Ichigo 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. Ichigo may have thought getting into the Soul Society was hard, but it did nothing to prepare him and his friends for the reality of the Seireitei! Now the rescuers are all split up, forced to take on battle-hardened Soul Reapers without backup. Can Ichigo train hard enough and fast enough to take down Rukia’s jailer before it’s too late?! Author Biography Bleach is author Tite Kubo’s second title. Kubo made his debut with Zombie Powder, a four-volume series for Weekly Shonen Jump. To date, Bleach has been translated into numerous languages and has also inspired an animated TV series that began airing in Japan in 2004. Beginning its serialization in 2001, Bleach is still a mainstay in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. In 2005, Bleach was awarded the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award in the shonen (boys’) category.