Bleach is popular for its ever-looming themes of death, violence, and friendships. Its blend of Japanese mythology with Western languages makes it different from most Shonen anime. Although Tite Kubo won several accolades for this manga, voice actors deserve their due recognition as well.
While a mangaka creates a manga, the voice actor breathes life into the art through their performance. Most voice actors attempt challenging roles that can be emotionally draining. For some, it pertains to the character’s inner journey, for others; it is the language barrier. Yhwach’s voice actor Takayuki Sugo counters this challenge in his own way, as the author reveals.
Takayuki Sugo deployed hilarious antics for memorizing lines in Bleach
Takayuki Sugo voices the role of Yhwach in Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, written by Tite Kubo. He previously voiced the role of Zangetsu in the original series. Apart from voicing these two characters, Sugo san is a seasoned voice actor who has acted in several iconic franchises like Naruto, Hell-girl, and Yu-Gi-Oh!
After Kubo’s ten-year hiatus, Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War premiered in 2022. This also marked the return of the author. The series focuses heavily on the Quincy Blood War that happened 19 months after Sosuke Aizen’s defeat. It also establishes Yhwach, the Quincy King, as a stronger antagonist.
In an interview with Viz.com, Tite Kubo reveals Takayuki Sugo’s challenge in memorizing script lines that were written in katakana. He also stated the voice actor’s hilarious method of coping with the situation:
The thing that was most memorable was that Takayuki Sugo, who plays Yhwach, had a hard time memorizing lines written in katakana. After being told how to say them several times, he said, All right, I’ll write it out in hiragana.[lol] He said it in a really cool voice, so that made it even funnier. [lol]
While Sugo san’s method sounds hilarious to both Kubo san and Morita san, he aces the role of the Quincy King. The language barrier is an uncommon obstacle, considering the author’s use of German and Spanish terms in his manga.
Tite Kubo’s idea of a mature Ichigo was animated by Masakazu Morita
Masakazu Morita is popular for voicing Ichigo Kurosaki in the Bleach anime franchise. He voices the role of Whis in the Dragon Ball series. Besides that, he is a versatile dub artist who lends his voice to several game franchises as well. However, his approach to Ichigo’s role after the ten-year hiatus differed from his initial process.
The premiere of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War in 2022 marked several developments in the storyline. From decentering Ichigo’s character to highlighting side characters, The Quincy Blood War navigates the growth of characters and the storyline perfectly.
This is clear when Masakazu Morita reveals his approach to improvising his lines and their delivery. He states:
Adding variety to the sounds I couldn’t make before. Especially at the end of consonants, where I’m adding a few embellishments. Also, I slightly increased the volume of my mid-baritone. I tried to slightly increase my range and make it reverberate a little more.
To add to that, he captures the protagonist’s growth and maturity through his voice as the author noted. His dedication and sincerity toward his role as Ichigo reflect his passion for voice acting. Additionally, voice actors like Masakazu Morita and Takayuki Sugo deserve their due recognition for breathing life into fans’ beloved characters.
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War is available for streaming on Crunchyroll
