‘Bleach’s Creator Looks Unrecognizable in New Interview

If you are a fan of Bleach, then you owe a lot to Tite Kubo. The artist is the man responsible for creating the Soul Society, and he spent years drafting the manga. When Bleach ended a couple years back, he took a well-deserved break, but Kubo is resurfacing these days for the occasional interview.

However, some fans have had a hard time spotting Kubo during the on-camera chats. The artist looks nothing like he used to, but that may be a good thing.

Recently, Kubo appeared on a a variety show in Japan. The Fuji TV series gathered the artist and his former editor Shu Murakoshi to talk about their tenure on Bleach. The short chat saw Kubo discuss his recent projects, but fans were too busy looking at the artist to listen.

As you can see above, Kubo looks totally different from how fans remember. During Bleach‘s publication, the artist was known for his longer, fringed hairstyle. Kubo’s rockstar aesthetic was famous amongst anime fans, but it seems the manga artist has toned down his look these days. During his most recent interview, Kubo came out wearing an Adidas hoodie and black jeans. The artist completed the look with a clean-shaven face and slicked-back hair.

Of course, it has been more than a year since Bleach ended. The artist was bound to make some style changes during that time, and Kubo did hit 40 last year. The birthday might have ushered in a style shift for the artist, but fans admit they are happy to see Kubo looking happy these days.

Kubo may have been famous for his style, but that light was only overshadowed by his hardworking reputation. Bleach ran for 15 years straight, leaving Kubo to crank out nearly 700 chapters. His rigorous work scheduled was well-documented by industry insiders, and Kubo confessed all his hours drawing put a toil on his body. These days, the artist looks way more relaxed, so it looks like his prolonged hiatus has been a good thing.

For those unfamiliar with Tite Kubo‘s Bleach, the series follows the young delinquent 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.

Do you think Kubo will serialize another manga before he retires for good? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!