User blog comment:ZMaine/My Thoughts, Theories And Opinions On This Arc So Far/@comment-4484409-20121010200244

XD I love the names you give to some of the people. (LOL Hogwash) I also think it's too early to declare Byakuya dead. This has happened many times where people look dead and they aren't. Heck, Ichigo's actually been dead twice and still came back. The death of Yamamoto was expected and the way he died isn't really a problem for me. It shows the complete and utter defeat and destruction of the Soul Society, not just physically but emotionally. Yamamoto seemed to have given up when he knew he was defeated. All these characters dying (whether confirmed or not) is evidence of breaking down of the Soul Society. This is war and sometimes war is a really a massacre of one side, as I imagine it was 1000 years ago with the Quincy.

The new characters are supposed to give us, for one, an explanation as to why they are there, a link for Ichigo and friends to be apart of this whole thing, and to give a tad bit more to feeling when the Soul Society falls.

This arc has been interesting if nothing else and I can't wait to see what happens next.