Bleached


Ichigo and Rukia from Bleach.

The anime series Bleach isn't really new- it's been around for a while (the series is, at last count, on it's 116th episode). However, it's only this past weekend that I was actually able to hunker down and watch the episodes- and you know what? It's a pretty cool show. Took me long enough though to find that out.
Bleach is about the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki, a gruff and tough-talking but generally well-meaning orange-haired Japanese teenager who can, apparently, see ghosts. One day, his path crosses with that of Rukia Kuchiki, a shinigami, or 'Death God'- a being tasked with the responsibiliity of ferrying souls from the real world to the afterlife (a place called 'Soul Society') and defending humans from malevolent beings called 'Hollows'. While searching for a Hollow, Rukia enters Ichigo's room and gets injured when the Hollow attacks, attracted by Ichigo's great spiritual energy. To save his life, Rukia transfers her powers to Ichigo, turning him into a Shinigami and thus beginning their adventures together.

What first starts out as a 'ghostbusters'-type anime except with samurai swords soon turns into a more complex saga as more characters enter the fray- Ichigo's family and friends soon develop powers of their own (or reveal themselves to be more than they seem to be), and the world of Soul Society and the many Death Gods is explored. Ichigo steadily becomes more powerful as a Death God, growing in power as he and Rukia and their comrades both in the human and Soul Society worlds continue to battle various evil forces that threaten the balance between the worlds.

Bleach is my current anime fave, since Naruto Shippuuden is still beginning and the action/animation kinda disappointing. I'll be surely watching this whenever I have time at home (or if I can load episodes on my mobile). 36 down- 80 more to go. Heh.