Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen - Soukoku-tan BLEACH 千年血戦篇-相剋譚-

2024 fall | Episodes: 14 | Score: 8.7 (89172)

Updated every Saturdays at 23:00 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Disney+ | Ani-One Asia | Bahamut Anime Crazy | Hulu

Synopsis

After an awe-inspiring battle with Ichibei Hyousube—leader of the Soul Society's Royal Guard—the powerful Yhwach moves into the final stage of his master plan. He aims to slay the Soul King, the being whose very existence maintains the status quo of three worlds: Hueco Mundo, the Soul Society, and the realm of humans that Ichigo Kurosaki and his closest friends hail from. Conquering his own bout with the remainder of the Royal Guard, Uryuu Ishida joins Yhwach in his efforts to create a new world in his image. With a flood of resolution and newfound power, Ichigo rushes to stop Yhwach from accomplishing his ultimate goal and save the countless lives within the three existing realms. But Ichigo has a complicated lineage, one that leaves him susceptible to Yhwach's sinister influence. Meanwhile, in a final desperate gambit, Jirou Sakuranosuke Shunsui Kyouraku, the newly promoted head captain of the Soul Society's combat corps, enlists the help of an old enemy whose immense power may turn the tide of battle. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Sugiyama, Noriaki

Morita, Masakazu

News

Reviews

fizer0
01/29/2025, 07:02 AM
Quincy: smirks "I can wipe you all out in an instant." activates a deadly technique Shinigami: grimaces "Tch…" staggers but remains standing Quincy: calmly lowers his hand "Hmph. As expected. Nothing but talk." Shinigami: smirks "You think that was enough? Watch this." unleashes a hidden technique Quincy: eyes widen "Impossible…!" stumbles back, feeling overpoweredShinigami: calmly walks forward "You were saying?" Quincy: grits teeth, then suddenly smirks "I knew you'd use that move." activates Uno Reverse Shinigami: eyes widen "No… this can't be!" staggers, overwhelmed Quincy: steps forward, exuding confidence "Now, it's over." Shinigami: chuckles "You really think so?" his wounds fade as he unveils his true technique Quincy: stunned "W-what?! That's…!" realizes he's in danger Shinigami: calmly raises his sword "Now, perish." Quincy: grins despite the pain "You're strong… but I haven’t shown my ultimate technique yet." Shinigami: expression shifts "…What?!" Quincy: closes his eyes "Awaken… Absolute Erasure!" unleashes a blinding energy wave Shinigami: stumbles but remains standing "Not bad. But you forgot…" Quincy: panting "…What?" Shinigami: smirks "I am immune to erasure." walks through the attack unscathed Quincy: eyes widen in disbelief "No… that's not possible!" Shinigami: raises a single finger "And now…" activates a technique that bends reality Quincy: feels his body being erased instead "What?! No…!" Shinigami: stays cool Quincy: fading away "Hah… But even now, you underestimate me…" Shinigami: narrows eyes "Hmph. What now?" Quincy: suddenly reforms "Reversal of Reversal!" Shinigami: shocked "You rewound your own existence?!" Quincy: grins "And now, it's really over." summons a final technique Shinigami: laughs softly "You never learn." reveals yet another transformation Quincy: shocked "No way…!" And the cycle continues…
KENKAIYT
01/25/2025, 06:34 PM
Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen - Soukoku-tan is the best of the Thousand Year Blood War anime so far. Visuals - This cour is easily the most visually impressive for this anime so far. The animation quality is excellent and rarely dips. Still frames, weird compositing, and bad cgi are present but are infrequent and brief. More talented staff has been added to the series which allows for clean and fluid animation to be present far more often than before in this anime. Soundtrack - Bleach is well known for having awesome music. This is still the case for cour 3. The old and new songs created byShiro Sagisu are great. The main problems for the soundtrack in this cour is that songs that have been used frequently in prior cours are used fairly often and as a manga reader, some songs did not fit my expectations for certain scenes as I felt a different emotion reading the manga than the emotion trying to be conveyed from the music by the studio pierrot staff. The reuse of music problem is also exacerbated by the fact that Shiro Sagisu has made a huge catalogue of music for the Bleach IP but very few are being used. Though I do not think these issues is enough to ruin the experience. Story - The story is fairly consistent and takes it's time in comparison to prior cours adapting less chapters from the manga. The plot is generally coherent, lacking plot holes or stupid decisions made by characters (mostly). Characters - The characters are still written consistently with more development is being offered to old and new characters. The added content for this anime is probably the most unique aspect since the staff adds so much with the mangaka, Tite Kubo being a part of staff as a general supervisor. The added content mostly serves to benefit the series, with very few either not doing anything to the series, or hurting the series. This cour is very well made with some minor setbacks. tl;dr The visuals are mostly excellent, the soundtrack is mostly good, the story is still mostly coherent, and the characters haven't been tarnished.
wolf321
01/15/2025, 04:44 AM
A Disappointing Return: Bleach's Latest Seasons Fall Short As a long-time fan of the Bleach series, I was excited to dive back into the world of Shinigami and Quincy. Unfortunately, the latest seasons have left me underwhelmed and nostalgic for the good old days. Lackluster Storytelling The storytelling in the latest seasons feels disjointed and lacking in coherence. It's as if the writers took a break from the original narrative and came back with a completely new, unpolished idea. The pacing is rushed, leaving little room for character development or meaningful plot progression. Underutilized Characters One of the most significant disappointments is the lack of screen time for some ofthe most powerful and beloved characters. Captain Zaraki, for instance, was neutralized before he even had a chance to engage in a proper fight. After learning Bankai, it seems Zaraki's new power is the ability to get defeated in one hit. It's a shame, considering his potential. They didn't even give space for Zaraki to showcase his abilities. Animation: A Mixed Bag While the clarity of the animation has improved, the artwork quality and fight scenes have taken a hit. The transformations, which were once so epic, now feel lackluster. Failure to Connect with the Past The latest seasons seem to have forgotten the rich history and lore that made Bleach so beloved. The plot fails to connect with the past storylines, leaving long-time fans like myself feeling disconnected and uninvested. Nerfed Characters and Lack of Epic Fights The 13 captains, including the head captain, have been significantly nerfed, which undermines their established strength and credibility. Even if for Quincy Power showcase it failed to make real impact The head captain's new power is the ability to balance a budget in under 5 minutes. The lack of epic fights featuring characters like Ichigo and Zaraki is deeply missed. Conclusion As someone who has been following the Bleach series since its inception, I'm sad to say that the latest seasons have been a disappointment. The storytelling is lackluster, the characters are underutilized, and the animation is inconsistent. Even the graphics, which have improved, can't make up for the overall lack of impact. Here's to hoping the next season will be better!
irondu1996
01/11/2025, 09:23 PM
TL;DR: In short, it is amazing. And it doesn’t stop there—it’s genuinely brilliant. First of all, I’m a huge Bleach fan, and while I don’t often call things perfect, this new installment comes incredibly close. I always appreciate when a series evolves and adapts to new times without losing the essence that made it iconic. My review here might sound biased because I loved it so much, but trust me, it deserves every bit of praise. Whether you're a fan or a newcomer, this is a standout piece of anime. Here’s how I’d break it down depending on who you are: You’re a Bleach fan: It’s phenomenal, alove letter to the original, with a modern twist that amplifies the experience. You’re a hardcore fan: It’s a triumphant celebration of everything you’ve loved about Bleach, bringing depth and reverence to the characters while upping the stakes like never before. You’re not a fan (yet): It’s an exhilarating introduction to the series, filled with stunning visuals, gripping storytelling, and unforgettable action sequences. The script is tight, weaving complex events with impressive logic and depth. The escalation of power feels purposeful and exciting, and the consistency is remarkable—both within this season and in relation to the original series. The plot? Engaging and layered, with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The dialogue? Memorable, with every character contributing meaningfully. And the fights? Spectacular and climactic, blending thrilling choreography with emotionally charged moments. The new enemies are creatively designed and add fresh challenges, from a Norse mythology-inspired powerhouse to a team with playful, unpredictable dynamics. And let’s not forget the animation—it's a masterpiece. The fluidity, the colors, and the visual storytelling elevate this season to new heights. Every Getsuga Tenshō is breathtaking, radiating the raw power and determination of Ichigo. It’s clear the animators poured their hearts into making every frame a visual feast. One of the best aspects is how the series creates genuine tension and drama. The stakes feel real, and the emotional weight of each decision hits hard. Sacrifices, struggles, and victories all leave a lasting impact. The series doesn’t shy away from heartbreak or triumph, making every episode an emotional rollercoaster. Even the fanservice elements are handled with humor and charm, bringing lighthearted moments that balance the intense narrative. Orihime’s growing strength and confidence are showcased beautifully, adding layers to her character beyond what we’ve seen before. Now, let’s talk spoilers. Orihime’s incredible healing ability is not only consistent with her past development but also represents her growth as a fighter and a friend. Ishida’s pivotal moment shows his strategic brilliance and growth, proving why he’s one of the most compelling characters. Squad Zero and their leader? They deliver jaw-dropping moments that showcase their unparalleled strength, and when they fall, it’s a testament to the overwhelming odds our heroes face. These events underscore the immense stakes and set up a finale that promises to be unforgettable. Overall, this season is a triumph. It’s a perfect blend of nostalgia, innovation, and top-tier storytelling. Whether you’ve been with Bleach since the beginning or you’re discovering it now, this installment is a must-watch. I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up in the fourth cour because, if it keeps this quality, it will solidify itself as one of the greatest anime revivals of all time. So yes, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s an outstanding addition to the Bleach legacy and one of the best anime seasons I’ve had the pleasure to watch.eing a 10, in average would still fail.
Nomaed
01/09/2025, 11:34 AM
BLEACH: A TRILLION YEARS UNFORGIVABLE ENDLESS PAINFUL REMINISCENCE BATTLE Yuhabaha: "Ichigo, thank you. Without you, I would not have achieved my goal!" Ichigo: "What, what do you mean?" Yuhabaha: "You are a sinigami, a quincy, a hollow, a weizard, a human. And more importantly, you are a wizard, Harry, I mean, Ichigo. I needed the power of all to open the portal to the real where sense doesn't make sense. The last season!" Ichigo: "Impossible. That can't be true." Yuhabaha: "Yes, it can. You didn't know that, but that dog that you gave a piece of bread to after the sixth lesson you had on the sixth day after yoursixth birthday had exactly 666 hairs. Did you think it didn't have that much fur for no reason? It was all a part of the sequence of the gate activation!" Ichigo: "NO!" Yuhabaha: "Yes! Even that time you spent on the sixth of June, which is the sixth month, of 2006, pleasuring yourself for exactly 666 seconds, was a requirement to open the gate." Ichigo: "No, you are lying! That doesn't make any sense!" Yuhabaha: "Precisely! Off we go, Hashuwarudo, my trustworthy right hand, whose family I have slaughtered mercilessly but who still follows me but maybe still plans on betraying me after having so many opportunities to kill me, and Ishida Uryu, who is totally not planning on betraying me." Before leaving, Isida turns and looks at Ichigo. Isida: "Ichigo." Ichigo: "Isida, you..." Isida: "I HATE SINIGAMI!" Later, that very same minute: Ichigo: "This guy is just a quincy, he can absorb the soul energy from all around him to replenish his reisi, but we have destroyed everything, so he's done!" Villainous minion whose name does not matter and who is completely forgettable (VMWNDMMAWISF): "HAHAHAHAHA! You are a fool, Ichigo! Behold my true power: the instant defeat!" Ichigo: "What? Impossible! How can you do that with your reisi, which has been an established concept throughout the series?" VMWNDMMAWISF: "Have you forgotten where we are, Ichigo? This is the realm where nothing makes sense! KIYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Random Ichigo's sidekick places his hand on Ichigo's shoulder in reassurance. Rando: "Don't worry, Ichigo. Go, I will deal with him." Ichigo: "What? Have you lost your mind? He can summon an instant defeat!" Rando: "Yes, he can. But can he defeat every of the one million techniques that I have acquired?" Ichigo: "A million techniques?.. Wait! Don't tell me that during the five minutes break that you took to pee, you managed to finally master the one million techniques technique! IDIOT! YOU WERE MAKING A FOOL OF ME THIS WHOLE TIME! AND EVEN WHEN WE WERE FIGHTING THAT GUY YOU KNEW WE WOULD WIN CAUSE YOU COULD HAVE USED YOUR TECHNIQUE!" *funny_face.jpg* *laugh_track.mp3* Ichigo smirks with a confident look. Ichigo: "Yes, I trust you." Ichigo and company leaves. A few moments later... VMWNDMMAWISF: "KIYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! So much for a million techniques! Are you an idiot? Did you not hear the name of my ability? What does it matter how many techniques you have if I can use my ability to defeat you? KIYAHAHAHAHA! You are such an idiot! And all your friends are idiots! And even your relatives are idiots! Have you been doing it on purpose? Did you surround yourself with idiots on purpose? Or did you surround yourself with idiots because you are an idiot?" Rando: "You managed to defeat all of my million techniques. What a shame. It would be the end for me if I had only one million techniques..." VMWNDMMAWISF: "Nani?" Rando: "Talking about being an idiot. It seems you didn't hear the name of my technique." VMWNDMMAWISF: "Only the deaf couldn't hear it. It's one million techniques." Rando: "No. It is One Million Techniques TECHNIQUE." VMWNDMMAWISF: "That just means that your technique consits of one million techniques, you idiot! What does it matter?" Rando: "No, it means that my technique that I have only one technique, which consits of one million sub-techniques. And because you have used your ability to defeat my sub-techinues, makes it a sub-ability, and you will not be able to use it to defeat my tehcnique!" VMWNDMMAWISF: "No, that is impossible. You are just a shinigami, who uses reyatsu, the soul energy, the concept of which has been established throughout the series. What you tell defies all logic, it doesn't—" Rando: "Make any sense?" VMWNDMMAWISF: "No, no, you couldn't." Rando: "Now, witness my true technique: UNO REVERSO!" VMWNDMMAWISF: "That's even not the name of you techinue!" Rando: "You are indeed an idiot! NOTHING MAKES SENSE IN THE LAST SEASON!" VMWNDMMAWISF: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" *dies* To be continued...
ecktt
01/03/2025, 02:04 PM
TLDR: It took me 15 years to realise how much shit Bleach really is. For a series that started off fair enough; the power creep, contrived story, inexplicable superpowers and vintage anime "I will defeat you with will power" nonsense has caught up to the good animation that it has finally received. Or maybe I was naive, and it was always a pig with lipstick. Was Nelliel running around with those 2 idiots not enough to warn me this show failed at trying to be funny, while being serious? Did the horny teddy bear synthetic soul not signal the incoming stupidity? Was Kenpachi and his loliconside kick not a red flag? Was everyone strangely idiotic Bankai not a giveaway? I could go on but that would be a retelling of the entire show. The world building created a mess of chaotic themed factions with the mechanics of a rotary engine. Great at 10000 rpm but utter shit everywhere else. If you ask the typical Bleach fan what they like; it is all about the fights and nothing to do with the stapled-on story with weak characters. So, who really is Bleach for? The only thing I can think of is, adults with the mindset of a 12-year-old, unless you're okay with actual 12-year-olds getting a healthy serving of Matsumoto fan service.
Winnah_Daniels
12/30/2024, 08:32 AM
I love the fact that they brought this show back with such a high attention to detail. If you're a Bleach fan, you simply must watch this. You get to spend extra time with many of the characters that you'll forgot you missed. I think if you have not seen the original series, you will love the art, and fights, but you will be lost in the story. I recommend catching up on Bleach even via a recap before getting into this show. It does not try too hard to explain itself and just takes you through the story quickly. The art is sublime. There'sa darkness and realness to it. Very crisp animations even during movement and complicated battle exchanges. The still shots are screenshotable, and the short bursts of fighting are more than worthy of an anime amv. The story is what it is. Not too many crazy twists and turns outside of the standard battle shonen "he lost...but he was concealing some power" trope. The combination of nostalgia, beautiful art, and great fights almost makes this a 10 for me. The fact that they broke one season up into FOUR parts (with part 3 just ending and no release date for part 4) brings it down to a 9
lucjan
12/30/2024, 08:21 AM
Season 3 of the Thousand Year Blood War is the arc at its strongest so far. With every episode, the intensity builds. The anime heavily rearranges the manga, piecemealing pages and sometimes small moments from different chapters. The result is a far tighter adaptation. To add the cherry on top, the anime was given a longer production time, providing a more immersive experience. So we have a tighter adaptation with improved production. If you’re this far into the series, I have to hope you’re a Bleach fan. This is Bleach at its best. When most people think of a good series, they don’t immediately nerdout on the production quality – the music, animation, and art. The story and the characters are always the drivers in any vehicle, and while Bleach isn’t high-literature, it’s deeper than you would think at first glance. There is a heavy emphasis on lore within this arc – exposition set deep in the past. Unfortunately time is of the essence here and a lot of the lore is undeveloped. There is a lot of it, but they’re like half-popped or even mostly unpopped kernels of popcorn – the flavor is there, but the depth isn’t. For example, in episode 7 of the TYBW (season 1, so I’m backtracking a bit, but the example still holds) we, the audience, receive a flashback to the original blood war between the Quincy and the Shinigami. This was more than we received in the source material so it was a welcome addition; but, it barely provides anything. It still lacks context. A more recent example, one that takes place in cour 3, is Bazz-B’s past. While the anime conveys his history succinctly and beautifully, it’s difficult to invest yourself in a character’s plight with less than one episode of exposition. That doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate what we do have but it’s that love for Bleach that leaves you wanting more. Despite the breakneck pace, some of the cast shine brighter in this arc than in previous arcs. Shunsui and Mayuri both receive huge slats of time dedicated to who they are and why they act the way they do. Both characters are given ample time on stage and their battles aren’t abbreviated like many of the TYBW’s prior ones. While Starrk vs Shunsui span more episodes than Shunsui’s battle in cour 3, we learn more about Shunsui in his battle here than we did when he fought Starrk. Uryu, too, has received an enormous amount of characterization throughout the arc. In the source material, Uryu’s motivation and participation was mostly absent, whereas the anime provides a much stronger role for his character. Unlike the previous 2 cours, cour 3 has rearranged the events from the source material to provide characters like Uryu the opportunity to more heavily stake their place in the story. Lastly, we need to discuss the production: The art, animation, and score. Cour 3 has knocked all 3 out of the park. Other than episode 8, which has some wonky CGI, I have been very satisfied with the production. The art is incredible. Every frame looks like a painting, with episode 12 looking like it was ripped straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. The environments are lush, detailed, and vibrant. The animation is fluid, intermixed with beautifully crafted choreography and large sweeping camera arcs. Dynamic camera angles truly shine in episode 7 during Renji’s anime-original fight. Paired with the amazing soundtrack, every battle feels emotional. Episode 11’s brand new song when trompete is charging is beautiful. If you’ve made it to cour 3, you’re either a huge fan or suffering through for some reason. If you’re a fan, this review is more or less pointless. If cour 1 and 2 weren’t enough to rope you in, then cour 3 will also be a slogfest. I don’t know who this review is for but I enjoyed this season so here are my thoughts.
logic340
12/29/2024, 08:51 PM
I really wanted this cour to succeed. The promise of new anime-original content gave me some hope that it could fix the flaws of the manga’s poorly received final arc. Unfortunately, this season couldn’t escape the problems of its source material. No amount of nostalgic callbacks, solid animation, or impressive sound design could save it. This feels like one of the most overhyped anime in recent memory. That being said, if you’re a fan of Bleach like I am, I still recommend giving it a watch—but go in with lowered expectations, or you’re bound to be disappointed. Story/Plot: 4/10 The plot is where this cour falls apart.Just like in the manga, the story feels barebones and poorly constructed. Many characters are shoved into the narrative not because they serve a purpose, but because their presence panders to fans. It’s bloated, overcrowded, and detracts from moments that could have been better fleshed out. There’s a severe lack of stakes throughout this cour. Weak characters like Chad and Orihime somehow survive impossible situations because they’re fan favorites, but it’s completely unrealistic given the circumstances. This leads to a lot of plot conveniences and fake-out deaths that kill any tension. By this point, the trope feels tired and predictable. Ichigo, Renji, Lille—so many moments could’ve had lasting emotional impact but instead feel cheap and meaningless. Animation: 7/10 While the animation started off strong, it quickly revealed its limitations. Initially, I was impressed, but as the cour progressed, I noticed more still panels and an overreliance on DBZ-style explosions rather than meaningful choreography. The battles lack creativity, and the muted color palette throughout the season gave the visuals a dull, lifeless look.There were a few standout shots, but some of the most hyped scenes didn’t even match the quality of the original series. For a series with such high expectations, this season's animation felt overhyped overall. Characters: 6/10 When I say everyone is back, I mean everyone. The Vizards, the Arrancars, Nel, Grimmjow, Kira—the list goes on. While it’s nice to see so many familiar faces, the sheer number of returning characters completely derails the narrative. Most of them have no meaningful role and are just there to please fans. It’s frustrating to see characters like Nel and Grimmjow brought back only to do almost nothing. Chad and Orihime are present all season but contribute absolutely nothing of substance. Instead of developing key players or focusing on meaningful relationships, we get a “greatest hits” montage of cameos that detracts from the story’s flow. It felt like an old Oprah episode: “You get a cameo! And you get a cameo!” Sound: 8/10 There is not a lot to say here it's Bleach we know what to expect from the sound design. The opening and ending themes didn’t do much for me, but the OST was solid. The nostalgic tracks from the original series were a highlight, and they did a great job of setting the tone for some scenes. However, even great sound design couldn’t save the season from its narrative shortcomings. Enjoyment: 5/10 My enjoyment of this cour was heavily weighed down by its overreliance on nostalgia and the fanbase’s overhyping of this arc. The execution felt sloppy, and the pacing was all over the place. Instead of focusing on the important parts of the story, the season jumped between scenes in a frantic attempt to cram too much into too little time. The humor also felt outdated, with gags interrupting serious moments and pulling me out of the immersion. Key characters weren’t given the time they deserved, and others shouldn’t have been included at all. It feels like the staff prioritized quantity over quality, which is a shame considering the potential of this arc. Final Thoughts Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Cour 3 had the potential to elevate one of the series’ weakest arcs, but it fell short in almost every way. While the sound design and occasional moments of animation were enjoyable, the barebones plot, bloated cast, and lack of stakes made it a slog to get through. If you’re a Bleach fan, it’s worth watching for the nostalgia—but keep your expectations low. This cour is a reminder that not everything can be fixed with callbacks and flashy animation. Here’s hoping the next cour delivers on the potential that this one missed.
Jay-Stevenson
12/29/2024, 03:59 PM
Bleach's Thousand Year Blood War arc had, in my opinion, a superb first cour and a bit of an underwhelming second cour. After a long wait, I was excited to see if the extra production time benefitted the season, and I also wanted to see if season 2's sacrifices ended up benefitting season 3 as many people told me it would. And it did. ==SPOILER WARNING== Bleach's third cour has so many strengths. It has - for the most part - very good animation and detail. It's new director has incorporated a ton of versatile and unique shots that add gravitas to the individual fights. It's voiceacting is, as always, superb, and its soundtrack is the best it has ever been. Most notably though, it adds a ton of new contact. We got brand new fights, none of which felt out of place or tacked on, as well as extended battles that we'd only seen brief fragments of in the manga. The additions elevate the story and help to flesh out individual character arcs. For example, Uryu's additional fight with Renji help to portray the character in a more ambiguous light, and his extended battle with Ichigo makes his perceived 'betrayal' that much more impactful because we see how well the pair understand each other. Bleach's fights fell apart for me in cour 2 but I think they've mostly recomposed themselves. For starters, it helps that there aren't too many fights, whereas the second season felt over bloated. Secondly, cour 2 fell into the issue of unexpected power up reveal followed by unexpected power up reveal which made the season feel very repetitive. That isn't really the case here. We have a lot more actual combat where the characters play around with the arsenal that is available to them and therefore when one character gets the upper hand in a fight, it feels much more earnt - for example, in the Mayuri vs Pernida fight or the Yoruichi vs Askin fight. That doesn't mean there are no deus ex-machina type moments - I'll get to that in a bit - but on the whole the fights feel stellar. The pacing of this season was well done, in my opinion, with no fights feeling prolonged to the point where it damages the viewing experience. The season's opening is stellar, with amazing animation and superb creative choices in regards to its use of colours. It's ending is also good, although its reversed version feels a bit half-baked as a concept and you can tell it doesn't fit properly. Nonetheless, both great themes. The season does a very good job at fleshing out characters with backstories. It also reveals the stories in segments, as opposed to one heavy dump, which allows the backstory and current events to run concurrently and keeps the episodes well paced. The Friends flashback sequences were very well done and I very much enjoyed how the episode switched between the past and the present to maintain good pace and action. Bleach has always been a character driven series and its character work is really something here. There's a lot of great moments between characters like Shinji and Momo, or Shunsui and Nanao. The story also progresses nicely, with some of the key villains falling, and the Soul Society going on the offensive. The change of setting is very nice and as much as I loved the red skies of the Sereitei and the dazzling blue of the Soul King Palace, I think the backdrop of darkness is the best in TYBW so far. There are some flaws with this season, however. I'll first discuss a couple things I would've liked to have seen done differently, but don't impact the score: - Bleach only introduces backstories directly before we see the pay-off of them. For example, we only see the Shunsui and Nanao flashback during the fight where it becomes relevant. It is the same with the Nemu and Mayuri flashbacks. I don't mind this, but would have liked a change of pace every now and then with some being at least partially introduced before they became integral to the plot, as I feel they would have then had more emotional impact. - I would have liked Pernida to be hand-drawn as giant Gerard was. The CGI just looked a bit weird in my opinion. - I would have liked the antithesis to have played into Renji's survival and his inclusion with the Gerard confrontation felt a bit janky. There are other issues I can't look past and ultimately pull the season down a bit. - Episode 1 begins with a lengthy recap - I think there are production reasons for this so I understand it but it does ultimately harm the viewing experience. The ending of episode 14 with Askin also felt like a weird way to end the season: it would have worked maybe partway through or in the penultimate episode but alas. - Episode 2 is not well animated and I was very surprised to see people enjoy the episode, as for me it is visually the weakest episode of all of TYBW. All detail is completely lost during the Yhwach vs Ichigo fight but this isn't replaced by good choreography or fluid animation - a lot of the fight is janky and simply comprised of different coloured lines flying around. It also was filled with awkward movements, especially the sequence with Ichigo stabbing the Soul King. This episode really hurts the overall quality of cour 3. - Nanao's sword feels just as much of an asspull in the anime as it does in the manga. It should have been foreshadowed, perhaps in the episodes were the Soul Reapers were preparing to head up to the Soul King Palace, as there was a lot of room for character interactions. It even could have been hinted at in the first part of the Shunsui vs Lille fight. Instead, it just ends up feeling cheap and a silly convenience. - Uryu's actions in episode 14 feel very silly. It doesn't make sense, to me, why he would just decide to tell Ichigo his plan when he did - why not do it sooner? Why not keep it a secret? I am excited for the consequences but it just felt so nonsensical. He gets surprised when Haschwalth appears but this doesn't make sense to me because he knew Haschwalth had the almighty. I am also confused as to why Haschwalth was referring to his normal schrift despite saying he'd swapped powers with Yhwach, and also as to why Yhwach wouldn't suspect Uryu if he too can see into the future and would know Uryu is a traitor, but because I feel like that will be explored in cour 4 these don't really affect me. Just Uryu's actions do. - Some of the dialogue feels corny but hey its a Shounen. I will say though, the soul reapers' reactions to Byakuya decapitating (?) Gerard in the final episode was ridiculous. How is killing your enemy, who threatens the entire universe as you know it, going 'too far'? Despite its flaws, Cour 3's strengths heavily outweigh them. This feels like a very solid season, with a good balance between different storylines, great pay-offs, emotional moments, exciting action-packed moments, and simply unforgettable moments. Paired with killer animation, composition, and an ingenious use of colours, along with a director with a unique vision, Cour 3 learns from Cour 2's mistakes and lays the groundwork for what could be a truly mind-blowing final season. I give this season a 9/10
Hakuren366
12/29/2024, 10:33 AM
The 3rd cour of Bleach TYBW nailed it again with it's cinematic animation especially on the big fights, OSTs, and anime-original content. However, the same can't be said of the pacing. Anyway, let's expound on them. So the first half of the first episode of cour 3 started on a recap of the last episode of cour 2. Some people viewed the recap as a red flag due to production issues. Others saw it as unnecessary because Pierrot could have just started where cour 2 left off (Yhwach falling after being seemingly defeated by Ichibe), which I really agree. If I were to rectify that situation,the recap could have been reduced to the bare minimum by not showing the entirety of the fights from the last episode of cour 2 and just exhibit key points, or just pick off where cour 2 stopped. Then around the 2nd half of this series, there happened two big fights that spanned 2 episodes each. It felt weird when the two alternated instead of finishing the first battle then starting the second so that it could have been a linear flow. Was it to display what happened on the other side of the battlefield? I believe those were the only noticeable pacing flaws that were irksome, at least for me. As for the soundtracks, some new ones were distinguishable. Others were remixes of old OSTs. Shiro Sagisu is still going strong. The tune for the OP theme is good, with its visuals showcasing what to expect of this anime. Not much opinion on the visuals of the ED theme, just standard Bleach, though hearing it was a unique experience. Lastly, this season has the most anime-original content compared to the previous 2 cours due to smaller manga content left to adapt. Most of it were fight extensions and new battles, then some were relegated to flashbacks in order to give more context to a few character motivations and history. Speaking of those new battles and the fight extenders, while their existences were not really necessary for the plot, at least they excelled on the animation with some sakuga here and there, a good mix of 2d and 3d that isn't so all over the place, and good fight choreography. Despite some imperfections, this anime still managed to perform well on other areas. Overall an enjoyable watch. The last episode might have ended in a cliffhanger, what with all the different events that took place all over Soul Society, but it did give off anticipation for the final season.
Mr_Ubaldo2
12/28/2024, 11:55 PM
3 Cours down one to go. This was a part of the manga where I think people had the most disconnect. Storylines were started and dropped, off screen fights, and characters simply disappeared without explanation. With this anime they have not only fixed many of the issues that occured in this arc but added to the lore of bleach. New content galore this season brought. Brand new scenes that connected the worlds and patched plot holes. Many characters got power upgrades and new transformations only alluded to in the manga. The art and animation was absolutely stunning, a huge upgrade from the first 2 cours.Sure I had my nit picks about CGI background mobs or one of the main bosses being CGI but it was used into barely noticeable moments so I let it slide. Studio Pierrot definitely earned their pay grade with this one. I am excited for the end, to see what cour 4 can bring to the table. We aren't done yet, Kubo and the boys at Pierrot is definite cooking up something special for the finale.
ggol
12/28/2024, 10:48 PM
TLDR: A little bit weak at the start, but quickly gets better. Before I begin I want to criticise the management for the last episodes of both TYBW part 2 and 3 and the first episode of part 3 aswell. Towards the end of the last episode for both part 2 and 3, there is a 4-minute filler content of PowerPoint slides of characters discussing various topics and the first episode of part 3 has half of the content that is a recap from the last episode of part 2. As a fan of the original Bleach and having waited a long time for this. Itis upsetting, to say the least. The three-episode should not be managed like this and the content could've been better used or managed. Now let's get to the review. Introduction The Quincies have arrived at the Soul King's palace. Squad Zero is at a desperate measure to defend the soul king from the Quincies aggression. While at the Soul Society the Soul Reapers is trying to find a way to save the world from below. Meanwhile, Ichigo and his friends are rushing toward the Quincy King to stop him. Story 9/10 The story has a weaker start, but it gets better when you invest more into it. The big problem with the story for part 3 is that the feeling of war and big battles have mostly been toned down in part 3 however in exchange they provide a deeper story and slower pacing to give more side characters more screen time and backstory. When it comes to Squad Zero's introduction it shows a strong interaction between the power difference of the Gotei 13 but its fight against the Ywach Royal guards is underwhelming. It is underwhelming as we only got to see one Bankai instead of all 4 of them and the most disappointing part is Ichibei's Bankai ability. I have pointed this out in my previous review of Bleach where the characters have a good showcase of their skills but it is not enough explanation and you left wanting more details of it. Ichibei's Futen Taisatsuryō is a good presentation of his skill, but it doesn't show its capability, it only shows the visual representation so most viewers would be wondering what his ability does because it doesn't kill or destroy anything. If you take a step back and look at the battles of Yamamoto compared to Ichibei. Yamamoto's fight was extremely well done because we get to see the explosion and the overwhelming power that Yamamoto has which makes the fight feel very heavy like you're seeing the strongest fighting the strongest. When it comes to the strongest character fighting the strongest you do expect more from the fight scene. Ichibei's fight is quite generic in a sense. His abilities is all about manipulation which allows him to significantly drain his opponent's power. It sounds broken and all but it needs to add more into the scene to make it more interesting such as adding a whole Quincy army and he wipes it out with his Bankai. This would make him look and feel way more powerful. The Squad Zero fight scene is well done but lacks the feeling of desperation. I give you an example of a sense of desperation from One Piece Marine Ford Arc (SPOILERS AHEAD) when Marco saved Luffy you get a sense of desperation because recently the Pirate allies had lost two of their most strongest and important characters which this severely weakened one side effectiveness in the war. You get the sense of desperation because Luffy is unconscious and all the other character is significantly wounded or tired from the endless combat and everyone is using all of their last strength to save Luffy from the Marines. This is a good example of desperation because everyone is trying to defend that one person while at the same time fighting without two of the most important and strongest characters which tips the scale of war. I am not saying that Bleach doesn't have a desperation element. The first part of TYBW is masterfully well done especially the scene when Yamamoto dies which is a great sense of desperation and unknowing of the desperation to find out the critical point of the opponent's power but there is a huge problem which is the extremely fast pacing of the story. It is also very important to add that element in the Soul King's palace as the Soul King is an important figure that keeps the world's balance. Also, another problem is that most of Ywach's royal guards showcase their real powers towards the end of the seasons which makes us wonder that is Squad zero really stronger than the whole Gotei 13? You can clearly see that most of the big battles and the true power/form held by the strongest Quincy is handle by the Gotei 13. Squad zero only bought down a fraction of Ywach's Royal guards power. They should've made some sort of way to keep squad zero in the fight instead of replacing them with the Gotei 13. Characters 9/10 The characters is quite good. as the pacing has been fixed it gave a lot of depth to the character's story. It gave us more depth into the relationship between Ukitake, and Shunsui, and how Ukitake is related to one of the important Key elements of the story. It also gave us more intention on what the Quincy King wanted. There is extra screen time from the previous characters that died such as Unohana and Yamamoto which adds more emotional moments. Shunsui knows that they are in a desperate situation and this character is portrayed beautifully in a passive-aggressive way. He knows that they have to sacrifice one of their own to achieve victory and at the same time is also very emotional and stressed out. However, he knows that being emotional at a critical time would cause severe morale issues within the soul reapers. That's why Shunsui acted confident in front of his peers while deep inside you can feel with him the emotion and the difficult decision that he has to make. I don't know how to explain this exactly but Bleach has this feeling of uncertainty, uneasiness, and mystery toward their characters which brings a massive amount of attention and build-up to its characters. The most notable ones are Shusui, Urahara, and Mayuri they all show signs that they know something but are hiding it to prevent further disasters from other characters. Another problem is the dialogue between Ichigo and Ishida is badly written which is mostly on Ichigo's side. Most of the time Ichigo keeps saying that Ywhach is about to destroy the world and do bad things to Ishida. However, let's be for real, all the people in the world know that Ishida joined the Wandenreich with a specific reason and Ichigo should be finding out or at least asking him why he joins the Quincies instead of explaining on what is going on. Ichigo's narrative mostly focuses on the what and does not give enough deficit such as the why, when, and how. It would be more compelling to add more to the dialogue such as what about the past struggle they have been together or understanding both of their family heritage that would draw closer to both character's relationship. Animation 9/10 Aside from the battle between squad zero. The rest of the fight scene is great and many quality has been put into it, especially Renji's fight scene we get to see a lot more of his new Bankai ability and Ichigo's fight with Uryu. There is a lot more CGI in this part and perhaps the most within the TYBW series it can be a massive letdown for some but the CGI does have a really good quality that has been put into them. Music 10/10 Now, if you are an old fan like me the music for TYBW is a masterpiece, especially at part 3. This is because they kept most of the original music from the old version but added and improved it to fit the modern audience. This is like a love letter that you received 10 years ago, but just recently you received the love letter from the same person with improved sentencing and vocabulary that has been written into it. Conclusion Bleach is a well-balanced story that is about adventure, comedy, and lovable characters. It is not trying to be what it isn't supposed to be by adding unnecessary genres such as romance or next generation that replace the lovable main character that we have always loved or been used to seeing for the past 10 years. It has great animation, characters, and adds some spice to the old music to give more modern flavor to the present day. This is a must-watch for anyone that loves anime and even though there is a decent amount of errors at the start it is still the same old Bleach that we have been loving for the past 20 years.
Cyrose
12/28/2024, 01:32 PM
I would rather live in sad reality than live in fabricated happiness. OG Bleach (366) was somewhat decent as a TV series. It had so many cool characters and events that was meaningful, funny and entertaining to watch. However, this new seasons “Thousand Year Blood War” is completely the opposite. Old Bleach was slow given all the events to build up for the viewer, but now things happen in an instant that just ruined the whole build up and connection for all the fights to unfold and for characters and the story to grace in any way. Fans after the last episode of the previousseason of TYBW hyped up Senjumaru like she is the 🐐 and unbeatable. I knew right the way what is going to happen. It is task book Bleach outcome; She gets this super power up to impress everyone, then she gets destroyed by plot as always. This was indeed the main issue with Tite Kubos writing. He can’t possibly write meaningful and comprehensive stories that has fundamentally driven by the act of the characters. Rather he writes nonsensical and soulless outcomes of the events since these characters like Senjumaru or Ichibei are so powerful that they could have ended the series. So does Aizen in the OG series should have defeated Ichigo with a single move, but Tite tried his best to gave Ichigo 2 years to train in the middle of the story which was hours in the actual timeline so he can somehow makes this train wreck story move forward into.. an absolute madness like it did. The whole conflict is ridiculous anyway, Quincy’s are just made for being the bad guys that couldn’t get along with the Shinigamis. Obviously someone pulled the strings to make them hate each other, but they are so stupid to just talk through things. It is also way more interesting to put on flashy, but zero effort fights. The real reason for my dissatisfaction with Bleach is its chaotic emptiness and the lack of any revelatory narrative to tell. Battle on top of battle just consumed this series alive since it has nothing behind its flashy overpowered characters acting battles between each others for years. Every single Bleach episode now is random fighting against random pop out plot device characters that you will only know for no longer for one episode as the “strongest opponent”. Those who got beaten up and should have died like four times so far are getting stronger and still alive… Those who should have stayed alive are getting killed by plot. Ridiculous.. Lets talk about the battles and powers, because this show possesses the most unbalanced power system and unga-bunga action tactics ever. All the powers are random and hardly had any foundation whatsoever. Senjumaru should have killed everyone, but again the plot saved all the Quincy’s… so the story can continue. Not to mention she killed everyone in her Bankai, except Uruyu so HE can be the one who ends her. Even Bleach fans knows that she is way above the league of Uruyu, but still can’t accept that this series and Tite Kubo is just playing with the viewers with his extremely poor writing. Since no one saying this out loud, he is free to write this mediocre nonsense all day. Also, since when does Uruyu can use Sasukes Rinnegan abilities? Didn’t know it was their voice actor’s ability all along. “This is my highest level” until you kill me and I come back stronger Ahh power system. They are supposedly multiverse level, but in battle they do normal human damage to each other. The biggest attack power is probably small town level, but usually their attacks are building or wall level. However their aura and “spiritual pressure is shaking worlds”. We all know aura is a big deal. The sad fact is that the whole power scaling is so unbalanced that no strong opponent can last longer than one second against another stronger opponent. They one tapping each other because they are so lacking correspondence to their titles. No worries though, the gap might be large in powers, but they are equally boring in battle tactics. The villains in bleach follows the trope of evil for the sake of evil without any reasonable or rational justification of their actions or goals. They just want the opposite of what the other group wants. Kindergartners level scrimmage. Deaths also has no emotional connection since characters dies from one frame to another without any logical connection to the battle or story. Tite creates these crazy cool characters to appear epic, just for them to die a few frames later. One tap 90%. Also gives random explanations to some new stuff that he pulled out from no where. The animators had to drag the scenes like “his aura is shaking worlds now” it might look cool and powerful.. but definitely not well written or enjoyable. When it comes to actual battle, one side acts like they are the strongest ever, then when they don’t have anything else to say gets one tapped immediately. Don’t worry though, they are fine. Yamamoto: “There is no better protection here than myself.” Five minutes later: 🥝 Poor Toushirou was humiliated five times and he still alive. Team Zero were named zero, because you need zero effort to defeat them. (Strongest group in Bleach btw). Ichigo dies for the fifth time, I guess the training at the dinner table and in the jacuzzi wasn’t enough for him. “Absolute Cinema” more like absolute Circus. Considering that all Quincy’s are turning into a Pokemon, it is pretty accurate. Whenever you hear an anime is called “peak cinema” - run. Conclusion, This series in its essence is all smoke, and people acting like there is fire. Bleach was actually somewhat interesting as a shounen back then on its TV scheduled pacing. Now unfortunately it rock button with its extremely low effort of writing standards and nonsensical unbalanced content that made it look like a random piece of show off that has nothing to offer, but lazy action on top of action without no genuine or valuable content to disclose. This type of battle Shounen what Bleach TYBW provided has been the most abundant of all action stories I have seen. What starts with a Ban-kai will end with a Ban-kai, eventually. Everything in the middle is milky-parody. As a result, Bleach has fallen from its knees to its face with this one. “Bah-ouch”. Final Score: 1/10 ⭐️ I have a big appetite, but after all these exquisitely plated titles, I am still hungry for quality. Thank you for taking the time to read.
bossunhimeswitch
12/28/2024, 11:21 AM
I remember when this was serialized in Jump, this section of the story kept holding and losing and then holding my attention again. At the time I though tit was because of the periodic hiatuses, but with the story out weekly in this anime format, I can see part of it is the story itself. There's a lot of strengths in this section of the finale but also some weaknesses. There are places where things more too fast and move too slow. It was great remembering some parts I'd forgotten but also eye opening to why I forgot others. It's a shame that the storystops where it does because I do remember that we ended this season about where some of that malaise goes away. I would still recommend watching this section of the story because it does set up things to come and some things that might go unanswered depending on what the ending turns out to be in the next section. If you liked the way the arc has been going in previous sections of the anime, then you'll likely like this section. If you're beginning to grow weary to the story, then you might want to jump around this section and then move on to the final part. It's one of those things could have been better, but Kubo was very sick when he wrote it, so I can appreciate what he was able to do since Jump seemed to want to fight him the whole way.
whiteflame55
12/28/2024, 08:30 AM
It really shouldn’t be a surprise that this series keeps popping off season after season, but it remains a joy to watch Bleach continue to thrive in the Thousand Year Blood War Arc. I have plenty of issues with how the manga handled this arc, but this portion in particular was one I looked forward to as it contains a few of the more interesting fights in the arc. Kurotsuchi Mayuri’s fights are always a spectacle to behold and contain their own distinct flavor, so watching him pop off makes the season strong by itself, but this season has several memorable and visually stunning fightsas it moves along the track to the finale. My only substantial complaint with this season is that there was a rather long lull in the middle where the pacing dropped off for reasons that seemed unnecessary to include. I get that it can’t all be fights, but that portion of the season was the obvious down point, particularly episodes 4 and 5. Still, this season fires on all cylinders for the vast majority of its run. A lot of the "problems" I've seen people cite with this and previous seasons largely come down to not liking shonen tropes, which is fine, but for me, when they're done this well, it doesn't bother me. These are characters finally unveiling some of their absolute best after seasons of holding back, and it's glorious to watch. I can’t wait to see how they end it.
Stark700
12/28/2024, 08:01 AM
2024 has been a year that can be described as 'giving back to the fans'. Franchises such as Fairy Tail and Spice and Wolf made their returns while classics such as Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura got their remake treatment. It came as no surprise that Bleach wanted a piece of that pie. With confidence, I can say that Bleach marks one of the greatest anime comeback in recent memory. It wasn't a long break so if you need some refresh of memory, just read the premise and the promotional videos. The core of the plot still involves Ichigo, Soul Society, and their allies defend againstYhwach and his draconian Wandenreich army. The most elite among them are known as the Sternritter. This season pits our main characters against some of the most creative and deadly enemies the franchise has ever seen. Sternritter's higher ranked members are no pushovers as they push the Gotei 13 captains to their limits. Even the captain commander Shunsui Kyouraku is pushed to his limit when confronted by the Sternritter leader. Watching this season constantly pushes the limits of what Bleach characters can do. From malevolent transformations to otherwordly abilities, there's no shortage of entertainment. As a very plot focused season, we also find out Yhwach's motivations and how far he's willing to push himself to achieve his ends. Commanding a legion of forces, he is describe as a 'final boss' of the season. To get to him, this season truly explifies the meaning of war. It's interesting to note that to achieve a meaningful plot, there's character background stories told for both Soul Reapers and Quincys. Characters such as Nanao and Ukitake's stories are told with important narratives. Others including Bazz-B gets deeper character study of how they ened up as who they are. Bleach's background storytelling sometimes defines what it means through loss, characterized by a character suffering through some form of tragedy. This is no different when we see how war and tragdies affects them. Bazz-B is a classic example of what he has experienced in the past and present. Nonetheless, popular characters in the past arcs also return who viewers should be very familiar with. However, because this season is heavily plot focused on the war, their roles are given through battles rather than more background stories. I've always thought Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War had a thirst to prove itself through unorthodox battles. Let's say if you're in for some glorious action, this season won't be a letdown. The chereography achieve cinematic sequence through its usage of character movements, expressions, and creativity. Every character in this arc is unique in itself that we question what their limits are. Yhwach is at the top of the hierarchy as we witness his power, a force that truly sets his reptuation in this entire final arc. Others such as Mayuri and Kyouraku have more creative abilities to deal with their adversaries beyond just brute force. To put it in perspective, Ichigo is not the one carrying this season on his back. But likewise, this season is also a rollercoaster of emotions when unresolved conflicts take place. For instance, how does Ichigo deal with Uryu, his former friend who joined the other side of this war? Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War - The Conflict continues to prove itself that no matter how longm it delivers what fans want to see. From the emotional storytelling through its cinematic battles, there's really no shortage what this final arc has set out to to do. It once again shows that Bleach is one of the greatest anime to make its comeback in history.

Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen - Soukoku-tan BLEACH 千年血戦篇-相剋譚-

2024 fall | Episodes: 14 | Score: 8.7 (89172)

Updated every Saturdays at 23:00 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Disney+ | Ani-One Asia | Bahamut Anime Crazy | Hulu

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Sugiyama, Noriaki

Morita, Masakazu

News

Reviews

fizer0
01/29/2025, 07:02 AM
Quincy: smirks "I can wipe you all out in an instant." activates a deadly technique Shinigami: grimaces "Tch…" staggers but remains standing Quincy: calmly lowers his hand "Hmph. As expected. Nothing but talk." Shinigami: smirks "You think that was enough? Watch this." unleashes a hidden technique Quincy: eyes widen "Impossible…!" stumbles back, feeling overpoweredShinigami: calmly walks forward "You were saying?" Quincy: grits teeth, then suddenly smirks "I knew you'd use that move." activates Uno Reverse Shinigami: eyes widen "No… this can't be!" staggers, overwhelmed Quincy: steps forward, exuding confidence "Now, it's over." Shinigami: chuckles "You really think so?" his wounds fade as he unveils his true technique Quincy: stunned "W-what?! That's…!" realizes he's in danger Shinigami: calmly raises his sword "Now, perish." Quincy: grins despite the pain "You're strong… but I haven’t shown my ultimate technique yet." Shinigami: expression shifts "…What?!" Quincy: closes his eyes "Awaken… Absolute Erasure!" unleashes a blinding energy wave Shinigami: stumbles but remains standing "Not bad. But you forgot…" Quincy: panting "…What?" Shinigami: smirks "I am immune to erasure." walks through the attack unscathed Quincy: eyes widen in disbelief "No… that's not possible!" Shinigami: raises a single finger "And now…" activates a technique that bends reality Quincy: feels his body being erased instead "What?! No…!" Shinigami: stays cool Quincy: fading away "Hah… But even now, you underestimate me…" Shinigami: narrows eyes "Hmph. What now?" Quincy: suddenly reforms "Reversal of Reversal!" Shinigami: shocked "You rewound your own existence?!" Quincy: grins "And now, it's really over." summons a final technique Shinigami: laughs softly "You never learn." reveals yet another transformation Quincy: shocked "No way…!" And the cycle continues…
KENKAIYT
01/25/2025, 06:34 PM
Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen - Soukoku-tan is the best of the Thousand Year Blood War anime so far. Visuals - This cour is easily the most visually impressive for this anime so far. The animation quality is excellent and rarely dips. Still frames, weird compositing, and bad cgi are present but are infrequent and brief. More talented staff has been added to the series which allows for clean and fluid animation to be present far more often than before in this anime. Soundtrack - Bleach is well known for having awesome music. This is still the case for cour 3. The old and new songs created byShiro Sagisu are great. The main problems for the soundtrack in this cour is that songs that have been used frequently in prior cours are used fairly often and as a manga reader, some songs did not fit my expectations for certain scenes as I felt a different emotion reading the manga than the emotion trying to be conveyed from the music by the studio pierrot staff. The reuse of music problem is also exacerbated by the fact that Shiro Sagisu has made a huge catalogue of music for the Bleach IP but very few are being used. Though I do not think these issues is enough to ruin the experience. Story - The story is fairly consistent and takes it's time in comparison to prior cours adapting less chapters from the manga. The plot is generally coherent, lacking plot holes or stupid decisions made by characters (mostly). Characters - The characters are still written consistently with more development is being offered to old and new characters. The added content for this anime is probably the most unique aspect since the staff adds so much with the mangaka, Tite Kubo being a part of staff as a general supervisor. The added content mostly serves to benefit the series, with very few either not doing anything to the series, or hurting the series. This cour is very well made with some minor setbacks. tl;dr The visuals are mostly excellent, the soundtrack is mostly good, the story is still mostly coherent, and the characters haven't been tarnished.
wolf321
01/15/2025, 04:44 AM
A Disappointing Return: Bleach's Latest Seasons Fall Short As a long-time fan of the Bleach series, I was excited to dive back into the world of Shinigami and Quincy. Unfortunately, the latest seasons have left me underwhelmed and nostalgic for the good old days. Lackluster Storytelling The storytelling in the latest seasons feels disjointed and lacking in coherence. It's as if the writers took a break from the original narrative and came back with a completely new, unpolished idea. The pacing is rushed, leaving little room for character development or meaningful plot progression. Underutilized Characters One of the most significant disappointments is the lack of screen time for some ofthe most powerful and beloved characters. Captain Zaraki, for instance, was neutralized before he even had a chance to engage in a proper fight. After learning Bankai, it seems Zaraki's new power is the ability to get defeated in one hit. It's a shame, considering his potential. They didn't even give space for Zaraki to showcase his abilities. Animation: A Mixed Bag While the clarity of the animation has improved, the artwork quality and fight scenes have taken a hit. The transformations, which were once so epic, now feel lackluster. Failure to Connect with the Past The latest seasons seem to have forgotten the rich history and lore that made Bleach so beloved. The plot fails to connect with the past storylines, leaving long-time fans like myself feeling disconnected and uninvested. Nerfed Characters and Lack of Epic Fights The 13 captains, including the head captain, have been significantly nerfed, which undermines their established strength and credibility. Even if for Quincy Power showcase it failed to make real impact The head captain's new power is the ability to balance a budget in under 5 minutes. The lack of epic fights featuring characters like Ichigo and Zaraki is deeply missed. Conclusion As someone who has been following the Bleach series since its inception, I'm sad to say that the latest seasons have been a disappointment. The storytelling is lackluster, the characters are underutilized, and the animation is inconsistent. Even the graphics, which have improved, can't make up for the overall lack of impact. Here's to hoping the next season will be better!
irondu1996
01/11/2025, 09:23 PM
TL;DR: In short, it is amazing. And it doesn’t stop there—it’s genuinely brilliant. First of all, I’m a huge Bleach fan, and while I don’t often call things perfect, this new installment comes incredibly close. I always appreciate when a series evolves and adapts to new times without losing the essence that made it iconic. My review here might sound biased because I loved it so much, but trust me, it deserves every bit of praise. Whether you're a fan or a newcomer, this is a standout piece of anime. Here’s how I’d break it down depending on who you are: You’re a Bleach fan: It’s phenomenal, alove letter to the original, with a modern twist that amplifies the experience. You’re a hardcore fan: It’s a triumphant celebration of everything you’ve loved about Bleach, bringing depth and reverence to the characters while upping the stakes like never before. You’re not a fan (yet): It’s an exhilarating introduction to the series, filled with stunning visuals, gripping storytelling, and unforgettable action sequences. The script is tight, weaving complex events with impressive logic and depth. The escalation of power feels purposeful and exciting, and the consistency is remarkable—both within this season and in relation to the original series. The plot? Engaging and layered, with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The dialogue? Memorable, with every character contributing meaningfully. And the fights? Spectacular and climactic, blending thrilling choreography with emotionally charged moments. The new enemies are creatively designed and add fresh challenges, from a Norse mythology-inspired powerhouse to a team with playful, unpredictable dynamics. And let’s not forget the animation—it's a masterpiece. The fluidity, the colors, and the visual storytelling elevate this season to new heights. Every Getsuga Tenshō is breathtaking, radiating the raw power and determination of Ichigo. It’s clear the animators poured their hearts into making every frame a visual feast. One of the best aspects is how the series creates genuine tension and drama. The stakes feel real, and the emotional weight of each decision hits hard. Sacrifices, struggles, and victories all leave a lasting impact. The series doesn’t shy away from heartbreak or triumph, making every episode an emotional rollercoaster. Even the fanservice elements are handled with humor and charm, bringing lighthearted moments that balance the intense narrative. Orihime’s growing strength and confidence are showcased beautifully, adding layers to her character beyond what we’ve seen before. Now, let’s talk spoilers. Orihime’s incredible healing ability is not only consistent with her past development but also represents her growth as a fighter and a friend. Ishida’s pivotal moment shows his strategic brilliance and growth, proving why he’s one of the most compelling characters. Squad Zero and their leader? They deliver jaw-dropping moments that showcase their unparalleled strength, and when they fall, it’s a testament to the overwhelming odds our heroes face. These events underscore the immense stakes and set up a finale that promises to be unforgettable. Overall, this season is a triumph. It’s a perfect blend of nostalgia, innovation, and top-tier storytelling. Whether you’ve been with Bleach since the beginning or you’re discovering it now, this installment is a must-watch. I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up in the fourth cour because, if it keeps this quality, it will solidify itself as one of the greatest anime revivals of all time. So yes, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s an outstanding addition to the Bleach legacy and one of the best anime seasons I’ve had the pleasure to watch.eing a 10, in average would still fail.
Nomaed
01/09/2025, 11:34 AM
BLEACH: A TRILLION YEARS UNFORGIVABLE ENDLESS PAINFUL REMINISCENCE BATTLE Yuhabaha: "Ichigo, thank you. Without you, I would not have achieved my goal!" Ichigo: "What, what do you mean?" Yuhabaha: "You are a sinigami, a quincy, a hollow, a weizard, a human. And more importantly, you are a wizard, Harry, I mean, Ichigo. I needed the power of all to open the portal to the real where sense doesn't make sense. The last season!" Ichigo: "Impossible. That can't be true." Yuhabaha: "Yes, it can. You didn't know that, but that dog that you gave a piece of bread to after the sixth lesson you had on the sixth day after yoursixth birthday had exactly 666 hairs. Did you think it didn't have that much fur for no reason? It was all a part of the sequence of the gate activation!" Ichigo: "NO!" Yuhabaha: "Yes! Even that time you spent on the sixth of June, which is the sixth month, of 2006, pleasuring yourself for exactly 666 seconds, was a requirement to open the gate." Ichigo: "No, you are lying! That doesn't make any sense!" Yuhabaha: "Precisely! Off we go, Hashuwarudo, my trustworthy right hand, whose family I have slaughtered mercilessly but who still follows me but maybe still plans on betraying me after having so many opportunities to kill me, and Ishida Uryu, who is totally not planning on betraying me." Before leaving, Isida turns and looks at Ichigo. Isida: "Ichigo." Ichigo: "Isida, you..." Isida: "I HATE SINIGAMI!" Later, that very same minute: Ichigo: "This guy is just a quincy, he can absorb the soul energy from all around him to replenish his reisi, but we have destroyed everything, so he's done!" Villainous minion whose name does not matter and who is completely forgettable (VMWNDMMAWISF): "HAHAHAHAHA! You are a fool, Ichigo! Behold my true power: the instant defeat!" Ichigo: "What? Impossible! How can you do that with your reisi, which has been an established concept throughout the series?" VMWNDMMAWISF: "Have you forgotten where we are, Ichigo? This is the realm where nothing makes sense! KIYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Random Ichigo's sidekick places his hand on Ichigo's shoulder in reassurance. Rando: "Don't worry, Ichigo. Go, I will deal with him." Ichigo: "What? Have you lost your mind? He can summon an instant defeat!" Rando: "Yes, he can. But can he defeat every of the one million techniques that I have acquired?" Ichigo: "A million techniques?.. Wait! Don't tell me that during the five minutes break that you took to pee, you managed to finally master the one million techniques technique! IDIOT! YOU WERE MAKING A FOOL OF ME THIS WHOLE TIME! AND EVEN WHEN WE WERE FIGHTING THAT GUY YOU KNEW WE WOULD WIN CAUSE YOU COULD HAVE USED YOUR TECHNIQUE!" *funny_face.jpg* *laugh_track.mp3* Ichigo smirks with a confident look. Ichigo: "Yes, I trust you." Ichigo and company leaves. A few moments later... VMWNDMMAWISF: "KIYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! So much for a million techniques! Are you an idiot? Did you not hear the name of my ability? What does it matter how many techniques you have if I can use my ability to defeat you? KIYAHAHAHAHA! You are such an idiot! And all your friends are idiots! And even your relatives are idiots! Have you been doing it on purpose? Did you surround yourself with idiots on purpose? Or did you surround yourself with idiots because you are an idiot?" Rando: "You managed to defeat all of my million techniques. What a shame. It would be the end for me if I had only one million techniques..." VMWNDMMAWISF: "Nani?" Rando: "Talking about being an idiot. It seems you didn't hear the name of my technique." VMWNDMMAWISF: "Only the deaf couldn't hear it. It's one million techniques." Rando: "No. It is One Million Techniques TECHNIQUE." VMWNDMMAWISF: "That just means that your technique consits of one million techniques, you idiot! What does it matter?" Rando: "No, it means that my technique that I have only one technique, which consits of one million sub-techniques. And because you have used your ability to defeat my sub-techinues, makes it a sub-ability, and you will not be able to use it to defeat my tehcnique!" VMWNDMMAWISF: "No, that is impossible. You are just a shinigami, who uses reyatsu, the soul energy, the concept of which has been established throughout the series. What you tell defies all logic, it doesn't—" Rando: "Make any sense?" VMWNDMMAWISF: "No, no, you couldn't." Rando: "Now, witness my true technique: UNO REVERSO!" VMWNDMMAWISF: "That's even not the name of you techinue!" Rando: "You are indeed an idiot! NOTHING MAKES SENSE IN THE LAST SEASON!" VMWNDMMAWISF: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" *dies* To be continued...
ecktt
01/03/2025, 02:04 PM
TLDR: It took me 15 years to realise how much shit Bleach really is. For a series that started off fair enough; the power creep, contrived story, inexplicable superpowers and vintage anime "I will defeat you with will power" nonsense has caught up to the good animation that it has finally received. Or maybe I was naive, and it was always a pig with lipstick. Was Nelliel running around with those 2 idiots not enough to warn me this show failed at trying to be funny, while being serious? Did the horny teddy bear synthetic soul not signal the incoming stupidity? Was Kenpachi and his loliconside kick not a red flag? Was everyone strangely idiotic Bankai not a giveaway? I could go on but that would be a retelling of the entire show. The world building created a mess of chaotic themed factions with the mechanics of a rotary engine. Great at 10000 rpm but utter shit everywhere else. If you ask the typical Bleach fan what they like; it is all about the fights and nothing to do with the stapled-on story with weak characters. So, who really is Bleach for? The only thing I can think of is, adults with the mindset of a 12-year-old, unless you're okay with actual 12-year-olds getting a healthy serving of Matsumoto fan service.
Winnah_Daniels
12/30/2024, 08:32 AM
I love the fact that they brought this show back with such a high attention to detail. If you're a Bleach fan, you simply must watch this. You get to spend extra time with many of the characters that you'll forgot you missed. I think if you have not seen the original series, you will love the art, and fights, but you will be lost in the story. I recommend catching up on Bleach even via a recap before getting into this show. It does not try too hard to explain itself and just takes you through the story quickly. The art is sublime. There'sa darkness and realness to it. Very crisp animations even during movement and complicated battle exchanges. The still shots are screenshotable, and the short bursts of fighting are more than worthy of an anime amv. The story is what it is. Not too many crazy twists and turns outside of the standard battle shonen "he lost...but he was concealing some power" trope. The combination of nostalgia, beautiful art, and great fights almost makes this a 10 for me. The fact that they broke one season up into FOUR parts (with part 3 just ending and no release date for part 4) brings it down to a 9
lucjan
12/30/2024, 08:21 AM
Season 3 of the Thousand Year Blood War is the arc at its strongest so far. With every episode, the intensity builds. The anime heavily rearranges the manga, piecemealing pages and sometimes small moments from different chapters. The result is a far tighter adaptation. To add the cherry on top, the anime was given a longer production time, providing a more immersive experience. So we have a tighter adaptation with improved production. If you’re this far into the series, I have to hope you’re a Bleach fan. This is Bleach at its best. When most people think of a good series, they don’t immediately nerdout on the production quality – the music, animation, and art. The story and the characters are always the drivers in any vehicle, and while Bleach isn’t high-literature, it’s deeper than you would think at first glance. There is a heavy emphasis on lore within this arc – exposition set deep in the past. Unfortunately time is of the essence here and a lot of the lore is undeveloped. There is a lot of it, but they’re like half-popped or even mostly unpopped kernels of popcorn – the flavor is there, but the depth isn’t. For example, in episode 7 of the TYBW (season 1, so I’m backtracking a bit, but the example still holds) we, the audience, receive a flashback to the original blood war between the Quincy and the Shinigami. This was more than we received in the source material so it was a welcome addition; but, it barely provides anything. It still lacks context. A more recent example, one that takes place in cour 3, is Bazz-B’s past. While the anime conveys his history succinctly and beautifully, it’s difficult to invest yourself in a character’s plight with less than one episode of exposition. That doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate what we do have but it’s that love for Bleach that leaves you wanting more. Despite the breakneck pace, some of the cast shine brighter in this arc than in previous arcs. Shunsui and Mayuri both receive huge slats of time dedicated to who they are and why they act the way they do. Both characters are given ample time on stage and their battles aren’t abbreviated like many of the TYBW’s prior ones. While Starrk vs Shunsui span more episodes than Shunsui’s battle in cour 3, we learn more about Shunsui in his battle here than we did when he fought Starrk. Uryu, too, has received an enormous amount of characterization throughout the arc. In the source material, Uryu’s motivation and participation was mostly absent, whereas the anime provides a much stronger role for his character. Unlike the previous 2 cours, cour 3 has rearranged the events from the source material to provide characters like Uryu the opportunity to more heavily stake their place in the story. Lastly, we need to discuss the production: The art, animation, and score. Cour 3 has knocked all 3 out of the park. Other than episode 8, which has some wonky CGI, I have been very satisfied with the production. The art is incredible. Every frame looks like a painting, with episode 12 looking like it was ripped straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. The environments are lush, detailed, and vibrant. The animation is fluid, intermixed with beautifully crafted choreography and large sweeping camera arcs. Dynamic camera angles truly shine in episode 7 during Renji’s anime-original fight. Paired with the amazing soundtrack, every battle feels emotional. Episode 11’s brand new song when trompete is charging is beautiful. If you’ve made it to cour 3, you’re either a huge fan or suffering through for some reason. If you’re a fan, this review is more or less pointless. If cour 1 and 2 weren’t enough to rope you in, then cour 3 will also be a slogfest. I don’t know who this review is for but I enjoyed this season so here are my thoughts.
logic340
12/29/2024, 08:51 PM
I really wanted this cour to succeed. The promise of new anime-original content gave me some hope that it could fix the flaws of the manga’s poorly received final arc. Unfortunately, this season couldn’t escape the problems of its source material. No amount of nostalgic callbacks, solid animation, or impressive sound design could save it. This feels like one of the most overhyped anime in recent memory. That being said, if you’re a fan of Bleach like I am, I still recommend giving it a watch—but go in with lowered expectations, or you’re bound to be disappointed. Story/Plot: 4/10 The plot is where this cour falls apart.Just like in the manga, the story feels barebones and poorly constructed. Many characters are shoved into the narrative not because they serve a purpose, but because their presence panders to fans. It’s bloated, overcrowded, and detracts from moments that could have been better fleshed out. There’s a severe lack of stakes throughout this cour. Weak characters like Chad and Orihime somehow survive impossible situations because they’re fan favorites, but it’s completely unrealistic given the circumstances. This leads to a lot of plot conveniences and fake-out deaths that kill any tension. By this point, the trope feels tired and predictable. Ichigo, Renji, Lille—so many moments could’ve had lasting emotional impact but instead feel cheap and meaningless. Animation: 7/10 While the animation started off strong, it quickly revealed its limitations. Initially, I was impressed, but as the cour progressed, I noticed more still panels and an overreliance on DBZ-style explosions rather than meaningful choreography. The battles lack creativity, and the muted color palette throughout the season gave the visuals a dull, lifeless look.There were a few standout shots, but some of the most hyped scenes didn’t even match the quality of the original series. For a series with such high expectations, this season's animation felt overhyped overall. Characters: 6/10 When I say everyone is back, I mean everyone. The Vizards, the Arrancars, Nel, Grimmjow, Kira—the list goes on. While it’s nice to see so many familiar faces, the sheer number of returning characters completely derails the narrative. Most of them have no meaningful role and are just there to please fans. It’s frustrating to see characters like Nel and Grimmjow brought back only to do almost nothing. Chad and Orihime are present all season but contribute absolutely nothing of substance. Instead of developing key players or focusing on meaningful relationships, we get a “greatest hits” montage of cameos that detracts from the story’s flow. It felt like an old Oprah episode: “You get a cameo! And you get a cameo!” Sound: 8/10 There is not a lot to say here it's Bleach we know what to expect from the sound design. The opening and ending themes didn’t do much for me, but the OST was solid. The nostalgic tracks from the original series were a highlight, and they did a great job of setting the tone for some scenes. However, even great sound design couldn’t save the season from its narrative shortcomings. Enjoyment: 5/10 My enjoyment of this cour was heavily weighed down by its overreliance on nostalgia and the fanbase’s overhyping of this arc. The execution felt sloppy, and the pacing was all over the place. Instead of focusing on the important parts of the story, the season jumped between scenes in a frantic attempt to cram too much into too little time. The humor also felt outdated, with gags interrupting serious moments and pulling me out of the immersion. Key characters weren’t given the time they deserved, and others shouldn’t have been included at all. It feels like the staff prioritized quantity over quality, which is a shame considering the potential of this arc. Final Thoughts Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Cour 3 had the potential to elevate one of the series’ weakest arcs, but it fell short in almost every way. While the sound design and occasional moments of animation were enjoyable, the barebones plot, bloated cast, and lack of stakes made it a slog to get through. If you’re a Bleach fan, it’s worth watching for the nostalgia—but keep your expectations low. This cour is a reminder that not everything can be fixed with callbacks and flashy animation. Here’s hoping the next cour delivers on the potential that this one missed.
Jay-Stevenson
12/29/2024, 03:59 PM
Bleach's Thousand Year Blood War arc had, in my opinion, a superb first cour and a bit of an underwhelming second cour. After a long wait, I was excited to see if the extra production time benefitted the season, and I also wanted to see if season 2's sacrifices ended up benefitting season 3 as many people told me it would. And it did. ==SPOILER WARNING== Bleach's third cour has so many strengths. It has - for the most part - very good animation and detail. It's new director has incorporated a ton of versatile and unique shots that add gravitas to the individual fights. It's voiceacting is, as always, superb, and its soundtrack is the best it has ever been. Most notably though, it adds a ton of new contact. We got brand new fights, none of which felt out of place or tacked on, as well as extended battles that we'd only seen brief fragments of in the manga. The additions elevate the story and help to flesh out individual character arcs. For example, Uryu's additional fight with Renji help to portray the character in a more ambiguous light, and his extended battle with Ichigo makes his perceived 'betrayal' that much more impactful because we see how well the pair understand each other. Bleach's fights fell apart for me in cour 2 but I think they've mostly recomposed themselves. For starters, it helps that there aren't too many fights, whereas the second season felt over bloated. Secondly, cour 2 fell into the issue of unexpected power up reveal followed by unexpected power up reveal which made the season feel very repetitive. That isn't really the case here. We have a lot more actual combat where the characters play around with the arsenal that is available to them and therefore when one character gets the upper hand in a fight, it feels much more earnt - for example, in the Mayuri vs Pernida fight or the Yoruichi vs Askin fight. That doesn't mean there are no deus ex-machina type moments - I'll get to that in a bit - but on the whole the fights feel stellar. The pacing of this season was well done, in my opinion, with no fights feeling prolonged to the point where it damages the viewing experience. The season's opening is stellar, with amazing animation and superb creative choices in regards to its use of colours. It's ending is also good, although its reversed version feels a bit half-baked as a concept and you can tell it doesn't fit properly. Nonetheless, both great themes. The season does a very good job at fleshing out characters with backstories. It also reveals the stories in segments, as opposed to one heavy dump, which allows the backstory and current events to run concurrently and keeps the episodes well paced. The Friends flashback sequences were very well done and I very much enjoyed how the episode switched between the past and the present to maintain good pace and action. Bleach has always been a character driven series and its character work is really something here. There's a lot of great moments between characters like Shinji and Momo, or Shunsui and Nanao. The story also progresses nicely, with some of the key villains falling, and the Soul Society going on the offensive. The change of setting is very nice and as much as I loved the red skies of the Sereitei and the dazzling blue of the Soul King Palace, I think the backdrop of darkness is the best in TYBW so far. There are some flaws with this season, however. I'll first discuss a couple things I would've liked to have seen done differently, but don't impact the score: - Bleach only introduces backstories directly before we see the pay-off of them. For example, we only see the Shunsui and Nanao flashback during the fight where it becomes relevant. It is the same with the Nemu and Mayuri flashbacks. I don't mind this, but would have liked a change of pace every now and then with some being at least partially introduced before they became integral to the plot, as I feel they would have then had more emotional impact. - I would have liked Pernida to be hand-drawn as giant Gerard was. The CGI just looked a bit weird in my opinion. - I would have liked the antithesis to have played into Renji's survival and his inclusion with the Gerard confrontation felt a bit janky. There are other issues I can't look past and ultimately pull the season down a bit. - Episode 1 begins with a lengthy recap - I think there are production reasons for this so I understand it but it does ultimately harm the viewing experience. The ending of episode 14 with Askin also felt like a weird way to end the season: it would have worked maybe partway through or in the penultimate episode but alas. - Episode 2 is not well animated and I was very surprised to see people enjoy the episode, as for me it is visually the weakest episode of all of TYBW. All detail is completely lost during the Yhwach vs Ichigo fight but this isn't replaced by good choreography or fluid animation - a lot of the fight is janky and simply comprised of different coloured lines flying around. It also was filled with awkward movements, especially the sequence with Ichigo stabbing the Soul King. This episode really hurts the overall quality of cour 3. - Nanao's sword feels just as much of an asspull in the anime as it does in the manga. It should have been foreshadowed, perhaps in the episodes were the Soul Reapers were preparing to head up to the Soul King Palace, as there was a lot of room for character interactions. It even could have been hinted at in the first part of the Shunsui vs Lille fight. Instead, it just ends up feeling cheap and a silly convenience. - Uryu's actions in episode 14 feel very silly. It doesn't make sense, to me, why he would just decide to tell Ichigo his plan when he did - why not do it sooner? Why not keep it a secret? I am excited for the consequences but it just felt so nonsensical. He gets surprised when Haschwalth appears but this doesn't make sense to me because he knew Haschwalth had the almighty. I am also confused as to why Haschwalth was referring to his normal schrift despite saying he'd swapped powers with Yhwach, and also as to why Yhwach wouldn't suspect Uryu if he too can see into the future and would know Uryu is a traitor, but because I feel like that will be explored in cour 4 these don't really affect me. Just Uryu's actions do. - Some of the dialogue feels corny but hey its a Shounen. I will say though, the soul reapers' reactions to Byakuya decapitating (?) Gerard in the final episode was ridiculous. How is killing your enemy, who threatens the entire universe as you know it, going 'too far'? Despite its flaws, Cour 3's strengths heavily outweigh them. This feels like a very solid season, with a good balance between different storylines, great pay-offs, emotional moments, exciting action-packed moments, and simply unforgettable moments. Paired with killer animation, composition, and an ingenious use of colours, along with a director with a unique vision, Cour 3 learns from Cour 2's mistakes and lays the groundwork for what could be a truly mind-blowing final season. I give this season a 9/10
Hakuren366
12/29/2024, 10:33 AM
The 3rd cour of Bleach TYBW nailed it again with it's cinematic animation especially on the big fights, OSTs, and anime-original content. However, the same can't be said of the pacing. Anyway, let's expound on them. So the first half of the first episode of cour 3 started on a recap of the last episode of cour 2. Some people viewed the recap as a red flag due to production issues. Others saw it as unnecessary because Pierrot could have just started where cour 2 left off (Yhwach falling after being seemingly defeated by Ichibe), which I really agree. If I were to rectify that situation,the recap could have been reduced to the bare minimum by not showing the entirety of the fights from the last episode of cour 2 and just exhibit key points, or just pick off where cour 2 stopped. Then around the 2nd half of this series, there happened two big fights that spanned 2 episodes each. It felt weird when the two alternated instead of finishing the first battle then starting the second so that it could have been a linear flow. Was it to display what happened on the other side of the battlefield? I believe those were the only noticeable pacing flaws that were irksome, at least for me. As for the soundtracks, some new ones were distinguishable. Others were remixes of old OSTs. Shiro Sagisu is still going strong. The tune for the OP theme is good, with its visuals showcasing what to expect of this anime. Not much opinion on the visuals of the ED theme, just standard Bleach, though hearing it was a unique experience. Lastly, this season has the most anime-original content compared to the previous 2 cours due to smaller manga content left to adapt. Most of it were fight extensions and new battles, then some were relegated to flashbacks in order to give more context to a few character motivations and history. Speaking of those new battles and the fight extenders, while their existences were not really necessary for the plot, at least they excelled on the animation with some sakuga here and there, a good mix of 2d and 3d that isn't so all over the place, and good fight choreography. Despite some imperfections, this anime still managed to perform well on other areas. Overall an enjoyable watch. The last episode might have ended in a cliffhanger, what with all the different events that took place all over Soul Society, but it did give off anticipation for the final season.
Mr_Ubaldo2
12/28/2024, 11:55 PM
3 Cours down one to go. This was a part of the manga where I think people had the most disconnect. Storylines were started and dropped, off screen fights, and characters simply disappeared without explanation. With this anime they have not only fixed many of the issues that occured in this arc but added to the lore of bleach. New content galore this season brought. Brand new scenes that connected the worlds and patched plot holes. Many characters got power upgrades and new transformations only alluded to in the manga. The art and animation was absolutely stunning, a huge upgrade from the first 2 cours.Sure I had my nit picks about CGI background mobs or one of the main bosses being CGI but it was used into barely noticeable moments so I let it slide. Studio Pierrot definitely earned their pay grade with this one. I am excited for the end, to see what cour 4 can bring to the table. We aren't done yet, Kubo and the boys at Pierrot is definite cooking up something special for the finale.
ggol
12/28/2024, 10:48 PM
TLDR: A little bit weak at the start, but quickly gets better. Before I begin I want to criticise the management for the last episodes of both TYBW part 2 and 3 and the first episode of part 3 aswell. Towards the end of the last episode for both part 2 and 3, there is a 4-minute filler content of PowerPoint slides of characters discussing various topics and the first episode of part 3 has half of the content that is a recap from the last episode of part 2. As a fan of the original Bleach and having waited a long time for this. Itis upsetting, to say the least. The three-episode should not be managed like this and the content could've been better used or managed. Now let's get to the review. Introduction The Quincies have arrived at the Soul King's palace. Squad Zero is at a desperate measure to defend the soul king from the Quincies aggression. While at the Soul Society the Soul Reapers is trying to find a way to save the world from below. Meanwhile, Ichigo and his friends are rushing toward the Quincy King to stop him. Story 9/10 The story has a weaker start, but it gets better when you invest more into it. The big problem with the story for part 3 is that the feeling of war and big battles have mostly been toned down in part 3 however in exchange they provide a deeper story and slower pacing to give more side characters more screen time and backstory. When it comes to Squad Zero's introduction it shows a strong interaction between the power difference of the Gotei 13 but its fight against the Ywach Royal guards is underwhelming. It is underwhelming as we only got to see one Bankai instead of all 4 of them and the most disappointing part is Ichibei's Bankai ability. I have pointed this out in my previous review of Bleach where the characters have a good showcase of their skills but it is not enough explanation and you left wanting more details of it. Ichibei's Futen Taisatsuryō is a good presentation of his skill, but it doesn't show its capability, it only shows the visual representation so most viewers would be wondering what his ability does because it doesn't kill or destroy anything. If you take a step back and look at the battles of Yamamoto compared to Ichibei. Yamamoto's fight was extremely well done because we get to see the explosion and the overwhelming power that Yamamoto has which makes the fight feel very heavy like you're seeing the strongest fighting the strongest. When it comes to the strongest character fighting the strongest you do expect more from the fight scene. Ichibei's fight is quite generic in a sense. His abilities is all about manipulation which allows him to significantly drain his opponent's power. It sounds broken and all but it needs to add more into the scene to make it more interesting such as adding a whole Quincy army and he wipes it out with his Bankai. This would make him look and feel way more powerful. The Squad Zero fight scene is well done but lacks the feeling of desperation. I give you an example of a sense of desperation from One Piece Marine Ford Arc (SPOILERS AHEAD) when Marco saved Luffy you get a sense of desperation because recently the Pirate allies had lost two of their most strongest and important characters which this severely weakened one side effectiveness in the war. You get the sense of desperation because Luffy is unconscious and all the other character is significantly wounded or tired from the endless combat and everyone is using all of their last strength to save Luffy from the Marines. This is a good example of desperation because everyone is trying to defend that one person while at the same time fighting without two of the most important and strongest characters which tips the scale of war. I am not saying that Bleach doesn't have a desperation element. The first part of TYBW is masterfully well done especially the scene when Yamamoto dies which is a great sense of desperation and unknowing of the desperation to find out the critical point of the opponent's power but there is a huge problem which is the extremely fast pacing of the story. It is also very important to add that element in the Soul King's palace as the Soul King is an important figure that keeps the world's balance. Also, another problem is that most of Ywach's royal guards showcase their real powers towards the end of the seasons which makes us wonder that is Squad zero really stronger than the whole Gotei 13? You can clearly see that most of the big battles and the true power/form held by the strongest Quincy is handle by the Gotei 13. Squad zero only bought down a fraction of Ywach's Royal guards power. They should've made some sort of way to keep squad zero in the fight instead of replacing them with the Gotei 13. Characters 9/10 The characters is quite good. as the pacing has been fixed it gave a lot of depth to the character's story. It gave us more depth into the relationship between Ukitake, and Shunsui, and how Ukitake is related to one of the important Key elements of the story. It also gave us more intention on what the Quincy King wanted. There is extra screen time from the previous characters that died such as Unohana and Yamamoto which adds more emotional moments. Shunsui knows that they are in a desperate situation and this character is portrayed beautifully in a passive-aggressive way. He knows that they have to sacrifice one of their own to achieve victory and at the same time is also very emotional and stressed out. However, he knows that being emotional at a critical time would cause severe morale issues within the soul reapers. That's why Shunsui acted confident in front of his peers while deep inside you can feel with him the emotion and the difficult decision that he has to make. I don't know how to explain this exactly but Bleach has this feeling of uncertainty, uneasiness, and mystery toward their characters which brings a massive amount of attention and build-up to its characters. The most notable ones are Shusui, Urahara, and Mayuri they all show signs that they know something but are hiding it to prevent further disasters from other characters. Another problem is the dialogue between Ichigo and Ishida is badly written which is mostly on Ichigo's side. Most of the time Ichigo keeps saying that Ywhach is about to destroy the world and do bad things to Ishida. However, let's be for real, all the people in the world know that Ishida joined the Wandenreich with a specific reason and Ichigo should be finding out or at least asking him why he joins the Quincies instead of explaining on what is going on. Ichigo's narrative mostly focuses on the what and does not give enough deficit such as the why, when, and how. It would be more compelling to add more to the dialogue such as what about the past struggle they have been together or understanding both of their family heritage that would draw closer to both character's relationship. Animation 9/10 Aside from the battle between squad zero. The rest of the fight scene is great and many quality has been put into it, especially Renji's fight scene we get to see a lot more of his new Bankai ability and Ichigo's fight with Uryu. There is a lot more CGI in this part and perhaps the most within the TYBW series it can be a massive letdown for some but the CGI does have a really good quality that has been put into them. Music 10/10 Now, if you are an old fan like me the music for TYBW is a masterpiece, especially at part 3. This is because they kept most of the original music from the old version but added and improved it to fit the modern audience. This is like a love letter that you received 10 years ago, but just recently you received the love letter from the same person with improved sentencing and vocabulary that has been written into it. Conclusion Bleach is a well-balanced story that is about adventure, comedy, and lovable characters. It is not trying to be what it isn't supposed to be by adding unnecessary genres such as romance or next generation that replace the lovable main character that we have always loved or been used to seeing for the past 10 years. It has great animation, characters, and adds some spice to the old music to give more modern flavor to the present day. This is a must-watch for anyone that loves anime and even though there is a decent amount of errors at the start it is still the same old Bleach that we have been loving for the past 20 years.
Cyrose
12/28/2024, 01:32 PM
I would rather live in sad reality than live in fabricated happiness. OG Bleach (366) was somewhat decent as a TV series. It had so many cool characters and events that was meaningful, funny and entertaining to watch. However, this new seasons “Thousand Year Blood War” is completely the opposite. Old Bleach was slow given all the events to build up for the viewer, but now things happen in an instant that just ruined the whole build up and connection for all the fights to unfold and for characters and the story to grace in any way. Fans after the last episode of the previousseason of TYBW hyped up Senjumaru like she is the 🐐 and unbeatable. I knew right the way what is going to happen. It is task book Bleach outcome; She gets this super power up to impress everyone, then she gets destroyed by plot as always. This was indeed the main issue with Tite Kubos writing. He can’t possibly write meaningful and comprehensive stories that has fundamentally driven by the act of the characters. Rather he writes nonsensical and soulless outcomes of the events since these characters like Senjumaru or Ichibei are so powerful that they could have ended the series. So does Aizen in the OG series should have defeated Ichigo with a single move, but Tite tried his best to gave Ichigo 2 years to train in the middle of the story which was hours in the actual timeline so he can somehow makes this train wreck story move forward into.. an absolute madness like it did. The whole conflict is ridiculous anyway, Quincy’s are just made for being the bad guys that couldn’t get along with the Shinigamis. Obviously someone pulled the strings to make them hate each other, but they are so stupid to just talk through things. It is also way more interesting to put on flashy, but zero effort fights. The real reason for my dissatisfaction with Bleach is its chaotic emptiness and the lack of any revelatory narrative to tell. Battle on top of battle just consumed this series alive since it has nothing behind its flashy overpowered characters acting battles between each others for years. Every single Bleach episode now is random fighting against random pop out plot device characters that you will only know for no longer for one episode as the “strongest opponent”. Those who got beaten up and should have died like four times so far are getting stronger and still alive… Those who should have stayed alive are getting killed by plot. Ridiculous.. Lets talk about the battles and powers, because this show possesses the most unbalanced power system and unga-bunga action tactics ever. All the powers are random and hardly had any foundation whatsoever. Senjumaru should have killed everyone, but again the plot saved all the Quincy’s… so the story can continue. Not to mention she killed everyone in her Bankai, except Uruyu so HE can be the one who ends her. Even Bleach fans knows that she is way above the league of Uruyu, but still can’t accept that this series and Tite Kubo is just playing with the viewers with his extremely poor writing. Since no one saying this out loud, he is free to write this mediocre nonsense all day. Also, since when does Uruyu can use Sasukes Rinnegan abilities? Didn’t know it was their voice actor’s ability all along. “This is my highest level” until you kill me and I come back stronger Ahh power system. They are supposedly multiverse level, but in battle they do normal human damage to each other. The biggest attack power is probably small town level, but usually their attacks are building or wall level. However their aura and “spiritual pressure is shaking worlds”. We all know aura is a big deal. The sad fact is that the whole power scaling is so unbalanced that no strong opponent can last longer than one second against another stronger opponent. They one tapping each other because they are so lacking correspondence to their titles. No worries though, the gap might be large in powers, but they are equally boring in battle tactics. The villains in bleach follows the trope of evil for the sake of evil without any reasonable or rational justification of their actions or goals. They just want the opposite of what the other group wants. Kindergartners level scrimmage. Deaths also has no emotional connection since characters dies from one frame to another without any logical connection to the battle or story. Tite creates these crazy cool characters to appear epic, just for them to die a few frames later. One tap 90%. Also gives random explanations to some new stuff that he pulled out from no where. The animators had to drag the scenes like “his aura is shaking worlds now” it might look cool and powerful.. but definitely not well written or enjoyable. When it comes to actual battle, one side acts like they are the strongest ever, then when they don’t have anything else to say gets one tapped immediately. Don’t worry though, they are fine. Yamamoto: “There is no better protection here than myself.” Five minutes later: 🥝 Poor Toushirou was humiliated five times and he still alive. Team Zero were named zero, because you need zero effort to defeat them. (Strongest group in Bleach btw). Ichigo dies for the fifth time, I guess the training at the dinner table and in the jacuzzi wasn’t enough for him. “Absolute Cinema” more like absolute Circus. Considering that all Quincy’s are turning into a Pokemon, it is pretty accurate. Whenever you hear an anime is called “peak cinema” - run. Conclusion, This series in its essence is all smoke, and people acting like there is fire. Bleach was actually somewhat interesting as a shounen back then on its TV scheduled pacing. Now unfortunately it rock button with its extremely low effort of writing standards and nonsensical unbalanced content that made it look like a random piece of show off that has nothing to offer, but lazy action on top of action without no genuine or valuable content to disclose. This type of battle Shounen what Bleach TYBW provided has been the most abundant of all action stories I have seen. What starts with a Ban-kai will end with a Ban-kai, eventually. Everything in the middle is milky-parody. As a result, Bleach has fallen from its knees to its face with this one. “Bah-ouch”. Final Score: 1/10 ⭐️ I have a big appetite, but after all these exquisitely plated titles, I am still hungry for quality. Thank you for taking the time to read.
bossunhimeswitch
12/28/2024, 11:21 AM
I remember when this was serialized in Jump, this section of the story kept holding and losing and then holding my attention again. At the time I though tit was because of the periodic hiatuses, but with the story out weekly in this anime format, I can see part of it is the story itself. There's a lot of strengths in this section of the finale but also some weaknesses. There are places where things more too fast and move too slow. It was great remembering some parts I'd forgotten but also eye opening to why I forgot others. It's a shame that the storystops where it does because I do remember that we ended this season about where some of that malaise goes away. I would still recommend watching this section of the story because it does set up things to come and some things that might go unanswered depending on what the ending turns out to be in the next section. If you liked the way the arc has been going in previous sections of the anime, then you'll likely like this section. If you're beginning to grow weary to the story, then you might want to jump around this section and then move on to the final part. It's one of those things could have been better, but Kubo was very sick when he wrote it, so I can appreciate what he was able to do since Jump seemed to want to fight him the whole way.
whiteflame55
12/28/2024, 08:30 AM
It really shouldn’t be a surprise that this series keeps popping off season after season, but it remains a joy to watch Bleach continue to thrive in the Thousand Year Blood War Arc. I have plenty of issues with how the manga handled this arc, but this portion in particular was one I looked forward to as it contains a few of the more interesting fights in the arc. Kurotsuchi Mayuri’s fights are always a spectacle to behold and contain their own distinct flavor, so watching him pop off makes the season strong by itself, but this season has several memorable and visually stunning fightsas it moves along the track to the finale. My only substantial complaint with this season is that there was a rather long lull in the middle where the pacing dropped off for reasons that seemed unnecessary to include. I get that it can’t all be fights, but that portion of the season was the obvious down point, particularly episodes 4 and 5. Still, this season fires on all cylinders for the vast majority of its run. A lot of the "problems" I've seen people cite with this and previous seasons largely come down to not liking shonen tropes, which is fine, but for me, when they're done this well, it doesn't bother me. These are characters finally unveiling some of their absolute best after seasons of holding back, and it's glorious to watch. I can’t wait to see how they end it.
Stark700
12/28/2024, 08:01 AM
2024 has been a year that can be described as 'giving back to the fans'. Franchises such as Fairy Tail and Spice and Wolf made their returns while classics such as Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura got their remake treatment. It came as no surprise that Bleach wanted a piece of that pie. With confidence, I can say that Bleach marks one of the greatest anime comeback in recent memory. It wasn't a long break so if you need some refresh of memory, just read the premise and the promotional videos. The core of the plot still involves Ichigo, Soul Society, and their allies defend againstYhwach and his draconian Wandenreich army. The most elite among them are known as the Sternritter. This season pits our main characters against some of the most creative and deadly enemies the franchise has ever seen. Sternritter's higher ranked members are no pushovers as they push the Gotei 13 captains to their limits. Even the captain commander Shunsui Kyouraku is pushed to his limit when confronted by the Sternritter leader. Watching this season constantly pushes the limits of what Bleach characters can do. From malevolent transformations to otherwordly abilities, there's no shortage of entertainment. As a very plot focused season, we also find out Yhwach's motivations and how far he's willing to push himself to achieve his ends. Commanding a legion of forces, he is describe as a 'final boss' of the season. To get to him, this season truly explifies the meaning of war. It's interesting to note that to achieve a meaningful plot, there's character background stories told for both Soul Reapers and Quincys. Characters such as Nanao and Ukitake's stories are told with important narratives. Others including Bazz-B gets deeper character study of how they ened up as who they are. Bleach's background storytelling sometimes defines what it means through loss, characterized by a character suffering through some form of tragedy. This is no different when we see how war and tragdies affects them. Bazz-B is a classic example of what he has experienced in the past and present. Nonetheless, popular characters in the past arcs also return who viewers should be very familiar with. However, because this season is heavily plot focused on the war, their roles are given through battles rather than more background stories. I've always thought Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War had a thirst to prove itself through unorthodox battles. Let's say if you're in for some glorious action, this season won't be a letdown. The chereography achieve cinematic sequence through its usage of character movements, expressions, and creativity. Every character in this arc is unique in itself that we question what their limits are. Yhwach is at the top of the hierarchy as we witness his power, a force that truly sets his reptuation in this entire final arc. Others such as Mayuri and Kyouraku have more creative abilities to deal with their adversaries beyond just brute force. To put it in perspective, Ichigo is not the one carrying this season on his back. But likewise, this season is also a rollercoaster of emotions when unresolved conflicts take place. For instance, how does Ichigo deal with Uryu, his former friend who joined the other side of this war? Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War - The Conflict continues to prove itself that no matter how longm it delivers what fans want to see. From the emotional storytelling through its cinematic battles, there's really no shortage what this final arc has set out to to do. It once again shows that Bleach is one of the greatest anime to make its comeback in history.

Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen - Soukoku-tan BLEACH 千年血戦篇-相剋譚-

'Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen' Fourth Part Announced as Final Season

Fall 2024 Simulcast List [Update 10/7]

Fall 2024 Preview

'Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen' Third Part Announced for 2024

Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen - Soukoku-tan BLEACH 千年血戦篇-相剋譚-

'Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen' Fourth Part Announced as Final Season

Fall 2024 Simulcast List [Update 10/7]

Fall 2024 Preview

'Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen' Third Part Announced for 2024