With the fourth and final part of Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War still a long way to go, the animation team in Studio Pierrot is not out of the woods just yet. Leo Kawamoto, who worked as an Animation Director for the first three cours was fired as the fourth cour was still under production. He also provided key animation for all the opening songs of Bleach’s latest anime season. Hence, his contribution to the series is commendable. On February 20th, the animator shared on X, previously known as Twitter, “Well, there are a lot of weird speculations and conjectures flying around, but it has nothing to do with my interactions with fans, or my recent poor health, it’s just my own lack of ability or whatever, so don’t worry too much about it lol I’m fine (probably).”
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The animator has worked in the field for over ten years, contributing to famous anime such as My Hero Academia, One Piece, One Punch Man, Spy x Family, Bungo Stray Dogs, and many more. The next day after sharing updates about getting fired, Kawamoto also said he was off the hospital, confirming he hasn’t been well lately. While the reason behind his dismissal remains unknown, fans express their support nonetheless. He also gained a few hundred more followers after sharing the post, stating he finds it funny.
[RELATED: Bleach Announces Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4]
What Should You Expect From Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4?
The fourth part is titled Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4 – The Calamity and it will finally conclude the battle against Yhwach. While Pierrot has yet to announce a release window, we can expect the anime to be released in 2025 or 2026. Bleach has been consistent with the release dates since the studio started adapting TYBW Arc, so there’s a higher chance it will be released this year. Part 3 ends around Chapter 656 of the manga, so the fourth part has 30 chapters left to cover.
Bleach creator Tite Kubo also confirmed the final part will have more original scenes than before. Following the controversial manga ending, the final part is expected to include significant additions and elaborations to the final fight, making it more impactful. While the main highlight will be the showdown between Ichigo and Yhwach, the show will also focus on the remaining Quincy elite guards like Askin Nakk Le Vaar and Gerard Valkyrie. Fans can expect intense action-packed scenes as the Soul Society fights to protect the world as the anime gets the chance to close the books properly on its saga.
H/T: Leo Kawamoto on X
