The anime adaptation of BLEACH's "Thousand-Year Blood War Arc" will finally begin airing in October 2022, for the first time in 10 years! BLEACH is a hugely popular manga written by Tite Kubo and serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha) from 2001 to 2016. As of July 2022, the total number of copies of the comic series has exceeded 130 million worldwide, making it a popular work not only in Japan but also around the world. There are probably many BLEACH fans who are looking forward to the return of the final chapter, "Thousand-Year Blood War Arc," in the new work. However, I think that even those who are not BLEACH fans will be able to enjoy this work, so I hope that many people will watch the intense final battle between Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends. This time, before the broadcast, I would like to focus on the production side of the new work.
The production will continue as before with "Studio Pierrot"
"Studio Pierrot" is a production company that even those who are not anime fans have probably heard of at least once. However, Studio Pierrot is used as a production brand name, and the original company name is "Pierrot Co., Ltd."
How did "Studio Pierrot" start?
In 1977, animator and director Ikuji Nunokawa, who had worked at Tomei, Mushi Productions, and Tatsunoko Productions, founded a group of directors together with Mitsuo Kaminashi and Hiroko Tokita. After working on "Maya the Bee" and other films, he founded the animation production studio "Studio Pierrot Co., Ltd." in 1979 to produce "The Wonderful Adventures of Nils."
Born famous with "Urusei Yatsura"
It was after producing "Urusei Yatsura" that Pierrot's name became famous. After that, Pierrot made the Pierrot brand known with their original animation "Pierrot Magical Girl Series". They are also famous for producing the world's first OVA (original video animation) "Dallas" in 1983.
Various genres of animation!
Pierrot works on various genres of animation, including the "Pierrot Magical Girl Series". Weekly Shonen Jump original works are one of them, and they have worked on many works such as BLEACH, Yu Yu Hakusho, and the Naruto series. They have also produced other popular works such as Kingdom and the Tokyo Ghoul series.
Director and series composition: Tomohisa Taguchi
The director and series composition is Tomohisa Taguchi, whose directorial works include the Persona series, Twin Star Exorcists, and Akudama Drive (for which he also wrote the series composition). Recently, he has been actively involved in theatrical works, with the release of "Digimon Adventure LAST EVOLUTION Kizuna" in 2020 and "Tunnel to Summer, Goodbye Exit" (for which he also wrote the script) scheduled for release on September 9th this year.
On directing BLEACH
Director Taguchi commented, "I am honored to be involved in such a huge and great work. I was just a reader when it was serialized, and I can still vividly remember how impressed I was that such a cool manga existed. I am working hard every day with my staff to deliver the excitement and emotion I felt at that time to everyone through animation. There is still some time until the broadcast, but please look forward to it."
Character design: Masashi Kudo
He has been active since the 90s, and recently he has been active mainly as a director and character designer. His first directorial work was Hayate the Combat Butler! CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU in 2012, and BLEACH is his signature work, in which he is in charge of character design throughout the series.
Music: Shiro Sagisu
Shiro Sagisu has also been involved in the BLEACH series since its early days. He is a composer, arranger, and music producer who has provided musical entertainment to a wide range of artists, from 80s idol pop songs to movies, TV, anime, and other video works, and has worked on a huge number of works.
Who are the voice actors for the characters appearing for the first time?
Many unique new characters will appear in the final chapter of the series, "The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc." This time, I would like to introduce some of them, including the Royal Special Forces Zero Squad, which protects the Soul King, Yhwach of the Invisible Empire (Wandenreich), and some members of the Sternritter.
Hyousube Ichibei is played by Naoki Kusumi
The role of Hyousube Ichibei, leader of the Zero Squad, is played by Naoki Kusumi. He plays many middle-aged adult roles, mainly dubbing Western films, and has done many dubs for John Goodman.
What are Naoki Kusumi's representative works?
His representative works include the Harry Potter series (Vernon Dursley), The Emperor's New Groove (Pacha), and Shikimori Is Not Just a Cutie (Izumi Akisada).
Kirinji Tenjiro is played by Shimura Tomoyuki
Shimura Tomoyuki, who plays the role of Zero Squad's First Officer Kirinji Tenjiro, started out as an actor, but after meeting Yao Kazuki, who was performing on stage with the SWAT theater company, he began his career as a voice actor around 2000. He has appeared in many dubbed works, but in anime he plays a wide range of characters, mainly supporting roles.
What is Shimura Tomoyuki's signature work?
Her representative works include Attack on Titan (Kitz Wehrmann), HERO MASK (Fred Faraday), and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Abil).
Hikifune Kiryu is played by Ayumi Tsunematsu
Hikifune Kiryu, the second officer of the Zero Squad, is played by Ayumi Tsunematsu, who is mainly active in dubbing movies, dramas, Disney animations, etc. She has a voice quality that allows her to play a wide range of roles, from boys and girls to adult women. She has also played many mother roles, appearing in three Gundam series, all of which she played the role of a mother.
What are Ayumi Tsunematsu's representative works?
Her representative works include Wizard Barristers: Benmashi Cecil (Ageha Chono), Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (Marina Ismail), and Hanasaku Iroha (Takako Kawajiri).
Nimaiya Oetsu is played by Yoji Ueda
The role of Nimaiya Oetsu, the third officer of the Zero Squad, is played by Yoji Ueda. He is a great supporting voice actor who played many dual roles in "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" and "Jewelpet Sunshine". Director Akiyuki Shinbo praised his acting for being interesting, and even said that if he tried to make the most of Ueda's acting, that role would get more screen time.
What are Ueda Yoji's representative works?
His representative works include JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (Robert E. O. Speedwagon), Ranking of Kings (Bevin), and No Guns Life (Hugh Cunningham).
Shutara Senjumaru is played by Sato Rina
Rina Sato plays the role of Shutara Senjumaru, the fourth officer of the Zero Squad. She was selected to play the lead role in "Negima! Magister Negi Magi" and became a popular voice actress after the show aired on TV in 2005. She is good at playing gentle adult female voices, but she also plays many boy and girl roles. Just like her "healing" voice, she also has a gentle personality, and is a popular radio personality.
What is Sato Rina's signature work?
Her signature work is Negima! Magister Negi Magi! (Negi Springfield), Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal (Hino Rei/Sailor Mars), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc (Ubuyashiki Amane).
Yhwach is played by Takayuki Sugo
Yhwach, the founder of the Quincy, is played by Takayuki Sugo. He initially aimed to be an actor and appeared in many stage and TV dramas, but his first lead role was in "Police Doctor Simon Locke," when Masato Ibu, who voiced the lead role, took over from him in several films due to his busy schedule. Since then, he has been in charge of dubbing many foreign films. Apparently, he initially kept his distance from anime, but at some point he started acting.
What are Takayuki Sugo's most well-known works?
In Western films, he has worked with Tommy Lee Jones, Jean Reno, and Ed Harris in particular. His most well-known works include the Men in Black series (Agent K), Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (Okita Juzo), Tokyo Ghoul (Yoshimura), and Golden Kamuy (Nagakura Shinpachi).
Yuugram Hashvald is played by Yuichiro Umehara
Yuugram Hashvald is played by Yuichiro Umehara. He made his breakthrough with his first regular role in an anime as Yufuin Kemuri in "Binan Koukou Chikyu Boueibu LOVE!" He is also a popular voice actor who has captured the hearts of many female fans with his handsome features, refreshing voice, and the low-pitched voice of a nobleman, earning him the nickname "the real deal of handsome voice actors."
Yuuichirou Umehara's signature work is!
His representative works are Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These (Siegfried Kircheis), Ensemble Stars! (Hasumi Takato), and Binan Koukou Chikyu Boueibu LOVE! (Yufuin Kemuri).
Askin Nakkurubaru is played by Takeuchi Shunsuke
The role of Askin Nakkurubaru is played by Takeuchi Shunsuke. When he was completely unknown, he was selected to play the producer role of the anime "The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls" and attracted a lot of attention as a "17-year-old rookie." He has a deep, calm voice since he was a teenager, and although he gives off a calm impression, he has an emotional personality and is easily moved to tears. Perhaps due to the quality of his voice, he often plays roles older than his actual age.
Takeuchi Shunsuke's representative works are!
His representative works are Frozen 2 (Olaf), A3! (Hyodo Juza), Megaton-class Musashi (Hijikata Ryugo), Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway's Flash (Iram Masam), and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Island of Cucuruz Doan (Cucurus Doan).
Bambietta Bustervine is played by Ayana Taketatsu
Bambietta Bustervine is played by Ayana Taketatsu. She made her breakthrough in the role of Azusa Nakano in "K-ON!", which aired in 2009, and has since played many leading and heroine roles. She is a very popular voice actress with her cute voice and cute looks. She is also active as a singer, and has been working solo since 2012, and in 2013 she formed the unit "petit milady" with Aoi Yuki.
What is Ayana Taketatsu's signature work?
His representative works are K-ON! (Nakano Azusa), My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute (Kousaka Kirino), The Quintessential Quintuplets (Nakano Nino), So I'm a Spider, So What? (Sophia Keren/Negishi Akiko), and The Detective is Already Dead (Natsunagi Nagisa).
Busby is played by Ono Yuki
The role of Busby is played by Ono Yuki. In 2008, he played the role of Kyosuke Oniyanagi in "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's", a character with three faces, and he began to attract attention for his acting skills. He also gained attention for his role as Kagami Taiga in "Kuroko's Basketball," and is one of the voice actors who is expected to have a bright future.
What is Ono Yuki's representative work?
His representative works are Kuroko's Basketball (Kagami Taiga), JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable (Higashikata Josuke), I'm Being Threatened by the No. 1 Man I Want to Dangle (Higashiya Junta), and Ensemble Stars! (Ogami Koga).
Candice Catnip is played by Uchiyama Yumi
The role of Candice Catnip is played by Uchiyama Yumi. She debuted in 2005, but retired at the age of 20. However, she couldn't give up on voice acting, and returned in 2010, where she has been active ever since. With her alto voice, she often plays the roles of boys and boyish girls. She is good at using different voice qualities, and is a voice actress with a wide range of acting.
What are Uchiyama Yumi's representative works?
Her representative works are The Irregular at Magic High School (Erika Chiba), Overlord (Mare Bello Fiore), Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (Puck), and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (Rudeus Greyrat).
Gremmy Thummew is played by Natsuki Hanae
Gremmy Thummew is played by Natsuki Hanae. He is one of the most popular voice actors who are currently very active. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has become a social phenomenon, and he has been recognized by people other than anime fans, but he has been a voice actor who has played many leading roles and main characters since before that. In addition to his activities as a voice actor, he took over from Koichi Yamadera and was the MC of "Oha Suta" until October 2020. He opened Natsuki Hanae's YouTube channel and is also active on YouTube.
Natsuki Hanae's representative work is!
His representative works include Tokyo Ghoul (Ken Kaneki/Haise Sasaki), Demon Slayer (Tanjiro Kamado), The Duke of Death and His Maid (Bocchan), and The Journey of Another World Guided by the Moon (Makoto Fukasumi).
Rije Baro is played by Satoshi Hino.
Rije Baro is played by Satoshi Hino. At first, he was aiming to be an actor, but after participating in the dubbing of "ER Emergency Room", he began his voice acting career in earnest. He started out as a voice actor, but after being invited to audition for "Ikki Tousen" and getting his first regular role in an anime, he began working in the anime industry.
What are Satoshi Hino's representative works?
His representative works include Shakugan no Shana (Yuji Sakai), Overlord (Ainz Ooal Gown/Momonga), Moriarty the Patriot (Sebastian Moran), and Demon Slayer (Kyōjurō Rengoku).
Summary
What did you think? We have introduced the production staff and production company of "BLEACH: The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc," which will be animated for the first time in 10 years, as well as the voice actors of the new characters. Not all information about the voice actors of the new characters has been released yet, so if you are interested, please check the information release on social media, etc. Thank you for reading to the end.
