护廷十三隊十番隊隊長 - 日番谷冬獅郎 (Part 3)

Related post:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Well, today is the young prodigy's big day - birthday of Hitsugaya Toushiro, captain of the 10th division in Gotei 13. Another tribute to my beloved anime character whom I adore so much. His exact date of birth is not mentioned in the series, but we're all the same. No one actually remembers the exact date of birth. You just have to believe the date that someone you trust tells you. It doesn't really matter if it's real. The fact that you know your birthday is already a sign of happiness. - Aizen (sources: Wiki). At the very least Hinamori together with Matsumoto and Aizen celebrated his birthday on the roof top on this day 20th December. If Aizen isn't a bad ass, he is really a great man.

What makes him so cool is his appearance besides his strength at young age.

Ask me how well I know him. My answer is I remember everything. 133 cm, 28 kg, silver hair, genius, talented and much more to explore about him. If you are a die hard fans of Hitsugaya, you will notice that he and Ichigo are the only shinigamis who carry their zanpakuto at their backs. Soi Fon has a different way of carrying. Forget about her. Well, he is definitely popular for enjoying some form of fan service.

He spent his childhood in the 1st district of Rukongai, known as Junrin'an. He lived together with his grandmother while Momo Hinamori was her only friend there. He is always nicked as Shiro-chan by Hinamori, in reference of his silver hair. Both of them form unexplained relationship and share many things together, to the extend that Hitsugaya would do anything to protect her. After 5 years Hinamori left for Seireitei, Hitsugaya encountered Hyorinmaru in his dream, just to realize that he too has Shinigami's power. Assisted by Rangiku Matsumoto who is now his lieutenant, Hitsugaya joined Gotei 13 in spite of his age and quickly became the youngest captain in the history of Soul Society. All the more he was also the youngest shinigami to achieve bankai, earning him a dubbed name of Boy Genius by many. Up to now I am curious to know who was his predecessor. Is it Ichigo's father? Highly suspicious.

Despite his appearance, he is very mature and serious in conducting his duty as a captain. He lives on his principle of righteousness and responsible to protect Sereitei. On another side, most of the time he is short-tempered when he is deemed childish or mistakenly mistaken as a child, much to his annoyance. His sharp intuition led him the first person to suspect of Gin's foul play and betrayal but fail to suspect Aizen for the same.

Enough of his history. What really amused me the most is his abilities and strength at his age to rise to captain level. However, many says he is not as experienced as other captains and his power is not fully developed. Therefore his power is not at his peak. Anyway he is strong and earned my respect ^^.

Hitsugaya's zanpakuto is Hyorinmaru, released by the command 'Sit upon the frozen heaven'. It is claimed to be the strongest ice element zanpakuto, making him to able control water and ice as well as weather freely. Anything that Hyorinmaru cut will turn to ice.

Spiritual power resemblance Hyorinmaru flows from slashes

The chain-blade connected at the hilt freezes anything it traps

Daiguren Hyorinmaru reflects Hitsugaya's ultimate, flowing of ice into his body forming 2 wings and a tail attached to his body while 12 ice flower petals floating behind. His bankai enables Hitsugaya to fly freely in the sky. The ice dragon wraps his arms gripping the blade, whose guard has changed into an 8-pointed star. The petals will slowly degrade in time, probably denoting the time limit of his bankai. Supposedly when they all disappear, he becomes vulnerable and is no longer able to suppress the injuries he sustains with ice, due to his incomplete bankai at young age. That was what Shawlong speculated. But during the battle with Luppi, even if it's shattered, it will reform as long as there's water present. - Hitsugaya. Throughout that battle, there is no ice petals spotted. Now I am confused, what's the ice petals for?

One of Hitsugaya's most prominent skills is Ryuusenka, literally dragon hail flower (left picture), a move which Hitsugaya dashes at his opponent at high speed, freezes any enemy he stabs. By that, enemy is locked in a cocoon-like ice, just to be easily shattered instantly. He demonstrated it in the Arrancar Arc while battling Shawlong Qufong in Karakura Town and in Zanpakutou Rebellion filler while battling materialized Hyorinmaru.

Secondly is Sennen Hyoro, literally thousand years ice prison. Sennen Hyoro is an attack which forms ice pillars from water in the surrounding atmosphere, traps and freezes opponent in the pillars. However the weakness of the powerful move is that he needs to buy some time to build up this finishing move. Which means he can't use it directly in one-on-one fight. That is unless he has a helper that he can depend on. He performed this skill once when battling Luppi in the Arrancar arc during second arrancar attack in northen Karakura Town.

Next skill is unexplained. While battling Tia Halibel, he came back to life when he was supposedly chopped in half, leaving an after-image of ice. Either it acts as illusion or double body, it is yet explained by Kubo Tite. Hitsugaya claims that he can only use this once in the entire battle, one can assume that the skill is very valuable.

The after-image broke off, Halibel was shocked

Guncho Tsurara literally icicle flock (right picture) launches multitude of ice shards to impale the opponent.

Tenso Jurin is Hyorinmaru's most basic power yet the strongest. All water under the heaven is his weapon. For the first time Hitsugaya used his never-seen-before power - Hyoten Hyakkaso (frozen sky hundred flowers funeral). 100 snow petal falls from the sky and blooms into flowers on anything it touches. Instantly freezes enemy into a flower-cocoon like ice. When all 100 petals fall, that marks the end for the enemy. He spoke about his first attempt using this technique in bankai mode, where he was unsure if he can keep from killing everyone around or control it.

Both techniques were used against Halibel. Halibel was caught in surprise to his techniques. But she is not defeated by this technique. Too bad he sounds so confident with his finishing move.

Hitsugaya is made strong, 'coz he's popular and probably Kubo is under pressure not to let him die. Otherwise his fans will kill him before he even has the chance to leave Japan. Just my personal opinion ^^.

Thumbs up to Kubo Tite for bringing Hitsugaya to life. You have done a wonderful work and I hope you can keep on the good job. I would really like to see him more in action. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HITSUGAYA TOUSHIRO!!!

[Jino] - A man's not a man unless he knows how to shoot