Not a Hollow, Bleach the Bount arc

I took the opportunity of the winter storm to catch up on Bleach and in doing so finished the Bount arc. First, the arc was really filler. This means that it is not a part of the original manga. I guess the TV series moves too quickly and has to give the manga time to catch up and so creates its own story line to do so. While the big bad dude was a bit over the top in wanting to destroy the world, soul society, and the rest of his comrades, I like that there was a good comparison between his past and personality to Ichigo's. The final question gave the arc some resonance. What would Ichigo have chosen were he in Kariya's shoes?

Some other things that bothered me were Ishida's new outfit, soul society captains hovering in mid air, and the fact that no one actually was living in all the houses they destroyed in Seireitei. Still it was nice to see that the captains could hold their own and, after some perceptive observing, could easily finish off the Bount ryoka. One of my favorite fights was Tōshirō Hitsugaya against Koga. Even though Tōshirō had to bring out his bankai, he really just brought him down with one blow. It was a wow moment for me.

Throughout the arc, there were a few times that we saw Ichigo's hidden hollow come forth. These are scary moments for me and our hero. I know that there is some hidden power there that is either not under control or that wants to control him. I believe that near the end with Kariya, there was a different sort of power which came to the surface. I am eager to see the internal battle in our orange haired friend.

Who we did not see a lot of was Inoue or Chad. Two of Ichigo's devoted friends who ended up picking up pieces or running around. I hope they grow in the next arc. Who we did see a lot of was Kuchiki Byakuya. Man, this guy is the epitome of cool, both in composure and admiration. I love how he always looks bored with his opponent but can strike with impressive force at any given moment. This arc did show some touching vulnerability for his sister. I wonder if that is captured in the manga as well. We finally get to see an emotional facial expression near the end and it all focuses on Ichigo, a good moment for the series.

While there were some difficult holes in the plot, it was a damn fun ride with some pretty excellent fights both in the real world and in the soul society. Now that the series is back on track with the manga, the ride should get even more interesting. Bankai.