Prepare to face fate without fear, as Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Arc has received an official release date for its highly-anticipated return. Building on the earlier release of a new key visual, the anime is now set to premiere on 10 October, with a broadcast schedule that spans four non-consecutive cours. Simply put, that means it won’t air season after season, which likely suggests a 50-episode total if each cour is at least 12 or 13 episodes long.
The latest news comes by the way of a second teaser trailer showcasing clean, crisp art from Studio Pierrot, the studio who originally worked Bleach‘s anime run from 2004 to 2012. Apart from offering a quick recap of events prior to its hiatus, as well as the promise of high-octane zanpakuto action and an extended look at the updated character designs, the video also announced more details about its new casting and theme songs.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Arc is directed by Tomohisa Taguchi (Persona 4: The Golden Animation) and will cover the final arc of the manga, which runs from volumes 55 to 74. The opening song, “Scar”, is performed by Takuya Kitana, with part of it teased in the above reel, while the ending track is sung by SennaRin.
The original synopsis of the series reads, “Ichigo Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts — he was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow, a malevolent lost soul, Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace.”