We've seen the Gotei Calligraphy Club a few times:
Giant implements, traditional art, takes place in the Kuchiki Estate. This session is clearly a high-profile affair, given that those in attendance are Kuchiki Byakuya himself, Ukitake, Unohana, and Spiders Georg.
But *I* assume that regular Gotei members can also take part in these clubs, even if this particular instance is from a closed officers session. We just don't see them because nobody wants to draw all of that and/or the POVs of the characters involved mostly clock/remember the people in attendance that they know best.*
My point is: There's more than three people in Calligraphy Club. There's probably a rival Shinigami Academy Calligraphy Club (run by Aizen and then Hinamori). There's probably enough members to host some epic ✌️✌️seasonal competitions ✌️✌️
In fact, the post-TYW Gotei era where Byakuya heads the Calligraphy Club and Hinamori leads the Academy Calligraphy Club becomes legendary. A postwar heydey of the arts, if you will.
What are these competitions like? Welp, my co-blogger and I just watched a movie titled SHODO GIRLS!!! that has inspired this post by opening my eyes to the spectacular possibilities. (The movie itself was 2hrs long and really should have been a tight 87 minutes, but that's neither here nor there.)
In SHODO GIRLS!! calligraphy competitions are like any other high school club competition.
There's FANS IN THE STANDS.
THERE ARE ACCOMPANYING (SONG AND) DANCE ROUTINES
Pictured left are all the boys on the team, doing their little dance, inclusive of shoulder shimmies. Right is an all girls' school with like 70 people in their sequin-laden cheer squad/calligraphy team.
Given how heavy with paint the giant brushes are, it's quite an athletic activity. Look at them give the smackdown to those brushes. Get that air, Lebron:
Calligraphy Club goes absolutely HAMMMMMMMM
You might be thinking to yourself, "Okay, so the colorful paint and the cheer squad is the energy that the Academy Calligraphy Club brings to the competition" but that's where you'd be wrong.
Sure, a traditional arts club held within the Kuchiki estate gives the impression of being a serious and sedate affair, especially with such big-name membership, but that forgets that Unohana and Ukitake aren't two of the biggest freaks the Gotei even has--to say nothing of the fact that Byakuya has held the title of Most Bizarre Man Least Likely to be Voted Most Bizarre By the General Populace Much to the Chagrin of All Who Know Him since his debutante ball. Especially since you can't actually be good at calligraphy if you don't get a little weird with it; you don't achieve bankai if you can't get a little weird with it; and by all indications Byakuya is very good at both. And you think Renji is going to pass up an opportunity for a cheer circle where cheer circles could be had????
Meanwhile, the Academy Calligraphy Club is part of a military school. They're trying to eventually get *hired.* They have standards. The Aizen School of Calligraphy is demure; controlled. Sure, they're also a little weird--just enough to be worthy competitors--but theirs is an under-the-surface ripple of je ne sais quoi.
By contrast--and particularly in the wake of Unohana's and Ukitake's departures from the team roster, in their honor--*Gotei* Calligraphy Club gives NO fucks.
I'm not saying there are sequins (there's still a Kuchiki Premises Style Guide to abide by in all but the traveling individual free program competitions) but you heard it here: Gotei Calligraphy Club is closer to SHODO GIRLS!! than it isn't.
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