BLEACH EPISODE #81

In Karakura Town, there are people being attacked by the flying Bount dolls. They suck a person dry and then that person turns to dust. Members of Soi Fong’s second division attack these dolls, but are ineffective against their flying enemies. At school, Ichigo and company have heard on the news that lots of people are missing. Ririn’s sensors still haven’t picked up anything and Urahara is now building an even more powerful sensor. Meanwhile, in a cave somewhere, Jin has gathered the Bount in a cave filled with crystals that mask their spiritual power. The new dolls, which also have this ingredient in them, absorb living human souls and turn those into a pure and concentrated form. With it, Jin promises that they’ll increase their power by dozens of times. He demonstrates by drinking a vial of the glowing orange liquid, which powers him up considerably. However, the Bount named Mabashi objects and uses Sawatari (the old looking Bount who turned that way because of absorbing too many living souls) as an example. Jin deals with Mabashi by beating him up and throwing him around the room. He makes it clear to the others that he is the Bount’s law. In Soul Society, Hitsugaya is briefing Rangiku, Kira, Hisagi, and Yumichika about the new Bount situation. He wants the four of them to go into the real world to handle the threat. At Urahara’s shop, Soi Fong has shown up with a message from Yoruichi about staying in Soul Society and doing more investigating. After she leaves, Urahara calls for Ururu and Jinta. Running through the hallway, Ururu finds Ishida staring out the window. She can’t help but feel worried for him. Ishida ends up getting dressed and preparing to leave. Urahara catches him and the two have a conversation about him regaining his powers. Ishida thinks that if he had them, Yoshino might not have died. For now, he’s just going out to find the truth. Back in the Bount cave, all of the Bount experience the new powers that the drink gives them. Jin even forces some down Mabashi’s throat. Elsewhere in the city, Ichigo and company have split up to patrol for Bount. Renji comes across Kon looking for Ichigo and Rukia, but then hears a boy’s cry. He sees several of the dolls nearby and starts fighting them. Everyone else feels his spiritual power and rushes over. Renji cuts apart the first few, but more a huge wave of them soon shows up on the horizon.



So the Bount now have a magical elixir that makes them even more super-powerful. Which just means that Ichigo and the other will have an even harder time handling all of them when the time comes to fight (I’m trying very hard here not to make DBZ power level allusions). But it does looks like they’re getting Soul Society reinforcements in the form of three vice-captains and Yumichika. I’ve again got my fingers crossed that this doesn’t screw anything up from the next manga-based story arc - I’m thinking about the “Lift the Limit” chapter in particular. Next week looks like it’ll be a battle episode. Hopefully something surprising or shocking will happen…

To be continued...