Bleach 139

In this very special episode, our intrepid cast of humans and shinigami face off against the squad of Espada who have invaded the real world. Ichigo puts on his Hollow mask, and Grimmjaw raises his eyebrows quite simply because it’s an awesome-looking mask and Grimmjaw is upset that he doesn’t have one. Ichigo immediately attacks, Grimmjaw blocks, but Ichigo fires off his black Getsuga Tenshou at point-blank range. It’s the end for Grimmjaw, I’m sure!

Meanwhile, Captain Hitsugaya has turned Yammy into a Yammy-sicle, but the Espada just breaks out of the ice hunk. Yumichika is fighting Lupi, but getting thrown about with great vigor. Lupi states that he can’t fight him one-on-one, and tells Ikkaku to come help his buddy. Ikkaku, being macho, has no intention whatsoever of helping. Lupi merely tells Yammy to let him fight Hitsugaya as well, because he’s going to take on all four shinigami at once, and he begins to pull out his sword. Egads! What does this mean?

Hitsugaya knows, and he flies at Lupi and releases his bankai at the same time, hoping to finish Lupi off quickly, but Lupi releases his zanpaktou anyway. A blast of wind blows Hitsugaya away, and then a huge white tentacle comes out of nowhere and pushes the shinigami into the distance. The captain does manage to block the big tentacle and scoffs a bit at Lupi. Some more dust blows away, and we all can see that Lupi has not just one, not just two, but eight tentacles, and they all attack Hitsugaya at once and he falls to the earth, at the same time cursing his fate to be hit by eight huge pasty white tentacles: a fate worse than death. Lupi looks at the rest of the shinigami with some malice in his eyes.

While all this is transpiring, Rukia arrives back in the real world (recall that she was “training” with Orihime back in Soul Society). She runs into the Urahara shop and we all talk happily with Renji for a few minutes. This is just to remind us that Urahara promised to go out and fight, too.

Back to Ichigo, and we see his initial attack dissipating. Grimmjaw is left winded and bloody in its wake, but still standing. Ichigo stands there looking at him for a few seconds (doesn’t he only has eleven seconds in which to use his mask?) and fires off another Getsuga Tenshou. Grimmjaw blocks this one, as well, but Ichigo appears right behind him and fires off one more. Grimmjaw is caught between the two in a nice black explosion of spirit power. He’s falling toward the earth and Ichigo flies off after him; Grimmjaw wakes up and fires off a massive red cero and then we get a nice commercial break. Time to heat up some noodles and trade some commodities.

Ichigo cuts through the cero and he and Grimmjaw trade sword blows for a bit, yelling and grunting all the while. Ichigo gets cocky and tells Grimmjaw that’s he’s finished and prepares for the killing blow, when, you know, his mask breaks. Grimmjaw is taken aback, but then smiles (he has a a really nice smile), and proceeds to kick Ichigo’s ass.

In the park, or the forest, whatever, Lupi is twirling his tentacles about like a pinwheel and beating up the three shinigami (Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Rangiku, remember). Yammy, bored, is watching, and Wonderwice is trying to catch a dragonfly. He’s pretty cool. Lupi catches the three shinigami in his tentacles and brings Rangiku in close, noting that she’s pretty sexy. Now, this is exactly what I would do, because her breasts are pressed up over the tentacles and glistening with sweat. Fortunately, this isn’t hentai (you know, with tentacles and stuff), and Lupi merely pops some spikes out of another tentacle and threatens to skewer Rangiku but good. That’s when a red bolt shoots along the ground and up and slices the offending tentacles right off of Lupi’s body. Urahara approaches in his own particular style, which is pretty casually.

Finally, we return to Orihime. She’s finally running back toward the real world. Two nameless shinigami are escorting her, and she’s thinking about how she’ll really be able to help everyone fight this time. (No, she won’t!) An ominous voice cuts through the darkness and the air opens. Ulquiorra appears.

Meanwhile, as Urahara is introducing himself in the proper anime manner, Wonderwice suddenly grabs for him from behind. Now, I’m not sure if this is an actual attack, or if the kid just likes Urahara’s hat, but Urahara really reacts badly, firing off another red bolt at Wonderwice. Urahara notes that he’s a strange one, and Wonderwice suddenly holds up his hand, crackling with raw spirit energy (much like my own hand), and everything suddenly blows up. Again.

In the dark tunnel with Orihime, Ulquiorra blasts his guards to pieces. She begins to heal them and Ulquiorra watches, impressed. He tells Orihime to come with him. Aizen wants her power. I want some ice cream.