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 Kurosaki is at school reflecting on how he was nearly killed by the Shinigami, and how no one at school remembers Rukia Kuchiki. Things appear as they used to be. Ichigo realizes that this is what happens when you go back to Soul Society: your 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 Uryū Ishida is not at school, but he thought maybe he would be able to remember Rukia. Suddenly a blindfold is put across his eyes and he is spun around by Keigo Asano, 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 Kojima, who is then chased around the classroom after saying he is going to Hawaii).

Ichigo walks home from school, thinking about how nothing really feels different, even without Rukia. She is from Soul Society, so there never was a place for her in the Human World. Thinking this, Ichigo wonders what he should do. He is snapped out of his thoughts, however, as Orihime Inoue 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 is been able to, and she says that she has since the incident with her brother. Orihime tells him that she is 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 will not be able to see each other anymore. Ichigo says that Rukia was there, and that is where her place is. He thanks Orihime and then runs off. Orihime turns and sees Sado Yasutora standing behind her.

At the Kurosaki home 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 a 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 Shinigami who is chasing an escaped Hell Butterfly. This earns him a kick in the head from Renji, who says he is there to check on the new prisoner, asking if she is still depressed. Rukia says she is not depressed; she is just not eating her meals because she is not hungry. She makes fun of his rank, which gets Renji really mad. Rukia then asks if she is 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 the Urahara Shop, Ichigo is in a large cave underneath the building, along with Kisuke Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi, Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya. Ichigo wants to get the session started, at which Urahara agrees and sticks his cane in Ichigo’s forehead, drawing his soul out. Ichigo has a hard time breathing in this form. Urahara explains that this is because he is only a regular soul with no spirit power. He says that they have to get the power back, or there will be no hope of rescuing Rukia. He calls over to Ururu, and tells 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 is mortified at the thought of fighting a child. Ururu throws over some safety gear, telling him to put it on or else he will die. Ichigo is sceptical as Ururu runs towards him, gloved hand outstretched. There is a large explosion as she punches. The others wonder if he died, but he comes tumbling out of the smoke. He runs past Ururu and grabs the gear & puts it on. After running away from her, Ichigo soon realizes that he can match Ururu's speed and turns around to fight. He goes on the offensive, thinking that he does not 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 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 Shinigami, so there is no way he could win. He asks Ichigo if he is still having trouble breathing, and Ichigo says no. Urahara says that he has successfully recovered his spirit energy; the soul tends to gain the spirit energy faster if it fears his life is in danger. If Ichigo had not 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 uses an axe to cut Ichigo’s Chain of Fate.

Orihime and Sado are talking to Yoruichi Shihōin about taking some lessons from him. Sado 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 Uryū Ishida, telling them that Yoruichi tracked his spirit energy. Uryū looks around, wondering who Yoruichi is, and is very surprised to find that he is a cat. Orihime wonders what the big deal is about a talking cat. Sado says he was also surprised, and Yoruichi says that men are very inadequate creatures. Uryū asks why they are there, and they explain everything. Uryū says that it has nothing to do with him, and he’s training so that he can become stronger than the Shinigami. Orihime is sad at first, then says that he is doing his best and she will, too. Once they leave, Uryū says that he cannot 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 is gone, Ichigo will become a Hollow. In order to prevent this, he will have to regain his Shinigami 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.

Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide
The featured character is Kenpachi Zaraki.

Powers and Techniques used
Kidō used:
 * Bakudō #99 Kin (禁, Seal)