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Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is off to a flying start as the first episode makes a perfect re-introduction to the main cast and sets up the forthcoming arc. The last time we saw Ichigo was during The Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc, as he regained his Shinigami powers.
After the fight against the Aizen and the Arrancars, Ichigo lost his powers, thus the previous arc focused on him trying to regain his powers. While the Gotei 13 helped him to get his powers back, the story still wasn't over, however, the anime came to a halt back on March 27, 2012. With the release of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, we will get to see Ichigo and crew back in action.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War episode 1: Yhwach makes his return
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War episode 1 starts off with a monologue as the confined Quincy King regains his pulse after 900 years, his mind after 90 years, his strength after nine years, and that's where it cuts off with him grabbing his Quincy Cross.
The Soul Society is in chaos as hundreds of Hollows are being eliminated all around Japan. This is when Captain of the Squad 12, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, is called upon to the Department of Research and Development, where he determines the culprits to be Quincy.
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, two new Soul Reapers, Ryunosuke Yuki and Shino Madarame, drop in as they are newly stationed there. The two go their separate ways to survey the area when Ryunosuke is attacked by a Hollow. As he tries to get away, he finds Shino to be caught by the Hollows. Seeing this, he prepares to fight them, however, he is quickly knocked down by one of them.
When all hope seems lost for the two Soul Reapers, Ichigo and crew rescue them. We gett a re-introduction to the characters as Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, Ishida Uryu, and Kurosaki Ichigo display their powers against the hoard of Hollows. The fight ends perfectly, as Ichigo uses his Getsugatensho in his Bankai form.
Two days later, when Orihime, Ishida, and Sado decide to come visit Ichigo, Ryunosuke happens to wake up on Ichigo's bed. As they all are getting along, a mysterious man appeares in Ichigo's room, who introduces himself to be Asguiaro Ebern. As Eburn doesn't comply with Ichigo's demand to step off his bed, Ichigo kicks him out of his room, following him in his Soul Reaper form.
Looking at Eburn's mask, Ichigo interprets him to be an Arrancar, however, being related to Arrancar offends Eburn as he shows himself to be a Quincy by making use of his Quincy Cross.
Elsewhere in the Rukon District, Squad 11 Fifth Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa and Third Seat Ikkaku Madarame are investigating the missing people, however, after looking at some clues, they determine it to be the the residents' work itself.
In the meantime, Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryusai's office is infiltrated by a group of Quincies as Luders Friegen delivers a message to him. Wandenreich has declared war on the Soul Society as they left Sasakibe mortally injured. After the Quincies manage to flee, Sasakibe conveys to Yamamoto how the group was capable of making a Soul Reaper's Bankai disappear.
Back in Karakura Town, the fight between Eburn and Ichigo is getting nowhere, as Eburn keeps taunting Ichigo to use his Bankai. The moment Ichigo gives in and activates it, Eburn uses a device to try and destroy it. However, Ichigo manages to escape and hit Eburn with Getsugatenso, defeating him. When Ichigo tries to question him, Eburn manages to flee back to Wandenreich.
Back in Wandenreich, as Asguiro Eburn and Luders Friegen return from their respective missions, they fall into a small argument, in response to which Yhwach cut off Friegen's arm and asked both of them to give him their reports.
Final Thoughts on Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War episode 1
Bleach TYBW episode 1 saw Wandenreich declare war on the Soul Society as they looked forward to annihilating them. Now that the Father of the Quincy, Yhwach had regained his powers, he was ready to strike the Soul Society to take his revenge.
But where does Ishida fall in all this? Him being Quincy as well will definitely have some effect on his actions in the future. Will he join Yhwach in destroying the Soul Society? Meanwhile, fans are yet to see Rukia Kuchiki's first appearance. Hopefully, we will get to see her make her appearance in the next episode.
Also, this episode had no opening or end credits, but had a special flashback ending, entailing a compilation of all the previous arcs in Bleach. We will most likely get to witness the new opening and ending sequence in the next episode as well.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War episode 2 titled Foundation Stones, will air on October 17, 2022.
