Äs Nödt is a master of fear. He is the whisper in the empty room, the shadow in the corner of your eye, and the touch in the dark. How will Rukia manage to combat the instinct of fear?
The Good
After last week's Exposition-fest 2014, we start up what looks to be a very interesting battle between Rukia and Äs Nödt, who comes across looking like a background dancer from a Marylin Mason video.Kubo has really been leaning toward that design esthetic recently. -- Not that I'm complaining. This is an incredibly abrupt scene, but I see a lot of great potential here for quite the clash.
I'm not sure what all happened to Rukia during her training period, but it was quite the improvement. Much of the strength of this chapter I feel is directly related to Rukia's closing line. She takes a hit from this creep and comes back with a, "Is that all you got?" kind of retort. I love that she's not playing the tired out shōnen theme of the woman paralyzed by fear. It would have been so easy for Kubo to leave off with that kind of cliffhanger, but he really caught me off guard.
The Bad
My only worry going into this match isn't based so much on this chapter, but more on Rukia's history of winding up practically crippled after a fight with a named antagonist. I really hope she comes out of this as well as Renji did.
Verdict 4/5
I'm under no delusion that this is going to be a one-sided battle. There will be some back and forth. Point of fact, I'm looking forward to that. It's just so nice to see Rukia standing tall from the start. I doubt this is all bluster on her part. She's got to have a few cards up her sleeve. Anyone else hoping for a possible bankai reveal? She's going to need something spectacular when Äs pulls out his Voll Stern Dich. -- Wow, that actually sounds kinda' dirty, huh?
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About the Author
 | Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates: @AnimeVicers / @FoxxFireArt / http://kristofferremmell.tumblr.com/ |
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