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Owing to its predecessor’s immense popularity,Bleach:The Thousand-Year Blood Wartook the entire internet by storm. Despite consisting of over 300 episodes,Bleachwas the first among the Big Three to be concluded, which left the fandom anticipating its return. Naturally, the fandom was worried about their beloved franchise’s success after an anxious eight-year wait filled with doubts and suspicions.
However, Tite Kubo didn’t let downBleach‘s fans’ high expectations of the long-awaited prequel. Although the staff did encounter several obstacles,The Thousand-Year Blood WarArc became an instant hit thanks to Kubo’s splendid narrative. Interestingly, our beloved protagonist’s voice actor once opened up about their initial struggles behindThe Thousand-Year Blood War‘s production and the revelation is truly surprising.
Ichigo Kurosaki’s VA Reflects on the Struggles BehindBleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War
From thrilling action scenes to splendid world-building,Tite Kubo‘sBleachrightfully earned its place in the Big Three of shonen anime. The series’ iconic catchphrase, ‘Bankai,’ has become a global sensation, continuing to resonate with fans and create buzz online.
The fascinating work of Japanese voice actors behind eachBleachcharacter has brought them to life and enthralled fans for many years. Surprisingly, Masakazu Morita, the voice actor behind Ichigo Kurosaki, once disclosed his struggles while working onThe Thousand-Year Blood WarArc.
Besides the optimistic expectations from fans, theBleachproduction team was under a lot of distress because of theanxious eight-year delay. Morita has continued to enthrall viewers for years with his splendid work behind Ichigo’s voice and his iconic catchphrase, Bankai, is worldwide recognized. Surprisingly, a talented voice actor like Morita also had to overcome many challenges during the production ofThe Thousand-Year Blood War Arc.
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Morita revealed he didn’t struggle with voicing Ichigo back in classicBleach; however, the voice actor couldn’t cope with Kurosaki’s personality inThe Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. Luckily, Tite Kubo was always there to lend a helping hand to Ichigo’s voice actor, a support Morita deeply appreciated. In an interview, Morita revealed:
But this is a mental training, so I had difficulties with how to exactly get it right. But Kubo-Sensei comes to the recording each time, so I asked him questions such as ‘What’s the situation in this scene?’ or ‘Why is Ichigo sensing so much weight?’ or ‘Why is he sweating so much in this ‘special place’?’ Kubo-Sensei filled me in on these facts and therefore I was able to carry this out properly.
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Morita addressed that Ichigo’s mental training put the voice actor under some stress to portray our beloved protagonist’s emotions on screen. He also shares that during the production, Morita would often find himself alone struggling.
This led the voice actor to uncover an unexpected similarity between himself and Ichigo, deepening his connection to the character. Regardless, thanks to Kubo’s support, Morita was able to connect with Ichigo’s character and bring a new life to our beloved protagonist.
Tite Kubo Never Intended for This Character to Survive: A Surprising Twist inBleach
Tite Kubo’sBleachearned its spot in the Big Three of shonen anime thanks to the mangaka’s breathtaking narrative. Throughout the series, Kubo introduced readers to a captivatingBleachuniverse filled with enthralling characters. Not to forget that several antagonists, such as Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, Coyote Starrk, and many more, left a lasting impression among viewers.
Surprisingly, Kuboplanned a tragic fatefor an iconic character, which later turned out to be Ichigo’s arch-nemesis. The mangaka revealed that he never intended Grimmjow to survive this long and had to change his tragic fate. However, after designing the Espada 6 Kubo wanted to add more depth to his character, which led to Grimmjow becoming one of the most recognizable antagonists in the community.
Bleachis available for streaming on Crunchyroll
Mehul Rolta
Articles Published :510
Mehul Rolta is a seasoned journalist with over 3 years in esports and soccer journalism. Transitioning to anime writing at Fandom Wire, Mehul shares his lifelong passion for anime about integrates professionalism. Dedicated to connecting the world of anime globally, Mehul shares thoughts and insights, communicating personal passion with professional insight.
