‘Bleach’ Live-Action Trailer Reveals Full Look At Ichigo

The first teaser trailer for the live-action Bleach adaptation was met with widely positive response, as fans of the series were happy to see a new project from one of their favorite franchises.

But most importantly, they were happy to get a full look at the film’s version of the main character, Ichigo Kurosaki, in his full Shinigami costume.

Along with the first teaser showing Rukia in action and giving fans their first glimpse at the film’s version of Hollows, fans got a better look at star Sota Fukushi as Ichigo. Not only do we see him in his human clothing, we even get to see his initial transformation into a Shinigami (or Soul Reaper in the West) and subsequent defeat of a threatening hollow.

This moment is a huge turning point for Ichigo in the original series, serving as the “call to action” phase of the bildungsroman, and it definitely is comforting to see the live-action adaptation nail this moment at least visually.

The live-action Bleach adaptation will release July 20 in Japan, and it stars Sota Fukushi as Ichigo Kurosaki and Hana Sugisaki as Rukia Kuchiki. The film will adapt the first arc of the series, the “Substitute Shinigami” arc. There’s little else known about the upcoming film, but series creator Tite Kubo shared his thoughts in an interview with TBS Japan.

He spoke about his excitement and confidence in the adaptation stating that, “”For the Japanese live-action version, I feel that we have come close to the original work…I am really looking forward to it.”

Fans have a lot of faith in the film given the subject material and how well anime adaptations have fared in recent years, but this film will surely be looked at with very critical eyes. But at least early fan reaction to the film is positive.

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.

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.

The English language broadcast premiered on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block in 2006, and you currently find the Japanese and English language versions now streaming on Hulu.