A third world war was triggered by the sudden destruction of Tokyo. The metropolis has been rebuilt as Neo-Tokyo on artificial islands in Tokyo Bay. In 2019, the city is plagued by corruption, anti-government protests, terrorism, and gang violence, causing martial law to try and uphold the peace. During a violent protest, the hot-headed Shōtarō Kaneda leads his vigilante bōsōzoku gang, the Capsules, against their rival biker gang, the Clowns. Kaneda's best friend, Tetsuo Shima, inadvertently crashes his motorcycle into Takashi, an ESPer who escaped from a government laboratory with the aid of a resistance organization. Assisted by fellow ESPer Masaru, Japan Self-Defense Forces Colonel Shikishima recaptures Takashi, takes Tetsuo away, and arrests the Capsules. While being interrogated by the police, Kaneda meets Kei, an activist within the resistance movement, and tricks the authorities into releasing her with his gang. Kei is pardoned, but ...

Bleach, a 15-year-old high school student, Ichigo Kurosaki, becomes a substitute Soul Reaper (Shinigami, literally, "Death God") when Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper, cannot fulfill her duties after engaging in battle with a particularly powerful Hollow. Although initially reluctant to accept the heavy responsibility, he begins eliminating Hollows in Rukia's place and during this time discovers that several of his friends and classmates are spiritually aware and have powers of their own: Uryū Ishida is a Quincy who can use spirit particles, Orihime Inoue possesses a group of protective spirits known as the Shun Shun Rikka and Yasutora Sado ("Chad") has strength equal to the Hollows encased in his tough right (and occasionally left) arm. When Rukia is sentenced to death for her transgressions in the human world and taken back to the spirit world of Soul Society, Ichigo seeks out the assistance of Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin, who, unbekno...