I almost skipped to the next chapter and missed these two extras at the end of ch. 79!
Oh, I hope there are more of these for the other captains/lieutenants. I LIVE for character profiles and extra tidbits that flesh characters out like this! I'm also a huge fan of the sketchier art style! Anyways, I'll talk about things that stand out to me in bullet point.
The kenseikan! I had almost overlooked those things! If I remember later, I want to try and find an explanation for how exactly they work.
Cripes, that scarf is EXPENSIVE. Suddenly I don't feel so bad for my occasional splurge on nice sparkly or ombre yarns. It's got to be a miracle that thing's survived multiple generations of Gotei 13 service and still looks as nice as it does. Either they've got some EXCEPTIONALLY talented weavers cleaning and repairing those things, or they can just afford to casually dump ten houses' worth of pocket change into ordering replacements. Good lord.
As an enjoyer of delphiniums and other blue/purple flowers, I will say that Byakuya has good taste in flowers.
I am not at all surprised to learn that Byakuya takes moonlit walks. I am a little surprised that he likes spicy food. Is it, like...a normal amount of like, or is he secretly a spicy food freak with a gastrointestinal system that mystifies doctors?
I guess I should have known better than to assume someone as high-class and aloof as this guy would have had rock or something more fight-y for his theme song. This one works for him, though, I think? It definitely feels more restrained than other theme songs I've heard so far, but more controlled and elegant. Almost kind of melancholic?
So I guess the Rukongai districts end at 80? I was under the impression that they just kind of kept perpetually expanding out and out to accomodate the new souls coming in, but I don't remember what made me think that. Now that I think about it, though, souls would have to cycle back into the Living World eventually, though...so I guess space would empty out at a trickle, but it would empty out. Maybe a little faster for folks unfortunate enough to live in the outer districts. Shit, man, the 78th District was already bad enough for Renji and Rukia--how much worse is District 80?!
The wording here makes me think someone else made the decision to transfer Renji to 11th, rather than him applying for transfer on his own, but it's also vague enough that I can't really be sure.
One month ago?! Damn, dude is a brand new lieutenant and is already as terrifying as he is!
...I may need to start examining the Renji panels more closely, because now I can't remember if previous pages showed him with actual eyebrows or if he like...shaved them off and replaced them entirely with tattoos. The first makes more sense, but the latter does seem more extra and outrageous and somehow Renji-ish.
...I want taiyaki now. Damn it.
First note of his theme immediately sent a chill down my spine. The way the eerie flute (?) notes pair with the rapping and the beat--and the stray dog motif and barking! I don't know how to articulate it, it just feels perfect for him.
