Memories in the Rain (OVA)

Memories in the Rain was the first OVA. This special, shown in Japan at the Jump Festa 2004 Anime Tour and later released on DVD, is a pilot episode for the show. As a different one episode version of episodes 8-9, this special focuses more on Ichigo's feelings regarding his mother's death.

Summary
The OVA starts off with Ichigo Kurosaki fighting the Grand Fisher before it cuts back to showing Ichigo when he was a kid. One rainy day while Ichigo and his mother Masaki Kurosaki were walking, Ichigo sees a kid walking into a river bank and tries to save her. Ichigo runs to save the kid and then the scene ends with Ichigo’s mother dead and on top of him.

Next Orihime Inoue and her friends are talking about their art class when Ichigo walks in the room. Orihime says hi, and Ichigo responds acting very happy, which is a strange manner for him to behave. Tatsuki Arisawa tells Orihime that he is hiding his real feelings and that tomorrow he’ll not be at school.

The next day Ichigo and his family go to their mother's grave. As they get close to the cemetery, they see Rukia Kuchiki. Ichigo and Rukia talk alone about his mother's death, she asks him if a Hollow killed his mother. Ichigo gets mad for her even bringing up the idea that a Hollow killed his mother and runs off. At the same time the rest of Ichigo's family are praying at their mother's grave where Rukia is watching them from a distance when Rukia's Spirit Phone rings and indicates a Hollow is near.

The Grand Fisher attacks Ichigo's sisters, Karin and Yuzu. As he is about to eat Yuzu, he is stopped by Rukia. She tries to buy time while she waits for Ichigo. At this time Ichigo sees a figure that looks like his mother and starts thinking about old memories of her. But he figures out that it is not his mother but the girl he was trying to save the day she died.

The Grand Fisher goes after Ichigo's family but Ichigo appears and goes into Shinigami form. Ichigo attacks the Hollow and so finds out he killed his mother and tells Rukia not to help him. As they fight Ichigo is not having much luck since this Hollow is much stronger than any other Hollow he has faced before. Then the Grand Fisher sends out a soul that looks like his mother. While Ichigo is distracted, the Grand Fisher stabs him.

After this big blow, Ichigo gets mad at Grand Fisher for using his mother as a way to trick him and stabs into him. The Grand Fisher transforms himself into the girl which Ichigo tried to save from drowning in the river, and then escapes.

That night Ichigo talks with his father Isshin Kurosaki about his mother's death. His father tells him to live his life to the fullest because that's what his mother would want for Ichigo. After the talk with his dad, Ichigo tells Rukia that he wants to get stronger and kill the Grand Fisher.

Trivia

 * Tite Kubo, the creator of Bleach, voices Kon in this special for only two lines instead of Mitsuaki Madono, the original seiyū of Kon.