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One good thing is that Ukitake fortunately turned out not to be a Vizard. It was actually an ability of his Shikai, using which he absorbed Stark’s cero attack and shot it back at him. I think Stark mentioned something about the cards on Ukitake’s Zanpakutō moving fast or something, which in turn led to something else, but I can’t remember at this point. Suffice it to say that it was something and probably significant. Ukitake also advised Kyoraku against releasing his Bankai, saying something like “… anyone can see it here,” or words to that effect, which inclined me to believe that Kyoraku’s case was something similar to Yumichika’s. Ukitake probably finds Kyoraku’s Bankai really embarrassing (and since Kyoraku didn’t seem to have any qualms about releasing it, I’m predisposed to believe that a likely form of his release could be that of a naked woman). But I doubt that that’s the case. It could possess Hollowesque abilities or something like that that the Head Captain is likely to deprecate. Then again, this seems too shallow and unimaginative. The very fact that Ukitake and Kyoraku had that sort of superficial exchange regarding Kyoraku’s Bankai is a clear indication of the fact that Kubo has something big planned, as always.

Another observation I made is that of late the Bankais and abilities of the captains are being given special importance without being revealed. I don’t remember that there were implications or hints or rumors or anything of the sort when it came to the Bankais that were revealed earlier. Say for example Byakuya’s, or Tousen’s, or Mayuri’s. They released their Bankais when they did, and nobody hinted at what they could be like starting three or four episodes before they actually released them. Or maybe that’s just in the anime. Or maybe not. I haven’t a clue. But yeah, there’s a clear difference between the ‘older’ Bankais and the latest ones and that probably has something to do with the suspense of waiting all this time before they released/are going to release.

Also at the end of the chapter, when that enormous Garganta was in the process of opening up, I got the impression that a whole army of Arrancar or Hollows were going to pour into the fake Karakura Town. But then they showed Wonderweiss, and I was beginning to feel it was the biggest anticlimax ever. But then a huge, infinitely ugly silhouette (yes, the silhouette itself: who knows how ugly the real thing would be) emerged from behind the brainless dumbass, and yeah, its identity is open to speculation. I for one think it’s Yammy, but I’m not wholly convinced. Anyway, if it is Yammy, it means that the curtains are down on the Hueco Mundo Scene. There wouldn’t be any significant Arrancar left. If that is indeed the case, I certainly hope the captains (and others) who are stranded in Hueco Mundo return to the fake Karakura Town. Somehow I like all the action to be in one place. I love comparing.