Popular anime series Bleach officially ends as fans say goodbye

Fans prepare to say goodbye as anime series Bleach officially ends

Bandai Namco

It’s a finale fans have waited more than a decade to see.

The epic conclusion to Bleach – one of the most popular anime series of all time – is due to land later.

It’s the final episode of its Thousand-Year Blood War storyline, and this is one ending where anticipation is especially high.

Original creator Tite Kubo has overseen some major changes to the original comic book arc’s “disappointing” narrative which have been positively received.

So as some mourn the “end of an era”, they’re also nervously waiting to see if he can stick the landing second time around.

BBC Newsbeat’s been speaking to fans as they say an “emotional” goodbye to Kubo’s creation.

Bleach is regarded as one of the “big three” manga in Japan alongside One Piece and Naruto, and animated adaptations of each are credited with helping to fuel the global popularity of anime.

It follows the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager with distinctive orange hair who has the unusual ability to see ghosts.

He navigates school and family life at the same time as defending humanity from evil spirits.

“It is honestly my favourite series of all time, it has got me through a lot across my life,” says Ruby Ebbs, 27.

She started reading Bleach at age nine and became friends with fellow fan Nicholas Thong, 30, through their shared passion.

“I’ve made so many friends through Bleach, it’s been such a wonderful part of my life both in terms of what it teaches me and the kind of people I meet through it,” says Ebbs.

For Nicholas, watching Bleach as teenager helped him get through school – and he even has a tattoo dedicated to the story.

“It helped me make friends in school, talking to a few people who also knew Bleach and about our favourite characters,” recalls the 30-year-old.

The pair tell BBC Newsbeat they will be “crying together” as they watch the finale later.

“A lot of us are feeling quite emotional about it,” says Ruby.

Ruby Ebbs

The original Bleach anime ran from 2004 to 2012 across 16 seasons but never caught up to the manga

Fans were unsure if it would ever come back.

But the first part of Bleach’s animated final chapter eventually premiered 10 years later in 2022.

The arc, Thousand-Year Blood War, has been split into four separate chapters, and the final run began this July.

Bleach’s original comic book ending was divisive and broadly unpopular with fans and was said to have been rushed due to creator Kubo experiencing health issues during its production.

One of the reasons fans have been so excited to see the new, animated finale is due to the fact Kubo and animation house Pierrot Films have made changes to the original storyline.

And many are hoping the “final battle” will “fix” the unpopular ending from 2016.

Regardless of the final verdict, fans say Bleach will have a lasting legacy.

Itanna Alakija

Itanna Alakija describes himself as the “biggest Bleach fan there is” and says one of his favourite things about Bleach is how it represents black characters.

“The way that Tite Kubo integrates all these cultures and represents them in a Japanese art form is really interesting and amazing,” the 28-year-old explains.

Itanna was already a Naruto fan when he discovered Bleach as a teenager.

“I remember stumbling upon Bleach and thought: ‘This looks cool’,” he recalls.

And he praises the show for treating black characters as “normal people”.

“It’s one of the few anime that has represented black characters in a non-stereotypical way”.

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