BLEACH: ˇMALA SUERTE! (VOLUME 23)
February 11th 2012 00:41
Category: Manga
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Story & Art by: Tite Kubo
English Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Translation: Joe Yamazaki
Touch up Art & Lettering: Mark McMurray
Design: Sean Lee
Cost: AU$12.95/US$7.95
If memory serves me correctly Mala Suerte is Spanish for Bad Luck and in the case of this particular volume of the Bleach saga there certainly is plenty of this occurring, although overall it is hard to say who at the end of things comes out worst affected by this run of misfortune. Certainly we are left hanging at the final page of the story wondering just what kind of predicament the characters are faced with and how they’re going to be able to get out of said predicament…but that’s good storytelling and good marketing. It prompts us to want to know what is going to happen and to thus go and buy the next volume in the series, which at the end of the day is just plain good sense as well.
This is the really interesting thing about Ichigo as a character, that he has this rather unique dichotomy one could say it was akin to Jekyll and Hyde although frankly it’s more akin to him embodying the two major aspects of the Bleach universe afterlife – Hollow and Soul Reaper in his single essence. Where the problem seems to exist is the fact that these two things have become distinct and separate, existing in a sort of constant tug of war between each other with Ichigo being in the dominant whilst his inner hollow is for the moment passive, though this situation is changing. And at the worst possible moment, right when Ichigo was confronting Yammy and Ulquiorra his inner hollow stirred and this threw him completely off balance. Not a good thing to have happen whilst fighting for your life and friends and Ichigo knows it as well as having the bruises to go with it. And then there is the feeling of remorse he has over his friend’s injuries…especially those of Orihime.
This volume opens with the return of Yammy and Ulquiorra back to the realm of the Hollows and the stronghold of their lord and master Sosuke Aizen. Their report on the events that occurred with their incursion into the world of the living will have repercussions, although the full extent of these repercussions will only be known to some of the participants until well after the events. And as Ulquiorra delivers his ‘report’ he is unaware of the fact that by the time he is making it the Seireitei have dispatched a force of Soul Reapers to aid the substitute soul reaper in his fight against the Arrancars.
Meanwhile as Ulquiorra delivers his report the Soul Reapers are seeking to find places to stay whilst stationed in the world of the living unaware of what is occurring in the camp of their foes or the fact that things are about to get a whole lot hotter. Yammy and Ulquiorra were a demonstration, a throwing down of a gauntlet to demonstrate to the Seireitei just how powerful Aizen and his minions were, but as the report of Ulquiorra is absorbed by his fellow Arrancar one of that esteemed fellowship is about to take things into his own hands, Grimmjow Jagerjaques isn’t satisfied with how things went. Frankly he felt that Ulquiorra was too soft in his response and when no one is looking he decides to embark on a little purge of the town.
Sneaking out of Aizen’s stronghold he rendezvous’ with his followers in the world of the living and after instructing them to seek out any sources of high spirit energy he then gives them their targets. There are far too many people with spiritual pressure in Karakura town and the bulk of them appear to be Soul Reaper reinforcements, but even so Grimmjow gives the order to kill everyone even with the slightest hint of spiritual pressure just to make sure. In essence he feels like he’s cleaning up a mess that has been made by Ulquiorra who should have eliminated all these people in the first place.
If Yammy and Ulquiorra’s sudden appearance sparked the first skirmish in this impending war between Arrancar and Soul Reapers then the sudden incursion of Grimmjow and his henchmen mark the first full scale battle between the two forces. And although the Soul Reapers manage to score the first blow in taking out Deroy, one of Grimmjow’s lackeys, they soon find that the remaining Arrancar are definitely a match for their skills and abilities. Ichigo himself realises that when Grimmjow appears to face off against himself and Rukia whilst Ikkaku realises in his own battle he’s going to have to pull the proverbial rabbit from the hat to gain ground in his fight. Bleach volume 22 ˇMala Suerte! is filled with the action, humour and tension that we have come to expect from this series, as I said earlier when you finish reading it just leaves you wanting more. As an extra there are also included several bonus stories, including the efforts of the Society of Female Soul Reapers efforts to design a new female specific soul pager…hilarious stuff.
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