Owing to its enormous popularity, Bleach earned its spot in the Big Three of Shonen anime along with One Piece and Naruto. After airing for eight long years, Bleach captivated a vast audience thanks to its splendid narrative following the story of Shinigami and Hollows.
Not to forget that the fandom was stunned after witnessing the epic clash between Ichigo and the most popular antagonist, Aizen. Despite the long list of 366 episodes, the series was the first of the Big 3 to conclude, leaving fans eagerly anticipating its return. Nonetheless, Bleach: The Thousand Year Blood War announcement took the entire internet by storm.
The news of Bleach returning after eight years made fans go berserk, and the franchise didn’t disappoint the fandom’s high expectations. Apart from the viewers, Tite Kubo also received tons of tribute from fellow manga creators for the anime’s return. Interestingly, one Bleach voice actor was so surprised by the announcement that he believed the news was too good to be true.
Bleach Voice Actor Shocked by Anime’s Return, Resorts to Unusual Tactics to Confirm the News
Bleach‘s last episode aired back in 2014. Naturally, many fans felt the anime wouldn’t return, especially when the epilogue felt pleasing. However, several manga readers didn’t feel satisfied with Bleach‘s anime conclusion and always anticipated its return for the final arc, The Thousand-Year Blood War.
Tite Kubo captivated many readers with his work for over a decade and The Thousand Year Blood War arc played a vital role in its success. Since fans didn’t feel any closure with the anime’s conclusion, Bleach had to make its return to neglect all the criticism and doubts about its spot in the Big Three.
Besides the fandom, the revelation of Bleach: The Thousand Year Blood War even took one of the beloved character’s voice actors by surprise. Derek Stephen Prince, who is the English Voice Actor of Uryū Ishida in Bleach, couldn’t control his excitement after the announcement. In an interview, Derek revealed he was so shocked by the revelation that he called his director to confirm the news.
After I already knew that [the arc] was in the process of being recorded, I called up the casting director. I was going, So, I hear that they’re recording again.
He further explains his conversation with the director and later reveals that he confirmed the production of The Thousand-Year Blood War arc, but wasn’t sure about its time of arrival for recording. He adds:
So, I knew it was coming; I just didn’t know when it was coming.
Uryū Ishida was introduced as Quincy and Ichigo’s arch-nemesis back in episode 11. Although the two become close friends in the series, the rivalry continues after Ishida learns about the annihilation of all Quinces in the final arc. Quincy and Shinigami’s past ideological differences led to inevitable conflict, which later escalated into a full-blown war known as the First Great Quincy War.
Tite Kubo Shares Insights on Bleach’s Most Complex Character
In a joint interview with Kōhei Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, Tite Kubo talked about the most complex character showcased in Bleach. During the interview, Horikoshi revealed Mayuri Kurotsuchi as his favorite and applauds Kubo for his in-depth work on his character design.
My Hero Academia’s creator also disclosed that he requested Kubo to draw a Mayuri sketch while asking for his autograph. Interestingly, Kubo was delighted by Horikoshi’s answer as most fans have distinct impressions of Mayuri.
Because of Mayuri’s complex character and few immoral methods, many readers view Mayuri as an evil character. However, he further shared that he never intended to design any 13 Court Guard Squads as the bad guys, including Mayuri. Therefore, he felt really surprised and pleased by Horikoshi’s choice as a fellow creator who recognized his work.
Bleach and Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War are available for streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
