Tite Kubo’s Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has been a massive hit among the fans, who have been closely following the original series for quite some time. The adaptation became a topic of conversation among the fans because it featured an outstanding and immersive world with alluring animation that has made them believe the series is destined for greater things.
Despite some minor criticism from the fans, they have loved the show for raising their expectations from what they had initially witnessed with the original series. Following the recent hype, it looks like Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has one more story to tell, which might just give an intriguing insight on a character that has often been overlooked in the main story.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Hints Another Iconic Adaptation of Its Arc
In the world of anime, Tite Kubo has been referred to as one of the most popular names that have graced the manga and anime industry. His iconic work, Bleach, which has been part of The Big Three, featuring Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto and Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece, was believed to be as good as its rivals.
Sadly, due to the mangaka’s poor health and other medical conditions, the original show had a below-subpar ending that put a black stain on its legacy. The series made a glorious comeback with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, making all the fans come out of the cave.
Additionally, Studio Pierrot’s dedication to taking the source material to the next level added to its fame and recognition. Now, it looks like another iconic saga will be adapted into anime; it is none other than The Echoing Jaws of Hell Arc, which is commonly known as the Hell Arc.
The saga revolves around Ukitake, who sacrificed himself to summon Mimihagi in the Thousand-Year Blood War. Intrestingly enough, the hype for the character skyrocketed when an extended flashback featured the character’s life and the conversation he had with Unohana before her fight with Kenpachi. The conversation boiled down to both of them expressing their intention to die.
The Hell arc unraveled that the captain-class souls are sent to Hell because they’re too powerful to be absorbed by the Soul Society. Thus, revealing the big twist about Hell that is featured in the manga. It will be intriguing because Ukitake and Unohana know the stories about captain-class souls going straight to Hell.
The arc would also play a crucial role for Ukitake, where the viewers would get a unique insight behind his sacrifice. Moreover, the act was so quick that it gave little to no importance to his character.
Hence, dedicating an arc to the character who tells the secret of Hell would surely elevate his status as one of the key characters in the arc.
Ukitake’s Voice Actor Teases Something Epic for The Echoing Jaws of Hell Arc
In Kubo-Sensei’s magnum opus, Ukitake has played a minor role out of all the Gotei 13 captains. The character has often been sidelined, with fans noticing how he did not play a more important character in the show. As a result, Hideo Itaki, the voice actor of the character, was immensely disappointed with the series.
During an exclusive interview via Instagram, he was asked about a line in the show that “really resonated with you.” It did not take him long to answer, where he explained that he wanted to say “Bankai” once for his character. He said,
Should I really say this? [laughs] Ukitake’s the only current Gotei 13 Captain who’s never done a Bankai! So, I always wanted to say “Bankai” just once [laughs]. Watching and hearing other characters call out “Bankai!”
He further explained how he would be particularly jealous of his colleague because he would get far too many opportunities during the recording session. He added,
During recording, especially how many times Morita (Ichigo’s VA) got to say it-oh, I was envious [laughs].
With the Hell Arc focusing on Ukitake, it can be hoped that Ishikawa-San finally gets his opportunity to say “Bankai!” once. However, the question remains when the Echoing Jaws of Hell saga will commence.
With no announcement or teaser shared by Kubo-Sensei or anyone associated with the project, it looks like fans have to hold on to their horses a little more for the saga that might break the internet. Till then, they can watch the ongoing adaptation of Thousand-Year Blood War that took the anime industry by surprise.
Bleach: TYBW can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
