In light of the recent events in Bleach (up to ch. 352), this has been an interesting journey for Ichigo and his current form will probably have its consequences on his character and story. In a strange way, his monstrous appearance right now could be said to have resulted from his intense desire to protect his nakama and a whole ‘mountain-load of people’.

The need to rescue Rukia led to his training in the Shattered Shaft, which became the moment of his Hollow’s birth. Although Shirosaki’s presence wasn’t as menacingly prominent in the beginning, a few of Ichigo’s first lessons in the art of combat have surprisingly featured his Hollow. One could argue that Zangetsu taught him how to appreciate the zanpakuto (and I don’t disagree) but it doesn’t change the fact that it was Shirosaki who had to lay down the facts for him. Zangetsu taught him the Getsuga Tenshou but it was Shirosaki who unleashed the first Kuroi Getsuga Tenshou (later noted by Ulquiorra as being similar to a Cero), which became Ichigo’s signature release of raw force whenever he was in bankai. Even the idea of spinning the zanpakuto originated from Shirosaki.

The apparent imitation of his Hollow’s moves eventually progressed to an actual tapping into his Hollow powers after his training with the Vizards. And this was so that he could maintain his original self to prevent his friends, family, the people around him, etc from getting hurt, once again highlighting the protective nature in his being. The cessation in the development of Ichigo’s shinigami powers is most noticeable here. His bankai remained as it was when first revealed in the fight with Byakuya and the Getsuga Tenshou, his primary attack. This can very easily be explained by the fact that Zangetsu was no longer around and Shirosaki wasn’t going to simply become his new mentor. Although usage of the mask granted Ichigo with increased strength and power, it didn’t teach him any new fighting techniques since his Hollow was being suppressed, neither did it nurture a correct mindset for approaching a battle. If anything, the presence of his Hollow seemed to push him to aggression, ironic considering that he wanted to restrain his Hollow so that he could have full control of himself.

Ichigo went to Hueco Mundo with mixed focus. His desire to protect was attenuated with his desire to fight, and the environment of Hueco Mundo would only serve to strengthen the Hollow-like qualities of his being, both physically and mentally. Despite the gaping hole in his chest, Ichigo still stood up as always in response to a cry for help. However, this wasn’t the re-emergence of Shirosaki out to save his ass, this was Ichigo still spurred by his mantra to protect but without a heart, Ichigo, technically a soul in Hueco Mundo, has become a full-fledged Hollow. He was using Sonido instead of Shunpo, firing Ceros instead of Getsuga Tenshous and in ch. 352 throws his sword into Ishida’s abdomen. Never has Ichigo let go of his sword during a battle as long as there’s still an ounce of strength in his hands, but here he discards the last visible feature of his shinigami self.

Ichigo’s current form is almost like a morbid manifestation of his protective complex, the twisted result of his hunger for power to preserve all that is important to him. And I wonder where Kubo will take Ichigo from here.

With the previous chapters building upon a possible transition into hollow-like characteristics for Ichigo, I couldn’t help but notice the current appearance of his mask. There have been subtle changes to its pattern over the course of the manga, a gradual thickening and/or addition of the red streaks to cover a larger area. Perhaps this is indicative of Ichigo’s growing assimilation with his Hollow.

Now that Ishida has cleared the stage of its secondary players, we can finally get on with the main spectacle: Ichigo vs Ulquiorra. Boasting an awesome two-page spread of Vizard Ichigo, no doubt the best visual representation of his hollowification yet, and Ulquiorra spearing through the ceiling of the dome to go resurrección, I can hardly wait for the next chapter.

This is the very reason why I’m so interested in Ichigo vs Ulquiorra. Being in Hueco Mundo, where the Hollows thrive, Ichigo should be experiencing some growth in his strength considering that his current source of power comes from his Hollow side. If Chad realized his offensive strength in this place thanks to his Hollow-like arm, would it be too much to ask for an appearance by Shirosaki?

And then there is Ulquiorra. While he likes his mind games and such, I just can’t help but notice his almost child-like curiosity of that little thing known as ‘emotion’. He clearly didn’t understand the camaraderie that defined the group of ‘fools’ that infiltrated Hueco Mundo to save Inoue, nor the latter’s emotional response to that attempt. And not so much because he’s lacking in rationality as the fact that he has an extremely matter-of-fact approach.

If the beginning of this chapter was supposed to provide some foreboding to the character of Inoue, I’m not intrigued. After her miserable showing for the past 100 chapters or so, I fail to see the merit in her character other than serving as a plot device.