Reclaim! The Power of the Shinigami

'''Reclaim! The Power of the Shinigami''' is the eighteenth episode of the Bleach anime.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: February 8, 2005
 * English Airdate: January 12, 2007
 * Opening Song: *~Asterisk~
 * Ending Song: Thank You!
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 58, Chapter 59, Chapter 60, Chapter 61.
 * Kanji: 取り戻せ! 死神の力!
 * Romaji: "Torimodose! Shinigami no chikara!"
 * Arc: Agent of the Shinigami arc

Summary
Ichigo is at school, though it doesn’t seem like he’s really there. He reflects on how he was nearly killed from the people from Soul Society, and how no one at school remembers Rukia. Things appear as they used to be: Keigo is crossing his arms and saying, “Bohahaha!” while Orihime and Tatsuki discuss what they will do over summer vacation. Ichigo realizes that this is what happens when you go back to Soul Society: you’re very existence disappears from people’s hearts.

After telling the class not to die before September, the teacher dismisses them all for summer vacation. Ichigo notices that Ishida isn’t at school, but he thought maybe he would be able to remember Rukia. Suddenly a blindfold is put across his eyes and he’s spun around by Keigo, who then asks him where the watermelon is. Ichigo hits him on the head with a stick. Keigo says that he wants everyone to go to the beach together over summer, but everyone has other things planned (including Mizuiro, who is then chased around the classroom after saying he’s going to Hawaii).

Ichigo is walked home from school, thinking about how nothing really feels different, even without Rukia. After all, she’s from Soul Society; there never was a place for her in their world. Thinking this, Ichigo wonders what he should do. He’s snapped out of his thoughts, however, as Orihime approaches him, asking where Rukia went, and why everyone forgot about her.

After telling her about Rukia, Ichigo is surprised that Orihime is able to see them. He asks her how long she’s been able to, and she says that she has since the incident with her brother. Orihime tells him that she’s grateful to Ichigo for helping her brother go to the other side, and how he must be happy there now. She wonders if Rukia is happy as well, and if she had family or friends there. Ichigo pictures Byakuya, and says that he needs to bring her back because she could be killed at any time.

To cheer him up, Orihime does an impression of him saying how, if Rukia is dead, they won’t be able to see each other anymore. Ichigo says that Rukia was there, and that’s where her place is. He thanks Orihime and then runs off. Orihime turns and sees Chad standing behind her.

Yuzu is setting the table, saying how boring it is without Ichigo, since he had to go away on the first day of summer break. Her father pops up, saying how they could sleep with him that night, at which Karin throws the newspaper in his mouth. Yuzu says she feels sick just thinking about it, and their father wonders if they were saying things to put him down.

In Soul Society, Renji is walking down the hall, wearing a flowered kimono. He walks up to a door, swinging the key around his finer, and unlocks it. Inside is a Soul Reaper who is chasing a black butterfly, saying how he’ll be scolded if he can’t catch it. He then takes out a fake butterfly, naming it Jennifer and saying all sorts of facts about (such as her cup size) to get the butterfly back. This earns him a kick in the head from Renji, who says he’s there to check on the new prisoner, asking if she’s still depressed. Rukia says she’s not depressed; she’s just not eating her meals because she’s not hungry. She then proceeds to make fun of his title of Sub-captain, which gets Renji really mad. Rukia then asks if she’s really going to die. Renji says of course she is, which makes Rukia sad. He then takes it back, saying it was a joke and how they were all worried about her and how her brother must be asking for a lighter sentence. Rukia says no, because in the forty years since she was adopted into the Kuchiki family, he has never even looked at her.

At Urahara’s shop, Ichigo is standing in a large cave underneath the building, along with Urahara, Tessai, Jinta and Ururu. Ichigo wants to get the session started, at which Urahara agrees and sticks his cane in Ichigo’s forehead, drawing his soul out. Ichigo starts yelling at him, but stops because he’s having a hard time breathing. Urahara explains that this is because he’s only a regular Konpaku soul with no spirit power. He says that they have to get the power back, or there will be no hope of rescuing Rukia. Ichigo asks what he should do, and Urahara says they should start instead of him just talking about it. He calls over to Ururu, asking if she’s ready, telling Ichigo that he has to fight her for the first lesson. The lesson will end when one of them is unable to fight anymore.

Ichigo looks mortified at the thought of fighting a child. Ururu throws over some safety gear, telling him to put it on or else he’ll die. Ichigo is skeptical as Ururu runs towards him, gloved hand outstretched. There is a large explosion as she punches. The others are wondering if he died when he comes tumbling out of the smoke. He runs past Ururu and grabs the gear, wondering how to put it on. Urahara tells him to put it on his forehead while yelling, “Take this, the power of justice, justice armor: Justice headband, equip!” Ichigo yells back how he isn’t going to do it, just as Ururu comes towards him again. Ichigo puts it on, yelling the chant. Urahara muses about how he actually did it, at which Ichigo yells at him again. Urahara tells him that Ururu is behind him. Ichigo puts on the rest of the gear, saying he’s ready, but then just ends up running again. He realizes that he can match her speed and turns around to fight. He goes on the offensive, thinking how he doesn’t want to hit her face and will only hit her headband. He ends up scratching her face, however, which makes Ururu mad; she kicks him so hard that he flies into a bunch of rocks. When the dust settles, Urahara is holding her leg, and Tessai has caught Ichigo.

Ichigo asks for one more try, but is interrupted when Urahara congratulates him for clearing the first lesson. Ichigo is confused, but Urahara explains that he never said anything about beating Ururu to clear the lesson. He says that the kid has enough strength to go up against a Soul Reaper, so there’s no way he could win. He asks Ichigo if he’s still having trouble breathing, and Ichigo says no. Urahara says that he has successfully recovered his spirit energy; the Konpaku tends to gain the spirit energy faster if it fears his life is in danger. If Ichigo hadn’t been able to dodge the attacks, however, he would have died. Ichigo gets mad at this, but Urahara says that he believed that he would be able to dodge it. To celebrate his passing the first lesson, they go straight to lesson two. Tessai takes out an ax and cuts Ichigo’s Chain of Fate.

Orihime and Chad are talking to Yoruichi about taking some lessons from him. Chad is startled by the talking cat, but Orihime appears unaffected by it. Yoruichi says that Ichigo has already begun his preparations for going to Soul Society, and that if they want to be able to use their new powers, they need to take his lesson. Whether or not they actually go to Soul Society can be determined afterward. The both decide to take the lessons. They then find Ishida, telling them that Yoruichi tracked his spirit energy. Ishida looks around, wondering who Yoruichi is, and is very surprised to find that he’s a cat. Orihime wonders what the big deal is about a talking cat. Chad says he was also surprised, and Yoruichi says that men are very inadequate creatures. Ishida asks why they are there, and they explain everything. Ishida says that it has nothing to do with him, and he’s training so that he can become stronger than the Soul Reapers. Orihime is sad at first, then says that he’s doing his best and she will, too. Once they leave, Ishida says that he can’t let anyone else see his training, and opens a box that glows when opened.

Tessai is sitting on Ichigo, who says he’s going to die. Urahara explains that yes, he will; once the Chain of Fate is cut, the soul can no longer return to its body. The chain will corrode, and once it’s gone, Ichigo will become a Hollow. In order to prevent this, he will have to regain his Soul Reaper powers. A hole appears beneath him, and he and Tessai fall into it. After a very long fall, Ichigo lands on the ground only to find that his arms are bound behind him. Tessai is responsible for this, and says that he has to keep his arms sealed for the remainder of the lesson. Urahara tells him to reach the top of the hole in that condition. This is lesson two, the Shattered Shaft. In three days, his chain will be fully corroded, and they will have no choice but to kill him.