Bleach/Rukia's Resolution, Ichigo's Feelings

Rukia's Resolution, Ichigo's Feelings
Season 3, Episode 22
Airdate	January 10, 2006
Production Number	63
Written by	Genki Yoshimura Masahiro Okubo Masashi Sogo Michiko Yokote Natsuko Takahashi Rika Nakase
Directed by	Noriyuki Abe
← 3x21 Gather Together! Group of the Strongest Shinigami!	4x01 → New School Term, Renji Has Come to the Material World?!
Bleach — Season Three

Rukia's Resolution, Ichigo's Feelings is the twenty-second episode of the third season of Bleach, and the sixty-third episode overall.

Co-Stars: Kate Higgins (Retsu Unohona), Vic Mignogna (Ikkaku Madarame), David Lodge (Kenpachi Zaraki), Jeannie Elias (Yachiru Kusajishi/Jinta Hanakari), Brian Beacock (Yumichika Ayasegawa), Steve Cassling (Tetsuzaemon Iba), Beau Billingslea (Sajin Komamura), Grant George (Izuru Kira), Megan Hollingshead (Rangiku Matsumoto), Steve Staley (Toshiro Hitsugaya), Wally Wingert (Renji Abarai), Dan Woren (Byakuya Kuchiki), Jessica Straus (Kūkaku Shiba), Kyle Hebert (Ganju Shiba), Liam O'Brien (Jushiro Ukitake), Terrence Stone (Yoruichi Shihouin), Wendee Lee (Ururu Tsumugiya), Michael Sorich (Tessai Tsukabishi), Michael Lindsay (Kisuke Urahara)

Plot Overview

Picking up a week after Aizen disappeared, life in the soul society has picked up as normal. Ichigo and his friends are still living in the soul society until their wounds heal, but that doesn't stop Ichigo from trying to pick a fight with Ikkaku again. The two begin to spar until Captain Zaraki shows up to finally get his rematch with Ichigo. Rather than fighting to the death one more time, Ichigo decides to run away.

Elsewhere, those who were close to the betraying captains mourn the loss of their friends. Captain Komamura promises that he'll retrieve Tosen and open his eyes, Rangiku makes amends with Izuru after brooding a bit about Ichimari and Toshiro is still waiting for Momo to awaken from her coma. Captain Unohona tries to get Toshiro to rouse her, but he has no words for her in the state he's now in. Renji is also attempting to make amends with his captain, whom he tried to kill in order to free Rukia. He's about to say something meaningful when Ichigo barges in on them.

Uryu made some modern clothes for the humans to wear on their way back to the living world, since otherwise they'd have to wear soul reaper robes. But, when Orihime looked in on Rukia's room to show her the dress Uryu made, she's nowhere to be found. The two go looking for Rukia and realize that she could be in one of two places. Renji doesn't know where she is so they run to find the Shibas, where Rukia is apologizing for what happened to their brother. Kukaku accepts her apology and Ichigo comes to tell Rukia the news about the living world gate being opened tomorrow. He tells her to get some rest so she'll be ready to leave but she's decided that she wants to stay in the soul society. Although she expected that he would put up a fight, Ichigo is surprisingly comfortable with letting her stay. They all have one last meal in the soul society in the Shiba clan's house, although nobody told Renji, Uryu or anyone else.

The next morning, Ichigo is given a substitute soul reaper combat badge so that he can become a soul reaper whenever he needs with the full permission of the soul society. They all leave in a flash of light, but Zaraki isn't so sure that Ichigo will be gone forever. The "old man," after all, said that their battle is only just begun. Despite being told that this official gate will be safer than their previous travel, it winds up being just the same as last time--with them running for their lives. They appear in the living world where they're intercepted by Urahara and the others, who rescue them from falling to their deaths. Urahara apologizes for getting them into the fight without divulging all of his intentions, although Ichigo isn't angry about that. He is angry about how Urahara thought he'd run away if he knew the truth though.

One by one, they all part ways and return to their homes. After everyone's left, Urahara and Yoruichi speak vaguely about how they're starting to get a handle on their losing situation, insinuating that Ichigo's fight (as mentioned by Zaraki) has only begun.

Trivia

The Show

• Special: This episode was originally broadcast as an hour long special commemorating the end of the "Soul Society: The Rescue" story-arc. However, the entire first half of the episode is nothing but recaps of the various battles which happened throughout the story arc, as hosted by Kon.