Episode 168 premieres in U.S. at 1:00 a.m.
Adult Swim, the late-night programming block of the Cartoon Network in the United States, is bringing back new episodes of Bleach to its lineup tonight. Bleach episode 168 will premiere at 1:00 a.m., right after the premiere of Kekkaishi episode 14 at 12:30 a.m. The new episodes of Kekkaishi and Bleach will then repeat at 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., respectively. The rest of the night's anime programming consists of reruns of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
The anime adaptation of Tite Kubo's Bleach manga launched in Japan in 2004, and it then launched on Adult Swim in the United States in 2006. This past March, Adult Swim posted a schedule which featured no new Bleach episodes for April, effectively putting the series on hiatus. In the meantime, Crunchyroll began simulcasting Bleach with English subtitles as it airs in Japan in June, and the Viz Anime website began "quick-casting" episodes one week after their Japanese broadcast that same month.
Ending marked by art contest, CD of favorite quotes by anime cast
The October issue of Hakuskensha's shōjo manga magazine LaLa has confirmed on Tuesday that Bisco Hatori's romantic comedy manga Ouran High School Host Club will end with a 52-page chapter in the next issue on September 24. The magazine had already announced in June that the series was entering its final story arc.
In the story, high school freshman Haruhi pretends to be a boy so that she can take part in the wealthy school's Host Club, to which she owes a large debt. The manga launched in LaLa in August of 2003, and Viz Media licensed the manga and launched its North American release in July of 2005. The manga has been among the top-ranked titles both in Japan and
In April 2006, a 26-episode anime began in Japan with Maaya Sakamoto as Haruhi and Mamoru Miyano as Host Club president Tamaki. Funimation licensed and released the anime in North America in 2008.
To mark the end of the manga, LaLa launched a "Host Club: The Last Party" fan campaign to give away presents. The campaign included an illustration contest for fan art, as well as votes for the fans' favorite "Title Page Illustration Selection" and favorite quotes from the manga ("The Best Collection"). The cast of Ouran's anime adaptation then recorded the top-ranking quotes for a CD. The CD is being offered to readers via a mail-away offer starting in the October issue.
