Bleach: Fade to Black

Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name|BLEACH Fade to Black 君の名を呼ぶ|Burichi: Fade to Black - Kimi no Na o Yobu}}, is the third film, scheduled to be released in Japan on December 13, 2008. This film's screenplay was written by Natsuko Takahashi, who is a screenwriter for the anime series. The official film website gives the tagline of "Sayonara, Rukia".

Kon has become one of the main characters in the movie. Also seen during the trailer is Kisuke Urahara seen in his shinigami captains robes. According to an interview with Tite Kubo, he has been very involved with the scripting of this movie and hopes that “it will be remembered in your hearts.” He also states that the movie ties in to the main manga storyline.

The movie parallels earlier scenes involving Ichigo and Rukia, and explores their relationship.



Plot summary
The movie starts with Mayuri Kurotsuchi in his laboratory being attacked by a mysterious scythe-like weapon, stumbling and accidentally hits his control panel, triggering a massive explosion of reiatsu that envelopes the entirety of Seireitei in a cocoon-like substance. As Kenpachi Zaraki rushes to witness the disaster, the explosion destroys Seireitei and causes an amnesia in all shinigami in it.

Rukia, who was away from Seireitei and was safe from this incident, is attacked in her shocked state by the same scythe-like weapon, and as it hurtles towards her she feels something inside her vanish; he heart and memories have been stolen. Meanwhile in the human world, Ichigo senses danger and realizes that he had forgotten Rukia's existence for a moment. Kon on the other hand reveals another coded letter from Rukia, similar to the one she left before leaving to accept her execution in Soul Society.

Ichigo and Kon visit Kisuke Urahara's store, only to discover that he, too, has completely forgotten Rukia, but do learn from him that a part of Seireitei was destroyed and there may be a relation. Ichigo remarks about Rukia as "a precious comrade", earning a smirk from Urahara, who opens a gate to transport the duo to Soul Society.

Meanwhile, Rukia finds herself in a small cabin in the 78th district of Rukongai, Inuzuri, where she (along with Renji Abarai) was brought up in her childhood, and finds a sibling beside her, who calling her name and welcoming her with joy. They, when asked who they are, answer that she had promised to give them names a long time ago, and now ask for them. Rukia tries to remember and does recall having taken care of the siblings in the same cabin, but cannot remember the names. Having forgotten her time and status as a shinigami, she then questions what she had been doing, at which the siblings answer that she had been sleeping for a very long time.

Ichigo, meanwhile in Seireitei, is confronted by many shinigami (including Renji) who proceed to attack him after seeing him accidentally release his Vizard form. Inside Byakuya's mansion, Ichigo finds Byakuya Kuchiki staring at the picture of his late wife, Hisana Kuchiki, who informs him that Hisana was raised in Inuzuri. Ichigo rushes to Inuzuri after thanking him, and detects Rukia by her smell and finds her at the roof of the cabin, looking over at her friends' graves.

Upon seeing Ichigo, Rukia questions his identity, claiming not to know him. A shocked Ichigo replies, "It's me, Ichigo! Don't tell me you don't remember!" Rukia tries to remember him, but just before her memories return, a severe headache hits her and she is taken away by the siblings. In the cabin afterwards, she asks the sister if she were in fact awake and not sleeping as the siblings claimed, at which she earned the answer that they did not know. Rukia collapses again as she is about to remember something and holds her head, panting in agony, and is taken away by the siblings again.

Ichigo is seen sitting elsewhere, apparently in a bad mood. Kon enquires whether he is sad that Rukia has forgotten him, earning an irritated response in a form of a strike. He points out that Ichigo is strongly connected to Rukia simply by being the only shinigami who still remembers her. He leaves, and Ichigo, still thinking, pulls out Rukia’s letter. He has a flashback in which Rukia is writing a letter, which she refuses to let him see, claiming it was a “surprise for later.”

Later, he is seen fighting again, against Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa. Hitsugaya is about to deal the final blow when Renji intervenes, arguing that his soul feels that Ichigo is not the enemy. However, upon hearing Ichigo call him (out of habit), he is quickly angered and warns him not to call him by his first name, though in vain. Several captains enter the fight to fight Ichigo and Renji, but are interrupted by Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin. Urahara urges Ichigo and Renji to leave to save Rukia.

Rukia wakes up to find herself in Mayuri's laboratory, with the twins working on something. They claim that they plan to destroy all those who try to take Rukia from them, and asks her why she wants to protect the shinigami. Their conversation is interrupted by a wall broken down by Renji, and Ichigo urges her to remember, stating that the Rukia he knows would never lose herself in such a way.

The siblings, disturbed, tries to convince Rukia to leave. Rukia, however, instead asks him to repeat his name, at which her mrmories return and she chokes out the name Ichigo. The sister of the two siblings declares that she would never forgive Ichigo for trying to steal Rukia from them, and she, her brother and Rukia will become one, which comes true, resulting in a twisted form of Rukia (picture above), referred to as "Dark Rukia" in the trailers. Renji deals with other enemies for Ichigo to do whatever necessary for "that woman."

Ichigo is forced to fight Rukia, but never attempts to actually attack her, instead only evading her attacks. He desperately asks her to remember, earning a reply that Rukia will erase her memories of him, destroying their bond. Ichigo, however, retorts that as long as he remembers her, the bond can never be broken. Dark Rukia is almost at the point of decapitating Ichigo, when she is interfered by Byakuya's kidō. Byakuya and Renji inform Ichigo that Rukia is turning into a Hollow and must be destroyed.

Ichigo refuses, emphasizing on his bond with Rukia again, to which Byakuya replies that he may do as he wishes, and breaks the kidō and steps out. Dark Rukia immediately rushes to Ichigo again, but Ichigo states that it is his turn to give her power this time, much as she had done on their first day of meeting. He thrusts his Zangetsu into her, giving her his power, and transforms her back to a shinigami, who immediately collapses to his arms. He hugs her with one arm as all other shinigami apparently regain their lost memories.

Rukia, finally coming back to her senses, brushes Ichigo's hand away from her face. Ichigo greets her with a "You," before she turns to the injured siblings, who complain that they have no one other than her. Rukia consoles them that they have each other, and names them "Homari" and "Shizuku." The siblings lose conscience and fade, leaving Rukia crying and calling out their names (probably the main relationship of the title with the storyline).

In the final scenes, Rukia is on the top of a hill, looking at a letter given to her by the twins. Ichigo enters, to whom Rukia questions if he was going home and receives a positive answer. She tells him that he saved him, at which Ichigo remarks that it was none other than her that saved him first, and suggests that they were connected even before they met, and that their bond was based on that connection as well as their memories. He bids her farewell, addressing her as a "shinigami", to which she replies; "It's not shinigami. It's Rukia Kuchiki;" the very words she had said to him at perhaps the most important moment of the storyline of Bleach, and the marking of its beginning.

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