Bleach 636 Review – Sensitive Monster

Bleach 636 Review – Sensitive Monster

Written by: ClayDragon

I’m back! I apologise for taking so long, but the combination of holidaying and graduating (as well as the celebrations associated with said graduation) took up most of my time until recently. But enough excuses, you probably didn’t come here to see me talk about myself. You probably came here to see me talk about all the Bleach chapters I missed – we’ll get to them later on.

You should probably see a doctor about that.

For now, Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi are confronting Pernida, whose head has begun to ripple and swell up. As the two Captains discuss the change, Ikkaku and Yumichika note that there’s no opening for them to jump in, and that even if they did they’d probably end up being defeated. Nemu agrees, saying that since Kurotsuchi hasn’t asked her to do anything, he probably feels that he can beat Pernida without her assistance.

 

I don't know, I mean Kurotsuchi never started swelling up like that. Although the series isn't over yet. So I guess that could still happen.

Just as Ikkaku claims that the same is true for Kenpachi, Pernida’s power activates again, causing Kenpachi’s damaged arm to crush up even further. Before his sword strikes him in the face, Kenpachi grabs his flailing arm and rips it off at the shoulder. As he drops his severed arm to the ground and picks his sword up, the arm compresses even further until all that’s left of it is a puddle of blood. Kurotsuchi compliments Kenpachi on his reflexes, saying that if he had waited any longer, his entire body would have been crushed.

 

"This would be kind of fun if I weren't in such excruciating pain."

Despite neither of them understanding what Pernida’s power actually is, Kenpachi believes that a head-on approach is the only way to beat him, and after Nemu patches his arm up, he rushes straight in. This solution only results in his legs being forcibly pushed back, to the point of them maybe breaking. In the confusion, Kurotsuchi gets closer to Kenpachi and stabs him with his Shikai, paralysing him.

 

"You team-killing fucktard!"

With Kenpachi out of the way, Kurotsuchi explains that he’s figured out how the Quincy’s power works – Pernida can send his nerves out of his body and into his opponents, causing them to be destroyed from the inside. Since Kenpachi was paralysed, this means that Pernida’s attacks can no longer harm him. Kurotsuchi goes on to point out that all Quincies can pump reishi into their blood vessels, so it isn’t unthinkable that one of them could use it to control other body parts.

 

Kurotsuchi, what happened to your left eye? Your pupil has vanished.

Now that his power’s been sussed, Pernida stops all attempts at being subtle and launches a number of black tendrils at his opponent. However, now that he knows about the source of Pernida’s power, it’s a simple matter for Kurotsuchi to instantly deflect the incoming assault. As is becoming standard for him, he then claims that he has a number of drugs that would work on Pernida, and decides to use him as a lab rat. At this point, the black tendrils continue to flow out of Pernida’s body, and his body is becoming so misshapen that his coat is starting to tear, revealing what he actually looks like.

 

Come on, Kubo. Bring on the nightmare fuel!

Given that I’ve missed so many chapters, I’ll just do a quick rundown of what I liked and didn’t like, as well as any points of interest or contention, since it would take far too long to talk about them all normally.

 

"I immediately regret my decision."

Grimmjow vs Askin has quickly become one of my favourite ‘fights’ so far, simply because of how over-the-top it is. The fact that Askin is terrified of Grimmjow, despite taking on a member of Squad Zero with no complaints, shows just how much stronger the Espada has become, and I’m hoping that we get to see Grimmjow’s Segunda Etapa soon (that is, if he’s achieved it). Plus, Askin’s mannerisms lately have been downright hilarious.

 

And now, for your viewing pleasure: Every moment with Askin that made me laugh.

On the other hand, Bazz-B vs Haschwalth was much less interesting as, despite the fact that we learned more about their pasts, the flashback dragged on for too long, and too much of the battle was spent on the flashback instead of on, you know, the actual fight. Whilst I do like the relationship between Bazz-B and Haschwalth, the fact that some new information about Haschwalth’s powers left me scratching my head.

 

Your eyes are one of my major point of contention at the moment!

Firstly, the flashback took place well before the series starts, and it’s implied that it begins before Yhwach invaded the Soul Society the first time around, when he first fought Yamamoto. So given that this takes place roughly 1000 years ago, how are Bazz-B and Haschwalth still alive today? We’ve seen from Ryuuken that Quincies age at the same rate as humans, so it hasn’t been explained how these two aged for eight years and then just stopped.

 

Okay, so if Yhwach, Haschwalth, and all the other Quincies knew that Bazz-B wanted to kill Yhwach, then why did they still let him join the Vandenreich in the first place?

Secondly, Bazz-B states that every couple of decades, a Quincy would be born that had no talent for gathering reishi, such as Haschwalth. Yhwach then later reveals that Haschwalth is like him, in that he subconsciously gives his own power to the people close to him (in this case, Bazz-B). But if this is the case, then how come not one Quincy like that has been born in the years between this flashback and the present day? There should be any number of Quincies like Yhwach and Haschwalth running around, but we haven’t heard of any. Granted, Uryu’s ability is probably related to this, but it’s still rather jarring.

 

"Well, looks like I'm going to have to learn to write with my left hand now..."

Another thing to note is that during the flashback, Yhwach has the ‘three pupils in one eye’ dealie going on. So this must been that between then and now, he must have been sealed somehow in order to return to his dormant state. So the questions are: how was he sealed (and who by?), and how did he ‘unseal’ himself at the start of the current arc? Similarly, at the end of the flashback, Haschwalth is seen with the three pupils, so what is the exact relationship between his power and Yhwach’s? Do they literally swap powers every 12 hours? Because if so, that seems ripe for a deus ex machina.

At least with eyes like that he'll never need glasses.

Even though Bazz-B lost his arm and then collapsed after his fight with Haschwalth, I really hope that he’s still not dead. Not simply because I want to see him meet Grimmjow (although that is a factor), but because he’s one of the most interesting Sternritter, and for him to die like this seems really anticlimactic. The same can be said of Liltotto and Giselle who, for reasons unknown, decided to straight-up confront Yhwach, and may have ended up dead because of it.

 

Well, in all seriousness, what did you think would happen?!

True, there’s a theory going around that the scene with Liltotto, Giselle and Yhwach was only a vision of the future that Yhwach had, but I don’t know if I can see Kubo doing something like that. On the other hand, I can’t really see him killing those two off already and in that manner, considering that they’d been shown to be smart people. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.

 

"Do you have any painkillers? I'm feeling pretty lightheaded."

Finally, I’m looking forward to seeing what Pernida actually looks like underneath his hood. I’m hoping for something completely alien and monstrous, but I have a feeling that Kubo will either hold off on showing him for a few chapters, or find some way of leaving the mystery forever unsolved. Either way, the more Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi we get, the better.

Chapter 636 Review – Sensitive Monster:

Good Things:      Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi being badasses.

                             Pernida’s power is finally revealed.

                             Possibility of seeing what Pernida actually looks like.

Bad Things:        Quite a lot of padding for space.

                             Kenpachi being taken out so quickly.

Manga Rating:   3/5

ClayDragon:









ClayDragon is currently studying Physics at university, and is constantly bewildered by it. The main method of contacting him is his Gmail account at claydragon.on@gmail.com. He has an ask.fm account at ask.fm/ClayDragon. When not playing games or reading, he can be found with his head in his hands whilst trying in vain to understand quantum physics. You may now call him ClayDragon (BSc Hons).