Wow, this week is all about girls on girls action.  A nice change, I fathom.  The chapter starts off with the heat between Hitsugaya vs. Halibel.  Of course, it barely shows any progress because the attention is more towards the battle between Matsumoto and Halibel’s three fraccions (Apache, Mila and Sun Sun).   It is saddening though that the battle is pretty one sided.  But, Matsumoto’s shikai, “Haneiko”,  is doing its job well in terms of offense.

The next scene is about the beginning or the ending of Soi Fong’s fight.  Apparently, the arrancar Soi Fong is fighting with is just a push over.  She immediately immobilizes her on a wall and prepares a Suzumibachi sting.  Practically, that is almost the end of the arrancar whose name we do not know yet.

This chapter is about the assignment of heroes vs. villains or shinigamis vs. arrancars.  Overall, the arrancar side is still more than the shinigami side in terms of manpower.  Almost each shinigami is fighting against an arrancar.  Matsumoto is the only one fighting against three arrancars at the same time.  Ukitake is on stand by mode.  The same goes to Linnette.  Yamamoto is giving out orders to battle like Baragan.  Stark will fight Shunsui.  What a surprise that is!  Both of them have almost similar personalities of being lazy.   Soi Fong and the nervous Omaeda are facing Baragan’s subordinates who look physically alike to captain and her vice captain.   Hitsugaya faces the silent Halibel while Matsumoto will show us how strong she is when fighting against three arrancar at the same time.

I believe the pair ups are good match.  Each complements one another’s characteristics.  We can expect a lot of chapters on the Winter War.  Ichigo and friends can sit back and enjoy the ride for a couple more months.

Hitsugaya and Soi Fong are amazed by Komamura’s bankai.  They feel that Komamura overkills Po with his power.  Ikakku is impressed by the captain’s bankai too.  Then, Iba scolds him for not using his bankai to save the pillar.  He screams that orders from Gotei 13 take precedence over self.  Due to Iba’s loud voice, Komamura overhears the conversation and tells them that he will not reveal to anyone about Ikakku’s bankai.

With the defeat of Po, Baragan is pissed.  Now, he needs to take care of the shinigamis with his own hands.  His fraccion, however, ask him to sit down and let them take care of the mess.  Suddenly, Soi Fong and Omaeda appear behind the group.  Soi Fong and the female subordinate draw their blades.  Immediately, everyone takes his and her position.

So here are the battle partners: Hitsugaya and Matsumoto vs. Halibel’s fraccions, Shunsui and Ukitake vs. Stark and Lilinett, and Soi Fong and Omaeda vs. Baragan’s two fraccions.  In the end, Yamamoto announces that the real fight has just begun!