Dream with Our Eyes Open

Yes, I'm still reading Bleach, even though I haven't bothered to write it up for some time. Most of it has become pretty formulaic, with the good guys having to beat up on piles of more- and more-badass bad guys. There have only been a few scenes that would have been worth writing up: the Orihime-Rangiku girl-talk confessional, and Yumichika's reaction to Ikkakku's fight with Edrad Leones (lower left panel; be still, my shippy little heart!), and some of the Vizard stuff.

Then along comes this volume, with much, much awesomeness. The trouble is, I have seen people's complaints about things that happen further along. Oh Kubo-sensei, you nasty tease ... you're just toying with me, aren't you?

The rest is going under a cut - there's not much to say about the plot that won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't been keeping up.

Anyway, this volume wraps up the extremely nasty fight that Hitsugaya's folks were having with the Arrancar team led by eeeee-vil little Luppi, as well as Grimmjow's fight with Ichigo. And then Mr. Emo Arrancar (OK, fine, Ulquiorra) shows up and kidnaps Orihime, who was on her way back to the living world with a Very Important Message. The Captain General refuses to let anyone go after her, because she might be a traitor. So of course Ichigo, Chad, and Ishida are soon on their way to Hueco Mundo, the world of the Arrancars, to rescue her. And Urahara, of course, helps them get there.

Things I really, really liked:

• Hitsugaya finally pwns Luppi, who had been asking for it for some time (sadly, the little octo-weasel doesn't die ... at that moment)
   
• Shinji (Shinji!) rescues Ichigo and Rukia
   
• Yumichika attempts to rise from his bed of pain to rescue Ikkaku from Ururu (hee!)
   
• Yuzu and Karin insist on eating their dinner next to their unconscious nii-chan, and then fall asleep on the floor; and Yuzu has a strawberry (= ichigo) hair clip in that scene
   
• That upon entering Ichigo's room, Orihime notes that "it smells like him" - and then her declaration of love for Ichigo (waaaaah! So sad!)
   
• Renji attempting to snow the Captain General about rescuing Orihime - and it's plain he's doing it for Ichigo's sake. I love that look he gives Ichigo!
   
• Kenpachi and Byakuya arrive together to shepherd the errant shinigami home
   
• Ichigo thanks Shinji by leaving him a bundle of clean bandages all traditionally done up in a furoshiki - and Shinji's reaction to it
   
• Tatsuki confronts Ichigo about why Orihime is missing and what the heck has Ichigo really been doing - and gets so mad at him that she smashes his head through a window pane with a single punch
   
• Urahara's spell to open the Garganta passageway to Hueco Mundo
   
• That Urahara realizes the whole time that Tatsuki and the other two have been watching as Urahara sends Ichigo, Chad, and Ishida off - and what he says to them about their friendship
   
• Grimmjow's face right after Orihime heals up the piece of skin with his No. 6 tattoo on it - and what he does to Luppi right afterward (rah! Shades of Hakkai and Chin Yisou ... )
   
• Ishida's rules-lawyering his way out of his agreement with his father to help Ichigo
   
• Isshin! With Ryuken! And then both of them sit there uncomfortably, thinking about what rotten fathers they are ... together
   

Things I really didn't like:

• That Rukia couldn't even begin to be effective when she tried to rescue Ichigo from Grimmjow.

All in all, a really great volume.