Ichigo Kurosaki is a rough-and-tumble teenager who has always had the special ability to see ghosts. The story begins with the sudden appearance of an oddly-dressed stranger in Ichigo's bedroom. This stranger is the shinigami Rukia Kuchiki, who is surprised at his ability to see her. Their resulting conversation is interrupted by the appearance of a hollow, an evil spirit. After Rukia is severely wounded during battle, she decides to transfer half of her powers to Ichigo, hoping to give him the opportunity to face the hollow on an equal footing. For unknown reasons, Ichigo instead absorbs all of Rukia's powers during the attempt, allowing him to defeat the hollow with ease.
The next day, Rukia turns up in Ichigo's classroom as a transfer student. Much to his surprise, she now appears to be a normal human. She theorizes that it was the unusual strength of Ichigo's spirit that caused him to fully absorb her powers, rather than just half, thus leaving her stranded in the human world. Rukia has transferred herself into a gigai — an artificial human body — while waiting to recover her abilities. In the meantime, Ichigo must take over the job of watching over the area, battling hollows and guiding lost souls to the afterlife.
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