Despite the long-anxious 10 years of delay, Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War is making waves online. Owing to its predecessor’s immense popularity, Bleach: TYBW became an instant hit. From mind-boggling animations to terrific action scenes, TYBW captivated several fans to the show. Moreover, the confirmation of Ichigo’s rival, Grimmjow, returning for TYBW Part 3, left fans eagerly anticipating.
Because of the extended wait for TYBW‘s release, many fans weren’t so optimistic about its future release; however, Tite Kubo didn’t let down Bleach‘s fans’ high expectations of the long-awaited prequel. Surprisingly, Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Arc lets viewers witness a sudden change in Ichigo’s voice, which many fans overlooked.
Interestingly, Kubo has recently opened up about his thoughts on Ichigo’s VA sudden change in TYBW, explaining how voice actors’ personal experience shaped Ichigo’s character and increasing popularity.
Bleach‘s Creator Explains the Need for Ichigo’s Sudden Voice Change in the TYBW Arc
Tite Kubo‘s Bleach is arguably one of the most recognized anime in the community, earning the title of Big Three of Shonen anime alongside One Piece and Naruto. Not to forget that the anime’s iconic catchphrase, ‘Bankai’, has become a global sensation, continuing to resonate with fans and create buzz online.
Masakazu Morita, the voice actor behind Ichigo Kurosaki, receives tons of praise from the Bleach fandom for bringing depth to their beloved protagonist. Surprisingly, Morita encountered a lot of challenges while working on The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc.
However, the voice actor was able to overcome this struggling phase to deliver a more cinematic experience for fans. As Morita grew closer to his fictional character, the voice actor subtly altered Ichigo’s voice, which he never expected fans to notice. Interestingly, Kubo’s family was among the few fans who discovered the difference in Ichigo’s voice in comparison to the classic Bleach.
In an interview, Tite Kubo explained that the sudden change in Ichigo’s voice in TYBW was necessary to express our beloved protagonist’s growth as a character. Surprisingly, the Bleach creator wasn’t able to spot the difference and had to cross-check with his family for confirmation. He adds:
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 (Tite Kubo’s family) 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.
Morita was surprised after learning about Tite Kubo’s family’s keen observation skills. The VA greatly appreciated the mangaka’s compliments and explained his hidden motives behind Ichigo’s voice change.
Morita revealed that he wanted to add more depth to Ichigo’s character through his voice line; thus, he was encouraged to change his initial approach. However, the voice actor specifically mentioned his efforts as an unnoticeable change for many viewers. Despite all the compliments, Ichigo’s VA faced most struggles in his career while working on The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc.
Ichigo’s VA Discusses the Challenges Faced During Bleach: TYBW Production
Owing to classic Bleach‘s immense popularity, the staff encountered several obstacles during the production of The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. Surprisingly, Masakazu Morita once revealed his initial struggles with voicing Ichigo in TYBW Arc.
Morita revealed that he didn’t struggle with voicing Ichigo back in classic Bleach; however, the voice actor couldn’t cope with Kurosaki’s personality in The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. However, all such challenges helped the voice actor grow closer to his fictional character and uncover an unexpected similarity between himself and Ichigo.
Morita addressed that Ichigo’s mental training put the voice actor under some stress to portray our beloved protagonist’s emotions on screen. Fortunately, Tite Kubo was always there to lend a helping hand to Ichigo’s voice actor, a support Morita deeply appreciated.
Bleach and Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War are available for streaming on Crunchyroll
