The sixteenth season of the Bleach anime series is known as the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc (死神代行消失篇 Shinigami Daikō Shōshitsu hen).[1] It is directed by Noriyuki Abe and produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu, and Studio Pierrot.[2] The plot is based on the Bleach manga series by Tite Kubo.
The season began airing October 11, 2011 on TV Tokyo. The episodes of this season currently uses three pieces of theme music; one opening and two endings. The opening theme, "Harukaze" by Scandal is used from episode 343 onwards.[2] The first ending theme, "Re:pray" by Aimer is used from episodes 343 to 354[2] and the second ending theme, "MASK" by Aqua Timez is used from episode 355 onwards.[3]
| No. | Title | Original airdate | English airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 343 | "3rd Year High School Student! Dressed Up, and a New Chapter Begins!" "Kōkō 3 Nensei! Yosoi Arata ni Shinshō Kaishi!" (高校３年生！装い新たに新章開始！) |
October 11, 2011 | — |
| Seventeen months after the defeat of Sōsuke Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki has been living in peace as a third year high-school student. On the way home from school, Ichigo incapacitates a thief and returns the stolen bag to its owner. The next day, the thief and his gang seek out Ichigo at his school and are confronted by Uryū Ishida. Elsewhere, the owner of the stolen bag meets with his friends revealing he has found Ichigo. | |||
| 344 | "A Dispute in School?! Ichigo and Uryū, Fight Together!" "Gakkō Kan Kōsō!? Ichigo to Uryū, Kyōtou!" (学校間抗争！？一護と雨竜、共闘！) |
October 31, 2011 | — |
| Ichigo and Uryū dispatch the gang with ease but are interrupted when Ichigo's part-time job boss kidnaps and forces him to work. Their client, the owner of the stolen bag, requests an investigation on Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father. Ichigo declines but is intrigued when the owner reveals his younger sister, Karin Kurosaki, had been visiting Kisuke Urahara. The owner introduces himself as Kugō Ginjō, gives Ichigo a Xcution business card, and cryptically warns him to act before his family is hurt. Uryū, passing by Ichigo's house, pursues a strange man and is critically injured as a result. | |||
| 345 | "Uryū is Attacked, A Threat Draws Near the Friends!" "Osowa reta Uryū, nakama-tachi ni semaru kyōi!" (襲われた雨竜、仲間達に迫る脅威！) |
October 25, 2011 | — |
| While walking at night, Ichigo decides to forget his past and throws his Substitute Soul Reaper Badge into the river. Later, he hears from Orihime Inoue that Uryū is in the hospital. At the hospital, Ryūken Ishida sends Ichigo home and reveals to Orihime the assailant was a human with powers and cautions her to be careful. The next day, Ichigo's friends, Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima, are attacked by the thief whom Ichigo had stopped prior. Ichigo saves them and meets Ishida's assailant who flees when Ryūken arrives. Ichigo realizes he is being excluded from information due to his lack of powers, and decides to contact Xcution. | |||
| 346 | "The Man with the Fullbring Ability - Kugo Ginjo" "Furuburingu no nōryokusha - Ginjō Kūgo" (完現術の能力者・銀城空吾) |
November 1, 2011 | — |
| After contacting Ginjō, Ichigo is lead to the Xcution headquarters and learns its members possess the ability dubbed as Fullbring which allows them to manipulate the souls of inanimate objects. The cause of the power are residual reiatsu left by Hollows who attacked their pregnant mothers. Yasutora Sado, who had been missing, appears at the headquarters shocking Ichigo. Ginjō reveals Xcution plans to restore Ichigo's Soul Reaper powers in order to rid themselves of their Fullbring abilities. Ichigo declines stating he is only seeking information his family and friends are hiding from him. | |||
| 347 | "A Crisis Sneaking up on the Kurosaki Family?! Ichigo's Confusion!" "Kurosaki-ka ni shinobiyoru kiki!? Ichigo no mayoi!" (黒崎家に忍び寄る危機!?一護の迷い!) |
November 8, 2011 | — |
| Ishida's assailant stabs an incomplete hollow and asks for its cooperation. Ichigo returns home and resumes his life. Chad attempts to convince Ichigo to accept Xcution's offer stating that Ichigo himself wants the power to protect his loved ones. While walking through town, Ichigo sees Ishida's assailant and pursues him but runs into his sister, Yuzu Kurosaki, on the way. The hollow attacks her Ichigo and are saved when Ginjo dispatches it. As a result, Ichigo returns to Xcution and accepts their offer and Ginjo returns Ichigo's Substitute Soul Reaper Badge. | |||
| 348 | "Power of the Substitute Badge, Ichigo's 'Pride'!" "Daikōshō no chikara, Ichigo no "hokori"" (代行証の力、一護の“誇り”！) |
November 15, 2011 | — |
| The next day, Ichigo is called in to Xcution headquarters to learn how to use the Fullbring ability. Ichigo is shrunken and placed in a dollhouse by Xcution member, Riruka Dokugamine, where he has to defeat an aggressive stuffed animal. With advice from Chad, Ichigo uses his Soul Reaper Badge as the focal item to materialize his Fullbring. | |||
| 349 | "Next Target, The Devil's Hand Aims at Orihime!" "Tsugi no hyōteki, Orihime o nerau ma no te!" (次の標的、織姫を狙う魔の手！) |
November 22, 2011 | — |
| Ichigo defeats the stuffed animal with his fullbring and is freed from the dollhouse. Elsewhere, Orihime is confronted by Moe Shishigawara who intends to kill her. Shishigawara is then interrupted by his superior, Ishida's assailant, who is revealed to be Shūkurō Tsukishima. Tsukishima prepares to punish Shishigawara for going against his orders but Orihime decides to intervene. | |||
| 350 | "The Man Who Killed the Shinigami Substitute?! Tsukishima Makes His Move" "Shinigami daikō o koroshita otoko!? Ugokidasu Tsukishima" (死神代行を殺した男！？動き出す月島) |
November 29, 2011 | — |
| Tsuskishima pretends to impale Orihime's chest and leaves her. Although Orihime suffered no cuts, she starts having a vague idea that Tsukishima was her friend. Unwilling to worry Ichigo about what happened, she only tells Chad about Tsukishima. Aware that Orihime is hiding information from, Ichigo goes back to to Xcution headquarters to continue his training to help his friends. | |||
| 351 | "Fullbring, The Detested Power!" "Furuburingu, imikirawareta chikara!" (フルブリング、忌み嫌われた力！) |
December 6, 2011 | — |
| Ichigo continues his fullbring training, but desires to actually battle one of the members of Xcution. Kugo suggests that Jackie Tristan be his opponent, but she refuses and storms off. Meanwhile, Tsukishima sends Shishigawara to tail Chad and while Chad is wary of his presence, no attack on him is attempted. Later, Jackie decides that she will fight Ichigo in a fish tank of Riruka after seeing him pass the next part of his training. She fully introduces herself, activates her fullbring Dirty Boots and proceeds to attack a surprised Ichigo. | |||
| 352 | "Tsukishima Attacks! The Training Has Been Thwarted" "Tsukishima, kyōshū! Bōgai sareta shugyō" (月島、強襲！妨害された修行) |
December 13, 2011 | — |
| Ichigo continues his training with Jackie Tristan. While at first Jackie overwhelms him with her more experienced powers, Ichigo is able to activate a power of Fullbring known as Bringer Light to gain the advantage. As they go on with the battle, Ichigo's powers go out of control, but insist that he can still fight despite Jackie's insistance that they stop. It is then that Tsukishima attacks Xcution wanting to kill Ichigo, but Ichigo uses his powers to break the fish tank and reveals the next stage of his Fullbring. | |||
| 353 | "Ichigo, Mastering the Fullbring!" "Ichigo, Furuburingu jutsu o tsukai konase!" (護、完現術を使いこなせ！) |
December 20, 2011 | — |
| Ichigo and Xcution start their battle with Tsukishima. The battle is taken outside when Chad attacks Tsukishima before he reveals he was the one who attacked Uryū and Orihime, but Ichigo finds it out anyway. Enraged he starts to battle Tsukishima, but the expert Fullbringer overwhelms him. Kugo then gets in the way and battles with Tsukishima instead, the two being more evenly matched. Yet Ichigo can't stand and watch and attacks again and is able to land a hit, but is stopped by Yukio's Fullbring "Invaders Must Die" who then proceeds to stop Tsukishima himself. | |||
| 354 | "Ichigo vs. Ginjō! To the Game's Space" "Ichigo vs Ginjō, gēmu no kūkan e" (護vs銀城、ゲームの空間へ) |
December 27, 2011 | — |
| Xcution continues their battle with Tsukishima in order to make sure Ichigo is fully protected by Yukio's Fullbring. They succeed and Tsukishima is forced to retreat. The group then moves to their second hideout to ponder what Tsukishima's intentions were, but come to realize they are overthinking it and decide to continue Ichigo's training inside Yukio's Fullbring. Meanwhile Orihime heals Uryū and they discuss the new threat, but are unable to figure out if all the incidents so far were from the same culprit. Orihime then runs into Sado who brings her back to Xcution's hideout to heal Ichigo as he fights Kugo. Kisuke Urahara and Isshin Kurosaki are also working together on something and ask a Soul Reaper to put their Zanpakuto into a vat of spiritual pressure. The Soul Reaper agrees and it is revealed to be none other then Rukia Kuchiki. | |||
| 355 | "Shinigami at War! New Year in Seireitei Special!" "Shinigami sansen! Seireitei mo oshōgatsu SP!" (死神参戦！瀞霊廷もお正月SP！) |
January 10, 2012 | — |
| During the 17-month time skip, the Soul Reapers of the Soul Society celebrate the New Year. | |||
| 356 | "Friend or Foe?! Ginjo’s True Intentions!" "Teki ka mikata ka!? Ginjō no mienai kokoro!" (敌か味方か！？银城の见えない心！) |
January 17, 2012 | — |
| 357 | "Tsukishima's Ability, the Danger is Drawing Near!" "Shinobiyoru kyoui...Tsukishima no nōryoku!" (忍び寄る胁威…月岛の能力！) |
January 24, 2012 | — |
| 358 | "Clash!? Xcution attacks Ginjo!" "Gekitotsu!? Ginjō o osō XCUTION" (激突！？银城を袭うＸＣＵＴＩＯＮ) |
January 31, 2012 | — |
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