Tite Kubo

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 Yuichi. It doesn't take newbie Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki long to surmise that a Hollow must be involved. Ichigo is about to sidcover that not every soul is bound for the Soul Society, especially if it's tainted with innocent blood.

Fifteen-year-old high school student Ichigo Kurosaki has martial arts skills and the ability to see ghosts, and his life is about to change when he meets Rukia Kuchiki, a soul reaper and protector of innocents.

"Ichigo's misson to rescue his friend Orihime from the Hollow world has turned into a struggle for survival against a succession of enemies, each one more powerful than the next. Now another vicious challenger has entered the fray, one that happens to know the startling truth about Ichigo's new friend Nel!"--Cover.

Ichigo Kurosaki was born with the ability to see ghosts, and is now a Soul Reaper, dedicated to protecting the innocent and helping tormented souls find peace. In this volume, Ichigo is surprised when his friend Nel Tu reverts to her true form to shield her human protectors, and unforeseen changes put Ichigo and his friends at the mercy of the enemy.

"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...

The long awaited showdown between Ichigo and Byakuya Kuchiki has finally begun. Has Ichigo succeeded in mastering bankai, the highest level of power that a soul reaper can attain, to face Byakuya an equal? A long-awaited showdown between Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurosaki and Byakuya Kuchiki has begun. Has Ichigo succeeded in mastering bankai, the highest level of power that a Soul Reaper can attain, to face Byakuya as an equal?

"Ichigo 'Strawberry' Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts, he was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow, a malevolent lost soul, Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace. Orihime's return from the Soul Society is interrupted by the Arrancar Ulquiorra, who has a different, terrifying path for her. Using duplicitous tactics,...

"Shinji Hirako uncovers Aizen's plot, but it may be too late, and in the present time, the battle between the Thirteen Court Guard Companies and the remaining Espada finally begins."--Provided by publisher.

Ichigo "Strawberry" Kurasaka never asked for the ability to see ghosts. The noose is tightening around Ichigo. His inner Hollow can't wait to consume him, the sinister transfer student has him trapped for a mysterious job, and now powerful new enemies have landed in his hometown to destroy him.

"The shocking truth behind the collapse of the Soul Society is finally revealed. The magnitutde of the conspiricay is far-reaching, and the perpetrators wield staggering power. Is this the end of the Soul Soceity?"--Cover, p.4.