kage'e shoujo

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This isn't my computer, so I can't dig up the other translations I've found. MangaHelper's Cnet translates Ishida's line as this, though:


To Ishida, Ulquiorra was already dead. He probably didn't know that Ulquiorra had high regenerating capabilities (which is just weird, he saw him regenerate an arm in seconds, after all), probably didn't hear Ulquiorra tell Ichigo the only way to kill him and didn't know that as uncontrollable as Ichigo currently is, he still pretty much has a goal and that's killing Ulquiorra. Ishida saw the corpse-looking Ulquiorra and came to his own conclusions that Ichigo raising his sword is "carving up his corpse" instead of what we readers saw as the completion of the job. Ichigo, who is uncontrollable and had a goal to complete, probably saw Ishida as an obstacle to his job completion and did what he did.

It's true that Ryuuken told Ishida the way to properly kill a Hollow, but... Ishida's one of my favorites and all (the humans are my favorites), but Kubo seriously messed his characterization up, so if he somehow forgot this little info, I wouldn't be surprised. His interaction with Mayuri in HM... Man, was I cringing.


But those cases are different from Ulquiorra because they don't have high regeneration capabilities. All Ichigo needed to do was beat them to a pulp, make sure they're so thoroughly beaten they won't get up any time soon and move forward. They're not a threat anymore. Ulquiorra is different because every time Ulquiorra is beaten, he regenerates and IS able to fight back, as this current chapter has shown us. Being merciful, letting the enemy live, would be stupid because letting Ulquiorra live means letting him regenerate to be a threat again. Unlike the others, Ulquiorra can fight and fight and fight, which is why killing is the way if they want to get away from him.


I'm pretty sure Ichigo knows exactly how powerful the Arrancar/Espada are. HM-Ichigo is different from SS-Ichigo when he was still cocky and thought he could seriously beat Byakuya just because he has an unusual reiatsu power level. He saw how powerful Grimmjow was, what Yammy and Ulquiorra were capable of, and considering his last moments before leaving for HM, he knows how much of a suicidal mission it was. He doesn't look like a man underestimating his opponents at all.

His constant holding back has always read as pacing to me and not underestimation. And given how he was all, "I'll beat GJ, Ulquiorra and Aizen and bring everyone back with me!" speech, it makes sense. He knows the odds because he's done it before at SS. And unlike SS, there is a slim-to-none chance of HM-dwellers rallying to his cause. He needs all the energy he can and going all out every chance he has is not the way to do that.

Considering the fact that there are no breaks, I'd say it hasn't been a day since they entered HM. Orihime's been there for about two or three days and she's already suffered that much torture and went through a dozen emotional roller coasters. Ichigo might be a spirit but that doesn't mean he doesn't get tired. And he's fought so many already.


With her lines this chapter, ("Why did I rely completely on Kurosaki-kun?"), I'm positive we'll be seeing something from her soon. Those are usually the cues, after all. Women in really shounen manga have the tendency to always be below the men in power-level, but with a dialogue like that, I'm hoping for more action too. And this is a woman with Universe-breaking powers. I'm really excited about it.

I can't see Orihime as Sloth, though, because she has been consistently trying to improve herself, which doesn't really fit the Sloth theme at all. I really don't see how she's been inactive in HM either because she's doing what she's capable of during the times when she can do something. She's crippled by her self-esteem issues to the point that she was surprised her friends came for her to Las Noches. And just as she started to hope that they can help her, that they came because they cared for her, she felt them go down one-by-one with Ulquiorra pushing that it's her fault they're dead (even as she helplessly says they're not dead). It's just a whole arc of breaking her so I can't see how she needs to be redeemed for that.

I really can't remember her using Ichigo as a crutch either. Would you mind pointing out examples?


Really? Hmm... I can't see it. Would you mind explaining how he's changed? From his words against Ichigo, it seems to me he's still bigoted against humans. He constantly reminded Ichigo how he was just human, how a human can't do this, can't beat that, etc., etc. After calling Orihime a strong woman, he then proceeded to try to completely break her, torturing her mentally and emotionally using her weaknesses and her friends. Damage to Las Noches fighting Ichigo is still protecting Las Noches because he's defending it from an enemy. So, essentially, he's still following Aizen's orders.


Toying with, demanding answers... these are exactly what he's been doing to Orihime ever since she entered his charge. From what I've seen, this is how Ulquiorra operates. He acts exactly like a bigot who knows nothing about the people he's bigoted against. He is curious but I don't think he's hiding them in his comments because his discussions with Orihime and Ichigo are full of questions already. He's openly showing his curiosity to the point of being mean regarding Orihime and her friends, constantly asking her how she thinks, being frustrated because he can't understand Ichigo's way of thinking, his consistent drive to fight even in a losing battle.


Given that Ulquiorra thinks humans are trash and his tendency for vanity, I'm thinking his acceptance of Ichigo's hollow-like mercilessness is more for his benefit than Ichigo (apart from the textual confirmation that Ichigo's hollow has overtaken him). Ulquiorra's pretty proud. He was all, "I am the only Espada with this second transformation," and yet he was still beaten by a human. Human-turned-Hollow, but still someone who identifies as a human which is practically the same. His dialogue that Ichigo kill him sounds like a demand and considering how it echoed GJ's, I'm thinking that for his benefit than Ichigo's, too.

Demanding he be killed then changing his mind isn't really all that uncommon, though. Every one has self-preservation instincts. He saw a chance and decided to take a hit. Now, we'll see if having on less horn will affect Ichigo or not.