Bleach (manga) facts for kids

Bleach (ブリーチ, Burīchi, romanized as BLEACH in Japan) is a popular manga series created by Tite Kubo. It tells an exciting story that ran for fifteen years, filling seventy-four books. This manga was also turned into an anime TV show, special video episodes, four movies, seven rock musicals, and video games. Over fifty million copies of the manga books have been sold!

The story is about a high school student named Ichigo Kurosaki. He has a special power: he can see spirits. One day, he meets a female shinigami (a "Soul Reaper," someone who guides spirits). They team up to protect Japan from scary spiritual monsters. They also help lost spirits find their way. As the story goes on, they explore the world of the afterlife.

Discovering the World of Bleach

Bleach first appeared in August 2001 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in Japan. New chapters in Japanese were released every week. These chapters were then collected into books, usually with seven to nine chapters each.

The anime TV series started airing on Wednesdays on TV Tokyo. The first 63 episodes followed the manga's story. Then, 46 episodes were made just for the anime, adding new adventures. Later, the anime returned to the manga's storyline. Two special video animations (OVAs) and two animated films were also made. The first film, Bleach: Memories of Nobody, came out in Japan on December 16, 2006. The second, Bleach: The Diamond Dust Rebellion, was released on December 22, 2007.

The Exciting Story of Bleach

The main character, Ichigo Kurosaki, is a teenager from Karakura Town. He can see ghosts. This special ability leads him to meet Rukia Kuchiki. She is a Soul Reaper. Her job is to guide dead spirits from the human world to the Soul Society. She also fights "Hollows," which are monstrous lost souls. Hollows can hurt both ghosts and humans.

Ichigo Becomes a Soul Reaper

Rukia gets hurt while hunting a Hollow. She transfers her powers to Ichigo. Now, Ichigo must fight in her place while she recovers. He has to balance his new Soul Reaper duties with high school. Along the way, he gains new friends. These include his classmates Orihime Inoue and Yasutora "Chad" Sado, and Uryu Ishida, who is a Quincy.

Journey to the Soul Society

Later, Rukia is arrested by other Soul Reapers. She is sentenced to a serious punishment. Ichigo and his friends decide to save her. They travel to the Soul Society, which is the world of the dead. They get help from Kisuke Urahara, a former Soul Reaper scientist. He helps Ichigo unlock his own Soul Reaper powers.

In the Soul Society, Ichigo's group fights through the 13 Court Squads. They want to save Rukia. But they soon learn that a captain named Sosuke Aizen has tricked everyone. Aizen faked his own passing to cause chaos among the Soul Reapers. He wanted to get a special invention called the Hogyoku. This item could grant wishes. Aizen and his friends then escape to Hueco Mundo, the world of the Hollows. After this, Ichigo is accepted by the Soul Reapers. He becomes an official substitute Soul Reaper.

Battles Against Aizen's Army

Ichigo and his friends soon face Aizen's army of human-like Hollows, called Arrancars. They are joined by the Vizards. These are Soul Reapers who were part of Aizen's experiments. He tried to create Soul Reaper and Hollow mixtures.

When Orihime is taken by Ulquiorra Cifer, one of Aizen's strongest Arrancars, Ichigo and his allies try to rescue her. But this turns out to be a trick! Aizen's forces appear in Karakura Town. They plan to use the town's people to create a special key. This key is part of Aizen's plan to reach and challenge the Soul King, who rules the Soul Society.

The Vizards join the Soul Reapers to defend the town. Aizen's friend, Gin Ichimaru, shows his true intentions and tries to stop Aizen. But Aizen uses the Hogyoku to become a powerful, Hollow-like being. He defeats Gin and overpowers everyone. Ichigo finally manages to stop Aizen. But he loses his powers in the process and becomes a normal human again.

New Challenges and Powers

Months later, Ichigo is preparing for life after high school. He meets Xcution, a group of Fullbringers, like Chad. They try to use Ichigo and his loved ones to take his Fullbring abilities. But then, his Soul Society allies help him. They restore his Soul Reaper powers. Ichigo decides to fight with them, even though he learns that Xcution's leader, Ginjo Kujo, was his predecessor.

Later, Ichigo faces a new army of Quincies called the Wandenreich. They serve their leader, Yhwach. Yhwach declares war on the Soul Society. He wants to remove the Soul King and change the balance of life and death. Ichigo learns that he is a Vizard with both Fullbring and Quincy powers. He defeats Yhwach in a huge battle, with help from Uryu and his father. Years later, Rukia and Ichigo have their own children, Ichika Abarai and Kazui Kurosaki. They are also Soul Reapers!

Meet the Main Characters

Here are some of the most important characters in Bleach:

Ichigo Kurosaki: The Substitute Soul Reaper

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

Ichigo is the main hero of the series. He is a high school student who becomes a "substitute Soul Reaper." This happens after he accidentally takes most of Rukia Kuchiki's powers. At first, he doesn't want to be a Soul Reaper. But he learns to accept his role and later discovers his true nature. As a Vizard, Ichigo uses a special sword called Zanpakutō Zangetsu. Its spirit form is his Hollow nature. Ichigo later gets his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu. He uses it for his powerful Getsuga Tensho attack. After his sword is damaged, it is remade into two connecting blades. These show his powers as both a Vizard and a Quincy.

Rukia Kuchiki: The Ice-Wielding Soul Reaper

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

Rukia is a Soul Reaper lieutenant. She is sent to Karakura Town. She ends up making Ichigo a substitute Soul Reaper. Her adopted brother, Byakuya, is a captain. Rukia's Zanpakutō, "Sode no Shirayuki," lets her use ice in her attacks. She later gains her Bankai, Hakka no Togame.

Uryū Ishida: The Quincy Archer

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

Uryū is a smart archer. He is one of the Quincies. This is a family line of archers who hunt Hollows. The Soul Reapers almost wiped them out because their power to destroy Hollows could upset the balance of life and death. Uryū was Ichigo's enemy at first, but he later became a friend and rival.

Orihime Inoue: The Reality Warper

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

Orihime is Ichigo's classmate and friend. She has romantic feelings for him. She lost her brother, Sora, who later became a Hollow. At first, she had no spiritual powers. But she develops spiritual awareness. She gains an amazing ability to change reality by "rejecting" past events.

Yasutora "Chad" Sado: The Strong Fullbringer

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

Chad is a Japanese-Mexican orphan. He has super strength. Even though he looks tough, he is a peaceful person. He is later revealed to be a Fullbringer. This means he can make his arms stronger. He used this power to protect Ichigo's sister Karin and her friends from a Hollow.

Renji Abarai: The Whip Sword Wielder

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

Renji is a Soul Reaper lieutenant and Rukia's childhood friend. He was an enemy to Ichigo at first. But they joined forces to save Rukia. Since then, he has been a loyal friend to Ichigo. His Zanpakutō, "Zabimaru," is a whip sword. Its spirit form is a snake-tailed ape. Renji uses his Bankai, "Hihiō Zabimaru," which is a giant skeletal snake blade. Later, he reveals his true Bankai, "Sōō Zabimaru."

Kisuke Urahara: The Mysterious Shop Owner

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

Kisuke is the quirky owner of the Urahara Shop. It mostly sells snacks and small household items. He helps Ichigo and his friends on their adventures. He is later revealed to be a former Captain of a Soul Reaper Squad. He also founded the Soul Reaper Research and Development Institute. He was forced to leave the Soul Society after Aizen framed him. His zanpakutō is "Benihime." Its Bankai form, "Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame," can change anything it touches.

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