The story opens with the sudden appearance of Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki in Ichigo Kurosaki's bedroom. She is surprised at his ability to see her, but their conversation is interrupted by the appearance of a "hollow", an evil spirit. After Rukia is severely wounded while trying to protect Ichigo, she attempts to transfer half her powers to Ichigo in order to let him face the hollow on equal footing. Ichigo unintentionally absorbs almost all her energy, allowing him to defeat the hollow with ease. The next day Rukia appears in Ichigo's classroom as a seemingly normal human, and informs Ichigo that his absorption of her powers has left her stranded in the human world until she recovers her strength. In the meantime Ichigo shelters Rukia in his home and takes over her job as a Soul Reaper, battling hollows and guiding lost souls to the afterlife realm known as Soul Society.

After a few months of this arrangement, in the sixth volume of the series, Rukia's Soul Reaper superiors find out about her giving her powers away (which is illegal in Soul Society) and send a detachment to arrest her, and sentence her to death. Ichigo is unable to stop Rukia's capture, but with the help of several of his classmates who also possess spiritual abilities and ex-Soul Reaper Captain Kisuke Urahara, he sets off for the Soul Reaper base, located in Soul Society. Once there, Ichigo and company battle against the elites of the Soul Reaper military, and are ultimately successful in halting Rukia's execution.

It is then revealed that Rukia's execution and Ichigo's rescue attempt were both manipulated by Sōsuke Aizen, a high ranking Soul Reaper previously believed to be murdered, as part of a far-reaching plot to take control of Soul Society. Aizen betrays his fellow Soul Reapers and allies himself with the hollows, becoming the main antagonist of the series, and Ichigo teams up with his former enemies in Soul Society after learning that the next step in Aizen's plan involves the destruction of his hometown. At this point, Bleach chronicles the war between Aizen and the Soul Society, a plotline which has not yet been resolved. According to Tite Kubo, the ending of the series is not yet planned out or written.

Oh Boy! One of the biggest selling mangas. Quite popular too. It has quite an interesting story. For once, the prolongation in a manga hasn't bothered me so much. In fact, I'm liking it. There are tonnes of loop-holes in the whole story-line...but the suspense at every chapter's end always makes up for them.

Chapter Scanslations are out Weekly every Friday. Bleach has an Anime, a Video game, A Trading Card Game, A Rock Music Album and Three Movies, if I'm not mistaken.

Not sure about the weekly scanslations though... or maybe I have not been looking hard enough (I havent been looking at all actually... ... just check mangafox every now and then...)

my fav anime and manga..even though i'm not up to date with it=_=

At which point are you currently on?

Like....put it in spoiler brackets and say whats going on right now.

Back up to date with Bleach.... the fightings cool and all... but really.... lets get a move on.... they already bumped off my favorite 'villain' Ulquiorra and then Grimmjow got busted up by Ichigo.... Only one I am still interested in is Ichimaru Gin... While it is completely impossible (I should say improbable... cause this is a manga after all....)... I would totally love to see Hitsugaya kick Aizens arse...

he manga has almost reached the climax now based on what i read on
mangafox soon the next chapter will be out and Ichigo versus Aizen will
finally take place ^^

kyo wrote:Back up to date with Bleach.... the fightings cool and all... but really.... lets get a move on.... they already bumped off my favorite 'villain' Ulquiorra and then Grimmjow got busted up by Ichigo.... Only one I am still interested in is Ichimaru Gin... While it is completely impossible (I should say improbable... cause this is a manga after all....)... I would totally love to see Hitsugaya kick Aizens arse...

Grimmjow is my fav char!

But after him comes Ichimaru! I get a vague feeling he will turn on Aizen. Eh?

He hasnt said or done much in the entire manga... he might just do that... (Gin)....

I haven't been reading the manga at all lately.Same goes for the anime.

Spoiler:

Hell I'm tired of the ceaseless fighting..it's about time the mangaka ended the story.
ARGH... >.<

I've reached Volume 25.

Bleach seems to be extremely commercial.. I can see why its so popular. I agree with Sammy ^ though... there are a lot of unnecessary fight scenes.. also I didn't like how they bombarded us with all that Gotei 13 thing and expect us to remember it all.. frankly, I had a Bleach wikia window open when I was reading the 'Rescue Rukia' arc. I couldn't remember who was who's subordinate.

>_> I found it okay, actually. I mean, if I read LOTR and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series without trouble, Bleach is a piece of cake. And yeah, its about time they end the story. Naruto is going downhill. Bleach, I like, only because of the fight scenes. But in truth, its the only thing keeping people glued.

Spoiler:

I cant even imagine what they would try and do after Aizen... I mean WTF? ALL the captains attacking him and he does not so much as bat an eyelid? I mean how can anyone top that? Besides... I think Aizen as a character just does not work well... having a powerful super villain is all good... but at least make it so that someone has a chance to beat him.... I mean Ichigo barely beat out Grimmjaw and Uloquirra... how can he compete with Aizen given that he busted up all the captains with ONE move? Sure Unohana mentioned that Ichigo has one edge over him.... but with what Gin was saying.... even that aint much of an advantage... and if you read the latest chapter... you would understand why...

Whatever... I am waiting for Aizen to croak... and for the love of God... please let there be at least one PROPER battle between Ichimaru Gin and ANYONE else... I dont want to see him go the same way as Byakuya (from Inu Yasha... not Kuchiki Byakuya)...


Naruto is also heading for the finish looks like... I would hate to imagine the mangaka trying anything else... all I can envision is a final confrontation between Naruto and Sasuke following which Sasuke realizes the error of his ways and then helps Naruto beat up Madara even though they are both exhausted from their own battle... or something along those lines.... maybe Naruto bumps off Madara first and then has a final epic battle with Sasuke... I dunno... but it has to end there... there cant be anything after Madara and Sasuke... perhaps an Epilogue or whatever... but thats it...

Does the anime differ from the manga.. because there were some cool fight scenes when the Arancar came to the human world... I wanted to see them animated.. couldn't find the corresponding epi on wiki

Do you mean the part where Orihime gets kidnapped?Or before that when Grimmjow shows up with a bunch of not-too-powerful arrancar to attack Karakura town?
Everything is shown in the anime-it wouldn't be that friggin' long otherwise >_<

They come to attack the town to provide a distraction for Inoue to be kidnapped.. that one.

Are the names changed in the anime...?

EDIT

OK.. ATTN Manga Readers:

Reference Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bleach_episodes_(season_3)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bleach_episodes_(season_4)

I'm posting short summaries of some anime episodes.

OK.. This is the last episode of Season 3
After a clip show in which the events of the arc are recounted, Ichigo and his friends return to the human world. However, Rukia decides to remain in Soul Society rather than leave with Ichigo.

Perfectly acceptable. So we know where we are.

Now, Season 4 - E1
After returning from Soul Society, Ichigo Kurosaki resumes his everyday life as a high school student in Karakura Town. Soul Reaper Lieutenant Renji Abarai arrives in Karakura, however, and Ichigo claims that Renji is his cousin to the surrounding onlookers. Later that night, Orihime Inoue has a dream about her brother Sora, and is drawn into a large gate while three mysterious people observe.

In the manga, Renji doesn't come alone and there's no Inoue dream stuff.

E2
After Orihime disappears, Ichigo, Renji, Uryū Ishida, and Yasutora "Chad" Sado try to find her. A mysterious girl contacts Renji on his cellphone, and reveals that Orihime will return to her house at 8:00. They find Orihime at that time, but she is an imposter. Chad is then taken by the three figures.

Mysterious girl? Three strange figures? RENJI HAS A CELLPHONE?

E3
After the loss of Chad, the caller instructs Ichigo, Renji, and Uryū to appear at the local museum for a continuation of her game. Once there, the museum turns in to a looping maze with illusions and traps. Along the way, the group starts to splinter apart due to their irritation and desire to find their own way in the maze. As Ichigo and Renji .. BLAH BLAH

OK.. now WTF? I'm pretty sure the anime takes a different path now.

The last individual chapters there are 30 of them.. when are they gonna be sorted into volumes?

Also, Please see my previous post!!! And answer the question
https://amalganation.forumotion.net/manga-talks-f23/bleach-t161.htm#5115

this manga is franky goin on for too long ...................so long
that i could grow a beard as long as the old man leader of the gotie 13
if read it from start to the latest chapter

Spoiler:

There cant be anyone after Aizen... cause if there is... then... that dude..... would have to be the most powerful anime villain of all time... I mean Aizen took on all the freaking Captains, the resurrected Shinigami and everyone else worth mention ALL at once and didnt so much as break a sweat... Only Ichigo will be able to beat him (of course) and then that would mean that.. if there IS a dude about Aizen... then... Not only Ichigo.. we would have to suffer through the leveling up training of all the captains too... BEFORE they take on the new jackass on the block..

the reason i feel there might be a continuation is that if u have
noticed the structure of soul society; it is that the sei-rei-tei (soul
reaper compound)
is at the center of soul society it seems that its more like its
enclosing something and preventing it from gettin out as well
preventing outsiders from getting in ...............well heck my
supposition could prove to be wrong too
just hope this doesn't turn out to be like the naruto series

Could be... but Hopefully... Aizen dies... Epilog... THE END.

Bwahahhahahhaahahahahah...... Kurosakis father FINALLY arrives.... this manga might be salvaged yet...