Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen

In 2012, Bleach ended its long anime-run without adapting the final arc from the manga. Dubbed as part of the 'Big 3', it almost felt like an end of an era. Some fans were left confused that the anime omitted its final arc although it's understandable that the manga was still ongoing at the time. Almost 8 years later, Bleach's massive 20th Anniversary Event breathed new life into the franchise as we got the final arc anime announcement: Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War. Mind you, this isn't just an announcement for what fans wanted after all these years. It's a celebration for the entire Bleach fandom. TiteKubo has amassed a loyal fanbase and I confidentally say that he deserves it for his creative vision and sheer determination. Initially, he didn't expect Bleach to bloosom into the franchise as we know today but mangaka Akira Toriyama provided the encouragement for him to succeed. Tite Kubo's creative vision to make characters dressed up in kimono and supernatural monsters associated with spiritual themes is what made this franchise so special. Of course, he was influenced by other works but Bleach still stands out as a very special show on its own. And with the final story arc, this served as the ultimate sendoff for anime viewers who had hoped to see this one day. Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War is based on the final story arc of the manga, pitching Ichigo Kurosaki, the Soul Society, and his allies, friends against a new enemy known as the Wandenreich. They make an immediately impact by disposing a lieutenant and challenges against the very best of Soul Society. Led by the Quincy King Yhwach, their true agenda remains a mystery but it's clear that they are a prominent threat against all of Soul Society and the human world. Even the world of Hueco Mundo isn't safe from their wrath as Ichigo and his allies decides to take a stand against this new threat. Watching the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc immediately shows just how dangerous and capable the Wandenreich is with their special abilities, equipment, and ruthless ambitions. While not much is known about their, some of their members display a malevolent aura that borderlines on a God-like complex. If there's anything Bleach has taught me about its antagonists, it's that they often come across as charismatic characters such as Sosuke Aizen and the Espadas. While we don't know much yet about Wandenreich, it's clear that they a force to be feared. Our oranged hair main protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki is still the same Shinigami we came to know since previous seasons. Joining him in his quest to stop the Wandenreich includes his loyal friends such as Rukia, Renji, Yasutora Sado, Orihime, and of course, the Soul Society. The oddball of this show is Uryu Ishida, because of his status as a Quincy, and this is a source that gets complex this season. Unfortunately, this season doesn't truly dive into Uryu's motivations or what his true purpose is yet. Most interestingly however, we come to know a deeper background story of a few Soul Reaper captains including Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Kenpachi Zaraki, and Retsu Unohana. Even Ichigo's parents gets a spotlight this season as we come to know how Isshin and Masaki met in their past. It's important because Bleach has a large cast of characters and we can easily get lost. This season took its time to give these characters more meaning with their stories. But fear not, other favorite characters in the franchise also makes a return including Toshiro and Byakuya. They've received storytelling about their backgrounds in the past before so this season mainly reminds us how strong they've become. Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War is exactly how it sounds, a war with bloodshed and been in the making for a thousand years. Narratively driven, this arc goes to show the importance of how the past can affect the future in the Bleach world. It goes to say that with every story arc, there's usually some sort of main antagonist but also lessons to be learned. Ichigo has learned a lot from his first days as a Shinigami and this season will he will learn again what it means to be one. Watching this series serves as a celebration and ultimately, a way to give fans back what they've wanted all these years. Despite the near decade long absence on television, studio Pierrot knew it had to step up and deliver this arc to its eager fans. Thankfully, the quality of this season received a well-deserved upgrade. Character designs looks like it got a next generation upgrade with their detailed outlines and expressions. Battles scenes have been enhanced to bring the fights alive from the manga. Most importantly are the way this season adapted its character emotions. There are several episodes where we see how characters are pushed to their limits when emotions take over. This season captures the essence of those emotions at their fullest. Similar, the theme songs and battle soundtrack still remains stellar like the old days. You can say whatever you want about the Bleach but the the music has always been top tier class for this franchise. Bleach is a franchise that always stood out with its large colorful cast of characters, themes, and pushes its lore to a level we've fondly remember. This season takes another step forward to showcase the final story arc from the manga. Believe me, Bleach fans have always wanted this for years and this was another one of those cases of 'not if, but when'. The 20th anniversary was the perfect storm to announce this show and since then, we've been graced with one of the most memorable arcs so far in just 13 episodes. Fear not for this is just the first season of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. There's so much more left to tell and we're only just getting started.