There are bits I love and bits I really hate. And while I like to think it'd make it easier, cause it really would -- at the same time I worry that I'd be denying myself something as an author too. The more I watch and read, the more I'm reminded of how messed up a place Soul Society is... But at the same time, I can't just pick and choose what bits of filler I like! I can't, say, keep the whole corrupt, murderous Central 46, but throw away the twin zanpukuto. But if I keep the twin zanpukuto, I also keep the ludicrous idea from the omake that Mayuri can change their gender. And if I keep that, then I should probably keep the three new mod-souls, too, and I hate them.

So it's more along the lines of -- going only from manga canon, or including everything and seeing where it takes me. Cherrypicking from one or the other isn't fair of me, as an author, since I'd just end up leaving my readers confused as to where I'm coming from.