Will ‘Bleach’ Anime Return In 2016? With Manga ‘Bleach’ Ending Date Confirmed In Special Announcement, The Next ‘Bleach’ TV Chapter May Begin


After being published 15 years in a row, the Bleach manga is supposedly coming to an end this month. Although the creators have kept the mystery going with an impending important announcement, it hasn’t stopped fans of the manga from expressing their disappointment. However, with the manga allegedly ending, there are talks about the revival of the anime series that abruptly ended a few years ago.

Millions of Bleach anime fans have spent countless hours trying to figure out why the anime ended so suddenly at episode 366 despite having a lot of material from the manga. More importantly, fans wonder if they will ever continue making it in the near future. With the “Will the Bleach anime return?” question remaining unanswered for so long, fans of the animation are now hopeful, with the ending of the manga series on the horizon, the creators might kick-start the creation of the anime series.

Why did Bleach anime end so suddenly?

The animated television series or anime was released about three years after the publication of the manga in 2004. One of the most popular series, it ran for 366 episodes until 2012, when it was suddenly pulled off air on March 27, 2012, with no announcement if or when it will resume. With four anime films, a series of novels, and several video games, as well as a series of stage musical adaptations launched in 2005, the Bleach legacy was very much kept alive while the manga progressed at a very steady pace.

There are quite a few theories that suggest why the Bleach anime was taken off the air, many of which, interestingly, hint at why it is likely it will resume. While some fans suggest the declining quality of material available for an anime series was responsible, others suggest there were far too many “filler” episodes ruining the flow of the original manga.

Fortunately, the manga series has raced ahead with remarkable consistency for the past four years and has more material that the anime series didn’t cover. With manga supposedly ending on August 22, the rumor mills have once again started churning out the possibility of the anime resuming. The fact that the makers have promised a special announcement only adds to the speculations. The website had first announced Bleach manga would end a few months ago.

Tite Kubo will publish the final Bleach manga chapter in the magazine’s next issue, and Shueisha will ship the same on August 22. With the Bleach manga selling 84 million copies in Japan alone, there is no question about its popularity. While Kubo had announced way back in 2012 that the manga had entered its final arc, fans weren’t informed when and how the end would arrive. Later updates confirmed Bleach’s 74th volume would be its last.

With 680 chapters in total, Bleach is undoubtedly one of Japan’s longest-running manga series. However, it still falls way short of other iconic manga series like Kochikame, whose chapters run in the thousands.

Fans would be thrilled if the announcement turns out to be a revival of the anime; however, speculations are rife that Kubo could announce a new Bleach spin-off, one that may explore the Soul Society’s origins.

It has been reportedly been confirmed that Kubo has been working on the final arc of the Bleach manga. This tips the scales in favor of the anime’s revival and proves why it was merely suspended and not canceled entirely. With a strong fan following, the chances of a Bleach anime being prepped for the television look quite good, but even if the production doubles down, the anime, in all likelihood, could premier in 2017.

Many fans of the insanely popular manga series have claimed there are more villains and plots left, and hence, Bleach is being prematurely culminated. Do you think the makers of the series are working on the anime?

[Image via Hakumo/Deviant Art]

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