Volume Poems

[Primera Espada]

I don't think he was evil nor a monster.
and does being sad by it self really an indicator of good?

He was evil, by definition really. Using your intellect to attempt to manipulate others into actions they do not wish to do is an evil deed. That was Ulqui's MO.

And when I said monster, I meant that quite literally. He's a bat demon, pretty much.

He's a ghost for one, and a monster ghost. That's just what hollows are. Evil monsters.

They just may not be COMPLETELY evil once they become arrancars.

[Miss Soupy]

Wow, Harribels poem is quite sad D:

It is interesting that Harribel could view the world so hopelessly, and yet find it within her to form bonds with her fraccion. Also, I love the reference to Harribel’s theme of sacrifice. We didn’t really witness it in the manga, but maybe there will be more later XD

I have a few things I want to add about the Ulquiorra discussion, but I will put it under spoiler in case it is too off topic.

Spoiler!

Ulquiorra no doubt knew the heart existed; he knew that humans had a heart and felt with it and he viewed that as a weakness. That is quite different than viewing it as non-existent. All Orihime did was show him that feeling the emotions of a heart doesn’t weaken you. That you become closer by giving a part of your heart to another person. That is what she told him, that is what he accepted at the end. Also, there is the blatant reference to Kaien’s view of the heart forming between two people when they interact. It is there in his enclosed fist, it is there in his hand. They are both saying the same thing. What else did Kaien say? Never die alone, give a part of your heart to someone else. Ulquiorra did that. Orihime helped him see the benefit of the heart, Ulquiorra accepted the heart that he had, Ulquiorra gave part of his heart to Orihime. A connection was made.

His poem wasn’t about lusting for something he didn’t have. It was about his view of the heart: it is a negative. The deadly sins were used in reference to the heart. The closest Ulquiorra can come to describing his feeling is to say, “Because of the heart, I lust for everything about you.” He wants to know, and yet he feels the heart is bad. Also, this line comes at the very end, after he has listed all of the previous negative feelings the heart can cause. And then, even in spite of those things, he still wants to know.

And honestly, the arrancar are not just evil beings. They are pitiable, and quite lost. That is how kubo portrays them. He made us feel bad for them in their deaths for a reason. If they were just evil monsters, that effort needn’t be made. Bleach isn’t about the world being black and white, it is about discovering the gray.

[Fumetsu]

NOTES: It can't really be seen, but every two lines have parallel character numbers--except for the last line. For example: "chi no you ni akaku" and "hone no you ni shiroku" both have 7 characters. The pattern goes like so: 7, 7, 8, 8, 10, 10, 12, 12, 11, 11, 8. Although, notice in the last line it's divided in half, so it's really just a pair of 4 syllable mirrors in the same line. "Rosa rubicundior, lilio candidior" means "redder than the rose, whiter than the lilly". It's a verse from "Carmina Burana" (O Fortuna) composed by Carl Orff (lyrics found here). More information here Thanks to oceanizer for the correction and information. It's the title of ch144--i.e. where Renji gets defeated by Byakuya. Should also note that "white" is in Byakuya's name and "red" is in Hisana's name. In the last line: "scattered red" uses "chiru" (散る) for "scatter", which is the same shikai command verb of Byakuya's sword. This poem also makes A LOT MORE SENSE now that we know of Sodeno Shirayuki (Rukia's sword), and can be seen representing Renji and Rukia more (red and white respectively).

I love this poem. There are so many meanings/implications with each line

I hope you dont mind my pointing out a couple other things about it.
The title of this chapter is the same as Renji theme song. part of the chorus is
"Red defense white offense" ( really? How sad it is when your own theme song is about someone else beating your ass?)

Another thing I recently noticed- the word 'Byakuya" is Japanese for "Whitenight/Midnight sun" but the particular kanji at the end of Byakuya's name is not 'yoru' but just 'ya' and means 'a sigh'.
That kanji is apparently uncommon and took forever to find the meaning.

i like this poem. its definitley referring to her aspect of death (sacrifice). when it says "crying the name of a fading world", i think that kind of means that sacrificing ones life is hopeless. And it kind of sounds to me like that when someone sacrifices themselves the world becomes a place of death and blood and depression, and by calling out to the world where there was no death && sacrifice is hopeless (fading world). A world that is scarce/no more. It's kind of hard to explain but all my thoughts are a huge jumble in my head when i read this poem.

I think I get it-
A was speaking to a friend on the value of 'ones life versus the world" she told me " for that one person, it IS the world"

It's a beautiful irony-

You can sacrifice yourself so that the world you love ( or hate even) can continue existing. As your dying you can wish as hard as you want to see the world you have saved ('call out to the fading world') but it wont matter. For you the world HAS ceased to exist.
This is why sacrificing ones life is hopeless.

Is this close?

I am very fond of Currici's poem as well. Really, it is a similar message of hopelessness.

Really, I like a LOT of Kubo's poetry. He really is far more genius than he lets on. I especially love how he is especially skilled at putting so many different meanings into one word/phrase.
That's the beauty of the Japanese language itself.

Spoiler!

Ulquiorra no doubt knew the heart existed; he knew that humans had a heart and felt with it and he viewed that as a weakness. That is quite different than viewing it as non-existent. All Orihime did was show him that feeling the emotions of a heart doesn’t weaken you. That you become closer by giving a part of your heart to another person. That is what she told him, that is what he accepted at the end. Also, there is the blatant reference to Kaien’s view of the heart forming between two people when they interact. It is there in his enclosed fist, it is there in his hand. They are both saying the same thing. What else did Kaien say? Never die alone, give a part of your heart to someone else. Ulquiorra did that. Orihime helped him see the benefit of the heart, Ulquiorra accepted the heart that he had, Ulquiorra gave part of his heart to Orihime. A connection was made.

His poem wasn’t about lusting for something he didn’t have. It was about his view of the heart: it is a negative. The deadly sins were used in reference to the heart. The closest Ulquiorra can come to describing his feeling is to say, “Because of the heart, I lust for everything about you.” He wants to know, and yet he feels the heart is bad. Also, this line comes at the very end, after he has listed all of the previous negative feelings the heart can cause. And then, even in spite of those things, he still wants to know.

And honestly, the arrancar are not just evil beings. They are pitiable, and quite lost. That is how kubo portrays them. He made us feel bad for them in their deaths for a reason. If they were just evil monsters, that effort needn’t be made. Bleach isn’t about the world being black and white, it is about discovering the gray.

This the greatest explanation of Ulqiorra's poem(s) I have read and agree whole...brain-edly. I was just to inellequent to say so myself.


Apologies for all my musing here. Damn, I just love Kubo's poetry.

[B. Haddrell]

I have just got the latest German Bleach manga:

Vol. 38: Fear for Fight
Die Furcht for dem Kampf

Wir fuerchten nur das Eine.
Zu Kriegern zu werden,
die keine Furcht kennen.

We only have one fear.
To become warriors who don`t know fear.


I also had a look at the doodles and some of them are very interesting. There is a shadow outline of Kazeshini from the Zanpakutou filler on one page and Soi Fon explains that the fighting technique she has just used is called “Tsurigaki” and was invented by Yourichi.

I nearly forgot: There are also two concept drawings at the end of the book showing Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra`s page is only mentioning the theme music. Grimmjow`s page is mentioning much more, also fraccion and resurrecion.

I find this quite amusing keeping in mind what we will be able to see in future manga books

[Rogue]

Poetry is one of the main fronts when the literal dexterity of the Japanese language comes to fore! Kudos, Kubo. you ARE an artist!!!

i really love(d) Harribel's poem! from what transpired between her and Aizen, it indeed epitomizes her sacrificial imposition in the manga.

but Currici's is my 'personal' favorite of all time...deep!

[CaptainYoruichi]

Speaking of Cirucci, I picked up V. 29 with her on the cover. Here is the Viz translation of her poem:

Endlessly adorned
Knowing it will be cut off,

Endlessly polished
Knowing they will be cut off,

They are terrifying, terrifying
In their fall.

The hair flutters to the ground
A lifeless husk.

Hair and fingernails
Are beautiful ornaments.
So why do they seem so baleful
When removed?
The answer is simple.
They are
Previews of what is to come, of death.

I typed it exactly as it appears in the book, so the spacing and punctuation and whatnot is how it was translated.

[Rogue]

aah, not bad. she never gets done with the hair, init.

[Dragonfire820]

I love Kubo's poetry, heck even my Grandma who doesn't particularly like Bleach likes the poems. Every time I get a new book she asks to see the poem LOL.

Anyhoo, on a note that's slightly more on topic, I really feel sorry for Halibel after reading her poem. She sacrificed everything to save the world, but yet she can't see the world sge tried to save. Poor Hali

[Ichi-nii]

Volume 42 - Harribel's Poem:
There is no world without sacrifice
Are you unaware?
We are
In a sea of blood, ashes floating in hell
Crying the name of
A fading world.

I thinks its very unfair for people to be brushing off Tia Halibel's Poem like this, there is a quite a poetic meaning behind it, all it requires of you is to simple push character predjuice aside read and try to understand.

'There is no world without sacrifice'

The World is a reference to Aizen's ambition and the World he would create should he succeed, Sacrifice isnt just a reference to Halibel's Aspect of Death but literally to the role of the Fraccion, Barragan and Coyote Starrk in the Fake Karakura Town fights, they are the Sacrifice that would see the creation of Aizen's World in the greater scheme of things.

'Are you unaware?
We are
In a sea of blood, ashes floating in hell'

This is a reference to the Fraccion, Barragan and Coyote Starrk's Death's. Halibel and Starrk Dying while bleeding profusely along with the other Arrancar Fraccion's that got sliced to Death are the 'Sea of Blood', Halibel's Fraccion dying through baptism by Fire by Yama-jii and being joined by Barragan as 'Ashes floating in Hell'.

'Crying the name of
A fading world'

This part I like...

What do the Top 3 Espada all share in Death?

Who is the One person whose Name is on their Lips? Or on their Minds?

Its simple...

Spoiler!

Spoiler!

Spoiler!

Aizen Sosuke

He is their World (Aizen did say they were pathetic for depending on him, so I dont think its wrong to think they saw him as their World), as well as the ambition he holds, and the last thing they see (with their Eyes) as they slowly fade from him (their World) into Death.

Quite a powerful Poem I think....

Maybe something she would have said in her final moments....

I think Kubo wants you to sympathise with the Espada, based on what you know of them, and (I know I dont) think of Aizen as more of an Evil bastard.

A waste I suppose...

All she'll be remember for is BIG BOOBS

[reyfrancisj]

Volume 42 - Harribel's Poem:
There is no world without sacrifice
Are you unaware?
We are
In a sea of blood, ashes floating in hell
Crying the name of
A fading world.

I thinks its very unfair for people to be brushing off Tia Halibel's Poem like this, there is a quite a poetic meaning behind it, all it requires of you is to simple push character predjuice aside read and try to understand.

'There is no world without sacrifice'

The World is a reference to Aizen's ambition and the World he would create should he succeed, Sacrifice isnt just a reference to Halibel's Aspect of Death but literally to the role of the Fraccion, Barragan and Coyote Starrk in the Fake Karakura Town fights, they are the Sacrifice that would see the creation of Aizen's World in the greater scheme of things.

'Are you unaware?
We are
In a sea of blood, ashes floating in hell'

This is a reference to the Fraccion, Barragan and Coyote Starrk's Death's. Halibel and Starrk Dying while bleeding profusely along with the other Arrancar Fraccion's that got sliced to Death are the 'Sea of Blood', Halibel's Fraccion dying through baptism by Fire by Yama-jii and being joined by Barragan as 'Ashes floating in Hell'.

'Crying the name of
A fading world'

This part I like...

What do the Top 3 Espada all share in Death?

Who is the One person whose Name is on their Lips? Or on their Minds?

Its simple...

Spoiler!

Spoiler!

Spoiler!

Aizen Sosuke

He is their World (Aizen did say they were pathetic for depending on him, so I dont think its wrong to think they saw him as their World), as well as the ambition he holds, and the last thing they see (with their Eyes) as they slowly fade from him (their World) into Death.

Quite a powerful Poem I think....

Maybe something she would have said in her final moments....

I think Kubo wants you to sympathise with the Espada, based on what you know of them, and (I know I dont) think of Aizen as more of an Evil bastard.

A waste I suppose...

All she'll be remember for is BIG BOOBS

I must say it's truly awesome for a thoughtful and smart guy like you to be one of the halibel fans = D!
haha, i really likeyour analysis, especially at the "crying in the name of the fading world" part, and it made me sympathize of the espada's more, even barragan..
Daym Aizen truly is evil :O
I really wanna deny the last sentence, but it's kinda true. I wish Halibel will live though..