User blog comment:Godisme/End of Bond 3/@comment-893506-20110720190119/@comment-893506-20110720201247

I said that they don't make up ALL of the universe, meaning there are other aspects of Bleach to explore besides just the Shinigami. We got the Hollows and we got the Arrancar. Chad's powers have still been a mystery until this arc came along, and this was a way to explore it, as well as a new way for Ichigo to regain his Shinigami powers, since repeating the Shattered Shaft would be a poor way to do it.

And I know there are still questions that are being asked regarding to concepts we have already seen, including the Shinigami. Like I said, I don't consider them the entire universe in Bleach, and it's nice to focus on something other than them for once, but I do see the re-entering the story at some point. As to what scenario will play into that... we'll have to wait and see.