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Episode 96: Ichigo, Byakuya, Kariya; Battle of the Three Extremes!

Impressions:

ZARAKI AND ICHINOSE’S FIGHT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED! ! ~ The title of episode 98 is: Clash! Zaraki Kenpachi vs. Ichinose Maki. Can’t wait for that!

Anyway…this episode was only average. The fighting was entertaining but was unfortunately cut short. The animation could have been better, and there was a lot of lack of detail in some scenes. The most noticeable was Daruku, who got virtually no texture of tone. Just by looking at the preview of the next episode, I’d say it is better quality than this episode. When Ran’Tao explained about the Bounto’s origin, I actually felt quite sorry for the young Kariya. The look on his face when his comrades were getting slaughtered told the whole story. While trying to overturn Seireitei is a bit too far-fetched, I can’t help but give a bit of sympathy to him. I wonder how I feel when/if he is killed. While I’m on that issue, I have to say watching this episode eliminated all hope of the arc finishing at episode 100. But that does mean more fights and possibly more captains involved. I doubt Kariya will fight with Byakuya again. I’d like to see him up against Toushiro though, but it is most likely Kariya will face Ishida next. In the end, it just has to be Ichigo who ends everything with Kariya.

Summary:

Continuing with the three-way battle, Kariya moves into position and launches another wind attack at both Ichigo and Byakuya. In response to this, Ichigo uses a dark Getsuga Tenshou while Byakuya uses his Senbonzakura to defend themselves. The result is a powerful attention, which blows Ririn off balance (who is watching from a distance) and also gets Ishida’s attention, who is making his way to the fight. When the smoke clears, Ichigo charges at Kariya with lightning speed, but his attack his blocked by the barrier of wind around Kariya’s arm. Byakuya’s torrent of blades comes at both of them, forcing to break apart. Ichigo evades using shunpo while Kariya blocks with his wind Doll.

When Kariya successfully fends off the blades, he sends his wind back at Ichigo and Byakuya. Ichigo dodges by leaping into the air, but while hovering, he is caught off guard by Kariya and is dealt a blow to his stomach. The punch sends him plummeting back into the ground. When he asks himself why he cannot keep up with him even though he is faster, Kariya tells him that it is because he is far more experienced in fighting than him, therefore can anticipate his moves much more easily.

However, while Kariya is smirking with satisfaction, a cut on his shoulder rips open. He realises he had been cut by Byakuya’s Senbonzakura earlier, and so manipulates the spirit particles around him to heal the wound. Byakuya is quite satisfied with knowing Kariya’s wind defence is not impenetrable. Kariya commends him for managing to hurt him, but is still confident he will win the fight, as the sprit particle regeneration makes him invincible. Accepting the hidden challenge in these words, Byakuya takes things up a notch and sends the full force of his Senbonzakura at Kariya, which overcomes his wind Doll and cuts him multiple times. He recovers quickly and is able to counter the next attack by Byakuya in time. Before the fighting can continue, a large mass of kidou manifests above the three and begins to plummet. The impact causes a massive explosion, but all three are able to escape the blast.

And from the smoke comes a woman who looks just like the late Yoshino. Both Ichigo and Kariya are surprised to see her, though unlike Ichigo, Kariya knows she is not Yoshino. She introduces herself as Ran’Tao, the one who oversaw the experiments conducted long ago which led to eh eventual birth of the Bounto. She explains that she knew the Bounto would come back to Soul Society one day to exact revenge. Kariya reflects on his own life and the hardships he had to suffer. As Kariya glares at her, Ran’Tao asks him if he will kill her. Ichigo comes to defend her, but Kariya says that she must witness the fall of Soul Society, as in the end, it really is her fault for creating the Bounto in the first place. Only after that will he kill her, as he says.

Interrupting the conversations, Byakuya attacks with his Senbonzakura again, forcing Kariya to escape into the air. Ichigo, refusing to let him escape, goes after him. Once again, Kariya is quite startled at ichigo’s speed, and this time his wind fails to provide him with an adequate defence, as Ichigo manages to cut him in mid-air. Before anyone can attack again, a barrage of steel balls flies at Ichigo and Byakuya, forcing them to dodge away from Kariya. Koga Gowa appears by Kariya’s side and tells him they should retreat for now. As Ichigo and Byakuya are busy fending off Daruku (Gowa’s Doll), Kariya and Gowa retreat and head back for Kusajishi. After they escape, Ichigo asks Ririn whether she can sense the Bounto or not. She can’t and neither can Byakuya, who is already walking off, having failed to kill the Bounto. With no way to track the Bounto now, Ichigo settles for a draw…for now. Then he turns to Ran’Tao and asks whether she is an ally or enemy.

Back at Kusajishi, a large crowd has gathered around Ichinose for the meeting, who is awaiting the return of Kariya and Gowa.

Ishida finally shows up at the clearing where Ichigo and Ran’Tao are. He has his Quincy bow ready to fire, but seeing Ichigo there, lowers it. He also mistakes Ran’Tao for Yoshino, but this is cleared up soon enough. After remarking on how a Quincy and a Shinigami makes an interesting combination, she tells them that if the Bounto are there enemies, she is not. When Ichigo asks her to tell him about the Bounto, she tells Ichigo he has to heal his wounds first before doing anything.

Meanwhile, still searching for Kusajishi, Ganju realises he is lost. He makes a whistle sound, which signals the sudden uncovering of a group of men, who appear from all sides from the shrubbery. Ganju indicates that they are Kusajishi’s Bulls.

As it dawning, Ran’Tao takes Ichigo back to her home and uses some shock device to heal his wounds (Ishida tags along too of course). Now with that out of the way, Ran’Tao begins to explain the history of the Bounto. Continuing from Ichigo’s existing knowledge of the experiment-gone-wrong, she explains that the Bounto had tried to live in Soul Society, but the Shinigami refused to accept the products of a failed experiment. Later, the Bounto came in force and tried to force their way into Soul Society, which is where the Quincy got involved at began combating the Bounto. Although both sides had many casualties, the Shinigami came while the Bounto were weakened and tried to finish them off. Some escaped the genocide, Kariya being one of those lucky few. It seems that from the sight of his dying comrades, Kariya resolved to get his revenge someday.

When Ishida asks Ran’Tao why she never tried to help the Bounto, she shows them a mark on her back, indicating that her powers were stripped when she was exiled from Seireitei. No one else in Seireitei was concerned about the remaining Bounto, as they knew they could not manipulate spirit particles in the living world to get into Soul Society. From this, Ran’Tao is able to tell that Ishida’s Quincy powers were used by the Bounto to get into Soul Society. After some more talk where Ran’Tao asks Ishida about his battle accessory, she collapses onto her knees and clutches her head in pain. She explains that she just needs to rest as she is much older than most Shinigami. She makes for the bed and just manages to make it before falling asleep. Ishida and Ichigo decide to rest there as well, as they have more questions for Ran’Tao anyway.

At Kusajishi, the hundreds of men who have decided to join Kariya celebrate his return (though not knowing where he had gone). Gowa asks Kariya about his fight with Byakuya, to which he replies will promote his cause. Marvelling at the number of men who have crowded around outside, Kariya says that it is about time for his plan to start.

Preview:

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