She introduces herself as Rukia Kuchiki, and explains to Ichigo the basic duty of the Soul Reapers is the act of soul cleansing. Later, Ichigo is met by the same woman again in his room. As he tries to protect the spirit of a little girl from a hollow, he witnesses a clash between the malevolent spirit and a female Soul Reaper. Ichigo Kurosaki is a fifteen-year-old high school student with orange hair, brown eyes, and the ability to see spirits. Transcription: " Shinigami ni Natchatta Hi" ( Japanese: 死神になっちゃった日) Animation/ Warner Home Video on home media. The first season of Bleach (AKA Bleach: The Substitute in the English adaptation), or the Agent of the Shinigami arc, is currently licensed by VIZ Entertainment LLC, when it aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim late-night primetime programming block. A compilation of these two volumes was released on May 5, 2008. Manga Entertainment released two DVDs containing the first season in the United Kingdom on Novemand March 3, 2008. A DVD collection box, containing all twenty episodes of the arc, was released by Viz Media on October 30, 2007.
The first of these compilations, with art featuring the series main character Ichigo Kurosaki, was nominated at the American Anime Awards in 2007 for best DVD package design. Viz Media's release of the DVDs was made from Novemto July 31, 2007. They were released in Japan from Februto June 1, 2005. The arc was released on five DVD compilations, each containing four episodes of the show. The ending theme for the first thirteen episodes is "Life is Like a Boat" by Rie Fu, while the remaining seven used "Thank You!!" by Home Made Kazoku. The opening theme is Orange Range's single " Asterisk". The episodes use three pieces of theme music: one opening theme and two ending themes. The arc started airing in the UK starting in September 2007 on AnimeCentral. It was shown on YTV's Bionix programming block in Canada and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim in the United States, with Bionix airing the show one day sooner. The first English airing of the series was from Septemuntil January 26, 2007.
The arc initially ran from Octoto Februin Japan on TV Tokyo. The episodes' plot covers the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after becoming a Soul Reaper and assuming the duties of Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki. The season adapts the first eight volumes (chapters 1–70) of Tite Kubo's Bleach manga series, spanning twenty episodes.
In the English release by Viz Media, its title is translated as The Substitute. The episodes are directed by Noriyuki Abe, and produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu and Studio Pierrot. The Agent of the Shinigami arc ( 死神代行篇, Shinigami Daikō Hen) is the first season of the Bleach anime series.