#/ i love mayuri. fav captain.

[bleachbleachbleach]

In a previous post we mentioned our favorite "ships" but then the post got way too long to describe why they're our favs. In case you were curious, some explanations can be found here! Please don't take any of these seriously 😅

Putting under a read-more cut because this post is way too long:

whipplefilter:

- Basically any kind of weird oddball thing brewing in the 12th, especially if Akon is involved. I don't see why this would require further explanation.

- Soi Fon/Rukia, because of Rukia’s comment that "Soi Fon is nice." I’m into this one specifically as pseudonymous epistolary exchanges in the SC, where Soi Fon writes her sapphic column and Rukia is a fan. Rukia used to share these letters with Renji, who also enjoyed them, until Rukia let slip that they were related to Soi Fon’s I-thought-that-was-about-military-strategy! column, and then he didn’t want to read them anymore because Soi Fon is a Captain and it feels Weird to him. Rukia does not think it’s weird because "Soi Fon is nice."

I think Rukia’s letter persona would be, for Soi Fon, a welcome change from Yoruichi’s emotional unavailability and her own reticence; and Rukia would enjoy writing the letters to continue cultivating the parts of herself that don’t fall prey to her own emotional unavailability. Soi Fon would also have a lot of insights as to courtly romance/tragedy, and I think Rukia would probably get a lot out of their exchanges in terms of trying to imagine Hisana’s life with the Kuchiki, about which she has only the barest details.

- Hinamori/Kira, Hinamori/Nanao, and Hinamori/Isane — because I think Hinamori deserves all the love, and also because I think her time in recovery after Aizen would afford her really, really interesting relationships with all of these people—Kira for needing to contend with their trauma at the hands of their captains; Nanao for being someone Hinamori gets to know better through books; and Isane as a result of her time in 4th and as their relationship continues to shift through TYBW and beyond.

Possessive/jealous Hitsugaya is very popular on AO3—well, it's a popular dynamic for a lot of anime ships—but I think he’d be in favor of all the Hinamori ships. Even in a universe where none of these ships happened, I think Hitsugaya has probably considered and assumes-is-likely that they have/are. *He* knows what the VC social scene is like. Plus, to be properly possessive I think he’d have to feel like he had some claim over her, or her time, and I don’t think he feels that. Hinamori deserves the world; and that from his perspective, that is more than he can give her.

- Kira/Akon/Rose/Hisagi - sloppy Gotei, gothic edition. This does not require further explanation.

I'm not at all serious about these, but I am very serious about my fascination with these workplace dynamics: 

- Soi Fon/Hitsugaya, because in the final showdown against Kuchiki Kouga and the Grand Slam Breakfast’s worth of Menos Grande at the end of the Zanpakutou Rebellion Arc, Hitsugaya somehow ends up in charge of this, giving orders to Soi Fon, who accepts them without question. And it was a little baffling tbh, so I am intrigued by what their relationship is like!

I say "baffling" but what I mean is, okay. In canon, Hitsugaya is almost universally well-treated by his fellow captains (minus Mayuri). They clearly respect his abilities, and Soi Fon is generally inclined to follow authority. Maybe it’s tactical experience to take his direction. But at the same time, 1) it’s Byakuya’s kooky family member to blame here. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE GROUP, BYAKUYA, 2) I still don’t think any of the captains know each other that well, which tends to make for poor teamwork, and 2) there is no earthly reason why anyone should assume Hitsugaya had any better idea of what they should be doing than anyone else. No one had any idea what was going on for this whole arc! What’re you doing, Soi Fon! I keep coming back to this moment and I’d be down to see what shook out of it.

- Byakuya/Hitsugaya/Zaraki, because literally the same reason as above. Byakuya and Zaraki just took Hitsugaya’s direction? During the Regai arc. Who put Hitsugaya in charge again? Guys, he does NOT know what he’s doing, either. I think all the captains like being in charge, but apparently Hitsugaya likes being in charge the most (and/or has the fewest reservations about doing extra work/incurring reputation-damaging liability).

Anyway, Byakuya then literally spent his fight with Reigai Hitsugaya asking Reigai Hisugaya all the questions about Hitsugaya he had in his head but never broached with Hitsugaya directly, and then Hitsugaya and Zaraki fight Inaba as the worst tag team anyone has ever seen. If that doesn’t scream ship, then what does??

ippoddity:

-Traitor Trio (Aizen, Ichimaru, Tousen) and their lieutenants (Hinamori, Kira, Hisagi), I actually spent A LOT of time screaming about these guys with @crysuzumushi, and they can tell you that I often run myself into circles and screaming at the sky. But the character dynamics and relationships (whether or not they are romantic) are just so layered and complex. I love it.

-Relatedly, incarnations of Ichimaru/Tousen/Kira/Hisagi and however you want to pair them off, see above, except maybe even moreso than with the addition of Aizen and Hinamori into the equation. There’s a lot of Tousen/Hisagi that I think about.

-Hisagi/anyone, I mean… this is more about Hisagi and a study of his character. But I imagine that at some point Village Child Hisagi was very desperate for acknowledgement, attention, and affection, and therefore I can see him being paired with just about anyone.

-Zaraki/Mayuri, look these two stand across from each other at captain’s meetings and I’m sure they’ve done their share of eye-fucking across the aisle. It probably just started with Mayuri staring down Zaraki, and Zaraki took that challenge. It started as enemies to lovers, except they never really hit that “lovers” stage. I love this for all the potential of gore/vore/body horror/pushing the limits of physical limitations because that seems like something they would be very into.

-Kyouraku/Ukitake, these two have known each other deeply for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. Their history alone sets the stage for a very interesting relationship. Also, there’s lots of cute fanart for them!

-Rose/Kira, I blame @cryinglittlepeople for this one because I can’t get enough of their art! Also, Kira is in such a fragile state after Ichimaru, and I think Kira really deserves some love and appreciation.

[bijectiveandinvertible]

😏😏 for the bleach ask (I hope I'm not sending to many) 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 15, and 16, if you could please?

Here are my answers... :D. thank you for sending me the ask...

2. Who is/are your least favorite character(s) and why?

I will name you my three least favorite characters….

Mayuri Kurotsuchi <- I disliked him strongly in the Soul Society Arc. But now I am more irritated at his constant insertion in the narrative (in the TYBW!) that cudgels other characters' panel time. 

Aizen <- I love to hate him! I will never forgive him for what he did to Momo… He is an incredible villain though just fantastic.

Ginjo Kugo <- He is my least fav of all of them but my most fav as a villain. I personally think he is the best villain in all of Bleach especially when you think of how human both him and Ichigo are.

3. Favorite minor character?

 I guess Yamada Hanataro. He is such a cutie-pie and so brave. He is terrified but so courageous.

4. Favorite zanpakuto?

Senbonzakura. Has a very concrete theme that matches her master, Byakuya Kuchiki perfectly + really good shikai and bankai.

9. Favorite captain?

Unohana

10. Favorite lieutenant?

Isane Kotetsu. What can I say I am a squad 4 stan :3c

15. Favorite arc and why?

This one’s difficult to say. All of the official arcs have good and bad moments (in term of writing)... Arguably I really love those very early chapters of bleach which truely focused on the theme of grief and survivors guilt. The entire substitute shinigami arc is top notch. I also love the Lust arc… its incredibly well done; the everything but the rain arc is also a favourite along with the Headless Star chapters.

16. Favorite movie and why?

The live action. I think the story adapts the overall manga well condensing it into a movie.

Please note answer 6 spoils the Bleach: TYBW Season 2 Ending.

6. Favorite bankai?

Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji <- Senjumaru’s bankai. IT'S A LOOM! As someone who appreciates fabric arts a lotttt and fabrics in general. It has to be Senjumaru.. 😀

[unohanadaydreams]

Don’t ask me why I made this, just know that I’m right and this is not just a Headcanon post but real. It’s not me having brain worms haha that would be insane. Honestly I just started thinking about how the hell arc introducing Seireitei approved social media would be such a mistake but god would it be fun to watch.

The Current Captains On Social Media

Shunsui Kyoraku - Failed erotic novel author turned romance/erotic novel reviewer. The fan base for his work is very small compared to his actual following. There is some divide in his followers—those who follow for his life updates and those who want to hear him talk at length about his latest read. Funnily enough, his quick, messy posts usually paired with scenery or a selfie are his most popular writing, often hailed as snippets of his poetic soul. Lots of people want to give him a hug.

Soi Fon - Adamant privacy and safety poster. Took to code and anti-virus technology well, much to Mayuri’s annoyance. Posts tips and tricks that read more like demands. Is known for her bitchy responses when followers @ her with their progress that are eaten up gratefully. Her advice is punctuated by posts admiring athletic women and these women make up the bulk of who she follows. She seems to admire runners and lifters the most. Her threatening posts when people hit on her too hard/with too many notes to back them up are turned into copypastas.

Rose Otoribashi - Has one of the larger followings thanks to his nostalgic visuals as well as his dedication to frequently posting new music. He has a personality that’s easily digestible when viewed through snippets. The fact that his passion is music and his job is news/editing also do him a lot of favors. He loves doing live streams and encourages his followers to perform for & with him.

Isane Kotetsu - Her growth being captured on social media not just as a captain but as a person has given her a fan base that feels extremely protective of her. She’s less known for what content she brings and more for her personality. Any creative content she posts is likely to start trending. Especially her ‘peaceful morning’ videos and reflective writing. She’s one of the more interactive posters, beloved for her encouraging responses.

Shinji Hirako - As a more private person, he doesn’t have much of a following and his most popular posts are candid moments posted by others. Lisa is a large reason people consider him endearing in anyway. Definitely the kind of person who is either considered cringe or cool with little in between. The kind of guy who asks what he should do with his hair and then goes with an option that wasn’t listed.

Byakuya Kuchiki - Has an extremely scheduled and curated presence on any site he’s on, but is nonetheless adored. He used to ask Renji and Akon for advice on how to handle some of the more online behavior (like being @ed by women who photoshop them as their date to events or being asked how many notes a date would cost) but stopped quickly. Turns out saying something is flattering leads to more of that behavior. Any selfie he posts is edited and reposted into oblivion until it’s thousands of people’s pfp.

Tetsuzaemon Iba - Despite him being one of the most well rounded captains personality wise, he gets put onto block lists the most for his dedication to concepts of manliness, which are easy concepts to feed to the social media outrage machine. Women’s Association vs Men’s Association is a popular meme where the former is something sensible and the latter is something ineffective/archaic. That being said, he’s also known as a ‘problematic fav’ and people will often post memes about abandoning their feminism for a few minutes to like his selfies and training videos.

Lisa Yadomaru - Another captain with a large love and hate following. Often picked apart for interacting with porn/hentai accounts, thirsting after women openly, and posting pictures alluding to her sexual escapades. Despite her account being regular food for the outrage machine, she doesn’t seem to care or pay attention to it and is forever horny on Main. She posts a lot of candid photos/videos of her friends. Recommends the best fucked up fiction.

Kensei Muguruma - Of course he does cooking videos, but what really does well are his cooking challenges. He forces his lieutenant, friends, and colleagues to compete with him on making a better dish on a time limit and often with other handicaps. Usually wins. His bloopers get a ton of mileage when he posts them. His merch is constantly sold out. People often dress up as him for Halloween/conventions, usually with foam or blow up arms/abs.

Toshiro Hitsugaya - Another captain with a huge following due to him approaching social media with his tireless work ethic. His ice sculptures are very popular and his pop-up galleries sell out in hours. Is actually a huge fan of ‘cozy’ games and is known for having beautiful towns/farms/ect that showcase his attention to detail. He does events in Minecraft sometimes, where he guides people through building large scale projects (and also feels like he’s making friends but that’s left entirely unsaid). A bit harsh, but beloved.

Kenpachi Zaraki - People question if it’s really his account because it’s so random at times, but he posts videos of him mowing down his subordinates during training so it has to be. The odd content includes engaging with easy recipes & activities for toddlers and increasingly complicated punk hairstyles that he really does try out. He also posts weekly, asking for people to volunteer and fight him. The human world especially loves this and he gets a lot of responses. He tries to set up times to fight them but Nanao threatens to delete his accounts and put him on suspension if he attempts to follow through. He posts a lot of post-battle pictures and humans gobble it up. “Just fought *insert ridiculous thing here*” is a huge meme.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi - He is constantly making new accounts and circumventing bans for posting links to his old lab work, that often involves heinous amounts of gore. Actually does have a following, often from those within his own division, those hoping to be in his division, or humans who see him as edgy and a little bit off his rocker, which they think is cool. He posts pictures of himself whenever he switches up his look. And posts Nemuri a lot with unhinged captains about how she’s going to outpace even the head captain and no one could make someone as special & smart as her. Just comes off as a really passionate dad. Plenty of people are convinced he’s a creepy pasta project ran by a dude with a daughter.

Rukia Kuchiki - Like Isane, she’s really loved for who she is rather than creative content. Even her attempts at being stern and ‘captain-like’ are fawned over. She has a line of children’s books, stickers, and notebooks with her cute drawings. Her most popular set was when her daughter contributed. The human world is convinced Renji is her house husband and her life is generally seen as all around ‘goals’. Her posts are riddled with mistakes and very sporadic; she’s posted accidental live streams while she did paperwork and they went viral. She posts tons of candids of her subordinates and family but they are usually blurry or actually videos.

[dopepoisonivyoncrack]

For the Bleach ask, 7, 8, 31, and 49! <3

7: Most attractive male character

*sweats* haha, do I really have to choose?

Uryū is a whole package and a fav since day 1 so I'm going with him. He shares his no. 1 spot with Askin. 

8: Most attractive female character

Hard to choose again cuz I like some of the girls for different reasons that don't have to do with their looks. I'm gonna go with Candice here though.

31: Favourite bankai

I like Yamamoto's bankai.

49: What division would I join if I were a shinigami

Another hard question. I searched the flowers and their meanings, that are some sort of guiding lights/hints to the squad's purpose to see which would fit me. Thinking also about the captain of those squads and what the squad actually does.

4th Bellflower - Those Who Grieve Are Loved

Is one option, as irl I research medicinal remedies it kinda puts me in the healer zone

5th Lily of the Valley - Sacrifice, Danger, Pure Love, Humility, Sweetness

I resonate with the 5th squad aesthetic, I would serve under Aizen but not under Shinji.

8th Bird of Paradise - Everything is Obtained

I think I could fit in the 8th squad as well and I'm fine with Shunsui as captain.

12th Thistle Vengeance, Strictness, Independence

I once said that if I'd die and reach SS, I would climb my way to replace Mayuri as 12th captain. I am a scientist myself and just the fact that I know about research ethics and human&animal rights would make me a better captain and scientist than him. I am also very sick of the whole mad scientist trope and the bad light it throws on us. It can be done differently and I would show it.

[wonderfulchaos69-blog]

15, 30, and 33 (つ≧▽≦)つ

Thanks for the ask, bb~

15: Top 3 Character Backstories

1. Urahara from Bleach, Turn Back the Pendulum was my fav. All those interactions with Yoichi and Hiyori. AND MAYURI. Plus, when it was revealed he was Division 12’s Captain??? I was like FUCK YEAH. MY MAN, MY DUDE. I have a thing for shady shopkeepers with questionable pasts.

2. Dorian Gray. An impressionable, foolhardy, outwardly beautiful man. You have to know his past, to know his future~ Such a vain guy that wasted away into nothing when he couldn’t see what was in front of him all along.

3. Shura from Ao no Exorcist. I like my characters with a hint of darkness, what can I say? Her backstory makes me both sad and yet … I love her? So much? Thank you, Shiro, for saving this wonderful woman.

30: Top 3 Tearjerking Moments in Fiction

I CRIED A LOT IN NATSUME YUUJINCHOU, WHY YOU GOTTA MAKE ME CHOOSE

uhhh, let’s see. I think the moments that really got to me were:

1. A Single Photo, The Door of Memories, A Long Way Home - this entire arc from the anime, and its corresponding manga chapters. Precious child and his precious dad. Moving on and letting go themes, as well as remembering the past in order to take those steps forward. I always, always end up crying at the end of season four. Just ask Lael.

2. Asagi’s Koto - which made me both laugh and cry. There are moments where Asagi takes over Natsume body and acts very feminine, which beguiles his classmates. It was the ending of this story that made cry, because she just … wanted her last moments … to be with her most cherished friend??? Someone who didn’t even realize he had her friendship all along?

3. Melting Into Spring - JUST LET THE SNOW BUNNY BE HAPPY. omfg, Gen and Sui made cry WAY TOO MUCH. Sui wanted to see a seven colored rainbow to make a wish on for the sake of humans. Gen wants nothing more than for Sui’s happiness. This is a really, really bittersweet story. AND NATSUME PLANTING A FIELD OF SEVEN COLORED FLOWERS FOR SUI AND GEN. I CAN’T DEAL WITH THAT LEVEL OF PURENESS.

33: Top 3 Awesome Moments in Fiction

1. From Harry Potter - Hermione giving Draco Malfoy a piece of her mind and then some. And since actions speak louder than words … Look. Just, look. Hermione was what I read the series for and what I CONTINUED to read the series for - this was a spotlight of my youth. Like, damn. You go, girl.

2. All right, so. A few of you have read my Mermaid AU for Sakuya - and yeah, you probably know where this is going already, but the ending? Of Hans Christian Anderson’s tale? Well, there was a bit more to it than just the little mermaid turning into sea foam and drifting off into sea. She was given a chance - a chance to earn a human’s eternal soul. She became a sprite of air who was prompted to do much good in the world, wherever the winds may take her, before she could be granted it. But it is a hopeful ending, and I quite liked it. That feel of ‘second chances’. A chance to correct a wrong by having made an inherently good choice. Rewarded for staying her hand on the young prince’s life.

3. From Servamp - Kuro’s inner world. That was … a really cool thing to see and learn about. We get a few hints of the others, like Hyde’s and Lily’s, but with Kuro’s … we got to explore it alongside of Mahiru and that was a fascinating experience and really enthralled me as someone who likes to write and read and is interested in psychology.

Asks My Top 3s

[bleachbleachbleach]

Hello there! I'm glad to see proud Bleach fans like you! Seems like you appreciate and cherish the existence of every characters. But is there any Bleach character that you dislike, or just simply couldn't tolerate their action or contribution on the story? Tell us tell us!

There are a lot of characters to love! Though I think it helps to be two people, because while our faves do overlap they're not identical, so there's double the coverage. XDD

I think it's probably giving us too much credit to say that we cherish every character, but I think what's reflected in this blog (and this is mostly the deft work of my co-blogger, because she does a lot more of our reblogs/queue) is the pleasure of appreciation. If someone shares phenomenal fan art of a character who is not one of our personal blorbos, the art is still phenomenal, so that's cool to see, and the artist's love of that character is also very cool to see, so what's not to love?

Same goes for appreciation in-series, honestly. Like, my co-blogger does not like Yamamoto. (Sidebar: The Third Captain Amagai Arc was some kind of Yamamoto Image Recuperation Arc but we all know he's a war criminal and they all know he's a war criminal [and so are most of them] but and IN THIS ESSAY I WILL--) But a bunch of characters in Bleach clearly do love him, so sure, let's appreciate that. Same with Soi Fon and Oomaeda--Soi Fon does acually care about Oomaeda, and Oomaeda cares about her, so sure, let's appreciate that Oomaeda is part of this network of care.

The opposite isn't true, though, where if a character is hated in-series we also hate them. Usually that also means we love them, LOL. Aizen? Fabulous. Amazing. Top tier. Mayuri? LOVE that guy. You? You torment our favs? Gold star material! You're doing amazing, sweetie.

I PROMISE WE'RE NOT DODGING THE QUESTION HERE. Maybe these are low-hanging fruit, but here are two characters who came up first in our discussion of this ask + one caveat:

Baby Nel -- It happened that we were at Hueco Mundo in our rewatch at the same time as Ichigo was wandering around Hueco Mundo in TYBW, so there was double Baby Nel happening in our lives, and we were just like, "I can't. I can't do this in two timelines at once. IT'S TOO MUCH." The vocal affectation... I can't. XD

That filler guy who accompanied Ichigo and Rukia to the Grand Fisher showdown in the anime -- Why was he there? What did he add? He was there for no reason, and the only thing he added was another guy to animate, in order to ultimately make everything worse. He is the embodied version of a censorship block, because I guess otherwise the scene would be... too sad? Too scary? People talk a lot about how much more IchiRuki the anime is than the manga but boy, this guy was third-wheeling so hard it's a miracle we all survived!

The caveat being, while our disinterest in these two things (or the amount of these two things happening in a given timeframe) is genuine, sometimes we're just as ungenerous about our faves.

I'll confess I did say during our Winter War rewatch that I wished my blorbo Hitsugaya "would simply die" because he and Hiyori were being extremely annoying for multiple extended scenes and Lisa was just LETTING THEM. So take that as you will. 😂

[tuliharja]

THIS is the kind of content I'm here for and to be honest...each time you start to write about your problematic fav (or someone else), I'm all into it. Just seeing someone gushing their favorite? Me:

That Senjumaru, Urahara, and Mayuri combo plus stitching reminded me of this saying/quote (I can't remember it now exactly) that our bodies are just human flesh clothes that we wear. It made me think all three of them seem to think in such a way.

Senjumaru didn't seem to have any sense of privacy when she demanded Ichigo and Renji strip. It was obvious they were kind of like puppets she wanted to dress up, yet with Byakuya, it seemed as if she was admiring a beautiful puppet she wanted to dress up prettily?

With Urahara, we go a step a bit deeper. He isn't above manipulating life and other things, thinking of Jinta and Ururu. Plus, he made the first mod souls. If we think that and the fact of his Bankai...it makes one wonder, if Senjumaru is perhaps the idol of Urahara and Mayuri? After all, Urahara's Bankai reminds eerily Senjumaru and like you pointed out, Nemu/Nemuri reminds Senjumaru. So, maybe Urahara too got influenced by Senjumaru? Yet just like Senjumaru, Urahara wants to fix things but doesn't seemingly have the patience or interest to hone out things as he merely made his Bankai slap the stitches on his face and he was all 'done, now moving on'. The same vibe could be gotten from Ururu and Jinta as only in TYBW do we see them older, or maybe Mayuri for once beat Urahara and created Nemu before them? Even so, Mayuri seems to have the same tendencies as Urahara, using stitches, yet he often prettiest up things, except those arrancars. Why? Was he in hurry? Not that interested? Or, was it just a boring side project he did throw together? But more than often, Mayuri at least tries to pretty things up or cover as we don't see his stitches (on his body), while Urahara seemed unbothered by those. An aesthetic character much, eh? (While it might seem weird to think at first Mayuri + aesthetic, he is very aesthetic in his own way.)

Anyway, love the parallels between the sun and moon. This makes me think...if Senjumaru seems to think of others as pretty dolls, it's kind of ironic in the end Mayuri seemed to come out of his shell (like a butterfly) and saw Nemu beyond 'successful experiment'. (I felt at that moment Mayuri had a huge character growth in the manga. Though it was kind of cute he reverted back to his sulky self with Nemuri, but it was still obvious he allowed his FEELINGS to bleed out just a bit toward her. Makes me wonder...when Nemu was little, did Mayuri experience such things at some point? Or only at the end of her life?)

That reader x Mayuri part was creepily fascinating. (I'm not normally into body horror, but in text form, it goes.) It made me think 'I can fix you' 'But what if there isn't anything to fix?/I don't need fixing'. I bet it would make a fascinating reader x Mayuri fic where Mayuri is sewing his latest masterpiece, yet at the end of the fic, readers would realize Mayuri is in fact sewing his s/o like he was a doctor Frankenstein. Like, we've seen tons of Mayuri doing scientist stuff to his reader s/o, but sewing? Yeah, I can see that also happening.

Exactly! This goes to show the creepy scientist has grown, but he wouldn't ever admit it. (Maybe not even to himself, but at the darkest hour, one night in his lab, there is a flickering fluorescent lamp at the very end at one of his labs. You can see a silhouette of a person, gazing at a tank that has yellowish-green liquid inside of it. You can barely make out inside the tank a person, it reminds you of something, someone. Flash of teeth and those crazy yellow eyes. You end up dropping a bunch of research papers that you were supposed to deliver to captain Kurotsuchi yesterday, but you're a dolt like he would put it. As you bend down to pick those, a long nail pierces the soft skin of your chin, making you lift your look. Ah, you look like a deer caught in headlights. Baby girl, you shouldn't have come when the captain is reminiscing. Bad girls get punished just like good girls get rewarded. Expect...Kurotsuchi isn't one to make difference between those.)

I very much suggest you think critically about your Problematic Favs.

For instance, would the bad scientist man Mayuri Kurotsuchi make his long nail detachable? Does he just snap it off bc he’s macabre and smug about being inhuman? Has he replaced his nail bed so the nail slots in and can be released by pressing on it or some other mechanic very similar to the back of a remote?

Is the nail multi purpose? Is it an emergency scalpel while out in the field and his current fit is too cumbersome to search through it for his other five emergency scalpels?

Is there any sentimentality behind it? Or is there just a great love for the aesthetic? Does he attempt to leave it behind but it just doesn’t feel right? Is it too much a comfort to leave behind? Is it too useful? Did someone tell him it looked good (Urahara)? That it was stupid (Hiyori)?

Does he sit down after a long day, looking through historical persons of science and tap his long nail against the screen and feel he’s carrying something forward? That even in death, he’s doing what they did (but better) and he’s kept the nail. Do they know that in death, even he’s a Pharaoh?