Episode Stats:

Japanese Episode 001:  "Shinigami ni Natchatta Hi"

(The Day I Became the God of Death)

Corresponding Manga Chapters:  Chapter One
Anime Air Date (Japan):  October 5th, 2004

Fifteen-year-old Kurosaki Ichigo is just a normal high school student...who can see ghosts.  After beating up a group of thugs for disrespecting the tribute made to a deceased girl, Ichigo returns home to his eccentric family.  Later that night, a young woman who identifies herself as a Shinigami (God of Death) appears and informs Ichigo all about these evil spirits called Hollows.  Suddenly, Ichigo's family is attacked by one of these Hollows, so Ichigo leaps into action despite the God of Death's objections.  He soon figures out that the Hollow is only after his family because it's trying to get to him, so he offers himself to the creature in order to save his family.  Right as the Hollow approaches to devour the young man, the God of Death throws herself in his path to prevent his soul from being eaten.  Badly wounded, the God of Death, who has now identified herself as Kuchiki Rukia, gives her powers to Ichigo and tells him to finish the job.  Rukia is amazed at the high school student's ability to effectively kill the Hollow so quickly.

Thoughts
The Bleach anime premiered in Japan in October of 2004, and I was in the country to witness the first broadcast of what would blow up into a nationwide phenomenon.  I had read all the manga that was translated by Viz up to that point, so I went into the series with at least some sort of background knowledge of what the basic story would be and who the various characters were.  When the episode was over, I felt as if I had just finished watching the beginning of the next biggest anime since Naruto.

The transition from manga to anime was actually pretty decent.  A number of changes were made, presumably because of the different medium (comic book versus animation), but they're nothing too major just yet.

Part A

• The girl Ichigo helps out in the beginning of the episode doesn't have any blood on her in the anime.  In the manga, half of her face is covered in blood, giving the punks Ichigo beats up yet another reason to run away screaming.
• The entire scene with Ichigo watching Rukia fight off and kill a Hollow is anime-only.  In the manga, Ichigo doesn't see Rukia until she shows up in his room.

• During Rukia's visit to Ichigo, there's a scene of Ichigo's father walking in that's cut out of the anime.  The scene involves Ichigo's dad yelling at Ichigo for making so much noise, and Ichigo tells him that he was stomping around because there was an intruder.  Ichigo points to Rukia as he says this, but Ichigo's dad can't see her.  Rukia explains that normal humans can't see or hear her.  The scene shifts to one of a Hollow wandering back, and when it returns to Ichigo's house, we learn that Ichigio's father was hit in the head by Ichigo, presumably to get rid of him to allow Ichigo and Rukia to continue their conversation.
• In the manga, Ichigo sees Karin first, and then fights the Hollow to rescue Yuzu.  In the anime, it's the other way around--he sees Yuzu first, and then fights the Hollow to rescue Karin.
• In the anime, Ichigo's dad isn't mentioned at all during the Hollow's attack on Ichigo's house.  In the manga, we learn that his father was the first one attacked, and he lies downstairs, bloody and unconscious, throughout the battle.