For the 20th anniversary ofBleach’sdebut, Tite Kubo released a one-shot Manga,No Breaths From Hell, to commemorate the occasion, delving into a potential new arc with the next generation of Shinigami. This 73-pageBleachManga is set 12 years after the anime concluded, where the formidable King Yhwach was defeated by Kurosaki Ichigo and his companions. Ichigo has since married Orihime Inoue and has a son named Kazui who is around ten years old, possessing the powers of a Shinigami much like his father. Kazui is quick to make friends with Ichika, the daughter of Rukia and Renji and the two discover the potential of their Zanpakutos and Shinigami skills. The Manga starts off when these two youngsters meet and follows the pair as they learn what it means to be a Shinigami.
One of the small yet noticeable changes to the canon of theThousand-Year Blood War Arcis the introduction of technology to Seireitei, as fan-favorite Shinigami are seen with cellphones, social media accounts, televisions and more. The residents of Soul Society can now make contact with their friends in Karakura Town much easier - and Mayuri Kurotsuchi is like a kid in a candy store. The major theme of thisBleachManga revolves around theKonso ReisaiFestival, which is an infrequent and somber occasion that pays tribute to the Soul Reapers that have passed. The ceremony involves the extermination of a Hollow at the burial site of Captain Ukitake - but first, the Hollow must be captured. The curious and mischievous Ichika follows Renji, Ichigo, and the other Shinigami into Karakura Town, and is met with a nasty surprise.
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Szayelaporro Grantz
Ichigo, Renji andother Gotei 13 membersenter the human realm to perform theJogimen Reibaku, which involves obtaining a sacrifice for theKonso Reisai- and it is not long before they are ambushed by a hoard of Hollows. Szayelaporro Grantz surprises fans by joining in the fight (as he was believed to have been defeated by Renji, Uryu, and Mayuri in theThousand-Year Blood War Arc), claiming to have crawled out of the gates of Hell.
This statement is in direct reference to theBleach: Hell Versemovie, which introduces the concept of an alternative afterlife to the Shinigami universe. This arc claims that certain spiritual energy can be too powerful or ‘dense’ to remain in Soul Society or qualify for reincarnation, and are therefore expelled to the depths of Hell - Captains included. Apparently, theKonso Reisairitual has more use than simply acknowledging fallen heroes, as it ensures that the most powerful souls of the Spirit Class are exiled from Seireitei.
New Liuetenants : Atau Rindō and Yuyu Yayahara
Apart from the Shinigami’s offspring, two new characters are introduced in the Manga. Firstly, Atau Rindō is the Vice-captain of the 7th squad, a hearing impaired animal lover who communicates through sign language and writes with blood to release hisShikai, named Ume (Give Birth).Atau works alongside Tetsuzaemon Iba, and he accompanies the other Soul Reapers to the human realm, helping considerably in the battle against the Hollows with the use of his Zanpakuto, Hawk.
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Another new lieutenant is Yuyu Yayahara of the 8th Division, who has a strange passion for the rebellious, fashion-forward sub-culture of gyaru. Yuyu gives off strongwaifuvibes with her croppedShihakusho, platinum blonde hair, and selfie-loving personality, but don’t be fooled by appearances. This fearsome warrior has the ability to summon a bear spirit capable of destroying a Hollow with ease.
Predictions for a Future Arc
The sheer fact that Szayelaporro was able to escape from Hell implies that others are capable of the same.Yamamoto, Ukitake, Sasakibe, Unohana, and other fallen Captains could make a reappearance if they follow in the Arrancar’s footsteps and break out of Hell themselves. Alternatively, the surviving Shinigami could potentially go on a rescue mission to find the fallen heroes. Hopefully this time the insubordinate Ichika has learned her lesson and won’t stow away on the mission - but history has a habit of repeating itself.
Considering the fact thatKazui and Ichika are the first characters fans meetin the one-shot Manga indicated their importance to the storyline. Kazui, on his own accord, has already altered the traditionalKonsōritual used to free lost souls, opting for an eldritch-inspired procedure. There is certainly some relevance in this adjustment and many fans speculate that the youngster will need to teach the other Shinigami his ways, possibly to avoid inadvertently sending souls into Hell.
The Quincy Contradictions
According to theThousand-Year Blood War arc, entities that are slain by the energy arrow of a Quincy are stripped from existence, incapable ofreincarnation or continuing life as a spiritin Seireitei. Yamamoto’s death was much in the same, having been defeated with the use of Yhwach’s Quincy forces.
The Manga, however, suggests that Yamamoto has not been completely eradicated, and is in fact residing in the bowels of Hell - which seems to contradict the original story arc. Those who perish from a Quincy energy blast do not ascend into Soul Society, but does this mean that they go straight to Hell? Tite Kubo will undoubtedly work out an explanation for the possible oversight in theBleachcanon - Yamamoto was indeed one of the most powerful entities in existence, surely exceptions can be made?
