Katen Kyokotsu Karamatsu Shinjuu! Shunsui’s Darkness – Bleach 648

Bleach 648 see’s the transformation of Shunsui’s Bankai into the Katen Kyokotsu Karamatsu Shinjuu when he begins a three-step attack against Lille Barro. Even the activation of his Bankai affects everyone within the area, even those fighting in another place like Ichigo vs Nakk Le Vaar sense the danger in its darkness and bleak bankai. Shunsui has a real advantage over Lille Barro here.

Bleach 648 begins as Nakk Le Vaar encounters Ichigo, Ichigo asks him what he’s done with Grimmjow. He mentions that he’s taking a nice little nap somewhere. Ichigo thinks that Grimmjow has already been defeated. Ichigo tries to force Nakk Le Vaar to answer him but doesn’t, thus Ichigo attacks when they both feel a large force around them, forcing them to stop and try to feel what it is.

Everyone feels it, it’s a sort of sensation where it’s gotten darker and cold. Chad feels that it hasn’t gotten colder or any darker, it’s a sensation when someone gets the chills. Many others are scared and unable to move. Ichigo senses that it’s Shunsui’s Bankai! We see Barro land on a roof as he creates a skirt like clothing revealing his legs.

He mentions that it appears that the sky has turned to night, Shunsui appears with both his swords and a weird wave-like affect behind him. Shunsui mentions that it’s rude for him to keep Lille Barro waiting. Shunsui first asks for him to share him his first impression of how the world appears to him.

Shunsui mentions that it might seem gloom destitute place full of melancholy and despair. Barro mentions that it seems that the scenery around there seems to have grown murkier and thus he thinks that it’s his Bankai. He’s correct in calling it his Bankai. While thing may have gotten much gloomier, he thinks despair would be an exaggeration because a messenger of God feels no such emotions.

He strikes down the ground where it completely destroy the grown they stand on, a large portion of floating building collapses. Although they weren’t able to gather any intel on his Bankai, there is one truth that has become clearly evident. If the owner of the zanpakuto dies, the Bankai will simply vanish too.

Lille Barro notices a whole formed near his core and another one next to his shoulder. Shunsui enables the first stage of his Bankai, “Hesitating Sharing of the Wound”, where it shares all the wounds which Shunsui has received with Lille Barro. He also tells Lille that he won’t die from these wounds, Lille asks what he’s doing as Shunsui tells him that it’s his Bankai.

The Katen Kyokotsu Karamatsu Shinjuu, (which I think is a different version from last weeks?). He’s been rather talkative throughout this fight, however in the next act, he will  shut up. Shunsui enables his second stage, “Bed of Shame”, which displays a large number of black dots on Lille, which then causes him to profusely bleed.

Shunsui mentions that someone with so many wounds by his opponent will be unable to recover from the incurable disease which causes him to bleed. Shunsui then enables his third stage, called the “Dangyo Abyss”, where a large amount of water fills the area, both are covered while they wait for their reiatsu to completely empty out until death. Bleach 648 ends here.

An absolutely fantastic chapter, the extent to Shunsui’s power is amazing, his abilities may seem one-sided but Shunsui may also be getting hurt at all these points. A wonderful and extremely dangerous Bankai that it is felt by everyone all at once. I honestly can’t wait for next week’s Bleach 649, when we see the battle continue.

There are 28 comments

  1. isshin

    could it be that ukitake lied about that cause of his illness to cover up the nature of shunsui’s bankai? could it be that shunsui first activated his bankai while training with him and used the second level unknowingly before deactivating it and that caused ukitake’s illness.can’t wait to see if this bankai will affect a third party or if barro has any desperate moves to save his skin,this bankai is too op. wonder if lille has any last move to save his skin,this bankai is too op,hope no third party falls prey to it

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    1. nickdunnaquatic

      Nah Jushiro got his illness when he was 4 years old. Shunsui and Jushiro got Bankai when they graduated from the Shinigami academy. Lille probably has a trick up his sleeve.

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      1. ryuujinjakka

        Yo Nick D! Long time! How’re you doing?

        Yeah… I really like Askin. Just looking at him swinging from that pole in this chapter made me laugh. Just the sort of guy you need for some much-appreciated humor! ^_^

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        1. nickdunnaquatic

          Hey dude what’s up? XD

          I have a theory about one of the Schutzstaffel Pernida. I believe she is still alive. And next time we see her, she’ll be in her human form cause we need to see her flashback and Vollständig.

          Ya Askin is so funny. I was expecting Grimmjow to release His Zanpakuto. It looked like Askin was about to release his Reishi Bow from his bracelet.

          I’m thinking something Lille is going to do in Theater Suicide 3 to make Shunsui use his strongest level. I don’t believe he can go down so easliy. But Shunsui’s Bankai has massive Reiatsu if everyone from another city can feel it’s nature but not it’s abilities of course.

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          1. ryuujinjakka

            I was thinking the same thing about Pernida too. When Mayuri chopped off a finger, she regenerated to a full hand from that finger. So why should she be unable to do that from a much smaller piece? It’s sad that there are so many Vollständig that we haven’t got to see. So far, the only ones were from Quilge, Äs Nödt, Accutrone, Pepe and Lille (all of these were named) and from Bambi-chan, Liltotto, Bazz-B, Mask, Candice and Giselle (unnamed).

            I’d still like to see the Bankai of the Royal Guard and the Vollständig of the Schutzstaffel. Their battle shouldn’t have been offscreened! T_T

            I totally didn’t expect Grimmjow to go down like that, but I still think he’ll be back. He’s one of my favorite characters (I have a crush on him :P) and I’m waiting for him to kick some ass! Askin was the wrong sort of opponent for him. I think Askin can even take down Ichigo, because, like Grimmjow, Ichigo is a cut-and-slash fighter. Mayuri/Urahara are the type of people Askin should be fighting.

            Waiting eagerly for Shunsui’s Bankai at full power. I sure hope Shunsui wins this one. It might be his last big fight in the series after all. His Bankai has a similar effect to Yamamoto’s – people can feel it from a distance and it gives them the shivers.

            (Btw, how did you like Gerard last chapter? 😀 Taking on the entire Shinji/Urahara group?)

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            1. nickdunnaquatic

              That’s why Pernida will return. She has a human form, so she’ll most likely run into a Divine General like Shutara and go all out.

              I don’t think Askin’s Gift Ball killed Grimmjow. But I do believe he’s going to lose just because Askin is stronger and way smarter. I only see Yoruichi and maybe Nelliel taking on Askin without falling for his tricks

              completely agree, the off panel Royal Guard vs Elite Guard was the biggest mistake Kubo made in his arc. He could have switched from Yhwach vs Ichibei and showed us who fought and defeated who.

              I loved Gerard! His jump was so cool! I love like Zaraki, he is incredibly strong with his arms and legs. I see him taking out Renji and Rukia first.

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              1. ryuujinjakka

                Rukia and Renji should just buzz off for now. I like Renji a lot, but he’s had his fair share of panel time with Mask. It’s Shinji’s time to shine and I’m going to be really pissed if Renji or Rukia take his glory away from him.

                Gerard is a lot like Kenpachi. especially in the “all of you attack me at once” part. 😛

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                1. nickdunnaquatic

                  Completely agree. But knowing Renji and how cocky he seems, he’s gonna get taken out first. But yes Shinji is definitely fighting Gerard head on and probably use his mask and Bankai.

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    1. Sunite

      Yeah I thought that too, but wanted to keep it a little general. I think she appeared when it was activated, but as it began growing and everyone started to feel his power, she began go disappear as he approaches her. Yeah.

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      1. nickdunnaquatic

        I’m assuming she’ll appear when Shunsui is forced to use his most powerful level cause the 3rd level is only for people with resolve. Nanao was caught in it as well. She might be dead. We are also gonna get a flashback to why Shunsui wears a woman’s kimono.

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        1. Sunite

          You think Nanao is caught in it? RIP. I also had an idea that she might be caught in it, but it could also be that when Shunsui is about to die, shell swoop in and somehow same him. Yeah, I think a flashback might be necessary here.

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          1. ryuujinjakka

            We’re going to hear about the pink haori soon enough. I don’t think Nanao will die from the Bankai, or be hurt all too badly. Given her skill with Kidou, she should be able to shield herself at least partially.

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            1. nickdunnaquatic

              I hope she doesn’t die without showing her Shikai, unlike Nemu who apparently didn’t have one. I always thought Shunsui had a wife that wore this kimono, but she died during the first blood war.

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          2. nickdunnaquatic

            If Ichigo’s Group And Askin can feel the affects of Shunsui’s Bankai while being in a different city means Nanao is most likely caught. I don’t know. But I always had a feeling Shunsui would die. He can die in his Shikai, his Bankai should be even more risky.

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      2. ryuujinjakka

        Somehow I get the feeling she is the manifestation of the ability on the opponent. Like how she disappeared and immediately afterwards, Lille had that hole on his body.

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  2. jiraiyan

    I feel like this fight has been rushed. Maybe that is due to the length of the Pernida/Mayuri fight. I think that Shunsui’s Bankai having consequences for himself and his opponent, balances his clearly powerful Bankai. The problem to me is that Kubo appears to have rushed through the fight, even while explaining what the “Dan’s” can do.

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  3. Trinin ninja

    My impression of this chapter was that kyoraku knew that his bankai was so powerful that it could kill himself and so he is basically letting the enemy hurt him so that the enemy will be defeated too. Afterall it is the captain commanders responsibility to protect the lives of others, even at the cost of their own lives. His bankai sure is op and dangerous. No wonder Kubo said he could kill Aizen. All kyoraku would have to do to defeat aizen is let him aizen try and kill him. I definetly was not expecting kyorakus bankai to be like this. I predicted it would be like russian roulette where only one player can win/live but in kyorakus game both players are at risk of only losing….wow what a bankai. Yamamoto’s bankai could kill himself and his opponent too if Yamamoto does not kill his opponent but kyorakus bankai looks like both players die no matter what.

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    1. nickdunnaquatic

      His Bankai isn’t what I expected either. Its so powerful and dangerous. Yup, Shunsui’s Bankai would kill Shinigami Aizen if it’s overwhelming someone as powerful Lille. I believe the shadow woman is probably the Epilogue of his Bankai. Which means this fight will end when the chapter is titled Theater Suicide Final Scene. The Prologue is probably the scariest technique so far, taking the injures he had and add them to his opponent.

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  4. isshin

    don’t see nanao or shunsui ‘s dying…I want another shunsui fight to show other abilities no need to waste them on Lille,his x-axis is open but he had a wrong opponent to express his superiority,he could have died cheaply if it wasn’t for that kamui like move,kyoraku only activated his bankai to counter Lille not dying from weapons,if it wasn’t for that kyoraku wouldn’t have not needed to use bankai…

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