potential of life or death when dealing with hollows, but when they've evolved into being more powerful and intimidating than ever ~ it's much MUCH more riskier than before. The Hollows evolved into Vasto Lorde ~ Hollows that appear with humanistic appearances and are on par/higher than that of a Shinigami Captain. So that's pretty bad news considering Aizen amassed 10 of them and are referred to as the Espada. Two of the Espada that were first introduced were Ulquiorra & Yammy. Of course our hero, Ichigo, wouldn't want to anything to happen to the inhabitants of Karakura Town and so he rushes to try and find these guys. Chad & Orihime were no match, but Ichigo was no different ~ the hollow-side of him wanted out and Ichigo, trying to control it, was beaten to a pulp by Yammy. Sources indicated that perhaps Ichigo would've posed more of a threat, but sadly, he was no match. It wouldn't be long before Yoruichi & Urahara show up, kick some @$$, and the 2 Espada are forced to retreat with Yammy now one-handed from Ichigo's previous attack. Yammy is one of those huge, cocky, & battle-hungry Espada that only want one thing ~ to prove he's better than one using his physique. Ichigo thought that since he was #10, that he's the weakest of the Espada. However, it's revealed that Yammy is in fact #0 and it stronger than Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, & Grimmjow combined. He becomes even more enormous than before and, much like King Kong, likes to grab people and squeeze the living life out of them. However, two bad@$$es would show up and show that monster what's boss ~ Byakuya Kuchiki & Kenpachi Zaraki. Unfortunately, the fight was off-screen and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I was excited to see them fight & for Tite Kubo to just show Yammy's defeat ~ that's Bulls#!t. I've been noticing that Tite Kubo sometimes rushes fight scenes so as to leave more room for another or to progress a backstory/exposition. With every fight scene, we saw them all. Yammy's was the only fight where it was shown off-screen in both the Anime & Manga, I thought that was inexcusable. If you're going to take the time to built up that he's the strongest, then f*cking do it. Seeing his defeat just means that he was no match against the two Captains, but it'd be nice to see how it went about. To me, that's lazy & it shows how much, in my opinion, Kubo wanted to finish this arc so as to start off the Fullbringer Arc. I wanted to see Yammy try and handle these two, but alas ~ we'll never know the full picture of the magnitude of power that Yammy possesses.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Throwback. I do apologize that I was unable to post yesterday's Watch-List post. Throwbacks will continue for 5 more weeks. Stay classy as always. BF II post & WBCR will be up soon. 

Bleach Fantasy II Round 24: Rukia Kuchiki vs. Lightning

Welcome back to another installment of Bleach Fantasy II where MechG & I once again collaborate on pitting the world of Bleach & the various installments of the Final Fantasy franchise. On Monday, Bleach took a victory against FF (FF still leads 13-10 against Bleach), but many things can happen. Like MechG said, Bleach Fantasy II posts will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays. My daily schedule of Watch-list, WBCR, & Throwback posts will be the same as always (if delayed, posts will be on weekends). Without further ado, let's get started on Bleach Fantasy II Round 24 ~ Rukia Kuchiki vs. Lightning. Take into account that Storyline and Powers/Abilities are the deciding factors. MechG & I will switch-off ever 3 rounds in giving the verdict. Let's jam!

Storyline (Rukia)

150 years prior to the storyline, Rukia's older sister, Hisana, were brought up together in the 78 District of Rukongai, Inuzuri. Unable to take care of her sister, Hisana abandoned her and so a majority of Rukia's life was spent alone up until she met Renji. Rukia's chance meeting Renji & his friends flourished into a dynamic relationship ~ creating a little family, but things went downhill for the two when Rukia was adopted into the Kuchiki clan by Byakuya, later found out to be Rukia's adoptive brother & Hisana's husband. Rukia enrolled in Shin'o Academy in order to become a Shinigami alongide Renji & other Lieutenants and eventually found herself in the 13th division under Captain Jushiro Ukitake (she was admitted into the 13th division without taking an entrance exam). From here on, she developed a little crush on her lieutenant and admirer, Kaien Shiba. When Kaien Shiba became under the control of a Hollow, Kaien asked Rukia to do the unthinkable - Kill him. Following his lieutenant's request, Rukia killed both Kaien & Hollow controlling him and up until the rescue arc, had to live with the idea that she was Kaien Shiba's killer. Her relationship with Kaien is much like her relationship with Ichigo - Dynamic in the sense that both encouraged one another and have gotten stronger in terms of utilizing their Zanpaktou & becoming incredibly strong Shinigami.

During her stay and commission in Karakura Town, she met with Ichigo (who could see spirits and thus kicked Rukia). Her meeting with Ichigo, as said above, is much like Kaien Shiba's. However, her stay in Karakura Town with helping out Ichigo in fighting hollows & her Gigai body, were in jeopardy as the 6th Division Captain & Lieutenant, Renji (childhood friend) & Byakuya (older brother), took her in for her stay in the Human World. It wouldn't be until later where she learned that her Gigai body that Kisuke Urahara gave her was only a shell to hide Aizen's target - The Hogyoku. Rukia was eventually saved by Ichigo & his friends and though she's grateful for life being saved, she was ready to face execution without any regrets. After Ichigo & Byakuya's intense and badass one-on-one battle, Byakuya explained to Rukia the origins of her past - him being Rukia's adoptive older brother & of Hisana's fate. Soon after, Rukia would play a pivotal role in Bleach as Ichigo's right-hand. During the Arrancar Arc, she showcases her Zanpaktou for the first time - Sode no Shirayuki against D-roy (but was no match for 6th Espada, Grimmjow) and beating the 9th Espada, Aaroniero (who utilized Kaien's Zanpaktou and kept appearance from hollow). She helped out in Hueco Mundo by fighting Rudborrn & Yammy, but later would be saved by Ichigo's friends, Byakuya, & Kenpachi. After Ichigo loses his powers, Rukia is last seen disappearing from Ichigo's sight (this indicates that Ichigo can no longer see spirits). However, it wouldn't be long before Rukia reappears once more when Rukia restores Ichigo's power with a sword imbedded with the reiatsu of the Shinigami from the Gotei 13. She plays a more pivotal role during the bloody war between the Shinigami & Sternritter as she finally achieved Bankai ~ defeating As Nodt in the process as a result of her stay with the 0 Division & training intensely to help out Ichigo & his allies. 

Storyline (Lightning)

The eldest daughter in the Farron family, Claire had a tragic upbringing in her early life, losing both her mother and father from unknown circumstances, leading to raise her only family in her little sister in Serah. Though the loss of the parents greatly affected her, she believed she had to become an adult quickly in order to ease the pain and that’s when the legend of “Lightning” was born. After finishing high school, she enlisted in the Guardian Corps Security Regiment in Bodhum under the wing of Lieutenant Amodar and was promoted in the ranks as sergeant. Though she did this to support Serah as well as support herself, Lightning began to stray away from staying close to her sister and found less personal time with her as she worked long term hours. On her 21st birthday, Lightning learns that Serah has been branded as a Pulse L’Cie and accepted Snow’s proposal to be his bride, leaving Light infuriated and scoffing the couple out of the house. After opening the survival knife as a birthday present, Lightning watches the coverage of Sanctum officials putting the city of Bodhum on quarantine after the vestige containing the Pulse Fal’Cie, Anima was founded; she realizes the danger Serah is put into. With PSICOM enforcing the Sanctum rule for people to be “purged” into the world of Pulse out of Cocoon, Lightning volunteers, resigning from the Guardian Corps, and boarding one of the purge trains.

How to sum up Lightning’s role? Well she played a major part in XIII (she is the protagonist duh), took a back seat in XIII-2 (fanservice to develop her sister, Serah’s character), then regained the poster girl role in LR (Lightning Returns). So in the beginning of XIII, Lightning along with another purge volunteer in Sazh hijacked a purge train near the Hanging Edge, bypassing PSICOM soldiers (majority were fighting against Snow and his rebellious group, NORA) to reach the same vestige that branded Serah. Inside, Lightning and Sazh unexpectedly rendezvoused with Snow, Vanille, and Hope and bringing them together put Serah in a crystallized state in an indication that Serah completed her focus. With Serah crystallized, Lightning and Snow would bicker back and forth with Snow taking a side that Serah is alive and there’s a way to save her, but Lightning insists Serah’s dead, she lost her only family. Lightning took her anger on attempting to slay a dormant Anima with her gunblade, but that woke up the Fal’Cie and branded all five of them while transporting the vestige to Lake Bresha. Light along with the group now have to try and find out their focus before they become Cieth since they were branded and the group chooses to leave out Snow, since he was too hell bent to free Serah from her crystal state and they split into two: Vanille with Sazh and Hope with Lightning. Lightning helped Hope’s character development because out of all the FFXIII characters, Hope was the only one Lightning was open to talk to and she was like a mother-figure/older sister to Hope considering Hope’s mom died in the beginning of FFXIII during the purge. Lightning and Hope would eventually reunite with Snow and newcomer, Fang in Palumpolum and board the Lindblum the Calvary’s (lead by Cid Raines and Rygdea) ship to pinpoint Vanille and Sazh’s location. They find their location onboard the Sanctum ship, Palamecia and they encounter the Sanctum Primarch, Galenth Dysley, who transforms into the Fal’Cie, Barthandelus. After defeating Barthandelus the first time, Lightning and the group were casted off into Gran Pulse, they encounter Barthandelus again in Oerba and defeat him a second time. In the Cocoon capital of Eden, they defeat the Primarch a third time, awakening Orphan, the Fal’Cie who created Cocoon and its capital. The group defeats Orphan, Fang and Vanille sacrifice themselves to become Ragnarok and save Cocoon from total destruction,  Lightning is awaken from crystal stasis reuniting with Snow, Sazh, Hope, Sazh’s son Dajh, and Serah, Light and Serah embrace a sisterly moment to live happily ever after. But then forwarding to XIII-2, Lightning was dragged away from the surface of Gran Pulse, away from history to the timeless world of Valhalla where she would become the champion of the dying goddess, Etro and dueling against her fated rival, the Immortal Guardian of Time, Caius Ballad (those two would fight in an infinite loop throughout the whole game). So who watches over Serah? Lightning sends Noel, whom she rescues from falling towards Valhalla’s surface and a moogle (Mog) to watch Serah. When Light saw Serah’s death after resolving the paradoxes, it broke the timeless loop, she manages to defeat Caius, and preserve her sister’s memory sitting on Etro’s throne crystallized while Gran Pulse and the revived Cocoon swallow into chaos. 500 years later, in LR, Lightning is awakened by Bhunivelze to become the Savior to save all the souls in what is now Nova Chrysalia within 13 days before the world reaches judgment day and in exchange, Bhunivelze will free Serah’s soul. While doing all the soul saving, she encounters Lumina, a little girl that represents Lightning’s inferior side. So she saves a lot of souls, particularly the souls of Noel, Snow (both despaired from Serah’s death), Sazh, and Caius (under Yeul’s request), reunites with Fang to help her stop Vanille on the last day from singing to the souls of the dead in a cathedral in Luxerion. After doing all that stuff, Lightning encounters the almighty god himself, defeats him a couple times, then merges with Lumina, calls for help from Hope, Snow, Noel, Sazh, Vanille, Fang, and Serah to finish off Bhunivelze once and for all, and lead the souls to a new world where gods won’t intervene.

Powers/Abilities (Rukia)
Rukia's Zanpaktou, Sode No Shirayuki, is a ice-based Zanpaktou allows her to bring her body temperature to temperatures below zero and anything her sword comes in contact with freezes. She is able to temporarily fight in a "Dead" state due to her Zanpaktou abilities. Her Zanpaktou has a variety of attacks relating to ice called "Dances" and each has different and unique abilities such as freezing someone within her field of vision or firing ice directly at her opponents. She also has Bankai (Hakka no Togame), which allows her to reach temperatures below zero and everything around her is covered in ice (As Nodt's demise). She is also seen being proficient in Kido, Shunpo, & has gotten exceptionally stronger - going from a lower seat in the 13th Division to eventual Lieutenant.

Powers/Abilities (Lightning)

Okay so in the FFXIII trilogy, Lightning is a soldier branded as a L’Cie in XIII, a Valkyrie/knight hybrid goddess in XIII-2 who can see the timeline and the human world beyond Valhalla and is battling Caius for almost an eternity, and finally she’s a soul savior in LR whose abilities transcends that of a normal human (to this day, I still make this joke that Square Enix “roided” her up through every sequel in the XIII installment). Throughout that, her weapon gets modified from time at first with a gunblade in XIII that is able to specialize in short and long range (sword mode representing short range/melee, gun mode representing long range), then in XIII-2, her gunblade is modified where she can summon it on command during battle, and in LR, she wields a traditional sword called the “Crimson Blitz.” Her fighting style is based on high agility, speed, and versatility and those abilities increase through every sequel, but particularly in LR, she is more technical and stealthy and her speed and quickness is inhuman (as evident in her battle with Snow in the beginning of LR). In XIII, her strong paradigm roles are Commando, Ravager, and Medic, and she’s also a decent Synergist emphasizing on offensive modifications. She has high physical and magic stats out of the whole party and she can master magic for all four elements: fire, lightning (no pun intended), water/ice, and wind/air. Lightning’s ATB skill, “Army of One” is a Ravager-type skill where she builds up an opponent’s stagger gauge, attacks with her gunblade followed by heavy kicks, and her agility is at an all-time high. She can summon her Eidolon (XIII’s term for summon), Odin in battle and Odin specializes in heavy lightning (no pun intended again)-elemental spells. In Gestalt mode, Odin transforms into a horse and Lightning wields Odin’s sword, Zantetsuken into battle and before Odin can be ejected from the battlefield, Lightning, with the Zantetsuken, unleashes a devastating tornado attack, dealing massive damage to nearby enemies.

Verdict (By Stillmattic)
And the winner is...

This battle, for me anyways, was a difficult one to comprehend. Both are respectable women in their series, are bad@$$e$ in their own right, and, without them, there wouldn't really be a Bleach franchise or a Final Fantasy III/III-2/Returns. Lighting's character was build up to 3 games (mainly play as Serah & Noel in XIII-2) where Rukia, from the get-go, has and always will be a pivotal character throughout the continuity of Bleach. Sure, Lightning possesses a wide array of abilities ~ being stealthy, has high physical and magical attributes, and has a summon that can kick @$$ and take no questions. With Rukia, you could also say she possesses a wide array of attacks, but in all seriousness ~ Ice is the element she is most fond. It isn't until we see her Bankai that we see what she truly is capable of. Like her brother said, Rukia's Bankai is both dangerous & beautiful to look at. Now hypothetically speaking, say Lightning may be more agile, have a larger range of attacks, and have a summon (or in this case you could argue that her summon is like a Bankai) ~ Rukia can just go full Bankai on her, freeze everything and anything around her, and BOOM ~ Odin is of no use (unless he's able to go into Gestalt Mode). It seems that, much like Ichigo, Rukia is continuously getting more powerful. Her training with the 0 division also helped sharpened her senses and be prepared for what lies ahead in the enemy army. I will admit that I haven't played much of the FF III series, but I will say that Lightning is a pretty bad@SS character and just look so cool and confident in what she does, says, and overall is a welcoming addition to the FF World (Cloud, Tidus, & Squall to name a few). However, Rukia has had a entire series (300+ episodes) and Lightning has had 3 games ~ which do you think theoretically has more of an impact in their series/franchise? As much as I love Lightning (C'mon, who wouldn't want to fight beside her), I gotta give this to Rukia because her relevance alone, her continuous growth, and her impact on Ichigo has made Bleach all-around an enjoyable series. Lightning may have played a pivotal part in XIII and Returns, but Rukia has been the center of Bleach alongside Ichigo from start to finish. Rukia takes the win!

So who do you think won this matchup? Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach or Lightning from FF XIII, FF XIII-2, and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII? Comment below and let us know. Reiterating again, Bleach Fantasy Round II posts will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays w/MechG & I interchanging every 3rd matchups on giving the verdict. Bleach Fantasy Round II standings (13-11):

1) Yoruichi Shihoin vs. Prishe ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
2) Uryu Ishida vs. Hope Estheim ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
3) As Nodt vs. Vincent Valentine ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
4) Kenpachi Zaraki vs. Jecht ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
5) Shunsui Kyoraku vs. Auron ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
6) Sui-Feng vs. Tifa Lockhart ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic) 
7) Mayuri Kurotsuchi vs. Barthandelus ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
8) Sajin Komamura vs. Sin ~ Bleach (Verdict by MechG)

9) Toshiro Hitsugaya vs. Kuja ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
10) Tia Harribel vs. Tidus ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
11) Bambietta Basterbine vs. Rinoa Heartilly ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic)
12) Riruka Dokugamine vs. Ultimecia ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic)
13) Baraggan Louisenbairn vs. Exdeath ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
14) Ginjo Kugo vs. Caius Ballad ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
15) Coyote Starrk vs. Cloud Strife ~ Bleach (Verdict by MechG)
16) Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck vs. Kefka Palazzo ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
17) Shinji Hirako vs. Emperor Mateus ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic)
18) Orihime Inoue vs. Yuna ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by Stillmattic)
19) Kisuke Urahara vs. Seymour Guado ~ Bleach (Verdict by MechG)
20) Renji Abarai vs. Squall Leonhart ~ Bleach  (Verdict by MechG)
21) Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez vs. Sephiroth ~ Final Fantasy (Verdict by MechG)
22) Yhwach vs. Promathia ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
23) Aizen Sousuke vs. Bhunivelze ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)
24) Rukia Kuchiki vs. Lightning ~ Bleach (Verdict by Stillmattic)