And by the way, I don't appreciate all the red herrings on the vasto lorde-class arrancars.  Back in c197 Hitsugaya said that if Aizen had more than 10 vasto lorde-class arrancars, they were all fucked.  We then cut to Aizen telling Ulquiorra to show his 20 brothers his nifty eyeball trick.  But Grimmjow isn't even vasto lord, and if he wasn't just shooting his mouth off regarding Ulquiorra not fighting him because it would be too costly even if he won, I kind of doubt Ulquiorra is, either.  Especially since Ulquiorra rates Ichigo's top power level higher than his own.  (Of course, Ulquiorra's considering Ichigo's released state, which he fared decently against in his own un-released state, so maybe not.)  Of course, it's the prerogative of the shounen manga hero to be more powerful than anyone else, so, siiiiiiigh, whatever.

Anyway, what was with Aizen throwing the number 20 out there?  It seemed so awkward (as far as dialogue goes, even in japanese? I mean, couldn't kubotite just illustrate a large number of shadowy profiles that the reader can count for themselves?) and he must be cooking up new arrancar all the time (or maybe not, if Luppi is the only Espada-class convert he acquired in all this time—and how convenient for him to be ranked 6th just when there happens to be an opening!  Srsly).  Consider, there are 10 espada.  Then Barragan has at least 4 capable fraccions (and did he send out another 4 to die initially?), Halibel has 3, Stark has Lilinette, Grimmjow "had" 5 cronies, Nnoitra had Tesla.  I'd assume that all of these guys should be at least adjuchas-class, because the gillians are fairly pathetic, but I don't feel like most of the fraccions should be newly-made, so already this is way more than 20.  And shouldn't there be some unaffiliated numeros?  Then there's the timing.  Does time pass quicker in Las Noches than the real world?  Nel was made with the Hyougoku, right?  So how long has she been out of commission, not years (c292), surely?

It's so evident that Aizen does not, cannot have 10 vasto lorde arrancars, much less 20, that it's just become really irritating.  It's like tenipuri.  We already know the home team will win, so you can't fuck up the execution.  Except kubotite's fucking it up left and right. >.>

It feels like kubotite's buying himself some time for the ulquiorra/ichigo showdown, but the only fight I'm interested in of the four is yumichika's, hurhur.  Too bad he'll probably have to resort to his bankai; he'll be hated by his division!  Weo.

In other news, I wish hunterxhunter would resume soon, even if togashi's kind of lost the plot as well.  I think he does it better.  I miss hisoka and his creepy pedophile ways, too. D:  (What is up with japan and freaky pierrot types, anyway?  Is yakitate's Pierrot at all a parody of hisoka?)

Anyway, I'm caught up on nearly everything... 'cept for reborn, I guess.  But I need something new to read (yet again....)  'Cause I don't really feel like reading ippo or the second half of kenshin right now.  I think I might actually be in the mood for shoujo as well. orz

EDIT: Do I need to be reading One Piece now?  Is there any other path left to me? ._.