Viz Media has announced that the 52-episode second season of the Bleach anime series will begin airing on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on Saturday, March 1st.  The TV 14-rated Bleach anime is based on the Bleach manga by Tite Kubo, which has reached 31 volumes in Japan where it is still ongoing.  Viz Media also releases the Bleach manga (Volume 22 is due out this week) here in the U.S.  With sales boosted by the airing of Bleach on Adult Swim, both the Bleach anime (#8) and the Bleach manga (#5) are firmly ensconced in the upper echelons of ICv2's most recent 'Top 25 Anime Properties' and 'Top 50 Manga Properties.'

Produced by Studio Pierrot, the Bleach manga debuted in Japan in October of 2005 and remains on the air in Japan today with more than 157 episodes broadcast so far.  Viz Media has released a Bleach Season 1 box set as well as individual four-episode volumes (Volume 8 came out last week).