The episodes of Bleach anime series are based on the manga of the same name written by Tite Kubo. They are directed by Noriyuki Abe and produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu, and Studio Pierrot. The plot of the episodes follows the adventures of a teenager named Ichigo Kurosaki who can see spirits and becomes a Soul Reaper after assuming the duties of Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki.
The episodes have aired since October 6, 2004, on TV Tokyo in Japan. Viz Media obtained the foreign television, home video, and merchandising rights to the Bleach anime from TV Tokyo Corporation and Shueisha on March 15, 2006. Subsequently, Viz Media contracted Studiopolis to create the English adaptation of the anime, and has licensed its individual Bleach merchandising rights to several different companies. The English adaptation of the Bleach anime premiered on Canada's YTV channel in the Bionix programming block on September 8, 2006. Cartoon Network began airing Bleach the following evening as part of its Adult Swim block. Adult Swim stopped broadcasting new episodes of the English adaptation on October 20, 2007, after airing the first 52 episodes of the series. It was replaced with another Viz Media series, Death Note, to provide Studiopolis more time to dub additional episodes of the series. The series returned from hiatus on March 2, 2008, and had returned to hiatus for almost a year after airing episode 167 on November 21, 2009. The hiatus ended on August 28, 2010, with the airing of episode 168 and the show has been regularly airing with new episodes since.
The fourteenth season of the Bleach anime series, which is known as the Arrancar: Downfall arc (破面・滅亡篇, Arankaru Metsubō Hen), is directed by Noriyuki Abe and produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu, and Studio Pierrot. The story will continue the fight between Soul Society's Soul Reapers and Sōsuke Aizen's arrancar army as the former defends Karakura Town from the latter's invasion, while Ichigo and his group fight the arrancars in Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime Inoue.
The season started airing on April 13, 2010 in Japan on TV Tokyo. Aniplex collected it in eleven DVD volumes between February 23 and December 14, 2011. The English adaptation of the Bleach anime is licensed by Viz Media, and this season started airing on August 11, 2012.
The episodes uses six pieces of theme music: two opening themes and four closing themes. The first opening theme, "chAngE" by Miwa is used for episodes 266 to 291, while the second opening theme, "Ranbu no Melody" (乱舞のメロディ, Ranbu no Merodi, "Melody of the Wild Dance") by Sid is used from episode 292 to 316. The first ending theme, "Stay Beautiful" by Diggy-Mo is used for episodes 266 to 278, the second ending theme, "echoes" by Universe is used from episode 279 to 291, the third ending theme, "Last Moment" by SPYAIR is used from episode 292 to 303, and the fourth ending theme "Song For..." by ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D is used from episode 304 to 316.
The fifth season of the Bleach anime series is named the Bount Assault on Soul Society arc (バウント・尸魂界強襲篇, Baunto Sōru Sosaeti Kyōshū Hen). In the English adaptation of the anime released by Viz Media, the title of the season is translated as the The Assault. The episodes are directed by Noriyuki Abe and produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu, and Studio Pierrot. This season and season four are "anime-only", which are not direct adaptations of the Bleach manga by Tite Kubo. Instead, the episodes story focuses on the invasion of the Soul Society, the home of the Soul Reapers, by the Bount, a race of humans that consume human souls to extend their lives.
The arc initially ran from August 8, 2006 to January 4, 2007 in Japan on TV Tokyo. It lasted eighteen episodes. The English adaptation of the season began airing on December 13, 2008 on Adult Swim and ended on April 11, 2009. Four DVD compilations of the season were released by Aniplex between January 24, 2007 and April 25, 2007 in Japan. The first two DVD compilations contain four episodes of the season, and the last two contain five episodes.Viz Media released this season in four DVD volumes from December 15, 2009 to March 23, 2010. A DVD box set of the season was released on June 8, 2010.Manga Entertainment released the season in two DVDs for the United Kingdom on August 30, 2010 and November 1, 2010, while a box set was released on December 20, 2010.
The fifteenth season of the Bleach anime series is known as Gotei 13 Invading Army arc (護廷十三隊侵軍篇, Gotei Jūsan Tai Shingun Hen). It is directed by Noriyuki Abe and produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu, and Studio Pierrot. The season's twenty-six episodes are based on the Bleach manga series by Tite Kubo, but follow original storylines exclusive to the anime. In this arc, Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends investigate a series of strange events in the Soul Society where numerous Soul Reapers have disappeared without a trace, with a seemingly large conspiracy at work. As this takes place, Ichigo is forced to struggle with the fading of his powers due to the previous battle between him and Sōsuke Aizen.
The season began airing on April 12, 2011 on TV Tokyo and ended on October 4, 2011.Aniplex collected it in six DVD volumes between February 22 and July 25, 2012. The episodes of this season uses three pieces of theme music. The single opening theme is "BLUE" by ViViD. The first ending theme, "Aoi Tori" (アオイトリ, "Blue Bird") by fumika is used from episode 317 to 329. The second ending theme, "Haruka Kanata" by UNLIMITS is used from episodes 330 to 342.