User blog comment:Xilinoc/Ch. 569 (You've been hit by / You've been struck by / Senbonzakura~)/@comment-24515845-20140224042645/@comment-1489595-20140224192730

Truthfully the most interesting character growth has little to do with power-ups like bankais. Rukia is a pretty well-rounded character and was long before the Sternritter showed up. While I have no objection to Rukia getting bankai it was abrupt and added little to Rukia herself. The comic could of played out exactly as it did without a bankai and it still would of had meaning and growth.