383 "Too Early To Trust"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Too Early To Trust is now scanlated and up at mangastream.



Knew it wouldn't be the end of Yammy yet. The guy's too Yammilicious to off yet. I reminded of Bleach fandom when everyone was crying for the end of Szayel already (eh, even I admit his Pinkness' show went on too long) but there was just something irresistable about his presence on the page--it's like when you're a kid and you keep tonguing that tooth that's about to fall out but won't let loose no matter what. It hurts and it doesn't but you just have to keep at it. Yammy's just so funny and wonderful and so SO DIMENSIONLESS that it's almost damn interesting. I mean, one can't go to town on a half dozen mythological references and nihilistic philosophies with him like with Ulquiorra's character. It's just funny that Yammy keeps getting BIGGER AND BIGGER.

I want him to get so big that he pops through the Dome and threatens Ishida and Orihime because dammit if I'm not impatient to see those two.

Oh the cover page for this chapter. I love how shounen manga and especially Kubo-sensei can switch gears so fast on the humor to tragedy. We've got Godzilla on steroids on one page and we anticipate all the Shinigami reduced to Keystone cops trying to deal with his ridiculous size and then suddenly we've got Shinji holding Hiyori and all his angst shown in the close-ups of his dropped shouler, the crinkle in his nose. Then the drawing of Hiyori panting little white breaths and looking more beautiful that we've ever seen her. *clutches heart* Oh Shinji.

The fanbois will moan about the wasted panels but I live for those close-ups--yes, that one of Shinji's finger as he lays Hiyori down and there's "I'm not going anywhere" in the accompanying text bubble (is it Shinji speaking to Aizen? ... because oh oh oh). If you finish reading this chapter in less the time it takes you to read another talkier shounen chapter in Jump, you're reading it too fast. Kubo draws those panels so you can look at them because they tell an important part of the story too. Look at that panel again and tell me you don't see the beauty of it.

As for Aizen's speech, I think Kubo's going all religious imagery on us again just in time for Christmas and I already babbled about that in today's earlier post.

Comments

[athena799.livejournal.com]

Hurray!!

Oh God, the look in Shinji's eyes is breaking my heart T_T

[strawberries-85.livejournal.com]

Yammy is really scaring me now...not his power...his design. >_>

Hiyori... :( :(

[kchanlp.livejournal.com]

Yammi is not funny, I haet him! ;A; I wanted Starrk, STARRK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Byakuya and Kenpachi were so "Wtf, die already, man..." XD Mayuri's comment is win! <3 <3 <3

Poor Hiyori, poor Shinji! ;____; I hope Hacchi can do something for her!!!! >_

[sainnis.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to say that Mayuri is perhaps the scariest character in Bleach. He CREEPS ME OUT HARDCORE. (And that's saying something when you think about the cast!) Just the words "autopsy" and "Yammi" are enough to send me running for the hills. *cannot unsee* Also, just to say, maybe if Mayuri wants the battle with Yammi to be over quicker, maybe he should lend a hand. A creepy, freaky, tendon-popping hand.

That said, it's kind of freaking amazing that Kubo can take a horror story like Mayuri and somehow in a twisted, squicky way, make him useful (and/or potentially essential) to the plot of our heroes. (I want to hate him on behalf on the Quincy, but he did kind of save Renji and Ishida, although I'm STILL afraid of how he did that...) *thinks about puppies and brownies and cuddly Ishida instead*

[xilvrin.livejournal.com]

I'll agree with you on that. Mayuri gets me angrier and scares me more than any of the people from HuecoMundo.

[stopwatch-plz.livejournal.com]

All I thought at the beginning was "Hey, you can't kill Byakuya - he's too pretty!"

I am shallow ¬_¬ ;-)

Also, crazy!Aizen FTW! Think that power's gone a little too your head there, boy...

Is it sad that I was happy to see Shuuhei's leg? *grin*

[mikados.livejournal.com]

Seeing just a little part of Shuuhei makes me happy ;)

[iluxe-love.livejournal.com]

I didn't read the more elaborate spoilers earlier this week so I was not expecting to see Hiyori again. At least... not like that. One second we're talking about Mayuri wanting to dissect Yammy's humongous body once Bya and Ken take care of him and then BOOM! Turn the page and there's a double spread close-up on Shinji and Hiyori (OMG, I love that panel). Shinji's face made me want to cry. Why does Kubo have to do this to me?!

On a different note, I loved Ken's "EH?!?!" face. LOL.

[pony-rocks.livejournal.com]

Somehow I continue being unimpressed with Aizen.

Yammy is boring. He's always been.

Lack of Ukitake and Uryuu is making me sad. Hopefully Ichigo appears soon.

[nehalenia.livejournal.com]

Holy.... I'm only half-way thru reading it but I had to stop to say that p 11 sent chills down my spine. KT's art is always incredible but the combination of Shinji's bent back as he leans over Hiyori, the look he gives Aizen and then Hiyori's face is just... man, I don't even have words. I'm shivering.

Back to reading.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

The page where Aizen tells us how g-ds are made is the one that made me shiver...

in a good way too because I love Aizen's evilness (so sexy) even as I fear for Shinji (oh Shinji I love you SO MUCH! STOP BEING SUCH A SADIST, KUBO-SENSEI--IT'S THE HOLIDAY SEASON! EVER HEAR OF COMFORT AND JOY, EH?

[mezzo-marinaio.livejournal.com]

Hiyori was drawn supremely beautiful this week.

Shinji, Shinji - I'm gonna let this go since you're clearly distraught, but... seriously? Being surprised that Aizen considers his companions to be little more than minions, and not buddies like you do? Errr, yes. I could have told you that, dear. XD

Thankfully, Kubo took mercy on us and gave us 1) a upside down view of Yammi, 2) a downside up non-view, and he put his ink to good use by blackening everything that might have been unsavory for us. ♥

No such luck for Kenpachi and Byakuya, unfortunately.

[main-titles.livejournal.com]

Oh god, I never even thought about the view Kenpachi and Byakuya are privy to. DDDDDDDDDDDD:

[kashinosei.livejournal.com]

This week, hmm...Aizen's philosophy never really interest me a lot, but he looks incredibly cool. The typical evil, laid-back, confident...

I miss Ichigo σ(-"-σ)

[horusguard76.livejournal.com]

First off - I love how utterly beautiful Byakuya and Kenpachi have been shown in the recent chapters and the current one makes no exception. They are stunning. And ironically both are beautiful in their own way despite being such opposites (as illustrated by KT): Byakuya appears pristine and literally untouched here, whereas Kenpachi looks raw, battled-hardened and rugged. Both enhancing and stressing their own and the other's appearance by their close proximity.


Has anyone aside from me noticed just how many close-up of 'eyes' we get in this chapter? One 'eye-opener' has certainly been Aizen's speech. Another point is probably Shinji and Aizen finally 'seeing and meeting' eye to eye. Shinji has been stripped of all his former 'coolness' and 'posing' and Aizen gives us another insight in his godly psyche.

What got me the most in this chapter was the panel showing Shinji standing on that tilted, crumbling building with Aizen and Gin standing far and high above him. I guess the point that Shinji is falling down has definitely been brought across. (where and how will he crash?)

I agree that Hiyori is captured beautifully. Actually,she finally looks like a grown-up women here. Quite surprising. Or maybe we see how Shinji sees her?

Tousen's hand gesture to me (as a fan of Final Fantasy series) looks like a summoning gesture. If suddenly some kind of GF appears or if he suddenly sprouted wings - I'm gonna die laughing.

[main-titles.livejournal.com]

Actually,she finally looks like a grown-up women here. Quite surprising. Or maybe we see how Shinji sees her?

I never even thought of that ;___;

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, no one noticed that Tousen is about to summon his Hollow Mask and reveal himself as a Vizard?

The "Hand in Face" cliffhanger with that absolutely evil looking Tousen shot made it pretty much obvious.

The hell people.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Haha, yeah we all noticed it but it's like ... big whoop, when we got the spoiler it surprised no one that Aizen may done experiments on Tousen and the suspense thing makes me think that maybe it's NOT a mask and Tousen is just going to rip off his visor (I can SEE! I CAN SEE!) and reveal some other cool power.

But yeah, we got that in the spoiler and it seems to have all been forgotten in the light of the AWESOME ART of Shinji and Hiyori and Aizen in this chapter. I'm still all verklempt over Shinji clutching Hiyori's hair like that.

I SHIP THEM HARD. (and Kubo-sensei knows it! XD XD XD XD )

[kookiety.livejournal.com]

Mayuri. Erm. Yes. Nice bored expression there.
Yammy. Also - Erm. Yes. All big and well - big.

Kenpachi's 'Eh' face made me laugh.

And then I found myself transfixed by prettiness (feet, pretty feet) and wham -

Oh, ow, Shinji and Hiyori. Ow.

I adore Shiniji's furious face. Probably because even though I know when he yelled for Ichigo it was for the pretty dramatic entrance/ chance to switch, I was a tad peeved he didn't look furiously ticked-off, bad-ass reincarnate so - yay at his anger. Yay yay.

And then it was back to the ow.
I love the harshness that was not gore and all ow and oh and - I must be mad but I loved those panels.

"You place too much faith in that boy" is pretty much what everyone has been harping about and it's interesting to see how it's put across 'he is my friend, why won't I?' instead of the 'SAVIOUR!HERO!' vibes that's oozing.

The more Aizen preached, the more I saw him getting well - pwnd. Speeches don't bode well, especially for evil overlords.

The spoilers ruined any 'Tousen is/is not Vizard' reactions. And now because it looks so dramatic I don't expect him to be a Vizard (too expected so it musn't be? Too expected so it's not expected and then it is and that's unexpected?) Tsk.

But still, oh pretty chapter. Good chapter. I very much like.

[kookiety.livejournal.com]

Also, "Too Early Too Trust"

... Ichigo's saving the day? Chances for victory? Aizen's - something? It's all an illusion - he's an illusion? Predictions (which ones?)?
Too Early Too Trust The End Is Near? O_O

Is it something terribly obvious and I am just being oblivious?


... why in heavens name did Yammy's 'unforgivable' roar remind me of Death Note? Was it a quote? Something? Oh this is will annoy me till I figure it out.

[madrona-8.livejournal.com]

As I read that, I believe that it's Aizen saying he's not going anywhere. I don't think Aizen lothes and detest Shinji, he doesn't give him that much thought. And the sword is in the middle of the panel when he say's he'll introduce him to his sword.
What he seems to be saying is that he doesn't trust his subordinates and they should NOT trust him. How far does this go? Does this include Gin And Tousen? i think so. Frankly, I wouldn't trust Gin with much....
While I'd be very surprised if Tousen wasn't used in some way by Aizen, I'm still sitting on the fence about any hollowfication.

[defectivequeen.livejournal.com]

This was the best chapter in a while. Aizen supports the whole manga on his shoulders after all (wasn't Ichigo the main character? XD)
But I'm torn, really torn. I'm so in awe after Aizen's awesome speech that I almost cheered for him but-but against him there are my favourites, Shinji and Hiyori, and Shinji's eyes filled with rage, and Hiyori's beautiful face filled with death, and Shinji looking down at her and clutching her jumper before settling her down as a last goodbye (how can someone still deny the extra explicit canon?)...gosh I don't know!
Shinji can't dieeeeeeee! I'm sure Hiyori will survive too! The two of them have to be together and she needs her legs back so she can kick him to show her mutual love! (we already know he loves her, after this chapter :P)
So I hope he will be okay, but I still want to see Aizen pwing someone really badly...to escape somehow this situation I wish their fight would get interrupted even if at the same time I don't want it.
*end of ranting*

Kubo, you are a troll, althought a fascinating and poetic one.

[karkashan.livejournal.com]

What is it about Aizen that seems to almost redefine the term "Magnificent Bastard" without changing anything about it?

I love how evil he is. It goes to show people that there is a difference between a simple anatgonist/bad guy, and a true blue villain.

[incandescens]

Has it occurred to you that Yammi's ability to drain reiatsu and use it is somewhat similar to . . .

. . . that of a Quincy?

Just thinking out loud. ;)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Totally.

*wonders if there's a long lost brothers fic in there somewhere*

But why does Yammy keep increasing in mass? Quincy channel energy through their hearts and Yammy is heartless, so ... yeah, he's gonna explode. MAKE BIG BOOM. The bigger they are the louder they KABOOM.

I really love Yammy, I can't help myself, I hope he gets a little flashback about how he and Ulqui got to be BFF.

[mikados.livejournal.com]

I was thinking; how the heck did Yammy demontrate his potential for Aizen in order to become nr.0? Maybe we need a Yammy backgroundstory before we see the end of him.

The panels with Shinji, Hiyori and Aizen are really beautifully illustrated. Now I really hope Shinji gets his revenge.

[andrew-jp.livejournal.com]

I can't help but wonder if Aizen will still be popular with the fangirls when (not if) he stabs (perhaps literally) Tousen and Gin in the back.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Look, the man is TEH SEX when he kills. The fangirls will be all over it.

Like, right now, I'm absolutely torn because I love Shinji with all my heart and I don't want AIZEN to hurt him. Aizen is a very VERY VERY BAD man, but still...

that was a sexy speech.

[gully-moe.livejournal.com]

Thoughts; because I haven't really given lengthy discussions on chapters in ages.

I don't care about the Yammy fight. I just don't care. It's uninteresting.

I am glad to see Shinji again. I am glad to see his anger and the way he held Hiyori. She looks dead, but she is drawn beautifully. I looked at those panels for a while. I then liked seeing Shinji being serious and I could feel his anger.

Aizen however, annoyed me. I no longer like this character anymore. I hate his smugness.

As for Tousen, I was really ticked off at the possibility that all three of the ex-captains are Vizards. It gives Aizen an extra power boost that just makes him even more undefeatable and I just can't see Ichigo beating a Vizard Aizen. However if it is just Tousen, then I am completely cool with it. Because I realized that back in the pendulum chapters, Tousen was the one attacking the pre-Vizards, and it seemed that what it was that was causing the hollowfication was contagious. What if Tousen was the first created Vizard? Or a different kind of Vizard which makes him unique to survive the hollowfication process? What if his sword had the ability to hollowfy shinigami?

If so, I think this makes Tousen's character interesting. If the other two are the same, then being a Vizard just isn't so unique anymore, and it doesn't make this revelation about Tousen any special.

[darksyx.livejournal.com]

All at once: Megalomania!!!

[georg-vanlunden.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do so agree that Yammy just getting angrier and angrier and bigger and bigger is awesome. I mean they can't ALL be super'deep' characters you can wax poetically about: some bad guys are just big, strong, mean bruisers and I like them just fine like that! Also, I'm glad that at least Yammy's number isn't turned into a COMPLETE joke: two captains making a fool of the strongest Espada just felt wrong.

Beyond that, this chapter is ALL about Aizen and Shinji. Aizen let's his most pompous and egotistical self shine, seemingly insinuating that Shinji is not 'alive' unless he's angry at Aizen. Of course he may just be spouting of crap to get back at Shinji for all the years of serving under him, but man: douche-central ahoy. I can also say that for once, I am okay with Kubo spending several pages with just close-ups and dramatic still-footage. It WORKS here, not in battle, NEVER in battle, but in moments like these they really do. Shinji being overcast by the 'light', the terrible, glorious splendor of Aizen Sousuke making him cast long shadows (at least that's how I see it) is just delicious artwork.

Aizens schpiel about trust is not actually making warning bells sound in my head regarding Tousens Hollow mask, because lets face it, it IS a Hollow mask. That all three are some kind of super-vizards, much more stable and powerful would be predictable and trite, but it's also what I think will happen. Because let's face it: it's just LOGICAL. They SHOULD have tried to become as powerful as they could possibly be, and if that means donning a mask I have no problems seeing either Aizen or Gin doing so. I just hope none of the Vizards will be shocked when it happens next chapter because, seriously, they've had almost a century to predict Aizens moves and turning himself into a Vizard to get more power should have been their number one suspicion.

As for my emotional involvement here, well... Shinji IS my most favorite character. And Aizen IS my least favorite one. But since Aizen is the villain here, unless a major curveball is thrown (I have my theories but they are WAY harebrained), Aizen must be the largest obstacle to overcome, and it will be Ichigo who does it. The least I can hope for is that Shinji at least gets some good licks in and makes Aizen show a face besides "smiling smugly like he's had sex with YOUR mother, and he's the only one who knows". At best, Shinji lasts long enough for him and Ichigo to tag-team him.

Despite that... I can't say I really think the manga will end with that battle. I mean, we have no idea who the royal guard is, where Ichigo came from, what Isshin and Ryuukens past was like, who the King is... I just can't see those questions going unanswered. So who knows what will come of this battle: I just hope as many vizards as possible last through it.

[bluffee.livejournal.com]

Something bit my chest that time when I saw an upset Shinji holding Hiyori in his arms... *holds chest*

Aizen. I'm getting a bit tired of his proud babble. T_T

Tousen's mask seems a good turn. Hmm. I wonder how it should look like. All I know is that his battle stats suck so bad that it's actually agreeable with me that Aizen give him Vizard powers...