Another Bleach chapter is out, so let's talk about it.
Spoilers after the cut.
Once again, we have been steered away from the place the meaningful action is taking place.
And once again we are back down in Seireitei (or what's left of it) focusing on a group of people that really don't matter to the story.
Then, of course, you have the main antagonist from a previous arc, Aizen Sousuke. He has been handled in a dissatisfying way, having been sealed by Urahara at the conclusion of the Arrancar/Winter War/Fake Karakura Town arc and then tossed into prison. I still think that he should have been killed off in order to maintain some sense of logic within the story.
Alas, he is still around, and now he's doing things that the other shinigami cannot. What a surprise.
Not only did he use his reiatsu alone to crush the one-eyed little monsters that Bach sent down to Seireitei, in 622 he breaks out his favorite Kidou, "Kurohitsugi". He then proclaims that he will create a road to Reioukyuu.
I don't know if I buy that, but if anyone of them can do it, it's probably Aizen.
The likelihood of the remainder of the Gotei 13 going up to Reioukyuu has obviously increased. The one thing that hasn't changed is the pointlessness of such a venture. I still don't see how any of them save Aizen and Kyouraku have a chance of doing damage in a meaningful way. It isn't like any of them are powerful to take out Bach, or even Haschwald and Ishida. There doesn't seem to be any point to them going up there.
Given the glacial pace the manga is in, however, I doubt the above is much of a concern. After all, we seem to be marching interminably toward 700.
