Ginjo is finished, Tsukishima is crying, and Riruka has been stabbed, what more can a man ask for? It looks like our Christmas present from Kubo is the end of this arc. Will we now learn about the backstory of Tsukishima, or will we move on to greener pastures? Let’s find out!
THE GOOD
The way the last chapter ended I fully expected to be thrown head first into the story of Ginjo’s and Tsukishima’s past. But it surprisingly never came. Instead, we are shown the aftermath of the battle, which I thought was still going to continue. Ginjo is dead, which is very surprising because I don’t remember Ichigo killing anyone ever, especially another human. Even more surprising, they just left Tsukishima there crying alone, I mean this guy is a serious threat and they just left him there like a lost child. He finally bumps into Moe, who ends up taking care of Tsukishima, it looks like everyone is friends again.
It appears as if the Shinigami let the other Fullbringers leave with their lives as well, but without their fullbring powers. Maybe they can get them back, who knows. Anyways Dirty Boots has survived, with dirty boots and all. In a surprising turn of events Yukio tells Dirty Boots that they will reform the group in three years. Wait, what? This is why you finish what you started Soul Society! Now they will return even stronger! But I don’t think this is really going to happen that way, if they do return, they might return as good guys. What really makes me scratch my head is the whole three years aspect. Is there another time skip in Bleach’s future, a real honest to goodness one?
The chapter ends with Moe carrying off Tsukishima on his back, a storybook ending some may say. However, it appears as if Tsukishima died on Moe’s back as they look at the rising sun. *Darth Vader voice* Noooooooooooooooooooo!
THE BAD
I was so thrown off by the absence of a flashback I thought I actually somehow skipped a chapter. And then dirty boots comes out of nowhere and all the Shinigami are gone it is easy how one can get confused.
THE VERDICT 3/5
This chapter was OK, but I feel like it could have been so much more. Perhaps it deserves a higher score, especially after reading the last page, but overall I think it is just about average. Hurray, this arc is now finished and it’s time to start another! But it looks like we will have to wait another week. Shonen Jump should return to newsstands on the 11 of January.
