Bleach. I'm pretty sure every anime-goer has come across the term sometime in their anime-watching days. As one of the Top 3, Bleach boasts a record audience number worldwide."And so the sword of fate has fallen."
The first arc starts off on with the mystery of the strange figure posed atop a telephone pole. However the atmosphere quickly lightens as we witness the main character going on with his daily life which involves; visiting the neighbourhood ghost, scaring off deliquents and the obvious family things one must attend to. The first episode introduces us to Kurosaki Ichigo, his family and of course, the one who changed his life forever.
The pace quickens as a hollow appears and attacks the ghost Ichigo was watching over, before he could do anything, a black-clad figure appears, a Shinigami. From there Ichigo quickly learns about the existence of Shinigamis (Soul Reapers) and Hollows. The climax comes in the form of a large Hollow attacking Ichigo's family. As the Shinigami fights to kill the hollow and protect Ichigo's family, she gets injured. With this came the need for Ichigo's transformation. The Shinigami reveals herself as Kuchiki Rukia before she exchanges her powers with Ichigo causing him to turn into a Substitute Shinigami.
From there we slowly gain an insight into the development of Ichigo's currently immature Shinigami powers and the introduction of our other main characters. Each episodes focus on one new character with Kon, Inoue Orihime, Yasutora Sado (Chad) and Uryuu Ishida being given an episode each focused on them. As time passes, Ichigo and Rukia continue to combat Hollows while the others (excluding Ishida) slowly gaining powers of their own. Inoue with her 'Shun Shun Rika'. Chad with his 'Arm of the Giant'. And Ishida with his original Quincy powers.
As the plot proceeds we slowly approach the climax of the arc, the arrival of two more Shinigamis to detain Rukia because she gave her powers to Ichigo. The two Shinigamis' identities are later clarified in the next arc but they are introduced as the 6th Squad Captain, Kuchiki Byakuya and his lieutenant, Abarai Renji. Unwilling to just let Rukia go, Ichigo chases after her and results in him battling with Renji. Despite being a lieutenant Renji was quite close to getting taken down by Ichigo's sudden change in spiritual power, however Byakuya K.Os Ichigo in one swift swing. Thus resulting in the 'death' of Ichigo. The three depart for Soul Society leaving behind a critically injured Ichigo.
Lucky as it is, he wakes up some time later, alive. After discovering that his powers disappeared and Rukia had been taken, Ichigo resolves to regain his powers and go save her. The guy who picked him up, Urahara decides to help, along with the rest of the folk at his shop. And so training begins for not only Ichigo, but the rest of his human friends, Inoue, Chad and Ishida. While Ichigo is in Urahara's huge basement getting kicked around by a small girl and being turned into a Hollow and back into a Shinigami, Inoue and Chad are off discovering their newly found powers with a black cat know as Yoruichi. Meanwhile Ishida is polishing off his own Quincy skills and techniques.
We also get a quick look in Soul Society where 2 more Captains, Ichimaru Gin and Zaraki Kenpachi are introduced. It appears that Rukia has been ordered to be execute for her 'crime'.
At last, the group is ready to set off to rescue Rukia. Not before going to a fireworks festival. Afterwards they are all contacted via a 'blood message' (really just a quirky way to use paint) to gather at Urahara's Shop. Here they are briefed on crossing to Soul Society and our last glimpse of them in this arc is them running off into the Sekaimon.
Interested? Well there's many many more arcs to come. Next arc is up soon!
