Bleach Manga Coming To An End This Fall

It looks like another one of Japan’s beloved manga sagas is finally coming to an end. While it was announced back in 2013 that Bleach was entering its final act, it looks like the story will be wrapping later this Fall with Volume 74.

As of now, Bleach is just 5 chapters into its final volume, so fans are now curious to see how the manga’s current arc with provide closure to the long-running series. Created by Tite Kubo, Bleach was first published in 2001 by Weekly Shōnen Jump. Since it’s release, Bleach has stood as one of the most popular mangas in history as it still ranks as a best-selling series in both Japan and the U.S. Bleach has sold over 84 million copies in Japan alone, and the series has gone on to spawn spin-off media with its popular anime, video games, films, musicals, and tons of licensed merchandise.

And, after 15 years, it looks like fans will finally have to say goodbye to Ichigo Kurosaki and the rest of his Soul Society crew. Fans of the Bleach anime bid farewell to the TV series back in March 2012 when the show came to an end after a record-breaking run. For much of its distribution, the anime competed with top tier animes such as Naruto and One Piece. However, ratings for the anime began dropping once the series resolved its major conflict with the villain Aizen, and fans were vocal with their complaints about the show’s prolific filler episodes. Finishing with 366 episodes, fans are now hoping that Bleach might return to TV in a reboot or continuation to animate the rest of the franchise’s manga volumes.

For manga lovers, the end of Bleach signals yet another loss in the community. Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto came to an end last year, though its anime is still wrapping up, and fans were understandably distraught to see the series go. Now, many of those same fans are coming to terms with the impending end of Bleach as they prepare to part with their favorite Quincys, Soul Reapers, and more.