The sixth season of the Bleach

Bleach (manga)

is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...

anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 series is named the . In the English adaptation of the anime released by Viz Media

VIZ Media

VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...

, the title of the season is translated as the The Arrancar. The episodes are directed by Noriyuki Abe

Noriyuki Abe

is a Japanese anime director, storyboard artist, and sound director. He is best known for working with Studio Pierrot on major hits such as Ninku, Flame of Recca, Bleach, and Yu Yu Hakusho...

 and produced by TV Tokyo

TV Tokyo

is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...

, Dentsu

Dentsu

is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Its headquarters are located in the Dentsu Building in the Shiodome district of Minato, Tokyo....

, and Studio Pierrot

Studio Pierrot

is a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...

. The season's twenty-two episodes are based on Tite Kubo

Tite Kubo

, known by his pen name , is a Japanese manga artist. His most significant work is the manga series Bleach.-Biography:Kubo was the son of a town council member in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima. He never took drawing seriously until he was 17, and after reading the manga Saint Seiya which...

's Bleach manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 series. The episodes' plot centers on the burgeoning war between the Soul Reapers and the arrancar led by former Soul Reaper captain Sōsuke Aizen

Sosuke Aizen

is a fictional character and formerly the main antagonist in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 5th Division when he is first introduced, but later betrays the Soul Society and becomes the series' main antagonist...

.

The season began airing on January 10, 2007 in Japan on TV Tokyo

TV Tokyo

is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...

 and ended on June 27, 2007. The English adaptation of the Bleach anime is licensed by Viz Media

VIZ Media

VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...

, and began airing on Adult Swim

Adult Swim

Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...

 on April 18, 2009 and ended on July 11, 2009.

Five DVD compilations, each containing four episodes of the season, were released by Aniplex

Aniplex

, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...

 between June 27, 2007 and October 24, 2007. Viz Media released the season in five DVD volumes from April 20, 2010 to August 24, 2010. It was also collected in two DVD boxes on September 28, 2010 and December 21, 2010, with the latter including the first two episodes of season 7. Manga Entertainment

Manga Entertainment

Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...

 published the season in DVD volumes in the United Kingdom with the first released on April 11, 2011 and the second is on June 13, 2011. A DVD box followed it on September 26, 2011.

The episodes use four pieces of theme music

Theme music

Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...

: two opening themes and two ending themes. The opening themes are Yui

Yui (singer)

, stylized as YUI, is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, and radio personality. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she played live at various locations in her home town before being noticed by Sony Music Japan when she was 17 and released her debut single months later...

's "Rolling Star

Rolling Star

"Rolling Star" is the seventh single of singer/songwriter Yui released January 17, 2007, and her first under the official Studioseven Recordings label...

", used for the first eleven episodes, and the remainder of the episodes feature "Alones" by Aqua Timez

Aqua Timez

is a Japanese pop rock band signed to Epic Records.-Overview:Futoshi and OKP-Star met on with9.com in 2000 and attempted to start a band together. Unable to agree on the band's future, the two disbanded. In 2003, the current band members gathered and formed Aqua Timez. Their first independent music...

. The ending themes are Mai Hoshimura

Mai Hoshimura

is a Japanese singer and songwriter. She writes and composes all of her music. She is known for her famous standing crouched stance while playing the piano.She is a graduate of Shobi University.On May 31, 2009, her contract with Sony ended.- Biography:...

's , used until episode 121, and by Ore Ska Band

Ore Ska Band

is an all-female ska band from Sakai, Japan. They have released two full albums in Japan, Ore in July 2006, and WAO!! in May 2007, as well as a self-titled compilation album for a US release, Oreskaband...

, used in the remainder of the episodes.

Episode list

No.	Title	Original airdate	English airdate