Bleach 47 / 3.06

The Avengers

Momo Hinamori goes looking for the Shinigami who killed Captain Aizen. Tōshirō Hitsugaya, captain of 10th Division, goes looking for Momo after he learns that she broke out of her cell. He talks briefly to his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, before starting to search for 5th division's lieutenant.

Ichigo continues to train by sparring with Zangetsu. He soaks in a hot spring once Yoruichi decides that he's trained enough for the day.

Hitsugaya runs into Gin Ichimaru and Izuru Kira. He accuses Ichimaru of murdering Captain Aizen but then Hinamori shows up and accuses Hitsugaya of murdering Captain Aizen. Hitsugaya is stunned but sees that she is too distressed to listen to reason. 

Bleach 46 / 3.05

Authentic Records! School of Shinigami

Momo Hinamori (Lieutenant 5th Division) sits in her jail cell and flashes back to her days in Soul Reaper Academy with Renji Abarai (Lieutenant 6th Division) and Izuru Kira (Lieutanant 3rd Division). She recalls how they met, developed a friendly rivalry with one another, and took part in a training mission that didn't go as planned. Upper classman Shūhei Hisagi (future Lieutenant 9th Division), led them on the mission with a couple other upper classmen. The training area was in the Real World and supposed to be clear of Hollows.

Somehow a big Hollow got into the training area and killed a few Shinigami, including the two other upper classmen. Momo, Renji, and Izuru stepped forward despite having been told to get out of the area, and saved Hisagi from almost certain death. More Hollows appeared but then Sousuke Aizen (Captain 5th Division) and Gin Ichimaru (at that time Lieutenant 5th Division) showed up and dealt with the Hollows.

The episode ends back in the present with Momo, similar to Renji, deciding she's been languishing in a jail cell for too long.

Bleach 45 / 3.04

Overcome Your Limits!

Ichicgo starts his training, under the supervision of Yoruichi, for his next bout with Byakuya Kuchiki. Zangetsu presents Ichigo with a field of swords. Ichgo must find the right one, while fighting Zangetsu, if he is to learn Bankai.

Uryū Ishida is taken to 4th Division's headquarters so that he can heal. There he meets Sado and Ganju who are alo recovering from they had. All three of them are kept in a jail cell. They start to compare notes.

Maki Maki runs into Yachiru Kusajishi, 11th Division's lieutenant. She wants to know why he is carrying Orihime over his shoulder. They return to 11th Division's headquarters where he tries to explain what's going on.

Bleach 44 / 3.03

Ishida, The Utmost Limits of Power!

Uryū Ishida's battle with Mayuri Kurotsuchi continues. Uryū is till outmatched and decides to do something that his grandfather warned him against, he removes the Sanrei Glove. He is imbued with great power. Kurotsuchi senses the amount of power that Uryū now possesses and releases the second level of his Zanpakutō. Even that proves to be insufficient to stop Uryū but Kurotsuchi poisons Uryū before transforming himself into green goo and slithering away.

Nemu Kurotsuchi, Mayuri's lieutenant who is still partially paralyzed, offers Uryū the antidote. He graciously accepts it but even after drinking it he is still in bad shape. He limps towards the Seireitei only to encounter 9th Division Captain Kaname Tōsen.

Bleach 43 / 3.02

The Despicable Shinigami

Ishida and Orihime encounter a drunken Shinigami, Makizō Aramaki. He demands to know what squad they are from. He tries to stop them when he doesn't like their answer but then four other Shinigami round the corner. They, unlike Aramaki who is with 11th division, are from 12th division. It turns out to be a trap set by Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the captain of 12th division. They are carrying explosives. He blows up his men in an attempt to get his hands on Orihime, He has no interest in Ishida.

Ishida tells Aramaki to get out of there and take Orihime with him. She doesn't want to leave but Aramaki doesn't give her a choice. He crabs her and starts running. Ishida is left to face off against the captain of 12th division. Kurotsuchi is not impressed when Ishida reveals himself to be a Quincy. The two men fight. Kurotsuchi immobilizes Ishida with a blow from his Zanpakutō. Nemu Kurotsuchi, his lieutenant also gets struck with the sword and is similarly immobilized but Mayuri doesn't really care.

Bleach 42 / 3.01

Flash Goddess Yoruichi, Dances!

Yoruichi prevents Ichigo from fighting Byakuya. Knowing that Ichigo is not strong enough to defeat the captain of 6th Squad, she sedates Ichigo and then takes off with him before Byakuya can lay a finger on either of them. She promises to bring him back in the near future so that the fight can resume.

Byakuya loses interest in the others including Ganju once Yoruichi has left with Ichigo over her shoulder. Ukitake takes charge of the situation once Byakuya has left and orders two of his troops to take care of Rukia and find someone from 4th Squad to treat Ganju's injuries.

Bleach 41 / 2.21

Reunion, Ichigo and Rukia

Ichigo wakes up and finds Yoruichi sitting near him. Yoruichi tells Ichigo to rest but Ichigo doesn't. He freaks out when Yoruichi transforms into her human form and is revealed to be a naked woman. He takes a magic rod she shows him, against her protestations, and uses it to fly to the Senzaikyū.

Ichigo doesn't arrive until after Ganju has attempted to deal with Sixth Squad Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. Captain Kuchiki knows that Ganju is hopelessly outclassed. He goes easy on Ganju until he learns that his opponent is of the Shiba Clan. He then unleashes the full power of his Zanpakutō. which disperses the blade into a thousand pieces that fly at Ganju and cut him up. Ganju collapses, unconscious or dead.

Bleach 40 / 2.20

The Shinigami whom Ganju Met

Ichigo and Kenpachi both fall to the ground, seriously injured and unable to continue fighting. Yachiru Kusajishi, Kenpachi's lieutenant, picks him up and carries him away, after thanking Ichigo for fighting with her boss. Yachiru and Kenpachi reminisce while he lies on the ground unable to move, for the most part.

 

Ichigo lies where he fell until Yoruichi arrives. Yoruichi promises to take care of Ichigo and then starts to glow as he starts to transform.

Bleach 39 / 2.19

The Immortal Man

Time freezes and Zangetsu (the spirit of his zanpakutō) appears before Ichigo. He takes the injured Ichigo into his world and makes Ichigo fight his shadow self before he will allow Ichigo to wield him once again. Zangetsu explains that they are linked. It rains in Zangetsu's world when Ichigo is distressed. Zangetsu doesn't like rain.

Ichigo bests his shadow self and then with Zangetsu's help he returns to the Seireitei. Zaraki is stunned to see that Ichigo has recovered. Their fight continues but it quickly becomes clear that Ichigo is much stronger and more capable now. Zaraki understands that at last he need not hold back. He removes his eyepatch, which keeps his power in check.

Together, Ichigo and Zangetsu fight with Zaraki and nameless sword. Buildings around them come crashing down but the fight goes on.

Bleach 38 / 2.18

Desperation! The Broken Zangetsu

Sado is down for the count and almost dead. Eighth Squad Captain Shunsui Kyōraku decides to leave Sado there and orders Nanao Ise, Eighth Squad's lieutenant, to have him transported to a jail cell.

Ichigo runs from 11th Squad Captain Kenpachi Zaraki in fear. He tries stopping to fight but each time he stops and fights he feels the fear return. It isn't until he senses that Sado is near death that he remembers why he is there and how he has people counting on him. It is only then that he finds the strength to stand and fight.

Bleach 37 / 2.17

Motive of the Fist

Sado squares off against two different Shinigami. The first fight, against Tatsufusa Enjōji of 8th Squad doesn't last very long at all. Sado just slugs him and he goes flying off into the sky. The second fight,  against 8th squad captain Shunsui Kyōraku is a different story. Sado throws quite a bit at him with out much success. The fight goes on long enough that Sado takes a few minutes to recall one of his early adventures with Ichigo, before Rukia entered their lives, and what his life when he was sent to live with his grandfather in Mexico.

Bleach 36 / 2.16

Kenpachi Zaraki Approaches!

Tenth Squad Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto visits Fifth Squad Lieutenant Momo Hinamori while she sits in her jail cell. Rangiku brings her the last thing that Captain Aizen wrote before he was murdered. Rangiku offers Momo some advice about proper behavior given the current circumstances. Momo starts to read the note after Rangiku leaves.

Ichigo, Ganju, and Hanataro are overwhelmed by the spiritual pressure they feel. They try running from it but it gets them nowhere and merely exhausts them. Ichigo stops when he hears someone calling to him, Eleventh Squad Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. He looks up and sees Zaraki. He turns to Ganju and tells him to get out of there with Hanataro and go find Rukia, so that they can rescue her.

Bleach 35 / 2.15

Aizen Assassinated! The Darkness which Approaches

Fifth Squad's Lieutenant Momo Hinamori screams when she sees Captain Aizen dead, pinned to the wall. She remembers what Tenth Squad's Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya told her the day before about Third Squad Captain Gin Ichimaru. She attempts to strike Ichimaru down but Third Squad Lieutenant Izuru Kira steps between her and his captain and parries her strike. Momo unleashes her Zanpakutō. Izuru quickly follows suit but Captain Hitsugaya steps in and breaks up the fight before it can go any further. He orders those standing around to lock up both lieutenants.

Bleach 34 / 2.14

Tragedy of Dawn

Ichigo and Renji are too injured to continue fighting. Both of them collapse, unconscious. Ganju and Hanataro hear someone coming. They grab Ichigo and find a place to hide. Hanataro starts to work on healing Ichigo.

Kira and a few other men find Renji. They get him to a bed. Kira is about to get some medical help when Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, Renji's boss, shows up and says that he wants Renji locked up for failing to defeat the enemy.

Fifth Division Lieutenant Momo Hinamori is stunned by Captain Kuchiki's coolness. Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya shows up and warns her to beware of Captain Gin Ichimaru. Hitsugaya isn't sure what he's up to but he seems to suspect something.

Bleach 33 / 2.13

Miracle! The Mysterious New Hero

Interlude - Yuzu finds a cat. Karin thinks that it is just the spirit of cat but Yuzu insists that it isn't. Hollows come after Karin and the cat which she has named Raku. Jinta, and Ururu, lend a hand in fighting the Hollows. Don Kanonji wants first Karin and Jinta and then later Ururu to be his disciples. In the end it is the spirit of the cat, which takes on the form of a lion, that defeats the Hollows before transitioning to the afterlife.

Thoughts

There are no scenes in this episode that take place in the Seireitei. Yuzu and Karin's father makes a brief appearance in this episode. The contents of this episode are not part of the manga series from which the rest of the this season was adapted.

Bleach 32 / 2.12

The Star and the Stray Dog

Renji kicks himself for losing to Ichigo and flashes back to his memories of Rukia. They met about 10 years before when they both lived in one of the poorer neighborhoods surrounding the Seireitei. They were part of a gang of friends that hung out together and scavenged for food together. Things stayed that way but eventually their friends were killed.

Rukia and Renji decided at that point to enter the Soul Reaper Academy. They were accepted and remained friends but there was some tension between them. Things changed for them once again when Rukia was adopted by the Kuchiki family.

Bleach 31 / 2.11

The Resolution to Kill

The fight between Ichigo and Renji continues. Ichigo remembers something he learned from Urahara and thinks he has spotted a weakness in Renji's style. It turns out that Ichigo's assessment of the situation is incorrect. Renji gets the upper hand. Ichigo seems to be on the verge of losing and maybe getting killed when he remembers something else from one of his training sessions with Urahara. Ichigo gets reinvigorated by the memory and disarms Renji by breaking his sword.

Bleach 30 / 2.10

Renji's Confrontation

Word spreads within the Seireitei about what happened to the three shinigami who encountered the ryoka (outsiders) and about the decimation of 11th squad. 

Hanataro leads Ichigo and Ganju through the sewers below the Seireitei and explains to them why he’s helping them. He tells them about all the things he learned from Rukia while cleaning her jail cell.

Ichigo, Ganju, and Hanataro emerge from the sewers only to find someone waiting for them, Renji. Ichigo’s spirit energy starts to rise as he gets ready to clash with Renji. Ichigo’s friends in other parts of the Seireitei (Chard, Orihime, Uryū) sense Ichigo’s spirit energy and rush to find him.

Ichigo and Renji begin fighting. Renji explains as the fight begins that he is considerably stronger than he was when they last fought. Ichigo is not phased by the reveal.

Bleach 29 / 2.09

Breakthrough! The Shinigami's Encompassing Net

Uryū Ishida finishes the fight with Jirōbō Ikkanzaka by dealing him a devastating blow. He gave the giant Shinigami the opportunity to retreat but Jirōbō instead turned on Orihime. Uryū couldn't stand for that and took action.

Ichigo and Ganju finally meet up again. Both are being chased by squads of Shinigami. Hanatarō Yamada stumbles into the space where the Ichigo, Ganju, and 11th squad are getting ready to fight. Ichigo and Ganju try to use Hanatarō as a hostge but he's from 4th squad so the other Shinigami could care less what happens to him. 

Bleach 28 / 2.08

Orihime Targeted

Ganju pulls off enough tricks to defeat Yumichika Ayasegawa. Ichigo looks for Gangju without success. Orihime and Uryū battle a very large Shinnigami, Jirōbō Ikkanzaka. He seems to have the advantage at first but Uryū quickly proves that he is the superior warrior. Hanatarō tries to get into the tower to see Rukia but the guards won't let him. She continues to languish in the tower.

Thoughts

There are brief glimpses of Chad and Yoruichi but not much more than that. Ichigo spends most of the episode running around looking for Ganju and and fighting low level Shinnigami.

This was an okay episode. I liked the fight between Ganju and Ayasegawa but the other fight didn't pull me in quite so much. It all happened too fast.