Hot on the heels of its one-hour finale special, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has unveiled a teaser trailer announcing the premiere of its second cour (quarter of the year). The large-scale showdown between the Shinigami and Quinicies will continue in July 2023, picking up from where the 13th episode ended off.
The reel keeps much under wraps, but teases some of the more significant moments to come, including a battle between Tenth Squad Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and his Quincy counterpart Bazz-B, as well as Uryuu Ishida’s struggle to reconcile with his conflicting interests. The artistic approach seems to be in line with the direction of the first cour, which introduced a bold, stylish flair that was lacking in the anime’s original run from 2004 to 2012.
The first part of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War ended on 26 December, with the 13th episode featuring a special ending video. The series aired on 10 October, and will run for four cours with breaks in between, with the expectation to cover the rest of the manga up through its ending. The Thousand Year Blood War arc is the final arc of the manga, and covers volumes 55 to 74.
Based on the popular manga series created by Tite Kubo, Bleach follows a boy named Ichigo Kurosaki who wields the power of a Substitute Soul Reaper. As he develops his powers, he goes on a fantastical adventure to a spirit world known as the Soul Society as his life becomes increasingly intertwined with the conflicts that arise there.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War marks the anime’s return to the fold after 10 years. The premiere of its second cour puts it in direct competition with Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, another fan favourite of the Summer 2023 slate. For fans of both titles, however, the dual release is nothing short of a double treat.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
