• The day of Rukia’s execution draws ever closer, and to save her, Ichigo and his loyal comrades must navigate the madness of a Soul Society on the brink of collapse. Ichigo and Renji face the most difficult training of their Soul Reaper careers as they struggle to achieve bankai, without which they have no hope against the most powerful captain of the Seireitei–Byakuya Kuchiki. While all the playe

The day of Rukia’s execution draws ever closer, and to save her, Ichigo and his loyal comrades must navigate the madness of a Soul Society on the brink of collapse. Ichigo and Renji face the most difficult training of their Soul Reaper careers as they struggle to achieve bankai, without which they have no hope against the most powerful captain of the Seireitei–Byakuya Kuchiki. While all the players converge at the site of Rukia’s imminent execution, in the background, a group of Soul Reapers slowly uncover an unimaginable betrayal at the hands of one of their own–a betrayal that will shake the Soul Society to its very core.The third season of the hit fantasy-adventure Bleach marks the conclusion of the story arc that began in “The Substitute” two seasons earlier. Orange-haired, hot-tempered Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends–Chad, Orihime, Ishida, and Master Yoruichi, the talking cat–pass through the inter-dimensional portal linking Earth to the Seireitei, the stronghold of the Soul Society. Although they’ve come to rescue Rukia from execution, the arrival of the teenagers precipitates a deadly civil war within the Soul Society. Amid the growing chaos, Yoruichi reveals she was a princess in the Seireitei before she fled to Earth. When she realizes Ichigo isn’t strong enough to survive the impending battles, Yoruichi spirits him away. He must be able to achieve Bankai, the ultimate power over his Zanpak-tô sword, which he learns by dueling with Zangetsu, the spirit of the sword. Despite exhaustion and the wounds he’s received, Ichigo fights with grim determination. While Ichigo trains, some of the Soul Society’s most formidable officers join the teenagers, including Toshiro, the child-prodigy captain, the fantastically tattooed Renji, and the spiky-haired Kenpachi. Ichigo arrives just in time to save Rukia. Drawing on the grueling training he’s just completed, Ichigo fends off the clouds of murderous blades summoned by Rukia’s haughty brother Byakuya. During the battle, Ichigo begins to grow a half-mask that resembles the monstrous Hollows. Horrified, he rips it away and renews his attack. But Ichigo has no time to celebrate his narrow victory: he, his friends, Rukia, and the Soul Society Captains have all been used as pawns by an unscrupulous villain. Director Noriyuke Abe once again shifts from dramatic derring-do to broad comedy as he sets the stage for the next story arc. Ichigo’s time in the Seireitei made him stronger–but is he strong enough for the adventures that await him? (Rated “Teen,” suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, alcohol use, risqué humor) –Charles Solomon

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