The fourth season of the Bleach anime series was directed by Noriyuki Abe and produced by Studio Pierrot. Like the rest of the series, the season follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki and company, but instead of adapting content from Tite Kubo's Bleach manga series, it features an original, self-contained filler story arc. The twenty-eight episodes form the Bount arc , which focuses on the introduction of the Bount, a race of vampiric beings that consume human souls to extend their lives, and their conflicts with Ichigo and his allies.