#The Drop | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

linkspooky · 1 year

Note

With "The Drop" having aired today, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the Battle between the two Kenpachi?

To talk about the Drop, and the battle between Unohana and Zaraki requires talking about Zaraki most of all because he's the real character here, Unohana is more of a plot twist than anything. The reveal only makes her a mirror to Zaraki that makes us learn more about him by comparison. Zaraki just like Mayuri represents a moral ambiguity within the court guard squads. He is not a particularly noble soul, he's not fighting to protect anyone's lives, he's a blood knight who is one hundred percent in it for the the thrill of the chase and kill. Yet, he's an effective enough weapon the court guard squads will use him as a weapon anyway, in spite of the danger he represents.

However, unlike Unohana, and unlike Mayuri there's actually still a lot of man in this monster Kenpachi Zaraki, which is what we're supposed to learn from both this fight and the comparison between them.

1. The Undead

Any one time we throw away pride, we take a step closer to becoming beasts. Any one time we kill an emotion, we take a step back from becoming beasts.

What better than Zaraki's first volume poem to express the fundamental struggle of his character. If he throws away his human pride and lives by his emotions, he becomes more like an animal. If he kills his emotions he takes a step away from becoming a full beast, but at the same time it's at the cost of his emotions deep down inside. "Killing" an emotion is never a mentally healthy thing to do. Considering that Zaraki's zanpakutou is one he doesn't know the name of for a long time, and when he first comments to Ichigo that the reason his bankai is so jaggedly shaped and broken at the edge is because he doesn't know the name it's in pain all the time and taking the wrong form. A sword made out of Zaraki's soul literally has a chipped blade, that's a perfect metaphor for how much Zaraki is holding back and therefore "Killing" his true self.

Zaraki's mirror is Unohana, so what better mirror than someone who has completely hidden her true self to the point where her status as the Kenpachi is a twist reveal.

Zaraki represses his true self, and his true strength chiefly to make fights more interesting, but also for deeper underlying reasons. Whereas Unohana has basically been living as another identity completely opposite to the person she really is, a healer and leader of squad three, masquearading as a quiet and distant motherly figure that's a complete lie and deviation from her original self.

The fight begins with Zaraki bringing up this nuance I mentioned earlier, Unohana and Zaraki are both just like Mayuri one step away from being killers, the kind of remorseless enemies courteen guard squads fight, the only reason they're really on the side of the thirteen court guard squads is because they are useful as weapon. However, I would say Zaraki is a lot different than the other two, and this fight makes it clear why those differences exist.

Number one though just to compare Zaraki and Mayuri, they're extremely different just in regards to how they treat both their squads and their lieutentants. The 11th Court Guard Squad is a bunch of battle hungry brutes like Zaraki yes, but Ikakaku and Yumichika both serve out of genuine loyalty to their captain, Ikaku even hides his Bankai and Yumichika calls his sword by the wrong name because they both don't want to be moved to another squad. Zaraki and Mayuri also have lieutenants who are essentially pseudo-daughters to them, but Mayuri frequently abuses and degrades his, whereas Zaraki lets Yachiru ride around on his shoulder and have the run of the place. Zaraki may be only in it for the kill, but he never uses his position to abuse and degrade others like Mayuri does which makes his men much more loyal to him as a person.

All of this to say that unlike Mayuri, or even Unohana for everything Zaraki says about how he only cares about the fight, and he only keeps people like Ichigo alive because he wants to kill them one day when they are at the top of their game Zaraki of the three has a genuine desire for human connection. Which is why the conflict between human and beast exists in the first place. A conflict that exists for a lot of characters in Bleach as well. To cite Tite Kubo's poetry again.

If I don't wield the sword, I can't protect you. If I keep wielding the sword, I can't embrace you.

A poem about chad, who is another character who wields an impressive amount of strength, but also keeps people at a distance, is afraid sometimes of the strength he wields, and also tends to show his affection for others through actions rather than words. For Zaraki this conflict is actually quite literal too, if he wields his sword at full strength, he'll kill his opponent and lose his chance at connection with someone who is equal to his strength. Heck, he even refers to his desire to fight Unohana again as an aching scar, it's almost romantic coded language to describe his desire for violence.

Zaraki's entire character revolves around this conflict, he believes he's too strong to find his equal in anybody, the first time he fought Unohana it tamed him and made him human because he thought he found someone strong enough to simply exist by his side.

However, that fateful day is also what started Kenpachi's behavior of essentially killing his own emotions, in order to make himself step back from being a beast.

Unohana refers to her sin as both making Zaraki feel the joy of fighting, but also being too weak to actually provide him with a strong opponent that he could keep fighting with, because if he had killed her right then he would have lost the only person he ever found an equal, therefore he just started subconsciously kneecapping himself. not learning his swords name, fighting one handed, wearing an eyepatch that eats up his spiritual energy, all of these things to deny his true self, to the point of self harm to try to find any kind of enjoyment in battle at all. Once again Zaraki is a chipped blade, and he's the one who damaged himself because he just refuses to take care of himself.

However, if you use the metaphor of Zaraki's search for a worthy opponent as a desire for connection too, then Unohana's sin is twofold, not only did she deny Zaraki a strong opponent she also didn't teach him any other way to connect to other people. Unohana is much like Zaraki instead of trying to live as her true self, she instead just suppresses all of herself and lives a lie as a false identity and acting as a healer rather than a fighter. Whereas Zaraki at least is going on a journey of learning to be more open and honest with himself. Zaraki's also selfish, ruthless in a fight, bloodthirsty but he's not entirely a bad guy, there are positives to his personality, Zaraki goes on and on about his desire for an equal but there are already people who want to be around him like Ikaku and Yumichika and people who try to live for the sake of strength that he does so he doesn't have to fight alone.

Zaraki's journey if anything is not just him learning to be stronger and to enjoy fighting again without having to kneecap himself, but also acceptance of his true self. It's not until the quincy arc that he learns the name of his sword and how to wield it, and considering swords are just mirrors own soul how appropriate that Zaraki's sword is a literal child that he takes care of as a surrogate father, because Zaraki himself is an underdeveloped child who's growth has been entirely stunted. If anything despite the romantic coding of their fight, Unohana also takes a maternal role in Zaraki's development. She admits to herself if there's only one person that can be the strongest, than her sword doesn't just exist for killing other people, if her time has passed on being the strongest then it's her job to do everything she can to nurture the next one in line.

Which once again her sin is twofold, not only was she too weak to give Zaraki the battle he wanted, but she also abandoned him immediately after their first fight, when she could have at that point given up everything of her old role in order to nurture that strength. It's only when she truly gives up her position as the strongest, and acts as a mentor to him, to help him grow that he finally is able to learn the name of his sword and take those first true steps into maturity. Zaraki not only becomes the strongest when he slays Unohana he also ceases to be a stunted child and makes his real first steps towards growth.

Because Kenpahchi's greatest fear all along was not having a strong enough opponent, but rather his strength and position as the strongest would render him truly alone in this world without connection, and it's only after facing Unohana that he realizes even if he is the strongest, he has never been alone from day one.

Which makes him different finally from both Unohana and Mayuri, there's more than just the sword for him, there's also the desire to connect which makes him more than a sword, it makes him human.

#bleach meta #kenpachi zaraki #kenpachi unohana #yachiru unohana #the drop #metasks #happy bleach monday #i know i missed like a thousand mondays but the person i was watching TYBW with dropped off the face of the earth #its hard to write up motivation for meta when i'm so behind on the weekly episodes

86 notes · View notes

hirunoka · 1 year

Text

At this point it's safe to say that Bob Saginowski gifs are my emotional support and comfort gifs 😂❤ Because I find myself looking Bob gifs whenever some bad shit happens etc. Can you blame me though? I mean, look at him:

#tom hardy #the drop #bob saginowski #eisy speaks

87 notes · View notes

tomhardymyking · 7 months

Text

Mood right now 🤭 And this suddenly cold weather (in Spain)? Wow 😧 ❄️

How much I love these scenes like this at night in 𝗧𝗼𝗺 films and there are few, I need more 💖 🌃

⠀⠀⠀⠀

Estado de ánimo ahora mismo 🤭 ¿Y este frío que hace de repente (en España)? Uf 😧 ❄️

Cuánto me encantan estas escenas así de noche en las películas de 𝗧𝗼𝗺 y qué pocas hay, necesito más 💖 🌃

⠀⠀

#tom hardy #edward thomas hardy #the drop #la entrega #bob saginowski #my edits #mis edits

90 notes · View notes

mlmxreader · 8 months

Text

Just The Sunshine | Bob Saginowski x gn!reader

Anonymous asked: Bob Saginowski Hiya! Hope all is good 🖤. May I please request something using the following prompts for Bob Saginowski X non-binary, male, or gn!Reader: "Get closer, I want to remember the colour of your eyes" Thank you 🖤🖤! 🐍anon

summary: things get a little heated between you and Bob when he spends the day in the garden.

tws: suggestive content, swearing

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

support your fanfic writers by reblogging what you read & enjoy

Bob was all too aware of your gaze on his back, burning into him so harshly and so hot that it made a cool sweat drip down his exposed skin; it had been a hot day, and it was only natural that he had taken his shirt off.

Exposing his tattoos and his stomach that hung over the edge of his jeans. Exposing his thick arms and his soft back. Flesh your hands and lips had graced a thousand times over, yet now you looked at him as if you had never seen his skin before; your gaze soon turned to hunger when he turned around slightly, giving you a show of his stomach and his chest.

The trail of hair that ran from his navel down, dipping beneath the denim curtain so horribly. You swallowed thickly, bringing your drink loaded with ice to your lips and taking a long, drawn out gulp of it; it clung to the skin above your upper lip as you lost focus, staring at Bob.

Rocco was happy, playing in the garden with his ball on a rope; he tossed it in the air and caught it, chasing it around.

But Bob was busy, chopping back the grass and digging holes for the native flowers that you had picked out together. His hands were rough and dirty, calluses highlighted by the dark mud. Oh, and how the sweat dripped down his body. His skin glistened beneath the thin sheet, the salt of his sweat upon his brow and his hair flat from the dampness.

You squirmed in your seat, suddenly feeling something hot coursing through your veins. Something that wasn't caused by the day's heat. You clenched your jaw, taking in a sharp breath as you let your drink rest on the table, reaching to grab your cigarettes in hope that one would calm you down.

Bob sat on the grass by the table, right in the perfect lighting. The bastard. He took one look at you, and furrowed his wet brows. "You okay?"

You nodded, breath shaky and heart pounding as you did your best to muster the ability to speak. "Yeah, just… just really hot."

"We'll get an umbrella," he shrugged, squinting as he looked at the sky. Sweat on his neck, running down the soft skin. "It's not gonna cool off until later in the week."

You sighed, hoping that your feelings for your boyfriend would fade when it cooled off. But he looked so tempting. The wetness of his skin, glittering. His tattoos all on show and every curve and every bit of chub more than visible. Nothing to the imagination.

Your breath hitched in your throat as you fought back the urge to jump on him then and there. Fuck. Bob could be so tempting even when you didn't want him to be. You cleared your throat, trying to cure the shakiness and the thundering of your own heart.

"Yeah, an umbrella might be a good idea."

Bob pulled his phone out from his pocket, but you were too busy staring at his arms and his chest to even think about it when he opened up the website to a DIY shop and began talking about the prices and sizes of outdoor umbrellas; he had no idea what he was doing to you. He had no idea how tempting he looked.

You knew that most people in the neighbourhood had a crush on him, and that some envied the fact that he was with you and not them, but as you looked at him, you knew that you would feel the same. Bob was everything; charming, sweet, gentle, handsome, and kind. He only ever raised his voice at the dog when he ran off too far and Bob wouldn't be heard otherwise. Bob was great.

You had to admit, you loved him more than anything else in the world… except maybe the way he always made coffee the exact way you liked it. But you couldn't stop yourself, looking him up and down shamelessly.

"What?" He grinned when he noticed you staring, tilting his head to the side innocently. "Something in my teeth?"

You shook your head, licking your lips and internally kicking yourself for being so fucking obvious. "No, just… get closer, I want to remember the colour of your eyes."

Bob didn't question it, dragging himself over so that he could kneel between your legs, a fond smile on his lips. He could be so violent and so cruel, and yet when he was with you, he was peaceful and so gentle. He leaned into the touch when you ran your hand through his damp hair, daring to get up, planting his hands on the arms of your chair. Trapping you and pretending like he didn't notice your hand resting on his chest. He looked at your lips for a moment.

"You're really warm," he said quietly, placing his hand on your cheek. "Anything you wanna tell me?"

You shook your head, swallowing thickly and hoping it wasn't audible when he grabbed your chin between his thumb and forefinger. Your heart skipped a beat as you fought back the urge to whimper. "Bob…"

"Maybe we should go inside," he murmured. "Get you cooled down a little."

You shook your head. "It's just the sun got to me a little bit. I need another drink, that's all."

He nodded slowly, although something told you that he didn't entirely believe that you had just been a little bit dehydrated from the weather; not by the way you were staring at him at least.

"Stay here," he gently kissed your forehead. "I'll get you one."

You nodded, wishing he didn't pull away but still leaning over in your chair to watch him walk away when you were sure he wouldn't notice; you had to fan yourself a little when you leaned back. Fuck, it was great to watch him walk away.

Bob smiled to himself. Even after so long together, you still checked him out and ogled him like it was the first date.

#mlem writes #bob Saginowski x reader #Bob Saginowski imagine #Bob Saginowski fanfic #Bob Saginowski #the drop #the drop movie #tom hardy fanfiction #tom hardy fanfic #tom hardy fic #tom hardy imagines #tom hardy imagine #tom hardy one shot #tom hardy oneshot #tom hardy x reader #tom hardy x you #tom hardy

15 notes · View notes

acourtofantumbra · 7 months

Text

Ever since I reread Crescent City I have been irked by one intrusive thought: why doesn't Bryce have powers like Feyre?

And while, I'll follow that thread to start... know my eye is twitching toward the dragon theory I've been chipping at alone here on my mountain (of crazy). We'll get there. Hold your horses.

Now, here's the thing about the Bryce power = Feyre type power theory... we don't know that Bryce doesn't? A gorgeous double negative I know, but Bryce is told multiple times like, "hey girlie, your workout is future you's warmup... so... get on that." She is very much skimming the surface of her power's full potential. Granted, she doesn't have a ton of folks with the kind of powers we're dealing with on... idk... Prythian? I wonder if anyone there might be able to help her out or has any experience unlocking a stubborn independent female's full potential. Pray for her.

But Feyre discovers she has literally all of the powers because the High Lords each give her a drop (a Drop) of their power. Other than the High Lord equation, show me the difference between these two pictures. (Plz don't do that I know there's more but ssssh)

As we can see in the passage above ^ , Bryce and the Gates essentially activate the "power yielded" by every Migardian who has visited them over the centuries. Notably...

Every kind of Migardian. Bryce isn't just powered up by fae power, but shifters, and mer, and draki, angels, sprites, and just to be cute SJM leaves us with a mf-ing ellipses. She will never let us know peace.

All of this cross species power is able to blast Bryce back up to a battle-torn Lunathion with a power level that makes her AK dad shake in his boots.

But in CC2 we start to explore Bryce's light power that acts as a beacon and conduit for power - she can get "charged up" and notably does something resembling carranam with Hunt. She also learns to winnow (CC version of it). But this is all she's had the time to work on with a group of fae, angels, and shifters who are in a world with a power suck (literally).

But we never see Bryce idk... growing a tail or in Feyre's case sprouting some sexy (Rhys' words not mine) wings. And I find that suspicious as hell. But I also think good things come to those who wait and perhaps that's where we're headed. Obvi there are so many incredible "Bryce and Dusk Court" theories out there... they plague my dreams and I hope people never stop blowing my mind with them. But what about... Bryce casually absorbing all the powers of Midgardians and being a doppelFeyre theories? I'm not equipped to explain what's happening to the people so please someone help me out.

Anyway, there's one more bit. My dragon bit I wont let go. Look, if one day my dragon theories mean anything, I have a group chat who is gonna make me feel like the smartest gal in all the land. If not... SJM... what was with all the breadcrumbs? Anyway, I present you this...

Look, I know I'm talking about dragons and looking for dragons, but also so is SJM. And I just think it's all rather convenient that it's been a back burning plot with ONE OF THE FEW ABILITIES to defeat a Prince of Hel... like... it's gotta materialize at some point. Why not CC3? Why not in Super Bryce? It's Chekhov's dragon.

I also need to stop pushing everything onto CC3 like it will finally give me all the answers because when has Sarah ever done that?

#sjm multiverse #sjm multiverse spoilers #sjm theory #cc3 #crescent city #bryce quinlan #house of earth and blood #house of sky and breath #house of flame and shadow #the drop #feyre archeron #dragons

11 notes · View notes