ANIME and TOONs

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2011-05-27T07:52:00.001-07:00

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Samurai Deeper Kyo

2011-02-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

Samurai Deeper Kyo (サムライディーパーキョウ Samurai Dīpā Kyō) is a manga series written and illustrated by Akimine Kamijyo. The manga was serialized from October 15, 1999 to May 10, 2006 in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine, and collected over 38 volumes.
Samurai Deeper Kyo follows the story of Demon Eyes Kyo (鬼目の狂 Oni Me no Kyō) as he seeks to regain his body after his soul was sealed inside the body of his rival, Mibu Kyoshiro. Kyo is joined in his search by the bounty-hunter Shiina Yuya, the heir to the Tokugawa shogunate Benitora, and Sanada Yukimura, a known rival of the Tokugawa.
The manga was adapted into an animated television series in 2002. The Studio Deen production aired on TV Tokyo from July 2, 2002 until December 23, 2002, for a total of 26 episodes.
As of December 2009, 34 volumes had been released in the United States and Canada by Tokyopop, at which point Tokyopop dropped the series; it was picked up by Del Rey, who have released volumes 35 and 36 in a single volume and have released the final two volumes in a second single volume. The series has also been released in Denmark, England, France, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore and Spain. It has also been adapted as a Game Boy Advance video game, released in Japan in late 2002. It was later released in North America in February 2008, as the last title for the system.

Plot

Further information: Samurai Deeper Kyo manga summaries

Set in Tokugawa Japan, this manga begins by following Shiina Yuya, a bounty hunter searching for her brother's murderer. However, Yuya quickly meets a medicine peddler named Mibu Kyoshiro, who turns out to be sharing a body with the feared samurai Demon Eyes Kyo. Over time, Mibu Kyoshiro and, to a lesser extent, Shiina Yuya recede from the story while Demon Eyes Kyo comes to the fore. Kyo's only stated wish is to regain his own body. Following this path leads Kyo, Yuya and a variety of fellow travelers into conflict with both the Tokugawa shogunate and the Mibu tribe, a race of violent superhumans who have run Japan from the shadows for millennia.
Underlying the principal story arc of Kyo's search to reclaim his body, there are many smaller arcs, each leading to the next one. The basis of many later revelations are established many volumes in advance. In the manga, it is revealed that all of the Mibu, except for Kyo, are descendants of "Battle Dolls", creatures created by the Mibu to fight for their amusement. In time, the Battle Dolls come to believe they were the real Mibu, and that the real Mibu eventually became extinct due to in-fighting. The Mibu Battle Dolls are gradually being killed by the "Death Disease". Muramasa's sister was the first to be killed by the disease, but others soon followed. The disease manifests itself when the infected person reaches a certain age. For this reason, the aging process has been stopped in Antera, Tokito, and probably others.
Demon Eyes Kyo ultimately defeats the father and creator of the Mibu, the Former Crimson King, who was also the very first Battle Doll. Originally an extremely-beloved and thoroughly-benevolent ruler, the King had become totally corrupted by his loss of all faith in humanity, and became an insane tyrant bent on completely eradicating all of mankind. Kyo then goes missing-in-action after the final battle, which blows up the Mibu capital, and only reappeared again three years later, after which he retires from fighting and settles down to a quiet life with Yuya.

Characters

Demon Eyes Kyo (鬼目の狂, Oni Me no Kyō)

He is known for his demonic blood-red eyes and is one of the most feared samurai in the world. He carries a legendary nodachi called Tenro (Heavenly Wolf), made by mastersmith Muramasa. In the manga, he is depicted as a cold, unbeatable samurai. When he was young, he was shunned by all of the Mibu clan for his demonic red eyes except for the Sendai Aka no Ou (Former Crimson King). After killing Oda Nobunaga, he was thrown into the Mibu dungeons until Muramasa rescued him and trained him in Mumyo Jinpu Ryuu. Kyo is the last remaining True Mibu. Sendai Aka no Ou asked Kyo to seek out the outside world and one day stop the former King himself if he was to become evil and destroy the world.

Mibu Kyoshiro (壬生京四郎, Mibu Kyōshirō)

A remarkable and mysterious swordsman, depicted as the only rival to Demon Eyes Kyo. He wielded the Shibien (Black Sword), one of the Muramasa weapons. In the manga, he is depicted as one of the heirs to the Aka no Ou throne, the Red Eyes being proof of his Mibu lineage. He is a "Red Cross Knight", created from the flesh of the Sendai Aka no Ou. Though he is able to control the Red Eyes, he is not a true Mibu, but merely a more powerful battle doll resembling the first generation of battle dolls created. It is depicted that he is stronger than Demon Eyes Kyo until near the end of the manga.

Shiina Yuya (椎名由夜)

A young woman who makes a living as a professional bounty hunter in order to track down her brother's killer, the "Man with the Scar on His Back". She uses a three barreled gun and small daggers as defensive weapons. Yuya is actually an orphan found by her "brother", Nozomu, and raised by him as an adoptive sister. He was Sakuya's biological brother. Unlike many of the characters, Yuya is a normal human without any powers, despite the former Crimson King suspecting she can see the future later in the story.

Benitora (红虎)

Also known as Hidetada Tokugawa (德川秀忠), the heir to the throne of the Tokugawa clan. He is also known as "The Shadow Master" due to his ability to make multiple copies of himself. He first appeared in volume 2 of the manga, accompanying White Crow. He later challenges Kyoshiro, whom he thought was Kyo, to a fight. Benitora loses and decides to join their group. He immediately takes a romantic interest in Shiina Yuya, although the feeling is not returned.

Mibu clan (壬生一族, Mibu Ichizoku)

Ruled by The Crimson King. Most of their members are humanoid in appearance but have very long lives compared to humans and have great strength and power. The lower ranked Mibu are sometimes in humanoid shape with abnormal bodies, i.e. three eyes or clawed hands. These were created by experiments on humans and animals to replenish the clan, because natural childbirth has stopped in the Mibu clan for unknown reasons. The Mibu clan are said to possess the most advanced knowledge in sciences and technology and have been manipulating the country's history from the shadows by helping the Shoguns. They decide to rule the country directly when Ieyasu Tokugawa becomes the first shogun to ever rebel against their power.
All of the current Mibu are battle dolls made by True Mibu, except for Demon Eyes Kyo, the last remaining True Mibu. But as generations passed, True Mibu started engaging in civil wars to seek greater power, which ended up in the destruction of their very clan with only battle dolls remaining. Present Mibu are dying off due to the Death Disease which is caused by their flaw as battle dolls created by True Mibu. Kyoushiro and Chinmei are also battle dolls, but a more powerful version created by the first generation battle doll, the former Aka no Ou. They are called "sons of the God", and have limited power compared to what a True Mibu has. Eventually, they will also inherit Death Disease and die.

Anime adaptation

The TV adaptation takes extreme liberties with the plot, and only vaguely follows the plot of the manga. Kyo is an artificial construct, born of Kyoshiro's attempt to purge violence and cruelty from himself i.e. Kyo is the dark half of Kyoshiro's soul in a Mibu-made homunculus . While Kyo is resealed inside Kyoshiro after losing a swordfight to him, the circumstances behind it are different. Kyoshiro confronts Kyo at the Battle of Sekigahara in order to stop his bloody rampage, rather than to protect Sakuya. Apart from these and flashbacks to his time with Muramasa, Akira and Hotaru, the anime provides fewer details of Kyo's past. The character of Yuya is often relegated to a peripheral character, while the role of the kenyou is enhanced.

Episodes

Road to Armageddon
Wanted (Dead or Alive) Man
Red Mirage
Sneaking Nightmare
The Assassin's Tears
The Duel of Hibiya Bay
Keichou Battle Royal
Demon Spear Cries
A Blind of Smiles
Cold-Blooded Illusion
Pitch Black Flashback
The Boy Who Came from the Deep Forest
The Crossing Souls
The Return of Satan
Our Friend, Red Tiger
Perfect Victory
The Secret Talk of the Ladies
The Nurse Devil
Thunderbolt Attack
Absolute Zero is Far
The Hellish Mibu Castle
Clockwork Doors
Passionate Ecstasy
Last Muramasa Awakening
That Which Surpasses a Tachyon
The Ballad of the Samurai

Samurai Deeper Kyo

2011-01-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

Afro Samurai

2010-11-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

Dr. Strange

2010-08-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

Name: Stephen Strange

ID: Known, Master of Mystic Arts, Sorcerer Supreme

Relatives: Clea, Wife...Victor (Brother Blood II), Brother (Deceased)...Donna, Sister (Deceased)...Eugene, Father (Deceased)...Beverly, Mother (Deceased)

Affiliates: Founding Member of the Defenders and Secret Defenders...Ally of Clea, Wong (Servant), Rintrah, Ancient One, Spider-Man and most other Marvel Heroes.

Major Enemies: Baron Mordo, Nightmare, Dormammu, Silver Dagger, Dracula, Umar, Kaluu, Sise-Neg.

Powers: Strange has the ability to manipulate mystical energies and has a great mastery of the arts of magic. He has developed such psychic powers as mesmerism, astral projection and thought-casting. Has tapped into the universes magical energies such as teleportation, illusion-casting and energy projection. Also has tapped extra-dimensional energy and is very knowledgeable in the martial arts. Wears a cloak of levitation enabling him to fly and wears the eye of Agomotto which is the source of many great powers such as radiating blinding lights to providing a gateway into other dimensions.

Origin: Once a gifted, yet arrogant and selfish Neurosurgeon, Stephen Strange was involved in an automobile accident leaving his nerves damaged and his days as a surgeon came to a quick end. After several failed attempts to find a cure, Strange became a recluse but learned of a man named the Ancient One with great mystical powers. Stephen barely made it to The Ancient One's palace in the Himalayan Mountains in Tibet, but he had to prove himself worthy of becoming the Ancient One's disciple when asking for help and mentoring. He proved himself being worthy when warning the Ancient One of the evil of Baron Mordo. Strange has since learned much of the the secrets of sorcery and magic, eventually earning the name Master Of The Mystic Arts!

1st App.: Strange Tales #110

Origin Issues: Strange Tales #115

Spider-Man Appearances: Amazing Spider-Man #109, 336, V2 #41, 42, Annual #2 & 14...Marvel Team-Up #21, 50, 51, 76, 77, 80, 81, 111, 112, 125 (With Scarlet Witch) & Annual 5...Spectacular Spider-Man #115 & 117...Spider-Man Team-Up #6...Sensational Spider-Man #22 & 23...Spider-Man Unlimited #15...Untold Tales Of Spider-Man '97 & '98 (Strange Encounters)...The Way To Dusty Death...Doctor Strange #179...Defenders #107-109...Secret Defenders #6-8...Daredevil Annual 5...Vision & Scarlet Witch V2 #11...Fantastic Four #243...Incredible Hulk #300 & Annual 11...New Warriors #32-24 & Annual 3...Lifeline #1-3...World's Greatest Comics #3

naruto n deathnote

2010-08-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

akatsuki sakura

2010-08-18T08:41:00.001-07:00

naruto T

2010-08-17T02:39:00.000-07:00

naruto 1

2010-06-27T10:33:00.001-07:00

double fun 10

2010-04-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

double fun 9

2010-04-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

double fun 8

2010-04-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

double fun 7

2010-03-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

double fun 6

2010-03-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

double fun 5

2010-03-22T23:02:00.000-07:00

DOUBLE FUN 4

2010-03-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Double fun 3

2010-02-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

Double fun 2

2010-02-18T06:41:00.000-08:00

Double fun 1

2010-02-16T22:50:00.000-08:00

3D ANIME

2010-01-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

Name: Alyssium
Age: Unknown
Race: Blood Elf
Gender: Female
Personality: Cruel, sadistic, kind towards those she serves, extremely loyal.
Weapons: Duel elvish short blades
Appearance/pic: Long flowing light brown hair, deep crimson eyes, two short scars run from her left ear to the edge of her eye and her skin is lightly tanned. She stands about 5'6" and weighs 135 lbs.

Renji Abarai

2010-01-15T00:32:00.000-08:00

List of Soul Reapers in Bleach

2010-01-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

This is a list of Soul Reaper (死神 shinigam, literally "death god") characters featured in the anime and manga series Bleach, created by Tite Kubo. Soul Reapers are a fictional race of spirits who govern the flow of souls between the human world and the afterlife.

The series follows how Ichigo Kurosaki becomes the deputy Soul Reaper substituting for Rukia Kuchiki in Karakura Town. He assumes her duties to protect souls and put them to peaceful rest, as well as to fight against creatures called Hollows, which are souls that could not rest. As the series progresses, however; Rukia is arrested by the Soul Reaper organization Soul Society for giving her powers to Ichigo, and they prepare to execute her. Ichigo and his friends go to save her and are forced to fight against many of the Soul Society's Court Guard Companies. However the Captain of 5th Company, Sōsuke Aizen defects from the Soul Society during the rescue and starts a plan to overthrow the king of the Soul Society and usurp it.

Creation and conception

Bleach was first conceived from Tite Kubo's desire to draw a shinigami (term which is changed to Soul Reaper in the English adaptation) in a kimono, which formed the basis for the design of the Soul Reapers. Before deciding the use of kimono, Kubo thought of giving black suits to male Soul Reapers any forms to female Soul Reapers, but thought that it was too generic and changed it to a kimono. Several characteristics from them, such as the kidō spells and the zanpakutō swords are also based on Japanese literature. Instead of using zanpakutō, Kubo wanted to give the Soul Reapers guns, with the exception of Rukia, who would use a scythe. Seeing that guns are not suitable for kimono, he changed them with swords. When asked which of the 13 Court Guard Company Captains and Assistant Captains were his favorites, Tite Kubo answered by saying that he liked "all of them" and that he likes to "support" characters "disliked by readers." Early plans for the story did not include the hierarchical structure of the Soul Society, but did include Ichigo's Soul Reaper heritage.

Characteristics

Soul Reapers are departed human souls that have gained supernatural powers. Soul Reapers can only be seen by other spiritually aware entities, which excludes most humans. Additionally, they can be injured and die like regular humans, though it takes considerably greater injuries for the latter to occur than it would in regular humans.

All Soul Reapers possess a zanpakutō (斬魄刀, literally "soul-cutter sword"), a weapon which reflects aspects of their soul and personality. By learning the name of the sword's spirit and through training, Soul Reapers can unlock more powerful transformations of their zanpakutō. The first transformation, known as shikai (始解, "initial release"), changes the sword's appearance to better facilitate its special abilities. The shikai is usually released when the owner of a zanpakutō calls out their unique command or phrase followed by the name of the zanpakutō. The second transformation, known as bankai (卍解, "final release"), can only normally be achieved when a Soul Reaper trains with their zanpakutō for decades. Once achieved, the Soul Reaper can unlock the full potential of their zanpakutō, increasing their own power several times over.

Many Soul Reapers are able to use kidō (鬼道, literally "way of the demon"), a form of magic that can be performed by reciting a specific incantation. Most of the kidō spells seen in the series have been used as attacks, defensive measures, or to bind others, though they can also serve more specialized needs such as healing wounds or communication over long distances. Spells are ranked on a scale of 1 to 99, indicating their complexity and overall power. However, even low-level spells can do quite a lot of damage when used by skilled kidō users, such as Byakuya Kuchiki.

Soul Reaper operations are based out of the Soul Society, which is an afterlife in Bleach. Travel between the human world and the Soul Society is extremely limited and monitored, but some Soul Reapers are stationed in the human world to carry out their duties. If this Soul Reaper is an Assistant Captain or a Captain then they will have a Gentei Reiin, or a Spirit Restriction Seal on some area of their body. This seal will limit their spiritual powers to one-fifth of their full power and it can only be released in a state of emergency. In addition to these laws, it is a crime for a Soul Reaper to remain in the human world for longer than directed. A Soul Reaper's duties include leading Wholes (ghosts) to Soul Society in a practice called soul burial (魂葬(こんそう) konsou), and the cleansing of Hollows (evil spirits).

Soul Reaper court divisions

The 13 Soul Reaper captains.

The 13 Soul Reaper lieutenants.

The Gotei 13 (護廷十三隊 goteijūsantai, "13 Division Imperial Guards", or "13 Court Guard Squads" in the English dubbed version), is the central organization which most Soul Reapers join. It is split into thirteen divisions, some of which have certain specializations. The 4th Division, for example, is the medical/supply division, the 12th Division is the research/scientific division, and the 11th division is well known for brute military force. Other military-forces exist apart from the Gotei 13 and serve more specialized capacities. The Kidō Corps (鬼道衆 kidōshū) is a reclusive group that specializes in kidō and is left in charge of the gateway connecting Soul Society to the human world. The Stealth Forces (隠密機動 onmitsukidō, literally "hidden secret movements organization"), typically led by the captain of the 2nd Division, are tasked with surveillance, covert operations, and imprisoning potentially problematic Soul Reapers. The Zero Division, a secret group composed only of former captains, protects the royal family.

The Captains (隊長 Taichō, literally "Unit Commander") are the leaders of the thirteen divisions. Each controls a specific division with the exception of the Commander-General (総隊長 sōtaichō, "Head-Captain" in the English dub), who acts as both captain of the 1st Division and the leader of the Gotei 13; the implication is that this is an ex officio position. With one exception (Kenpachi Zaraki), all captains are able to perform the bankai of their zanpakutō. To achieve the position of captain a Soul Reaper must display great expertise with Soul Reaper abilities and battle tactics, and must be approved by either their fellow captains or the members of their division. A Soul Reaper may also become a captain by challenging and killing another captain as in the case of Kenpachi Zaraki.

Lieutenants (副隊長 fukutaichō, literally "Vice-unit Commander") are the adjutants to the captains in each division. In terms of rank, they hold the 2nd Seat in the division. In the case of a division captain's death, departure, or other circumstances making them unable to perform their duties, the lieutenant acts as the substitute captain until another captain can be assigned. The Seated officers (席官 Sekikan) hold ranks from 3rd Seat to 20th Seat. While the single digit ranks are usually only assigned to a single officer, the lower ranks will often be held by several. Higher digit ranks may also lead secondary teams within the division; for instance, Hanatarō Yamada is the 4th Division's 7th seat and leader of the 14th Advanced Relief Team therein.

Soul Reaper characters

1st Division

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai

Voiced by: Masaaki Tsukada (Japanese), Bob Joles (credited as Bob Johnson) (English)

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai (山本元柳斎重國 Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni) is the captain of the 1st Division and the leader of the Gotei 13. He is an old man with a very muscular body. There are many scars on his torso and head and arms, suggesting numerous battles in his past. Yamamoto believes that laws must be upheld for the benefit of the community and despises those who break them. He founded the Soul Reaper academy about 1000 years before the main Bleach storyline, where he personally instructed Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake whom he treats as if they were his sons.

Yamamoto's zanpakutō is Ryūjin Jakka (流刃若火, roughly "flowing blade like fire", Viz "flowing flame blade"). When released, the sword consumes him and the surrounding area in flames. It is the most powerful fire-based zanpakutō in Soul Society, and the sheer power of the flame can disintegrate almost anything the sword is waved at. While he is surrounded by flames, if his enemy will get close to him he will be turned in to dust. Yamamoto is an exceedingly powerful fighter, able to easily combat two captains, as well as several arrancar, with Ryūjin Jakka's shikai. Ryūjin Jakka is a primary plot element in the anime's "Zanpakutō Rebellion" arc, sought by Muramasa to use for his own purposes.

Chōjirō Sasakibe

Voiced by: Taro Yamaguchi (Japanese), Michael McConnohie (English)

Chōjirō Sasakibe (雀部長次郎 Sasakibe Chōjirō) is the lieutenant of the 1st Division. He is the least seen of all the lieutenants, not being named in the manga until long after his first appearance. Unlike most other lieutenants, he is often present during meetings between captains. His zanpakutō is Gonryōmaru (厳霊丸, roughly "solemn spirit"), which transforms into a rapier. Its special abilities remain unknown; however, the materialized zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc of the anime is able to manipulate lightning. He uses storm clouds and rain in order to increase the strength of his lightning attacks. While his materialized zanpakutō is fighting against Soi Fon with the help of Sajin Komamura's materialized zanpakutō he show his anger towards his master for not standing out enough. In an omake it shows that due to a mission in the real world he enjoys growing tea leaves and making his own tea.

2nd Division

Yoruichi Shihōin

Yoruichi Shihōin (四楓院夜一 Shihōin Yoruichi) is the former captain of the 2nd Division. She held the title during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. She abandoned her post to aid Kisuke Urahara in leaving Soul Society.

Soi Fon

Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami, Hōko Kuwashima (episodes 206+) (Japanese), Karen Strassman (English)

Soi Fon (砕蜂, Chinese: Sùifēng), born Shaolin Fon (蜂梢綾, Chinese: Fēng Shaolíng), is the captain of the 2nd Division. She is a hard worker, with a tomboy appearance, who believes strongly in following orders. She is also outwardly antagonistic to her underlings, as she believes this keeps them on their toes. During her childhood, she served as a bodyguard and eventual protégé of Yoruichi Shihōin, with whom she developed a close relationship. When Yoruichi left Soul Society, Soi Fon was crushed by the fact that Yoruichi did not take her with her. When Yoruichi returns to Soul Society a century later, Soi Fon engages her in battle. After asking the question of why she was left behind, to which Yoruichi's answer is not heard, the two make amends. The two's relationship has become somewhat of a running gag: Soi Fon consistently displays an obsessive, almost romantic, interest in Yoruichi. She likes anything resembling a black cat (a form Yoruichi can assume at will), and displays jealousy should Yoruichi be in someone else's company.

Soi Fon's zanpakutō is Suzumebachi (雀蜂, literally "giant-hornet" or "giant sparrow-bee"). When released it shrinks into a stinger that is worn on the middle finger of Soi Fon's right hand. Whenever it stabs an opponent, a butterfly symbol called a hornet's crest (蜂紋華 hōmonka) spreads from the point of contact. Due to her training, this mark can be kept there for as long as she desires. Should Suzumebachi stab the same location again, the opponent dies. This also holds true if an internal organ is pierced in the same location, regardless of the point of entry into the body. It is also possible that if Soi Fon is infected with a foreign poison, she can stab herself with her zanpakutō to counteract the new poison with her own, neutralizing it. Suzumebachi's bankai, Jakuhō Raikōben (雀蜂雷公鞭, lit. "Hornet Whip of the Thunder Immortal") composes of a greatly enlarged version of the shikai form that encases the entirety of Soi Fon's arm, which she mentions as being bulky and incapable of concealing, and thus unsuited for use in missions requiring stealth. In this form, Suzumebachi becomes a long-range weapon and looks like a large rocket launcher; its main offensive capability allowing Soi Fon to launch a high-speed projectile that resembles a large missile. The thunderous recoil produced by the weapon requires that Soi Fon be anchored to a nearby stationary object via an enhanced cloth-like material (which doubles as armor) called Ginjōtan (銀条反, lit. "Stripe of Inverted Silver"). Soi Fon notes that normally she can only use her bankai once every three days; using it more than once in a day drains considerable amounts of her spirit energy. Soi Fon is also well-known in the Soul Society for her high speed movement, shunpo and also the Flash Release technique, shunko. Suzumebachi appears as a freed zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, resembling a tiny flying girl with agility to match Soi Fon's high speed movement.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda

Voiced by: Shōto Kashii (Japanese), Lex Lang (English)

Marechiyo Ōmaeda (大前田希千代 Ōmaeda Marechiyo) is the lieutenant of the 2nd Division and Captain of the Special Forces Patrol Corps. He is a large man with an equally large mouth who comes across as arrogant and dull. In an omake he is shown to come from a rich family, where he is revealed to have a ridiculously long name: Marechiyo Yoshiayamenosuke Nikkōtarōemon Ōmaeda (大前田日光太郎右衛門美菖蒲介希千代 Ōmaeda Nikkōtarōemon Yoshiayamenosuke Marechiyo). Other characters suspect that he received his position as a lieutenant because of his family's influence. Despite his dense and foolish attitude, he's a skilled tactician, is not above putting himself in danger for his duty, and is only feigning weakness and stupidity to lull his opponents into underestimating him, using this to aid in his near victory over one of Aizen's arrancar.

Marechiyo's zanpakutō is Gegetsuburi (五形頭, roughly "five heads"). It transforms into an oversized flail that can be thrown to inflict great physical damage to foes. Gegetsuburi appears as a freed zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, resembling a shirtless, obese man who blames Marechiyo for his appearance.

3rd Division

Rōjūrō Otoribashi

Rōjūrō "Rose" Otoribashi (鳳橋楼十郎 Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō) is the captain of the 3rd Division during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. He leaves Soul Society after becoming a Visored.

Gin Ichimaru

Main article: Gin Ichimaru

Gin Ichimaru (市丸ギン Ichimaru Gin) is the captain of the 3rd Division at the start of the series. He joins Sōsuke Aizen, for whom he was once a lieutenant in the 5th Division, in defecting from the Soul Reapers at the conclusion of the Soul Society arc.

Izuru Kira

Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese), Grant George (English)

Izuru Kira (吉良イヅル Kira Izuru, romanized as "Iduru" in Bleach Official Character Book SOULs and other Japanese sources) is the lieutenant of the 3rd Division. He is also formerly a member of the 5th Division and 4th Division. He is a friend of Momo Hinamori and Renji Abarai from their days in the Soul Reaper academy, and the three often spend their free time together. Though Kira is loyal to his friends, he often places his duties as a lieutenant above them. He defends his captain, Gin Ichimaru, from a grief-stricken Hinamori, and later calls himself a "monster" for raising his sword against her. He subsequently comes to regret helping Gin to defect from Soul Society, and develops more of a depressed and pessimistic demeanor.

Kira's zanpakutō is Wabisuke (侘助, roughly "The Apologizer", translated in the English manga as "the penitent one"). The shikai command is "raise your head". When released, Wabisuke takes the form of a sword with a square hook that has the ability to double the weight of whatever it strikes. The effect is cumulative, so each following hit exponentially increases the weight of the target. Thus, after seven or eight blocked attacks, his opponents are unable to lift their own swords or even move their body, leaving them on the ground with their head bowed as though asking forgiveness. At this point Wabisuke's released form, a blade bent into a squared hook, comes into play, being used to decapitate the kneeling opponent, denying them forgiveness. Wabisuke appears as a freed zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, as a long-haired and darkly clad emaciated man carrying a large ball and chain, likely to personify Kira's dejection and his zanpakutō's ability to make objects heavier. He was easily demolished by Kenpachi Zaraki, the captain of 11th squad division on his first appearance in Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc.

Shūsuke Amagai

Voiced by: Kenyū Horiuchi

Shūsuke Amagai (天貝繍助 Amagai Shūsuke) is introduced as the captain of the 3rd Division during season nine of the anime. He does not appear in the manga. He has an unkempt appearance and is usually bright, lively, and unpretentious, and has can become drunk on a single drink of alcohol. Because Amagai spent most of his Soul Reaper career away from Soul Society as part of a patrol group, the members of the 3rd Division are mistrustful of him when first meeting him. As such, he spends the episodes following his introduction trying to prove himself to them and the rest of the Soul Reapers by promoting teamwork between all the divisions. As the anime progresses Amagai is quickly revealed to have ulterior motives, with his friendly attitude only being a means to further his plans. He joined the Gotei 13 in order to exact revenge upon Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai for killing his father to keep the bakkōtō a secret. After his various accomplices are slain in Soul Society, Amagai takes the nuclei of their bakkōtō and engages Yamamoto in battle. However, upon learning the truth about his father's death, he takes his own life to atone for his misdeeds.

Amagai's zanpakutō is Raika (雷火, roughly "fire started by lightning"). His zanpakutō's shikai command is "sever". When released, it takes the form of a white hook sword with curved pipes that form the hilt. He can focus fireballs into the crux of the hook and, by slamming it into the ground, create large fissures of flame to attack enemies with. Raika's bankai, Raika Gōen Kaku (雷火豪炎殻, literally "lightning flash flame shell"), enlarges the blade and creates a giant conch-shaped guard worn across Amagai's arm, with the handle of the blade hidden inside it. This form gives him greater control of his fire attacks, his most powerful technique creating giant dragons of fire to encircle and crush his foe. His bakkōtō, a twin-bladed tuning fork-shaped weapon, creates black-plated armor across Amagai's right arm and a green energy sword emitting from the weapon when activated.

His bakkōtō negates any other active Soul Reaper zanpakuto abilities, forcing opponents to rely on other powers.

Makoto Kibune

Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa

Makoto Kibune (貴船理 Kibune Makoto) is added to the 3rd Division as the 3rd Seat during season nine of the anime. He has brown hair and purple-rimmed glasses. While he outwardly appears friendly towards his subordinates, he is highly intolerant towards failure, calling those who fall in battle "trash". When in training at the Soul Reaper academy, Kibune stood out as a highly gifted student, but his inability to function in a team prevented him from attaining rank in the Gotei 13, leading Kibune to join the patrol squads under Shūsuke Amagai instead. Around this time, he became a servant of Gyōkaku Kumoi and gained a bakkōtō. Though it gives him the necessary power to wreak havoc on Soul Society, he eventually loses control of the bakkōtō and is killed by Izuru Kira.

Kibune's zanpakutō is Reppū (烈風, literally "gale"). When released, it takes the form of a large, two-bladed weapon. When combined with his bakkōtō, Makoto can telekinetically control the sword, allowing him to attack enemies from any direction and spin the blade like a saw blade.

4th Division

Retsu Unohana

Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (Japanese), Kate Higgins (English)

Retsu Unohana (卯ノ花烈 Unohana Retsu) is the captain of the 4th Division. She is a soft-spoken woman who has never displayed distress and uses honorifics when addressing everyone, including her subordinates. Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake treat her as their senior, implying she may have been involved in Soul Society longer than either of them. As the head of the 4th Division, Unohana is usually tasked with healing others, commonly treating the most severe injuries. Though she is always polite to her patients, her presence will scare her charges into submission if they try to leave her care before they are fully healed. She has also politely intimidated two squad eleven members in the Rukia Rescue arc and Shunsui and Ukitake appeared nervous when she overheard them discussing her possible age in the gaiden arc.

Unohana's zanpakutō is Minazuki (肉雫唼, roughly "purify the flesh"). When in its sealed form it resembles a curved tachi. In its shikai, the entire sword transforms into a gigantic, flying, one-eyed creature resembling a manta ray. It has the ability to heal people by swallowing them. When Unohana reseals Minazuki, it dissolves into green mist and reforms into the sheath of her zanpakutō. Minazuki appears as freed zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, as a mute figure in a hooded robe, pretending she was imprisoning Yamamoto. She along with Shunsui and Ukitake are among the oldest and strongest in soul society. It is implied she is the oldest of the squad captains (besides Yamamoto) as Shunsui and Ukitake refer her as "sempai", indicating that she may have also been a pupil of Yamamoto.

Isane Kotetsu

Voiced by: Yukana (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Isane Kotetsu (虎徹勇音 Kotetsu Isane) is the lieutenant of the 4th Division. She is the older sister of Kiyone Kotetsu. Unlike Kiyone, Isane is generally quiet and observant, though she shares her sister's sense of loyalty to her captain. Unohana notes that Isane suffers from frequent and recurring nightmares. This is sometimes used as material for jokes, as Isane's nightmares are often odd or whimsical in their contents. For example, she once had a nightmare involving fish paste.

Isane's zanpakutō is Itegumo (凍雲, literally "frozen cloud", translated in the English manga as "frozen snow"). When released, two smaller blades protrude from Itegumo's hilt at 45° angles. Its special abilities, if any, remain unknown.

Hanatarō Yamada

Voiced by: Kōki Miyata (Japanese), Spike Spencer (English)

Hanatarō Yamada (山田花太郎 Yamada Hanatarō) is the 7th Seat of the 4th Division and the leader of its 14th Relief Squad. Hanatarō is very timid and nervous, and he tends to be clumsy and easily duped. Despite this, he is shown to be very bold at times, as he risks his standing as a Soul Reaper to help Rukia Kuchiki escape execution. Instead of his zanpakutō, Hanatarō usually carries around a 4th Division medical pack on his back that he uses to heal others in the field.

Though he does possess a zanpakutō, named Hisagomaru (瓠丸, "gourd"), he tends to misplace it as he rarely needs to use it. When it strikes an opponent, Hisagomaru heals their wounds rather than causing them damage. A red gauge on the blade then fills depending on the severity of the healed wounds. Once the gauge is filled and it is released, Hisagomaru transforms into a scalpel and changes its name to Akeiro Hisagomaru (朱色瓠丸, "crimson gourd"). In this state, Hisagomaru unleashes a blast proportionate in strength to the severity and amount of wounds healed. However, upon releasing the stored up energy Akiero Hisagomaru retains its scalpel form, rendering it effectively useless in hand-to-hand combat.

5th Division

Shinji Hirako

Shinji Hirako (平子真子 Hirako Shinji) is the captain of the 5th Division during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. He leaves Soul Society after becoming a Visored. His sword's release command is "fall". It creates a scent in the air, and once smelled by the oppenent, they enter what Hirako likes to call the "inverted world". The enemy sees everything backwards and upside-down: the direction of the attack, the direction they are looking at, left and right, etc. When fighting Aizen, his sword's technique is easily overcome, and Aizen describes Hirako's ability as a "child's game".

Sōsuke Aizen

Main article: Sōsuke Aizen

Sōsuke Aizen (藍染惣右介 Aizen Sōsuke) is the captain of the 5th Division at the start of the series. He defects from the Soul Reapers at the conclusion of the Soul Society arc, fleeing to Hueco Mundo. In the past he was the lieutenant of the 5th Division under Shinji Hirako, who he replaced sometime after converting Shinji into a Visored.

Momo Hinamori

Voiced by: Kumi Sakuma (Japanese), Karen Strassman (English)

Momo Hinamori (雛森桃 Hinamori Momo) is the lieutenant of the 5th Division. She is an upbeat and easy-going girl who is generally quite trusting, if not naive. She is a childhood friend of Tōshirō Hitsugaya, who called her "bed-wetter Momo" in retaliation whenever she called him "Shiro-chan" ("Lil' Shiro" in the English dub). She befriended Izuru Kira and Renji Abarai when she joined the Soul Reaper academy, and the three later joined the 5th Division under Sōsuke Aizen. Being the only one of them to have stayed with the division, Hinamori greatly admired Aizen; it is because of her deep admiration and respect for him that she is in deep shock and denial after he tries to kill her and subsequently betrays Soul Society even suggesting in one of her mentally unstable moments that Gin Ichimaru is controlling him somehow. She later joins the rest of Soul Society in fighting against Aizen after a long period of recuperation, though makes the mistake of still referring to him as her captain.

Hinamori's zanpakutō is Tobiume (飛梅, literally "flying plum tree"). Her shikai command is "snap". When released, Tobiume's blade straightens and produces several jitte-like prongs along its length. In this form, Tobiume acts as a focus for Hinamori's spiritual power, concentrating it into energy bursts capable of cratering floors and breaching walls. She can also compress her power into massive energy balls and toss them from the blade's tip. Tobiume appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, resembling a young girl wielding overlarge bells that can launch fireballs. To complement her kidō-based zanpakutō, Hinamori is noted to be talented with kidō spells as well, able to combine kidō abilities with her own zanpakutō to easily deal with three powerful Arrancar at once.

6th Division

Ginrei Kuchiki

Voiced by: Kinryū Arimoto

Ginrei Kuchiki (朽木銀嶺 Kuchiki Ginrei) is the captain of the 6th Division and the head of the Kuchiki family during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. His grandson, Byakuya Kuchiki, eventually replaces him in both positions.

Byakuya Kuchiki

Main article: Byakuya Kuchiki

Byakuya Kuchiki (朽木白哉 Kuchiki Byakuya) becomes captain of the 6th Division sometime after his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki, vacates its captaincy. Rukia Kuchiki is Byakuya's adopted sister.

Renji Abarai

Main article: Renji Abarai

Renji Abarai (阿散井恋次 Abarai Renji) begins his Soul Reaper career in the 5th Division, but is transferred into the 11th Division and eventually moves to the 6th to become Byakuya Kuchiki's lieutenant.

7th Division

Love Aikawa

Love Aikawa (愛川羅武（ラブ） Aikawa Rabu) is the captain of the 7th Division during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. He leaves Soul Society after becoming a Visored.

Sajin Komamura

Voiced by: Tetsu Inada (Japanese), Kim Strauss (English)

Sajin Komamura (狛村左陣 Komamura Sajin) is the captain of the 7th Division. He is an anthropomorphic canine who is very self-conscious about his appearance, and so he wears a large helmet that conceals his entire head when he is first introduced. After his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki (during which his helmet is destroyed), he gains enough confidence to go without the helmet. His canine appearance is often the source of jokes; for example, when his lieutenant asks where to find a bathroom, he appears to direct him to a fire hydrant, though he is in fact pointing at a bathroom just around the corner. Komamura has a close friendship with Kaname Tōsen, and is shocked when the latter defects from Soul Society, feeling that his friend has abandoned his morals. Komamura resolves to awaken Tōsen with his own hands. However, after seeing his former friend's motives and idealogy, realizes he has no choice but to fight him. Komamura is immensely strong, as demonstrated by his ability to hurl the arrancar Poww's massive released state over his head and onto the ground.

Komamura's zanpakutō is Tenken (天譴, literally "divine punishment", translated in the English manga as "sword of heavenly retribution"). Once released, Tenken creates various body parts of a giant to copy whatever body part Komamura moves; for example, should Komamura swing his sword, a gigantic disembodied arm wielding a sword appears and does the same thing. Tenken's bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō (黒縄天譴明王, roughly "vidyarāja of black-roped divine punishment", translated in the English manga as "divine retribution, black ropes of ruination") brings forth the entire giant, which also copies Komamura's movements. Though powerful, Komamura's bankai has a major weakness; any damage inflicted on the giant is reflected upon Komamura, and any damage done to the giant's sword is reflected upon his zanpakutō. Tenken appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, bearing resemblance to the Buddhist deity Fudo Myooh, wielding a sword and a bolas, and can attack with fire.

Tetsuzaemon Iba

Voiced by: Rintarou Nishi (Japanese), Steve Cassling (English)

Tetsuzaemon Iba (射場鉄左衛門 Iba Tetsuzaemon) is the lieutenant of the 7th Division. He is originally from the 11th Division, having transferred once realizing he would never be promoted to lieutenant if he had stayed. His former compatriots look down upon him because of this, though Iba still enjoys a good fight and usually spends his free time with 11th Division members. He and Ikkaku Madarame have a custom of dueling with each other, drinking sake, then dueling again to see who has to get more. Iba has a distinctive hair cut and wears black sunglasses with his standard Soul Reaper uniform. Iba is well-rounded in both swordsmanship and kidō, only because it made becoming a lieutenant easier.

The name and abilities of Iba's zanpakutō are unknown. In its released state, Iba's zanpakutō extends into a falchion or a large bladed scimitar with a pick-like protrusion a short distance below the tip of the sword.

8th Division

Shunsui Kyōraku

Voiced by: Akio Ohtsuka (Japanese), Steve Kramer (English)

Shunsui Kyōraku (京楽春水 Kyōraku Shunsui) is the captain of the 8th Division. Shunsui's a laid-back and flamboyant man, evident in his style of dress: he wears a straw hat and a woman's pink flowered kimono over his captain's uniform. In his off time, he can be seen drinking sake and napping. Other times, he likes to chase after women, particularly his lieutenant. Shunsui tends to use a more familiar speech style than most other characters in Bleach; he generally refers to his fellow captains and Soul Reapers by their first name, usually followed by an honorific. Kyōraku is a peace-loving man who will always try to find a nonviolent solution, though he does not wish to insult opponents by refusing to fight. He and his friend Jūshirō Ukitake are two of the oldest captains in the Gotei 13. They both trained under General Yamamoto, who Kyōraku calls Old-man Yama (山じい Yama-jii). Though generally peace-loving he is an adept fighter, able to defeat the Primera Espada using only his shikai and shown in his skill at almost hiding the difference in the speed of his swing between his left and right hands.

Shunsui's zanpakutō is Katen Kyōkotsu (花天狂骨, roughly "flower-heaven crazy-bone"). His zanpakutō is unique in that it exists as two completely separate swords, being as a daisho sword pair. In Katen Kyōkotsu's shikai state, the daisho sword pair transforms into two large swords resembling dao or falchions. When released, Katen Kyōkotsu gains the ability to "turn children's games into reality." One such game, Bushō Koma (不精独楽 Lazy Spinning Top), involves spinning around wind like a top. Another, Takaoni (嶄鬼 Mountain Demon), declares that whomever is the highest is the winner. A second technique, Kageoni (影鬼 Shadow Demon), forces the players to alter their own shadows; whoever steps on a shadow, even their own, is declared the loser. The last known game is known as Irooni (艶鬼 Colored Demon) and it involves the players calling out a name of a color and then slicing the enemy where that color is displayed. However, if the color is not on the body of the person who called it out then the damage given is minimal; the more that the declared color is prevalent on the declarer's body, the more damage the attack will commit. His bankai is unknown, but when asked by the Espada Coyote Starrk to show it to him, Ukitake warns him not to reveal it where so many people could witness it. Katen Kyōkotsu appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc as two separate female beings, a feudal-Japan mistress and her ninja bodyguard, wielding Shunsui's swords.

Lisa Yadōmaru

Lisa Yadōmaru (矢胴丸リサ Yadōmaru Risa) is the lieutenant of the 8th Division under Shunsui Kyōraku during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. She leaves Soul Society after becoming a Visored.

Nanao Ise

Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame (Japanese), Kate Higgins (English)

Nanao Ise (伊勢七緒 Ise Nanao) is the lieutenant of the 8th Division. She first joined the division when she was a little girl, and enjoyed being read to by former lieutenant Lisa Yadōmaru. Nanao is a very serious and pragmatic person, which is at odds with her captain's silly antics. Despite this, she is extremely respectful of her captain and follows his instructions without hesitation. Nanao is often accosted by her captain, whose teasing takes various forms. When she is particularly annoyed she removes her glasses. Though her face has never been shown while doing so, this act is apparently quite frightening, as most characters who see it are reduced to gibbering wrecks just by witnessing it.

Nanao is rarely seen with her zanpakutō during the series. An illustration in the art book "All Colour but the Black" reveals that her zanpakutō takes the form of what appears to be either a wakizashi or tantō, which she seems to conceal within her sleeve.

9th Division

Kensei Muguruma

Kensei Muguruma (六車拳西 Muguruma Kensei) is the captain of the 9th Division during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. He leaves Soul Society after becoming a Visored.

Mashiro Kuna

Mashiro Kuna (久南真白 Kuna Mashiro) is the lieutenant of the 9th Division under Kensei Muguruma during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. She leaves Soul Society after becoming a Visored.

Kaname Tōsen

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa (Japanese), David Rasner (English)

Kaname Tōsen (東仙要 Tōsen Kaname) is the captain of the 9th Division at the start of the series. He has been blind since birth, but is capable of using his spiritual sense to "see". Tōsen is an extremely calm and serious pacifist, though he will not restrain from fighting for what he believes in or to preserve justice. His philosophies were adopted from a peaceful friend he had before becoming a Soul Reaper. When the peaceful friend's husband killed her for nagging him, Tōsen became disillusioned that such a righteous person could be killed for such an insignificant reason. After the murder, his creed in life became to "take the path with the least bloodshed". He feels it necessary to join Sōsuke Aizen in defecting from the Soul Reapers at the conclusion of the Soul Society arc. However, during his battle against Komamura in the Fake Karakura Town, it is revealed that the reason he betrayed the Soul Reapers was because he saw injustice in the Soul Society's refusal to administer capital punishment to his friend's killer.

The zanpakutō Tōsen uses originally belonged to his now-deceased friend and is called Suzumushi (清虫, literally "pure insects", but read as "cricket"; translated in the English manga as "bell bug"). In its sealed form, Suzumushi looks like a regular katana; its crossguard shaped like a tear drop, with several teardrop-shaped holes at the wide part of the teardrop. Unlike most zanpakutō, Suzumushi has two shikai commands, each producing a unique automatic effect. With one, Suzumushi projects a high-pitched tone over a wide area which overloads the hearing of anyone in range and knocks them unconscious. When the second release is commanded, Suzumushi changes into Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō (清虫二式紅飛蝗, literally "Suzumushi, second style: crimson grasshopper"), which creates a trail when swung that turns into hundreds of blades that rain down on his opponents. Suzumushi's bankai, named Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi (清虫終式紅閻魔蟋蟀, literally "Suzumushi, final style: Enma cricket") creates a large, black dome centered at Tōsen's location and anchored to the ground with ten rings. Anyone within the dome loses the ability to sense anything around them, but retains the sensation of touch. The weakness of this technique is that whoever is touching Suzumushi's hilt is immune to the dome's effects, so anyone able to grab Suzumushi recovers their senses for as long as they remain in contact with the hilt.

During his battle with Komamura in the Fake Karakura Town, Tōsen reveals that Aizen has "blessed him" with a power far greater than bankai and dons a Visored mask. The mask covers all of his head, except for his dreads; the mask's only distinctive feature is a vertical line running from the back of Tōsen's neck to above his chin. The mask also replaces Tōsen's orange shoulder strap with shoulder guards similar in design to the mask. Tōsen's mask grants him instant regenerative abilities, as well as speed and strength that enable him to contend with Komamura's giant bankai. Tōsen can further augment his powers using his resurrección Grillar Grillo (狂枷蟋蟀 (グリジャル・グリージョ) Gurijaru Gurījo, Spanish for "chirping cricket," Japanese for "lunatic shackles cricket") to assume an insectoid Hollow form with eyes that can see and fire cero. His ultimate attack in this form is Los Nueve Aspectos (九相輪殺 (ロス・ヌウェベ・アスペクトス) Rosu Nuwebe Asupekutosu, Spanish for "the nine aspects," Japanese for "nine pagoda finial kill"), which creates powerful sonic-like waves that tear through the enemy via hand movements resembling kuji-in.

Though he nearly succeeds in killing Komamura with his newfound Hollow powers, Tōsen, with his new sight, forgets about and is stabbed by Hisagi when he releases his zanpakutō through Tōsen's head. Mortally wounded and returning to his old self, he sheds a tear for Komamura when the latter tells him that losing Tōsen would be unbearable for him. He then calls Hisagi to his side, but as he looks upon Hisagi's face and tries to speak, Tōsen dies in an explosion of blood.

Shūhei Hisagi

Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese), Steve Staley (English)

Shūhei Hisagi (檜佐木修兵 Hisagi Shūhei) is the lieutenant of the 9th Division. As a child he was saved by the then 9th Division captain, Kensei Muguruma. In later years Shūhei got a 69 tattoo on the left side of his face, matching the one Kensei has on his stomach. There also may be a connection with his zanpakutō and Kensei's zanpakutō, as they both use Kaze, or wind. While acting as an instructor at the Soul Reaper academy, Shūhei's class was attacked by a hollow, and in fighting it he received a distinctive scar across his face. Shūhei is an extremely mature and calm individual, causing him to get along well with his captain, Kaname Tōsen. After Tōsen defects from Soul Society, Shūhei assumes the duties of his captain as an acting replacement. Though he swore to help Komamura "open the eyes" of his former captain, in the end, he is forced to attack Tōsen to keep him from killing Komamura. According to series creator Tite Kubo, Hisagi became fairly popular with fans long before his backstory and personality were really explored, an abnormality among Bleach characters.

Shūhei's zanpakutō is Kazeshini (風死, literally "Death Wind"). When released, it takes the form of a kusarigama-like weapon, with two blades curving both directions, connected by a long chain. Although he dislikes the shape of his weapon because it's "shaped like something meant to reap life itself," he is extremely proficient at wielding it, capable of using the blades as both hand-to-hand weapons and projectiles, using the chain to make the weapons' paths unpredictable. Kazeshini appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, appearing as a violent demonic-looking being. It is last seen while being killed by Ichigo, who apologizes to Hisagi for killing it because Hisagi may never be able to use his zanpakutō again.

10th Division

Tōshirō Hitsugaya

Main article: Tōshirō Hitsugaya

Tōshirō Hitsugaya (日番谷冬獅郎 Hitsugaya Tōshirō) is the captain of the 10th Division and the youngest captain in the history of Soul Society.

Rangiku Matsumoto

Voiced by: Kaya Matsutani (Japanese), Megan Hollingshead (English)

Rangiku Matsumoto (松本乱菊 Matsumoto Rangiku) is the lieutenant of the 10th Division. She has strawberry-blonde hair and exceptionally large breasts. She makes no effort to conceal the latter, wearing loose-fitting robes that expose much of her cleavage, using them to try to win over male characters, and using them as a topic in casual conversation. She is very carefree and lazy, usually avoiding the jobs of a lieutenant so that she can sleep or go drinking. Despite her avoiding her responsibilities, Rangiku can be serious when need be, and often gives important and useful advice. Rangiku has known ex-captain Gin Ichimaru since they were children, and spent much of their childhood living together; they remain close after joining the Soul Reapers. She recruited her captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, into the Soul Reapers and the two have grown close ever since. She has an unwavering loyalty and devotion for him and frequently tries to get him to lighten up.

Matsumoto's zanpakutō is Haineko (灰猫, literally "ash cat"). Its guard is in the shape of a cat's head. When released, the blade dissolves into ash. In combat, Rangiku can control the movement of the ash, and cut anything it lands on by moving the hilt. The ash is also solid enough to be used as a shield to block enemy attacks. Due to her laziness, she has difficulty achieving bankai. Series creator Tite Kubo identifies Rangiku as one of his two favorite female characters in the series, citing that he "has a lot of fun drawing her and creating stories with her." Haineko appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, as a woman with cat features, often fighting with Tobiume for comic relief.

11th Division

Kenpachi Zaraki

Main article: Kenpachi Zaraki

Kenpachi Zaraki (更木剣八 Zaraki Kenpachi) is the most recent captain of the 11th Division. Unlike all of his predecessors, he has given himself the title of "Kenpachi," a title given to the man in each generation who enjoys fighting and has the greatest bloodlust; it roughly translates to: "No matter how many times you cut him, he will never fall."

Yachiru Kusajishi

Voiced by: Hisayo Mochizuki (Japanese), Stevie Bloch (English)

Yachiru Kusajishi (草鹿やちる Kusajishi Yachiru) is the lieutenant of the 11th Division. She is most recognizable by her mid-length, bright pink hair. She is child-like in most respects, as she is small, cheerful, and carefree most of the time. She was found as an infant by Kenpachi Zaraki in the 79th District of Rukongai's North Alley, "Kusajishi", the second-most violent area of Rukongai; Kenpachi himself was from the 80th District, the most violent. Despite being drenched in blood and having just killed a large group of men, Kenpachi did not frighten her—She even touched the zanpakuto Kenpachi had killed the men with, unfazed by the blood soaking it. Kenpachi named her "Yachiru", in memory of the one person he ever admired. Since that day she has spent much of her time clinging to his back for transport. Like Zaraki, she has no sense of direction, even though he relies on her to find his way; when Kenpachi asks her for directions, her usual response is to simply point in a random direction. Yachiru resents being criticized in any way and will often attack the perpetrator in comical fashion. Further reflecting her child-like nature, Yachiru likes to give people nicknames; for example, she calls her captain Ken-chan ("Kenny" in the English version) and calls Byakuya Bya-kun. Various Bleach omakes show that Yachiru has an absolute love for candy, which is often exploited by other characters to bribe her into leaving them alone. Despite her child-like appearance, Yachiru is apparently quite strong, being capable of lifting Kenpachi and leaping between buildings while carrying him. She is also very fast for her size. She can emit a large amount of spiritual power when angry, which forms into a large, pink, angry cat face.

The name and abilities of Yachiru's zanpakutō are both unknown. In its sealed state Yachiru's zanpakuto takes the form of a small, pink wakizashi which she drags around on a string. Two wheels attached to the bottom of the sheath for her by Ikkaku Madarame facilitate this.

Ikkaku Madarame

Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama (Japanese), Vic Mignogna (English)

Ikkaku Madarame (斑目一角 Madarame Ikkaku) is the 3rd Seat of the 11th Division. He is a battle-loving man with a shaven head. He fought and was defeated by Kenpachi Zaraki sometime in the past, though was strong enough to survive the battle. Once Zaraki became captain of the 11th Division, Ikkaku and his friend Yumichika Ayasegawa joined the Soul Reapers so that they could fight and die under Zaraki's command. He shares a number of similarities with his captain such as seeking enjoyment in battles by risking his life. He is purportedly the second strongest man in the division. Though strong enough to take a position as a captain, Ikkaku insists his one mission in life is to die under the command of Zaraki.

Ikkaku's zanpakutō is Hōzukimaru (鬼灯丸, referring to the Japanese name for the winter cherry, meaning "demon light"). Though ordinary in appearance, he stores a blood-clotting ointment in its hilt. When released, it transforms into a yari with a wax wood shaft.While he usually treats it as such, he can also turn its shaft into a three section staff to surprise the opponent. Ikkaku has achieved bankai, though he keeps this a secret to most characters so that he is not pressured to become a captain. Hōzukimaru's bankai, named Ryūmon Hōzukimaru (龍紋鬼灯丸, literally "dragon-crest demon light"), takes the form of three oversized weapons connected by a thick chain: two blades in each of his hands and a fan-shaped blade, adorned with a carving of a Chinese dragon, which floats behind him. Aside from the increase in power, his bankai offers no special abilities, and is noted to be unusual for a bankai in this respect. As a fight progresses, the dragon crest will slowly begin to glow crimson, greatly increasing its power as it does so. Hozukimaru appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, resembling a large muscular oni.

Yumichika Ayasegawa

Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama (Japanese), Brian Beacock (English)

Yumichika Ayasegawa (綾瀬川弓親 Ayasegawa Yumichika) is a lifelong friend of Ikkaku Madarame. He values Ikkaku's opinion very highly and tends to follow him everywhere. The two joined the Soul Reapers so that they could serve under Kenpachi Zaraki. Since Ikkaku took the 3rd seat position, Yumichika settled for 5th Seat, thinking that five (五, go) looks almost like a three (三, san), which he believes to be the most beautiful number. He has colorful feathers on his eyelashes and eyebrow, and shiny skin and hair, giving him a rather womanly appearance. Narcissistic and vain, Yumichika judges everyone and everything by beauty. He goes so far as to try to forget things he deems "ugly" after seeing them, and even tries fighting an ugly opponent with his eyes closed.

Yumichika's zanpakutō is Ruriiro Kujaku (瑠璃色孔雀, literally "azure peacock"), a kidō-type zanpakutō. However, since the 11th Division has an unspoken rule that zanpakutō are only to be used for direct attack, Yumichika keeps this fact secret. According to himself, he would risk dying to conceal his zanpakuto's true power. To conceal it, he releases with the name Fuji Kujaku (藤孔雀, literally "wisteria peacock"), causing the vexed weapon to assume a form consisting of a sickle-shaped blade which can split into four identical blades. When confident he will be able to keep it a secret, he uses his zanpakutō's real name to assume its true released form with the blades spliting into vines which bind the opponent and siphon their spiritual energy into flowers which can restore Yumichika's health when their petals are eaten. Yumichika claims that a full drain from his zanpakuto can kill an opponent, but in both cases this ability has been used, he has only left opponents incapacitated, so this claim is questionable. Ruriiro Kujaku appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc as a harpy-like male who is out for Yumichika for being called by his fake name by attempting to expose his master's full potential.

Maki Ichinose

Voiced by: Susumu Chiba (Japanese), Sam Riegel (English)

Maki Ichinose (一之瀬真樹 Ichinose Maki), introduced during the anime's Bount arc, left the 11th Division after Kenpachi Zaraki killed the previous captain. He traveled the human world, but one day, while in a weakened state in a desert, he fell upon a hollow that almost killed him; the hollow was subdued by Jin Kariya, who allowed Maki to kill it. Maki swore his loyalty to Jin after that, only breaking the vow once to fight Zaraki. He helps the Bounts infiltrate the Soul Society, but is killed by Kariya once his purpose is fulfilled.

Maki's zanpakutō is called Nijigasumi (虹霞, literally "rainbow mist"). When released, Nijigasumi glows with rainbow colors and has the ability to control light for various purposes. It can make Maki turn invisible or douse the area in light, playing havoc with opponents' counterattacks. It can also use light offensively, creating blades of light to cut or crush opponents. His zanpakutō later helps in Kariya's defeat, acting as a lightning rod for Kariya's attacks.

12th Division

Kirio Hikifune

Kirio Hikifune (曳舟桐生 Hikifune Kirio) left the 12th Division soon before the start of the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden under the guise of retirement. In actuality, she was transferred to the Zero Division - otherwise known as the Royal Guard. Her lieutenant, Hiyori Sarugaki, thought of her as a mother-figure. She was succeeded by Kisuke Urahara.

Hiyori Sarugaki

Hiyori Sarugaki (猿柿ひよ里 Sarugaki Hiyori) is the lieutenant of the 12th Division under Kisuke Urahara during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. She was also the lieutenant of Urahara's predecessor, Kirio Hikifune. She leaves the Soul Society after becoming a Visored.

Kisuke Urahara

Kisuke Urahara (浦原喜助 Urahara Kisuke), once the 3rd Seat of the 2nd Division, replaces Kirio Hikifune as the captain of the 12th Division during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi

Voiced by: Ryūsei Nakao (Japanese), Terrence Stone (English)

Mayuri Kurotsuchi (涅マユリ Kurotsuchi Mayuri) is the Captain of the 12th Division and President of the Shinigami Research Institute, preceded in both by Kisuke Urahara. He personifies the archetype of the mad scientist, viewing everyone as objects to be dissected in the lab. He takes great pride in his experiments and the things he has created (such as his daughter Nemu) and condemns the concept of perfection. He has made extensive modifications to his body: his left arm can extend like a grappling hook, form a scythe by pulling out his 'ears', and even replacing his organs with dummies. Mayuri has little regard for life or allegiances, readily turning his own subordinates into human bombs on one occasion. Due to their opposing views on life, as well as multiple other factors, Kurotsuchi is often considered Uryu Ishida's nemesis. In the past, the potential danger he posed to the Soul Society led to his imprisonment when he joined the Soul Reapers; it is noteworthy that, in the prison he was held in, he was the only one considered dangerous enough to warrant a separate cell from other prisoners as well as restraints. Kisuke Urahara, upon becoming captain of the 12th Division, recognized his potential as a scientist and released Mayuri to help him with his research and to assist him in running his newly-started Shinigami Research Institute. In return, Urahara promised him the Division and position as President of the Research Institute if anything were to happen to him. To a certain degree, Kurotsuchi holds a grudging respect for Urahara and his skills, though is visibly affronted when compared to Urahara by Ichigo. Kurotsuchi has also shown that he can create an Arrancar's way of travel, Garganta, to send Ichigo to the Fake Karakura Town to engage Sōsuke Aizen in combat.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's zanpakutō is Ashisogi Jizō (疋殺地蔵, roughly "leg-cutting Jizō"). When released, Ashisogi Jizō's blade transforms into a deformed trident head. When it stabs an opponent it emits a poison that severs the nerve signals that control limb movement, paralyzing that limb regardless of where it was struck. However, unlike normal paralysis, the affected limb is still able to feel pain, something which is rather fitting for Kurotsuchi's demented tendencies. Ashisogi Jizō's bankai, named Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō (金色疋殺地蔵, literally "golden leg-cutting Jizō", translated in the English manga as "divine leg-cutting Jizō"), takes the form of a giant caterpillar with a baby's head and a silver halo. The creature breathes a poisonous derivative of Mayuri's blood which is lethal to anyone who breathes it, aside from Mayuri and Nemu. It can also run through and skewer opponents with the multiple blades that erupt from its chest. Mayuri has physically modified his bankai so that it will self-destruct and return to its sealed state if it attacks him. Ashisogi Jizo appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc as a small winged baby-like creature. As a final defensive measure, Mayuri can reduce himself to liquid form for three days by stabbing himself with his zanpakutō. This leaves him unable to attack or be attacked, making it a very effective escape tool.

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese), Megan Hollingshead (English)

Nemu Kurotsuchi (涅ネム Kurotsuchi Nemu) is the lieutenant of the 12th Division. She is the artificially created daughter of Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a combination of his research in artificial bodies (義骸 gigai) and artificial souls (義魂 gikon). This past has driven her to become rather introverted and melancholic, preferring to stay silent in her captain's presence. Their relationship is far from the average father-daughter one, as Mayuri does not seem to care much for Nemu's well-being, even using her as bait in combat, though he will generally mend her damaged body. Unlike her father, however, she seems to have compassion for others, saving Uryū Ishida's life as thanks when he does not kill Mayuri.

Nemu's body was designed to withstand fatal wounds, though she still suffers the pain brought on by her injuries. Nemu is also immune to Mayuri's many poisons. Despite this, she carries around a variety of antidotes to be used as she sees fit. She also holds various poisons and potions derived from Mayuri's research in her own body, making her highly dangerous to those that attack her internally. Nemu does not normally carry a zanpakutō, but she is shown to have one in an illustration in the artbook "All Color but the Black". Her zanpakutō takes the form of what appears to be a thin katana.

Rin Tsubokura

Voiced by: Miho Saiki (Japanese), Julie Ann Taylor (English)

Rin Tsubokura (壷府リン Tsubokura Rin) is a character originally created by Tite Kubo as a mascot for the Japanese Bleach-Fan news site. He regularly interacts with Ichigo Kurosaki's seiyū in brief video segments on the site. Later, he was brought into the manga and anime as a scientist of the 12th Division. He has an obsession with candy and any other sort of sweets, jumping at the chance to visit the real world just to buy sweets unavailable in Soul Society. He is just as timid and simple minded as Hanatarō Yamada. He usually runs and hides from any assignment and is surprised at his willingness to go to the real world. Although androgynous, Rin is directly referred to as "he". Rin is also considered a somewhat feminine name in Japanese.

13th Division

Jūshirō Ukitake

Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa (Japanese), Liam O'Brien (English)

Jūshirō Ukitake (浮竹十四郎 Ukitake Jūshirō) is the captain of the 13th Division. He suffers from tuberculosis which acts as an inhibition for him throughout the series; if he fights for too long, or even becomes too agitated, the illness flares up. He is forced to leave most of his duties as a captain to his subordinates so that he can rest. Despite this, Jūshirō is respected by many Soul Reapers for his honesty, loyalty, and personal sense of justice.He and his friend Shunsui Kyōraku are two of the oldest and strongest captains in the Gotei 13, both having trained under General Yamamoto thousands of years before the current Bleach storyline.

Jūshirō's zanpakutō is Sōgyo no Kotowari (双魚の理, literally "law of the twin fish"). In Sōgyo no Kotowari's shikai state, it splits into two thin blades resembling fishing javelins, making it one of the few zanpakutō in Soul Society to exist as a pair of separate blades. His Shikai is revealed to have the ability to absorb reiatsu-based attacks from one blade and then release them back through the other; the tags along the chain connecting the blades allow Ukitake to control the speed and power of the reflected attack. Some Bleach video games set prior to the current story arc portray it as having the ability to manipulate water and electricity. His bankai is unknown. Sōgyo no Kotowari appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc as a pair of identical cheerful children who can attack with projectile fans.

Kaien Shiba

Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese), Kim Strauss (49), Dave Mallow (153-155, 159) (English)

Kaien Shiba (志波海燕 Shiba Kaien) was the lieutenant of the 13th Division under Jūshirō Ukitake and was considered something of a prodigy. He closely resembled Ichigo Kurosaki in both appearance and personality, something that is brought up multiple times in the series. Though he had a good relationship with all of his subordinates, he was particularly close with Rukia Kuchiki. Unlike other Soul Reapers, Kaien treated Rukia like any other, not judging her by the name Kuchiki, which in turn helped her to gain some self-confidence. After his wife was killed by a parasitic hollow named Metastacia, Kaien went out to kill the hollow to seek revenge. He was possessed by the hollow in the process and attacked Rukia, who killed him in self-defense. Though he thanked her for doing so and apologized for his actions, Rukia forever feels guilty about her role in his death.

However, as later revealed, Metastacia was the result of Aizen's experiments and was designed to reform itself to Hueco Mundo when killed. Still merged with the hollow at the time, apparently able to mentally dominate Metastacia, Kaien was devoured by Aaroniero Arruruerie. As a result, Aaroniero was able to use Kaien's appearance and abilities, namely his zanpakutō, Nejibana (捩花, Japanese name for the Spiranthes, translated in the English manga as "twisted flower"). When released, Nejibana transforms into a crystalline cross between a trident and a ji able to manipulate water and produce shockwaves to split the enemy in two.

Kiyone and Sentarō

Kiyone Voiced by: Chinami Nishimura (Japanese), Jeannie Elias (English)
Sentarō Voiced by: Kōichi Tōchika (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)

Kiyone Kotetsu (虎徹清音 Kotetsu Kiyone) and Sentarō Kotsubaki (小椿仙太郎 Kotsubaki Sentarō) are both the 3rd Seat of the 13th Division. They share the duties of the lieutenant, though neither appear suited for the actual position. They squabble quite often, each believing that they are more respectful of their captain than the other is. They both mean well, but are highly competitive and constantly critical of the other (to further their rivalry, they also happen to share the same birthday, September 22). Kiyone is the younger sister of Isane Kotetsu.

Rukia Kuchiki

Rukia Kuchiki (朽木ルキア Kuchiki Rukia), though talented enough for a position as a seated officer, has been made ineligible by order of her older brother, Byakuya Kuchiki, out of concern for her safety. However, this is not revealed until after the Soul Society Arc when the Arrancar and Espada first appear.

Kidō Corps

Tessai Tsukabishi

Tessai Tsukabishi (握菱テッサイ Tsukabishi Tessai) is the Kidō Corps Chief (鬼道衆総帥 Kidōshū Sōsui) and Grand Kidō Captain (大鬼道長 Dai Kidōchō) during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. He has since left the Soul Society and now works at the Urahara Shop.

Hachigen Ushōda

Hachigen Ushōda (有昭田鉢玄 Ushōda Hachigen) is the Vice Kidō Captain (副鬼道長 Fuku Kidōchō) under Tessai Tsukabishi during the Turn Back the Pendulum gaiden. He leaves Soul Society after becoming a Visored.

Other

Ichigo Kurosaki

Ichigo Kurosaki (黒崎一護 Kurosaki Ichigo) becomes a Soul Reaper after meeting Rukia Kuchiki. Though Soul Society regards him as a criminal when first learning of him, he becomes their ally after the Soul Society arc and earns the title of "Deputy Soul Reaper" ("Substitute Soul Reaper" in the English dub of the anime).

Isshin Kurosaki

Isshin Kurosaki (黒崎一心 Kurosaki Isshin) is the father of Ichigo Kurosaki. He was a Soul Reaper up until twenty years before the current Bleach storyline, after which he began residing in the human world. What he did as a Soul Reaper and why he left remains unknown, though he is seen wearing what appeared to be a captain's haori over one shoulder^. When fighting a newly turned arrancar Grand Fisher, he mentions that captains must learn to control the size of their zanpakutō. He then swings his sword which appears to slice the arrancar in half along with its zanpakutō.

Ashido Kanō

Voiced by: Yasuyuki Kase (Japanese), Travis Willingham (English)

Ashido Kanō (狩能雅忘人 Kanō Ashido) is introduced during the anime's adaption of the Hueco Mundo arc. He was originally to appear in the manga during the same part in the series, but had to be cut by series creator Tite Kubo due to time issues. He wears the standard Soul Reaper uniform, in ragged condition and without any footwear, with a fur coat draped over himself. The coat consists of several hollow masks adorned on it; one (resembling a gazelle's skull) killed his best friend. The others he uses to block hollow attacks. Along with his fellow Soul Reapers, Ashido followed a group of hollows into Hueco Mundo hundreds of years before the current Bleach storyline. However, the Soul Reapers were instead hunted down by the hollows and killed one by one, leaving Ashido as the sole survivor. Though he was to return to Soul Society once he wiped out the hollows (an impossible task given how many reside in Hueco Mundo), he decided to stay and kill as many hollows as possible, hoping to reduce the numbers appearing in the human world. After meeting Rukia Kuchiki he agrees to join her in leaving the Hueco Mundo. As she and her friends are leaving the realm however, they are attacked by hollows, and Ashido is trapped in a cave-in while defending them. His further whereabouts and condition are left unknown.

Ryūsei "Kenryū" Kenzaki

Voiced by: Hiroki Takahashi

Ryūsei Kenzaki (犬崎劉聖 Kenzaki Ryūsei), commonly called Kenryū (犬龍 Kenryū), is introduced during the anime's The New Captain Syūsuke Amagai arc. He is a servant of Rurichiyo Kasumiōji, the princess of the Kasumiōji noble family. He is fiercely loyal to Rurichiyo, and often reprimands Ichigo for not showing her proper respect. He has somewhat similar facial features to the arrancar Tesla but with short dark hair, and wears a normal Soul Reaper uniform and a light garment underneath, as well as long gloves.

His zanpakuto is named Benishidare (紅枝垂, literally "crimson weeping bough"). When released, it takes the form of a long black sword with five flowers attached to it, two flowers on either side, and one on the tip. The flowers release a pollen which causes more flowers to bloom on his opponent's weapon, rendering it useless. The flowers will wither if the pollen is blown away. Kenryū can also scatter the flowers on the blade to blind an enemy to allow in the aid of Rurichiyo's escape in battle. He can also create a thick purple mist to blind his enemy. With the command "fall as flowers do" (散華 sange), Benishidare can turn its petals into blade sized pink energy needles which rain down on the target.

Ruzaburō "Enryū" Enkōgawa

Voiced by: Ryoutaro Okiayu

Ruzaburō Enkōgawa (猿猴川流三郎 Enkōgawa Ruzaburō), commonly called Enryū (猿龍 Enryū), is introduced during the anime's The New Captain Syūsuke Amagai arc. He is a silent, largely built man with a small mohawk shaped like a lightning bolt. He wears a light undergarment under his Soul Reaper uniform, as well as a pair of sunglasses. From the opening credits, it would seem that he has superhuman strength. Like Kenryū, he is a servant of Rurichiyo Kasumiōji. He takes the responsibility of punishing anyone he believes to be being rude to their princess. He has a very high-pitched and squeaky voice, which he is embarrassed about, but Rurichiyo likes. Because of his voice, he almost never speaks, even when asking Kenryū about Rurichiyo's location (he uses comical gestures in a sort of pantomime to ask, which Kenryū is able to understand).

His zanpakutō is Daichimaru (代地丸, literally "the land") which takes the form of a pair of fists attached to chains. By striking the ground, he can cause a pair of stone hands to rise from the earth and trap a target by cupping around it or to defend against attacks.

Kouga Kuchiki

Appearing in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc as it's eventual main antagonist, Kouga was a prominent up-and-coming Soul Reaper during a period of civil war in Soul Society, who had recently joined the Kuchiki clan, and was rising through the ranks of the 6th Division. His zanpakuto, Muramasa, possessed the ability to enter the hearts or "inner worlds" of Soul Repears and turn their zanpakuto against them. He became well respected in Soul Society, but fear of this power, coupled with a trio of captains who were jealous of his popularity, led to his being framed for treason and murder. Despite being imprisoned, Muramasa was able to materialize and free Kouga from his confinement. Muramasa encouraged his master to use his powers to build an ideal world, but when Kouga saw that the three captains who had framed him were not even remorseful, but even laughing at his predicament, Kouga killed them, and then began killing people in Soul Society indiscriminately, despite Ginrei's attempts first to clear his name prior to the captains' murders, and then pleas to stop his massacre.

Over time, Kouga's voice grew fainter and fainter for Muramasa, until the day Ginrei and Yamamoto confronted Kouga and sealed him away, Muramasa never appearing, as he could no longer hear his master's voice. Centuries passed, and Muramasa eventually learned of Kouga's fate. Materializing in Soul Society, he manipulated the Gotei 13's zanpakuto into forming a rebellion, using them as a cover to capture Yamamoto and, with Ichigo's unwitting assistance, absorb Ryujin Jakka, and free his master, although Kouga immediately turned on him out of spite for not coming when he had called for him before. Byakuya then attacked Kouga, revealing that he and Senbonzakura had pretended to be in league with Muramasa in order to find Kouga and kill him, as this had been Ginrei's request to Byakuya should Kouga ever resurface. He has the special power to infiltrate the opponent's body with his reiatsu and confuse the five senses.

Reception

Several media from manga, anime and other media have commented on the Soul Reapers from the series. Carlo Santos from Anime News Network has praised the use of the Soul Reapers and Soul Society, since it "takes the familiar tournament formula to the height of creativity" regarding the fact that "This isn't just training and fighting anymore"^. Melissa Harper has commented that while the name Shinigami is changed to Soul Reaper in the English adaptation, it is an adequate description, and is "therefore a perfectly fine translation." Mania Entertainment commented on Ichigo turning into a Soul Reaper to be "a basic setup for the series itself" and praised how he does not make "awkward moments of handling a sword" making the series less common. Michael Aronson from Mangalife.com has noted the Soul Reapers to be initially similar with the Ghostbusters but he praised how it was later developed as the series progressed. IGN has praised the interactions between the characters and also commented that Soi Fon and Yoruichi share one of the more interesting histories in the series, though feels more could have been done to flesh it out.

gothic anime

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Shakugan

2010-01-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

New anime I am looking forward

2010-01-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

The spring and summer anime season has come and gone leaving many memorable anime series for us anime fanatics to enjoy for a long time to come, but the anime machine over in Japan will not slow down and as expected will unload a plethora of new anime series this fall. Anime covers many genres, art styles and age groups so not all anime will be attractive to all anime fans so below I have chosen the top 5 series I am looking forward to personally and these are the series I am most likely to blog about. I still have numerous seasons I need to finish watching such as Bokurano, Heroic Age and Seirei no Moribito just to name a few, but who says I cant jump into a few new series as well ^_^.
Night Wizard
Ive only seen the trailer for Night Wizard and a few images over at the official site but it already has a few things I like in certain anime. Swords, magic, mythical creatures, decent animation and a beautiful female with an oversized weapon, I cant wait.

Dragonaut The Resonance
From the trailer and expectations of other anime fans Dragonaut The Resonance looks as if it will be a great action anime, of all the five this is the one I am least looking forward to but a huge mechanized dragon is always welcome in anime, arent they?

Shakugan no Shana II
I didnt watch the first season so I will definitely have to watch that first to fully understand Shakugan no Shana II, but from the short trailer it looks decently interesting and worth the honour of helping to ensure that I am never bored or in need of anime to watch.

Jyuushin Enbu Hero Tales
Firstly I dont like the animation but after giving Guardian of the Sacred Spirit a test run and loving in more and more with each episode I decided to give another historic, fantasy, action anime a spin this season, Jyuushin Enbu Hero Tales is that lucky anime.

Gundam 00
No surprise there huh? Gundam is to anime like what Star Trek is to futuristic Space exploration. I wonder which anime lover, Gundam fanatic or not is not looking forward to the new Gundam series? The trailer and official site is oozing with Gundam goodness and after months of waiting it is now only a few days away.

Honourable mentions and Substitutes
Other than the big three above there are a few others I am looking forward to that will act as substitutes in case any of the above turn out awful or dont get translated fast enough by a reputable fan subbing group. All are interesting and might just still make my must watch list; Rental Magica, Maple Story, Ghost Hound, Moyashimon, Ef – A Tale of Memories.