Bleach Artist Reveals Intense New Hollow Ichigo Art

Masashi Kudo has a long history of animating a lot of different anime series, with the most [...]

By Evan Valentine

Masashi Kudo has a long history of animating a lot of different anime series, with the most popular of these being Bleach. Other anime that Kudo has worked on as a storyboard director and artist include Witch Hunter Robin and Aquarian Age. Even with these titles on his resume, his love for anime in general can be seen with his steady release of artwork for characters from these series, especially highlighting the cast from the now defunct Bleach.

Bleach was originally one of the more popular Shonen Jump, but as time went on, the series lost readers and the anime itself was losing viewers, so the decision was made to end Ichigo's storyline and series. Regardless of the stories of the Soul Society ending in the main series, Bleach returned in 2016 with a one-off manga titled "Burn The Witch" which featured a different section of the Soul Society in the world, proving that other parts of the lore could be explored in the future.

Ichigo Kurosaki found himself in the role of a Reaper, fighting giant evil spirits called Hollows. As the series progressed, the high school student turned ghostly protagonist found himself diving into the powers of these Hollows, unlocking a strength that he had not previously known. His "Hollow Self" appeared as his inverted double, smiling as he poked at Ichigo from his subconscious. When Ichigo was able to come to terms with his evil side, he gained the ability to add to his external form and create a "Hollow mask" that amplified his strength exponentially.(Photo: Masashi Kudo)

Ichigo continued to "level up" as the series moved forward but its hard to deny that one of the more eccentric, detailed fashions for the character came in the form of this Hollow visage.Bleach was first created by Tite Kubo for Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, running from 2001 to 2016. The series follows the young delinquent Ichigo Kurosaki, who has 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.

It has been adapted into English thanks to VIZ Media, and has sold over 900 million copies in Japan. The series was later 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. You can currently find the series now streaming on Hulu.

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