The Summer 2023 Anime Preview Guide

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Season 2

With the secrets of his past and power finally revealed to him, Ichigo has reforged his Zanpakuto, and can now continue his training under the Zero Squad. However, time is not on his side; Ywach and his assembled Sternritter are on the warpath once more, ready to finish their destruction of Soul Society and complete their millennium-long vengeance. What's more, their ranks have grown, with Uryu Ishida joining his fellow Quincy in their blood war. When the fates of every soul in the universe are at stake, will Ichigo have the strength to take on his own friend?

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Season 2 is based on Tite Kubo's Bleach manga. It streams on Hulu and Disney+ on Saturdays.

When last we left the warriors of Soul Society, they were all busy licking their wounds and preparing for the next assault from the Quincy. That's more or less what they spend this season/cour premiere doing, too. While we get the promise of battles in the very last minute of the episode, the grand majority of “The Last Nine Days” is spent on place-setting, reminding the audience of the stakes and what all the characters and factions are up to. It's a solid, if not particularly exciting, episode and its greatest strength is showing just how strong this series' new adaptation can be.

I can't overstate how much of a boon director Tomohisa Taguchi's style has been for Bleach, and all the evidence you need is in this episode. With a more straightforward visual style, the opening half of this episode could have been a slog. It's here to remind us of all the Stern Ritter characters and their personalities while re-emphasizing that they're all either evil or out for blood – essentially identical to every other team of villains in the series. However, the stark use of negative space, monochrome colors, shadow, and lighting all elevate that to something far more foreboding. The scene between Uryu and Ywach in the throne room is almost entirely static, just the two of them talking while Uryu kneels before the Quincy King. Yet it feels undeniably heavy and ominous through its delivery. Compare it to the overdirected slog that kicked off Demon Slayer's latest season, and it's clear just how well this adaptation is treating the material. The style here isn't making up for deficiencies or overcompensating to feel more dramatic. It's merely emphasizing and honing the tension already there and delivering it in a way that only works in animation.

This is definitely more of a refresher than anything else, and I'm fine with that. The sheer bulk of Bleach's cast can get unbearable, so a reminder of what Orihime and Chad have been up to since Ichigo left Hueco Mundo is much appreciated. I had forgotten the Vizard even existed until we checked back in with them, so it's good to know they'll probably show up at some point. We even check in with Tatsuki and Ichigo's other non-powered friends back on Earth, with Shunsui delivering an ominous warning about Ichigo potentially becoming too powerful to ever return to his normal life. Stuff like that is vital to keeping the increasingly enormous scale of this arc grounded because I care far more about the people closest to Ichigo than I do about the random guards of Soul Society, and the thought of this battle forever separating our hero from his friends is a much greater threat, in my book.

Those hoping to jump right back into the action might be disappointed. Still, overall this premiere does an admirable job of delivering the necessary place-setting while keeping the tension and energy as high as possible. With the stage set and all of our actors on their spots, it's time for the curtain to rise on the next part of this long-awaited finale. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the new OP. The song's solid garage rock, but the real kicker is the extended visual metaphor of all the upcoming battles turned into street fights. Rukia spraying a skateboarding As Nodt with a fire extinguisher is comedy gold. I will never stop giggling at Ichigo brandishing a double-necked guitar to beat the crap out of Uryu. That's worth half a point, all on its own.