Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime does justice to 10 years of wait with a bold, crisp first episode

The first episode of the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime series was released on October 11, 2022, bringing with it a wave of excitement and wonder not seen in series’ fans for years. After the unfortunate cancellation of the original series, fans are finally able to celebrate its return via Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, as well as the complete adaptation of the final arc.

Indeed, the first episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War delivers in all aspects for the series’ faithful. From updated animation practices that match the classic series’ aesthetic to remixes of the original series’ most iconic soundtrack, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is both a celebration of the past and a tease of what’s ahead.

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Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’s clean animation, bold color palette, and more serve as highlights for first episode

From the opening scenes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’s first episode, it’s clear that everything about the series has been upgraded. The smooth animation as Yhwach explains the myth of the confined Quincy King, to the chilling sound effects of his reaching out and grabbing a Quincy cross, followed by a slight chuckle all work to paint a harrowing picture.

This is starkly contrasted by the next scene’s red flash of a warning sign, followed briefly after by a room of Soul Reapers rapidly shouting updates as beeps and whirrs play over the dialog. This scene in particular emphasizes just how vastly improved the series’ sound production is, making it feel like a full-fledged production despite Studio Pierrot’s reputation of cutting corners.

Speaking of sound production, it is clear throughout the episode that the adaptation team has spared no expense when it comes to improving on what made the original series great. Various remastered pieces of music from the original series tease this throughout, but Ichigo’s “No. 1” main theme and its remastered, electrifying version hammer this remastery effort home.

The voice-acting also exemplifies the incredible attention to audio detail the adaptation team has made. Every piece of the dialog is exceptionally clear, even by modern standards. Additionally, based on the first episode, it seems as if everyone in the series’ massive cast has come to not only do their job, but do so with a particular sense of pride and effort.

Even minor characters in the episode, such as the two Soul Reapers assigned to patrol Karakura Town, clearly put their all into the performance. One reason for this feeling shining through could be how culturally impactful Bleach is to the anime and manga industry. It’s possible that many voice actors for the series are living out their dreams by being a part of its production.

Whether true or not, a level of love equivalent to that is felt throughout the entirety of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’s first episode in all areas and aspects. This is especially true for the closing recap of season’s past, which substitutes the ending theme for the series for this opening episode.

The closing recap also helps to emphasize how the animation quality has improved, especially in hindsight of what fans had just watched. Even the CGI animation used for the Hollows who appear in the opening scenes of the first episode is phenomenally well done, blending in perfectly with the series’ classic, 2D style.

Overall, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’s first episode does everything right, and almost nothing wrong. Even what little it does that could be improved isn’t necessarily “wrong,” but is just an aspect of the episode that the adaptation team chose not to prioritize. In the end, however, everything that deserved to be prioritized was, with no other aspect of the episode truly suffering as a result.

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