History is made by the winners. Villain or Hero. It's all decided by those who have the ability to remain standing in the end, and Renji Abarai is prepared to be the victor.
I think I should make a confession. I used to find Renji incredibly irritating. He seemed to exist almost solely to be an irritating rival to Ichigo. However, I can tell you when things change for me -- this is starting to sound like some AA confession. It was after his battle with Jackie Tristan. It wasn't just in his easy victory or his refusal to kill Jackie to survive, but how he handled it. His line about refusing to become scum to save his own life was admirable. Now, his character has a rather enjoyable tendency for heroic/macho quotes.
Watching him in this battle is a joy. It even makes up for the three chapters it took him to arrive. I almost wouldn't even mind if this battle with Mask De Masculine goes one more chapter. That or bring on another challenger.
Maybe there's a good explanation for it -- and no, I'm not talking about the bisected James --, but how does James' cheers heal De Masculine when he can't hear them? This just seems to lean toward confirming my theory that James is more an extension of De Masculine.
A great chapter of BLEACH. Even if the combat is a bit simplistic. I think I'll only be disappointed if Renji has to waste his full new power on this sort of opponent. I just hope his battle ends soon, but not for the reasons you may think. I'm beginning to be a bit unnerved by how much I'm enjoying watching James be divided.
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