"Regret regaining your Bankai, Soul Reapers. The warm, hope-filled snooze of a fight is now over. This is where the real despair begins."
We're in the middle of the war. Everyone's having a hard time and it looks like the enemy is winning. The Quincies aren't even sweating, while our heroes are standing with their last strength and having trouble breathing. Their leader (Yamamoto) is not with them. Their hero (Ichigo) is not with them. Everyone's are unaided and everything's burning. Despite being in a very tight spot, no one gives up. No matter what, there is still hope. For for the win or hope for a miracle - no one can really tell.
"Earlier and now again, you mind not speaking of your Bankai as if it has a mind of its own? I don't believe in pantheism."
"Bankai doesn't have a mind of its own? Does he really believe it?"
"Yes. It seems that way."
"Haven't heard your voice in a while. Good to have you back... Hyourinmaru."
Gosh, my heart broke for Hitsugaya. This precous guy has gone through so much just in this volume alone (and will go through even more in the future). He took a tough pummeling, not just once and not just twice, and looked so worn-out, like he could expire in any moment. He was barely breathing. Barely standing. But still trying his hardest for himself, for the Soul Society and for the values he represented. Both of his enemies were ruthless. Bazz-B, the master of the flames, nearly killed him, but it was Cang Du's duty to end his life. It's an irony that the guy who stole his Bankai was shameful enough to steal his life too. And he would've succeeded if a miracle with the name of Kisuke Urahara didn't appear.
'SAVE!', you could scream in happiness, confident that your favorite characters will survive. But you would be wrong. The miracle might've appeared, but nothing's changed for the enemy's side. Why? Because they already predicted it and knew what to do in advance.
"Aren't you fighting because you'll die if you lose?! Because you could be killed?! What's the point if winning, if you throw away your life just to fight?!"
"I did not throw it away. I simply staked it."
It wasn't Hitsugaya's fight that was the focus of this volume. It was Komamura's - a fight not only against his enemy, but also a fight against his own beliefs. The last time we saw him was in a mysterious cave meeting a giant, old dog and asking him about their clans' "secret technique". After losing the only close person Komamura had left, the blind need of revenge took over his mind and his actions. He was ready for anything, as long as it was guaranteed that this need will be fulfilled. His wish was granted and he got out of the cave much stronger - invincible even - as he was ever before. But nothing is for free. Everything has a price. Komamura made his decision - and made his sacrifice. It was a sacrifice not only with his body, but with his mind as well, no matter if he was fully aware of it or not.
"Well? Have you noticed it, Sajin? That emotion of yours is revenge. It is what you explained to your friend. Throwing your life away for the sake of revenge. But that is good. Revenge is our true form. You have finally returned to our clan."
I find it incredibly interesting that Komamura had found himself in the place that his friend, Tousen, once was. Back then Komamura had judged him harshly for standing on Aizen's side - and for choosing the need for revenge. Now Komamura is also choosing revenge. He went against his own words and his own beliefs, all because of the loss of Yamamoto. The usually logical and stoic Komamura let himself be lost in his emotions. If he stopped for a short while, he would realize that what he was doing was wrong. That Yamamoto wouldn't want him to go this far, wouldn't want him to throw his life away so harshly. But what happened, happened. Fate decided that it was Bambietta that Komamura will fight, and it was a visually stunning battle. Both did their best, and usually there is only one winner. I could not tell who won this fight. It looked like it was Komamura, but how can you be a winner after giving up so much? It's not a win. It's a tragedy.
"That boy... he's changed so much."
"He has."
"He's gotten so strong. You can just see it. It's hard to believe his previous shaky spiritual pressure..."
"No, no. It's not that he got stronger. He's grown. If I had to put it another way... he's gotten stronger."
"So it's the same thing!"
"No, no. It's not just about strength. He's stronger in body and spirit. He's become a true Soul Reaper."
After his training with Squad 0, everyone (except for Byakuya, I guess) are now on their way to the Soul Society. Rukia and Renji will be there quicker than Ichigo who's started his journey way later. We could get to see those three very briefly, but you can already tell that they all had changed. How exactly did the training impact their minds and souls, we will see. I saw Ichigo only a little bit in this volume, but it was enough for me to scream and shout and squeal like a teenager. Not just because the man is hot (duh), but also because of all his cute images. Tite Kubo, I see you, why did you have to draw him in such adorable way?! I'm under your bed!
Anyways, what is concerning me here is the lack of images of Ichigo's training. It's obvious that he had got through one after getting his Zanpakuto back, but nothing was shown and I'm asking WHY. In the anime we got to see him struggling (briefly, on the end of Cour 2 episodes), but we got nothing in the manga. Will it be shown later? Can I hope for it or should I give up? It's really bothering me, I feel like I have missed something quite significant :(
We ended Volume 62 in a scary way. After pummeling Hisagi, Ikkaku and Yumichika and a sparring with Kensei, the WWE Quincy (Masculine) had thrown both captains (Kensei and Rose) in the air like they were puppets and seems to be on his way to the place where Renji and Rukia will land. Are they in trouble? Are Kensei and Rose all right? What about Bambietta who ended up lying badly beaten up on the ground. Her minions doesn't seem to be concerned about her at all. One of them, Giselle, seems more ecstatic than concerned. What is she planning? What will be Bambietta's fate? How will the war be looking now that the Bankai's are back? Can our heroes get the upper hand? We will see in the next volume! :)
Some things I need to talk about: (as usual, look out for the spoilers)
~ My girl Nanao is so skilled in kido, I'm so proud of her! She knows stuff that even the captains don't! That's so awesome! You go, girl! 👏
~ When Cang Du threw Matsumoto on the ground, she looked DEAD (I know that she's not, but she really looked dead) 😨
~ Urahara is so annoying. When you close the door in his face, he will barge in by the window 😂
~ How is that suddenly Soi Fon can use her Bankai without any preparation for it?
~ Hitsugaya's temporary hollowfied Bankai looks SICK 🔥
~ Poor Shinji gets Renji's treatment. Both of them have amazing power, but are always losing their fights 😭
~ Why was Cang Du proudly announcing that he's Wandenreich's "The Iron", but he never used his true ability, only Hitsugaya's Bankai? I know that he tried to use it against Jugram (and failed), but it was shown so briefly that you could easily miss it. What a shame.
~ Wow, Bambietta was so cool throwing her bombs in every direction, yay 🙄
~ I admire Hinamori for trying to help her captain, but all she did (of course) was ending up as another person for Komamura to protect.
~ What was up with the old dog? Why did he need Komamura's hatred? Is he living through negative emotions or what? And why is he the one to teach the clans' secret technique if that technique comes from the clans' curse? And why did he let his grandson make such a big sacrifice? Doesn't he not care about him at all?
~ While I don't approve Komamura's choice in this volume, I deeply admire his loyalty to Yamamoto.
~ Komamura's Bankai looked SICK! 🔥
~ I don't understand why, while knowing that he got only a temporary invincibility and while choosing Yhwach as his main goal, Komamura choose to fight Bambietta instead of going straight up after Yhwach.
~ I really liked how proud Hikifune, Tenjiro and Ichibe looked while talking about Ichigo ☺️
~ Bambietta looked rightfully terrified when she saw Giselle. I would be terrified too.
~ Masculine is such a cartoony character, I can't take him seriously!
~ I really liked Kensei's intervention when Masculine tried to kill Hisagi. It was the scene that I expected to see earlier (but it was Yamamoto who intervened)! ☺️
~ Kensei fought so greatly, I was so proud. He shined brightly. You can say what you want about his Bankai, but I like it.
~ I saw As Nödt on the cover of the next volume. I am TERRIFIED 😭