Bleach (manga)

This page is about the manga. For the chemical substance, see Bleach.

is a manga series authored by mangaka Tite Kubo that is still being published. Since its debut in 2001, Bleach has been adapted into an anime series, two Original video animations, three anime films, seven rock musical, and numerous video games. Compilation volumes of the manga have sold over 50 million copies in Japan.

Bleach follows the lives of Ichigo Kurosaki, who is a high school student who can see ghosts. A shinigami (Soul Reaper or "death god") named Rukia Kuchiki, meets Ichigo while hunting an evil spirit known as a Hollow. Rukia is wounded during the fight with the spirit and cannot do anything except give her powers to Ichigo. That is how the adventures of Ichigo and Rukia begin. Together they search for Hollows and perform soul burials on souls, cleansing the spirits and sending them to Soul Society. The early parts of the story focus mostly on the characters and their pasts, instead of the actual job of shinigami. As events unfold, the story begins to go deeper into the world of the other side.

Media information

The Bleach manga was first released in August of 2001 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. New Japanese-language chapters are featured weekly in the same magazine. The chapters are complied in seven-to-nine chapter books every few months.

The Bleach animated TV series is broadcast on Wednesdays by TV Tokyo in Japan. The first 63 episodes were based on the manga, and the next 46 were original to the anime. Beginning with episode 110, the anime has returned to the manga storyline, yet has parts from the previous 46 filler episodes. There are no plans to stop making the series. Also, two OVAs have been produced and two animated films, Bleach: Memories of Nobody, which was released in Japan on December 16, 2006, and Bleach: The Diamond Dust Rebellion, which was released on December 22, 2007.

VIZ Media has released 26 English-language volumes of the manga in North America, and many scanlation groups release unofficial English translations of new chapters.

Introduction

Ichigo Kurosaki is a teenager who has always been able to see spirits. The story begins with the sudden appearance of an oddly-dressed stranger in Ichigo's bedroom. This stranger is the shinigami Rukia Kuchiki, who is surprised that he can see her. While they are talking a Hollow comes. After Rukia is badly wounded while fighting to protect Ichigo, she decides to transfer half of her powers to Ichigo, hoping to give him a chance to fight the hollow. By accident Ichigo absorbs all of Rukia's powers instead, and he defeats the Hollow easily.

Main characters

黒崎 一護 Kurosaki Ichigo Voiced by Masakazu Morita (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)

The protagonist of Bleach, High school freshman

朽木 ルキア Kuchiki Rukia Voiced by Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)

Rukia Kuchiki is a shinigami who was sent on a hollow extermination patrol in Ichigo Kurosaki's hometown. Throughout their interactions, Ichigo and Rukia begins to form a deep bond. She is also Byakuya Kuchiki´s little sister who is captain of sixth squad. The Kuchiki family took her in because of the promise made to Byakuya's wife, who was Rukia's older sister.

井上 織姫 Inoue Orihime Voiced by Yuki Matsuoka (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Orihime Inoue is a long-time classmate of Ichigo, close to him because of a friend they both have, Tatsuki Arisawa. Orihime has a crush on Ichigo Kurosaki.

茶渡 泰虎 Sado Yasutora Voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto (Japanese), Jamieson Price (English)

Yasutora Sado, also called Chad, is one of Ichigo's few friends at school. He is a half-Japanese, half-Mexican student who is much taller than his classmates.

浦原 喜助 Urahara Kisuke Voiced by Shinichiro Miki (Japanese), Michael Lindsay (English)

A strange and cheery man, Kisuke Urahara runs the Urahara Shop, a candy store that also sells supernatural items to shinigami.

石田 雨竜 Ishida Uryū Voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama (Japanese), Derek Stephen Prince (English)

Even though he seems like a solitary class genius, Uryū Ishida is actually a Quincy, descendant of a line of priest-like hollow-hunting archers.

阿散井 恋次 Abarai Renji Voiced by Kentaro Ito (Japanese), Wally Wingert (English)

Renji Abarai is an elite shinigami who is the 6th Division lieutenant, making him second in command of a part of the thirteen protection squads.

Toshiro Hitsugaya A young boy prodigy who is captain of 10th company.

Kaname Tosen Former captain of 9th company and now evil character. Sôsuke Aizen Main evil character and former captain of 5th Company. Gin Ichimaru Former captain of 3rd company and the secondary evil character.