Fall 2004 Anime

Ichigo Kurosaki can see ghosts, and one night he gains the powers of a Soul Reaper and is pulled into a hidden world of spirits, hollows and sword-wielding guardians. Bleach is Studio Pierrot's 2004 adaptation of Tite Kubo's manga, and it begins in the ordinary town of Karakura, where 15-year-old Ichigo meets Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper who lends him her powers to protect his family. From that night he takes her place: guiding lost souls to the Soul Society and fighting the corrupted spirits called Hollows. The story quickly grows far beyond one town, a rescue mission into the Soul Society itself, the betrayal of the captain Sosuke Aizen, an army of evolved Hollows called Arrancar, and wars that threaten every world at once. Bleach is known for its stylish sword fights, where each Soul Reaper's blade has a name, a spirit and a hidden final form, and for Kubo's fashion-influenced character designs. The original series ran for 366 episodes from 2004 to 2012, and the story's final arc was completed a decade later by the Thousand-Year Blood War series, which finished in 2026.