new fandom + the quincy key

[retro_eidas]

Just when I can't possibly be barraged with yet another fandom... another comes along of course. Within a few months, "Firefly" infected me like the plague. Then SGA came along. The newest edition to obsessive-compulsive speculating insanity? Bleach. For the non-otaku and/or minus a DLing fetish, you might not be familiar with this slice of fanon and thus this entry will mean absolutely nothing. However, it's the current hot item in anime... and my soul is all but it's bitch at the moment.

Also special thanks to new friends _debbiechan_ and mrs_urahara that propagate the :cough:hot Quincy:cough: speculating madness. Since I can't seem to join a fandom without being able to nerdily speculate about it ad infinitum, I'm not sure these poor folks realize what they've gotten themselves into. If either of you bother to read this, I apologize. A lot of it will be retread from bits of our "Significant Filler" discussion over at soul_society.

"The person who will protect this era... A Quincy is this key person." (not verbatim)
Oh the ridiculous amount of questions that statement has made for me... but it makes the sad, sad fangirl tingly in more naughty parts than I'd care to admit.

What exactly did Yoshino mean by a Quincy being "the key to save this era"? How do the Bound know this piece of information? Sounds like the makings of an impending prophecy reveal to me. Ishida part of some massive Bound prophecy... or just a prophecy in general? Something not necessarily limited to the Bound? Ryuuken? Souken? The Quincy (at least prior their genocide)? Perhaps more importantly (and scarily), the Shinigami?

Entirely hypotheticaly speaking... if the (or some... I'd say, Aizen and probably some or all of deceased Central 46) of the Shinigami are aware of this speculated prophecy regarding the Quincy and if the nature of the prophecy were threatening/apocalyptic/universe-altering/etc etc enough... What kind of precautions might they have taken? We already know now what they're capable of regarding those damn obstinate Quincy, so stubborn and proud to the point of imbalancing and threatening the end of the world they had to be permanently removed from the equation (or so we're told)... could they be capable of much more? Taking a look at Aizen, Gin and Mayuri... or hell, even those with 'good' intentions as Tousen, Yamamoto, Hinamori, Urahara and Byakuya... I'm truthfully afraid of the full extent of things they're capable of (whether it's willfully or unintentionally... by duty, honor, curiosity, misplaced justice or manipulation). Whatever their intentions. Who watches the Watchmen, indeed.

Was Mayuri purely satisfying his own insatiably sick curiousity regarding all his (apparently, mass amounts of) Quincy experiments? Or was there something more to it than that? Was he also going by orders? Orders from whom?

Was the Quincy Extermination of 200 years ago really unavoidable? Furthermore, if the extermination was such a "hard" decision as Rukia was told (via Urahara presumedly)... why or how did Mayuri get access to desecrate so many (I believe the number ranged around 1600+) Quincy for the sake of his experiments? Was he just that sly he could abscond with that many souls and go unnoticed? He doesn't seem to take much tact in keeping the Quincy experiments a secret if they're supposed to be secret (hell, he apparently carried around a memento on his person of at least one of the his favorite test subjects... Uryuu's grandfather/sensei, Souken) and he was talking about said experiments openly in Soul Society. Cpt. Kyouraku's departing comments to him in ep71 would also make me lean towards Mayuri's hobbies not necessarily secrets (and what does Kyouraku and possibly the other Shinigami know exactly about those hobbies?). I do unfortunately find it hard to believe the Shinigami didn't have some general idea what was happening to those Quincy. If Ryuuken has any kind of fuel in reigniting Uryuu's hatred of the Death Gods, this probably would be his coup de grace.

In regards to the above paragraph... one could speculate every action Ryuuken has taken was in part of some greater purpose, one that he believes (as did Souken?) is destined for Uryuu.

What exactly did Urahara do that was so bad that led to his exile from Soul Society? Particularly considering some of Mengele-taicho's hobbies (and he isn't only still partaking in said hobbies, but is the current 12th Division Captain. The frickin' promoted him. Jesus). What did he do that was so much worse than what Mayuri has done/is doing? Sure the Hogyoku could be bad enough. However... I do wonder if Mayuri has friends in very high places. He may not have ascended into HellHeaven a la Aizen, but another compadre perhaps?

I'm also wondering if Urahara's exile was so involuntary as it sounds. The word "exile" tends to exclaim 'involuntary', of course and I don't doubt it was completely serious and all forcible on the part of Shinigami's ruling body ... but I can't help but wonder just a little 'self-imposed' might factor in as well? Ditto Tessai (who I'd bet anything was Urahara's koutaicho), Yoriuchi and Isshin. I mean to say, Urahara might not have completely regretted leaving. Urahara, possibly Tessai, Yoriuchi and Isshin... all were in *high* positions of power. Until they were just... not anymore. Could it be they may have learned some very dirty and very ugly secrets about SS and wanted to leave (in utter moral disagreement and possibly in fear of their lives. Loose lips sink hellheaven-bound ships, after all)? Yoruichi took it all a step further and was apparently all but *dead* to the Shinigami for a CENTURY. Since I don't follow the manga as closely as I probably should... I'd guess Isshin also possibly faked his death (my guess? Kenpachi believes he'd killed him. Isshin just screams former 11th Division taicho to me).

And on an entirely unrelated venue... what the hell is Cpt. Komamura? Unfortunate recipient of a high level demon spell gone bad? Youkai? Possibly more likely, a hanyou (he seems to have a similar sort of shame/angst as young Inuyasha did. Consequence of a taboo youkai/human union... and made to feel that way most of his life, up until meeting Commander Yamamoto and Tousen)?

Comments

Re: 1st paragraph: quincy key

[eido.livejournal.com]

this leads me to feel that perhaps this arc is going to be the "cannnon" arc leading up to the arrancar arc for the anime.

I have a feeling Kubo may be saving the Arrancar for something big in the anime. They are, more or less, part of Aizen's special army, aren't they?

then i would think that the kids would have some sort of QUincy powers...this is why it will be interesting to see how Karin's "powers" pan out. AND, the fact that little Yuzu has none.

Doesn't Yuzu have some powers? Something about knowing ghosts are there, but she just can't see them. Also possibly Hollow too, but her powers seem to be something akin to Anime!Tatsuki's at the moment. There was also that whole ghost!neko filler storyline.

I think it could be more due to Yuzu's age her powers aren't as strong as Karin's or Ichigo's... yet. I believe she is the youngest of the Kurosaki kids. I think Ichigo mentioned once when he was a kid his abilities weren't nearly as strong as they were when he got older (just prior Rukia coming into his life). It's also possible she might need extra (Quincy?) training to develop her particular abilities despite her proximity to super-powered Ichigo.

most of the shingami captains turn a beautiful blue when they are increasing their spirit force. Remember Hitsu and Gin's fight.

Actually, I think the only captain's aura that's blue or blueish is Hitsugaya (Gin is light purple, matching his hair). Although Hitsugaya's definitely has a green sort of tint, kind of aquamarine (probably due to the ice).

Since I was just waiting for an excuse to post pictures of pretty boys in my LJ ;) Here are Shikai!Ichigo and Ishida side by side to contrast and compare.


Maybe there's a connection, but it could all be a mute point anyway. Ichigo's bankai color, similar to Tousen, is black (wearing Zangetsu's raggedy jacket) and black/red when Anti-Ichi takes over. Totally different from his shikai.

speaking of _debbiechan_ . . . where is she in all this???

I think I might have scared her off with all my mass quantities of jibbering above (I slammed her with three replies of utter rambling for one of her posts). LOL

Re: 1st paragraph: quincy key

[mrs-urahara.livejournal.com]

" think it could be more due to Yuzu's age her powers aren't as strong as Karin's or Ichigo's... yet. I believe she is the youngest of the Kurosaki kids. I think Ichigo mentioned once when he was a kid his abilities weren't nearly as strong as they were when he got older"
--well, karin and Yuzu are exactly the same age. They are twins. Yet, Yuzu definitely acts more like her age than Karin. Ichigo talked how Karin basically "shut down" her emotions after Masaki died and "toughened" up. Whereas, Yuzu, being the same age, seems to be more emotionally open and in some ways, not as "mature" as Karin? or rather she is just softer, like Masaki was. You are right, in the manga, Kubo does refer to Yuzu in the beginning knowing they are there, but not seeing them.But, i think she also said she didn't want to see them. WHereas, Karin, from the start, sees them. I think it's the hollows she could sense, but not see. It will be interesting to see how Kubo pans it all out.

"Ichigo's bankai color, similar to Tousen, is black (wearing Zangetsu's raggedy jacket) and black/red when Anti-Ichi takes over. Totally different from his shikai."
-- that, my dear Eido, is a thread unto itself. this manga is symbolically and philosphically rich..my head explodes at the prospect. ^___^

"I think I might have scared her off with all my mass quantities of jibbering above (I slammed her with three replies of utter rambling for one of her posts). LOL"
--Heh-heh. I have done the same thing to her. But, i think she enjoys it. I am wondering, if, with the move and all, her time is not as spacious as she may want it, at present. It'd be interesting to see her input in all this. not to say i don't enjoy our one-on-one intense discussions. If anything, it seems to increase my passion for this manga/anime even more. ^___^

p.s. love the pics.

Re: 1st paragraph: quincy key

[eido.livejournal.com]

well, karin and Yuzu are exactly the same age. They are twins.

See, I thought that too, but I could have sworn I read somewhere at soul_society that Kubo was asked about that and said they weren't twins. Which confused me, still does.

Re: 1st paragraph: quincy key

[mrs-urahara.livejournal.com]

ahh...they are twins...at least according to the manga..unless Kubo-san is changing it. It is in vol3, pg 55. Ichigo is reminscining about how much they all loved Masaki and he says "karin and Yuzu, who were 4 at the time". I know their ages are mentioned again somewhere about them both being 10. But, i could also swear he makes mention of them being twins. *runs to go check*
off to find that out! OH!! and, Yuku, in the first couple pages of the first chapter mentions how she does see them (ghosts) but they are blurry to her...and Karin is the one who refuses to see them, even though she does. Yuzu mentions how "daddy is the only one who can't"