Episode Title: THE DARK ARM
Preview Images
Official summary: In order to save the Soul King, Ichigo Kurosaki pulls out the sword that is stuck in him. However, as if guided by the Quincy blood flowing through his body, he cuts the Soul King with the sword. The Three Worlds have lost the Soul King. Kisuke Urahara and his friends realize the seriousness of the situation but have no way to respond immediately. As strange things start to happen, Jushiro Ukitake takes action, saying, "I will take the place of the Soul King." At the same time, Shunsui Kyōraku also heads to the Central Great Underground Prison in an attempt to resolve the critical situation.
Staff List
Screenplay: Masaki Hiramatsu (平松正樹)
Storyboard: Young Hoon Jung (鄭泳勲)
Episode Director: Young Hoon Jung (鄭泳勲)
Chief Animation Director: Yukio Hasegawa (長谷川亨雄)
Animation Directors: Minami Shiba (柴美波) / Haru Watanabe (渡邊葉瑠)
Key Animators: Kōno Miyuki (河野美由纪), Sakashita Takeshi (坂下岳), Josan Rōga (助三狼牙), Miyamoto Rina (宮本莉奈), Liu Liao Wenxuan (劉廖玟萱), Huang Xianglin Yu (黄翔麟余), HAN SEUNGAU, Moriizumi Ayako (森泉亜矢子), Nakaguchi Seita (中口聖太), Takizawa Mayu (瀧澤茉夕), Kuwazuki (之窪梓), Zi Yang YU (余子揚), Ikushin Shōkumi Ko (育蓁桩久美子), Fukuda Tadashi (福田忠), Watanabe Haru (渡辺春), Yabuno Koji (薮野浩二), Teramoto Akira (寺本明), Yamashita Azusa (山下梓), Kubo Tsuguyuki (久保次幸), Liao Guoren (廖国仁), Lee Yuzhen (李玉珍), Kakoi Kumiko (加古久美子), StoRy, Nakanishi Mamiko (中西真美子) (Doga Kobo), Jeong Young-Hoon (정영훈) (Pierrot Films), Shiba Minami (柴南) (Pierrot Films).
Leaks
Preview Images
Official summary: In order to save the Soul King, Ichigo Kurosaki pulls out the sword that is stuck in him. However, as if guided by the Quincy blood flowing through his body, he cuts the Soul King with the sword. The Three Worlds have lost the Soul King. Kisuke Urahara and his friends realize the seriousness of the situation but have no way to respond immediately. As strange things start to happen, Jushiro Ukitake takes action, saying, "I will take the place of the Soul King." At the same time, Shunsui Kyōraku also heads to the Central Great Underground Prison in an attempt to resolve the critical situation.
Staff List
Screenplay: Masaki Hiramatsu (平松正樹)
Storyboard: Young Hoon Jung (鄭泳勲)
Episode Director: Young Hoon Jung (鄭泳勲)
Chief Animation Director: Yukio Hasegawa (長谷川亨雄)
Animation Directors: Minami Shiba (柴美波) / Haru Watanabe (渡邊葉瑠)
Key Animators: Kōno Miyuki (河野美由纪), Sakashita Takeshi (坂下岳), Josan Rōga (助三狼牙), Miyamoto Rina (宮本莉奈), Liu Liao Wenxuan (劉廖玟萱), Huang Xianglin Yu (黄翔麟余), HAN SEUNGAU, Moriizumi Ayako (森泉亜矢子), Nakaguchi Seita (中口聖太), Takizawa Mayu (瀧澤茉夕), Kuwazuki (之窪梓), Zi Yang YU (余子揚), Ikushin Shōkumi Ko (育蓁桩久美子), Fukuda Tadashi (福田忠), Watanabe Haru (渡辺春), Yabuno Koji (薮野浩二), Teramoto Akira (寺本明), Yamashita Azusa (山下梓), Kubo Tsuguyuki (久保次幸), Liao Guoren (廖国仁), Lee Yuzhen (李玉珍), Kakoi Kumiko (加古久美子), StoRy, Nakanishi Mamiko (中西真美子) (Doga Kobo), Jeong Young-Hoon (정영훈) (Pierrot Films), Shiba Minami (柴南) (Pierrot Films).
Leaks
- Heavy dialogue/flashback episode, not much fighting
- First half is ALL Ukitake flashbacks, 10 mins of which was not in the manga
- First is Ukitake's parents in Mimihagi's shrine praying for it to save Ukitake. As Ukitake's mother begins to cry, a single tear drips from the Mimihagi statue and flows towards young Ukitake, who is enveloped in shadow. It then transitions to another world, a world of stillness or calmness with a water ground. Child Ukitake walks up to a more humanoid-looking Mimihagi (with a hand for a head) and wipes a tear from its eye, which forms into a puddle in his hand. Ukitake then bloats up as the water is absorbed into him, then he turns into a black Mimihagi form, before it flows out of his back
- Next is child Ukitake walking around Rukongai, he sees a big guy picking on an old woman. Ukitake approaches and warns the man not to hit the woman. The woman hits the man and walks off, Ukitake was trying to save the man from her because she has a reputation. Ukitake asks him to join him at the Shinigami Academy, but he refuses
- Then it cuts forward to Ukitake during his time in the Shinigami Academy, having a sparring match with a young Kyōraku. They are both dual wielding. Sasakibe is conducting the spar while Yamamoto and Unohana observe and comment on them having a lot of potential. This is the first time Ukitake and Kyōraku have formally met, they have seen each other in classes before but after the duel is the first time they introduce themselves to each other. Kyōraku takes Ukitake to his favourite sweet shop, Ukitake says it tastes good and Kyōraku says that's because there's alcohol in them. There is a gag scene where Ukitake's younger siblings appear and take the alcohol chocolates from Ukitake to eat
- After this Ukitake takes Kyōraku to the Mimihagi shrine, Kyōraku reveals that he has already heard the rumours about Mimihagi. Ukitake tells him that the rumours are true and explains his situation, but Kyōraku reveals that he already looked into it and figured it out
- Next is Ukitake and Kyōraku as Captains after Kaien's death, reflecting on his feelings about Kaien and how Ukitake's illness was part of the reason he got killed. Then cuts to Ukitake being grilled by Central 46, demanding that he choose a new Vice-Captain, but Ukitake refuses
- Jump forward again, this time to after Yamamoto's death. Ukitake, Kyōraku and Unohana are standing around a table looking at Yama's broken Zanpakutō. Kyōraku is struggling with how tough it is to be in command and asks the other two for a moment alone. Then we get a scene of Ukitake and Unohana alone where they essentially say their goodbyes to each other, it's implied that both of them had already accepted they were going to die at this point. We see Unohana's face change from 'Retsu' to 'Yachiru' as she says goodbye. This is the final flashback scene
- After that is cuts back to the lab in present day as Ukitake performs the Kamikake. Rukia is the only one who speaks up to try to stop him, as Sentaro and Kiyone look away. Ukitake apologises to Rukia for always making things so tough for her and leaves Squad 13 in her care
- Cut to Soul Palace, Ichigo attacks Yhwach as Yoruichi tries to come up with a plan to distract Yhwach while Orihime heals the Soul King. Ganju rushes forward and uses his sand ability to create a smokescreen. Chad rushes through the smokescreen and punches Yhwach with del Diablo, but it is blocked. Yoruichi follows up and also gets blocked. As Yhwach is busy holding both Chad and Yoruichi, Orihime rushes forwards and attempts to heal the Soul King, but it fails. This is a quick scene that lasts only around 30 seconds
- Unlike in the manga where Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka shattered instantly, in the anime is seems to be working at first, the Soul King is beginning to be pieced back together before the Rikka suddenly shatters
- After this Mimihagi reaches up through the ground and begins to piece the Soul King back together, to which Yhwach reacts with visible anger in his eyes, which Yoruichi notices and she is the one who deduces that Yhwach did not foresee this with The Almighty
- Yhwach does not talk to Mimihagi like he did in the manga
- Rukia has additional dialogue begging Ukitake not to sacrifice himself compared to the manga. Ukitake responds by beginning to quote Kaien, "There are two kinds of battles...", then it cuts to Kyōraku in Muken who completes the quote "...a battle to protect life, or a battle to defend honor."
- Byakuya, Ikkaku and Yumichika have shown up to the lab. They appear in the background but do not have any dialogue
- Unlike in the manga, Kenpachi has not appeared in the lab yet, he is still unconscious
- The lab crew have not built the gate to the Soul Palace yet. In the manga, the gate was already complete but began to dissipate because of Ukitake's death
- After this is Kyōraku meeting Aizen in Muken. This scene lasts 3 minutes 37 seconds and is basically exactly the same as it was in the manga, except it is a continuous scene instead of being interrupted by other scenes
- Aizen's Reiatsu is shown to be purple
- Aizen has his new badass OST when he disintegrates the prison guard who tries to bind him. It's the same or at least similar to the one that played when Liltotto killed PePe
- Battle Ignition Remake (Shinji Bankai OST) is also used, at the beginning of the episode
- Finally is the exchange between Kyōraku and Aizen in chapter 618, where Kyōraku asks Aizen to sit in the chair and asks him if he wants to breathe fresh air again, and Aizen responds, "the fresh air of the Soul Society that is about to be destroyed by Yhwach?"
- End of episode poem by Uryū + Ichigo (dual poem): "With fingers on the star and a drawn bow, A single moon remains, Though I had turned away from it."
- Next episode (30) title: THE BETRAYER
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