Bleach
1. Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts, but this ability doesn't change his life nearly as much as his close encounter with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and member of the mysterious Soul Society. While fighting a Hollow, an evil spirit that preys on humans who display psychic energy, Rukia attempts to lend Ichigo some of her powers so that he can save his family; but much to her surprise, Ichigo absorbs every last drop of her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns that the world he inhabits is one full of dangerous spirits and, along with Rukia--who is slowly regaining her powers--it's Ichigo's job to protect the innocent from Hollows and help the spirits themselves find peace.
2. Immediately after checking into the Kurosaki Clinic with a mysterious scar on his back, the muscle-bound Chad goes AWOL. Accompanying Chad is a talking parakeet imbued with the soul of a young boy named Yûichi. It doesn't take newbie Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki long to surmise that a Hollow must be involved--the strongest spirit he's faced to date. Ichigo is about to discover that not every soul is bound for the Soul Society, especially if it's tainted with innocent blood.
3. Ichigo Kurosaki was a little boy when his mother passed away. One rainy day, Ichigo, whose ability to see the undead is a blessing and a curse, tried to stop a young girl from drowning in a nearby river. His mother, Masaki, ran after them, frantically trying to rescue her only son. Then everything went black, and Ichigo awoke only to discover his mother dead and the little girl gone. It's the anniversary of Masaki's death, and the entire Kurosaki clan, along with former Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki, head to the cemetery to pay their respects. Sleeping demons rarely ever stay still and pretty soon Ichigo confronts the Grand Fisher, the Hollow that may be responsible for his mother's demise. This and more in this action-packed volume of Tite Kubo's manga smash-hit Bleach.
4. A new reality-show craze is sweeping the nation, garnering legions of screaming fans (the majority of them being teenaged girls). But this program comes with a supernatural twist--the host, a media-savvy spiritualist, travels to local hotspots and performs exorcisms, live on national TV! Surly Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki has his doubts about this primetime prima donna, and his assumptions are about to be put to the test--the show is heading straight for his neighborhood! What effect will this unprovoked media presence have on the fragile balance between Earth and the spirit world? Find out more in the fourth action-packed volume of Tite Kubo's mega-manga hit Bleach.
5. Ichigo Kurosaki thought that Soul Reapers were the only ones hunting Hollows, but he was wrong. Enter Uryû Ishida, a Quincy, and possibly the last member of a powerful clan that died out over 200 years ago. Unlike Soul Reapers who strive to cleanse Hollows of their sins and send them to the Soul Society, Quincies adopt a more direct approach--they kill Hollows without hesitation. To demonstrate the supremacy of the Quincies' ways, Uryû challenges Ichigo to a contest--bait is spread around the city, attracting a large number of unstable Hollows. Whoever defeats the most wins, regardless of the danger. Also, Orihime and Chad, confronted with a host of Hollows terrorizing their friends, awaken to their own psychic abilities. Who is the strongest? Find this out and more in the action-packed fifth volume of Tite Kubo's Bleach!
6. Ichigo Kurosaki may not know this, but the world he lives in is one predicated on balance--between the living and the dead, between everyday life and the Soul Society. Soul Reapers aren't merely fighting Hollows, they are charged with the grand task of equalizing the balance between this life and the next. Naturally, if too much energy is channeled to one side, really bad things will happen--just as they're happening now! Ichigo and Uryû's competition inadvertently results in generating a leviathan of a Hollow whose sheer size is capable of tearing the Soul Reaper's delicately constructed balance to ribbons. Find out what happens in Tite Kubo's international manga smash-hit Bleach!
