Ichigo has an easy time empathizing with Uryuu’s disinterest in protecting hollows and Arrancar, especially as a Quincy. What caught my curiosity, however, is the dynamic that Ichigo and Uryuu might potentially have in this arc.
It was also impressive to see the cut where they synched up the funeral pyre at the Soul Society with Yuzu turning the burner on for cinematic effect. We started off with a slaughter across the Soul Society and now we’re watching arrancar being lined up to be brutally executed by letter J of the Sternritter crew, Quilge Opie. The tonal shift in this arc is fascinating because of how surreal it is to see Bleach venture into grittier territory.
But as Ichigo puts it upon himself to intervene and help fight off any active forces aiming to exterminate his former enemies, Uryuu finds himself unable to commit to joining Ichigo on his trip. Episode 02 of the latest Bleach throws Ichigo at the forefront of a counterattack against the Quincy’s brutal genocide of Hueco Mundo’s hollows and Arrancar.