BLEACH: memories in the rain

Memories in the Rain was produced by Studio Pierrot in 2004 as a special promotional episode for the Bleach anime series. It was originally crafted to serve as an introductory piece, debuting at the Jump Festa anime tour before the full-length television series began its broadcast run later that year. The special acts as a condensed adaptation of the early chapters of Tite Kubo's manga, specifically focusing on the emotional weight of Ichigo Kurosaki's origin story and his initial encounters with the hollows and shinigami.

The visual direction aimed to establish the dark, urban fantasy aesthetic that would define the Bleach series for years to come. By highlighting the melancholic narrative of the protagonist’s mother, the production sought to set a serious, character-driven tone for the franchise. While it served primarily as a marketing tool to generate hype among manga readers, it was well-received for its faithfulness to the source material’s atmosphere and the introduction of the series' core themes of duty and grief.