It doesn't look like live-action anime adaptations are going anywhere anytime soon. Last year, franchises such as Fullmetal Alchemist and Gintama got their real-world debut. This year will follow up those crowd-pleasers with Bleach's live-action debut, and fans just got their first real look at the movie.
So far, the anime fandom is feeling the teaser trailer. No one has compared it to the dredge that is Dragonball Evolution, and plenty seem downright hopeful.
As you can see above, the folks at Warner Bros. Japan dropped Bleach's live-action trailer earlier today. The clip focuses on a boy named Ichigo Kurosaki as he comes face-to-face with a deadly Hollow. The supernatural creature has no qualms with destroying the orange-haired hero, but Ichigo is able to fight back once he siphons spiritual energy from a Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki.
Fans have known about Bleach's live-action ambitions for some time now. The movie dropped a teaser last fall as well as a poster, but the first reel was not long enough to critique. Bleach's latest trailer gives a whole 30-seconds of footage, and anime fans are surprisingly optimistic about the venture.
No, really — just check out the slides below! ComicBook has rounded up some of the Internet's best reactions to the trailer, and Bleach fans admit they are shocked by how authentic this first-look footage feels.
Not caught up on Bleach? This is wht you need to know. It focuses on Ichigo Kurosaki, who had the ability to see spirits. He soon obtains the power of a Soul Reaper - one meant to usher lost souls to the afterlife - and now has the duty to defend the living world from monstrous dark spirits known as Hollows.
The manga was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from 2001 to 2016, and was collected into 74 volumes. It has been adapted into English thanks to VIZ Media, and has sold over 900 million copies in Japan. The series was adapted into an anime by Studio Pierrot from 2004 to 2012, and has four feature-length animations, rock musicals, video games, and a ton of other merchandise.
What do you think about the live-action take on Bleach? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!