The anime industry is going absolutely wild this year. Well, minus this summer season of course where I only found 3-4 new anime worth watching, but hey the summer drought is just a regular part of the anime fan experience these days. However, I’m willing to forgive it without a second thought when I look at the roster for the fall season coming up. Chainsaw Man, SPY X FAMILY, Mob Psycho, My Hero Academia, Blue Lock, To Your Eternity, all those series are either coming back or debuting in fall. Keep in mind those are just the anime that made a stir, there’s still a ton more that will need to be investigated/reviewed to find the diamonds in the rough too. Among all that shit, we also have the grand return of Bleach. However, rumors have been surfacing from reliable leakers over the past few weeks and many fans are concerned that Bleach will get absolutely annihilated by the competition if said rumors of the business behind the scenes turn out to be true.
Now you may all remember when I wrote an article about Summertime Rendering, a somewhat popular mystery anime, released as a Disney Plus exclusive. At the time this wasn’t really big news to most people, however I made that article anyway because it marked the first time Disney snatched up an anime and I was afraid that this was setting a precedent one day for Disney to grab a property that’s far more popular. That day has supposedly come with Bleach and while I feel validated for reporting on such low-interest news last time, god damn I wish I wasn’t. This leak has many fans worried and upset as most either A) Don’t want to give Disney any money or B) Can’t afford to add all these streaming service bills to their accounts to watch anime legally.
Just the fact that Bleach was being put on an anime service that most don’t own was enough to shake the fanbase, but lately the situation got worse. More reliable leaks now suggest that the show will not be simulcast either, meaning those in Japan will get to watch episodes days or even weeks in advance. Years ago this wouldn’t be so bad, but nowadays online discussion is a huge way for the devoted core of fanbases to stay interested and engaged with the media. Not to mention it’s not easy to do that if an episode with a big spoiler airs and it gets posted all over the Internet as can happen sometimes. Waiting behind the Japanese release is never fun and could likely kill a ton of hype for this big giant’s return to the air.
Stop denying me the goods Mr. Disney!
I must reiterate that these are still leaks regarding Bleach’s release, however they are from verified sources and people far bigger and more reliable than me have reported on this so far on YouTube and other places. If this all turns out to be a big prank from Naruto fans, I’ll just be glad that these horrible foretellings didn’t come true. Sadly assuming they are reliable, this will likely be a much less impactful return from Bleach than it could have been, and will remain as a poignant example of why anime pirating is so commonplace. Fans want to support these amazing creators and studios, but they don’t want to jump through 5000 hoops, pay money, and then get the episodes late in exchange.
Perhaps the pirate's life IS for me.
Either way, nothing can stop my hype for the insane amount of upcoming releases we’re getting next season. It’s definitely going to be cutthroat so I intend to check out a ton of anime early and drop a ton of anime early too. Hopefully Bleach doesn’t get lost in the vortex because I watched the entirety of the anime minus filler arcs back in the day and I’d love to see a return to glory considering the amazing lineup of staff working on the show. Are you planning to watch Bleach when it comes back? Will more people start complaining now that Disney is buying the rights for popular anime? Are you excited for other releases on the horizon? Draw your sword, whisper “Bankai” in a really cool and sick way, and then slice a water bottle to prove your strength in the comments below!
