Bleach/Morning of the Sentence

Morning of the Sentence
Season 3, Episode 10
Airdate	September 27, 2005
Production Number	51
Written by	Genki Yoshimura Masahiro Okubo Masashi Sogo Michiko Yokote Natsuko Takahashi Rika Nakase
Directed by	Noriyuki Abe
← 3x09 The Awakening Lion	3x11 → Renji, Oath of the Soul! Death Match with Byakuya
Bleach — Season Three

Morning of the Sentence is the tenth episode of the third season of Bleach and the fifty-first episode overall. Rukia's execution is less than 12 hours away, leaving very little time for Ichigo to complete his training and save her from her fate.

Co-Stars: Vic Mignogna (Ikkaku Madarame), Brian Beacock (Yumichika Ayasegawa), J.B. Blanc (Makizo Aramaki/Kaname Tosen), David Lodge (Kenpachi Zaraki), Jeannie Elias (Yachiru Kusajishi), Kyle Hebert (Ganju Shiba), Jamieson Price (Sado "Chad" Yasutora), Dan Woren (Byakuya Kuchiki), Steve Cassling (Tetsuzaemon Iba), Beau Billingslea (Sajin Komamura), Lex Lang (Marechiyo Oomaeda), Cindy Robinson (Soi Fong), Steve Kramer (Shunsui Kyouraku), Kate Higgins (Nanao Ise), Wally Wingert (Renji Abarai), Wendee Lee (Yoruichi Shihouin), Richard Epcar (Zangetsu)

Plot Overview

With Rukia's execution only hours away, several different plots are afoot to either prevent it or capitalize off of it. One such plot involves Kenpachi Zaraki, with Orihime and Yachiru on his back, running to the prison cells where Ganju, Chad and Uryu are being held and busting them out with the rest of the squad in tow. While they work towards their aims, the other captains take stock in their feelings about whether or not Rukia should be executed. Sajin Komamura and Kaname Tosen will follow any order given to them by the General, while Soifon has no interest either way and Shunsui is unsure of whether or not his duty has bailiff is truly just.

Meanwhile, Squad 11 and its tagalongs are, unsurprisingly, lost in the soul society catacombs because of Yachiru's directions. They meet a dead end where Zaraki is caught with the prisoners by Captains Komamura and Tosen, along with their lieutenants. Zaraki considers this to be a challenge for him and won't let his subordinates fight with him. They run off in the other direction and leave Zaraki to his fight, except for Ikkaku and Yumichika, who stay behind to fight the lieutenants. Both pairs disappear to a different location so that they won't be killed in the crossfire, a wise move considering that the two captains essentially destroy the building they're on trying to kill Zaraki.

In the secret training grounds, Renji completes his practice and achieves Bankai, but Ichigo is struggling against multiple clones of Zangetsu to complete his own training. When Renji asks Yoruichi if Ichigo really has it in him to master Bankai before Rukia is killed, she tells him that she believes he can and will because of his survival instinct.

Trivia

The Show

• OP/ED Theme Songs: This is the final episode to use "D-tecnolife" by UVERworld as the opening theme song and "Happy People" by Skoop on Somebody as the closing song. Beginning with the hour season finale special, both songs change to "Ichirin no Hana" by High and Mighty Color and "Life" by YUI, respectively.