The cover of volume 1 as released by on 3 May 2005 in North America. Is a written and illustrated. It was serialized in the weekly Japanese from 2003 issue 47 to 2011 issue 19. Serial chapters have been collected in volumes by, with the first released on 18 February 2004, all 35 volumes completed with the last volume published on 18 August 2011. The series is about teenagers and, heirs to rival clans of kekkai (barrier magic) users, who must defend their school from the spirits drawn to the sacred land it is built upon.
Kekkaishi received the 2007 for shōnen manga. Announced in April 2005 that they had acquired the rights to translate and distribute Kekkaishi in North America. Viz released volume one on 3 May 2005, the 35th and last volume is scheduled to release on 11 December 2012.
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In July 2009, Viz announced the creation of their new imprint Shonen Sunday, which Kekkaishi would be moved under, and the launching of a dedicated website where individual chapters of Kekkaishi and other Shonen Sunday series are now being serialized. It is also licensed in France by, in Germany by, in Hong Kong by, in Indonesia by which serializes it in, in Italy by, in Malaysia by, in South Korea by, in Spain by, in Taiwan by, and in Vietnam. Kekkaishi has been adapted into a 52-episode series by, which was broadcast on, and between 16 October 2006 and 12 February 2008.
It has also been adapted into three video games. Contents. Chapter and volume list Note: This list uses Viz's official English-translated titles through volume 32, unofficial Japanese translations thereafter. Japan release date Japan ISBN North America release date North America ISBN 1 18 February 2004 3 May 2005.
001. 'Yoshimori and Tokine' ( 良守と時音, 'Yoshimori to Tokine'). 002.
'Scars' ( 傷, 'Kizu'). 003.
'Yoshimori's Ambition' ( 良守の野望, 'Yoshimori no Yabō'). 004. 'Human Ghost' ( 人間霊, 'Ningen Rei'). 005. 'Nutrients' ( 養分, 'Yōbun'). 006.
'A Dangerous Man' ( 危険な男, 'Kiken na Otoko'). 007. 'Flower of Passion' ( 情熱の花, 'Jōnetsu no Hana') Yoshimori Sumimura is a kekkaishi, or barrier master, an expert in fighting demons.
Currently in his second year in junior high, he is training to become the 22nd kekkaishi in his family line. Each night, he patrols Karasumori, a cursed area that attracts supernatural beings of all sorts and is now the site of Yoshimori's school. This duty has been passed down through his family for generations. Tokine Yukimura, Yoshimori's next-door neighbor, is also a kekkaishi. The Sumimuras and the Yukimuras have been quarreling for more than 400 years over which family is the legitimate successor to their kekkaishi school. As a child, Yoshimori made a mistake that caused Tokine to suffer a serious injury.
Yoshimori was deeply shaken by this incident. Devoting himself to his training, he promised himself that he would become a strong man and be able to protect Tokine in the future. 2 17 April 2004 16 August 2005. 008. 'Tokio Yukimura' ( 雪村時雄, 'Yukimura Tokio'). 009.
'Demon Tamer' ( 鬼使い, 'Oni Tsukai'). 010.
'Memories and Hatred' ( 追憶と憎悪, 'Tsuioku to Zōo'). 011. 'Promise' ( 誓い, 'Chikai').
012. 'Yoshimori vs. Yoki' ( 良守vsヨキ, 'Yoshimori baasasu Yoki'). 013. 'Shadow Organization' ( 裏会, 'Urakai'). 014.
'That's All' ( ただそれだけ, 'Tadasoredake'). 015. 'Cold Weather Cherry Blossoms (Part 1)' ( 寒桜(前編), 'Kanzakura (Zenpen)'). 016.
'Cold Weather Cherry Blossoms (Part 2)' ( 寒桜(後編), 'Kanzakura (Kōhen)') One night, a demon tamer named Yomi and her demon servant, Yoki, attempt to take over the Karasumori site for their own purposes. Aided by the magical power emanating from the site, Yoki transforms himself into an extremely powerful demon. Yoshimori and Tokine struggle to defeat him. In the midst of the battle, men with magical abilities arrive from the secretive 'shadow organization,' which oversees the work of the kekkaishi, and mercilessly destroy Yoki. The Karasumori site continues to attract ayakashi who wish to boost their supernatural power. Yoshimori and Tokine have no idea what forces they will face in their next battle! 3 18 June 2004 15 November 2005.
017. 'Yoshimori's Days, Part 1' ( 良守の日々(前編), 'Yoshimori no Hibi (Zenpen)'). 018. 'Yoshimori's Days, Part 2' ( 良守の日々(中編), 'Yoshimori no Hibi (Chūhen)'). 019. 'Yoshimori's Days, Part 3' ( 良守の日々(後編), 'Yoshimori no Hibi (Kōhen)').
020. 'A 400-Year Reunion' ( 4世紀ぶりの再会, '4-Seiki Buri no Saikai'). 021. 'Ginro and Koya' ( 銀露と鋼夜, 'Ginro to Kōya'). 022. 'The Garden' ( 庭, 'Niwa'). 023.
'Mountain Dogs' ( 山犬たち, 'Yamainutachi'). 024. 'Parting' ( 別離, 'Betsuri'). 025.
'Resealing' ( 再封印, 'Saifūin'). 026. 'Black Devil' ( 黒い悪魔, 'Kuroi Akuma') A ferocious ayakashi demon dog named Koya shows up at the Karasumori site, and everyone is shocked to find out that Koya is an old friend of Madarao, the Sumimura family's demon dog. Madarao wants to be the one to bring Koya down, but in order to do so, the collar that limits his full power must be removed. Yoshimori reluctantly releases Madarao from his collar and an epic canine battle ensues. Madarao manages to defeat Koya, but Yoshimori's lack of training causes Madarao to endure horrible pain while Yoshimori struggles to reseal the collar. Yoshimori regrets that he is not more skilled as a kekkaishi, but he does manage to tie the collar around Madarao's neck.
Having come through this ordeal together, the relationship between Madarao and Yoshimori is strengthened, and for the first time Madarao fully acknowledges Yoshimori as his true master. 4 17 September 2004 21 February 2006. 027. 'Resonance, Part 1' ( 残響(前編), 'Zankyō (Zenpen)'). 028. 'Resonance, Part 2' ( 残響(中編), 'Zankyō (Chūhen)').
029. 'Resonance, Part 3' ( 残響(後編), 'Zankyō (Kōhen)'). 030. 'Big Brother and Little Brother' ( 兄と弟, 'Ani to Otōto'). 031. 'Masamori Sumimura' ( 墨村正守, 'Sumimura Masamori').
032. 'Hoin' ( 方印, 'Hōin').
033. 'Running Forest' ( 走る森, 'Hashiru Mori'). 034.
'Over the Sky' ( 空の上にて, 'Sora no Ue nite'). 035. 'Resolution' ( 決意, 'Ketsui'). Mini Gaiden The Shadow Organization member named Masamori Sumimura, Yoshimori's big brother, arrives at the Karasumori site, much to Yoshimori's disgust. The next night, Masamori creates a scheme where Yoshimori's school grounds full of forests, in which Yoshimori's and Tokine's surprise. Yoshimori and Tokine are trying to destroy one of the trees, but to no avail. Having to fend off Masamori's scheme, Yoshimori promises Masamori to become stronger, and sealing off Karasumori's power forever.
5 18 November 2004 16 May 2006. 036.
'What is Karasumori?' ( なんなんだ?, 'Nan Nanda?' 'Lord Uro' ( ウロ様, 'Uro-sama'). 038.
'Colorless Marsh' ( 無色沼, 'Mushoku Numa'). 039. 'Divine Field' ( 神の領域, 'Kami no Ryōiki'). 040. 'Footprints of the Divine' ( 神様の足跡, 'Kami-sama no Ashiato').
041. 'Toshimori's Days' ( 利守の日々, 'Toshimori no Hibi'). 042.
'Secrets' ( 隠し事, 'Kakushikoto'). 043. 'Feathers' ( 羽, 'Hane').
044. 'White Feather Kids' ( 白羽児, 'Shiraha Ji'). 045.
'Tokine's Arrow' ( 時音の矢, 'Tokine no Ya') Yoshimori has come up with a grand scheme to seal off the power of Karasumori forever. In order to accomplish this impossible task, he must not only train and perfect his skills, but he must delve deep into the mystery surrounding his ancestral lands.
One night, three identical ayakashi, called the White Feather Kids, infiltrate the Karasumori site. Yoshimori and Tokine have a difficult time, but finally succeed in terminating them thanks to Tokine's refined kekkai techniques. From a distance, a suspicious-looking man observes the fray.
Who is he and why is he watching them? 6 18 February 2005 15 August 2006. 046.
'Observer' ( 監視者, 'Kanshisha'). 047. 'Research' ( 研究, 'Kenkyū'). 048. 'Claw Marks' ( 爪跡, 'Tsumeato').
049. 'Gen Shishio' ( 志々尾限, 'Shishio Gen'). 050. 'Birthplace' ( 生家, 'Seika'). 051. 'Uninvited Guest' ( 招かれざる客, 'Manekarezaru Kyaku'). 052.
'Masamori and Gen' ( 正守と限, 'Masamori to Gen'). 053.
'Big-Headed Wheel' ( 大首車, 'Daikubi Kuruma'). 054. 'Legitimate Heir' ( 正統継承者, 'Seitō Keishōsha'). 055. 'Reward' ( 賞金首, 'Shōkin Kubi') One day, an ayakashi perfectly disguised as a man enters the Karasumori site.
After the violent encounter with him, Yoshimori and Tokine worry that more such ayakashi may soon begin intruding. A few days later, a boy named Gen Shishio arrives; he has been sent by the mysterious 'Shadow Organization' to assist the Karasumori kekkaishi.
Gen, who possess some ayakashi powers, is awkward around Masamori, Yoshimori's big brother, because he idolizes him. Meanwhile, a secret organization with evil intentions awaits an opportunity to seize the Karasumori site. 7 18 May 2005 21 November 2006. 056. 'Curtain Call' ( 最後の称賛, 'Saigo no Shōsan). 057. 'Prince of Central East High' ( 中高のプリンス, 'Chūkou no Purinsu').
058. 'Kimiya Hachioji' ( 八王子君也, 'Hachioji Kimiya'). 059. 'Karasumori's No.
1' ( 烏森で一番, 'Karasumori de Ichiban'). 060. 'Grandpa's Night' ( じじいの夜, 'Jijii no Yoru'). 061. 'Council of Twelve' ( 十二人会, 'Jūnininkai').
062. ( ずっと., 'Zutto.' 'Declaring War' ( 宣戦, 'Sensen'). 064. 'Negotiation' ( 交渉, 'Kōshō'). 065.
'Kaguro' ( 火黒, 'Kaguro') Our heroes have been joined by a new ally named Gen, who has been sent by the mysterious Shadow Organization. Meanwhile, Yoshimori's big brother, Masamori, has been promoted to the Organization's elite Council of Twelve. Now a secret organization of ayakashi, Kokuboro, has launched an attack on the Karasumori site. Dressed in 'skins' that disguise them as humans and enable them to appear in daylight, five Kokuboro assassins barge into Yoshimori's school in the middle of the afternoon to challenge our heroes.
The three teenagers accept, and decide to take them on alone that very night. But when Yoshimori and Tokine refuse to hand over the Karasumori site to the ayakashi 'negotiators,' the Kokuboro wound Gen and threaten to finish him off if they don't get in their evil way! Then Gen's would-be rescuers are lured into their opponent's kekkai trap, which neutralizes their powers.
Now everyone's life is on the line.! 8 15 July 2005 20 February 2007. 066. 'Three Dimensions' ( 三次元, 'Sanjigen'). 067. 'Indebted' ( 借り, 'Kari'). 068.
'Elegance' ( 美学, 'Bigaku'). 069. 'No, Not That One' ( ダメだよ, 'Dame da yo'). 070. 'The Best Man for the Job' ( 適任, 'Tekinin').
071. 'Four Years Ago (Part 1)' ( 4年前(前編), '4 Nen Mae (Zenpen)').
072. 'Four Years Ago (Part 2)' ( 4年前(中編), '4 Nen Mae (Chūhen)'). 073. 'Four Years Ago (Part 3)' ( 4年前(後編), '4 Nen Mae (Kōhen)'). 074. 'The Ogi Clan' ( 扇一族, 'Ōgi Ichizoku'). 075.
'Decision' ( 決定, 'Kettei') The Shadow Organization has forbidden Gen and his kind to transform completely into an ayakashi. But during a clash with assassins from the Kokuboro Clan, Gen loses his temper and nearly undergoes a total transformation! Gen fears that the Shadow Organization will punish him for his transgression. The possibility that his tour of duty at the Karasumori Site might be terminated deeply distresses him.
But Yoshimori's big brother, Masamori, leader of the Night Troops, rallies behind Gen and permits him to continue fighting by Yoshimori and Tokine's side. 9 16 September 2005 15 May 2007.
076. 'Caged Bird' ( 籠の鳥, 'Kago no Tori'). 077. 'Atora Hanashima' ( 花島亜十羅, 'Hanashima Atora'). 078. 'Raizo' ( 雷蔵, 'Raizo'). 079.
'Dog Fight' ( 空中戦, 'Kūchūsen'). 080. 'Gagin and Hekian' ( 牙銀と碧闇, 'Gagin to Hekian'). 081. 'A Rat' ( 鼠, 'Nezumi'). 082. 'Assault' ( 襲撃, 'Shūgeki').
083. 'The Final Journey' ( 最後の旅路, 'Saigo no Tabiji').
084. 'The Master's Throne' ( 主の座, 'Omo no Ma'). 085. 'Agony' ( 煩悶, 'Hanmon') Gen's former Night Troops instructor, Atora, pays Gen a surprise visit at Karasumori. She is displeased with his inability to work with Yoshimori and Tokine as a team, and subjects them all to rigorous training exercise to bring them up to snuff. Meanwhile, the Kokuboro ayakashi send a reconnaissance expedition to the Colorless Marsh in hopes of unseating its master, and follow up with an assassination attempt on Heisuke Matsudo, an expert on their demon kind. But Heisuke fakes his demise, fooling not just his enemies, but his old friend, Yoshimori's Grandpa, as well.
Is all this nefarious activity a sign that Kokuboro is about to launch a full-scale attack against the Karasumori Site.!? 10 15 December 2005 21 August 2007. 086. 'Baby Steps' ( 胎動, 'Taidō'). 087. 'Portable Throne' ( 動座, 'Dōza'). 088.
'Attack of the Kokuboro' ( 黒芒楼襲来, 'Kokubōrō Shūrai'). 089. 'Pandemonium' ( 百鬼夜行, 'Hyakkiyagyō'). 090. 'Alliance' ( 連携, 'Renkei').
091. 'Flame Monster' ( 炎鬼, 'Honoo Oni'). 092. 'Total Transformation' ( 完全変化, 'Kanzen Henka'). 093. 'Omen' ( 兆し, 'Kizashi'). 094.
'Sea of Flame' ( 火の海, 'Hi no Umi'). 095. 'Eternity' ( 永遠に, 'Eien ni') 11 17 February 2006 20 November 2007. 096.
'Funeral' ( 葬列, 'Sōretsu'). 097. 'Together' ( 一緒に, 'Isshoni'). 098.
'A Passage to Kokuboro' ( 黒芒への道, 'Kokubōrō e no Michi'). 099. 'The Crows of Backyard Mountain' ( 裏山の鴉, 'Urasuyama no Kurasu'). 100. 'The Members of the Night Troop' ( 夜行の面々, 'Yakō no Menmen'). 101. 'Skirmishes' ( 小競り合い, 'Kozeriai').
102. 'Resurgence' ( 再来, 'Sairai'). 103. 'Interception' ( 迎撃, 'Geigeki'). 104.
'Kokuboro's Hostage' ( 黒芒の俘虜, 'Kokubōrō no Furyo'). 105. 'Fighting Alone' ( 孤軍, 'Kogun') Heartbroken over his friend's death, Yoshimori eventually channels his grief and rage into training to become an even greater kekkaishi. He vows to destroy Gen's killer, Kaguro, and in a ploy to gain entry into the Kokuboro castle, surrenders to his enemies.
Sen Kagemiya, a member of the kekkaishi night troop, is captured as well. Coincidentally, Yoshimori's grandfather's closest friend, Heisuke Matsudo—thought to be murdered by ayakashi—infiltrates the Kokuboro castle at the same time, with the intention of hunting down Byaku, a leader of the Kokuboro with whom Matsudo seems to have a longstanding feud.
Inside the Kokuboro castle, despite being at the mercy of his captors, Yoshimori confronts Kaguro while Matsudo prepares for his showdown with Byaku. 12 18 May 2006 18 February 2008. 106. 'The Castle' ( 城, 'Shiro'). 107.
'Rescue' ( 救出, 'Shūshutsu'). 108. 'Byaku and Matsudo' ( 白と松戸, 'Byaku to Matsudo'). 109. 'Hollow Man' ( 空っぽの男, 'Karappo no Otoko').
110. 'Advance Payment' ( 前払い, 'Maebarai'). 111. 'Aihi' ( 藍緋, 'Aihi'). 112. 'Flower Ayakashi' ( 妖花, 'Yō Hana').
113. 'The Man Who Would Not Die' ( 死ねない男, 'Shinenai Otoko').
114. 'Outside the Other World' ( 異界の外, 'Ikai no Soto').
115. 'Achilles Heel' ( 弱点, 'Jakuten') Yoshimori infiltrates his enemy's lair, Kokuboro Castle, to avenge his friend, Gen Shishio, who fell in battle. First, he has to rescue Sen Kagemiya, a member of the 'Night Troops,' who followed him there only to be caught and held captive. Meanwhile, Tokine, Masamori (Yoshimori's elder brother) and the rest of the Night Troops use Tokine's grandmother's magical passageway to Kokuboro Castle to try and rescue Yoshimori and Sen.
Just as Kokuboro Castle is beginning to completely disintegrate, Yoshimori finally locates Kaguro, Gen's murderer, and confronts him. At first, Kaguro tries to tempt Yoshimori to join his side. Then, armed with powerful magical sword, he charges him at full force. Kaguro's strength only increases as his fight with Yoshimori progresses. But just when Kaguro is about to defeat him, Yoshimori generates the most extraordinary kekkai he has ever produced.! 13 15 September 2006 20 May 2008.
![Baca Komik Kekkaishi 148 Indo Baca Komik Kekkaishi 148 Indo](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kekkaishi/images/9/99/Chap_148.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110909012128)
116. 'Different' ( ズレ, 'Zure').
117. 'Advice' ( 忠告, 'Chūkoku). 118. 'True Power' ( 真の力, 'Shin no Chikara'). 119. 'Escape' ( 脱出, 'Dasshutsu'). 120.
'Return Home' ( 帰路, 'Kiro'). 121. 'Slap' ( ビンタ, 'Binta'). 122. 'A Visitor' ( 来訪者, 'Raihōsha').
123. 'Kiyoko' ( キヨコ, 'Kiyoko'). 124. 'A Stake' ( 釘, 'Kugi').
125. 'Master and Disciple' ( 師匠と弟子, 'Shishō to Deshi) Yoshimori infiltrates Kokuboro Castle and confronts his nemesis, Kaguro, Thanks to selfless support of Sen, one of Masamori's night troops, Yoshimori prevails. At Kokuboro Castle disintegrates around them, Yoshimori lies unconscious after having generated a powerful magical attack known as zekkai.
In the nick of time, Masamori and his night troops come to the pair's rescue. In the aftermath of the Kokuboro battle, things are just beginning to return to normal in the Karasumori Forest when a young man named Takeshi appears claiming to be a fumashi—one who seals off the malevolent energy of evil beings. Takeshi reveals to Yoshimori that he has come to destroy the monster who murdered his master. 14 16 October 2006 19 August 2008. 126. 'Jaren' ( 邪煉, 'Jaren'). 127.
'Temptation' ( 誘惑, 'Yūwaku'). 128. 'Confidence' ( 強気, 'Tsuyoki'). 129. 'Master-Servant Contract' ( 主従契約, 'Shujū Keiyaku'). 130.
'Of Kekkai and Zekkai' ( 結界と絶界, 'Kekkai to Zekkai'). 131.
'Unwanted Guest' ( 迷惑な客, 'Meiwaku na Kyaku'). 132.
'Giant Goblin' ( 大天狗, 'Ō-tengu'). 133. 'Lord and Master' ( 殿, 'Dono'). 134.
'Inspection' ( 査察, 'Sasatsu'). Gaiden. 'Yoshimori's First Battle ( 良守の初陣, 'Ryōshu no Iijin') Ichiro Ogi, the eighth member of the Shadow Organization's Council of Twelve, accuses Masamori of botching the battle against the Kokuboro. In hopes of discrediting Masamori, Ogi initiates a council inspection of the Karasumori Site.
The council's ninth member, Okuni, is assigned to oversee the inspection. But just before Okuni arrives at the Karasumori Site, a mysterious black box is delivered to the headquarters of Masamori's night troops, and Misao, a young night trooper, is sucked inside! And then an identical box appears at the Karasumori Site. Is all this a cowardly conspiracy against Yoshimori and Masamori.or the start of something even more menacing? 15 18 January 2007 18 November 2008.
135. 'Boxes' ( 箱, 'Hako'). 136. 'Hostages' ( 人質, 'Hitojichi'). 137. 'No Exit' ( 出口, 'Deguchi').
138. 'The True Nature of the Box' ( 箱の正体, 'Hako no Shotai').
139. 'Four Ayakashi' ( 4体の妖, '4 Karada no Yō'). 140.
'Cocoon' ( 繭, 'Mayu'). 141. 'Kurokabuto' ( 黒兜, 'Kurokabuto').
142. 'Responsibility' ( 責任, 'Sekinin'). 143.
'Warp' ( ゆがみ, 'Yagami'). 144. 'Total Body' ( 完全体, 'Kansen Karada') Ichiro Ogi, the eighth member of the Shadow Organization's Council of Twelve, accuses Masamori of botching the battle against the Kokuboro. The council's ninth member, Okuni, is assigned to oversee the inspection of the Karasumori Site and its guardians.
But just before Okuni arrives at the Karasumori Site, mysterious black boxes are delivered both the site and the headquarters of Masamori's night troops. Two young night troopers escape imprisonment in one of the boxes, which acts as a portal, and now Tokine has entered a box to further unravel its mysteries. Meanwhile, out of a huge cocoon hidden inside the Karasumori school, a huge ayakashi emerges and proceeds to wreak havoc. If it grows to full size, it will be unstoppable! 16 18 April 2007 17 February 2009.
145. 'The Wrath of Karasumori' ( 烏森の怒り, 'Karasumori no Ikari'). 146. 'Order' ( 秩序, 'Chitsujo').
147. 'Report' ( 報告, 'Hōkoku').
148. 'Julia' ( ジュリア, 'Juria'). 149.
'Jealousy' ( ヤキモチ, 'Yakimochi'). 150. 'Love Triangle' ( 三角関係, 'Sankakukankei'). 151. 'It Fell from the Sky!' ( 落ちてきた!, 'Ochitekita!'
'Water Dragon' ( 水龍, 'Mizu Ryū'). 153.
'The Guilty Party' ( 犯人, 'Han'nin'). 154. 'Phone Call from Masamori' ( 兄の電話, 'Ani no Denwa') Lately the ayakashi have been relentlessly attacking the Karasumori site. This has caused the shadow organization to assert more and more control over the site. As they struggle to deal with these situations, Yoshimori and Tokine gradually perfect their kekkaishi skills. With school out for spring break Yoshimori is feeling very happy - that is until he receives a phone call from his brother Masamori asking for help. Yoshimori reluctantly agrees to assist Masamori and travels him to a holy site that is a gateway to the other world.
The reason Masamori has for bringing his brother to this site is still unclear. 17 18 July 2007 19 May 2009.
155. 'Abyss' ( 淵, 'Fuchi'). 156. 'Deity Tan-Yu ( 淡幽, 'Tan'yū'). 157. 'Mudo' ( 無道, 'Mudō').
158. 'Old Ally' ( 盟友, 'Meiyū'). 159. 'Genuine Zekkai' ( 本物の絶界, 'Honmono no Zekkai). 160. 'Immortality' ( 不死, 'Fushi'). 161.
'Imperfection' ( 矯正, 'Kyōsei'). 162. 'Masamori's Choice' ( 兄の選択, 'Ani no Sentaku'). 163. 'The Guardian Deity’s Power' ( 主の力, 'Omo no Chikara'). 164.
'Jealousy' ( 嫉妬, 'Shitto') While helping Masamori, Yoshimori is drawn into a holy site where he encounters Mudo, the man Masamori is trying to attack. Mudo has abandoned his humanity and become an ayakashi.
Having absorbed incredible power from the guardian deity of the holy site, Mudo appears to be unbeatable even if Masamori and Yoshimori work together! As the brothers face almost certain death, the deity Tan-yu marshals his last bit of strength to seal off his holy site and save their lives. The holy site is sealed off, but Masamori is stranded inside the site alone with Mudo. 18 18 October 2007 18 August 2009.
165. 'A Promise' ( 約束, 'Yakusoku'). 166. 'Traitor' ( 裏切り者, 'Uragirimono'). 167. 'Mind Reading' ( 読心, 'Dokushin'). 168.
'Intelligence Unit' ( 諜報班, 'Chōhō Han'). 169. 'Sen Kagemiya' ( 影宮閃, 'Kagemiya Sen'). 170.
'They Came Flying' ( 飛来, 'Hirai'). 171. 'Undercover Action' ( 隠密行動, 'Onmitsu Kōdō'). 172. 'Panic' ( 恐慌, 'Kyōkō'). 173.
'Four Kekkaishi' ( 集結, 'Shūketsu'). 174.
'Cubic Formation' ( 四師方陣, 'Yonshi Hōjin') When Yoshimori enters ninth grade, the Shadow Organization enrolls Night Troopers Shu and Sen in the Karasumori school system to monitor the kekkaishi guardians. Secretly, Shu is studying to develop his telepathic powers and possibly abandon the Night Troops.
One day, an ayakashi in the form of a tiny black butterfly enters the Karasumori School grounds. The mysterious creature multiplies exponentially despite Yoshimori and his colleagues' desperate efforts to terminate it and its 'offspring.' Soon the school is engulfed in a cloud of talking butterflies who warn of impending doom! Then they begin to attack the students.
Yoshimori's grandfather Shigemori and Tokine's grandmother Tokiko rush to their grandchildren's aid. For the first time, all four Kekkaishi heirs will stand and fight together! The quartet pitches a huge cubic kekkai to envelop the mass of butterflies. Will they able to maintain their formation and coordinate their energies in time to save hundreds of innocent students.? 19 12 January 2008 17 November 2009.
175. 'Compression' ( 圧縮, 'Asshuku'). 176. 'Prophecy' ( 予言, 'Yogen'). 177.
'Psychic Saki' ( 巫女サキ, 'Miko Saki'). 178.
'The Crows' ( カラス, 'Karasu'). 179. 'Confinement on the Mountain' ( 山籠り, 'Yamagomori'). 180. 'Tobimaru' ( 飛丸, 'Tobimaru'). 181.
'Investigation' ( 調査, 'Chōsa'). 182. 'The Visit' ( 訪問, 'Hōmon'). 183. 'Wind Wizard' ( 風使い, 'Kaze Tsukai'). 184. 'Deity Slayer' ( 神殺し, 'Kami Koroshi') One day, ayakashi butterflies bring a prophecy of impending doom to Karasumori.
Then a major mystical site, Lake Mashiro, is attacked. In the aftermath of these disturbing developments, an investigator visits Yoshimori's family. It appears the Shadow Organization suspects Yoshimori's mother is behind the attacks on the mystical sites!
Angered by the accusation against his mother, Yoshimori threatens the investigator's companion, Rokuro Ogi, a 'wind master.' Meanwhile, Ichiro Ogi, Masamori's archrival, lures Masamori to one of the mystical sites. 20 18 April 2008 9 February 2010. 185. 'Conspiracy of Wind' ( 風の謀略, 'Kaze no Bōryaku'). 186. 'Watchdog' ( 番人, 'Bannin').
187. 'Deal' ( 取引, 'Torihiki'). 188. 'Elder Brother's Wish' ( 兄の望み, 'Ani no Nozomi').
189. 'Masamori vs. The Ogis' ( 正守対扇, 'Masamori Tsui Ōgi'). 190. 'Giant Tornado' ( 巨大竜巻, 'Kyodai Tatsumaki'). 191. 'Flesh' ( 肉塊, 'Nikukai').
192. 'Youth' ( 若さ, 'Wakasa'). 193. 'Worry' ( 本気で心配, 'Honki de Shinpai'). 194.
'Left Behind' ( おいてけぼり, 'Oitekebori') When Ichiro Ogi, the archrival of Yoshimori's brother Masamori, causes the deaths of several of his Night Troops, Masamori challenges him. Their battle is fierce, but Masamori eventually triumphs—or so it seems. Instead of Ichiro, it is his little brother Rokuro who lies dying at the scene. It turns out that Ichiro is an entity composed of all of the Ogi brothers—brothers who have abandoned their youngest to save themselves. Masamori asks Okuni, a powerful member of the Council of Twelve, to save Rokuro. In exchange, he agrees to form an alliance with her. 21 11 July 2008 11 May 2010.
195. 'Descent From the Heavens' ( 降臨, 'Kōrin'). 196. 'Rain' ( 雨, 'Ame').
197. 'The School Is Sinking' ( 学校沈没, 'Gakkō Chinbotsu'). 198. 'Making a Decision' ( 決断, 'Ketsudan').
199. 'Infamy' ( 汚名, 'Omei'). 200. 'Hida Village' ( 緋田郷, 'Hidagō'). 201.
'Requiem' ( 供養, 'Kuyō'). 202. 'Target' ( 狙い, 'Nerai'). 203. 'Destruction' ( 崩壊, 'Hōkai'). 204.
'The Center of Power' ( 力の中心, 'Chikara no Chūshin'). 205. 'Guidance' ( 伝授, 'Denju') Mystical sites are under attack. And now a guardian deity whose own site was ravaged wreaks havoc on Karasumori. Disregarding the prohibition against harming a deity, Tokine terminates him in order to save the site and her loved ones!
While attempting to return the slain deity's magical umbrella to his deteriorating mystical site, Yoshimori is behest by an unknown assiliant. His attacker retrieves a mysterious broken kekkaishi staff.
Is this an attempt to hide incriminating evidence.? Meanwhile, two Shadow Organization agents arrive at Tokine's home to interrogate her. 22 17 October 2008 6 July 2010. 206. 'Special Investigations Unit' ( 特捜班, 'Tokusō Han').
207. 'Headless Island' ( 断頭島, 'Dantō Shima'). 208. 'Interrogation' ( 詰問, 'Kitsumon'). 209. 'Escape' ( 逃走, 'Tōsō').
210. 'Island Manhunt' ( 島狩り, 'Shima Kari'). 211.
'Setting a Fire' ( 着火, 'Chakka'). 212. 'Rat Run' ( 抜け道, 'Nukemichi'). 213. 'Judgment' ( 判断, 'Handan').
214. 'True Nature' ( 本性, 'Honshō'). 215. 'Resistance' ( 抵抗, 'Teikō') To protect the Karasumori site, Tokine slays a guardian deity—a serious crime. Special Investigations Unit agents haul her to their headquarters for questioning.
Mistrusting the agents' motives, Yoshimori and his Night Troops allies set out to bring her back. Tokine escapes with the help of Yugami, one of the investigators.
A vicious operative named Saiko pursues Tokine, but Yoshimori saves her. The two kekkaishi barely manage to catch their breaths before they are faced with a new challenge. 23 16 January 2009 12 October 2010.
216. 'Yashiro' ( 夜城, 'Yashiro'). 217. 'Reform' ( 変革, 'Henkaku'). 218. 'Reliance' ( わがまま, 'Wagamama'). 219.
'Big-Hearted' ( 包容力, 'Hōyōryoku'). 220. 'Distraction' ( 邪念, 'Janen'). 221.
'Fissure' ( 地割れ, 'Jiware'). 222. 'Helper' ( 助っ人, 'Suketto'). 223. 'Soji Hiura' ( 氷浦蒼士, 'Sōji Hiura'). 224. 'Special Site' ( 小一宮, 'Shōichi Miya').
225. 'Illusion' ( 幻影, 'Gen'ei') Mt.
Okubi, a prominent mystical site, is attacked and destroyed. A mysterious fissure cracks open the ground of the Karasumori Site. What is the connection between these two events.? A crack team of three warriors from the Night Troops come to Karasumori.
Then fifteen-year-old Soji arrives, claiming he was sent by the Shadow Organization. But Yoshimori thinks Soji is the masked attacker who assaulted him in Hida Village.
Now Karasumori is attacked by two huge ayakashi. To test Soji's loyalty and talents, Yoshimori sics him on one of the intruders.
Will Soji prove to be an ally or an enemy.?! 24 17 April 2009 11 January 2011. 226. 'Abilities' ( 実力, 'Jitsuryoku'). 227. 'Intruders' ( 侵入者, 'Shin'nyūsha'). 228.
'A Change of Plans' ( 方針転換, 'Hōshin Tenkan'). 229. 'I Just Follow Orders' ( 命令中心, 'Meirei Chūshin').
230. 'The Unlucky One' ( 貧乏くじ, 'Binbō Kuji'). 231. 'Soji and Gen' ( 氷浦と志々尾, 'Hiura to Shishio'). 232. 'No Thought' Box' ( 無想箱, 'Musō Bako').
233. 'Sorcery Unit' ( まじない班, 'Majinai Han'). 234. 'Scream' ( わがまま, 'Wagamama'). 235. 'Vampire' ( 吸血, 'Kyūketsu') Yoshimori and friends protect Karasumori from two gigantic ayakashi brought by two mysterious figures who cast a spell and slip away.
To teach Yoshimori about the essence of kekkai magic, his grandfather gives him a 'No Thought' box. To break it, Yoshimori must learn to empty his mind. Easier said than done—even for him! Meanwhile, the Night Troops' Sorcery Unit attempts to undo the spell cast on Karasumori. Unfortunately, the site's reaction to their efforts causes Shu to transform into a vampire! When he attacks Tokine, their new ally Soji rushes to her defense.
25 18 June 2009 12 April 2011. 236. 'My People' ( 周りの人間, 'Mawari no Ningen'). 237. 'State of Mind' ( 心の状態, 'Kokoro no Jōtai').
238. 'No Thought' Room' ( 無想部屋, 'Musō Beya'). 239. 1' ( 壱号, 'Ichigō'). 240.
'Shimano' ( 縞野, 'Shima No'). 241. 'Setting an Example' ( 見せしめ, 'Miseshime').
242. 'War' ( 戦争, 'Sensō').
243. 'Justice' ( 正義, 'Seigi'). 244. 'Plunging' ( 突入, 'Totsunyū'). 245. 'Bull's Eye' ( 蛇の目, 'Ja no Me') Yoshimori is desperately trying to learn the kekkai discipline of emptying his mind. Meanwhile, his older brother Masamori travels to the stronghold of his archrival Ichiro Ogi (a monstrous amalgamation of several Ogi brothers!) to apprehend him.
But before Masamori arrives, the youngest Ogi brother and heir apparent murders his older siblings! Next, Okuni, Masamori's ally on the Council of Twelve, is found dead. Who is responsible? And does someone have designs on the Shadow Organization itself?! Now Saki, the prophet of doom, reappears at Karasumori.
26 17 September 2009 14 June 2011. 246. 'Cruel Future' ( 残酷な未来, 'Zankoku na Mirai'). 247. 'A Certain Person' ( ある人物, 'Arujinbutsu'). 248. 'Perfect Form' ( 完成形, 'Kansei Katachi').
249. 'Grim Reaper' ( 死神, 'Shinigami'). 250. 'Common Ground' ( 共通点, 'Kyōtsuuten').
251. 'Excess Power' ( 過剰な力, 'Kajō na Chikara'). 252. 'Special One' ( 特別な人間, 'Tokubetsu na Ningen'). 253. 'Assignment & Promise' ( 任務と約束, 'Ninmu to Yakusoku').
254. 'Condition' ( 条件, 'Jōken'). 255. 'Clowns' ( ピエロ, 'Piero') Increasingly worried about the attacks on the Karasumori Site, Yoshimori struggles the grasp the essence of kekkai magic.
After intensive training, he comes very close to mastering the critical technique of emptying his mind. Meanwhile, the truth about the mystical site attacks begins to emerge. The supreme leader of the Shadow Organization, Nichinaga Omi, is the prime suspect.
The case against Omi grows when it is revealed that he commissioned the assassinations of key members of the Council of Twelve. Yoshimori's training is not yet complete when two witches descend upon the Karasumori Site and amaze Yoshimori and the others by levitating the entire school. 27 18 December 2009 9 August 2011. 256. 'Revolution' ( 回転, 'Kaiten').
257. 'Prodigy' ( 神童, 'Shindō'). 258. 'Power Source' ( 動力源, 'Dōryokugen'). 259. 3' ( 参号, 'Sangō').
260. 'Combatants' ( 戦闘員, 'Sentōin'). 261. 'Power' ( 力, 'Chikara').
262. '100%' ( 10割, 'Jū-wari'). 263. 'Ally and Enemy' ( 敵味方, 'Teki Mikata').
264. 'Lie' ( 嘘, 'Uso').
265. 'Zero' ( 零, 'Zero') Two witches, Michiru and Kakeru, use their powerful magic to viciously attack the Karasumori Site while holding the entire nearby town hostage! Yoshimori and his Night Troops attempt to repel the attack, but their chances seem even more remote when the witches' partners, warriors No. Meanwhile, Masamori pays a visit to Hisaomi Yumeji, a key member of the Council of Twelve, at his residence.
There, Masamori learns of a longstanding feud between Yumeji and his elder brother, Nichinaga Omi, the Shadow Organization's supreme leader. Masamori's meeting with Yumeji ends abruptly when Zero, a hit man sent by Nichinaga, raids Yumeji's home. Back at Karasumori, the battling kekkaishi and their allies are overwhelmed. Will Yoshimori's power be enough to repel them? 28 18 February 2010 11 October 2011. 266. 'Ultimate Mind Emptying' ( 極限無想, 'Kyokugen Musō').
267. 'Magic Spell Neutralization' ( まじない破り, 'Majinai Yaburi'). 268. 'Magic Spell Neutralized' ( 'Majinai Goroshi'). 269. 'Face-to-Face' ( 一対一, 'Sashi').
270. 'Let's Make a Deal' ( 契約成立, 'Keiyaku Seiritsu'). 271. 'Denial' ( 拒絶, 'Kyozetsu'). 272. 'Prepared to Be Equal' ( 同等の覚悟, 'Dōtō no Kakugo'). 273: 'Karasumori' ( 烏森, 'Karasumori').
274: 'True End' ( 本当の終わり, 'Hontō no Owari'). 275: 'Grim Reaper' ( 災いの神, 'Wasawai no Kami) Masamori is asking Yumeji, executive member of the Shadow Organization's Council of Twelve, some pointed questions when Zero, a hit man sent by the organization's Supreme Leader, arrives. Masamori unsuccessfully attempts to ward off Zero's attack, and Yumeji is killed. Back at the Karasumori Site, Yoshimori finally masters the technique of emptying his mind.
Using his new powers, he summarily defeats Michiru and Kakeru, the two witches who have been holding Karasumori in their thrall. But then the heir of the Ogi Clan, Shichiro Ogi (a.k.a. Grim Reaper) shows up at the scene and proceeds to kill the witches and seriously wound Yoshimori's new friend and ally, Soji.! 29 18 May 2010 13 December 2011. 276: 'Beyond Human Capability' ( 人の枠, 'Hito no Waku'). 277: 'White Zekkai' ( 白い絶界, 'Shiroi Zekkai').
278: 'Dawn' ( 夜明け, 'Yoake'). 279: 'Apprehension' ( 心配, 'Shinbai'). 280: 'Awakening' ( 目覚め, 'Mezame'). 281: 'The Ogi Men' ( 扇の男, 'Ōgi no Otoko'). 282: 'Record Keeper' ( 記録係, 'Kirokugakari'). 283: 'Suigetsu' ( 水月, 'Suigetsu'). 284: 'Homecoming' ( 帰還, 'Kikan').
285: 'The Last Night' ( 最後の夜, 'Saigo no Yoru') Assassin Shichiro Ogi has accidentally critically injured Soji, the mysterious boy who has been helping guard Karasumori. Yoshimori's fury causes his power to spiral out of control—until Tokine brings him back to his senses. Soji is recovering, but just as he begins to open up to the people who have grown to care about him, he vanishes! Meanwhile, Yoshimori's absentee mother, Sumiko, returns home and announces that she has come for the Lord of Karasumori. What does she mean.?!
Elsewhere, Masamori begins to distinguish himself as a leader within the Shadow Organization's Council of Twelve—which has recently lost many of its executive members. 30 18 August 2010 14 February 2012. 286: 'The Lord' ( お殿様, 'Otono-sama'). 287: 'The Castle Keep' ( 天守閣, 'Tenshukaku').
288: 'Laughter' ( 笑い声, 'Waraigoe'). 289: 'Tag' ( 鬼ごっこ, 'Onigokko'). 290: 'The Time Has Come' ( その時, 'Sono Toki'). 291: 'Far Away' ( 遠くへ, 'Tōku e'). 292: 'The New Karasumori Castle' ( 新烏森城, 'Shin Karasumorijō'). 293: 'Kumon' ( 九門, 'Kumon').
294: 'Door' ( 扉, 'Tobira'). 295: 'Phase Two' ( 第2段階, 'Dai-ni Dankai') Yoshimori enters the mysterious black castle that has arisen from the Karasumori Site. When he at last meets Karasumori's guardian face-to-face, he is confronted by.a little child with an innocent smile. Guided by the shikigami who is the splitting image of his mother, Sumiko, Yoshimori sets out on a journey to transport Lord Chushinmaru from Karasumori to a new home. The two reach an abandoned house in the mountains where Yoshimori hopes to train to seal the Lord of Karasumori once and for all. But the two are confronted by a mysterious man who controls an ayakashi named Kumon.and Yoshimori is easily lured into a trap! 31 18 October 2010 10 April 2012.
296: 'Trap' ( 罠, 'Wana'). 297: 'The Founder' ( 開祖, 'Kaiso'). 298: 'Resurrection' ( 再生, 'Saisei'). 299: 'Ambition' ( 野心, 'Yashin'). 300: 'Arashizaki Shrine' ( 嵐座木神社, 'Arashizaki Jinja'). 301: 'Shinkai' ( 真界, 'Shinkai').
302: 'Serious' ( 本気, 'Honki'). 303: 'The King' ( 王様, 'Ou-sama'). 304: 'The Vessel' ( 器, 'Utsuwa'). 305: 'Hatred' ( 憎悪, Zouo) Yoshimori begins training with his mother's shikigami at an abandoned mountainside mansion to learn how to permanently seal away Lord Chushinmaru. The man who appeared with the ayakashi Kumon to test Yoshimori's skill turned out to be Tokimori Hazama, the founder of the Hazama-style kekkai technique.
Tokimori has been waiting 400 years for the opportunity to teach his new technique, Shinkai, to someone worthy of it. Meanwhile, from the documents left by her beloved Michiru, Kakeru discovers the true nature of Nichinaga, the leader of the Shadow Organization—and vows revenge.
Nichinaga has chosen Arashizaki Shrine, the home of the Ogi Family, as his next target. The time for a definitive battle draws near.!. (18 February 2004).
Kekkaishi volume 1 (in Japanese). ^ (in Japanese). Retrieved 25 February 2009. ^ (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
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(in Chinese). Rightman Publishing Ltd. Archived from on 9 August 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2009. (in Indonesian). Archived from on 9 August 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
(in Italian). Archived from on 9 August 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2009. Google Books.
Retrieved 1 May 2009. (in Spanish). Archived from on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
(in Chinese). Archived from on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2009. (in Vietnamese). Archived from on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
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(in Japanese). Retrieved 1 March 2009. Archived from on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2009. (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 March 2009.
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Archived from on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2011. Originally serialized in Shōnen Sunday with the title 'Selfishness' ( わがまま, 'Wagamama').
(in Japanese). Retrieved 17 September 2009. Archived from on 5 May 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2011. (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 December 2009. Archived from on 11 June 2011.
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External links. (in Japanese). (manga) at 's encyclopedia.
(former) Original run August 20, 2001 – August 22, 2016 Volumes 74 Anime television series. (2004–2012) Anime films. Live-action film. Bleach (: ブリーチ,: Burīchi) is a Japanese series written and illustrated. Bleach follows the adventures of the hotheaded teenager who inherits his parents' destiny, after he obtains the powers of a ( 死神, literally 'Death God')—a death personification similar to the —from another Soul Reaper,. His new-found powers force him to take on the duties of defending humans from evil spirits and guiding departed souls to the afterlife, and set him on journeys to various ghostly realms of existence. Bleach was in the Japanese manga magazine from August 2001 to August 2016, with its chapters collected into 74 volumes.
The series has spawned a that includes an that was produced by from 2004 to 2012, two episodes, four animated feature films, ten, and, as well as many types of Bleach-related. A was released in 2018. English-language releases of Bleach are coordinated by, which has released several volumes of the manga each year since 2004, and published chapters of Bleach in its magazine since November 2007. Viz Media secured foreign television and home video distribution rights to the Bleach anime in 2006. Began airing episodes of Bleach in the United States that Fall, and later began to stream subtitled versions of the anime a week after each episode aired in Japan.
Viz Media has also released each of the Bleach feature films in English. Bleach received the for the demographic in 2005, and is among the in both Japan and the United States. Despite significant downturns in both the Japanese and English manga markets, Bleach had continued to perform well commercially, and it has sold more than 90 million tankōbon copies in Japan alone. As of 2018, the series had over 120 million tankōbon volumes in print worldwide. See also: is a teenager from Karakura Town who can see ghosts, a talent which lets him meet supernatural trespasser. Rukia is one of the, soldiers trusted with ushering the souls of the dead from the World of the Living to the Soul Society ( 尸魂界 (ソウルソサエティ), lit.
'Dead Spirit World')—the afterlife realm from which she originates—and with fighting, monstrous lost souls who can harm both ghosts and humans. When she is severely wounded defending Ichigo from a Hollow she is pursuing, Rukia transfers her powers to Ichigo so that he may fight in her stead while she recovers her strength. Rukia is thereby trapped in an ordinary human body, and must advise Ichigo as he balances the demands of his substitute Soul Reaper duties and attending high school. For aid in hunting the Hollows, the pair ally with a trio of other spiritually empowered teenagers: Ichigo's high school classmate, best friend and the Quincy—humans who can fight Hollows—. Eventually, Rukia is arrested by her Soul Reaper superiors and sentenced to death for the illegal act of transferring her powers into a human.
Ichigo and friends enlist the help of ex-Soul Reaper scientist, who also enables Ichigo to access his own Soul Reaper powers, to enter Soul Society and rescue Rukia. Shortly after the party's arrival in the Soul Society, conflict arises among the captains of the 13 Court Squads when the captain of the fifth company, is apparently murdered, which causes the Soul Reapers to begin fighting amongst themselves. However, as Ichigo is almost successful in rescuing Rukia, and Soul Society is on the verge of civil war, Aizen reappears and reveals his intention to obtain the Hōgyoku ( 崩玉, lit. 'Crumbling Orb')—an orb of immense power—that Kisuke planted in Rukia's human vessel by faking his death and arranging Rukia's execution. Aizen is accompanied by his fellow conspirators, and Kaname Tōsen who are the third and ninth company's captains, as they use Hollows to cover their escape into the Hollows' realm, Hueco Mundo ( 虚圏 (ウェコムンド), lit. 'Hollow World').
Afterwards, Ichigo and Rukia reconcile with the Soul Reapers, who view the former as a powerful ally and designate him as an official substitute Soul Reaper. Ichigo soon finds himself and his friends in escalating skirmishes with Aizen's army of humanoid Hollows, the, as they are joined by the —Soul Reapers who were victims of Aizen's experiments in creating Soul Reaper/Hollow hybrids. When one of the Espada—Aizen's 10 most powerful Arrancars—kidnaps Orihime, Ichigo and his allies enter Hueco Mundo to invade Aizen's palace.
However, as Ichigo rescues Orihime, Aizen reveals her abduction was a distraction as he launches an attack on Karakura Town in order to sacrifice the souls of the living and create a key to the Soul King's Palace so he can kill the Soul King who reigns over the Soul Society. When the Vizards join the remaining Soul Reapers to face their mutual enemy, Gin reveals his own agenda of assassinating Aizen. However, the latter then uses the Hōgyoku to become a Hollow-like being and overpower everyone. Ichigo ultimately succeeds in subduing Aizen at the cost of his powers and reverts to a normal human. Months later, preparing for life after high school, Ichigo is called back into action when, a gang of Fullbringers—supernaturally aware humans like Chad—manipulate him and his loved ones in a scheme to siphon his Fullbring abilities. After his Soul Society allies restore his Soul Reaper powers, learning that Xcution's leader Ginjo Kujo was his predecessor, and that the substitute Soul Reapers are not fully trusted, Ichigo defeats Ginjo while resolving to continue fighting with the Soul Society.
After Ichigo regained his powers, an army of Quincies known as the ( 見えざる帝国 (ヴァンデンライヒ), lit. 'Invisible Empire') appear and declare their own war on the Soul Society, after enslaving the Arrancars. The group is led by Yhwach, the ancient progenitor of the Quincies who seeks to kill the Soul King and rid the world of the fear of death. In their first invasion, the Wandenreich kill many Soul Reapers including the head-captain.
Uryū joins the Wandenreich as a means to get close to Yhwach, who was responsible for the death of his mother among other Quincies. Later on, Ichigo and his friends aid the Soul Society in fighting the Wandenreich's second invasion, but Yhwach proceeds to slay the Soul King. In the final battle, Yhwach returns to the Soul Society to conquer it, but with the help of Uryū's father, Ichigo and Uryū defeat the Quincy leader. Years later, Rukia becomes the new captain of the thirteenth company and has a daughter, an apprentice Soul Reaper named Ichika, with her childhood friend. Meanwhile, Ichigo and Orihime have a son named Kazui, who is also training to become a Soul Reaper.
Production Bleach was first conceived from 's desire to draw a (Soul Reaper) in a, which formed the basis for the design of the Soul Reapers in the series. At first, Kubo thought that the Soul Reapers should use guns, so the first title for the series was 'Snipe' (as in 'sniper'); however, this was changed with the inclusion of swords. After that, the series was meant to be named 'Black' due to the color of the Soul Reapers' clothes, but Kubo thought the title was too generic. He later tried the name of 'White,' but came to like 'Bleach' more for its association with the color white and that he did not find it too obvious. The original story concept was submitted to Weekly Shōnen Jump shortly after the cancellation of Kubo's previous manga, but was at first rejected.
Manga artist saw the story and wrote a letter of encouragement to Kubo. Bleach was accepted for publication a short time later in 2001, and was initially intended to be a shorter series, with a maximum serialization length of five years. Early plans for the story did not include the hierarchical structure of the Soul Society, but did include some characters and elements that were not introduced into the plot until, such as Ichigo's Soul Reaper parentage. Kubo has cited influences for elements of Bleach ranging from other manga series to music, foreign language, architecture, and film. He attributed his interest in drawing the supernatural and monsters to 's and Bleach 's focus on interesting weaponry and battle scenes to 's, manga that Kubo enjoyed as a boy. The latter is based on and Kubo also considered it as a source for his focus on myths, monsters and the afterlife. The action style and storytelling found in Bleach are inspired by cinema, though Kubo has not revealed any specific movie as being an influence for fight scenes.
When pressed, he told interviewers that he liked but did not use it as a model. Bleach 's is instead constructed with the aid of rock music, which the author listens to while imagining the fights in order to give him a sense of pacing for the panel cuts and change of angles through the scenes. Kubo prefers to draw realistic injuries in order to render the fight more impactful, by making the readers feel the pain the characters are feeling. Bleach 's fight scenes are often broken up with brief gags, which the author inserts when he grows bored during the illustration process.
Bleach 's plotting process is focused around. When writing plotlines or having difficulties generating new material, Kubo begins by thinking of new characters, often en masse, and rereading previous volumes of Bleach. Kubo has said that he likes creating characters that have outward appearances that do not match their true nature—an element that can be found in many Bleach characters—as he is 'attracted to people with that seeming contradiction' and finds an 'urge to draw people like that' when he works. The terminology used in Bleach has a variety of inspirations, with each category of characters bearing a different linguistic theme. Many of the names for swords and spells used by Soul Reapers were inspired by ancient. Hollows and Arrancars use terms. Fullbringers use vocabulary, with names referencing rock music, and finally, both Quincy and Bounts draw on the.
This multilingual terminology, along with the variety in apparent character ethnicities, emphasizes the international nature of the Bleach settings. Themes Bleach 's plot incorporates the traditional Japanese belief of spirits coexisting with humans and their nature, good or evil, depends on the circumstances.
An example is Orihime's backstory: she was raised from the age of three by her brother Sora, and prayed for his soul's peace after he died in a car accident. As time went on, she prayed less and Sora became jealous and turned into a Hollow and attacked Orihime. Academic Patrick Drazen says this is a reminder to the audience to not abandon the old ways or risk the spirits taking offense and causing problems in the world. Bleach also incorporates themes of purification of 'evil spirits through charms, scrolls, incantations, and other rituals.'
Christopher A. Born regards Bleach as transmitting. Von Feigenblatt describes Bleach as being culturally and religiously aware, as it draws upon and Caribbean. Spanish terms are prevalent throughout the realm of Hueco Mundo, while both Quincy and Bounts have been known to associate with the German language, making Kubo's world of characters diverse in race and language as well. Von Feigenblatt notes that the Quincy 'are clearly inspired by the Christian Orders of Knighthood such as the and the whose influence is shown in terms of the uniform worn by the Quincy as well as by the symbolism of the cross.'
Media Manga. See also: The chapters of the Bleach are written and illustrated. In Japan, they were published in 's from August 20, 2001, to August 22, 2016. The 698 individual chapters of Bleach were collected in 74 volumes released between January 5, 2002, and November 4, 2016. Shueisha published the first 21 volumes compiled into six omnibus collections under the name Resurrected Souls to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Bleach series. The first collection was released on August 22, 2011; the last collection was published on January 23, 2012. On September 21, 2012, Shueisha released 45 digital volumes in Japanese e-book stores, concluding with the 74th on November 4, 2016.
These digital editions have been re-released as a set of 10 volumes on April 26, 2013; the sixth was released on March 14, 2014. North American licensor serialized the first chapters in the print magazine from its November 2007 to April 2012 issues. The series moved to the digital anthology in January 2012 and Viz Media released it digitally as Shueisha published new chapters in Japan. The first volume on English was released on July 6, 2004, and the last volume–the 74th–was released on October 2, 2018. Viz also released a hardcover 'collector's edition' of the first volume that came with a dust jacket, two box sets, and 24 '3-in-1 Edition' volumes between June 7, 2011, and October 2, 2018.
Viz Media released forms of the 16 volumes in English on June 17, 2011. As of October 2, 2018, all 74 digital volumes were released.
See also: and The Bleach series aired in Japan on TV Tokyo's Tuesday 6pm timeslot from October 5, 2004, to March 27, 2012, excluding holidays. The series was directed by, and produced by,. Obtained the foreign television, home video and merchandising rights to the Bleach anime from TV Tokyo Corporation and, on March 15, 2006. Viz Media has later licensed its individual Bleach merchandising rights to several different companies. Bleach premiered in Canada on, as part of their programming block, on September 8, 2006.
Began airing Bleach in the United States the following evening. Adult Swim stopped broadcasting new episodes of the English adaptation on October 13, 2007, after airing the first 52 episodes of the series.
It was replaced with another Viz Media series, to provide Studiopolis more time to dub additional episodes of Bleach. The series resumed on March 2, 2008, but went back on hiatus on November 21, 2009, after the airing of its 167th episode. Adult Swim would continue to air new episodes as part of the revived block, with the final episode airing on Saturday November 1, 2014, at 12am. In the United Kingdom, Bleach premiered on on September 13, 2007, with new episodes airing weekly. In 2013, the began broadcasting Bleach as part of their 'Late Night Anime' block, which runs concurrently with the Animax pay-per-view service, and continues to do so. The English dubbed version of Bleach premiered on on December 18, 2009, with the first 52 episodes.
88 DVD compilations were released by in Japan. Viz Media has released 32 DVD compilations of the English adaptation of the anime, along with twenty-one boxsets that contain fourteen seasons of the anime. On July 29, 2009, Aniplex released a 'TV Animation Bleach 5th Anniversary Box' that includes 15 DVDs and three bonus discs. On November 24, 2010, Aniplex released a special edition of the DVD, '2004 & 2005 Bleach Jump Anime Tour', which contains two — Memories in the Rain and The Sealed Sword Frenzy. Soundtrack CDs. See also: Composed and produced by, numerous have been released for the Bleach anime series and movies.
Bleach Original Soundtrack 1 was released on May 18, 2005, which contains 25 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 23 instrumental tracks.
Bleach Original Soundtrack 3 later followed on November 5, 2008, with 27 instrumental tracks. Bleach Original Soundtrack 4 was released on December 16, 2009, with 30 instrumental tracks. For the 5th anniversary of the series, released Bleach 5th Anniversary Box set which contains CD with rare and unreleased tracks.
Bleach: Memories of Nobody Original Soundtrack was released with 25 tracks from the film. Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion Original Soundtrack was also released for the film, with 29 tracks from the movie, followed by Bleach: Fade to Black Original Soundtrack for the film, with 29 tracks, followed by Bleach: Hell Verse Original Soundtrack for the film, with 21 tracks. Aniplex released Bleach The Best box set, which contains CD and DVD with 12 of the opening and ending themes from the series in their full length versions and few extras, later followed by Bleach The Best Instrumental/Jam-set Groove, which contains eight instrumental tracks. The separated CD under the label, Bleach The Best which contains 12 tracks, was released in December 2008.
The next release, Bleach Best Tunes, contains 14 more opening and ending themes. Bleach The Berry Best box set, which contains CD with 13 tracks, bonus DVD and few extras, was released for the 10th anniversary of the series. On April 25, 2012, Aniplex released Bleach Best Trax box set, which include musical CD, bonus DVD with the complete opening and ending theme videos and few extras. Five Radio DJCD Bleach 'B' Station season CD sets, have been released in Japan.
Have been produced for the series as well, featuring the original voice actors from the anime; these drama CDs have only been included as part of the DVD releases. The labels Bleach Beat Collections and Bleach Breathless Collections are sets of CDs published by Sony Music featuring recordings by the that provide a look at the personalities of the characters they play, as well as the voice actors themselves. The first CD was released on June 22, 2005; 29 volumes all together were released. Aniplex introduced two Bleach concept albums. The first, Bleach Concept Covers, was released on December 15, 2010, and the second one, Bleach Concept Covers 2, was released on December 14, 2011. Films There are four animated feature films based on the Bleach series, all of which are directed by, director of the Bleach anime series.
The films were released annually each December starting in 2006, though none were released in 2009. Each movie features an original plotline along with original characters designed by Tite Kubo, which is contrary to the normal practice for anime-based films, as the original author usually has little creative involvement. The first film, was released in Japan on December 16, 2006, and had a limited release in American theaters in June 2008. The movie is centered around the activities of the 'Dark Ones,' who were banished from the Soul Society and are subsequently trying to destroy both the Soul Society and the World of the Living. Memories of Nobody was released in North America on by on October 14, 2008.
The second film, was released to Japanese theaters on December 22, 2007. Its plot focuses on 10th Division captain 's efforts to clear his name after an artifact belonging to Soul Society's king is stolen while under his care.
The DiamondDust Rebellion was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Viz Media on September 8, 2009. The third film, was released in Japan on December 13, 2008. In the film, members of Soul Society are struck with, caused by a parasitic Hollow that erases the memories of its victims.
The people in those memories forget the victim as well, resulting in everyone losing their memories of Rukia and subsequentially of Ichigo. When he goes to the Soul Society to investigate, Ichigo is hunted as an intruder and the perpetrator of a great disaster and also discovers that Rukia has not only forgotten him, but has forgotten her own identity as well. The film was released on Region 2 DVD on September 30, 2009. The English Dub release of Fade to Black was released on Region 1 DVD and by Viz Media on November 15, 2011. The fourth movie, was released in Japan on December 4, 2010.
In the film, Ichigo is heading into the Gates of Hell, which is where souls and Hollows who had committed evil during their lives as humans are sent. Denizens of Hell, aware of the power of Ichigo's inner Hollow, desire to draw out that power and free themselves from Hell and so they lure Ichigo into the realm by kidnapping his sisters. Tite Kubo did oversee the production of the film. The dubbed version was released on Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray by Viz Media on December 4, 2012. In March 2010, confirmed that it is in talks to create a movie adaptation of the series.
And Michael Ewing have been lined up to produce the movie. In 2012, was added as a screenwriter for the project, and joined as producer. In 2016, after the series ended, a live-action Japanese adaptation of the series was announced., which was produced by Warner Bros. Japan, directed by and starring as, was released in Japan on July 20, 2018. At the Japanese box office, Memories of Nobody grossed ¥660 million, The DiamondDust Rebellion grossed ¥800 million, Fade to Black grossed ¥700 million, and Hell Verse grossed ¥610 million, for a total of ¥2.77 billion ( $35 million) for the four anime films at the Japanese box office.
The live-action Bleach film grossed ¥493,052,600 ( $4.45 million) in Japan, bringing the films' total Japanese box office gross to ¥3.3 billion ( $39.5 million). Musicals. Main article: Bleach has been adapted into a series of rock musicals, jointly produced by and Nelke Planning. There have been five musicals produced which covered portions of the and arcs, as well as five additional performances known as 'Live Bankai Shows' and 'Rock Musical Bleach Shinsei', which did not follow the Bleach plotline. The initial performance run of the Bleach musical was from August 17–28, 2005, at the Space Zero Tokyo center in. The musicals are directed by Takuya Hiramitsu, with script adaptation by Naoshi Okumura and music composed by playwright Shoichi Tama.
The songs are completely original and not taken from the anime soundtrack. Key actors in the series include, who plays, who plays, and, who plays. In 2016, another musical was produced to celebrate Bleach 15th anniversary. The musical was directed and written by Tsutsumi Yasuyuki with 's Akira Takano and Chihiro Kai as Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki respectively.
The musical debuted on July 28, 2016 in AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo. Trading card game. Main article: Two (CCG) based on the Bleach series have been produced, one in the Japanese market and a different one in North America. Bleach Soul Card Battle, produced by, was introduced in Japan in 2004. Twenty named sets were released for the series. After Bleach Soul Card Battle, Bandai introduced three more series.
Bleach The Card Gum, which contains 14 sets, was released in early September 2007. The next series, Bleach Clear Collection, which contains six sets, was released in July 2008. The last series, Bleach Clear Soul Plate, which consists of three sets, was published in December 2009. Bleach TCG was introduced in the United States by in May 2007, but ceased publication April 2009, just before the planned launch of its seventh expansion, Bleach Infiltration. This cancellation was attributed to the, which has heavily affected TCG sales. Designed by Aik Tongtharadol, the TCG is a two-player game in which each player starts with at least 61 cards: a 'Guardian' card, a 60-card 'main deck,' and an optional 20-card 'side deck.'
A player loses if his or her power, as dictated by the Guardian card, is reduced to zero, or if he or she is unable to draw or discard a card from his or her deck. The cards for the game have been released in named sets with each set released in three formats: a 72-card pre-constructed box set containing a and two, a 10-card booster pack, and a 12-pack booster box. Six named sets were released.
Video games. See also: A number of video games have been created featuring characters from the Bleach series, primarily though not exclusively. The first video game to be released from the Bleach series was Bleach: Heat the Soul, which debuted on March 24, 2005, for the. Currently, the majority of the games have only been released in Japan, though has localized the first three games and the first Wii game for North America.
So far, all dedicated Bleach games released for 's consoles have been developed and published by, whereas the games for consoles are developed and published by Sega, and the Nintendo DS games are developed. Two had also been released in 2014 and 2016 for the series, which are available for. In 2017, announced the release of a game exclusive for their communication app called Bleach: Paradise Lost. Light novels and Makoto Matsubara have co-authored three novelizations of the Bleach series, which were published by under its Shounen Jump Books label. The first volume, Bleach - Letters From The Other Side: The Death and The Strawberry, was published on December 15, 2004, and re-released as Bleach - Letters From The Other Side: The Death and The Strawberry - New Edition on November 4, 2009.
The second, Bleach: The Honey Dish Rhapsody, was published on November 30, 2006. The third, Bleach: The Death Save The Strawberry, was published on September 4, 2012. Two novelizations of the Bleach series, have been co-authored.
The first volume, Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You, and the second, Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You 2, were published on June 4, 2012. After the series ended in 2016, a series of novels were released by Shueisha. The first novel, Bleach: WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU, is written by the writer of Bleach: The Death Save The Strawberry and was published on December 27, 2016.
The second, Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, is a serialized novel written by the writer of Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You series and is released bi-weekly from April 28, 2017. The first volume was released on August 4, 2017 and the second volume was published on November 2, 2018. The novel series ended with the release of the third volume on December 4, 2018.
Shueisha published four novelizations based on the Bleach movies. The first volume, Bleach: Memories of Nobody, was published on December 18, 2006. The second, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, Another Hyōrinmaru, was published on December 22, 2007. The third, Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name, was published on December 15, 2008. The fourth volume, Bleach: Hell Chapter, was published on December 6, 2010. Other The first Bleach artbook, All Colour But The Black, has been released in Japan, the United States, and Europe.
The artbook compiles a selection of color spreads from the first 19 volumes of the series, as well as some original art and author commentary. The second artbook, Bleach Official Bootleg: KaraBuri+ ( BLEACH OFFICIAL BOOTLEG カラブリ プラス), was released on August 3, 2007. In addition to character guides and articles on other fictional aspects of the series, it compiles the various short comics, Tedious Everyday Tales Colorful Bleach ( 徒然日常絵詞 カラフル ブリーチ, Tsuredure Nichijou Ekotoba Karafuru Buriichi), that were published in. The -style panels are similar to those included in the main series, but reveal more of the daily lives of characters. Color Bleach+: Bleach Official Bootleg was released in English by Viz Media on August 10, 2010.
In December 2018, another artbook will be released, which will contain a massive 700 artworks from the series' 15 years tenure. It will be titled Bleach JET. Seven databooks have also been released about the series. The first two, Bleach: Official Character Book SOULs. And Bleach: Official Animation Book VIBEs., were released on February 3, 2006. Bleach: Official Character Book SOULs.
Was later released in English by Viz Media on November 18, 2008. The third book, Bleach: Official Character Book 2: MASKED, was released on August 4, 2010.
This book covers details about characters that appear 100 years prior to the story, such as former captains and lieutenants, along with the Arrancars and Visoreds. Although it was released on the same day as volume 46, Back From Blind, the book only covers material up to volume 37, Beauty Is So Solitary. The English version was released by Viz Media on March 6, 2012. A fourth book Bleach: Official Invitation Book The Hell Verse, was published on December 4, 2010. This book was released to promote Bleach movie: Hell Verse and it contains character sketches, promotional posters and the one-off Hell manga special.
A fifth book Bleach: Official Character Book 3: UNMASKED, was released on June 3, 2011, the same day as the volume 50 of the series. However it only covers material up to volume 48, God is Dead. On June 4, 2012, a sixth book has been released under the name Bleach: The Rebooted Souls.
This free booklet has been distributed with Bleach manga volume 55, with the aim to provide information to readers about upcoming manga's final arc, The Thousand-Year Blood War. The seventh book, BLEACH 13 BLADEs., was released on August 4, 2015 and focused solely on the Soul Reapers and the 13 Court Squads. Shueisha published a special book Bleach: JCCover Postcard Book MAILs., which was released on December 4, 2013. It features cover pages as postcards up to volume 60 with poems on the back.
Reception. Fans dressed as characters from Bleach, pictured in 2014. Bleach has sold over 90 million copies in Japan, and over 120 million tankobon copies worldwide, making it the 6th best-selling series of all time from Weekly Shōnen Jump.
In 2005, Bleach was awarded the in the shōnen category. During 2008, volume 34 of the manga sold 874,153 copies in Japan, becoming the 12th best-seller comics from the year. Volumes 33 and 35 have also ranked 17 and 18, respectively. In total the manga has sold 3,161,825 copies in Japan during 2008, becoming the year's 5th best selling series. In the first half from 2009, Bleach ranked as the 2nd best-selling manga in Japan, having sold 3.5 million copies. Having sold 927,610 copies, Volume 36 ranked 7th.
Volume 37 was 8th with 907,714 sold copies, and volume 38 at 10th with 822,238 copies. North American sales of the manga have also been high, with tankobon volumes having sold over 1.2 million copies by 2007.
Volume 16 placing in the top 10 graphic novel sales in December 2006 and volume 17 being the best-selling manga volume for the month of February 2007. In a 2010 interview, Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Viz, listed Bleach as one of six Viz titles that continue to exceed expectations in spite of the harshening manga market. The English version of the manga was nominated for the 'best manga' and 'best theme' awards at the 2006 and 2007, but did not win either category.
Deb Aoki from considered the series as the Best Continuing Shōnen Manga of 2007, along with, praising the 'compelling stories, dazzling action sequences and great character development'. She also placed the title on her list of 'Top 10 Shōnen Manga Must-Reads'.
The artwork and the character designs received positive response by 's A.E. He also commented on the series' ability to handle multiple minor character plotlines at the same time, which he considered a point of appeal, in response to fans' claims about a 'lack of a story' in Bleach. Leroy Douresseaux from ComicBookBin agreed with Sparrow in the number of storylines, but also praised the fighting scenes finding them comparable to the ones of popular films. On the other hand, Mania reviewer Jarred Pine criticized the series as being plagued with stereotypes from the genre. He felt it was a rough start for the series with unimpressive battles, overused gags, and a bad introduction for central character Ichigo that causes him to come across 'as a frowning punk' whose one good trait is his desire to protect. Despite this, Pine notes that he loves the series, particularly its quirky, lovable characters. Said he was no longer able to take Bleach seriously after it introduced villains and in a scene precisely mirroring and 's arrival in, but acknowledged it was likely intended as a deliberate homage.
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