'Bleach' Gains Fans' Seal Of Approval With New Trailers

So far, anime fans have only been shown one side of the live-action world. While comic book adaptations have thrived in Hollywood, no one has found the magic touch for anime. Titles like Death Note have fallen apart in the west, and live-action takes such as Fullmetal Alchemist have also been critiqued. So, you can't blame fans for how wary they've become of live-action anime.

It's a good thing Bleach is here to turn around that kind of reputation then. So far, the live-action adaptation is shaping up to be a formidable one.

Not long ago, Warner Bro. Japan surprised fans with the release of two new trailers for Bleach. As you can see above, the new reels show off more of the film's main cast as characters like Ichigo Kurosaki are shown alongside Rukia Kuchiki. The videos' sleek action and surprisingly solid VFX have fans feeling — well — unexpectedly pleased with how Bleach is looking.

No, really. Just look in the slides below, and you'll find a bevy of surprised netizens.

With Bleach poised to hit Japanese theaters in July, the live-action adaptation has a lot to live up to. The movie is adapting Tite Kubo's iconic supernatural shonen that Shueisha popularized more than a decade ago. It has been 2 years since fans have gotten any new Bleach material, but the live-action resurrection could spawn a Soul Society comeback so long as it goes over well. And, judging by fan reactions so far, Bleach has the fandom's tentative seal of approval for now.

The live-action Bleach adaptation releases July 20 in Japan and released its first full trailer awhile back. The film will adapt the first arc of the series, the "Substitute Shinigami" arc. The current cast includes Sota Fukushi as Ichigo Kurosaki and Hana Sugisaki as Rukia Kuchiki is MIYAVI, who will play Byakuya Kuchiki Ryou Yoshizawa, as Uryuu Ishida, and Taichi Saotome as Renji Abarai.

How are you feeling about this live-action adaptation so far? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!