The Shinigami's Work

The Shinigami’s work is the second episode of the Bleach anime.

After becoming a Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki refuses to help Rukia Kuchiki with her work as the local Shinigami.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: October 12, 2004
 * English Airdate: September 15, 2006
 * Opening Song: *~Asterisk~
 * Ending Song: Life is Like a Boat
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 2, page 1 thru Chapter 4, page 7
 * English Name: Pay or Play
 * Arc: Agent of the Shinigami arc

Summary
“GOOD MORNING ICHIGO!” Ichigo Kurosaki is woken up by a sudden attack by his father, after the initial reaction Ichigo ask his father about his two little sisters injures to which his father looks at him with a confused look in his face. While his family discusses how no one got hurt or even woke up after a truck crash in their house, Ichigo wonders how come his family doesn’t remember what happened and where did Rukia disappear to.

Once at school Ichigo bumps into two of his classmates, Orihime Inoue and Tatsuki Arisawa. Ichigo tries to help Orihime up but his frightening face scares her of running. While in class his friends (Keigo, Mizuiro and Chad) wonder how a truck crashed in his house when suddenly Ichigo is greeted by the new transfer student, to his surprise is none other than Rukia Kuchiki.

After class ichigo confronts Rukia and asks her what is she doing at his school, to which she says that she can't go home because only Shinigami can go there and she no longer has the power due to him taking near all of it. She then ask that while she waits in her gigai for her powers to come back that he takes over her work, Ichigo immediately refuses.

Rukia decides to take matters on her own hand and forcefully removes Ichigo’s soul from his body and tells him to come with her. They arrive at a playground where a spirit or plus is getting attacked by a Hollow, Ichigo attempts to save the young boy but Rukia tells her that if he saves this soul then he must commit himself to save all the souls he can even if it means chasing them around and sacrificing himself. Ichigo attacks the Hollow and Rukia asks him if he’s ready, Ichigo then tells her that he save the soul of the boy because he wanted to and reminds Rukia that when she saved him she wasn’t thinking about her duty as a Shinigami, he then gives the Hollow the finishing blow and performs a soul burial (konsō) and the boy.

Later that night a plus spirit is watching Orihime through her window, just then some Hollows appeared and take him away to their world. Here a larger Hollow appears and commands the other to turn the spirit into a Hollow as well.

The next day while out in town, Ichigo and Rukia meet with Orihime who has just been the victim of a hit and run. While they ask her if she is alright, Rukia notices a mark on Orihime’s leg and ask hers whether that mark was there before, Orihime tells her that it just appeared and it must have been from the car, Ichigo then asks Orhime if she wants him to walk her home but she grabs her stuff and leaves.

On their way back home Rukia asks Ichigo how much he knows about Orihime and he tells her that she is friends with Tatsuki, and that three years before, her brother died at his family’s clinic. Rukia ask Ichigo how his Spirit perception was back then to which he answers that is only recently that he is been able to see and talk to them like now. Rukia tells Ichigo that she is going home, when he ask where she is going, she asks him if he really wants to know and then takes her leave.

That night Tatsuki brings over some food for Orihime and tells her that if she didn’t she would always be eating the weird stuff she makes for herself. Meanwhile at Ichigo’s home Yuzu asks him whether he has seen her pajama’s Ichigo tells her that why does she always feel the need to ask him about everything and she leaves. Suddenly, Ichigo stars hearing a strange beeping sound, Rukia jumps out of his closet telling him that they got orders, and removes Ichigo’s soul from his body once again. A Hollow appears in Ichigo’s room and a battle between the two begins, with a small piece of his mask broken the Hollow runs of and Ichigo is left dumbfounded. Ichigo tells Rukia that the face of the Hollow just now was that of Sora Inoue Orhime’s brother. Rukia tells Ichigo that all Hollows were once human and even though he knew him before he is just a monster now and they have to bring him down.

Back at Orihime’s place Tatsuki and Orihime talk over her encounter with Ichigo, and Rukia to which Tatsuki says how Ichigo is such a fast operator. Just then they hear a loud bang and a roar.

Next Episode Preview
Don Kanonji introduces himself as the charismatic medium of the new millennium, and that he is in a quest of raiding the holy ground from "BAD SPIRITS." Ichigo yells at him telling him that is to early for him yet and is frustrated as he is out of time once again.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Isshin Kurosaki
 * Ichigo Kurosaki
 * Yuzu Kurosaki
 * Karin Kurosaki
 * Orihime Inoue
 * Tatsuki Arisawa
 * Keigo Asano
 * Mizuiro Kojima
 * Sado Yasutora
 * Rukia Kuchiki
 * Sora Inoue
 * Grand Fisher
 * Acidwire

Powers and Techniques Used
None

Episode Notes
A short clip in this episode of Orihime spinning a leek was notable for a short flash animation nicknamed Loituma Girl (or Leekspin) with the song "Ievan Polkka" by Finnish group Loituma playing in the background.