For the sake of time (or lack of it I should say), I'm just going to jump in on the discussion happening right now. ^^;;
Andro: I am not aware of any official splits in arcs. Technically arcs are like parts of a book, and each episode (or chapter in the manga) is (literally) a chapter. Wikipedia might break it down further for the sake of eliminating confusion, but I don't think it's official.
I also did not notice the glow around Ichigo. I suppose it won't be very prominent in the tonight's episode though, since this is the episode they finally make their cross into Hueco Mundo. It would be a very interesting thing to spot, though.
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If we had a discussion on favorite bankai's, it was either a long time ago, or one of those things that fled from my mind. That would be a tough one though. Byakuya's is pretty amazing, and Hitsugaya's takes my breath away every time, but I still can't easily say that one is my favorite. I do think that if we ever saw Urahara's, that would be mine. ^^;; I love Benihime, and I do hope he uses her more in the future. >_>
I can rule Ichigo's bankai out right away though. It seems way to bland to me. Just like Ichigo- no developed strategy or tactics....no style! Plus, when he says "bankai!!" in the Japanese version, he sounds constipated. O.O
Thinking about this...well, Byakuya's was the first one I ever saw (o.O). My first clip of bleach was an AMV of the climax of the Byakuya vs. Ichigo fight. I still have the link to the amv in my PM box.;; So, (sorry Hitsugaya) but I'm going to go with his.
He must have spent a lot of time training with his zanpukto. I do wonder if Ichigo could achieve such an intimidating level if he spent enough time on training. But the question is....would he even have the patience? Or better yet....does Byakuya's patience come from extensive bankai training? xD;;
Spoiler: I think it's probably its raw power and the clamness Byakuya keeps while controlling it. Plus, who doesn't like a million swords ready for your use? ^^;; But, the fact that the bankai itself has levels is pretty cool too. Most bankai you go from one thing to another, but Byakuya's is very developed, having 3 or 4 stages of it.
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