Ichigo Kurosaki is ready to launch a new Bleach collection, inspired by the Millennium Blood War.
Available for pre-order on Crunchyroll, the figurine carries a price tag of $89.99 and showcases the alternate Grim Reaper in his battle uniform from the aforementioned installment. He wields his iconic sword, Zangetsu, and dark energy can be seen pouring out of the Zanpakutō. Pre-order period for this Ichigo collection ends September 28, 2023.
At the same time, the official soundtrack of The Thousand-Year Blood War will be released. The album, which features music from the classic anime sequel series, retails for a total of 3,300 yen (about $22.50).
Tite Kubo’s Bleach manga tells the story of a delinquent high school student named Ichigo Kurosaki, who was born with the ability to see and interact with spirits. The young man’s life changes dramatically when he meets an injured Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki and gains the ability to fight Hollows, corrupted creatures that survive by feasting on other souls. The series appeared in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump from August 2001 to August 2016 and achieved honored status as part of the Big Three of the shōnen genre.
The original anime adaptation by Pierrot – the award-winning studio behind other classics like Yu Yu Hakusho and Saiyuki – ran for 366 episodes from October 2004 to March 2012, making the final chapters of Kubo manga was not adapted. This was remedied last year with the release of the first season of Bleach: The Millennium Blood War; the latter dropped as part of the summer 2023 lineup. The plot depicts the brutal and deadly conflict between the Soul Society and the Wandenreich, a secret Quincy empire. The story not only introduces many new characters, but also highlights some fan favorites. However, while some characters like Rukia get moments to truly shine, other Shinigami receive less than optimal treatment.
Despite the criticism, Bleach fans continue to praise the series, and cosplay crafting is a common practice among the series’ fan community. For example, upstart cosplayers under the username _daniel_cos_ showed off their terrifying take on Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of Gotei 13’s Team 11, while ace costume maker Izanamitan shared a gory interpretation their about 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana.
The Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime can be streamed on Hulu. VIZ Media distributes Kubo’s manga in North America and Madman Entertainment licenses the series in Australia.
Source: Crunchyroll Store
