We don’t think we’ve ever seen a more bizarre episode in the history of anime than the thirty-fourth episode of Bleach’s Thousand Year Blood War, “Baby, Hold Your Hand.” Rather than focusing on Ichigo or Ywhach in their fight for Soul Society, we see the Shinigami known as Mayuri and Kenpachi taking on one of the strongest members of the Wandenreich. Both sides of the aisle are about as strange as strange can get and this sort of installment is what has helped Bleach become such an anime powerhouse over the years. Now, following the recent release, now is the perfect time to dive into why Baby, Hold Your Hand broke the Blood War mold.
Warning. If you have yet to watch the latest episode of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, Episode 34, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into serious spoiler territory. On top of Mayuri being one of the most unsettling Shinigami of the Soul Society, the mad scientist’s opponent here is far stranger. The villainous Pernida Parnkgjas always looked more than a little weird in relation to the Wandenreich, as anime viewers didn’t see the antagonist’s face beneath his cloak. Standing much shorter than many of the other Bleach characters, the true reveal of his character was quite the shocker.
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The Left Hand of The Soul King
Pernida is revealed in the latest Blood War episode to literally be a giant arm, as Mayuri theorizes that the Sternritter lieutenant is in fact the left hand of the Soul King. Earlier this season, anime fans witnessed the Shinigami known as Ukitake sacrificing himself to become the right-hand of the Soul King. Despite this sacrifice, the Soul Society member wasn’t able to stop Yhwach from absorbing the power of the Shinigami’s ruler. Now that Yhwach has the power of the Soul King, Sternritter like Pernida are at a serious advantage.
In its initial fight with Kenpachi, Pernida was able to show off his wild strength by making it necessary for the eye-patch wearing warrior to amputate his own arm. Not blinking an eye at the loss of an appendance, Kenpachi attempts to cut through the “Left Hand” before he suffers another blow. Luckily for Kenpachi, Mayuri stabs him through the chest at just the right time, paralyzing him and thus halting Pernida’s powers.
Mayuri’s Bankai Is The Most Terrifying Thing Ever
It is almost impossible to believe what Mayuri’s new Bankai is if you don’t see it for yourself. While the mad scientist’s power was always a disturbing one, aka summoning a giant baby like creature who spewed poison around its locale, the evolved form is a far more terrifying one. Dubbed “Matai Fukuin Shotai”, the new version of Mayuri’s baby Bankai gives birth to a smaller baby that has “seventy thousand exposed nerves”. This unique biological structure makes the Bankai invincible in relation to Pernida’s attacks, and the fight seemingly ends with Matai chowing down on the Left Hand of the Soul King.
Mayuri is an unbelievable character in Bleach’s history, appearing far more like a villain than a hero, though there is an argument to be made that the Shinigami is still a very evil individual. In this episode alone, Mayuri threw out bombs that were seemingly living, and screaming, organisms that might have been one time members of the Soul Society. This latest Bleach battle shows how the Tite Kubo series can be far different from other stories in Shonen Jump’s library and here’s hoping that the Blood War sticks its landing as it approaches its finale.
Want to stay up to date on the strangest members of the Soul Society? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Shinigami and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
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