Rangiku's Tears, the Sorrowful Parting of Brother and Sister

Rangiku's Tears, the Sorrowful Parting of Brother and Sister is the one-hundred-thirty-first episode of the Bleach anime.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: June 27, 2007
 * English Airdate: July 4, 2009
 * Opening Song: Alones
 * Ending Song: Tsumasaki
 * Manga Chapters: None.
 * Kanji: 乱菊の涙、哀しき兄妹の別れ
 * Romaji: "Rangiku no namida, kanashiki kyōdai no wakare"
 * Arc: The Arrancar arc

Summary
Despite Yui telling him to run away, Shouta still rushes to her side and is shocked to see the real form of the pseudo-Arrancar appear behind her. Yui pushes Shouta out of the way right before the pseudo-Arrancar tries to crush him, but Shouta still says that he doesn’t want to abandon her again. However, Yui then gets turned back into one of the pseudo-Arrancar’s minions and gets sucked up by its true form. When Rangiku tries to fight it, she manages to get in a few hits, but it then sends its minions after Shouta, distracting her long enough for the pseudo-Arrancar to go on the offensive. Fortunately Hitsugaya also enters the battle by freezing the minions and using his ice dragon on it. Faced against a captain now, the pseudo-Arrancar claims that destroying him will cause Yui to disappear too, and although Hitsugaya isn’t affected by the threat, Shouta is. Shouta’s attempt to stop Hitsugaya gives the pseudo-Arrancar the opportunity to escape into another dimension. While it is gone, the pseudo-Arrancar’s minions fill the skies and get sent out in every direction to consume more souls.

Upon contacting Soul Society for information about the location of their enemy, Hitsugaya learns from the Technological Development Bureau that the transmission source of the sound the pseudo-Arrancar uses to control souls can be determined based on the way its minions are distributed around the city. While they are trying to find it, Rangiku meanwhile explains to Shouta how the Shinigami are trying to save Hollows as well as souls. She feels that although they couldn’t protect Yui, they can still save her soul, and she wants to work together with Shouta to do it. The Technological Development Bureau eventually discovers that the pseudo-Arrancar is hiding in the area by the river behind a special barrier, so they need to destroy that barrier. Hitsugaya initiates ban kai to do this, but he doesn’t succeed until Shouta calls out to Yui and the flute sound suddenly starts up. Shouta can tell where the sound is coming from and helps Hitsugaya direct his attack there, revealing the pseudo-Arrancar. Despite transforming, the pseudo-Arrancar cannot beat Hitsugaya, though it is actually Shouta and Rangiku together who finish the pseudo-Arrancar off.

In the aftermath, Shouta digs up the flute from the ground where the pseudo-Arrancar disappeared and feels that Yui definitely made it to Soul Society. He’s ready to go after her, so Rangiku sends him off after one last hug.