Shinji Hirako

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Bleach character

Shinji Hirako
Occupation	Recruiter for the vizard

Shinji Hirako (平子 真子, Hirako Shinji^?) is a character in the manga series Bleach. He was first introduced in chapter 183, overlooking a battle between Ichigo Kurosaki and a hollow. He made his reappearance in the next chapter, assuming the role of a student at Ichigo's high school, Karakura High. Shinji is a vizard.

[edit] Character outline

Shinji, like Gin Ichimaru, speaks a Japanese dialect known as Kansai-ben.

His role along with that of the other vizard (seven additional ones have appeared in the material world as of chapter 214) has still been left in the dark for the most part. However, Kisuke Urahara did mention that they might be valuable allies in the fight against the arrancar.

Shinji's character is somewhat comical, adding a bit of levity to situations that are otherwise serious, and he seems to genuinely annoy his more mature, yet younger looking associate Hiyori Sarugaki, which usually gets him in trouble with her. It is unknown as of now where Shinji stands in the vizard ranks. Unlike in Soul Society where the rank is given accordingly to shinigami within a division or in Hueco Mundo where a number is assigned to each arrancar reflecting their strength, the vizard have not yet revealed a structure based on hierarchy. It is assumed, however, that he is at least Captain level, as evidenced in his fight against Grimmjow Jaggerjack, in which he clearly had the upper hand and fared as well, if not better, than Ichigo did (while masked).

Apparently he also becomes infatuated with any sort of attractive woman he meets immediately. One of his previous obsessions was Lisa Yadōmaru and his current is Orihime Inoue.

[edit] Synopsis

Shinji is a recruiter for the vizard, as was revealed by him in chapter 185. He assumed the role of a high school student and enrolled at Ichigo's school in the hopes of convincing him to join the vizard ranks. However, Ichigo refused, despite being faced with the possibility of being consumed by his inner hollow. Upon seeing Shinji at school the next day, Ichigo confronted him, asking him what he was still doing at school, when he had already refused Shinji's proposal, to which Shinji replied "You think a guy like me would give up on a guy like you that easily?"

When reporting his failure, another vizard appears: a rather rude, short-tempered girl named Hiyori Sarugaki. She enters the scene rather abruptly, violently slapping Shinji with her sandal, asking him what the hell is taking him so long with the mission. Their relation seems to be far from mutual at first glance. However, it is probable that the two have feelings for each other as she told Shinji, that putting his fingers in her rear (a child's prank called kanchō) isn't a smart thing to do, if he intends for her to be his bride.

After his fight with Grimmjow Jaggerjack, Ichigo, feeling that his attempts to suppress his inner hollow are failing, rethinks the initial offer Shinji had made him, making his final decisions in chapter 214 to seek out the vizard, he discovers that their hideout is in an abandoned warehouse. At the end of the chapter, Ichigo is greeted in the warehouse by a smiling Shinji and seven other vizard.

First image of Shinji Hirako in the anime, during the 83rd episode's opening credits

When Ichigo confronts the vizard, Shinji asks him if he has finally decided to join them. Ichigo, rather brazenly, tells them that, that was never his initial intent, only to use them in order to learn how to control his inner hollow. This angers Shinji and the two immediately begin fighting. Their battle is cut short however, when Hiyori violently slaps Shinji across the head with her sandal, presumably knocking him unconscious. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she orders Hachigen, a large male vizard in white (introduced in chapter 215), to buff up the shield. The shield's function is to conceal the spiritual energy of those within from shinigami and hollow alike.

After fighting a seemingly losing battle against Hiyori's hollow, on the brink of death, Ichigo's own hollow manages to manifest itself and proceeds to savagely beat Hiyori. However, a re-awakened Shinji, with the help of the other vizard, manages to subdue the newly transformed Ichigo, reverting him back to his original state. Shinji remarks that in order to control one's inner hollow, one must force it into the very core of their soul.

Shinji, when Ichigo becomes increasingly impatient with the vizard's refusal to give him a direct way to control his inner hollow, reveals that the vizard are more aware of the nature of the Orb of Distortion (hōgyoku) and Sōsuke Aizen's plans than Ichigo realizes. He decides to step up Ichigo's training, knocking out Ichigo and transporting him into his inner world, where he is to confront his hollow side. While this is happening, Ichigo's outer personality becomes that of his hollow, breaking out of the binding demon arts spell cast by Hachigen, another vizard, at Shinji's behest. This outer personality is being kept under control by 2 additional vizard, Lisa Yadōmaru and later, Kensei Muguruma. Shinji sets up a rotation for the remaining vizard concerning their turns to keep the hollow Ichigo under control, each one of them fighting for 10 minutes each.

Shinji steps into action again when Ichigo and Rukia are on the verge of being killed by Grimmjow Jaggerjack. Shinji proves to be a fair opponent for the ferocious Grimmjow, and gains the upper hand by putting his hollow mask on. Shinji also displays his ability to use hollow powers by firing a Cero blast at Grimmjow. However, Grimmjow was forced into retreat by Ulquiorra just as he was about to release his zanpakutō.

[edit] Zanpakutō

Shinji Hirako ambushes Ichigo Kurosaki

Not much has been revealed about Shinji's zanpakutō and its abilities, as it has rarely been seen drawn, except on the few occasions he has used it in combat with Ichigo, as well as his fight with the arrancar Grimmjow Jaggerjack. It is most likely in a sealed-state form, as he usually just pulls it out of its sheath when seen fighting. His zanpakutō is just like a regular katana with a rectangular shaped tsuba.

[edit] Trivia

• A character resembling Shinji can be seen in the first chapter's cover art, along with other future characters such as Chad and Uryū Ishida. It is clear that these characters were planned from the beginning of the manga, and it is possible that they were meant to appear earlier in the story.
• Shinji can be seen in the opening theme for episode 83 of the anime along with his name's official spelling in kanji.
• Apparently, in the anime, Shinji is dressed like Lupin the III (second series). Whether this is concidental or some kind of homage is unknown. This is also how he is portrayed in the title page of Chapter 215, and in Chapter 236, but without the color scheme.