Bleach season 8

Bleach
Season 8
The cover of the fourth DVD compilation released by Aniplex of The Arrancar: The Fierce Fight arc
No. of episodes16
Release
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original releaseDecember 12, 2007 (2007-12-12) –
April 16, 2008 (2008-04-16)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 7
Next →
Season 9
List of episodes

The eighth season of the Bleach anime series is named the Arrancar: The Fierce Fight arc (破面・激闘篇, Arankaru Gekitō Hen).[1] The episodes are directed by Noriyuki Abe, and produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu and Studio Pierrot.[2] The season adapts Tite Kubo's Bleach manga series from the 29th volume to the 32nd volume (chapters 252–286). The episodes' plot centers on Ichigo Kurosaki's and his friends' battle against the Espada, the strongest members of former Soul Reaper captain Sōsuke Aizen's army, to save Orihime Inoue.

The season aired from December 2007 to April 2008.[3][4] The English adaptation of the Bleach anime is licensed by Viz Media,[5] and the season aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim from September to November 2009.[6][7] Four DVD compilations, each containing four episodes of the season, were released by Aniplex between May 28 and August 27, 2008.[1][8] Viz Media released the season in two separate DVD boxes during on June 21 and September 6, 2011, respectively. The first box, however, also contains episodes from the previous season.[9][10]

The episodes use three pieces of theme music: one opening theme and two closing themes. The opening theme is "After Dark" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation.[11] The first closing theme is Kousuke Atari's "Tane o Maku Hibi" (種をまく日々, lit. "Seed-Scattering Days"),[11] which switches in episode 154 to "Kansha." (感謝。, lit. "Gratitude.") by RSP.[12] To promote the second Bleach featured film, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, the opening and closing credits for episode 152 to 154 use footage from the film, which was released on December 22, 2007.[13][14]

  1. ^ a b "BLEACH 破面(アランカル)·激闘篇 1" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  2. ^ "ぴえろ BLEACH =ブリーチ=" (in Japanese). Studio Pierrot. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  3. ^ "List of Bleach episode titles (144-154)" (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  4. ^ "List of Bleach episode titles (166-177)" (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on 2012-12-01. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  5. ^ "Viz Officially Announces Bleach Anime". Anime News Network. 2006-03-15. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference firsteight was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference secondeight was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "BLEACH 破面(アランカル)·激闘篇 4" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  9. ^ "Bleach Uncut Box Set 9". Amazon. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  10. ^ "Bleach Uncut Box Set 10". Amazon. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  11. ^ a b "BLEACH～ブリーチ" (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on 2007-10-26. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  12. ^ "BLEACH～ブリーチ" (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  13. ^ "Second Bleach Film's Title, Date Revealed". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
  14. ^ "Japanese Box Office, December 22–23: Bleach Film at #4 (Updated)". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2009-04-14.