Shonen Jump: Bleach Volume 12 (Episodes 46-49)

Amazon.comIchigo strives to achieve a greater level of power and masteryover his Zanpak-t sword, but the focus of these episodes of Bleach shifts away from him and his friends: The viewer learns more about the Soul Reapers through a series of confrontations and flashbacks. Renji, who's joined Ichigo's side, was a fiercely competitive student: when a giant Hollow attacked his class during a training mission, he, Izuru, and Hinamori fought it off until help arrived. Hinamori is also a childhood friend of Toshiro, the child prodigy-captain. Yet she believes he was involved in the assassination of her beloved Captain Aizen. While these internecine battles threaten to destroy the Soul Society, Rukia quietly awaits her execution. But the Sokyuku, the blade that will be used to kill her, may to be more important than any individual's life. Despite the shifting focus, director Noriyuki Abe keeps the action exciting and the story moving briskly.(Rated "Teen," suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery) --Charles SolomonProduct DescriptionBleach, Vol. 12 (DVD)Lieutenant Momo Hinamori recalls her days in training at the Soul Reaper Academy, where she first met Captain Sosuke Aizen. In the present, the letter Aizen left for her at his death scene leads Momo to believe she has identified his killer... While Ichigo and Renji train with Yoruichi to achieve bankai, Rukia recalls a bit of her own past in a dream that she believes will prepare her to face her execution--which has been moved up to the next day! ]]>