Bleach Teases a 'Transcendent' Project Ahead of Its 20th Anniversary

The Bleach anime franchise is hyping up something to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

By Evan Valentine

This October, Bleach is planning to return with the third part of the Soul Society's fight against the Sternritter. Considering how the second cours of the anime adaptation came to an end with a massive cliffhanger, Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies' comeback is set to be one of the biggest events of the fall anime season. Long before the Thousand-Year Blood War began, Studio Pierrot was weaving the early stories of the Soul Reapers as they fought Hollows and other supernatural threats. Later this year, Bleach will be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of its anime adaptation and in doing so, might be dropping some major news on anime fans in the process.

Bleach's anime adaptation, for those who might not know, first began in 2004, arriving three years after the beginning of Tite Kubo's manga. While the Soul Society did run into some popularity issues that initially brought both the manga and anime adaptation to an end, the Thousand-Year Blood War has brought Ichigo and friends back into the spotlight. There is a reason that Bleach is often referred to as one of the "Big Three' alongside Naruto and One Piece, and while the series has seen its fair share of stumbles, it has come back with a vengeance.

Bleach's 20th Anniversary Event Explained

On September 16th in Japan, there will be a live viewing of the Bleach 20th anniversary event, as the shonen franchise teases a major revelation for fans. Those who are following the Soul Society are already starting to hypothesize whether this event will be the introduction of a new anime project and/or a reboot that will take us back to the beginning of the series. Here's how Studio Pierrot describes the upcoming anniversary:

"The TV anime Bleach was broadcast from 2004 to March 2012, and a total of four movie versions have been released so far. This year marks the 20th anniversary and the third anime of the final chapter, "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War". To commemorate the 20th anniversary, a special project that transcends the boundaries of the original work and anime has started." 

What Follows The Blood War?

The Thousand-Year Blood War was initially thought of as the grand finale for the Soul Society. In a surprise move, Bleach creator Tite Kubo forged a brand new chapter that took place years following the fight against Yhwach and his forces. Bleach: No Breathes From Hell saw an adult Ichigo Kurosaki settling down with Orihime and having a child of their own. The special chapter also hinted at a horrifying new threat that was a tad too close for comfort for the Soul Reapers. In a surprising twist, previously deceased Soul Society Captains were sent to the underworld simply for being too powerful and aren't too thrilled with their current lot in life. 

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This sequel chapter was released in 2021 and ever since, all has been quiet regarding what this installment means for Bleach's future. Should Studio Pierrot confirm that they are looking to continue the story of Ichigo following the Blood War, No Breathes From Hell seems like the perfect avenue for future stories. Tite Kubo remains a significant influence on Bleach, albeit through working on the latest anime episodes rather than the manga, so should Ichigo and his Shinigami allies want to tread new ground, Kubo would surely be the one steering their course. 

Want to stay up to date on the Soul Society's future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for the latest updates on Bleach and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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