Two years ago, Bleach fans lost their mind when it was revealed that the anime adaptation of Tite Kubo’s supernatural adventure manga would be making a comeback. The beloved anime concluded all the way back in 2014 with the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc, just a few years before the manga would close things out in 2016. But now, Ichigo Kugisaki and the rest of his crew are back to finish the fight properly this time.
Helmed once again by Studio Pierrot and directed by series newcomer Tomohisa Taguchi (Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna), the adaptation of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc was revealed at Japan’s Jump Festa on Saturday morning. Things seem bad when there’s a sudden spike of Hollows being killed in the World of the Living, and even worse when a new enemy called the Wandenreich and their leader Yhwach show up looking to wipe out the Soul Reapers. With his trusty blade Zanpakuto, Ichigo’s got to do what he do best to save the world and the Soul Society.
The Blood War arc is rather controversial, with fans split on whether it’s the best arc of the series or one of its worst. Either way, they’ve still wanted to see the series get a proper conclusion, and it looks like they’ll get their wish next October. With the Japanese voice cast from the anime set to return, and composer Shiro Sagisu back to handle the music, it seems like it’ll be a fun return to the world that fans grew to love over the years.
During the reveal, Viz Media revealed that Kubo acquired the anime’s worldwide distribution rights. And what’s more, Viz will allows fans to pick up the entire English dubbed 366-episode, 13-season series digitally for only $US99 ($139) come February during “anime month.” Considering that normally would run you $US1,000 ($1,403), that’s a damn good deal to take advantage of.
Bleach’s Thousand-Year Blood War arc will premiere in October 2022.