NEMU IS THE STRONGEST SHINIGAMI? Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Episode 36 Review

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Episode 36 is titled, “Baby, Hold Your Hand 2 [Never Ending My Dream”.

The title is taken from Chapter 644: “Baby, Hold Your Hand 7 [Never Ending My Dream]”, with seven being the number in Nemu’s actual name.

The episode adapts all of Chapter 640: “Baby, Hold Your Hand 3 [Mad Lullaby no.7]” until Chapter 644, with a semi-original post-credits scene that adapts pages of Chapter 630: “Twinned Twilight”, where Jugram Haschwalth faces off against Bazz-B.

A Battlefield of Nerves

The episode continues where it left off as Mayuri laughs at his victory.

This is the third time we see this scene.

However, we see the full scene in action instead of the blip from last episode, as Mayuri witnesses Ashizogi Jizo exploding as Pernida emerges, with its fingers holding multiple Quincy Bows.

This time, the arrows are now controlled by the nerves, such that they swerve and reach Mayuri but hen he is saved by Nemu, something he is upset with as he did not order her to do anything.

Mayuri loses his arm from this and Nemu notices that it is unusual for the mad scientist not to carry a flesh supplement that he always carries.

Mayuri has not been quite his usual focused self in this part of the arc as of late, getting surprised at every turn before and during the battle.

Mayuri mentions how much Nemu has learned without Mayuri’s input thanks to the presence of Ichigo Kurosaki and the battles he brings, thereby giving Nemu the progress that Mayuri had not been able to realize by himself.

Mayuri laments that if anything happens to Nemu, the effort to rebuild a new Nemu would be even more challenging, with Mayuri giving one of the few indications of actual fatherly concern over Nemu.

Mayuri then brings up his plan to take down Pernida: a nerve-freezing agent that would keep him immobile and cease his blood and bodily functions at the cost of being in contact with the nerve freezer.

Nemu freezes one of the arrows, which was held by a nerve, and therefore reach the main body.

The plan fails as Mayuri notices that Pernida somehow has acquired modified Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō

However, Mayuri is even shocked when Pernida speaks exactly like Kenpachi, which is felt through the familiarity in the creature calling him “Kurotsuchi”. Through this, Mayuri realizes that Pernida evolves by taking in information that its nerves touch, like Kenpachi’s tenderized arm or Mayuri’s living Bankai clone, and gauges Pernida’s strength to be almost as strong as Kenpachi himself.

Before Mayuri could be targeted by the nerves, Nemu rushes forward, saves Mayuri and charges right through Pernida’s body, destroying the hand momentarily with raw strength.

Nemu’s Backstory

After witnessing her power here, Mayuri says that Nemu’s goal is to learn and grow, not do anything without his orders.

For most of the story, Mayuri has been abusive to his daughter and although his logic does not justify any of his actions (not that he is looking for it), it seems that he has been actively rejecting the possibility that he has fulfilled his dream.

Nemu reflects on the last time Mayuri had called him Nemuri Nanago (Number 7) and through the flashback, Akon explains to Nemu (and us) that Nemu was the seventh product of the Nemuri Project.

Mayuri says that to create life from nothing is the dream of all Shinigami, who are gods of death, but in reality, according to Akon, this is just Mayuri’s dream.

The name Nemuri is fitting as it means “to sleep” and yet seeing Nemu grow and mature, it is as if Mayuri is living in a waking dream, a dream that never seems to end.

Although most Nemuri were fetuses that died too early, Nemuri No. 5 was the basis for Mayuri to modify his Zanpakuto to awaken Bankai, which allowed him to become a Captain.

All of this took place less than 100 years before the start of Bleach since it would have taken Mayuri, who was 3rd Seat of Squad 12 even as Urahara and Hiyori Sarugaki, some time to perfect his Nemu project.

The anime even gives Nemu a stuffed toy to sleep with, signifying that she is not treated purely as a research subject but as Mayuri’s actual daughter, in spite of the manner that he views both his own squad members and living beings in general.

Nemu is Kenpachi-Tier

When saving Mayuri the first time, Nemu was able to push her system to within 0.8% of its threshold for 6 minutes, much to Mayuri’s surprise as he did not expect Nemu to be able to divide and convert her soul into energy.

This was an unexpected evolution but it seemed to be something Nemu had awareness of for some time even before the battle with Pernida.

Mayuri protests at Nemu risking her life as he wants to see her grow and evolve but for Nemu, protecting Mayuri to the best of her abilities is her way of

So Nemu sacrifices 6% of her soul into an attack, Gikon Jūrinjū, that blows a hole through one of the clones.

By matching a Kenpachi-tier Left Arm of the Soul King, Nemu reaches that ceiling of power but with the risk of losing her life.

Nemu is Here to Stay and Szayelaporro’s Condemnation

After we cut from the information cards, we see the result of Nemu’s destruction of Pernida’s clone and it immediately leads to Pernida’s fragments crashing into Nemu and destroying her immediately, much to Mayuri’s horror.

The dream Mayuri built for decades crashes down like tenderized meat.

The song, “Here to Stay – You’re Staying” is just perfect for the emotional moment as Hazel Fernandes sings of Mayuri’s deep longing to live this dream forever.

In front of him is the vision of an opponent we have not seen in more than a decade: Szayelaporro Granz, Espada No. 8 and the mad scientist of Las Noches.

Like Mayuri, he used his own subordinates as experiments and thought less of them but unlike the Espada, even if warped, Mayuri formed a deep connection with Nemu as in the loss of his prized daughter, he saw his dream end.

This voice is not from the real and hell-bound Arrancar but from the darkest voices in Mayuri’s demented head, declaring that Mayuri has failed as a scientist just like Szayel did from Mayuri’s view because Mayuri, deep down, saw Nemu as that perfection and therefore, he finally felt despair upon losing it.

Dismissing this dark voice, Mayuri chides at his self-worth diminishing and decides to move forward as he lets the monstrous Pernida devour Nemu’s flesh but takes away her brain so that Nemu’s cells can grow out of control to the point that they become unstable and thus cause Pernida to completely disintegrate.

This is why the subtitle of this episode is “Never Ending My Dream”.

Mad Lullaby No. 7 is not the final track of Mayuri’s album.

Toshiro and Rangiku Are Back!

After the battle, Mayuri collapses before Yumichika and Ikkaku, who help him up in spite of his lack of care for them.

Mayuri directs them to two capsules, which hold the recovering Rangiku Matsumoto and Toshiro Hitsugaya, both of whom were zombified after their tough fight against Bazz-B and Cang Du in Episode 17: “The Fundamental Virulence”.

However, they face the risk of shortened lifespans

Still, we will finally see these characters back in action, especially as Toshiro still needs to prove himself after recovering his stolen Bankai.

Ikkaku and Yumichika then place their captain in one pod while the other is occupied by Mayuri, whom the two kneel before out of gratitude.

Has Mayuri Kurotsuchi Truly Surpassed Kisuke Urahara?

Some of you may notice that Nemu’s nature as a unique type of Artificial Soul

Although they are blatantly just referred to as “Mod Souls” in the same fashion as Kon, in the light novel “Can’t Fear Your Own World,” Urahara tells Shuhei Hisagi that they are actually similar in nature and creation to Nemu Kurotsuchi herself.

This was further backed up by Tite Kubo in Klub Outside Q&A No. 135.’

However, with the risky sacrificial feat and accelerated growth Nemu has displayed, at least in this area, Mayuri has surpassed Urahara.

Jinta and Ururu have barely managed to hold off a Fraccion, who happened to be the twin of Espada No. 8 Szayelaporro.

Meanwhile, Nemu’s body managed to fully kill a part of Bleach’s God and Mayuri is still able to create a new Nemu, with fresh memories but more than enough progress to grow.

Will Nemuri No. 8 grow as fast and wisely as Nemu? Maybe not, unless the Hell Arc has something to say about it.

Post-Credits Scene:

This is one of the most packed post-credits scene for the Bleach TYBW adaptation, as there are some interesting changes that could alter some minor scenes or potentially improve other bigger moments in the upcoming final cour.

NEW CONTENT: Yhwach’s Reiatsu Blob Army?

Lilloto Lamperd and Giselle Gewelle encounter an army of Soldat that fire Quincy Heilig Pfeil at the intruders.

Giselle summons her zombie Quincy friends, all of whom but Bambine herself activate their Quincy: Vollstandig.

Since zombified Shinigami like Toshiro Hitsugaya can use Bankai in that state, it is no surprise that Quincy, who are harder to zombify, can use their full powers here as well.

As Lilloto devours most of the Soldat, they seem to rise up and the heads are replaced with the Soul King’s Reiatsu blob monsters that

This could have a lot of implications.

First, unlike in the manga, the blob monsters have an extended role in the story, which explains why they were not absorbed back into Yhwach or completely destroyed by Aizen’s Reiatsu blast or Kurohitsugi.

Those remnants had likely created

CHANGED SCENE: Jugram Haschwalth vs Bazz-B

In the manga, one unmasked Soldat tells Jugram Haschwalth that Uryu Ishida is in Zweist Ast, the second of Wahrwelt’s five branches.

In the anime, Haschwalth remarks that Uryu headed for Eins Ast, the first branch and he is speaking to four Soldat instead

This allows us to change the map of the battle a bit.

From this, we can see that Zweist Ast was likely where Lille Barro was positioned and Renji would not have been far, meaning Uryu was there.

Gerard Valkyrie was also lost but his position would change to Zweist Ast to join up with the Gotei 13 group.

What would be so significant in changing his position here?

Will Uryu encounter Gerard first? Or is this an indication that Uryu’s plans have either started or are already progressing faster than in the manga?

Either way, we might find out in the final episode of the cour.

Regardless of that, we see Bazz-B confront Haschwalth, signalling the start of their battle.

Episode Poem: Nanao Ise

This episode’s poem comes from Squad 1 Liuetenant Nanao Ise:

“Shared memories, unspoken…
The mirror transmits, from the shadows.”

This is another original poem, with Nanao talking about the events of the episode, where Kyouraku explains the Ise Clan’s cursed history and his own involvement in it.

The first stanza indicates the unspoken connection Nanao always had with Kyouraku as when she was young, the latter visited her mother and overhearing how the Ise head entrusted Kyouraku with the family Zanpakuto, with the Ise being unable to have their own Asauchi.

Speaking of, the Zanpakuto, Shinken Hakkyōken, is what is referenced in the second stanza, as the sword, whose name translates to “Divine Eight Mirror Sword”, was sealed in Kyouraku’s shadow or, more specifically, his shadowy Zanpakuto Katen Kyoukotsu.

Katen created the second sword from her own being, Kyoukotsu, to store the Ise Clan’s treasured Zanpakuto, both to hide from the authorities who had executed Nanao’s mother for the loss and to hand it to Nanao when the time was right to bear this burden.

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Episode 37 is titled, “Shadows Gone” and it is the first episode in the TYBW adaptation under Tomohisa Taguchi and Tite Kubo’s greater supervision to have an original episode title, likely the input of Tite Kubo or due to censorship issues regarding the title of this segment, “The Theater Suicide Scene”.

The episode will adapt the end of Chapter 649: “The Theater Suicide Scene 3” all the way to the beginning of Chapter 654: “Deadman Standing”.

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Episode 37: “Shadows Gone” will be released on December 14, 2024.

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