Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War arc brought back the smiles on the faces of the fans. Tite Kubo’s magnum opus last aired in 2012 and then went on a long hiatus. After ten years, the anime finally returned with the final season. Along with the new season, the old band of voice actors got together. The Thousand Year Blood War arc has been a treat for the fans.
Apart from the fans, the creator of Bleach also seems to be enjoying his magnum opus, too. Even though he was involved with most of the things, he overlooked a simple thing. It was his family that pointed it out to him. Ichigo Kurosaki’s voice actor, Masakazu Morita, gave the protagonist a much-needed change in his voice, which went perfectly with the scenario.
Tite Kubo Adored A Subtle Change In Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War arc saw the Soul Reapers go up against the Quincies, led by Yhwach. One of the striking features has been the animation and the changes in the dress code of the Soul Society. Apart from that, the fans have also noticed the change in Ichigo Kurosaki’s voice. Unfortunately, Tite Kubo failed to recognize the change initially. During an interview with Viz, Kubo sensei was asked about the changes from the last ten years.
He said,
“My family commented that Ichigo’s voice had changed after watching episodes one and two of Thousand-Year Blood War at the advance screening event back in September 2022. I thought that was interesting because to me, the change in Morita-san’s voice perfectly captured Ichigo’s growth as a character, so it sounded fine to me.
In fact, I didn’t even notice that Morita-san changed his voice. So when I questioned if it really was that different, they said, “It’s completely different. How could you not notice it?” [lol] But if you ask me, Ichigo in Thousand-Year Blood War is supposed to sound this way.”
Tite Kubo can only use a pen to portray the growth of his protagonist. But in the anime, the audio also plays a crucial role along with the video. So, Ichigo’s much-needed voice change was done by Masakazu Morito, and it was unknown to Kubo sensei. While it may have been without his permission, he adored the change and thought it was perfect. It felt natural to him. Thanks to his family otherwise, he might have been the only person who would not be able to enjoy his creation’s proper development.
Bleach Has Regained Its Former Glory As One Of The Big Three
Alongside Naruto and One Piece, Bleach is considered to be one of the Big Three of anime. Naruto had a glorious run and concluded in 2017, and One Piece is continuing its strong run. But Bleach, coming to an end, suddenly halted its growth in fame. In 2022, when Thousand Year Blood War started airing, it began to regain its former glory. The story has been exceptional, and the characters equally match the scenarios.
The final season has been divided into different parts. Parts one and two have been released, while part three is scheduled for October 2024. The Soul Society suffered a massive setback after the death of Yamamoto Genryusai, but the Gotei 13 evolved during the fight and are trying their best to defeat Yhwach and his subordinates. With more refined abilities, personality, and voice change, Ichigo Kurosaki is also there to lend his hand to the Soul Reapers.
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War is available on Hulu.
