Summary
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Bleachis one of the most influential shonen anime to date. But with time, the anime saw a great decline in popularity. Considered a part of the prestigious Big Three, the show slowly started to lose its influence on fans around the world. But the release ofBleach: Thousand-Year Blood Warrevived the series' lost glory. What exactly made the long-awaited sequel so special?
In the early 2000s,Naruto,Bleach, andOne Piecewere collectively referred to asthe Big Three of anime. It was because of their worldwide appeal, influence, and the long-running nature of the series. As time went on,NarutoandOne Piececontinued to flourish.Narutowas succeeded by the highly renownedNaruto: Shippudenseries, whileOne Piecesaw continuous success in its long-running anime that runs to date.Bleachwas lost somewhere in between and people started to slowly forget about the once iconic show.
Why Did Bleach Fail?
The originalBleachseries started strong. The Soul Society Arc defined everything great aboutBleach. A good pacing, strong villains, and intense fight scenes. But the same can not be said for the remainder of the series. Whilethere were other arcs that were enjoyable, like the Hueco Mundo Arc. The biggest problem withBleachwas being unable to retain its pacing. The show had unusually large arcs that were often interrupted by a sea of filler episodes. This greatly decreased the immersion and interest of many viewers. This mainly occurred when Tite Kubo was facing health issues and was unable to write the manga. Instead of stopping the adaptation till new chapters were written, the anime continued broadcasting filler episodes. This often happened amidst an action-packed arc, which ruined the series for many.
Another problem thatBleachfaced was the storytelling itself. When compared to other big shonen,Bleach’s storytelling was rather weak. While characters like Naruto and Luffy had clear goals embedded into their characters, Ichigo failed to have the same. Also,Bleach’s fight scenes were always seen as a big part of the anime. Well-choreographed and well-animated fightsbecame a highlight of the show. But as the show went on, the animation of these fights became increasingly worse.
How Thousand-Year Blood War Revived the Series
10 years after the end of its predecessor,Bleach:Thousand-Year Blood Warwas released. It wasreceived well around the worldand became one of the highest-rated anime ever. The animation was stunning, which caught many eyes. Compared to the older episodes, the pacing seemed much faster too. But most importantly, the anime now had consistency. Filler episodes were completely avoided. The anime seemed to be moving in a single direction. The villains were introduced well, and the fight scenes were choreographed beautifully. Each episode followed the other immediately, and the action seemingly never stopped.
That being said, the main issues withBleachstill remain. The final arc of the long-running series can not change its foundation. The storytelling, though better now, still lacks in many ways. The villains continue to feel overpowered, distorting the balance between protagonists and antagonists. Ichigo’s primary goal still being not more than protecting his family and friends,fails to distinguish himfrom other popular protagonists.
The show is currently on its third out of 4 cours. With only a handful of episodes left, we will have to see if Cour 4 can give a fitting ending to this long-running show.
