The Day I Became a Shinigami

The Day I Became a Shinigami is the first episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo Kurosaki is a 15 year old boy who can see spirits. In order to save his family, Ichigo becomes a Shinigami.

Statistics



 * Original Airdate: October 15, 2004
 * English Airdate: September 8, 2006
 * Opening Song: *~Asterisk~
 * Ending Song: Life is Like a Boat
 * Manga Chapters: 1
 * English Name: A Shinigami is Born
 * Arc: Agent of the Shinigami arc

Summary
"We Have no form, therefore we fear it, and because we are formless, we revere it. Thus we are slain."

The series begins with a look at a world of darkness, and several figures in the dark. Atop a pillar a young woman dress in a black kimono Senses a strong pulse and procedes to jump foward.

Elsewhere, an orange hair high school sutdent, is fighting a couple of skateborders ,after they have knocked down a bottle containing a flower placed for a child that had died there. Having scare off the skateboarders, he procedes to pick up the bottle while telling the spirit of the young girl who had died, that he'll bring more flowers tomorrow and she should hurry up and go to heaven.

On his way home, the young man identifies himself as Ichigo Kurosaki, saying that for as long as he can remember he has been able to see ghosts. Upon entering his home, he is greeted by his Father with a kick to the face, who tells him that he is late, and dinner is served at seven o'clock every night. Ichigo argues if that is the way should greet your someone who has gone our of their way to help a ghost, on their way home. While the argument continues Ichigo's younger sisters are seated at the table having dinner. All of the sudden one of Ichigo's sisters, tells him the he has a new friend a spirit that to which Ichigo says that no matter how much he exorcice them, they keep coming back. Yuzu one of his his siters expresses how jealous she is that both Ichigo, and her twin sister Karin, are able to see spirits, while she is only able to sense them. Karin tells her that she doesn't belive in ghost and regarless of whetter you can see them or not, if you don't belive in them, is the same as if they didn't exist. After his fight with his fater Ichigo decides to go to bed.

The following morning, Ichigo notices a news report of an accident, and comments on it beign close to where he lives. While delivering flowers to the spirit of the dead girl, he suddenly hears her screm and russhes to find her being chase by a large monster. While running away the woman shown earlier appears again wielding a katana and vanquishing the monster before disapearing again.

Later that night, Ichigo is reflecting on the events of the day, and finds himself wondering who the woman was. A black butterfly flies into Ichigo's room, and the same woman appears. Ichigo attemps to speak to her, but she does not seem to be noticing him, until he kicks her in the back of the head. After her intial reaction of beign surpissed the he can see her and even kick her she procedess introduces herself as a Shinigami. While the Ichigo and the Shinigami speak the spirit of the dead girl is once a again being chase by another monster like the one before. Ichigo having not belived a world from the Shinigami tells her that he admits that she is not a human but he doesn't belive in Shinigami because he has never seen one and calls her a little kid. The Shinigami uses a Kidō spell to bind Ichigo in order to prove who she says she is and procedess on sending the ghost that was at he's house letting him know that he is being send onto Soul Society.

The Shinigami explains to Ichigo to about Soul Society, Pluses, and hollows by drawing him pictures. Upon seeing her drawings Ichigo comments on why are they so bad. Having explaining that there is a hollow in the area that she hasn't been able to locate Ichigo tells her that Why can she hear it to which she calims that something has been dampering her senses. Meanwhile the Hollow that was after the spirit of the dead girl stops short of attaking her saying that there is an extraordinary soul along with that of a Shinigami. Moments later the Shinigami notices the presence of it and is amazed at how she was unable to sense something with that much spirit preassure(riatsu).

Having reached Ichigo's home the Hollow procedes to attak his sister's and the shinigami tells him to stay still while she deals with it. Seeing he's sister Karin in danger Ichigo breaks fream from the binding spell he was put upon and begin to attack the hollow to no avail. After rescuing his younger sister and finding out that both the attack on the spirit girl and his sister's are his fault he tells the hollow to if he wants his soul to come and get it.

The hollow attaks Ichigo but he is saved by the Shinigami who manages to deal injure the hollow but is injured herself in return. With no way to fight she ask Ichigo that if wants to save his family he must become a Shinigami himself by impailing her Zanpakutō thru his chest. Having accepted this ichigo tells the Shinigami to give him the sword and she tells her that her name is not Shinigami but is Rukia Kuchiki to wich he responds by telling her his name in return.

Having become a Shinigami himself Ichigo defeats the hollow leaving Rukia astonish as how she only inteded to give him half her power but he took it all and how she has never seen a human who could Break a kidō spell on theyr owm or a Shinigami with such a large Zanpakutō.

The episode concludes with ichigo stats as both a high school student and now a Shinigami.