Bleach Recaps: Ep 186, Sortie Orders! Suppress the House of Kasumiōji

FINALLY a good episode.  Its been weeks since I saw a "Bleach" episode that I honestly enjoyed watching.  Its been since Ep 177, a full ten weeks ago.  The plot finally moved after its been stuck in an unbelievable rut since pretty much the start of this season.  Its amazing how much more exciting a show is when things happen.  This week the entire Soul Society attacked with full force upon the Kasamultigraincrunchoji Clan's army of NINJARs.  Evil Old Guy went down, and the true villain was finally revealed.  Guess who it was?  This is the speed which this entire arc should have moved at:  this whole thing could have been finished in six episodes.

Hell, I suspect this entire arc might actually have started out as a movie script that was foolishly extended into twenty episodes, thus explaining why weeks go by with nothing in particular happening.  There are so many episodes in which the plot just advances, if at all.  Luckily last night was the wonderful shining example of what happens when a show isn't wasting weeks in order for Tite Kubo to catch up.  We're finally in the home stretch in this season, building towards the final battle between Ichigo and the Obvious True Villain.

The episode begins with Yamamoto giving us some backstory on the Kasamadailyshowwithjonstewartoji Clan.  They apparently made ceremonial weapons for the Royal Family* so that's why they've always been so protected from legal action.  It also explains why they can make funky weapons of mass destruction like the Bakottos.  Byakuya is made command of the expedition for no reason other than to give him some screen time, he doesn't really do anything.  And the Evil Old Guy figures out that the Soul Reapers are coming in force, so he throws out a full wine cellar full of Bakottos to fight the oncoming army.  Then the battle begins.

Rukia and Rangiku have a brief back and forth about how they don't have to fight anymore.  Thanks, "Bleach", that might have been a good fight.  Rub it in.  Then the NINJARs rush in.  Rangiku uses her Shikai which bizarrely has no effect at all.  If you recall, Rangiku's Shikai turns her sword to dust, turning it into little sharp pieces that cut as easily as a sword, basically a less pretty copy of Byakuya's attack.  (Its also convenient for fighting Kira, since Rangiku's sword is completely immune to his special ability.)  When a person is hit with this, the effect should be something like swimming in a woodchipper.  Yet the ninjas are still in one piece.  She babbles "don't they feel pain?"  Luckily Mr. 69 runs in to save the day.  I bet Rangiku is often pleased to see Mr. 69, she enjoys him very much.

Amagai, on top of a roof, has teleported away in order to get himself nice and dolled up for his turn to Evil.  The big reveal isn't something you just do without thinking, it takes careful preparation.  You need just the right moment - its like asking a girl to marry you.  I don't know if Amagai actually finds that moment, but still, I appreciate how the effort is being made.

Meanwhile Cueball is loving this.  "YEAHYEAHYEAHYEAHYEAH" he screams as he tears through the ninja ranks.  Since Cueball is here enjoying the kill, why isn't Kenpachi rushing as well?  I miss him.  Everybody is running around taking on the ninjas in what is honestly a very exciting series of scenes**.  The ultimate result is never in doubt, but the fact that finally the stakes are high and we have a full on war here makes it good old fashioned television.  Its almost "Gundam"-like.  I have no complaints.  In fact, its as good as it good be.  Well done, "Bleach".

Meanwhile, Ichigo and Shoe are running through the palace and run into some more ninjas.  They're easily beaten, but the guys just won't stay down.  Turns out that the Bakottos they've been giving them turned them into...

ZOMBI NINJARS!!

Just when you thought that regular NINJARs were a problem, they suddenly become zombies and are impervious to damage for some reason.  The show explains this by making them immune to pain, but that doesn't actually explain anything.  If you get cut by Ichigo's giant Zanpakuto, pain or no pain, you're not getting back up.  You'll be lucky to be in one piece after that.  Imagine cutting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a claymore.

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya and Byakuya give us an explanation as to what Yamamoto has been doing all arc.  Remember how he was constantly getting in the way and acting like a crazy old man who thinks his nurse is stealing from him?  Well, turns out that was all a ploy.  You see, Yamamoto knew that the Kasamablackhawkdownoji Clan were planning a revolt, but couldn't do anything so he used Ichigo in order to expose their treason.  Well, that might have been true if not for the fact that Yamamoto up until now has been actively opposing all attempts to investigate the Kasamabatmanandrobinoji Clan and has been sending forces to attack Ichigo the entire time.  The only way his plan works is if a deranged nut like Kibune completely blows the enemy cover by rushing in Leeroy Jenkins-style.  Did Yamamoto predict that?  Actually that doesn't make sense either because Yamamoto could have so easily gotten his investigation by simply letting Jushiro go ahead and investigate like Jushiro wanted to three episodes ago!  This makes no sense!  Then Hitsugaya makes things so much worse by calling Yamamoto a "wiley old fox".  How?  How is any of this wiley, or clever, or well-planned, or even halfway intelligent?  THIS IS SO STUPID!  NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE!

Just laugh at it.  That's the only way I know how to deal with this sort of thing.

Kumoi, meanwhile, is not having a good day.  

"Bathroom?  Bathroom?  Where is that damn bathroom??"

He had to walk outside in his "evil" clothing, leading the Clan attendants to wonder why he's dressed so weirdly.  I have to wonder why he needs to change outfits for when he's "evil" and when he's "good", especially when his "good" outfit is actually considerably creepier.  He wants to run into the Bakotto factory in order to hide behind the shield the mysterious Royal Family - whoever they are - gave him.  Unfortunately the shield is already broken thanks to the Death Star plans Yoirichi has been passing around.  Remember how last episode she was visiting people with important info?  I assumed it was the identity of the true villain, but I was wrong.  Yeah, turns out all that info was just the weakspots to this shield that we didn't know existed until a minute ago, and now doesn't exist at all.  So Kumoi lets off a little anger by STABBING some dude, then running off to the top of the tower with the Princess as a hostage.  On top of everything else, the Princess is being a little backtalking brat.

Ichigo almost immediately finds him:

 "Laaadies..."

Things keep on happening!  Amazing!  By now, most "Bleach" episodes of this season would have ground to halt with a million side conversations and pointless details.  Now Kumoi is completely surrounded and his plan is basically finished.  His ninja army is getting chopped to pieces, he's lost all respect, and Red Lobster totally overcooked his steak.  Three NINJARs rush Ichigo using the same weapons that Purple-Hair's subordinates used way back when to attack Ichigo's friends***, and Ichigo cuts them down in a second.  That's pretty cool.  Of course, Bakottos users have had a 0% victory rate all season, but whatever.

Rukia and Shoe run in as well, and Rukia demands to know why the Evil Old Guy was doing Evil Old Guy things.  Kumoi refuses to explain, but luckily the Princess knows the whole truth herself.  Kumoi just wanted to disrupt things and take over the nobility and from there probably RULE THE WORLD!!!  Maybe...  Princess Lampshade-hat should know any of this.  I think she no real idea what Kumoi was doing, she's just making it up as she goes along.  For all she knows he was just trying to open a magical chocolate factory.

Amagai jumps in, and clearly has Turned Evil.  Come on?  You didn't see this coming?  The only other possible candidate for final boss is Shoe, since he's the only other new character that's still alive or a chronically kidnapped Princess.  The evil guy can't be an established character, because that would break continuity.  This isn't as much a major twist as really the only thing "Bleach" can do to keep this season going.  Also Amagai has to be evil because Ichigo never got a chance to beat him last time they fought.  Amagai won't look at the camera, and is talking with sinister ellipsis at the end of his lines.  "Yes..."  "So it would seem..."  Totally evil.  He's also collecting the squid eyes off the Bakottos on the ground, for preparation of making an ultimate super weapon for EVIL.  And look at Kumoi's reaction to seeing the real mastermind:

"Didn't... find the bathroom... in time!  NOOO!!"

The Princess tries to run to Ichigo, but Amagai throws his sword in her way.  Yup, Evil.  Then Amagai makes the plot move even faster by simply killing the Evil Old Guy.  Yay, for plot advancement!

*ouchies*

Being Evil now, Amagai kidnaps the Princess and teleports away.  Why kidnap the Princess?  Probably because its an evil thing to do.  Everybody else is doing it!  If Amagai doesn't kidnap her, what kind of villain would he be?  Ichigo and Rukia just stand there like "what the Hell was that?"  The Almost Dead Evil Old Guy lies on the ground, begging to know why he was betrayed.  Then he dies.  For a conclusion to our episode, Amagai appears before Yamamoto, ready to complete his evil scheme, which hopefully involves killing that old fart.

Seriously, I want Yamamoto dead.  He's a terrible character.  Here's to next week.

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* Weird Question:  who the Hell are the Royal Family?  This group has never appeared before, and haven't yet appeared in the manga, so it sounds like the anime just made this group up completely for this one episode.  Are they related to the mysterious Soul King?

** By the way, this proves once and for all that very long sideplot where Flattop and Mr. 69 were converted to Ichigo's side did absolutely nothing to move the plot along, as I suspected.  All done just to waste time while Kubo draws another three panels.

*** Remember Chad?  Remember Uryu?  Remember Orihime?  Whatever happened to them?  Don't you miss those guys?