User blog:GinIchimaru/The Point of the Fullbringer Arc and how it relates to the next. Theory.

Hi Guys, I havent posted here for a while due to my job requiring me to travel which means i have choppy internet access so i dont know if anyone will remember me, but i do still read the website and I am consistently amazed at how this wiki goes from strength to strength with the help of a team of thoroughly hard-working moderators and admins, not to mention the larger memberbase. Im not to sure if the Blog policy has changed in my absence to only allow the one weekely review blog from Godisme (which is always an enjoyable read) but i hope its still ok to post discussion blogs as long as they are rational, if not i will certainly delete if necessary.

Anyway I have heard alot of negativity surrounding this arc, some fair and and some less rational. I see this arc as a bridge arc, meant not only to allow a pause int he constant action but also to set up and expand on key themes within Bleach. Oh and obviously to get Ichigo his powers back. For me this arc could be seen as fitting into a long running theme in Bleach and it might be there to lead into the next arc.

Here's my theory.

1- So this Fullbringer Arc has a subtle theme, its about the way the old rigid Soul Society worked. As we have seen in the past the Soul Society has been merciless to eveyrone including non-hollows. It played a considerable part in the extinction of the Quincy, it treated the Vizards (former comrades) as cast-outs and hunted them and now we have seen that according to Ginjo it treated the Shinigami representative as a tool to be used. Essentially the Soul Society under the Central 46 and rules of tradition were not the Soul Society we have come to support.

2- Now with Ichigo's involvement in the Soul Society we have seen a change in attitude, much less merciless and more flexible in how it applies its rules and this point has been emphasised at the end of this arc with Rukia saying that Ichigo himself changed the Soul Society through his actions. Examples include re-appointing the vizards into the Gotei 13, Old Man Yama and the other captains donating their spiritual enery to bring back ichigo amongst other actions etc etc.

3- At the end of the Aizen Arc the conversation between Aizen and Urahara about the Spirit King implies that their is some sort of problem with his position. Aizen detests it for some reason and even Urahara does not try to defend the Spirit King as a positive force, instead merely stating it is neccesary, a lynchpin. The phrase neccesary evil comes to mind for me here as we can assume that the Spirit King has alot to do with the foundation of the Soul Society and the rules/traditions the Gotei 13 had followed rigidly up to Ichigo's arrival.

4- Therefore my theory is that the Gotei 13's straying from these rigid rules and traditions has not been well taken by the Spirit King and those who work close under him aka the Royal Guard (Old Captains who would be used to the old ways of operating in the Soul Society). Thus I think the next arc will see the arrival of the Royal Guard into the Soul Society to try and return the Gotei 13 to the old traditions and rules. Obviously this will cause tension as it would mean getting rid of the vizards and also importantly Ichigo and his friends, thus leading to war. Through this I also believe Isshins history will be revealed as a previous member of the Royal Guard who quite simply fell in love with a human and thus had to abandon his powers and hide in the material world to protect his family from being hunted by the Royal Guard; who would view such a relationship as an abomination. Thus in this arc Isshin would finally get involved to fight with his son to change Soul Society for good.

If anyone cares to look at a previous blog i posted long ago I, along with a few others, debated the strength and role of the Royal Guard. I think we all believe they will have a big part to play in the future of Bleach, yet i personally never understood how they would fit in. Their introduction would have to come either as a higher-tier force of good or a higher-tier force of conflict. Personally I have always found it difficult to see them as coming in to fight some big evil on the Gotei 13's side as that would essentially neuter the image of the Gotei 13 as the elite fighting force of good in the Bleach world and might relegate many of our favourite characters to backbenchers. However in the theory in which I've outlined, the Royal Guard can be introduced without detriment to the Gotei 13 and also without making them a difinitively evil force in the Bleach world and as we've seen in this arc with Kugo, Kubo has no problem in confronting grey areas.

Anyway, sorry for this being overly long but I hope you enjoyed the read and most importantly i hope that you have your own points to make in the comments, as all are welcome!

Thanks,

GinIchimaru.