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The highly-anticipated Bleach: TYBW became one of the most exceptional series to be released in the Fall 2022 anime season. Longtime fans expressed immense pleasure at the series’ first cour, with the main issue of many being the long wait until July 2023 for the series’ second cour.
Newcomers were excited to be able to binge both the original series and Bleach: TYBW over the course of the Fall 2022 season. However, some have become confused about what exactly the TYBW anime series is and how it relates to the mainline anime series from 2004.
There’s an easy explanation of how the TYBW anime series relates to the mainline story, as well as a highly-anticipated manga arc continuation fans may have heard of. Hence, this article will discuss whether or not the Bleach series has a sequel, both for the anime and the manga.
The upcoming Bleach projects are set to be continuations of the mainline series rather than independent sequel projects
Anime sequel
The Bleach: TYBW anime series is not a sequel to the original 2004 anime but rather a continuation of what that original series never adapted to. The original series adapted the vast majority of the series’ story arcs. However, due to behind-the-scenes issues, the franchise fell short of the Thousand Year Blood War arc.
Thus, the TYBW anime series was created as a continuation of the original Bleach. Similarly, the latest series avoids many of the pitfalls the original did, such as cost-cutting animation practices, being a weekly production, and the exorbitant and unfettered use of filler arcs. By the time the original series concluded, under half of its 366 episodes were considered filler episodes.
While not necessarily a sequel to Bleach, the Burn the Witch anime film is set in the same universe as the mainline series. Rather than following the Soul Society from that Bleach fans know of, the focus now shifts to the Soul Society's West Branch. Although featuring new characters and enemies, it is considered a spin-off rather than a sequel, meaning there is no sequel to the series’ anime.
Manga sequel
Similarly, no new current projects by Tite Kubo could truly be classified as a sequel to the Bleach manga series. The closest thing to it would be the legendary Hell arc, which focuses on the concept of Hell within the mainline series. Moreover, it’s said that Hell in the series is where souls that commit atrocities in human form are sent when they die, rather than the Soul Society. This is also where Hollows and Arrancar are banished to.
Speculation around the Hell arc first came from the No Breaths From Hell one-shot released in August 2021, which was meant to celebrate the manga’s 20th anniversary and tease a new arc. However, the one-shot ended with a cliffhanger, resulting in many fans to theorize that the story shall continue in the form of the Hell arc.
The one-shot is noticeable to take place after the final time-skip of the original series, reintroducing readers to Kazui and Ichika Kurosaki, the children of Ichigo and Orihime. Furthermore, the one-shot focuses on the Konso Reisai festival of Bleach lore, which is celebrated by the Soul Society 12 years after Captain Ukitake’s death. The manga also features a returning villain on the rise from the depths of Hell.
In summation
Neither the Bleach anime nor the manga has an official sequel. Instead, they consist of several spin-offs and additional adaptations that are not considered sequels. While it’s possible that fans may eventually get a story focusing on Kazui and/or Ichika Kurosaki, this seems unlikely from Tite Kubo's end.
Should the Burn the Witch series continue to receive additional manga chapters and/or anime films or episodes, it may be closer to sequel status than a spin-off. As it currently stands, both the manga and the anime are much closer to spin-offs, which show fans a new side of the series’ world rather than independent sequels.
Furthermore, the Hell arc is merely a continuation of the original series, focusing on an older group of the same characters while introducing many new ones in the process. In any case, it’s apparent that neither the Hell arc nor the Burn the Witch series qualifies as sequels to Bleach.
Be sure to keep up with all Bleach anime and manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
