Bleach – 202
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Summary:
Unlike Ichigo and Inoue who have become concerned now that Nnoitra has sprouted two more arms for a total of six, Zaraki actually relishes the challenge. The two fighters go at it yet again, and even though Nnoitra is the one scoring most of the hits, Zaraki doesn’t seem intimidated and doesn’t let up. It’s not until Nnoitra cuts Zaraki’s neck that the captain realizes that he could actually die. This leaves him with no choice but to use something that Yamamoto taught him a long time ago: kendo. More specifically, he knows that swinging a sword with both hands is more powerful than with just one hand, and he demonstrates this power by using a two-handed blow to bring Nnoitra down.
Although Nnoitra survives, Zaraki considers him defeated and starts to walk off, but Nnoitra insists that it’s not over and gets back up. As the two face off for the final time, Nnoitra remembers how Nel once lectured him for wiping out a bunch of Hollows in their search for a Vasto Lorde. She had called him a child, but she had later saved him from what she called suicidal actions. Since Nnoitra was confused as to why she stuck with him even though she knew that he hated her, Nel explained that it was because he was weaker than her. The pity really pisses Nnoitra off, and he vows not to show mercy to anyone, but these feelings aren’t enough to allow him to beat Zaraki. The captain finally finishes the Espada off, and the last thing Nnoitra sees as he’s falling is Nel waking back up.
ED Sequence
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ED18: 「Sky chord ~大人になる君へ~」 (Sky chord ~Otona ni Naru Kimi he~) by 辻詩音 (Tsuji Shion)
Watch the ED!: Mirror 1, Mirror 2, Streaming ▼
Ummm, wow. I know Bleach has had spoilers before in the OP and ED, but I think showing all the Turn Back the Pendulum characters was a little excessive. It takes a lot of the surprise out of that arc. Having said that, it’s still exciting to see them there because I’ve been itching to see that arc animated (apparently it’ll begin episode 206). As for the song, I liked how it started and how they made it look like Inoue was singing, but I kinda cringed whenever the words “sky chord” came up. That part just didn’t work for me.
Preview
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Save for a couple of minor things, I enjoyed episode. They did a fairly good job animating the conclusion to the battle and this arc in general, but there was that mysterious lack of blood spurt (even though the sound of it was clearly there) in this scene. That made the scene confusing until Zaraki started clutching his new neck wound. Nnoitra also should have been a lot more bloodied up in this scene that instead made him look like he just got the wind knocked out of him or something. The story meanwhile made Nnoitra into a bit less of a murderous jackass and a bit more of a tragic figure, but what I found interesting was that, despite all the talk about pity and mercy and pride, there was so much emphasis on his relationship with Nel (especially with the way the episode ended) that it just seemed like he was completely obsessed with her.
In any case, now that this fight is finally over, we’re heading into the next big story development next week and then the flashback arc in episode 206. However, it looks like episodes 204 and 205 will be anime originals, and as I mentioned last week, I suspect we’re getting pretty close to the point where the anime will have to break off again for another completely original arc.
January 14, 2009 at 4:09 amXavier
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woa 1st?
anyway good episode, the final blow of kenpachi was amazing, bu its too much dust xD
January 14, 2009 at 4:19 amPanther
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Hmm so it is that they are coming up with anime originals for 204 and 205? Interesting. Also spoilers in the ED is bad for health. :(
At least we do get confirmation that they are animating that arc for sure.
January 14, 2009 at 4:23 amvaldor
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very excited for the flashback arc. also, reading the manga, i thought that the kendo bit was a bit random, but i realized that it contrasts nnoitra’s released form very well.
January 14, 2009 at 4:49 amPhoenix Seikun
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it is indeed awesome ep, but it is sad to see Noitora get defeated. T_T
January 14, 2009 at 5:00 amoOgA
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anime originals ? sounds interesting ^^
http://randomc.net/image/Bleach/Bleach%20-%20202%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
makes a nice wallpaper ^^
January 14, 2009 at 5:01 ampaulrenzo
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OK, now I’m confused.
Nnoitra can’t be cut by Zaraki’s sword, yet he was killed? How?
January 14, 2009 at 5:32 amfurinyue
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so did nnoitra died in the end ???, i noe grimjaw still alive but him??
January 14, 2009 at 5:33 amKyouraku
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Lol, of course he can be cut down by Zaraki. Nnoitra just underestimate his strength. No eyepatch + kendo = a blow with strength beyond the comprehension of Nnoitra lol.
Not to mention that he was losing his cool because Zaraki seemed to shake off all his injuries as if they were nothing :D.
Anyway, this pic is made of win.
http://randomc.net/image/Bleach/Bleach%20-%20202%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
January 14, 2009 at 5:33 amSquanto
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Zaraki’s sword couldn’t cut him before, yes. But because he’s uber psycho and he likes to power up at the last moment, he was able to poke him to death. So secretly, he was able to cut him all along. Zaraki just wanted some play time because Ichigo was used up by Grimmjow. :D
ZarakiPOWAR!!
January 14, 2009 at 5:35 amSquanto
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@Kyouraku
Noice… That picture creeped the crap outta me when I saw it in the show. I couldn’t help but laugh because it was so cynical. xDD
January 14, 2009 at 5:59 amNightflame
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@Squanto
i couldn’t help but think of the hellsing ova when i saw this pic.
having the “turn back the pendulum” arc next is really great ( if they won’t unnesessary pump it up too long ) but the new ending… well… normal by now… ^^
January 14, 2009 at 8:01 amRollsRoyce
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overall a great episode =D hopefully pendulum arc + extended fillers of covering some past with uruhara and the gangs. shud be nice.
January 14, 2009 at 8:11 amStarshade
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I always thought Nnoitra had a crush on Nel. Looks like the anime emphasizes on it even more.
They openly stated(?) that the Amagai Arc isn’t canon. (‘Cause you know, Ichigo is seen magically back to Karakura town and all.) It’s made in a way something more like… a bonus performance by Bleach characters (which it is). If they’re planning a new anime-only arc, I won’t be grudging to watch it. But please… draw Ichigo’s mask properly.
January 14, 2009 at 9:23 amanon234
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Due to contract reasons the studio probably can’t do this, but they should follow one piece’s example and simply stop airing for two or three weeks between arcs. It would give the mangaka time to get further ahead and the writers time to come up with a filler arc that doesn’t totally blow. Too bad they probably can’t.
January 14, 2009 at 9:30 amfalconx0101
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Wow, that quite a lot of spoilers they put in the ED.
January 14, 2009 at 10:02 amSplash
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Its not that big a deal. When you watch a brand new anime the OP and EP show spoilers for characters you haven’t even met yet. It happens all the time.
January 14, 2009 at 11:40 amCain
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“Turn Back the Pendulum” arc is going to be awesome :)
January 14, 2009 at 11:54 amarky
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actually i think Nel had a crush on Nnoitra because there were many other Espadas weaker than nel at that moment but her just wanted him, Nnoitra just wanted to prove he was the strongest and i bet there were other espadas/arrancars doing worst things that nnoitra and nel didnt even care (Aporro gants, arrioniero for example)
January 14, 2009 at 12:13 pmEspada
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awww they spoiled millions of bleach fans who didnt read the manga
bad bad bad
anyways im excited for the pendulum to start swinging xD
swing swing swing the pendulum
January 14, 2009 at 12:15 pmEspada
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ohh orihime is singing the ed xD
January 14, 2009 at 12:22 pmPeter Rice
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i think most people ar misunderstanding Nel and Nnoitra’s relationship, to me i think it was a sibling relationship after all they are espadas everyone knows Nel is stronger than Nnoitra i guess u can say she looked down on him and considered him her baby brother who never grows up i couldn,t help but laugh when he said why and she said that it was because he was weaker than her. she knew him better than anyone of course one would be upset if someone pointed out ur weakness but u can,t do the same thing that person.
January 14, 2009 at 12:37 pmAndré
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Since october they are fighting with the same guys. I’m tired of this.
This Nnoitra is not a good character. He is just cliche and boring. And, in the next episode, we will have more of him. LOL.
January 14, 2009 at 2:05 pmnobz
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wow orhime looks sexy in the ending + and lol what happen to byakuya?
http://a.imagehost.org/0941/Nii-samaxD.jpg
January 14, 2009 at 3:49 pmKaitune
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When I read the manga, I really hated Nnoit at the start for being a sexist murderous asshole. However, my opinion of him changes through out the fight between him&Nel + him&Kenpachi. He is still quite an asshole, but not as bad. I think there is greatly ‘something’ between him and Nel, however, his attitude+somewhat-tsudereness twisted it. This may be just my opinion, but I believe that he surely doesn’t look down on her and hate her gut like he always claims.
January 14, 2009 at 6:34 pmmirrormirror
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Yeah the song was nice, but that “Sky Chord” thing was really dumb.
Nel and Nnoitra just had a clash of philosophies, I think. Nel saw his reckless behavior as being animalistic and probably followed him around out of some sense of duty toward the Espada and also to keep him out of trouble. Nnoitra wanted to die in battle, and that sort of explains why he kept trying to antagonize espada who were ranked higher than him. Nel he hated in particular because he thought she took pity on him for being weak as well as refusing to finish him off whenever he challenged her.
January 14, 2009 at 7:55 pmAsoch3
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Love orihime singing! That’s totally cute!! Ulquiorra is back!
January 14, 2009 at 7:59 pmEspada
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@nobz
ohh that? if you read the turn to the pendulum chapters youll understand xD
January 14, 2009 at 10:18 pmD-chi
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When you die, you see….
NEL.
January 14, 2009 at 10:44 pmlohking
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Bleach 202 sub is out at animezorro
January 15, 2009 at 2:32 amkayne001
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arghh no more pics like this
http://randomc.net/image/Bleach/Bleach%20-%20ED18%20-%2002.jpg
keeps me wanting a IchigoxInoue and we probably wont see any of that too soon. (well maybe in the manga)
January 15, 2009 at 7:10 amaprilius20
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Gah. A 3 episode wait for the Pendulum arc? Not nice.
January 15, 2009 at 6:53 pmDragoZERO
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How are we catching up to the manga so fast? I hope they just go on hiatus since Bleach filler arcs are crap.
And I too want to see IchigoxInoue. Its long overdue.
January 15, 2009 at 9:31 pmAdam
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I hate Inoue.
Anyway, I wish Bleach fillers would always been alternate universe like the Amagai arc, except less horrible. It would give them free reign, at least. Hell, they could go and kill characters.
January 16, 2009 at 6:00 amConfusedGirl29
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HAHAHHAHA I COULDN’T STOP LAUGHING AT THE ED, I thought the song was good but wth do they mean with “Sky Cord”
January 18, 2009 at 12:05 pmanon
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Alright, for anyone who doesn’t like the ED,it doesn’t really matter if it’s a MAJOR spoiler for the next arc, it’s your own fault that you don’t read the MANGA. I’ve already knew this a long time ago, and besides, 4 more episodes until the next arc isn’t that long, that just means your impatient. :*(
Besides, I like the ED, I have no complaints with Orihime singing, and I found nothing odd with her singing it, especially the odd “Sky Chord” line, I DON’T KNOW HOW THIS IS FUNNY, EITHER THAT OR YOU PEOPLE ARE perverts :/
January 18, 2009 at 5:28 pmWTF?!
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“it doesn’t really matter if it’s a MAJOR spoiler for the next arc, it’s your own fault that you don’t read the MANGA.”
O_o Seriously?! LMAO!
That’s like telling someone the ending of a movie and saying it’s their fault for not watching it.
January 20, 2009 at 1:43 amrai
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so stupid…getting hit by those powerful swings from kenpachi and hes still in one piece.