Rukia's Resolution, Ichigo's Feelings

Rukia's Resolution, Ichigo's Feelings is the sixty-third episode of the Bleach anime.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: January 10, 2006
 * English Airdate: May 11, 2008
 * Opening Song: Ichirin No Hana
 * Ending Song: Life
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 180, Chapter 181, Chapter 182, Chapter 183.
 * Kanji: ルキアの決意、一護の想い
 * Romaji: "Rukia no ketsui, Ichigo no omoi"
 * Arc: Soul Society: The Rescue arc

Summary
After a recap of what happened in Soul Society, we learn what happened a week after Aizen left. Some of the healed men are making trouble for the fourth division workers, but they are quieted by Captain Unohana. Meanwhile, Ikkaku is holding fighting matches when Ichigo shows up to challenge him. Their bout is short-lived though, because Captain Zaraki arrives to fight Ichigo, but since Ichigo doesn’t want to fight the captain, he runs away instead. Captain Komamura, on the other hand, is visiting the grave of Captain Tousen’s friend. The captain vows to VC Hisagi that they’ll bring Tousen back. In the eleventh division headquarters, VC Matsumoto is still angsting about Ichimaru, but Hitsugaya informs her that she has a visitor: Kira. She has of course forgiven him and invites him to eat and drink. While those two are partying, Hitsugaya goes to visit Hinamori, who is still unconscious. Since they are returning home soon, Ishida has remade the group’s original clothes with his tailoring knowledge. He even did Rukia’s dress, and so Inoue decides to go take it to her, and somehow comes to the realization that Ishida likes Rukia. Unable to find Rukia, Inoue runs into Ichigo, who had finally escaped Zaraki. They ask Renji and Captain Kuchiki, but those two don’t know where Rukia went either. Since Renji didn’t know, Ichigo figures out that probably no one else did either. He suspects that there’s only one place she could have gone. Indeed, Rukia went out and found Kuukaku and Ganjuu so that she could apologize to them for killing Kaien. Kuukaku had heard the whole story from Captain Ukitake, so she was ready to forgive Rukia. When Ichigo and Inoue show up, Rukia breaks the news to them that she’s staying in Soul Society and not going back. Although he’s slightly surprised, Ichigo realizes that if that’s what Rukia wants, then it’s ok. When the next day comes around, Ichigo and company leave through the gate after saying their goodbyes and after Ukitake gives Ichigo a substitute shinigami fighting license.

Ichigo and company, including Yoruichi in cat form, travel back through the dangai to get to the human world, but emerge above the city. Fortunately, Urahara and his people catch them and welcome them home. Urahara formally apologizes, but Ichigo doesn’t mind, though he does tell Urahara to apologize to Rukia sometime. Everyone gets off at their own stop, though Ishida tells Ichigo that when they meet again, they’ll be enemies (Shinigami and Quincy). Ichigo himself gets off early and walks back home to the family clinic.