A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.
Spoilers and perpetual waiting after the cut.
Last week's chapter gave us the warm-up for the giant battle that is about to take place. I think we can assume it'll be the prelude to the final battle that ends the manga.
It looked solid. So of course, what does Kubo do? Give us another warm-up chapter, except this time he has more faux-humorous interactions between the shinigami and between Yoruichi and Ichigo.
This chapter is really just "useless crap", as Grimmjow said.
Even after reading it twice, I don't register the importance of the "Gate of the Sun". I guess Kubo is making some kind of reference. Bazz-B notes that it is still a part of the "Wahrwald", so I would assume that it had some importance 100+ chapters ago, when the Vandenreich was still hidden in the shadow of Seireitei.
But since there are battles about to happen, I think it'd be better to just cut to the chase and get to 'em. After all, we know it's going to be another dozen or so chapters for the initial nonsense to be settled.
For instance, Nakk Le Varr has taken up residence in an area that keeps Ichigo's team from moving on. Does anybody really want to see Nakk Le Varr fight again? It wasn't that interesting the first time around when he up against the surprising badass Nimaiya. So that's a fight that'll take roughly 2-6 chapters to resolve thoroughly.
I might already be wrong about "a dozen". This could take 20-25 chapters to resolve before Haschwald/Ishida get involved.
