Bleach/Tropes C-D

Tropes for Bleach, C to D:
"Rukia:: Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado 31, Shakkaho!"
 * Call Back: 'Death & Strawberry', the first chapter of the entire manga, has Ichigo receiving Shinigami powers from Rukia. Cue, 459 chapters later, . Appropriately enough, the chapter was titled 'Death & Strawberry 2'.
 * Another example is when Ichigo unveils his . and his pose is exactly the same as the first time.
 * Calling Your Attacks: Most magical effects require this, at one point it's explicitly stated by Ichigo's Zanpakuto that knowing and saying his special attack's name will make it much more powerful. Mashiro also does this in Gratuitous English no less.
 * Activation of advanced Zanpakuto forms, Orihime's abilities. The full incantations for Kido are often this.

"Cuulhorne: 'Beautiful Charlotte Cuulhorne's final, holy, wonderful, pretty, super-magnum sexy, sexy, glamorous... cero!'
 * Calvin Ball: In Episode 303, the shinigami's karuta game turns into this.
 * Carrying a Cake: Yumichika, Hanatarou and Rin make a cake on behalf of the ghost of a dead baker who's unable to pass on until his mother has tried his cake recipe. After various mishaps during the making of it, it's finally presented to the grieving mother, who promptly rejects it. And then the distressed ghost accidentally knocks the cake onto the floor and a Menos Grande almost fries it with a cero.
 * Casanova Wannabe: Kon and Keigo.
 * Cat Fight: Soi Fon and Yoruichi's fight played straight in the sense there was a lot of fanservice, including Clothing Damage, but subverted in that it was also a very serious, very brutal fight.
 * In a bizarre example that starts off comedic but ends on a very serious note, when Charlotte Cuulhorne fights Yumichika Ayasegawa, he keeps acting like they're having a Cat Fight. Yumichika is so far from amused by this that it's not even funny (for him, that is; for the reader, it's hilarious... at least until it gets serious).

Yumichika: 'That's just a normal cero!'"


 * Catgirl: Multiple examples
 * Anime: Multiple examples
 * Cats Are Superior: Yoruichi, upon first appearance, falls under this trope.
 * Cat Stereotype: Yoruichi transforms into a black cat (magic!)
 * The Cavalry:
 * Ceiling Cling: Or more like Air Cling. Shinji pulls one on Ichigo and his gang right before his introduction.
 * Censor Steam: Yoruichi, Mayuri and Rangiku all have scenes involving this device.
 * Cerebus Syndrome: A more subtle than usual example, particularly since death and ghosts have been prevalent throughout the series, but the series has gotten steadily (albeit slightly) Darker and Edgier. The most notable shift is at the beginning of the first real arc when Rukia is kidnapped. The show's openings are the most easily noticed shift, just compare the happy-go-lucky fun of season one to the head-thrashing season three - and this trend steadily continues over the next 12+ seasons.
 * Chainsaw Good: Uryuu, the last person you'd expect to use one.
 * Character-Magnetic Team
 * Characterization Marches On: Mayuri, Mayuri, Mayuri. So cartoonishly evil in his first appearance he was labeled a Complete Monster by many, but in every subsequent appearance, filler included, he's merely been a Cloudcuckoolander Jerkass. This has made him rather polarizing, as some people hate him and want him to die based on his initial characterization, preferably by Ishida's hand, while his fans think he's Crazy Awesome, mostly based on his current characterization. Some go so far as to say he's the only good comic relief in the series.
 * Kon was introduced as a threatening character that was then revealed to be a Technical Pacifist (even putting himself in danger to protect some ants). However, once he was made Ichigo's 'substitute' 'soul candy' he was relegated to status of Joke Character.
 * Chekhov's Gun: More often than it's given credit for. The most notable case is Ichigo's Hollow mask in the Soul Society arc.
 * Even moreso with his hollow form's mention of "truly controlling my power".
 * "Reversing things is a talent of mine." Oh yes it is, Shinji.
 * Chapter 27 briefly mentions that Keigo actually lives outside of Karakura and he resides in a place called Naruki City, flash forward roughly 400 chapters and Naruki City becomes the main setting for the  Arc.
 * Ichigo's character bio at the end of Volume 1 briefly mentions that one of his favourite foods is chocolate, setting up the "You like chocolate? That's cute" joke 48 volumes later.
 * Chapter 56, the culmination of the very first appearance of Renji and Byakuya in the storyline sees Byakuya comment on how Ichigo resembles "him" and that he fully understands the kind of situation where a strong resemblence to someone would evoke the desire to protect. Not only does this set up the revelation of Kaien 77 chapters later but also the revelation of Hisana 123 chapters later. The cover page of this chapter, initially viewed as a dead or unconscious Rukia with unusually shaggy hair, with hindsight better fits the appearance of Hisana who is revealed to have had a much shaggier version of Rukia's hairstyle.
 * Chekhov's Gunman: Very early in the story Isshin was in an argument with someone from Karakura General Hospital and threatened to call their director. It seemed at the time like an idle threat, but then it turns out said director is none other than Ryuken Ishida, who shares a semi-antagonistic relationship with Isshin that is fairly familiar.
 * Iceringer and D-Roy, believe it or not. Their first appearance is after Grand Fisher is beaten by Ichigo, with the former healing him and the latter yelling at him for failing.
 * Cherry Blossoms: Subverted -- Kyouraku Shunsui likes the aesthetic, so he has his lieutenant dump them out of a basket from overhead. Played straight with both releases of Byakuya's Zanpakuto, made up of little blades that look like cherry petals.
 * The Chessmaster: The entirety of the series from The Pendulum Arc (100 years before the main storyline) to the end of the Arrancar Arc is essentially Urahara and Aizen trying to outmaneuver the other.
 * Chest Burster: Szayel does this to resurrect himself.
 * Childhood Friends: There are quite a few of these of varying importance. Tatsuki and Ichigo? Basically used to tell us a little more about Ichigo. The basis of  'partnership' with Aizen.
 * Chivalrous Pervert: Shunsui Kyoraku.
 * Christmas Cake: Although she's never directly called "Christmas Cake" in the anime, Rangiku's age is a very sore point for her, with one filler episode going so far as to even create a male version for the sole purpose of having one kid press two berserk buttons by referring to Rangiku as "oba-san" and Yumichika as "o-san" in the same conversation. The anime later takes Rangiku's age references even further by making it such a big issue in the Zanpakutou Arc . It's worth noting that the manga itself never has an issue with Rangiku's age and it's entirely an anime invention. This is especially jarring because Rangiku isn't the oldest woman in the story but she's the only female the anime has decided to do this to.
 * Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Happened to so many important characters, it's not even funny. Some characters got Chucked Mid-Arc. Justified after the Time Skip Though this doesn't explain what happened to Kon.
 * Chunky Updraft: Occasionally.
 * City of Adventure: Karakura Town is really a spiritual nexus, where all the weird powers are, where all the baddies show up, and where.
 * Clark Kenting: Aizen, of course. It's not a disguise but the resemblance to Clark Kent is uncanny-- thereby earning him a Fan Nickname of his own.
 * There's also the fact that he actually looks different just by removing his glasses and running his hand through his hair.
 * Clingy MacGuffin: Even the Hougyoku's creator couldn't destroy that darn orb! Also, Ichigo's Hollow mask earlier on.
 * Clipped-Wing Angel:
 * In short,
 * Clothing Damage: Happens all the time to male characters, especially Ichigo who eventually reveals  Averted for most female characters except for two: Yoruichi and Soi Fon have a special move that causes Clothing Damage in the process of activating it.
 * Close-Call Haircut: Happens in several fights throughout the manga. See trope page for detail.
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Orihime. Mayuri as well, after his first incarnation.
 * Combat Pragmatist: Several characters.
 * Ganju knows he's not strong enough to defeat Yumichika, so uses every dirty trick in the book hoping that Yumichika will drop his guard because it's so obvious they're not equals in battle. It's his only chance and it works.
 * Gin has the philosophy of striking like a snake in battle. His signature style involves ambush tactics as a result and he even throws dust into Hitsugaya's eyes when they fight.
 * Kyouraku lives by this philosophy. He even lectures his allies to remember that when people go into war both sides are evil so there's no point in trying to be honorable about it.
 * Iba tries to teach Ikkaku that he should be more this way when Ikkaku throws a fight to protect his ideals.
 * Ulquiorra and  both understand what it means to fight an archer. They immediately go for Uryuu's bow-hand and injure it beyond use.
 * while training Ichigo,  to force him to fight   He also  understands that if Ichigo has someone to protect, he'll be more determined in his fighting.
 * Comm Links: How shinigami stay in contact with Seireitei even when they're in the human world. Two types have been seen so far: a single-ear radio-headset style, kept in the uniform and not worn on the ear, as used by Rangiku and Yumichika, and phone style, as used by Rukia.
 * Combat Sadomasochist: Kenpachi is pretty much the avatar of this one too.
 * Comedic Sociopathy: Mayuri's antics are meant to be this, but about half the fans find them to be too horrific to count.
 * Conflict Ball: Head Captain Yamamoto has been accused of doing this by some fans. It's been debated if that's really the case in the series. The movies on the other hand are a different story.
 * Conspiracy Redemption: Played with in that the Soul Society was being manipulated by the Big Bad. They thought they were doing the right thing (even if they didn't like it) and that Ichigo was this terrible invader person.
 * Converse with the Unconscious: Rukia does this a little bit with Ichigo, but Orihime definitely takes the cake with her confession. Even so, he's still Oblivious to Love.
 * Cool Sword: One of the central facets of the series.
 * Cool Versus Awesome: The premise behind the Invasion Arc is this
 * Cordon Bleugh Chef: Orihime puts together weird ingredients that prevent people from wanting to try her food. Her food is actually well-cooked and very tasty, but almost no-one knows that because they're too scared to try her recipes. The sole exception is fellow Cloudcuckoolander Rangiku.
 * Costume Porn: Kubo has expressed interest in becoming a fashion designer. You'd think the series was his portfolio or something.
 * Cover-Blowing Superpower: Ikkaku and Yumichika are two examples.
 * Crap Saccharine World: Rukia's drawings. She explains hollows and pluses to Ichigo by making drawings where the good souls are happy bunnies and the bad souls are angry bunnies. But Aizen as a crafty-looking bear with glasses and the number 5 on his chest takes the cake.
 * Crapsack World: When you die you end up as a peasant in a medieval Japanese slum, ruled by a bunch of Soul Reapers who are generally more interested in getting into fights with each other than doing their jobs. And this is the Good Place. Eventually, you die again, and your spiritual body crumbles and becomes part of the reishi that makes up Soul Society, while your actual soul gets reincarnated back on Earth, in an endless cycle. The only known breaks in this cycle occur if you've committed serious sins in life, in which case you go to Hell after you've died, or if your lingering soul corrupts into a hollow - in which case you can be saved by a zanpakutou, but if you're shot by a Quincy arrow instead, your soul is destroyed forever.
 * Some of this may be changing. See World Half Full.
 * Crash Into Hello: It's how Hitsugaya and Rangiku first meet.
 * Crazy Prepared: Mayuri, Urahara and . Not much a surprise for the latter though, given his characterization.
 * Creator Thumbprint: Kubo's a big music geek and has given every character a theme song from a surprisingly large variety of styles and nationalities.
 * If a chapter title isn't an out-and-out song reference, chances are it's probably A Good Name for a Rock Band. Make of that what you will.
 * Creepy Child: Gin Ichimaru in the Turn Back the Pendulum arc, and  in the recent   arc.
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Orihime, Isshin, Nel, Pesche, Dondochakka and Wonderweiss all take their turns at this trope. See page for detail.
 * Cruel to Be Kind: Matsumoto believes this is one of Gin's most endearing attributes. After he.
 * Cue the Sun: Orihime is used as a sun symbol throughout the manga. When Ulquiorra announces "the sun has already set" it's accompanied by a panel of a bowed Orihime standing before her healing shield which is in the perfect image of a setting sun. Later on, Orihime again has this symbolism when she finally begins cheering on Ichigo in his fight inducing a power-up for him. When Aizen re-kidnaps her, he tells her she should smile more to let the sun shine on
 * Curb Stomp Battle: Most of the fights are this. A few extend into How Much More Can He Take?, but this is standard. See trope page for examples.
 * Cursed with Awesome: The Xcution group hate using their powers because they are similar to a Hollow's.
 * Cute Bruiser: Yachiru, who's capable of lifting Kenpachi (her Captain, himself a very large man) without any problems at all.
 * And to a greater extent, Ururu, when she's not sweeping up the shop.
 * Cute Little Fangs: Hiyori Sarugaki and Haineko both have them.
 * Damsel in Distress: Rukia in the Soul Society Arc, Orihime in the Hueco Mundo Arc, Ishida in the Bount Arc, and Rurichiyo in the latter part of the Amagai Arc.
 * Dangerous Forbidden Technique:
 * Dangerously-Short Skirt: It's almost like Author Appeal - a good portion of Action Girls have worn a knee-high micro skirt at some point.
 * Darker and Edgier: Considering, expect things to get really unpleasant henceforth.
 * Dark Is Not Evil: The shinigami are technically the good guys and they wear black. The hollows are technically the bad guys and they wear white, and Ichigo and his inner hollow follow this theme as well. When Aizen, Gin and Tousen are revealed as bad guys they change from wearing black to white. However, because Japanese and American symbolism on the colors black and white are reversed, 'Bleach' is probably an example of playing to the stereotype (i.e., if it was a western comic, the bad guys would be in black and the good guys would be in white).
 * That said, there's always Uryuu. Quincy uniforms are white but Uryuu is one of the good guys. On the other hand, 200 years ago, the Quincies were massacred by the shinigami because they were destroying the balance of worlds - so, 200 years ago at least, Quincies were technically the bad guys.
 * Nel, her underlings, possibly the demoted Arrancar and Starrk, and Ichigo using Hollow powers.
 * Dark-Skinned Blond: Harribel.
 * Darkest Hour: Several times it has seemed like all hope is lost and there is no way the situation can turn out good for Ichigo and friends, however chapter 458 beats everything before it as . The text at the end wasn't kidding when it said "Zero Hope!".
 * Dead All Along: Kaien Shiba, the vice commander of Rukia's squad and her initial crush.
 * Deadly Hug:
 * Dead Man Writing: Aizen's letter to Momo Hinamori in the Soul Society arc.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Ishida
 * Dead to Begin With: A lot of the characters are post-death spirits. They can still die, however, since the story is influenced by the Buddhist wheel of samsara theme.
 * Death by Adaptation:  due to the anime being cancelled
 * Death by Irony: Szayel, who is killed because Mayuri used the same spy tactics on him that Szayel used to effortlessly destroy Renji..
 * Also, Ulquiorra. What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart Anyway ?
 * Death Equals Redemption:  He spent much of his adult life   as a result  of his friend. One of his deepest fears was   the thing he hated most. As a result, he hollowfied to escape  . At the end, when defeated and dying after his battle , he returns   He has just enough time to make his apologies   absolutely clear before Aizen kills him. Of course, he was dying anyway, but Aizen just wanted to prove a point.
 * Death Glare: Unohana pulls one whenever she has to repeat herself, often without changing facial expression or tone.
 * Death of a Thousand Cuts: Both Senbonzakura and Haineko function like this when in shikai. Senbonzakura's weakest bankai forms usually use this method as well.
 * Decompressed Comic: shifted into a milder form of this midway through the Hueco Mundo arc, slowing down and stretching many fights. Most fans disapprove.
 * Defeat Means Friendship: Several Soul Reapers after they fought Ichigo, and several Arrancars during the fighting in Hueco Mundo.
 * Deliberate Injury Gambit: Kenpachi naturally decides this is the best tactic against Tousen's bankai, which cuts him off from all the senses except touch. Hey, if he gets stabbed, he knows where the person wielding the sword is, right? This tactic is also an example of Fridge Brilliance since he actually contemplates the advice his three subordinates might offer him. He imagines Yumichika telling him to give up beautifully. At first disgusted by his own imagination, he suddenly realises it's inspired him to come up with his plan. Why? Because a Blood Knight would think quitting fighting just to tank a sword solely to defeat the opponent is indeed "giving up beautifully"..
 * Delinquents: Ichigo looks like a punk because of his orange hair, so people pick fights with him all the time.
 * A filler episode has Karin Kurosaki's friends think of Toshiro Hitsugaya as one mainly because of his hair.
 * Dem Bones: Barragan turns into a skeleton dressed in a crown and robes upon releasing his zanpakuto. This is to symbolize
 * Demonic Invaders: Hollows, Arrancar
 * Demoted to Extra: Rukia, Orihime, Chad, Ishida, and Renji. Yes, everyone in Ichigo's Five-Man Band.
 * Ichigo himself.
 * Ichigo suffered more of Out of Focus in favor of the Gotei 13. His own importance has remained intact as opposed to the other main characters.
 * Except during Anime Filler. ESPECIALLY the Beast Sword Arc, considering it's Renji, not him, that kill the final Sword beast.
 * De-Power / Brought Down to Normal:
 * Desert Skull: Neliel Tu Odelshvanck has part of such a skull attached to the top of her head. She lives roaming around the desert that is Hueco Mundo.
 * Deus Ex Machina: The series has so many examples it's hard to list, but a couple notorious examples:
 * Ichigo is  -
 * is basically this.
 * Devour the Dragon: Szayel has apparently specifically designed minions which he can devour to heal himself. In the manga, he actually eats the minion, but in the anime he turns it into a purple orb then eats it.
 * Diabolus Ex Machina: Many examples, but a couple are of particular note.
 * Episode 278 has coming out of nowhere
 * The final fight with Aizen.
 * Diagnosis From Dr. Badass: Yumichika can tell, in the middle of a fight, that a single punch has broken his arm in three different places. He keeps fighting regardless.
 * Did Not Do the Research: Some readers criticize Kubo for his limited grasp of the Gratuitous Spanish he uses.
 * Difficulty Spike: The Nakama easily take care of the Shinigami they fight in the Soul Society arc, and manage to avoid capture easily enough. Then they come across the Captains of the Gotei 13, and the Nakama fall in short order, leaving only Ichigo left.
 * Dirty Old Man: Kyoraku with Nanao, and arguably Lisa as well.
 * Disability Superpower: Tousen
 * Disappears Into Light: How Bount die.
 * Discard and Draw: Happens with both Uryu and Ichigo after they lose their powers the first time (Uryu after his fight with Mayuri and Ichigo after his first encounter with Byakuya).
 * Happened for  again.
 * Yet again,  Not even 7 pages later,   You can just see the look of fear on   when it happens.
 * Dissonant Serenity: Mizuiro in Chapter 413. Seriously,
 * personifies this trope.
 * Distracted by My Own Sexy: Yumichika in Episode 321.
 * Ditzy Genius: Orihime is a straight-A student and third best in a 300-pupil year group. She also has black-belt karate skills (bizarrely downgraded to yellow belt in the anime) and is one of the two most gifted members of the Handicraft Club (alongside Uryuu Ishida who is joint-first best student in the year group and himself capable of Ditzy Genius behaviour). Despite her genuine intelligence, she's also a Cloudcuckoolander with a very active imagination resulting in her having sometimes bizarre reactions to mundane events.
 * Diving Save: Multiple examples.
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?: Yumichika has a "secret power" he very carefully hides out from everyone for fear that, if it got known, he would have to leave or even be expelled from the squad. It can be read as "not having a manly enough shikai". It's so important to him that he's willing to die sooner than have it revealed. Replace "power" with "sexual orientation" and it's easy to see how some of the fanbase interpret his hidden personality. Given that Japanese and American straight/gay stereotypes are often reversed, some of the fanbase regard this as an example of Unfortunate Implications or Values Dissonance instead.
 * During the Soul Society arc, Ichigo's description is "having a sword as big as he is tall" and more experienced Shinigami make much noise about how he's got a ton of power but terrible control; Renji achieves Bankai with a big-flashy Snake, but since he can't control it very well either he gets curbstomped; Gin's Shikai is revealed to be being able to extend his zanpakutou instantly, and at will...there's a reason the Fan Nickname for zanpakutou is "Soul Penis".
 * Not to mention the 69 tatoo on Shuhei Hisagi's face (and as seen in the Turn Back the Pendulum arc, former Ninth Division captain Kensei Muguruma's chest).
 * Doomed Appointment: Aizen Sousuke
 * Don't Fear the Reaper: This trope is in force for the most part. The shinigami are just like humans: they can be friendly, moody, supportive, scary, hostile depending on situation or individual personality type. However, shinigami aren't enemies of humanity even if their focus on the big picture can make them seem aloof at times. Their role is to guide the dead to Soul Society, cleanse hollows of post-death sin so they too can be guided to Soul Society and also to maintain the balance of souls across different worlds. In other words, shinigami are portrayed the same way humans are portrayed: as individuals with their own personalities, worries, fears, foibles, strengths and weaknesses.
 * Don't Look Back: While Division 3 is fleeing a Restrictive Current in the Precipice World, Lieutenant Izuru Kira tells his men "Don't look back". He doesn't want them to be distracted by the pursuing threat.
 * Dope Slap: Rukia and Renji to Ichigo, and Kaien Shiba to Rukia.
 * Double Standard: Played with in the 14th volume of the manga: Uryuu Ishida and Orihime Inoue acquire two Soul Reaper uniforms to disguise themselves with. To Uryuu's alarm, Orihime suddenly begins changing while they're in the same room. He quickly tells her to stop, to which she replies, "You're right. A boy and a girl shouldn't change in the same room together." She then seems to have constructed a personal change room for Uryu, telling him to go ahead. He asks himself while changing, "Isn't it... supposed to be the other way around?"
 * Double Weapon:  is a kusarigama. Usually a kusarigama is a chain with a blade at one end and a counterbalancing weight at the other.   however, has a blade at either end.
 * Dramatically Missing the Point: A guy mistakes a warning, and goes for revenge against the wrong people.
 * Dramatic Pause: The anime fight between Charlotte and Yumichika is full of music and dialogue until the moment Charlotte appears to win. He clarifies to Yumichika what his final attack is doing, and suddenly.... silence. Even the music stops. Cue Glowing Eyes of Doom and Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner as Yumichika proceeds to curb stomp Charlotte.
 * Done to powerful effect in the anime with Hitsugaya . Everything stops: characters, fighting, dialogue, music. Everything. Then the screen itself blacks out. And then Hitsugaya explodes.
 * Dramatic Slip: In the very first episode, the ghost of a small girl trips while she and Ichigo are being chased by a hollow.
 * Drag Queen: Charlotte Cuuhlhourne
 * Drama-Preserving Handicap: During the first half of the Bount arc, Ichigo is having trouble activating his bankai in the real world. Note that this is not only contradictory to the manga, but also of the OAV that took place around the same period.
 * Dramatic Chase Opening: The first Hollow pursuing the little ghost girl that Ichigo cared for.
 * The Dreaded: A comedy example. Strangely enough, it's the warm-hearted Captain Unohana that has this effect on pretty much the entire Soul Reaper army. We've never seen exactly why this is so, so it remains a bit of a Running Gag.
 * Dripping Disturbance: At the beginning of the Bount arc, this happens to Orihime before an impostor disguised as her brother shows up and kidnaps her; the rest of the cast also notice it when they search her empty house.
 * Dr. Jerk: Ryuken Ishida. His relationship with his son is so bad that the latter refers to him by his given name, even by Western standards showing the cold nature of their conflict.
 * Dropped a Bridge on Him:
 * Drop the Hammer: Love's shikai. Actually a kanabo, which is more of a spiked club.
 * Drowning My Sorrows (Kira, Hisagi and Matsumoto do that after the Soul Society arc)
 * Dude, He's Like, In A Coma!: Orihime to Ichigo.
 * Dying as Yourself
 * Drowning My Sorrows (Kira, Hisagi and Matsumoto do that after the Soul Society arc)
 * Dude, He's Like, In A Coma!: Orihime to Ichigo.
 * Dying as Yourself