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some things missing (sprites, drum notes) =Bleach (manga)=

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Burīchi//)// ||  ||    [|Viz Media] ||    [|Viz Media]  [|Manga Entertainment], [|AnimeCentral] ||  [|Cartoon Network] ([|Adult Swim]) ||  [|MCM]  [|Animax] [|Arutz Ha-Yeladim]  [|TV3]  [|GMA 7]  [|Hyper Media]  [|Tooniverse]  [|Buzz Media]  [|True Visions Ch 51] ||   || //**Bleach**// (ブリーチ , //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Burīchi //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?], [|romanized] as //**BLEACH**// in [|Japan]) is a Japanese [|manga] series written and illustrated by [|Tite Kubo] that has appeared in //[|Weekly Shōnen Jump]// magazine since August 2001. //Bleach// follows the adventures of [|Ichigo Kurosaki], a high school student with the ability to see ghosts, and a [|Soul Reaper] named [|Rukia Kuchiki]. The early parts of the story focus mainly on these characters. As events unfold, the story begins to delve deeper into the world of the gods of death. The manga series has been adapted into an [|animated] [|television series], two [|OVAs], three animated feature films, a rock musical, numerous video games, and a collectible card game. Compilation volumes of the manga have sold over 40 million copies in Japan, and have reached the top of manga sales charts in the [|United States]. The manga received the [|Shogakukan Manga Award] for its //[|shōnen]// title in 2005, and the anime has been nominated for several [|American Anime Awards]. * [|1] [|Synopsis] 
 * ~ //Bleach// ||||=  ||
 * = ブリーチ
 * ~ Genre || [|Action], [|Bangsian fantasy] ||
 * ~ [|Manga] ||
 * ~ Author || [|Tite Kubo] ||
 * ~ Publisher || <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> [|Shueisha] ||
 * ~ English publisher || <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid">  [|Madman Entertainment]
 * ~ Publisher || <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> [|Shueisha] ||
 * ~ English publisher || <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid">  [|Madman Entertainment]
 * ||~ show] Other publishers: ||
 * ~ Demographic || [|Shōnen] ||
 * ~ Magazine || // <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> [|Weekly Shōnen Jump]// ||
 * ~ Original run || August 2001 – ongoing ||
 * ~ [|Volumes] || [|34, containing 305 of 333 released chapters] ||
 * ~ [|TV] [|anime] ||
 * ~ Director || [|Noriyuki Abe] ||
 * ~ Studio || [|Studio Pierrot] ||
 * ~ Licensor || <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid">  [|Madman Entertainment]
 * ~ Licensor || <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid">  [|Madman Entertainment]
 * ~ Network || <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> [|TV Tokyo] ||
 * ~ English network || <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> [|YTV]
 * ||~ show] Other networks: ||
 * <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid"> <span class="thumbborder" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dddddd 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; DISPLAY: inline-block; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #dddddd 1px solid; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dddddd 1px solid">  [|Animax]
 * ~ Original run || [|October 5], [|2004] – ongoing ||
 * ~ [|Episodes] || [|184] ||
 * ~ Related works ||
 * * //[|Bleach]//, [|musical] based on manga
 * [|//Bleach//-related video games]
 * //[|Bleach: Memories of Nobody]// and //[|Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion]//, animated feature films ||
 * ==Contents==
 * [|2] [|Characters]
 * [|2.1] [|Main characters]
 * [|2.2] [|Character types]
 * [|3] [|Setting]
 * [|4] [|Production]
 * [|5] [|Reception]
 * [|6] [|Media]
 * [|6.1] [|Manga]
 * [|6.2] [|Anime]
 * [|6.3] [|CDs]
 * [|6.4] [|Films]
 * [|6.5] [|Musical]
 * [|6.6] [|Other]
 * [|7] [|References]
 * [|8] [|External links] ||

Synopsis
The story opens with the sudden appearance of Rukia Kuchiki in Ichigo Kurosaki's bedroom. She is surprised at his ability to see her, but their resulting conversation is interrupted by the appearance of a [|"hollow"], an evil spirit. After Rukia is severely wounded while trying to protect Ichigo, she intends to transfer half her powers to Ichigo, hoping to give him the opportunity to face the hollow on equal footing. Ichigo unintentionally absorbs almost all her powers instead, allowing him to defeat the hollow with ease. The next day, Rukia appears in Ichigo's classroom as a transfer student. Much to his surprise, she appears to be a normal human. She theorizes that it was the unusual strength of Ichigo's spirit that caused him to absorb almost all her powers, thus leaving her stranded in the human world. Rukia has transferred herself into a //[|gigai]// — an artificial human body — while waiting to recover her abilities. In the meantime, Ichigo must take over her job as a Soul Reaper, battling hollows and guiding lost souls to Soul Society. 

Characters
All //Bleach// characters are souls. Living humans contain souls within their bodies, while disembodied souls, or spirits, have a form composed of particles of spiritual energy called ectoplasm (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">霊子 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">reishi //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] ), which mimics human anatomy but ages more slowly. This form encompasses all of the spirit's being; there is no distinction between spirit and body. There are a variety of different types of spirits in //Bleach//, each with a different visual theme and approach to combat. 

Main characters
[|Ichigo Kurosaki] (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">黒崎 一護 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Kurosaki Ichigo //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] )  //Voiced by:// [|Masakazu Morita] (Japanese), [|Johnny Yong Bosch] (English)  The primary protagonist of //Bleach//, the orange haired high school junior Ichigo Kurosaki is forced to become a substitute Soul Reaper after unwittingly absorbing most of Rukia's powers. His cynical nature at first makes him ill-disposed towards the duty, but with the passage of time he comes to accept and welcome it, recognizing that even if he is not able to save everyone, he can at least use his skills to protect those close to him. [|Rukia Kuchiki] (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">朽木 ルキア <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Kuchiki Rukia //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] )  //Voiced by:// [|Fumiko Orikasa] (Japanese), [|Michelle Ruff] (English)  Rukia Kuchiki is a sarcastic Soul Reaper who was sent on a hollow extermination patrol in Ichigo's hometown. Though her physical appearance is that of a teenage girl, in reality she is around 150 years old. Rukia is forced to transfer her powers to Ichigo and assume a temporary lifestyle as a regular human. She registers at the local high school and takes up residence in Ichigo's closet, while teaching him how to be a substitute Soul Reaper in her place. [|Orihime Inoue] (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">井上 織姫 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Inoue Orihime //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] )  //Voiced by:// [|Yuki Matsuoka] (Japanese), [|Stephanie Sheh] (English)  Orihime Inoue is a long-time classmate of Ichigo, closely linked to him by mutual friend [|Tatsuki Arisawa]. She is effectively an orphan, as she and her elder brother Sora ran away from their abusive home at a young age, and her brother later died. Though initially devoid of spiritual powers, she begins to develop spiritual awareness and later obtains one of the most powerful abilities in the //Bleach// universe, able to transcend time and completely restore anything to its previous state regardless of how its changed. [|Yasutora "Chad" Sado] (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">茶渡 泰虎 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Sado Yasutora //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] )  //Voiced by:// [|Hiroki Yasumoto] (Japanese), [|Jamieson Price] (English)  Yasutora Sado, better known as Chad, is one of Ichigo's friends at school. He is a biracial ([|Japanese]/[|Mexican]) student who towers over his classmates.[|[1]] Despite his imposing appearance he is quite meek, and refuses to fight unless it is for the sake of another. He does not have awareness of ghosts at first, but this changes when he witnesses a group of children being attacked by a hollow. He discovers a unique ability that strengthens and armors one of his arms, enabling him to fight hollows. He later develops the ability to shoot energy from his armored arm. [|Kisuke Urahara] (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">浦原 喜助 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Urahara Kisuke //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] )  //Voiced by:// [|Shin-ichiro Miki] (Japanese), [|Michael Lindsay] (English)  A mysterious and cheery man characterized by his hat that shadows his eyes and the [|geta] (wooden sandals) he wears, Kisuke Urahara runs the Urahara Shop, a candy store that also sells supernatural items to Soul Reapers. Despite his [|sanguine] nature he is one of the most significant figures in the //Bleach// universe, and bears immense knowledge of the spiritual realms which he uses to mastermind the operations of the protagonists. [|Uryū Ishida] (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">石田 雨竜 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Ishida Uryū //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] )  //Voiced by:// [|Noriaki Sugiyama] (Japanese), [|Derek Stephen Prince] (English)  Though on the surface he is nothing more than the solitary class genius, Uryū Ishida is actually a [|Quincy], descendant of a line of priest-like hollow-hunting archers. He bears a deep grudge against all Soul Reapers, including Ichigo, but comes to view Ichigo differently over time, eventually becoming an ally and friendly rival. [|Renji Abarai] (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">阿散井 恋次 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Abarai Renji //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] )  //Voiced by:// [|Kentarō Itō] (Japanese), [|Wally Wingert] (English)  Renji Abarai is an elite Soul Reaper bearing the rank of 6th Division lieutenant, making him second in command of a sub-branch of the Soul Reaper armed forces. Although first introduced as a deadly enemy, he has conflicting loyalties between his duties and Rukia, with whom he grew up. A rash and driven man, he holds both a deep respect and animosity towards his immediate superior, 6th Division [|captain] [|Byakuya Kuchiki]. 

Character types

 * **Human**: The humans of //Bleach// are much like the residents of modern Japan, and most cannot see or sense disembodied spirits in any way. Spirits can, however, inhabit artificial human bodies called //gigai// which are visible to ordinary humans. One in 50,000 humans is a [|medium] with some awareness of nearby spirits, but only a third of these are able to see them clearly, and only the strongest of mediums are able to speak with or touch spirits.[|[2]] Certain unique humans naturally have both the power to sense and the strength to fight with spirits. Ordinary humans can gain the ability to interact with spirits by spending time around a large source of spirit energy.[|[3]]
 * **Wholes**: Benign spirits in //Bleach// are known as wholes (pluses in the official Japanese editions). A whole is the spirit of a person who has died.[|[4]] A chain, known as the Chain of Fate (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">因果の鎖 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">inga no kusari //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] ), protrudes from the chest and binds the whole to a location, object or person that they felt close to in life.[|[5]] The soul can move about freely if the chain is broken, but this also causes the chain to corrode.[|[5]] Normally, wholes are sent to Soul Society by Soul Reapers in a ritual called soul burial (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">魂葬 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">konsō //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?]  ) before this corrosion becomes significant. If the Chain of Fate is corroded entirely before a soul burial can be performed, a hole will form in the chest of the soul where the chain was once anchored. Such souls are driven mad and become evil spirits known as hollows.[|[5]] If the Chain of Fate is torn out deliberately, this also leads to spiritual degradation.[|[6]]
 * **[|Soul Reaper]**: Soul Reapers, or //[|shinigami]// as they are called in [|Japanese-language] releases, are the [|psychopomps] of //Bleach//. They are souls with inner spiritual power, recruited from the ranks of the residents and nobility of Soul Society. Like all spirits, they cannot be detected by normal humans. Soul Reapers use their //[|zanpakutō]//, supernatural swords that are the manifestation of their owners' power, to perform soul burials on wholes.[|[4]] Soul Reapers also use //zanpakutō// and magic known as //[|kidō]// to fight their archrivals, the hollows.[|[4]] A group of Soul Reapers known as the **[|Visoreds]** have obtained hollow powers, gaining removable masks and access to certain hollow abilities.
 * **[|Hollow]**: The hollows are the major antagonists of //Bleach//. They are evil spirits who reside in Hueco Mundo but travel to the living world to feed on the souls of the living and dead alike. Like Soul Reapers, hollows are made of spiritual matter and cannot be detected by ordinary humans. While the majority of hollows can be overcome by the average Soul Reaper, there are some which surpass even the most elite Soul Reapers in strength. All normal hollows wear white masks,[|[5]] but a small group of hollows have broken them, becoming **[|arrancar]**. By shattering their masks, these hollows regain the ability to reason, sometimes obtain a humanoid form, and gain access to Soul Reaper powers.[|[7]]
 * **[|Quincy]**: The Quincy are a clan of spiritually aware humans who once fought against the hollows, using bows composed of spiritual energy to slay them.[|[8]] As opposed to Soul Reapers, Quincy absorb and channel energy from their surroundings to fight.[|[9]] Unlike the Soul Reaper's method of killing hollows which allows the hollow to enter Soul Society, the Quincy technique simply destroys the hollow's soul entirely.[|[8]] This method has the propensity to shatter the balance of the universe, because when souls are destroyed, the number of souls entering and leaving Soul Society cannot remain equal.[|[10]] This issue prompted the Soul Reapers to conduct a campaign to exterminate the Quincy about 200 years before the main storyline.[|[11]] At least two Quincy still remain.
 * **[|Artificial soul]**: Artificial souls (also known as Modified Souls, or Mod Souls) are a type of soul mass-produced by the Soul Reapers.[|[12]] Issued in pill form, they are used to force Soul Reapers out of their //gigai// during protracted stays in the living world, and also to evict wholes that refuse to leave their bodies after death.[|[12]] They come with a pre-programmed personality that animates the host body until the owner returns.[|[12]] In addition to the mundane versions, a series of experimental souls authorized and created by Soul Reaper researchers exists.[|[13]] Known as modified souls, these were meant to hunt hollows by possessing soulless human bodies and supercharging a particular aspect of them (for example, strength or speed).[|[13]] The Soul Reapers decided to scrap the project due to the inhumanity of forcing dead bodies to fight, and ordered the destruction of all modified souls.[|[13]] Only one modified soul exists in the manga ([|Kon]), but there are three more such characters in the anime.
 * **[|Bount]**: Exclusive to the anime, the Bounts are a clan of human beings with high spiritual energy and special powers. They were accidentally created by Soul Reaper scientists looking for a way to create eternal life. Bounts consume the souls of human beings to survive; theoretically, a Bount could live forever by doing so. Although the Bounts have a strict rule to consume only the souls of the dead, the final group of Bounts chose to drain souls from living humans in order to become more powerful. Each Bount uses a "doll" in combat, a type of [|familiar] possessing its own special abilities. Every doll is unique and is a manifestation of the user's power. If the doll is destroyed, its owner is destroyed as well.

Setting
The [|planes of existence] in the //Bleach// universe broadly correspond to the life and [|afterlife] of [|human belief systems]. The living humans of //Bleach// reside in a world resembling present-day Japan, buried souls live in a kind of [|Heaven] called Soul Society, and evil souls are sent to [|Hell]. Once a spirit dies in Soul Society, its soul is sent back to the living world and reborn as a new human.[|[14]] This provides the two worlds with balance.


 * **Human world**: The human world of //Bleach// is focused on modern Japan; specifically, a fictional area of [|Western Tokyo] called Karakura Town.[|[15]] In this world, Ichigo attends school and fights hollows.
 * **Soul Society**: The spirit world called Soul Society (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">尸魂界（ソウル・ソサエティ） <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Sōru Sosaeti //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] ) consists of two portions: the expansive walled city of //Seireitei// (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">瀞霊廷 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Court of Pure Souls //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?]  ), where Soul Reapers and nobility reside, and the eighty-district residential area of //Rukongai// (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">流魂街 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Town of Wandering Spirits //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?]  ) .[|[16]] The number of the district describes its conditions, such that lower-numbered districts are more peaceful.[|[17]] Living conditions resemble those of [|feudal Japan]. A king resides in another realm within Soul Society.[|[18]] Souls in the Soul Society are much like normal humans, but age at an extremely slowed rate, such that lifespans of several centuries are commonplace. Children can even be born as they are in the human world.

//Bleach// characters move from world to world by several means. [|Soul Reapers] open passages between the Human World and the Soul Society by means of their //zanpakutō//. Butterflies created during soul burial, called hell butterflies (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">地獄蝶 <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">jigoku-chō //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] ), make these routes safe. Human souls usually cross between planes only through birth into the human world or soul burial by Soul Reapers. Living humans can also use special portals to move between worlds, but this is dangerous. While hollows are portrayed as able to move between planes at will by opening rifts in space, they usually remain in Hueco Mundo due to the risk of discovery in Soul Society or the Human World. Encounters between characters crossing realms are a driving plot force in //Bleach//. 
 * **Hueco Mundo**: Hueco Mundo (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">虚圏（ウェコムンド） <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Weko Mundo //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] ) is a dimension between the human world and Soul Society. It is where hollows reside when not hunting humans, and they are undetectable as long as they remain inside. Entrances to Hueco Mundo are created by ripping the dimensional fabric between the two worlds. On the surface of Hueco Mundo is a desert-like realm, covered in perpetual night. The little vegetation that meets the eye is actually formed from crystal; and while the sky has clouds, there is no water to be found anywhere. Few hollows reside on the surface, and the landscape is dominated by the imposing [|Las Noches] palace. Directly underneath is the Forest of Menos, where the hollows mainly reside until provoked to leave.

Production
Kubo found inspiration for many names of swords and spells in ancient [|Japanese literature]. Kubo said that he became interested in [|Spanish] because to him the language sounded "bewitching" and "mellow"; //Bleach// includes a number of Spanish words in its vocabulary. German can also be seen in the Quincy powers in the anime, while Spanish seems to be used in the otherworldly powers.[|[19]] Kubo said that he likes creating characters that have "outward appearance"s that "belie their true nature" (such as "good guys with mean-looking faces" and "bad guys who look gentle") because Kubo was "attracted to people with that seeming contradiction" and finds an "urge to draw people like that when I work."[|[19]] In an interview the United States //Shonen Jump// staff stated that //Bleach// is "very cinematic" and the members believed that Kubo used films as "models" for the storytelling. When asked if any specific films or actors provided examples for fight sequences, Kubo responded by telling the interviewers that he liked //[|Snatch]// but he did not use it as a model. Kubo added that movies he liked "must influence" him "in various ways."[|[20]] 

Reception
The first volume of the manga has sold over 1.25 million copies in Japan, and the original [|Japanese] version of the manga series as a whole has sold over 46 million copies.[|[21]] In 2005, //Bleach// was awarded the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award in the //shōnen// category.[|[22]][|[23]] In a 2006 internet poll by [|TV Asahi], //Bleach// was ranked as Japan's seventh-favorite anime program.[|[24]] The previous year, it was ranked as the twenty-seventh favorite program.[|[25]] North American sales of the manga have been high, with Volume 16 placing in the top 10 graphic novel sales in December 2006[|[26]] and Volume 17 being the best-selling manga volume for the month of February 2007.[|[27]][|[28]] The English version of //Bleach// was nominated for the "best manga" and "best theme" awards at the 2006 American Anime Awards, but did not win either category. It was nominated again in 2007 in the fields of "best manga", "best actor", "best DVD package design", and "best theme", but failed to win any awards.[|[29]] //Anime News Network// describes the series as "..one incredibly entertaining anime that will grab you and refuse to let go. For classic adventure with a slick, modern attitude, go no further than Bleach..."[|[30]] //MiniTokyo// praised the series as being "very original" and the presentation "..is very promising.."[|[31]] The reviewer for //Pop Culture Shock// gave his views on the series. He first said that the series' storyline "sets others apart" and the characters are "well crafted, animated and voiced", but later added saying that some scenes "were not balanced out" and that some characters "could have been more developed". Nonetheless, he gave the series an "A" grade for Volume 1, and then "A-" for Volumes 2-6.[|[32]][|[33]] 

Since its first appearance in August 2001, the //Bleach// manga has appeared weekly in [|Shueisha]'s //Weekly Shōnen Jump// magazine. Shueisha also compiles the chapters into bimonthly //[|tankōbon]// volumes; currently 34 have been released.[|[34]] [|Viz Media] has released 24 [|English] volumes of the manga in [|North America].[|[35]] 

Anime
The anime version of //Bleach// is produced by [|Studio Pierrot] and directed by [|Noriyuki Abe]. It began broadcasting in Japan on [|October 5], [|2004], on [|TV Tokyo]. Episodes 1-167 were made and broadcast in 4:3, with episodes 168+ made and broadcast in 16:9 wide screen. On [|March 15], [|2006], Viz Media obtained foreign television, home video, and merchandising rights to the //Bleach// anime from the TV Tokyo Corporation and Shueisha.[|[36]] Subsequently, Viz Media contracted [|Studiopolis] to create the English dub of the anime,[|[37]] and has licensed its individual //Bleach// merchandising rights to several different companies.[|[38]] The English version of the //Bleach// anime premiered on [|Canada]'s [|YTV] channel in the [|Bionix] program block on [|September 8], [|2006]. Cartoon Network began airing //Bleach// the following evening as part of its [|Adult Swim] block. The show went on hiatus on [|October 20], [|2007] after airing the first 52 episodes of the series. It was replaced with another Viz series, //[|Death Note]//, while additional episodes of //Bleach// were being dubbed. On [|March 2], [|2008], Cartoon Network began airing new episodes of Bleach and is still airing. YTV began showing reruns of the anime after episode 26. On March 2, 2008 at 1:00 a.m. EST, the series returned from hiatus and began the next 52 episodes.[|[39]] In the UK, //Bleach// premiered on [|AnimeCentral] on [|September 13], [|2007], with new episodes airing daily, but is currently on hiatus after airing the first 52 episodes. 

CDs
Eight [|CD] [|soundtracks], produced by [|Shirō Sagisu], have been released for the //Bleach// anime series and movies. //Bleach Original Soundtrack 1// was released on [|May 18], [|2005] and contains twenty-five tracks including the first opening and ending themes, in their original television lengths. //Bleach Original Soundtrack 2// followed on [|August 2], [|2006] with an additional twenty-three instrumental tracks. On [|December 16], [|2006], //Bleach: Memories of Nobody Original Soundtrack// was released with twenty-five tracks from the //[|Bleach: Memories of Nobody]// anime film. A soundtrack was also released for the //[|Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion]// film, with nearly thirty tracks from the movie. //Bleach: The Best// contains twelve of the opening and ending themes from the series, in their full length versions. An eighteen volume CD set, //The Bleach Beat Collections// were released from [|June 22], [|2005] through [|March 5], [|2008]. These albums feature recordings by the [|original Japanese voice actors] that provide a look at both the personalities of the characters they play, but also of the voice actors themselves. Two "Radio DJCD Bleach 'B' Station" CD season sets, each containing six volumes, have also been released in Japan as well. Five [|drama CDs] have been produced for the series, featuring the original voice actors from the series, however they have only been released as part of the DVD releases. 

Films
There have been three feature film adaptations of the //Bleach// series, each directed by series director [|Noriyuki Abe]. The films have been released in December of each year started in 2006. The first film, //[|Bleach: Memories of Nobody]//, was released in Japan on [|December 16], [|2006]. It is set after the events of the Soul Society arc with Ichigo back in the living world fending off hollows. The movie is centered around the activities of a strange group called the "Dark Ones," who are trying to destroy both the Soul Society and the living world. It is scheduled for [|Region 1] [|DVD] release in [|North America] by [|Viz Media] on [|October 14], [|2008].[|[40]] //[|Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion]// was released to Japanese theaters on [|December 22], [|2007]. It centers around 10th Squad captain [|Tōshirō Hitsugaya], who is sentenced to execution by Soul Society after losing "the King's Seal". //Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name// (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji">BLEACH Fade to Black 君の名を呼ぶ <span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="DISPLAY: none">, //<span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Bleach: Fade to Black - Kimi no Na o Yobu //<span class="t_nihongo_help"><span class="t_nihongo_icon" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0.1em; PADDING-LEFT: 0.1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT: bold 80% sans-serif; COLOR: #00e; PADDING-TOP: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none">[|?] ), the series third film, is scheduled to be released in Japan on [|December 13], [|2008]. The film's screenplay was written by Natsuko Takahashi, who is a screenwriter for the anime series. The official film website gives the tagline of "Sayonara, Rukia", but little else is known about the film's intended plot line.[|[40]] 

Musical
A [|rock musical], //Rock Musical BLEACH//, was jointly produced by [|Studio Pierrot] and Nelke Planning and directed by Takuya Hiramitsu, with a script adaptation by Naoshi Okumura. The music is written by playwright Shoichi Tama; the music in the show is completely original and not taken from the anime soundtrack. The initial performance run of the //Bleach// musical was from August 17 to August 28, 2005 at the Space Zero Tokyo center in [|Shinjuku]. To date, there have been five musicals and a "Live" Bankai Show. Two musicals are set to come out in the spring of 2008.[|[41]] 

Other
MESSAGE AREA: _ _
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