I have been getting back into anime lately, and I've been having an absolute blast with it. Discovering a lot of new and old shows and pushing away that generally judgemental side that stopped me from watching things for the longest time. Admittedly being a bit sick has led to me just not caring what I watch and wanting something easy to relax to, but I feel this has been a bit of blessing in actuality. I have given shows I previously attempted to watch but gave up with a second chance, only to discover them all over and really enjoying them this time around. Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece are a few shows that at some point I somewhat attempted, either growing bored or just tired of his stretched out their stories were. I suspect I'll be skipping the filler episodes still, but it has been really fun to go back and immerse myself in what are considered some of the true greats in anime. Truthfully, I just never really care for them that much in the past. But now, I feel I'm ready to really appreciate them and the eras they came to us in.
Part of this reintroduction to Bleach came a curiosity with both Bleach's original running and the recently released show. Both of which are available on Disney+. I really do not expect much from newer anime series, with such a strong reliance on computer generated effects that just doesn't appeal to me at all. I love more traditional animation. The arts. The handcrafted creations that show true dedication and skill in telling stories. I find that when these animations start to look a little too like video game cut scenes, my interest just dives out of the window and I struggle to care for the characters and story. I admit that I had this fear with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. It is often the case when I try to watch something new. But I was completely surprised by this show, to see such passion and creativity from the very start. Part of that passion going as far as displaying scenes from the original series at the end of the first episode. An homage to the name it uses, a nostalgia for a simpler time.
I'll be avoiding writing about the story here, so don't worry about there potentially being spoilers.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War
One of the very first things you'll notice with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is how stylised it is. Not just on the general art style, but the editing and the directing. It's incredibly good. The use of colour and title cards to introduce characters is something that just does not grow old with me. I love the way the camera zooms in on their faces, pauses, and introduces them with text and fun colours, only to continue the scene. This immediately gives all of the characters the show introduces much more weight to them. They're given a true introduction and it looks very cool. Stylisation is very much a huge aspect of the show, it's the soul that makes it stand out within the sea of similar entries in the modern era. Bleach has definitely inspired a lot of similar creations these days, and sword-yielding demon slaying action-packed titles are certainly not few and far between. It makes sense that this would not rely on brand name alone. It is by far one of the most stylised animations I have seen in a while.
And even so, we move to the animation! I can't stress how much I love the character designs and directing. The animation is incredible. Those who may have seen Bleach may remember it as a show with plenty of bright colours and tones, but this is very, very dark. And not just in the aforementioned tone and colours, but the themes. This is very serious. Very violent. When it comes to the action, this show goes all-out. A plethora of colours and movement during the fight scenes; and this isn't anything out of the ordinary for Bleach, given Bleach would have incredibly dragged out episodes that would build up the tension for as long as it possibly could before giving us fights that would then also last multiple episodes in chaotic pacing. What I like here, however, is how the show manages to do just this but with much faster pacing, less of a dragged out build up. It keeps you watching, never growing tired. But there is still some downtime in the show as it alternates between characters. It paces things well this way, while also introducing little bits of humour just to mix things up and not get too dark and serious. After all, it is Bleach. I quite like these moments, unexpected humour and dialogue from characters you might not expect it from.
With this comes a few changes to the characters, a little bit of modernisation. But I feel that none of the characters ended up getting ruined. Instead, I feel it's a nice chance that makes them look more appropriate for this darker, more modernised telling of the arc. I don't think this will bother anyone, really. It's not like they changed the characters in any major way, just slight improvements as the story calls for it. Much to the general stylisation mentioned above. So far I have managed to just finish the first season. I don't want to talk about the story just in case there are some strong Bleach fans around that may not even know this exists. But it is good. It pulled me in from the start and only continued to grow more interesting as the season went on. Currently, there are three seasons. I'll be starting the second one tomorrow!
If you're a fan of Bleach or perhaps didn't quite stick with the original, perhaps this is more likely to be your thing. It combines all the great sides of Bleach without the negative sides that came with the original series being so fleshed out. And for a modern animation, one released on Disney+ of all places, it really puts a lot of modern productions to shame. It's riddled with passion, quality, and humour. I suspect the quality will continue, and I'm very curious as to where the show will head going into the next seasons. And regardless, I definitely have that itch to return to the original series, maybe this time I'll get through that Soul Society arc that really filtered me before!
