Zanpakutou Unknown Arc: WTF!? [Filler spoilers]

[Aly]

So, I finally got around to catching up with the anime . . . and WTFOOCH new filler arc. The Bount one was interesting, but this one made me think, "This is . . . kinda epic."

Random epiphanies/discoveries:
~ Hyourinmaru's true form is cool.
~ The heck is up with Senbonzakura?
~ Sogyou no Kotowari is ADORABLE!!
~ Katen Kyoukotsu and Zabimaru are women!?
~ Muramasa needs to get his nails cut. Seriously.

So basically . . . the Shinigami are screwed? What's your take? Theories, conspiracies, thoughts?

[Suigintou]

They're really doing a zanpakutou arc? I thought they'd probably do new filler but.....oh wtf. My brain hurts a little. XD I sincerely hope they've been talking to Kubo about these...but I kind of have my doubts. They've messed up some canon stuff in filler already. D: Especially since Zabimaru's form was in the manga and...was a very male monkey-thing. XD There was a crack comic about zanpakutou customization with Mayuri, but it was CRACK. I'm so confuuuuused.

[Bishiglomper]

*Cringe* I must admit, I'm very curious now but that just sounds dangerous. D8 Like we know Hyourinmaru is a giant dragon thing. And Zabimaru should be the malish monkey thing. With a snaketail.

That sounds cool though. But I won't believe anything until I hear Kubo say something about it. XD;

[Aly]

They're already airing the first three episodes in Zomganime. Hyourinmaru's true form seriously looks like he could be Shiro's daddy with blue hair. =O In terms of Zabimaru, I think they took the "crack" thing seriously, because Zabimaru is featured as a full-grown woman attached to a boy by a length of chain. Judging from their appearances, the woman is the baboon part; she's covered in fur. Thus the boy would be the snake.

I'd go into my theory about what's really going on, but since it sounds like you haven't watched it yet, I'll shut up. =X

[Suigintou]

Personally I don't care about filler spoilers, so spoil away! XD I'm curious, even if this makes me wtf horribly.

[Bishiglomper]

Spoilers are fine with me. XD Tell us what they're doing!

[Aly]

Well, okay then, if you say so. So far, what's happened in a nutshell:

The Zanpakutou spirits of the Shinigami have been "set free" by a spell from the current antagonist, another Zanpakutou spirit called "Muramasa". The Zanpakutou spirits revolt, and bring destruction and chaos crashing down on the Shinigami's heads. Rukia escapes to the real world, which is when Ichigo first becomes aware of the problem. Rukia runs back into the Seireitei still wounded to search for Byakuya who's MIA, and Ichigo runs in after her. Rukia had a showdown with Sode no Shirayuki, which ends with Rukia trapping herself and Sode together with kidou and then exploding another kidou in their faces, to fully "set her Zanpakutou free". Not sure if Rukia's still alive, but Sode is, and Ichigo first comes face-to-face with Muramasa.

There's the summary, now for my theory.

The Zanpakutou aren't really "set free". It doesn't make sense. Zanpakutou are created from the reiryoku of a Shinigami. They embody a Shinigami's heart and soul. Also, in order for a Shinigami to efficiently use their Zanpakutou's powers, they must have a relationship with the spirit. And for people like the Taichou, they need a reaaaaaaally good relationship. The very fact that the spirits are now "doing as they please", and that is beating up the Shinigami . . . it doesn't really add up. It's understood that friends have falling outs, but for the Zanpakutou to hate their Shinigami . . .

What I suspect is that it's not so much "freedom" than "mind control". Muramasa, according to Wikipedia, is a famous legendary swordsmith whose blades were said to cry for blood, and would refuse to be sheathed until they had drawn blood. This even meant turning on their wielder and cutting them in order to get the blood they longed for. I suspect that the Zanpakutou spirit Muramasa follows that legend, as he is seen wiping tears of blood in episode 230 (an interesting interpretation of "crying for blood"), and the spell he casts on the other spirits actually imprints his mentality into them. Some evidence pointing to this is in the beginning of episode 230, when Muramasa waves a hand at Haineko's face. Haineko stops whining about wanting to go out and takes on a strange expression. The behaviour of the other spirits seem to reflect the "revolt against the wielder to satisfy bloodthirst" deal with Muramasa.

[Suigintou]

Aah...interesting~ doesn't sound as crappy as I thought it would be. Okay, I admit it, I'm really, really harsh on filler. Still not especially liking the anime pretty much doing whatever they want with the zanpakutou spirits, but...it does sound like kind of an interesting concept. O:

By the way, I went ahead and edited the thread title in case someone joins or looks around on the forum that DOESN'T want spoilers, haha.

[Aly]

Ah ha . . . whoops, forgot to add that before. ><"

[Aki Sora]

That does make sense!! Neko-chan's very articulate!

I wouldn't have thought of that. >.>

[Aly]

........This filler makes less and less sense the more I watch it.

[Suigintou]

And this is why I don't like filler. @_<;

[Aly]

xDDDD Well, after some thought, I think it might make a LITTLE sense.

Summary:
Ichigo finds out Muramasa was just using Rukia to lure him into the Seireitei so he could "free all Zanpakutou". Which he does, 'cuz our lovely hero gets thrown into some messed up physics that Muramasa somehow manages to pull, and then Zangetsu goes and beats the crap out of Mr. Deathberry. Hichigo takes over and gradually (in a very rapid, Hichigo-type way) turns Ichigo's body into a giant humanoid white lizard Hollow. Type thing. Unusually long tongue, beady eyes, hissing and all. As usual, Hichigo proceeds to own Zangetsu and almost gets Muramasa but then Ichigo steps in (as usual) and rips part of the Hollow mask off, thus managing to win over Hichigo and revert to a human.

Rukia is of course alive, and all the Shinigami who aren't half-dead are out on their search for their Zanpakutou. Kurotsuchi makes the discovery that his Zanpakutou had not only turned against him but completely left his body, thus becoming its own individual entity. He quickly comes to the (correct) conclusion that this has happened to everyone else, which makes Ukitake and Kyouraku, two of the three other taichou in the know, upset and uncertain of how to proceed. (The concern is that there is now the chance that if they were to face off against their Zanpakutou and win, they could risk completely destroying their Zanpakutou, thus destroying their power and their abilities to use Shikai and Bankai.) Byakuya's still MIA, and we get to see Hisagi and Renji meet their Zanpakutou.

Both Shinigami demand to know why it was that they were abandoned, and both Zanpakutou answer that they heard a voice (aka Muramasa's) that told them to follow their instincts. Upon the question of what that was, both reply "to fight and destroy", and a battle of Shinigami versus Zanpakutou ensues. Or more rather, a 'game' of "Catch and Kill the Shinigami While Mocking, Taunting, and Jeering at Them".

Hisagi and Kazeshini don't exactly see eye-to-eye. Hisagi of course wants to avoid as much bloodshed as possible when achieving what he wants, but Kazeshini just wants to reap lives and destroy things, and states that he "made the contract with Hisagi thinking he'd use him for that purpose". Hisagi states that he is "completely disgusted" and Kazeshini appears behind him in agreement before whipping his weapon at Hisagi's face.

Things weren't so different with Renji at first. Zabimaru (aka "Fat-ass Cow Chimpette" and "Shrimp Snakey") continually mocks the redhead for being weak and for "relying on them so much whilst beating the poor guy down. At first, their words simply provoke Renji into attempting to release his katana again (emphasis on 'attempt') but then later causes him to reflect. He wonders if he truly is weak, and thinks of Ichigo and how and why he was strong. As Snakey is about to finish Renji off for good, the Shinigami blocks the attack, states that "it's pointless to mull over his weaknesses", and with an iron resolve says that "all he wants to do is get stronger". And then, miraculously, he manages to release his Zanpakutou into Shikai.


Theory:
Maybe if they follow their Zanpakutou's instincts, they gain their Zanpakutou again?

[Bishiglomper]

...You had me at Hichi, I need to watch this filler. ;

Besidesitsoundssointeresting. >>;

Nee, nee, does Hichi sound like a psychotic Zora in this filler too? He did the last one.. >.>

[Aly]

. . . . Err . . . Zora? o.o