Origin
Ikumi Unagiya is the owner of a the jack-of-all-trades business called “Unagiya”, and she hired the high school student Ichigo Kurosaki for his impressive skill. She’s the mother of Kaoru Unagiya that she tries to hide her aggressive side from.
Creation
Ikumi Unagiya (鰻屋 育美, Unagiya Ikumi) is a supporting character of the BLEACH series that was created by Tite Kubo, It first began serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in August 2001. She was later introduced during the Lost Shinigami Substitute Arc story arc that first began in Volume 49.
She first appeared in BLEACH Volume 49, CH. 426 “The Starter2”,
Character Evolution
” Look, I don’t know what happened to you… But stop trying to act like nothing’s wrong around me. I’m not your peer! I’m an adult! I’m past the age where I need to worry about kids like you! So just tell me truthfully what happened! It’s okay for kids to rely on adult, you know! “
Ikumi Unagiya “BLEACH” Vol. 50 Ch. 441
Ikumi Unagiya is a lovely mature woman. She has long black hair and gray eyes. She’s aggressive as Ichigo’s boss and gives him hell for taking side jobs without giving her notice. She takes great pride in her name, and wont change the name of her company. This in spite of it constantly being mistaken for a restaurant, since her family name is also the name of an eel dish.
She’s best known for her ability to switch personalities and clothes at the drop of a hat depending on whether Kaoru, her son, approaches. For some unknown reason, she desperately wants to hide her fighter side from her child. She only seems to want to show him she’s a kind and gentle mother. The moment she hears her son, she removes her hat and goggles to replace them with an apron.
Major Story Arcs
Lost Shinigami Substitute Arc
Ikumi went to Ichigo’s school to pick him up after he had tried skipping work. He was already in a fight with some local punks, who she finished off herself and dragged Ichigo back to work. To most witnesses, this looked like an abduction. Soon after arriving at “Unagiya” and sending Kaoru back into the house, Ginjo Kugo came knocking. This guy seemed to know Ichigo. He wanted them to find a man, a man who turned out to be Ichigo’s father, Isshin Kurosaki.
Later that day, Ichigo showed up later late at night to ask for time off, but she could tell something was bothering him. She told him it’s alright to rely on adults. Some time after Ichigo left, Ikumi was attacked by Shukuro Tsukishima, who was using his memory rewriting powers to turn Ichigo’s friends against him. Ikumi and Ichigo’s other friends and family were later brought to Shunkuro’s home as part of a mock party to further antagonize Ichigo. Their memories were restored after Shukuro was defeated.
The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc
Ichigo showed up to Unagiya out of the blue one night while it was raining. He seemed like something was troubling him. After a shower, he apologized for causing her trouble, but she just headbutted him. She reminded him that she’s considered herself an older sister since she hired him. He should feel welcome to come by whenever, and that it was alright to trust adults. Ikumi answered the door when she heard a knock, but no one was there. Ichigo then ran out and left an odd looking badge behind.
Powers & Abilities
Ikumi Unagiya is a human with exceptional strength, speed, and fighting ability. She was fast enough to even capture and tie up Ichigo, who has extensive battle experience. The source of her training is unknown.
- Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Ikumi is an expert fighter in unarmed combat. By herself, she effortlessly managed to beat up several armed high school thugs who had come after Ichigo.
Other Media
Anime
BLEACH (2004)
The BLEACH animated series is a direct adaptation of Tite Kubo’s original manga. It’s produced by Studio Pierrot and first began airing in October 5, 2004. Ikumi’s first anime appearance was in BLEACH – Episode 344 “A Dispute in School?! Ichigo and Uryū, Fight Together!”, which aired on October 18, 2011.
Her character in the Japanese series is voiced by Yuko Kaida, and the U.S. dub produced by VIZ Media has yet to announce a voice actress.