Bleach V: Well that was a waste of time (Fullbring? What's that?)

[KnightDisciple]

{{scrubbed}}

More than that, I agree that the "soul balance" thing is malarky. I mean, between the explosive population growth on Earth in the last 200 years, the obviously-stagnant Soul Society (that doesn't look near big enough for covering the whole world, maybe just Japan or something), and the fact that Hueco Mundo clearly had scores and scores of Gillians and Adjuchas (each of which is composed of dozens to hundreds to maybe thousands of souls) just kicking around not entering the cycle...

Yeah, "balance of souls" seems bunk. I can understand them not likely perma-destroying souls. But no, it's not a moral thing of "You're erasing them from existence! It's not really their fault!" (because it really isn't, in the end; Hollows are clearly malignant personalities on top of existing ones), it's "we have to maintain this balance thing that's totally been here forever despite the population of the Earth steadily growing, our population apparently staying static, and Hollows not really decreasing notably in number either".

And then Mayuri goes and kills out thousand and thousands of people with no warning, instead of using his science to...oh wait, his science is only good, ever, for bringing pain and death. Literally the most constructive things I've heard attributed to him are a.)his clone daughter who seems much less evil than him, and b.)Kenpachi's eyepatch (which still ultimately brings pain and death, but at least it's not turned against helpless Pluses, since they're not worthy of a fight with Kenny). This is a man who turns his subordinates into bombs. He probably didn't try to find a way around this "imbalance" because he gets sick jollies from slaughtering people who can't fight back (because heaven forbid his targets actually be able to hurt his morally and intellectually superior self).

And somehow he's lecturing the Old Man on his morals?

I'm kind of with Anteros and some of the others on this. Soul Society is basically like "what's the worst way to run an afterlife? Let's do it that way!".

Seriously, I hope Uryū kills the clown-faced son of a gun with an arrow to the FACE.

[Tebryn]

Hollows are clearly malignant personalities on top of existing ones)

Really? Sources? Even the animals that become Hollows? All we know is that a hollow is made when a soul chain is destroyed. "Malignant" personalities (what ever that even means) seem to be more likely to go to Hell.

[KnightDisciple]

Really? Sources? Even the animals that become Hollows? All we know is that a hollow is made when a soul chain is destroyed. "Malignant" personalities (what ever that even means) seem to be more likely to go to Hell.

Um, example 1, Acidwire. He had to tear off his mask to stop wanting to kill his sister. By default there was an evil, malignant personality overlaid on top of his.

In addition, we only see a couple of Hollows get dragged to Hell when Ichigo cleanses them. The implication is that while souls that become Hollows aren't saints, they're typically not evil. Instead, it's the Hollow nature itself that twists them, overlays them. I mean, those souls that become Hollows largely don't start out wanting to eat other souls.

That's kind of the whole point behind the fact that Shinigami blades purify the Hollow taint; it frees the soul inside the Hollow to go to Soul Society, rather than remaining trapped inside a soul-devouring monster.

[Frozen_Feet]

"Malignant personalities on top of existing ones" is not really a good descriptor. It's more that Hollows are driven insane. The crux is, it's not their fault. Their inability to move on is not their choice. Souls that become Hollows are not fundamentally evil, which is why Shinigami don't judge them, only fix them.

[Dusk Eclipse]

One could argue not all Hollows are driven insane (or that they can regain their sanity) as most of the higher tier hollows (Adjuchas and higher) tend to be calmer and rational (battle lust not-notwithstanding)...or is that a by-product of the Arrancar process?

[HandofShadows]

{{scrubbed}}

As to why there is not third option? The real world is not a story where the good guys win and the bad guys loose. There are many times in life where you don't have a good choice, just bad ones. This is an extream case but it illistrates what I am talking about. Take a person trapped at the top of a burning building. No hope of rescue. Do you jump off the building and kill yourself? (fast suicide) Or burn to death? (slow painful death) No third option in that situation.

This is the kind of situation the SS is in or belives it is in. I don't know if it has even been stated what the results of a large imbalance would be.

[Frozen_Feet]

One could argue not all Hollows are driven insane (or that they can regain their sanity) as most of the higher tier hollows (Adjuchas and higher) tend to be calmer and rational (battle lust not-notwithstanding)...or is that a by-product of the Arrancar process?

It explicitly is, as stated by Ulquiorra and Neliel. Note also that "calm and rational" is not the same as "sane". Ulquiorra is perhaps the poster boy of stoicism and rationality among the Espada, but his unempathetic nature suggests a very disorderous psyche by human standards.

[thubby]

One could argue not all Hollows are driven insane (or that they can regain their sanity) as most of the higher tier hollows (Adjuchas and higher) tend to be calmer and rational (battle lust not-notwithstanding)...or is that a by-product of the Arrancar process?

I've been working under the assumption that hollow are crazy and arrancar cobble together a functioning personality from the broken bits of the other hollows they've consumed.
the more material they have to work with, the more likely they are to be reasonably functional.

[Dusk Eclipse]

It explicitly is, as stated by Ulquiorra and Neliel. Note also that "calm and rational" is not the same as "sane". Ulquiorra is perhaps the poster boy of stoicism and rationality among the Espada, but his unempathetic nature suggests a very disorderous psyche by human standards.

I see, hmm I might have to re-read alot of the manga as I have forgot a lot of stuff. And perhaps sane was not the best choice of word, functional maybe.

I've been working under the assumption that hollow are crazy and arrancar cobble together a functioning personality from the broken bits of the other hollows they've consumed.
the more material they have to work with, the more likely they are to be reasonably functional.

IIRC it was stated that a Menos evolved to Adjuchas level when one hollow asserted dominance over the other hollows that formed the Menos.

[KnightDisciple]

Doing nothing still means that millions will die. So it is still the 2nd option. And choosing not to do anything has a number of negative conotations that many would consider insulting (and would be a violation of the forum rules).

As to why there is not third option? The real world is not a story where the good guys win and the bad guys loose. There are many times in life where you don't have a good choice, just bad ones. This is an extream case but it illistrates what I am talking about. Take a person trapped at the top of a burning building. No hope of rescue. Do you jump off the building and kill yourself? (fast suicide) Or burn to death? (slow painful death) No third option in that situation.

This is the kind of situation the SS is in or belives it is in. I don't know if it has even been stated what the results of a large imbalance would be.

I'm not convinced this was the only way. We have only the word of a bloodythirsty psychopath masquerading as a "scientist" (suffice to say his practices would get him the evil eye from anyone who wouldn't invoke certain "laws" about internet discussions).
Why do we take Mayuri at face value?

The very fact that he hid this act, did it in secret, casts immediate suspicion on the validity of his words and actions. Someone who believed there was a crisis would have informed the chain of command, or just been more proactive about it.

To parallel your analogy from a couple posts ago, at least Truman gave Japan a chance to surrender, warning them in general terms of what would happen.

And as pointed out by myself and a couple others, why do we even subscribe blindly to this "soul balance" idea when the math doesn't seem to add up.


RE: Insanity in Hollows:

Well, really, FF and I said the same thing, just in different ways. But my point was that Hollow souls that are cleansed go to SS as themselves, not lacking anything. They generally aren't insane. So in my mind that means the original is "buried" somewhere in there. If it is "insanity", it's some weird form of DID. That's what I meant by a "new personality". I mean, many Hollows have no recollection of their mortal life.

Arrancar are hybrids born (typically) from Hollows carrying a large number of souls. So...yeah. They're gonna be wonky no matter what.

[lord_khaine]

I've been working under the assumption that hollow are crazy and arrancar cobble together a functioning personality from the broken bits of the other hollows they've consumed.
the more material they have to work with, the more likely they are to be reasonably functional.

This is unlikely, the best point of evidence here is arrancer nr 1-3, they didnt really change personality from before and after they were changet from vasto lords into arrancars.

I'm not convinced this was the only way. We have only the word of a bloodythirsty psychopath masquerading as a "scientist" (suffice to say his practices would get him the evil eye from anyone who wouldn't invoke certain "laws" about internet discussions).
Why do we take Mayuri at face value?

Because Mayuri tend to be pretty honest about what he does?

The very fact that he hid this act, did it in secret, casts immediate suspicion on the validity of his words and actions. Someone who believed there was a crisis would have informed the chain of command, or just been more proactive about it.

I doubt this, if there had not been such a thing as a soul balance, then i doubt Genrusei? would have acceptet his explanation.

And as pointed out by myself and a couple others, why do we even subscribe blindly to this "soul balance" idea when the math doesn't seem to add up.

Proberly because the soul balance is mentioned by someone who has access to all the data, and are able to actualy do the math, unlike us?

[KnightDisciple]

Because Mayuri tend to be pretty honest about what he does?

I'm saying Mayuri's a sick piece of work who should be locked up, and that his sick, distorted mind is innately biased toward ideas that include killing people who can't fight back (he's a coward, you see).

I doubt this, if there had not been such a thing as a soul balance, then i doubt Genrusei? would have acceptet his explanation.

Because the Old Man clearly is the sort to look for options besides "kill it with fire".

Proberly because the soul balance is mentioned by someone who has access to all the data, and are able to actualy do the math, unlike us?

Then it's an aritifically contrived "fact" that makes no sense and only serves to "justify" a sick piece of work like Mayuri, and more broadly justify the horrendous actions of Soul Society.

At this point they are, in my mind, a villainous organization. Individuals are fine, but as an institution it's clearly not one to be taken as anything like "heroes" or "good guys".

I hope the Quincy clear some of the chaff out before Ichigo and company take them down (they're also pretty clearly evil). Maybe the whole spirit world can get the proper revolution it deserves.

[Infernally Clay]

I'm still very impressed by the Vandenreich.

Buckbeard, or whatever you want to call him, is pretty refreshing. He apparently goes with the flow, regardless of what plans he has. Then the gratuitous murdering of subordinates (Kirge and Buckbeard seem to love doing that) and the fact that Buckbeard isn't an idiot. He was probably going to give Soul Society five days, even though he clearly didn't tell whatshisface to give them a timeframe, but decided he'd prefer to do it without Ichigo being able to interfere.

Which is awesome, 'cause it shows he is fully aware of what Ichigo is capable of and isn't interested in taking risks with him. Heck, he even sent Ivan to try to seal Ichigo's Bankai and - when it failed to work - he just ticked it off the list of ways he'll deal with him. I wonder if Buckbeard is tied to Ichigo's unique birth or if he simply saw what happened in Karakura Town and doesn't fancy a repeat.

[VanBuren]

I would do nothing.

Then you're arguably just as responsible as if you had chosen either option under some ethical frameworks. Kant, I would assume, being one of them. That being said, this sort of philosophical banter probably isn't kosher on this forum.

I'm saying Mayuri's a sick piece of work who should be locked up, and that his sick, distorted mind is innately biased toward ideas that include killing people who can't fight back (he's a coward, you see).

He is not however, a liar. Mayuri is a smart man, and if his calculations lead him to believe that there is a problem of great instability, then we can probably trust that he's right about that.

Whether or not this is the optimal solution? Well, I don't quite buy that. But we don't know if Kubo plans to go anywhere with this. Given that this is far from the first time ethically dodgy things like this have happened, I would hazard that Kubo still means to explore this aspect of Soul Society.

[MammonAzrael]

I'm still very impressed by the Vandenreich.

Buckbeard, or whatever you want to call him, is pretty refreshing. He apparently goes with the flow, regardless of what plans he has. Then the gratuitous murdering of subordinates (Kirge and Buckbeard seem to love doing that) and the fact that Buckbeard isn't an idiot. He was probably going to give Soul Society five days, even though he clearly didn't tell whatshisface to give them a timeframe, but decided he'd prefer to do it without Ichigo being able to interfere.

Which is awesome, 'cause it shows he is fully aware of what Ichigo is capable of and isn't interested in taking risks with him. Heck, he even sent Ivan to try to seal Ichigo's Bankai and - when it failed to work - he just ticked it off the list of ways he'll deal with him. I wonder if Buckbeard is tied to Ichigo's unique birth or if he simply saw what happened in Karakura Town and doesn't fancy a repeat.

Well it's implied that he is either 1000 years old or raised in a family line that harbors a grudge that old. So chances are he isn't involved in Ichigo's birth...though that is still a matter I'd like to see fully resolved. Otherwise I agree, it's nice that he appears competent and his goal isn't to bait the biggest X factor around.

[Infernally Clay]

Well it's implied that he is either 1000 years old or raised in a family line that harbors a grudge that old. So chances are he isn't involved in Ichigo's birth...though that is still a matter I'd like to see fully resolved. Otherwise I agree, it's nice that he appears competent and his goal isn't to bait the biggest X factor around.

The real implication is that he's the Shinigami Yamamoto spoke of to Aizen - the last Shinigami that could be called stronger than him. A thousand years is much too long for a human and Buckbeard's appearance puts him as someone much older than Kyoraku or Ukitake but much younger than Yamamoto himself. Coupled with the new knowledge that Yamamoto failed to kill Buckbeard a thousand years ago and I think it's pretty clear how powerful Buckbeard really is.

Which is awesome.

[Anteros]

{{scrubbed}}

Well, in the regrettable situation that I ever have to kill thousands of innocent people in order to save an even greater number of people, I'll probably at least express regret. At the very least, I won't let my subordinates just do it randomly and take their word for it that it was necessary.

I understand the concept of necessary evil. Soul society goes past that. Waaaaay past it.

[Spacewolf]

Well when has it ever been said Mayuri was a nice guy hes just on the SS team after all, and up until now hes been fairly low scale evil (perhaps apart from whatever he was in the nest for) while being extremely useful at killing hollows which like people have said can comprise of thousands of souls either without their individualism or having their minds twisted.

You carnt expect everyone in a military oginisation to be nice after all. I imagine the 4th and 13th captains at least will have something to say to Mayuri.

[Infernally Clay]

What good is showing regret? They're at war with the Vandenreich and have already lost well over a hundred, one of which was a Vice Captain. There's no time for regret or morality. They have to keep the balance intact and find some way to stop the Vandenreich continuing to cause the imbalance. They can mourn the gone (can't really call them dead) later.

It wasn't a case of right or wrong - prolonged imbalance between the number of the Souls and the Hollows will destroy everything. Humans, Souls and Hollows will all disappear. Mayuri did the right thing.

[Frozen_Feet]

Well when has it ever been said Mayuri was a nice guy hes just on the SS team after all, and up until now hes been fairly low scale evil (perhaps apart from whatever he was in the nest for)

The bolded part is important. Mayuri wasn't in the Nest for anything. Nest of Maggots is not a prison, you don't go there for crimes you've committed. It's an asylum, you go there if you're deemed too unstable to be left roaming freely. Barring special occasions (like Urahara's decision), you are there for life. You are not given the chance to do anything.

Now, while this looks cruel on the surface, it should be noted that the inmates can lead fairly normal lifes within the Nest. Such facility is also justified when you look at the potential destruction a Shinigami with few screws loose can cause.

But let's look at the implications for Mayuri. Before he did anything, someone, somewhere evaluated him to be too dangerous to be allowed freedom. Even more, once again before he did anything, he was deemed dangerous enough to warrant solitary confinement, as the sole person in the whole Nest.

It seems everybody knew he was comicbook-level evil-genius-to-be from the start. Urahara certainly knew. And he let the guy out. Because he though he could help with his research. What research again? Oh right, breaking down barriers between Shinigami and Hollows.

Urahara is a smart man. Smartest man in the darn setting, if Aizen is to be believed. Stupidity or thoughtlessness can't be used to excuse him of his decisions. So, the obvious conclusion is that he's evil. In addition, Mayuri seems to hate him. Obviously because Urahara outsmarts him, yes, but I'm convinced it's also because Urahara out-evils him in some important aspect.

An interesting thing to note: Mayuri's justification for killing all those Pluses is "preserving balance". When confronted by Aizen about the reason why he remains loyal to the Soul King, Urahara's explanation was remarkably similar. ("The King is the lynchpin" etc.)

This also makes me suspicious of Isshin and Ryuuken somewhat. Isshin is obviously in cahoots with Urahara, but why would someone so keen on preserving balance hold comradeship with a Quincy? Ryuuken's ambivalent attitude makes the answer hard to pin down - on one hand, he wished for Uryu to not follow his granpa's footsteps, allegedly because being a Quincy does not bring food to the table, but it could be Ryuuken has come to terms with what being a Quincy means for the balance of souls and his wish is based on desire to not see his son continue such a harmful activity.

One the other hand, Ryuuken also adviced Ishida to cut ties with Shinigami and ordered him to stop associating with Shinigami. As the self-titled "last Quincy", I suspect Ryuuken knew this final war was coming all along! And he wanted for his son to not befriend the enemy to make the affair less painful.

But in this latter case, why would he be friends with Isshin? Are they perhaps unaware of each others' true allegiances? Or are they friends despite of it, by the virtue of having known for a long time? Is Ryuuken perhaps preparing to cut ties to Isshin and stab him in the back? Some of their dialogue suggests they've become more distant than they perhaps were before.

Now... back to Mayuri. Yes, he is evil. But as pointed out, he's not the deceptive kind of evil. When he starts talking about Quincies and balance of souls, we have every reason to believe he knows what he's talking about.

As far as looking for third options, Yama-jii's dialogue suggests he would've been willing to look for one. By his words, "maybe this situation wouldn't have gotten this serious". He seems very disgruntled about the state of affairs. But on the other hand, it probably is because he knows Mayuri is right. It's his responsibility for not taking Uryu's appearance seriously.

[Socratov]

oh, wow, I love this chapter, finally some plot not directly related to the world Hax0r movement (the main characters, Urahara & Aizen). I agree with some of you here, Mayuri is evil, but not with a capital E. I also agree that Yama-yii's reaction tells us it was neccessary, whatever that tells us. Third, Mayuri knows he's being watched closely, I mean, he is a captain in charge of a lot of duties (senkaimon, anything related to science, etc.). Finally we see why Yama-yi has such wrinkles

On the subject of SS, Let's review some facts we know or are fairly certain in guessing shall we? 1) an influx of thousands worldwide (seriously, let's assume a lot of shinigami are working their butts off finding plusses and with a lot of people dieing each day the influx shoudl be enormous. 2) it has been mentioned (when quichies came into play) that a balance exists between real world, SS and Hueco Mundo. If that balance is lost **** hits the fan (then it was explained using an hourgalss, but to be honest that one doesn't really cut it anymore). 3) when souls in SS die, they reincarnate. 4) managing becomes more difficult with limited funds when the population increases. 5) the only way to 'legally' 'delete' souls form the loop is by sending them to hell.

with these things we know, we can tell the following things: when balancing it is best to do that form the side of SS since it won't acutally hurt, but allows for a return to the loop, abeit a bit earlier then expected. Not only because it is 'humane' (not doing permanent damage), but also because it gives the poorest of SS a chance to get it better (so they can actually wear sandals, get schooling for isntance). Besides that it will save all the souls in existence because it won't allow for previous mentioned **** hitting the fan.

Rukongai has it's own 99% problem. On one side you have the noble families, on the other you have rukongai. let's make an assumption, (yes I know, when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me) let's say the noble families and rukongai started off at equal wealth when the amount of souls was less. Now, the noble families have kept the status quo going, keeping their wealth in check. Rukongai just kept on growing, spreading it thinner and thinner as they went. Then there is the whole SS is not so nice as it looks. IN western media a godperson exists and magically thinks a way to make it nice for everyone (which is an unrealistic thought to begin with since some people are not happy until they see another's misfortune), SS is not such a place. It's harcore business. Shinigami exist to make things happen and to keep the order. When SS keeps on growing in terms of souls it need to harbour, at an increasingly faster rate, i can see the managerial problems grow.

[Frozen_Feet]

About management hurdles in Seireitei:

How are food supplies in afterlife managed? Has anyone thought of that?

Because there are humongous disperancies between Rukon citizens and the Nobles of Seireitei. Those with Reiryoku are, in effect, a species on their own.

Shinigami, unlike unpowered pluses, need to eat. They also have powers that are potentially lethal if left uncultivated (see: Hitsugaya). Those powers are also necessary for upkeeping cosmic balance, so everyone with Reiryoku is forced to uphold certain responsibilities.

The joke is, those responsibilities rarely directly overlap with overseeing Rukon! While Gotei 13 has plans for protecting it in case of emergency, mostly the responsibilities of Shinigami divert their attention away from Soul Society, and towards living world or Hueco Mundo, since that's where most Hollows are.

But back to food - who makes it? Ordinary Pluses? If that's the case, the very existence of Seireitei hinges on a very inconvenient balance. What, precisely, could Seireitei offer to Pluses, besides really nebulous "protection"? This "purifying Hollows" stuff only rarely directly influences Rukon life. Seireitei can't devote too much Shinigami attention to improving Rukon, since that's not their primary job! So ordinary Pluses end up in a situation where supernaturally powered people in black tell them to "do your job, or else". Uh oh.

But the alternative isn't actually better. What if Seireitei residents grow their own food? What do they need Rukon for then? The answer: they don't. The existence of Rukongai is almost entirely tangential to what they do, and have to do. Rukongai only serves as a source for occasional new Shinigami and place to ferry Pluses to... nothing more. Since (most?) new Shinigami are born to Noble families, that renders conditions in Rukon a complete non-issue - spending time on supervising and improving Rukon doesn't actually help them to do what Shinigami are supposed to do.

So, two options: either we have Seireitei who needs to pressure Pluses to grow their food for little apparent reward, justly or unjustly appearing like a spiritual mafia - or we have Seireitei that can practically and justifiably isolate itself from the rest of Soul Society, because rest of Soul Society is entirely inconsequental to them.

[jindra34]

So, two options: either we have Seireitei who needs to pressure Pluses to grow their food for little apparent reward, justly or unjustly appearing like a spiritual mafia - or we have Seireitei that can practically and justifiably isolate itself from the rest of Soul Society, because rest of Soul Society is entirely inconsequental to them.

Except for the fact that Hollows exist and seem to have been able to occasionally attack Seireitei (or whatever the general area is called) directly (If I recall Rukia's flashback during the SS arc correctly), so they do need some form of protection. Which can end up with a feudal system similar to what is displayed, though historically such groups have been slightly less restrictive to commoners (though again historically we didn't have all devouring monsters running around).

[Frozen_Feet]

In Rukia's flashback, the Hollow followed Shinigami through a Senkaimon. It only got there by piggybacking a Shinigami. In the manga, all occasions of Hollows infiltrating Soul Society have been the direct responsibility of Sosuke Aizen. There is no evidence Hollows can, or have any incentive to, enter Soul Society on their own. In any case, powerless Pluses provide little nourishment for Hollows. Hueco Mundo is the place where actually dangerous Hollows go, and living world is where they pose a primary threat.

Now, the anime continuity has much more cases of Hollows infiltrating Soul Society. But when not directly tied to Aizen, they are solitary occasions.

Hollows exist, yes, and eliminating them is important for safety and balance of the setting. But almost all fighting towards them is done outside the view of Rukon citizens, having zero direct bearing on their everyday life. That's my point of why they'd be leery of the Shinigami. They don't actually see what they're doing. They only have the word of crazy superhumans in black.

[Friv]

I agree with some of you here, Mayuri is evil, but not with a capital E. I also agree that Yama-yii's reaction tells us it was neccessary, whatever that tells us. Third, Mayuri knows he's being watched closely, I mean, he is a captain in charge of a lot of duties (senkaimon, anything related to science, etc.). Finally we see why Yama-yi has such wrinkles

I'm going to quibble - Mayuri is absolutely, irrevocably, utterly Evil with a capital E. So far in the series he has demonstrated a specific enjoyment of torture both for scientific research and for pleasure, has butchered his own followers for nothing more than a minor tactical advantage, specifically created a new life, brainwashed her into total loyalty, and then proceeded to viciously and repeatedly abuse her, deliberately led shinigami protectors away from a kind old man so that he could torture him to death for scientific knowledge, and uses a specialized weapon whose sole purpose is to inflict as much pain and suffering on your target as possible.

He is honest, I will give him that. He is loyal to the concept of Soul Society. He is an absolute and utter monster and always has been, and the fact that he is allowed to continue to exist after the horrors that he routinely puts people through is an abomination that has bothered me from Day 1. (Well, from Day Whenever Mayuri was Introduced).

[jindra34]

Hollows exist, yes, and eliminating them is important for safety and balance of the setting. But almost all fighting towards them is done outside the view of Rukon citizens, having zero direct bearing on their everyday life. That's my point of why they'd be leery of the Shinigami. They don't actually see what they're doing. They only have the word of crazy superhumans in black.

Well remeber that people that get moved on by Shinigami go to Seireitei so some of them probably do get rescued from hollows by Shinigami in the real world. And as long as someone remembers the threat of potential hollow attacks even if they are only once every couple of centuries, the theory of feudal protection still remains. Note that historically most commoners who were accidently caught up in a war died, but that the feudal system still remained for a long time.

[Tavar]

I believe there's also the implication in a couple places that Hollows do attack Seireitei. Or, at least, did so in the past.

[Infernally Clay]

The Souls in the Rukongai are just waiting for reincarnation, that's all. There's no ulterior motive or protection duty, they're simply the Souls guided there by the Shinigami or the Hollows purified by them. They just live their lives as best they can (although, clearly, the extent of their success is dependent on which District they are "born" in) until they return to the Human World.

Once they get to Rukongai, the Shinigami seem uninterested. At least until a Soul shows up with a degree of reiatsu.

[Socratov]

I'm going to quibble - Mayuri is absolutely, irrevocably, utterly Evil with a capital E. So far in the series he has demonstrated a specific enjoyment of torture both for scientific research and for pleasure, has butchered his own followers for nothing more than a minor tactical advantage, specifically created a new life, brainwashed her into total loyalty, and then proceeded to viciously and repeatedly abuse her, deliberately led shinigami protectors away from a kind old man so that he could torture him to death for scientific knowledge, and uses a specialized weapon whose sole purpose is to inflict as much pain and suffering on your target as possible.

He is honest, I will give him that. He is loyal to the concept of Soul Society. He is an absolute and utter monster and always has been, and the fact that he is allowed to continue to exist after the horrors that he routinely puts people through is an abomination that has bothered me from Day 1. (Well, from Day Whenever Mayuri was Introduced).

I'm, sorry, but in my book you're only a capital 'E' Evil when you actually take over the world in a cruel way. By the way, his shikai paralyses and numbs you (Ishida needed to use the puppet technique to use his quinchy abilities), the true cruel thing is what he can do once you are numb and paralyzed. That is where his evilness shines through.

The fact that he remains loyal (although this is to be debated, he could just be intimdated by Yama-yii because mr. genocide is a tad bit stronger then he is) is not an evil trait. I'd put him as diet evil in my book.

[Psyren]

No, it does not. There is an hell in the Bleach Universe ( http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Hell ) and it makes Hueco Mundo look like a nice place by comparison.

You do realise that "!=" means "not equal to," right? He was saying the same thing you are.

I personally won't be happy with Bleach if it doesn't end with the downfall of Soul Society.

The entire spotlight-stealing squad is from there. Prepare to be disappointed.

Urahara is a smart man. Smartest man in the darn setting, if Aizen is to be believed. Stupidity or thoughtlessness can't be used to excuse him of his decisions. So, the obvious conclusion is that he's evil. In addition, Mayuri seems to hate him. Obviously because Urahara outsmarts him, yes, but I'm convinced it's also because Urahara out-evils him in some important aspect.

THANK YOU. I've never trusted that sandal-wearing snake. He only gets a moral pass due to Kubo's awful writing.