Bleach Live-Action Movie Reveals First Official Look At Ichigo

If you didn’t know Bleach was getting a live-action movie, then surprise! Tite Kubo’s shonen series confirmed it would be getting a film adaptation late last year, leaving fans to fret over Ichigo’s on-screen future. Now, the first official image of Sota Fukushi as Ichigo Kurosaki has been released, and it shows the actor in-character as the Substitute Soul Reaper.

The latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump released the first-look image of Ichigo, and fans are not sure how to react. The picture, which can be seen below, covers much of Ichigo in shadow as he poses in his traditional Soul Reaper robes. The character is seen rocking some vibrant orange hair, and his lanky frame is offset by the massive sword he wields. It appears Ichigo’s Zanpakuto has been touched-up with CGI finishes, and his bright blade is catching everyone’s eye.

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The live-action spread also contains a few stills from the Bleach movie itself. In the top corner, fans can see Ichigo standing in the middle of a darkened city street. The character is donning his Soul Reaper wardrobe, and fans are wondering if this scene is taken from when Ichigo first becomes a Soul Reaper. As for the bottom image, it looks like the CGI hand seen reaching forward may belong to a Hollow.

This is not the first time fans have seen Ichigo’s live-action counterpart. Back in October, fans snapped a few production photos of Fukushi on-set in his Soul Reaper get-up. The pictures saw the actor toting around his Zanpakuto, and fans vocalized their concerns then about whether Ichigo would translate well on-screen. So far, there is no consensus about the Bleach adaptation, but anime fans are cautiously optimistic about the project.

A slew of news about the live-action Bleach movie has been released today, and fans are a bit overwhelmed. The official Twitter account for the film confirmed it would be released in summer 2018. More information about the feature is scheduled to drop tomorrow on July 7th so fans will want to keep their eyes peeled for news.

You can read Viz Media’s synopsis of Bleach below:

“Ichigo Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts—he was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow—a malevolent lost soul—Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace.”

MORE: Here’s Tite Kubo’s Explanation For Bleach’s Plot Holes

Bleach is author Tite Kubo’s second title. Kubo made his debut with ZOMBIEPOWDER., a four-volume series for Weekly Shonen Jump. To date, Bleach has been translated into numerous languages and has also inspired an animated TV series that began airing in Japan in 2004. Beginning its serialization in 2001, Bleach is still a mainstay in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. In 2005, Bleach was awarded the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award in the shonen (boys) category.