Ishida's Strategy - Bleach Episode 164

Comments

Grimmjow wanted to fight Ichigo again because Ichigo talked sh*t to him when Tosen made him retreat. Grimmjow is just a very prideful guy who wants the satisfaction of defeating Ichigo himself and won't tolerate anyone interfering including his allies like Ulquiorra.

You can't even really think of the espada as allies, it's more like they are just individuals who obey Aizen but have their own agendas. Grimmjow really tests how much he can get away with, tho. I don't think he considers himself a traitor, because he likely intends to kill Ichigo and then lock Orihime back up. Then he would just hope Aizen or Tosen do not punish him.
And this is one of the most beloved arcs, so idk wtf people were talking about if they were saying it wasn't good. They probably mean how there are scenes thrown at certain times that are not in the manga and thus it slows the pacing a bit, but most people consider this one of the best arcs despite that.