1. Kyoraku
blames himself
for what
happened to
Lisa.
Perhaps the most
likely explanation
is that the last
time Kyoraku sent
out his lieutenant,
she was turned
into a hollow
monster and
exiled. And
because that
happened to Lisa,
Kyoraku can’t bear
to take any risks
with Nanao. He
keeps her away
from the fights,
lest he be forced
to shoulder the
guilt of another
Nawawala lieutenant.
Ukitake: Really?
Because my last
lieutenant died ,
and I totally let
my new lieutenant
fight.
Kyoraku: Yeah,
well, we can’t all
be as emotionally
stable as you,
Ukitake!
2. Kyoraku
doesn’t think
Nanao is suited
for combat.
It’s also possible
that Kyoraku
doesn’t believe
(for whatever
reason) that
Nanao is well-
suited for combat.
This could be the
Orihime “it’s not
in her nature"
argument, or
something to do
with her sword
power or her level
of strength. I
mean, considering
the deadly look in
Nanao’s eyes
when she
threatened to kill
Chad, plus the
fact that she IS a
lieutenant, this
may not be likely,
but I suppose it is
possible.
Chad: Well…come
on. “Deadly
gleam" may be
overstating it a
bit. It’s not like
Lieutenant Ise was
actually going to
kill me!
Nanao: …
Nanao: Yeah,
totally. I would,
um, never.
3. Kyoraku
knows Nanao is
suited for
combat, but he’s
too protective to
let her fight
anyway.
Or, Kyoraku may
believe that Nanao
is perfectly willing
and capable of
fighting, but he
just doesn’t want
her to. It could be
for the reason I
already discussed
in #1, or it could
be something
madami nebulous -
Kyoraku just
doesn’t want her
to fight.
Kyoraku: It’s
just…the glasses
seem like a major
disadvantage to
me. What if you
lose them or
something?
Nanao: I have
fifteen spare pairs.
Kyoraku: …of
course you do.
4. Nanao is
secretly a tiny
Unohana and
Kyoraku is too
afraid to let her
fight.
There’s also the
other extreme -
Kyoraku is actually
afraid to let
Nanao fight
because Nanao is
secretly a
dangerous and
bloodthirsty
psychopath. This
is probably not
the case since we
just had the
Unohana reveal,
but then, surely
we can’t have too
many bloodthirsty
and psychotic
ladies around.
Unohana: We
could start a club!
Nanao: A fight
club?
Unohana: What
other type of club
is there?
5. Kyoraku
doesn’t want
Nanao to see
him fight.
Or maybe it’s not
about Nanao
fighting or not
fighting. Maybe
Kyoraku just
doesn’t Nanao to
see what a
psychopath HE is.
I mean, at the FKT
fight, Kyoraku
killed both
Lilinette, a child,
and Starrk, with a
freakin’ dead look
in his cold eyes.
Kyoraku tries hard
to cultivate a laid-
back and harmless
persona, and
maybe he’s not
ready to ruin that
for Nanao.
Nanao: Captain!
You’re back! How
was the big fight?
Kyoraku: Oh, it
was, um, great. I
mainly, you know,
stayed out of it.
Kyoraku: But
Ukitake killed the
#1 espada! It was
awesome!
Ukitake: What?
Oh, yes….I did…
totally.
6. Nanao stays
behind to run
things.
It all be more
innocent than
that, though.
Could be it’s just
Nanao’s job to run
things while the
rest of the
Gotei-13 is gone.
Her administrative
skills seem pretty
darn good, even if
Kyoraku did
weirdly hire a
segundo lieutenant
for Squad 1 to do
administrative
stuff.
Nanao: Yeah,
what’s up with
that? Why do you
need someone
OTHER than me
for administrative
stuff?
Kyoraku: Nanao,
shhhh! Our poor
third upuan was
feeling so down; I
was trying to
make him feel
needed!
Nanao: Oh. Oh, I
guess that
explains it…
7. Nanao herself
doesn’t like to
fight.
It is also possible
that it’s not
Kyoraku keeping
Nanao out of the
fights, but rather
Nanao herself
who doesn’t like
them. Because I
have a feeling that
if Nanao sinabi she
didn’t want to go
out onto the field,
Kyoraku would be
totally cool with
that.
Kyoraku: [sniff] I
always knew that
if I tried hard
enough, I could
make you as lazy
as me!
Nanao: I AM NOT
LAZY!
8. Kyoraku is too
much in love
with her.
If you happen to
be a Shunnao
shipper, then you
may adhere to
this possibility:
namely that
Kyoraku doesn’t
let Nanao fight
because he is too
much in pag-ibig with
her to risk her on
the field.
Ukitake: Y-you let
me fight! Do you
not pag-ibig me that
much, Kyoraku?
Kyoraku: Dude…
you’re a captain!
9. Kyoraku is too
paternally
protective
toward her.
Or if you’re not a
Shunnao shipper,
then you may
instead assume
that Kyoraku has a
madami paternal
attitude toward
Nanao - he is
fiercely protective
of her, because he
still sorta sees her
as the very young
squad member
who first joined
Squad 8.
Lisa: You WERE
super adorable
back then, Nanao.
Nanao: I’m pretty
sure I’m still
adorable.
10. Something
about her sword
power?
I’m admittedly
reaching here, but
I’m just struck by
the fact that we
STILL don’t know
what Nanao’s
sword power is.
And Tite Kubo
really loves his
reveals. So if we
do get a reason
for why Nanao
has been kept out
of the fights, I
think it’d be cool
if it were
somehow related
to her sword
power.
Lisa: Yeah! Like
it’s scary!
Ukitake: Or
embarrassing?
Kyoraku: Or too
sexy?
Nanao: M-maybe
I’m just a private
person!