Community Status Updates

Episteme

Wow, so quick and efficient. I love it.

Thank you for letting me know as well as providing details on the source! Kind of sad he got so much hate but that's what happens when you put something out into the aether; you must prepare yourself for all kinds of reactions and feedback. Orihime though... lol. She's Kubo's fantasy waifu and literal waifu to his Marty Stu so I can see why he'd take that personally haha xD.

Surprised he's being secretive about Rukia's name unless he has/had something substantive planned for Rukia--which seemed like a strong possibility given:

- The Hougyoku was placed inside her; why would Kisuke wait so long to hide it away when he was so desperate to destroy it? Unless, of course, he hadn't been able to until he found success with Rukia.

- Hisana asked Byakuya to find her and protect her. How could she have known she had survived after all that time? And more importantly, to protect her from what? How were the two of them even together in the Rukon when families were always separated? Very odd.

- Urahara apologised to both Ichigo and Rukia after his fight with Askin (ch.666) for leaving everything in their hands. The ending was clearly rushed, and nothing ever came of that as far as Rukia is concerned--not even an appearance alongside Ichigo for the final fight against Yhwach... but Renji of all people was there smh--so why bring her up at all? Why make it seem she has an important role to play and not follow through with it, in any way, at all? Maybe we'll see something in the new arc if it becomes an actuality but I highly doubt it cause Kubo will always Kubo.

- And then we come to the meaning of her name. 'Rukia' is a gairaigo (loanword) of Lucia, and so is written in katakana. Lucia is derived from the Latin lux, meaning light; fitting then that Hakka no Togame, the current foremost expression of Rukia's self and power, is a blast of bright, chilling white light.

Interestingly there is a Saint Lucia, the patron saint for the blind (both physically and spiritually), who is beseeched upon to help heal/mend any associated ill and or lack (allusions to the Hougyoku manifesting a desire and in turn mending what someone lacks). She is most often depicted in paintings holding a pair of eyes, being as she is a protector of sight and from likely having been tortured by having her eyes gouged out. No surprise then that Rukia's most meaningful adversaries revolve around light and eyes: Aaroniero imitating Kaien in the shadows, the truth of his form exposed only in the light; Zommari and Äs Nödt, who in their higher forms possessed multiple eyes of some sort. Even Aizen in his transcendent forms had a third eye and eyes on his wings, though all too fitting given his associated symbolism.

Things become all the more curious when taking into account The Almighty, which is a power that mimics the divine attributes of omniscience and omnipotence and is represented, none other, than many eyes in the one who wields it.

This is quite curious as Saint Lucia is also utilised in Dante’s The Divine Comedy as an intermediary messenger between the Divine and the human Dante so as to help him discover the 'right path' (reference to enlightenment). She is a symbol of illuminative grace, acting as a means for which one can see and realise the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.

Rukia's character isn't all that different. For most of the story she is the one that compels and helps drive others forward, whether it be Ichigo (time and time again), Orihime (when she was doubting herself), Renji (who promised to get stronger for her sake), Byakuya (overcoming the loss of Hisana and cementing her as his pride), Kon (who found a place of acceptance and belonging thanks to his nee-san) and so on. She is a light that guides others, that helps them face their fears so that they may overcome adversity and grow for the better (and so we begin to see why it could only have been Rukia who could carry the Hougyoku).

All signs point to something important and meaningful about her, but alas, nothing ever came of it and it’s unlikely it ever will. Sad.


Nope, haven’t read the novels yet but I did read the new chapter. Mostly focused on writing Bleach fic instead these days, addressing all the above matters with the goal of reworking the ending (as well as giving love to my own OTP, Aizen x Rukia, because best boy and best girl belong together lol).

Dec 15 2021 03:05 AM

Fulmine

I didn't think I got to read another piece of literature from you after all this time the forum's activity has been dwindling. Goddess's work! <3

Did you have any idea/thought about Kubo's revealing Yachiru is only the manifestation of ONE FORM of Zaraki's bankai and not the whole bankai? And that inheriting Zanpakutou (like Tousen did from his friend) can either overwrite it or fuse 2 Zanpakutou spirits?

I also am surprised when he said Hitsugaya got bankai before he even entered Gotei13. Holy cow...
Dec 15 2021 04:46 AM

Fulmine

Btw, on that same thread, I think page 8 or 9, there are other questions translated. Afraid you would miss them. 2 most interesting

-Q. I want to know what Renji Abarai, who came to the world in the Arrancar arc, wanted to hear from Urahara when he even was doing chores!
-A. "Why did you choose Rukia as a place to hide the Hogyoku?" Kisuke told him half a lie and half a truth, but Renji was convinced by that.


-Q. Renji is my favorite character, but I was more surprised than happy to see that Ichigo's counterpart on the cover of the illustration book JET was Renji. I would like to know if there is any reason why you decided to choose him as the pairing character.
-A. On the contrary, I've never thought of anyone other than Renji as Ichigo's counterpart.


Dec 15 2021 04:50 AM

Fulmine

I have posted both the content/link for the novel and the new artbook's interview with Kubo in Bleach subforums. There's a fair amount of new info and insight into Kubo's mindset that I think it's worth it. If I have to hazard a guess, health issue and WSJ problem aside, Kubo probably ended it that way so that the series runs for exactly 15 years xD then just expands on ''side'' materials in novels and side chapters (which he said in the interview he might do one day. Burn The Witch one-shot also had West Branch of Soul Society for ex).




Jan 01 2019 05:33 AM

Episteme

Guess I'll check it out at some point. I had no idea Kubo was planning more content and one-shots have me a tad curious.

Doubtful they will make up for all the wasted potential, but still, could be mildly interesting.
Jan 01 2019 09:41 AM

Fulmine

A tease for you to be motivated to read: the world Yhwach tried to create is actually the original state: no death whatsoever. The 5 Noble families were the instigators behind Soul King and the way the world is divided into 3 parts as they are currently (and if the spoiler is true for the last volume which is not fully translated yet, shinigami the ''profession'' is the idea of Shiba family)and Aizen told Tousen the true history of SS and so Tousen decided to fully support Aizen from that point on. Plus, besides Ichigo, Ginjo is the other candidate to be Soul King in Ichibei and Shunsui's plan :D
Jan 01 2019 11:43 AM

Episteme

Best birthday wish I received this year. Thank you, my dear Fulmine!
Sep 10 2017 08:38 PM

Fulmine

You're welcome!

By ''best'' I hope you don't mean I was the only one who wished that. To be fair I think most people (and certainly Bleach-verse) don't deserve Aizen-sama but at least they should know him.


Sep 11 2017 06:05 AM

DaEvilWithin

Thank you! It was a good enough day. :)
Jul 09 2017 10:35 PM

Episteme

That Unohana looks so good. She's made it onto my ever increasing list of must haves.

Yeah, it's painful. 5-starred my purple Hojikuzai and got 1% SP. Did some fusion trials and managed a re-roll: 12% stamina. Went with the latter. Not great, but not the worst.

Will do~

I'd give him to you if I could.^^ But I'm like that too with Aizen, Rukia, Byakuya and Gin. Must have them all. Only missing OG Byakuya, SS Byakuya and FB Byakuya. Soon though... soon.

Hai~ But my account's not that great with all those missing Kennys. xD

I can see them doing the movies, but that Bount arc is never happening. No one wants aids so it wouldn't be well received at all.

Editor-sama an IchiRuki shipper? Kek. Most probably yes given the ending.

Must be the men. Can always identify a cuck from their supreme dislike of Aizen. And given the state of their society I can't say I'm surprised. I was actually thinking Chrysalis Aizen would be an ideal Frenzy character.

Smimsuit Aizen... God in Heaven. I've wanted him for so long! I already have his design envisioned in my mind: white beach trousers with rolled seams just above the ankle; white shirt with just a few buttons done, just enough to see some pectoral action and the very top of his abs; and black shades resting atop his head. Effortlessly cool and dapper. They could get really creative with his special as well (unlike the current SS crop); I'd like to see something with water. Not only would it fit the seasonal theme, but it would be a nice throwback to Aizen hypnotising everyone into thinking he had a water type Zanpakuto. Ahhh, the possibilities!

Serves me right for not venturing out beyond /pol/. But yes. Please. Would love to see anything (everything) from that meltdown.

Wew... echo quotes. Now I'm really intrigued.

No, I have not seen any twatter translations. Do you have links? But yeah, I know. The Kojima/Konami debacle reminded me all too well. But I always hope someone will one day say 'fuck it' and let loose in the most chaotic way possible.
Mar 09 2017 11:12 PM

Acnologia

Sorry for the hiatus. I come bearing gifts though.

Hall of Anal Devastation - Bleach Edition: (there's A LOT of pics) http://imgur.com/gallery/XcMWY
Hall of Anal Devastation - Deathberry Edition: http://imgur.com/a/FseWz
OY VEY gremlin is clinically insane pt.1: https://schmaltzmama.tumblr.com/post/158191023577/me-with-my-happy-face-and-long-matches-before
OY VEY gremlin is clinically insane pt.2: https://schmaltzmama.tumblr.com/post/152728153342/jaymeshanson-can-just-kiss-my-ass-this-was-a-few

Kubo's new twitter: https://twitter.com/tite_official
Translation: http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2016/11/17/bleach-author-shares-emotional-story-of-ending-manga

Enjoy :3
Mar 22 2017 03:44 AM

Episteme

Wew. That was quite a ride. Those deathberry posts especially. Mein Gott, the level of entitlement and delusion. What they need to realise is that there isn't a competition and Rukia didn't 'lose' by not ending up with Ichigo. Yes, there were dire problems with the manga, but those problems would still exist even if it had ended IchiRuki. This is why shipping is cancer. At any rate, lots of laughs were had so thank you for sharing~

Oh, and you weren't kidding about this (((Debbie))). Shit I almost spit out my tea when I saw her! Not only is she insane but a living breathing caricature as well.

Honestly don't know what to think of Kubo's story. It's certainly sad but at the same time it seems to be a minor band-aid over a festering and gaping wound. Feel like he just wants to put everything to rest as amicably as possible.

Anyway, I'll PM you my skype id. Been busy with uni and real life lately but should be able to find time for some co-op. Oh and congrats on your latest pulls, you did well. :3
May 10 2017 10:39 PM

Episteme

Thank you, DEW~
Aug 30 2016 08:38 AM

Fulmine

Which manga are you reading currently? Anything SO DEEP like Bleach? :P

Oh, and are you still following Tokyo Ghoul:re?
Aug 31 2016 04:19 AM

Episteme

Only Shokugeki no Souma at the moment, which I'm still thoroughly enjoying (can't wait for season 3 of the anime, if only to see Hayami Sho voice Azami (hnnnnngggg!) because I honestly can't imagine anyone else in the role).

I wish there was something out there as DEEP as Bleach, but alas, nothing immediately jumps out at me. ...Though to be fair, I doubt I would have become so invested in Bleach if it weren't for Aizen-sama; the philosophy and symbolism was just a bonus. Such a great character. I love him so much~

I'm trying to find time to write up a philosophical analysis of Aizen's last words, which were suitably philosophical. What he mentioned actually connects with several other metaphysical matters I've wanted to write about for quite a while, so I want to try and put something thorough together. If only for old times' sake.^^

I have Tokyo Ghoul:Re on hold at the moment. Might return to it when I'm free or bored. Or I might just start One Piece instead on your recommendation. xD
Sep 07 2016 01:50 AM

Fulmine

Oh. Yeah, it's one of my favorite ongoing series. Souma is an excellent shounen protagonist and the foodporn (as in food+porn) is wow.

Looking forward to it. DAT...essayporn :P Well, that's probably his most ''mellow'' line. That's normally something the protagonist or people on the ''good'' side in manga say.

I guess One Piece. :re has only 10 volumes so far. Much easier to catch up.
Sep 07 2016 06:56 AM

DaEvilWithin

Thanks, Episteme! Nice to see you are back, if only temporarily. :)
Jul 03 2016 09:54 AM

Fulmine

No problem! I saved it for own sake anw. Reading stuffs whenever you want on your laptop beats relying on the internet any day. OMF 2.0 breaking down is an experience already, haha.
Jun 23 2016 09:53 AM

TheFireSage

That would depend on why you worship him, I suppose. :p

One of those. :XD: I assume you have a tumblr? Lol.

Sep 22 2015 08:09 PM

Episteme

I prefer "celebrate" to "worship". :P

That said, I appreciate his brilliance and intelligence first and foremost. The way he waxes philosophical all the time... :aww:

I resent that. But yes, I have a tumblr for fandom related things. I don't use it all that much beyond posting gifs when I'm bored and the occasional reblog. It's honestly a horrible site that should permanently disappear.

Do you have one? xD
Sep 22 2015 10:03 PM

TheFireSage

While in anime forums one must do everything outlandishly.

I feel the same. I also love the way he presents himself and his arrogance.

Haha. Don't worry I didn't mean it in a bad way. But you may fit the stereotype! <3 I'm not much for the image boards either. They tend to bring out the worst.

No lol. But if I did it would be filled with .gifs of Aizen, Gilgamesh and heroes.

Sep 23 2015 12:22 PM

DaEvilWithin

Have you tried ingesting an arm of a God? I'd offer mine, but I still need both for future exploits.

Sounds infinitely more interesting than the essays I've had to do. No one cares about the future of Bluetooth and wireless technology! Not even me. That said, I'm not sure I'd make it anywhere doing something like that.

That is fine with me. There might be some overlap with the mythology / symbolism thread, but as long as the threads are clearly distinct, I have no issue. Rational exchange of ideas in the Bleach subforum has been long missing. Especially now that PlasmaWolf has disappeared on me. :(

The commute time went up once all the kiddies started going to work. It's almost an hour to work now. So two hours a day, five days a week, consumed by the demon known as traffic and the selfish whims of other drivers. I do love where I'm working right now for my co-op, so that's a giant plus. :)

That reminds me: how come you had school in the summer? I had school because of my program and weird sequences, but I thought that was pretty abnormal.

Congratulations on the banner by the way! One of my favorites in recent times.
Sep 20 2015 12:50 PM

Episteme

First I laughed. Then I decided you've been reading too much Bleach.

Heh, you really don't know uninteresting (or dry or tedious) until you've written law essays. Put me right off the idea of ever becoming a lawyer. Though it seems as if you're more involved in various tech courses as of late; are you still doing your actuarial studies, or is it a double degree?

Awesome. :) I'll mostly post anything referencing philosophers and philosophical themes in there. I also hope to see discussions along the same lines of "Is (s) evil?" or "Is act (x) wrong?" find their way there given all the casual moralising the forum often partakes in. The state of the subforum is indeed quite dismal, which is why I want to escape it altogether in another thread. I hope the vitriol especially doesn't make its way there.

I'm sure Plasma will be back soon. :) That said, I hope the time away has been good for him and that he's feeling better.

Ew. That's precious time that could be spent in a more productive manner. Like sleeping. (What is a co-op? Is it like a work placement?) But yay, it's good to hear you're enjoying work! :)

I live in Melbourne, Australia so it was actually during winter. It was an intensive that began just before the second semester started, and I only chose it because of a lack of other desirable options.

Thanks! I honestly didn't think it would win so it was a pleasant surprise to see how many actually liked it.
Sep 22 2015 10:50 AM

DaEvilWithin

I haven't re-read Bleach in a while, actually. Although at the time I had just come off a conversation about Gin and Zen. Not that I remember what went on during that late night conversation.

Double degree was the idea but I got way too bored of actuarial science. It didn't help that my co-op placements were all software development and all enjoyable. To make it even worse, it was basically impossible to find entry-level actuarial science jobs, so... Although that paper on Bluetooth / wireless was for my job and not for the school exactly.

I'll try my best to shield it from the vitriol, but there is no guarantee. The default setting for posters seems to be aggression / absolute certainty in their own opinions.

As do I. He usually keeps in touch even at our least communicative, but he hasn't said anything in two months. :(

It is like work placement, yes. I do agree that sleep is better, but the bills aren't paid by sleeping around! Well, I mean they COULD be...

Oh, right. Backwards seasons down there. :P How many more semesters do you have to do?

It's a nice change from the usual moe moe kyun kyun banners.
Sep 24 2015 10:36 PM

Episteme

Aw. That you remember wishing me a 'Happy Birthday' last year is kind of sweet. :3

Mmm. Aizen-sama blessings are the best kind of blessings. :aww: Thank you once again, Nemesis! Hope all is well on your end. :)
Aug 28 2015 02:28 AM

DaEvilWithin

I can relate to the burning out. This reply is so late because of how much work I've been doing. :C But we'll both get through it I'm sure.

I've found my passion in coding, I think. Time flies when I'm working and there are intellectually satisfying problems. Certainly more satisfying than adjusting interest rates for the umpteenth time. I'd honestly recommend it to any logical-minded person (which I'd hope is the majority of the population), but I'd be lying if I didn't say it was time intensive. Every time I think I know enough to call myself good at it, I discover that I've barely seen the tip of the iceberg. I really wish I started in highschool where I had more free time than I knew what to do with.

Agreed. I keep trying to pull others onto our level, but they resist.

Good, good. Nice to see you also find Gatchaman Crowds worth watching! I loved the first season of Durarara!! but I have to rewatch it given how much time has passed. Not enough time to catch up on it until after finals. I also have to finish season two of OreGairu as well. I can't say I'm a fan of the Monogatari series (sans Bakemonagatari), but I can see why people like it.

I'd honestly say Index isn't worth continuing given the direction of the LNs. It's a complete sell out of a series and the author doesn't seem interested in communicating a meaningful message. Unless that message is that punching people makes them fall in love with you, regardless of history.

For this season I'm going to be watching Gangsta, Akagami no Shirayukihime, Gatchaman Crowds, and Rokka no Yuusha. Assuming I find the spare time to! I suppose the one good thing about being busy is that you eventually accumulate a backlog that you can blow through.
Jul 09 2015 08:58 PM

Episteme

Of course we will! Though I have to reiterate your own words and apologise for the delayed reply; my intensive began a week earlier so I've been utterly out of it all week. Hope things are progressing better on your end.^^

If only we started more things when we were younger. If only we truly recognised their value at that early stage. But on the plus side this is almost a challenge for you, testing your limits again and again by constantly learning and applying new things. That's something to take away despite how demanding it is. :3

I've started with Bakemonagatari actually (following the release order of the series). I'm five episodes in and no major complaints thus far. Rather existential (reminds me of Haruhi at times), and the characters seem interesting (really like Senjougahara). It's mostly the art/style that drew me in, and it has a pretty high rating so I'm going to remain optimistic and see how it develops.

I doubt I'll ever get round to reading the LNs but that's a shame to hear. Especially when there are some really interesting characters (predominantly side-characters) that could be better utilised and explored (from what you've said it sounds like Touma's become quite the caricature, and en route to becoming king amongst harem protagonists). At any rate, I only have about 9 episodes left and Accelerator is meant to be the focus of the last arc, so I'll endure that annoying moe blob a little longer just for that.

So. Much. Anime. Never enough time. ...I relate wholeheartedly. Let me know how Rokka no Yuusha goes, so that I might add it to the ever growing collection of things to watch.
Jul 19 2015 12:04 AM

DaEvilWithin

It's slightly less hectic... I think? Rather than have evaluation after evaluation assailing me weekly, it's all in a cluster of Thursday/Friday/next Monday. Then it's final exams.

To think I instead wasted my time doing things I didn't like! I like (even love) the challenge, but I do wish my life wasn't determined by whether or not I can rise up to meet the challenge.

Oh, it definitely has interesting characters and concepts. I liked Bakemonogatari a lot (especially that song about staplers). The reason I dislike the later seasons is a combination of being uncomfortable with the sexualization and the fanbase. It's tiring being spammed with lewd .gifs! That said, you shouldn't be discouraged by my opinion on it. It has little to do with the quality of the series itself.

That is basically what Touma became, yes. In the span of one novel my favorite arc ruined the entire series. If I'm remembering correctly, Accelerator is the focus of the anime's last arc. The science side of TAMNI is much better than the magic side, so you will be entertained!

I'm loving Rokka no Yuusha so far. I haven't watched the latest episode yet, but it's really kept my interest.
Jul 20 2015 09:55 PM

Episteme

I know, I keep disappearing, which is awfully terrible of me. I likely won't be 'back' entirely until after June, but thank you all the same~

Oh, and congratulations on being promoted to moderator! :3
Apr 11 2015 02:09 AM

DaEvilWithin

As long as you keep coming back. :)

Thanks! I can exert my considerable influence more tangibly now.
Apr 11 2015 02:15 AM