Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War review: Bleach is back and looks amazing

Ichigokurosaki will be returning to the ring for his final fight after more than 10 years of hiatus. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. Expectations for the return of this anime classic on Hulu have been high. It’s a popular staple in anime fandom and often combined with others. One PieceAnd Naruto as being part of the “big three.” And after watching an episode, everyone finally looks as cool as they should in Thousand-Year Blood War.

Made by Pierrot, the same studio that animated the series’ original run from 2004 to 2012, the new show doesn’t miss a single beat when picking back up. In the episode’s first, it covers approximately the first five chapters from the Thousand-Year Blood War series. The episodes match them very closely. And from the first frames of the new show, it’s clear those new to Bleach won’t find a whole lot to go by, and longtime fans may find themselves catching up as well. It appears Pierrot is just confidently hell-bent on picking up and finishing the series as if there was no break — and it immediately pulls you back into the world. We see a deep dark lab in the Seireitei in chaos, with pretty much no explanation of what’s happening. Characters mention series terms such as Bankai and Gigai casually. For those who are familiar with the characters and the significance of the characters in the wider world, moments like Asguiaro Emern, a military-clad fighter, being referred to as a Quincy will be more memorable.

Image: Pierrot/Viz Media

We see their power before we can see the original gang in all their glory. The screen appears to be strewn with small, paper-like arrows or a streak of blue, light energy. Each represents a member the main gang, Ichigo Kurosaki (Orihime Inoue), Yasutora sado (Chad), or Uryu Ishida. Two Soul Reapers are saved by the four when we return to them. It is quite jarring to see the four again after so many years. I have a feeling that I am unable to think coherently and I astral project into the 15-year old me who screamed about Tumblr characters. That’s partially because I’m excited to see them back, but also because everyone just looks so dang Good.

Seriously, let’s just talk about how fucking cool Ichigo looks in Thousand-Year Blood War. As an older anime, we didn’t get to see Ichigo and the rest of the cast age into more contemporary animation like we have with One Piece. Operatic high-flying operatic fight scenes replace the old semi-stagnant scenes. These fight scenes focus more on the movement. Nods to classic anime intros — each of the four main characters gets a splashy name card as they’re introduced — blend old anime tropes with a more contemporary style.

It’s a turn that feels befitting of its star. Ichigo Kurosaki is one of the most cool shonen characters. Unusual characters such as Ichigo Kurosaki My Hero Academia’s nerdy Deku or ONe Piece’s goofy Luffy, Ichigo has always felt a little bit cooler and more confident than the rest. It looks as if he has finally found an animation that is stylish enough to suit his last adventure.

Watch new episodes Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Every Monday, simulcast on Hulu at 8:30 a.m.