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The exhibition of Shinji's Bankai in Bleach made an uproar online and created massive scope for discussion. For the first time ever, fans witnessed the 5th Division Captain, Shinji Hirako's Bankai, Sakashima Yokoshima Happofusagari in action.
The combination of visual aesthetics, voice acting, and the OST made it a ceremonial moment in Bleach. The Captain of the 5th Division, Shinji Hirako, released his Bankai and reversed the perception of his foes around, forcing them to end each other's lives.
Anyone around the vicinity of Shinji Hirako's Bankai gets affected by its powers. Given its incredible power, one might feel that the bankai was tragically underused in the anime. However, there's a huge reason why it was for good.
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The indiscriminating nature of Shinji's Bankai poses a threat to his allies, making it a dangerous bankai in Bleach
The anime adaptation of the Thousand Year Blood War Arc of Tite Kubo's magnum opus Bleach showcased Shinji's Bankai in all its glory. The Captain of the 5th Division entered the battlefield and released his Bankai against a horde of Quincy Soldats and turned them against each other.
Shinji's Sakashima Yokoshima Happofusagari encases him with flower petals and emits pink fog within a certain radius. Anyone within its range gets their perception of allies and foes reversed. However, it doesn't affect Shinji because he remains hidden inside the flower petals.
It's an extremely dangerous Bankai in Bleach because it affects everyone around him indiscriminately, including Shinji's allies. As a result, Shinji had to use his Bankai with extreme caution. In the anime adaptation of the Thousand Year Blood War arc of Bleach, Shinji chose the right moment to unleash his Bankai, as he didn't have his allies around him.
Many fans feel that Shinji's Bankai was underused. However, it has to be noted that it posed an immense danger to those around him, and as a result, it was banned to be used in the Soul Society. However, Shinji Hirako unleashed his forbidden Bankai in the Blood War to overwhelm his opponents.
Fans should also know that Shinji's Bankai wasn't illustrated by Tite Kubo in Bleach manga. Instead, it was first revealed in Ryogo Narita's light novel, Can't Fear Your Own World, which is also supervised by Tite Kubo.
Therefore, Shinji Hirako's Bankai in the anime was an original sequence that Studio Pierrot had organized with Tite Kubo's supervision. Kubo intended to include the Forbidden Bankai of Shinji in the manga but didn't have an opportunity.
Given he had the scope to expand from the source material in the anime adaptation, Kubo didn't hold any bars and executed what he originally envisioned. Even though the scene only lasted for a few seconds, it had a massive impact.
One also has to understand the nature, as well as the circumstances behind his Bankai's activation to understand why Kubo didn't illustrate his Bankai more. The entire topography of Seireitei was mixed with allies and foes in the Thousand Year Blood War, making it impossible for Shinji to activate his Bankai.
There was a possibility that his allies would get affected within his Bankai's range. So, he had to be cautious and make note of his surroundings before he could release his Bankai. To some extent, it's akin to Shunsui Kyoraku's Bankai Katen Kyokotsu Karamatsu Shinju, which also affects anyone within its range.
Furthermore, Shinji's Bankai isn't suitable for one-on-one combat. So, because of this reason, he couldn't use his Bankai against Bambietta Basterbine in Blood-War, or against Aizen in Fake Karakura Town Arc. His Bankai is only effective against a horde of enemies, and that's why, Shinji had very limited opportunity to use it in the Blood War.
There's also a theory that if a powerful Sternritter had gotten within his Bankai's range along with normal Quincy Soldats, then the said Sternritter would have emerged victorious at the end of the bloodbath, causing Shinji to battle him at the end.
Shinji didn't have a moment where he could fight three or four Sternritters together, or else his Bankai would have been immensely effective. Overall, Shinji Hirako had to be cautious with his Bankai. He couldn't use it at his whim, because it's a double-edged sword. While his Bankai looks funky and flashy, Tite Kubo had to underuse Shinji's Bankai in Bleach.
Be sure to keep up with more anime news and manga updates as 2023 progresses.
