Is a Bleach Remake Really Happening? It Better Be.

It has been 20 years since Bleach hit television, and we're definitely overdue for a remake.

By Megan Peters

Ichigo Kurosaki is one of the coolest guys to ever do it. Back in 2001, the world was introduced to the substitute soul reaper as creator Tite Kubo plotted out Bleach. From day one, the supernatural story caught the attention of fans, and Bleach came into its own when Studio Pierrot's anime went live in 2004. To this day, Bleach is thriving thanks to a long-awaited comeback, but this return is not enough. Bleach deserves an anime reboot more than anything else, and this kind of project may be in the works.

For years now, the Bleach fandom has been asking for an anime remake, and a new post from its team has netizens doing a double take. This year does mark the 20th anniversary of the original Bleach anime, and a special event will soon take place in Japan to mark the event. On September 16, a Bleach fan-event will be held in Tokyo that promises to drop "new information about the 20th anniversary" of the anime. In another post by the team, they promise the event will include information that encapsulates and transcends the anime. So really, it is no surprise that rumors of a remake are popping off.

Why Do We Want a Bleach Remake

As for why we need a Bleach remake, well – it all comes down to pacing. Studio Pierrot did a solid job animating Bleach back in the day, and pivotal scenes like Ichigo's Bankai debut still slap. However, it is no secret that Bleach was plagued with production issues. The manga was still being published when Bleach hit television, and the team at Pierrot eventually caught up with Kubo's content. To buffer the clash, the Bleach anime pushed forward its fair share of filler content. From simple episodes to full-on arcs, the filler in Bleach is one of the show's most-critiqued elements.

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(Photo: Studio Pierrot)

Bleach has finished its mainline series, so a reboot would be able to easily plot out the story from start to finish. There is no need to suffer through filler content, and since its battles have played out, the Pierrot team can better streamline certain encounters. The original anime definitely stretched content during the Hueco Mundo arc and Aizen's final fight. Much of this stretching happened because Bleach was still putting out weekly chapters, but now, we have a full guide map for Ichigo's journey.

Now Is the Perfect Time for a Bleach Reboot

Asides from Bleach's manga being finished, there is another reason a remake makes sense right now, and that is the Thousand-Year Blood War. If you somehow missed it, Bleach is back on television, and the reunion has felt so good. The original anime never adapted Bleach's final saga as it ended while Kubo was inking the finale. A few years back, Pierrot ordered Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, and the four-part series is still underway. This October, the anime's third season will go live with 'The Conflict', and it looks nothing short of epic.

Not only has this new Bleach anime brought attention back to the Soul Society, but it has shown what Pierrot can do with a proper production schedule. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has had solid animation since day one, and there has been zero filler content. Kubo has actually expanded the canon with some original additions to the anime. The comeback's success proves Bleach can be so much more with proper planning, and the original anime deserves this same premium treatment.

Even Tite Kubo Wants a Bleach Remake

Of course, Pierrot has not said anything official about a Bleach remake, but we know that Kudo himself is eager for such a project. Taking to his personal blog, Kudo was asked by a fan in February 2024 if he would like to see Bleach remade. It was there the creator said, "I'd like to make that happen."

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Continuing, the creator said he would be happy for Bleach to be redone so that it "faithfully follows the original work." With Kubo onboard with the adaptation, that is one less hurdle Pierrot would face in remaking Bleach. The artist wants to see Bleach get its own Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood treatment and honestly? Who can blame him? When it comes to anime, few series are more popular than Bleach on a global scale, and Ichigo has proven the power of his legacy with Thousand-Year Blood War. The anime fandom would leap at a premium remake of Bleach, so hopefully, Pierrot has something in the works for the original show's 20th anniversary.

Does Bleach deserve a full-blown reboot at this point? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

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