Ichigo strives to achieve a greater level of power and masteryover his Zanpak-tô sword, but the focus of these episodes ofBleachshifts 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 theSokyuku, 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 Solomon