midnightactual

[midnightactual]

𝐒𝐎  𝐘𝐎𝐔  𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀  𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓?

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#Out Of Character #Ask Games #Active Ask Games

[midnightactual]

"He tried for the cheese, but had to settle for the whine."

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #Verse: BLEACH MAIN #Era: HALCYON #Free Range

[midnightactual]

so, I've heard people propose that it's Shiba-only before too, and I hate the idea just as much now as I did when I first heard it proposed. it took me a little while to figure out why I have that reaction to the notion. I've come to decide it revolves around three issues on two axes: two thematic objections, and one realistic one

for the first theme, in chapter 408, Isshin lays all this out as Ichigo following general Shinigami tradition of using Jinzen, not as some super special Shiba thing. he does not act like anything about this is unique or unusual or special, and doesn't wrap it up in personal experience other than later when he remarks Engetsu was also difficult

after articulating that Jinzen has taken thousands and thousands of years to perfect since the zanpakutō was invented, the idea that only Shiba have ever used it during Bankai and discovered this technique feels... bad. it feels incredibly insulting to the intelligence to imagine nobody else has ever done this before

for the second theme, it doesn't "fit" if true. the Shiba are not actually particularly great Shinigami; they are not the epitome of being Shinigami. Kaien was actually relatively quite weak and impetuous. Isshin was willing to desert at the drop of a hat. Ichigo is incompetent and has zero interest in formally learning literally any techniques. they're defined by impulsiveness. for them to have thus exclusively wound up with the ultimate self-mastery technique just feels goofy

thematically, it sucks. it sucks hard

as a brief interlude, idk what you mean about people getting their swords from the Shiba? the Shiba have nothing to do with zanpakutō manufacture and distribution and have no leverage over anyone. if they did, they wouldn't have been expelled from the Great Houses

regarding realism, it doesn't make sense either before or after its introduction

the Tsunayashiro run the Visual Department and monitor everything. the Shihōin run the Onmitsukidō and monitor everything (with CFYOW explicitly comparing the Visual Department, SRDI, and Shihōin without Onmitsukidō in intelligence-collection capabilities). it's certainly possible to evade their attention for some time, but they would be looking for things like this

and that is a problem, because literally nobody ever mentions Ichigo's use of Final Bankai. not once. not a single time. not a single person, from Mayuri to Kisuke to Byakuya to Yoruichi to Tokinada to Yamamoto to Ōetsu to Ichibē, is interested in or concerned by Ichigo's feats, despite their being ample evidence of what happened, ample witnesses and ample opportunity to debrief them, let alone ample ability to interrogate Isshin and Ichigo directly. nobody ever addresses it, nobody is impressed by it, nobody is afraid of it, nobody seems to want to copy it

does that make sense for some amazing super-secret world-beating technique that nobody has ever seen before? because it doesn't make any sense to me

(if the Shinigami were lone duelists with no support structures, you could say that being depowered would be useless to them, but they're... not. they can rely on one another for support, and most of them seem to actively want to retire. using your Final Bankai to retire if it results permanent loss is desirable, and even if it's temporary a vacation would be viewed as a positive.)

whatever the personal foibles of individuals like Yamamoto, I cannot conceive of the Tsunayashiro having watched the Shiba deploy the next step in Shinigami power evolution so flashily, only to shrug and go, "Ehh, let them keep it."

it is beyond dubious that it would have remained a secret after its use on Aizen, and it is likewise beyond dubious that it would have been secret before that use, because that couldn't have been the first time it was used. why do I say that?

in chapter 1, Rukia says there are only low odds of success of power transference and if it fails you die; that does not make sense for her to say unless it's been tried before—unless it's been tried a lot before. what she says here in chapter 423 is the same thing. it is unreasonable for her to speak about this so concretely unless there is extensive data on the aftermath of using Final Bankai. not one prior usage, not two, but many many prior uses, well-documented

and she says Kisuke knows. so in the conspiracy model, either Isshin told Kisuke the entire history of its use, or Kisuke was in on it the entire time despite being a Shihōin vassal... but neither of those things matter!

the much bigger questions are A. how were the however many uses before this covered up until this point? and B. why does no one show any interest in developing this technique after this incident everyone knows involved it? like most conspiracy theories, it falls apart because too many people know about the conspiracy. one of them, at least, is going to defect. realistically, many, many people are going to defect

the simplest solution to these questions is that there is no conspiracy. it's "widely" known, and has been used before, and does not actually generally result in a permanent loss of powers, merely a temporary one that forces a leave of absence for the Shinigami in question

we get told as much in chapter 427 by Uryū's observations

we also get told as much in chapter 460 by Rukia again. and notably, Ichigo is not treated as special here. she is speaking as though of Shinigami more generally!

we can probably say that unless the Saketsu and Hakusui are pierced, you don't lose powers no matter what you do. (why don't people emphasize that more when fighting Shinigami? who knows)

as for what "widely" known means, it's probably a technique mostly exclusive to the Great Nobles, with some Bankai-wielding Nobles maybe aspiring to it. Shunsui in CFYOW talks a fair amount about the obligations of the Great Nobles and how they are pillars of society—it would be reasonable to suspect that they are tasked with using Final Bankai appropriately to safeguard Soul Society, and that is as much an underpinning feature of their legal immunity as their historical binding of the Soul King. that legal immunity and their large independent powerbase then "protects" them while they are convalescing after being depowered from Final Bankai's use

meanwhile, in SAFWY (volume II), we get told that Azashiro's family of nobles was killed by other nobles. in summary:

How many hundred years ago did this happen? It was a time when the struggle for power between Soul Society’s noble families was much fiercer than now. Those who lost the power struggle would be falsely accused of crimes and would be sent to the execution site. Those with enough power to defeat hollows would be sent in the Dangai without Hell Butterflies. Several generations ago, the AZASHIRO Family had climbed itself up to a noble family thanks to their powerful swordsmanship and kidô abilities. But nowadays they relied on the power of money. They had grown weak and corrupt. Caring only about money.

obviously, losing your powers in this kind of environment would itself be tantamount to a death sentence, and why protect people that are going to kill you soon? given empowered souls have lifespans of thousands of years, a few hundred years are not enough to remove the stigma against its use by their class

why doesn't it get used in TYBW? well, in CFYOW (vol. I) we get this:

“Even though they were nearly decimated by the horde of Quincies and did nothing but hide, most of the aristocrats in the Seireitei still haven’t found it within themselves to change. What has changed is those of you who have experienced the world, such as you and Kuchiki, and a part of the Shihoin family. Having just two of the Four Great Noble Clans fight on the front lines was laughable. If you include the Shiba family as part of the Five Great Noble Clans, I suppose that would make it three.”

which seems to suggest that indeed, the Great Noble Houses represent a certain military strength above and beyond even Nobles, Captains, and Noble Captains. why would that be if they are merely "powerhouses" of reiatsu comparable to some of the other Nobles like Shunsui?

so what, perhaps, is Yoruichi contemplating doing here? I think it's fairly obvious once we lay all this out on the table

I think this would also explain the general lack of interest in Shunkō, as it would be seen as a "diversion" from the "zanpakutō arcanum" as Byakuya put it back when fighting Ichigo, and thus a "waste of time". but it's notable that on retirement, zanpakutō are confiscated, whereas a Shunkō specialist would retain all that combat power

so the thing about Final Bankai that everyone gets wrong is Tensa Zangetsu is either incorrect or lying about Ichigo losing his powers. we know that because Uryū and Orihime both notice Ichigo is regaining his powers in chapter 427. his reiatsu has obviously been returning gradually, or else they wouldn't only notice it 17 months later, and reiatsu comes from within. it's Ichigo's power, not just some nebulous power being drawn to him or something

this is backed up by the SAFWY reveal of Kuruyashiki's Bankai having a 6-month cooldown, but not taking away his other Shinigami powers. Final Getsuga Tenshō just has a 2-3 year cooldown that takes out all Shinigami powers. maybe 5 years on the outside

also, as far as I can see, Isshin never denies having his own Final Getsuga Tenshō. he says, "I could teach it to you here," and "My Engetsu was the same way." so he's sure talking like he has it himself

and it's inconceivable that only Isshin out of all Shinigami knows about this thing. all the older captains should know it. they just don't use it because... ostensibly because they believe the misinformation they're told by their zanpakutō spirits, and so they don't use it even when they're about to die??

however, after the example of Ichigo, they should all know that's simply not true. if Uryū and Orihime noticed his powers returning, it's also inconceivable that Kisuke and Isshin didn't

so they just don't use it because they just don't. what, they don't like the idea of being depowered for 2-5 years because maybe they could get one-shot during that timeframe? pretty selfish if you ask me, when all of reality is on the line

so anyway, now I'm thinking of a plotline where Yoruichi does use hers, and has an Era where she is 100% depowered and confined to a gigai, because I think that's interesting and I ain't ever seen anybody consider or dare to do that before

#Out Of Character #Bleach #Meta #Long Post #[ this feels disorganized and ] #[ I'm probably forgetting some things ] #[ but yeah I simply Cannot believe only Shiba know it ]

[midnightactual]

[ Continuing with @ryathenaughtykitsune ]

"Cute, feral, whatever. It isn't like bunnies aren't both. The point is," and Yoruichi reached out to pat the middle of the headband between the two rabbit ears, giving Rya's head the slightest roll, "that these might help keep this attached when it otherwise might become unstuck. Cheap price to pay, hmm? Plus it's not like you're wearing a matching leotard."

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #ryathenaughtykitsune #Muse: KANRYA #Verse: JOLLY ROGER #[ just splitting this up from the ask ] #[ since trimming RBs of those goes weird ]

[midnightactual]

"Careful now. It's the six-year anniversary of the posting of what'd later get called The Backrooms. The barriers are thinner today, and it'd be particularly easy to slip through the cracks."

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #Verse: BLEACH MAIN #Era: HALCYON #Free Range

[midnightactual]

"For the sake of comedy, Sonido is to now be referred to as Sonico."

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #Verse: BLEACH MAIN #Era: AFTER WAR #Free Range

[midnightactual]

Yoruichi gave a 'sucks to suck' type of shrug. "Wow, way to bring the mood down, Drake."

"My Mama walked out on me shortly after I was born."

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #symbioteburnout #Muse: ANDI #Verse: BLEACH MAIN #Era: HALCYON

[midnightactual]

"There are ten million million million million million million million million million particles in the universe that we can observe; your mama took the ugly ones and put them into one nerd."

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #Verse: BLEACH MAIN #Era: HALCYON #Free Range

[midnightactual]

Why, yes, Yoruichi has conspired to screen the 30th Anniversary of Space Ghost Coast to Coast live in the Seireitei!

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #Verse: BLEACH MAIN #Era: HALCYON #Free Range

[midnightactual]

"With the success of my last few ventures, I've been thinking of setting up a Waffle House out in Rukongai. You know, to promote peace and understanding."

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #Verse: BLEACH MAIN #Era: HALCYON #Free Range #Yoruichi: With a really big parking lot.

[midnightactual]

"Shouldn't of winched the bomb up into the tower if you didn't want it set off."

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #Verse: GENERIC #Free Range #Yoruichi: IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT GET YA ASS OUT THE KITCHEN #WE ON A MISSION #[ this is not dash comm I swear lmao ] #[ I was checking the lyrics or it would've gone up before ]

[midnightactual]

#Out Of Character #Music #Muse Aesthetic #[ Disembark Theme ]

[midnightactual]

"THIS IS MY INSIDE VOICE!!!"

#In Character #Character: YORUICHI #Verse: BLEACH MAIN #Era: HALCYON #Free Range

[midnightactual]

my personal prediction is the lady rankings will go 1. Rangiku, 2. Kūkaku, 3. Yoruichi, which I'm fine with because Kūkaku deserves more love. as long as Yoruichi beats that cardboard cutout Chika it's good enough for me. I could say a lot more about people's perceptions of Yoruichi but I'd be here all week

#Out Of Character

[midnightactual]

#Out Of Character #Signal Boost #Yoruichi: Go on. #You know you want to vote.

[midnightactual]

the Gotei 13 makes way more sense once you realize it's not anything even remotely like a military, but is instead just a wacky high school:

1st Division: administration

2nd Division: student council

3rd Division: emos + band

4th Division: nurse's office

5th Division: culture clubs

6th Division: rich kids

7th Division: delinquents

8th Division: drama kids

9th Division: misfits + school newspaper

10th Division: preppies

11th Division: jocks

12th Division: freaks + science club

13th Division: nice kids + glee club

Kidō Corps? janitorial staff. Arrancar and Espada? home schooled. Xcution? dropouts. Wandenreich? Catholic school

#Out Of Character #Meta #[ this isn't a shitpost ] #[ this actually explains everything ] #[ see Kubo's life experience before becoming a mangaka ] #[ was basically just high school ] #[ once you realize this ] #[ everything else makes sense ]

[midnightactual]

so the thing about Final Bankai that everyone gets wrong is Tensa Zangetsu is either incorrect or lying about Ichigo losing his powers. we know that because Uryū and Orihime both notice Ichigo is regaining his powers in chapter 427. his reiatsu has obviously been returning gradually, or else they wouldn't only notice it 17 months later, and reiatsu comes from within. it's Ichigo's power, not just some nebulous power being drawn to him or something

this is backed up by the SAFWY reveal of Kuruyashiki's Bankai having a 6-month cooldown, but not taking away his other Shinigami powers. Final Getsuga Tenshō just has a 2-3 year cooldown that takes out all Shinigami powers. maybe 5 years on the outside

also, as far as I can see, Isshin never denies having his own Final Getsuga Tenshō. he says, "I could teach it to you here," and "My Engetsu was the same way." so he's sure talking like he has it himself

and it's inconceivable that only Isshin out of all Shinigami knows about this thing. all the older captains should know it. they just don't use it because... ostensibly because they believe the misinformation they're told by their zanpakutō spirits, and so they don't use it even when they're about to die??

however, after the example of Ichigo, they should all know that's simply not true. if Uryū and Orihime noticed his powers returning, it's also inconceivable that Kisuke and Isshin didn't

so they just don't use it because they just don't. what, they don't like the idea of being depowered for 2-5 years because maybe they could get one-shot during that timeframe? pretty selfish if you ask me, when all of reality is on the line

so anyway, now I'm thinking of a plotline where Yoruichi does use hers, and has an Era where she is 100% depowered and confined to a gigai, because I think that's interesting and I ain't ever seen anybody consider or dare to do that before

#Out Of Character #Meta #Headcanons #[ people who think I hype her up too much and ] #[ don't allow her to be vulnerable or disadvantaged ] #[ are thus hereby invited to kiss my ass ]