This is the biggest, busiest episode yet - there's tonnes to go through, so settle in, grab a drink, and let's take a spoiler-filled look at March of the Starcross! What was your favourite moment? Let me know!

Can't believe Tommo said "breakneck speed" and didn't display the picture of Quirge with his broken neck at that moment. Wasted chance lol

My teenage daughter, only watched the anime. Was so shocked when Kira died,; she stormed out the room, once the credits rolled. Can't wait for her to see who else falls!

Not a lot of people are talking about it but I really loved hearing the new will of the heart ost that played. Instant nostalgia man

I actually like that they showed Uryu reading about Quincy's record at the same time as that sixth seat was explaining the conflict. The fact that Uryu seemed angry/upset means that there might be discrepancies between the Shinigami's version and the version kept by Souken, that the shinigami aren't as righteous as they make it sound. It reinforces the idea that the both sides are just in this war.

I will say the anime only reactions to Kira as opposed to us the manga readers has been an insane contrast. They were hella shocked, while we weren’t because of knowing what happened already. With that being said it was still a stellar scene

Just wanna say as a manga reader, i forgot alot of things, the episode was great in my opinion, don't know what was cut, the color composition/effects and music and voice acting in the TYBW ARC is insane, but the only thing missing is top tier sword sakuga, I hope we get that in the future, episode 3 was still great though

“Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, ichigo?” Yamamoto said calmly

I like the idea of the captain’s meeting where they’re told to ‘prepare for war’ and having in the same episode the invasion begin. From a temporal perspective it makes us as the viewer realise how terribly underprepared Soul Society is for what is to come. I think instead of making the focus on Yamamoto they’re making it more about Soul Society as a whole.

Ichigo fighting Quilge: “This is only the FIRST BOSS!?!?”

I can see Quilge Opie becoming a fan favourite after this.

I feel like we wouldn't have this issue if they weren't renewed for a specific amount of episodes. I'm sure we might get more later given the ratings, but the initial 52 episode limit no doubt meant Kubo had weigh in on what scenes matter the most. edit: Imagine if we wind up hearing the truth about Soken from Yhwach himself. I feel like it'd be just like him.

I have a theory that they're pushing some of the cut 'tearing of the worlds' content back to a later season, either 2 or 3, where they can have more room to breath. That way they can cover all the way up to 'the blade is me' and possibly end the season on a certain revelation about Uryu that comes in chapter 543, which would explain why they're giving Uryu more screen time now, in place of that cut content.

I think the whole Chojiro theory is interesting. But I also think when he's on death's door saying they can do something to the bankai, it implies that he has one

They should've indeed kept Mayuri's dialogue with Yamamoto reminding the latter of his past failure now leading to this nightmare. Still the low light in the meeting highlights how bad things are will escalate in that regard while Yamamoto's face in shadow does convey where his mind is especially with the loss of Chojiro.

Great video (as always)! About Yamamoto's scene and the way the anime approaches his grief, I have a theory why the change in tone... in fact, there is a greater weight when we read that the character is losing himself in anguish and doesn't behave as usual; the fact that Yamamoto doesn't hit the ground with his cane is something that creates a strangeness for us fans, because we have a long relationship with him. In the anime, it was probably 10 years without watching him do the iconic beat and knowing what's next. I still expect attention and extra scenes that better show what the loss of Sasakibe represents to Yamamoto (we have a flashback, but could have a little more to better build the character for the audience that is starting Bleach for TYBW now). About the colors in the vollstandig, it would be interesting to have different colors! However, it makes sense that all (or most of them) are blue, as the Wandereich and Sternritters are a military force! All having the same blue color, along with the uniforms, strengthens the idea that "they are an armada who follows a conqueror " and even takes away their individuality. But yes, we could have certain transformations have different colors (like Lille Barro and Gerard), either in color or in different shades.

for me it was pretty obvious that sasakibe used bankai due to yamamoto saying "was that sasakibes... ?" and then sasakibe while dying mentioning that they can do something with their bankai. Might just be me tho

I expected as much, I thought they would have cute out material BUT we would get new material we didn't get in the manga. So I have ZERO issue with that, I am very happy to see NEW CONTENT. And you have to remember when you're making a 20 Anime episode, you need to take out what material you need for each chapter, and find the appropriate scene to end of a chapter. So far what they have cut out mostly is a bit of dialogue and side comedy for the series comic relief. There have been some scenes I would have liked to see animated, such as Choijoro eulogy by Byakuya and the scene where Sun Sun uses his Muda ability and Mila Rose recognises Orihime in 493. But I am HAPPY for new material such as the flashback of seeing Yhwach capturing Hallibel and Uryu learning more of the Wandenreich. So its a fair exchange, WE DO GET NEW STUFF!!! The ANIMATION is BEYOND SICK THE SERIES IS BASICALLY 13 20 MINUTE MOVIES.

You are one of my favorite youtubers when it comes to critiquing the anime changes. You aren't just mad they cut out small portions of the story but actual scenes that characterize chars better. Love these reviews

As an anime only fan The death of Kira was shocking! I audibly gasped when it happened! I do feel the pacing seems extreme fast. Love the content keep it up.

Personally, I think how fast the plot is progressing is kinda good. We need a strong start after not having Bleach for 10 years. How quickly everything is going to shit makes you understand how dire it is. This isn't a slow defeat with Soul Society standing a chance, this is Soul Society being put on the chopping block. I understand the problem with Yamamoto's behavior, but almost all of the changes so far seem to center around him and Chojiro and the Bankai stealing. I wonder if Kubo just has a different plan for them this time around? Maybe they want a more unhinged Yamamoto, if we learn all at once that not only can the Quincy steal Bankai, but they stole Chojiro's, and Yamamoto learns this in the moment. Especially with them adding the detail of Yamamoto noticing Chojiro's Bankai going off outside the gate. Particle Effects 10/10. The way Quilge's boots streamed towards Ichigo before he moved was cool Isn't the whole thing with the swinging at Quilge thing just foreshadowing Blut Vene? I think Uryu name dropping his Mom is actually a huge thing to point to. That makes everything Uryu does from now on extremely personal, and it seems like they may not push the Uryu traitor schtick as far. I didn't feel like the Burner Finger bit lingered at all. It was kinda like "Oh, Shit, well that happened immediately." Like they didn't even have a chance. I think most of the discrepancies between the Manga and the Anime are mostly stylistic choice. The Quincy invading instantly with no announcement is honestly more horrifying. No-one noticed Juha. No-one realized what was happening. The Quincy can and will attack within the blink of an eye and Kira's division will lose 75% of its leadership in an instant to only 1 of 26 enemies.

Waited all day for this lol I’m interested to see what your going to say about this episode because of how well u know the manga material. I had mixed feelings about this episode like u did but I recently watched it again without thinking about what’s in the manga and the episode on it’s own is quite good.

I’ve waited years for this arc to be adapted to the anime since I never actually read The Thousand Year Blood War Arc. You are my favorite Bleach Encyclopedia. Rock on brother!

Great analysis of this episode Tommo as usual, excited for the next one, and you know Tom you're the only person here who pronouncing these sternritters name correctly lol and i love it, keep up the great work

Thank you for a detailed review 👏👏👏 It was fun 👍👍👍

I wouldnt be surprised if they used other colors for the other sternritters but having the 1st quincy we really fight be blue just feels correct to get used to the quincy powers

I was waiting for this fr🔥

I agree with you on everything, especially the lack of impact in the Kira scene and it makes me wonder how they're going to handle other similar moments, like the one with Yhwach defeating Zaraki (after Byakuya's defeat, how strongly he enters only to be decommissioned off screen - all hope is lost type of vibe). Also majorly concerned about how the individual fights are going to be paced...

I love the Shading/shade covering his eyes he looks cool af.

As of now, I’m not too worried about how the overall pacing will be. We’re supposedly getting 52 episodes, and we probably would get far less if they decided to continue going at the pace we got for this episode. As I mentioned in a previous comment, I heard this particular episode had production issues, so I can only hope the episodes beyond will be better since I haven’t heard anything bad about them.

Coming here as an anime only fan… I love the breakdown… at some point in the future I’m going to cop the whole manga and take my time reading through it… I love this iP so much… thanks for the video!!

Not gonna lie, I read through the whole manga years ago when it came out, and most of my exposure to Bleach since then has been Tommo's videos. So therefore I'm not really annoyed at the changes with some of the scenes considering I don't remember a lot of them (I straight up don't remember Kajomaru lol), I feel like they're doing a great job at adapting the material for those people who followed it back in the day and are nostalgic for the main plot points. At the end of the day, they have a limited amount of episodes alloted, so cutting out a few scenes in order to get to the important stuff is understandable. The manga was far from perfect in this arc in terms of the pacing and story beats anyways, and I'm hopeful that cutting some of the early parts will give them more time to expand on the latter fights that had to be rushed in the manga.

Nobody Mentioning Everybody Favorite Sarcastic Sternritter Askin might be making his appearance next episode. Oh boy Anime Only, you ain’t ready.

Even though I know what happened in Bleach, i tend to watch this episode reviews to validate in what i know. Nice video as always.

Big beefy videos are always great

My problem with the anime so far is the removal of many small yet important scenes and the (unintentional) dumbing down of Ichigo. He’s had a few comments and remarks removed so far and it kind of bothers me; while they don’t add much, it’s a kind of subtle nod at Ichigo’s character developing which at the same time displays his experience and contrasts with his early character which recklessly rushed in without thinking/noting things ahead of time. Currently he’s in the best state of mind, attitude and maturity he’s been for perhaps the entire series and yet they’re removing those essential details. Take for example his small comment against Quilge when he gets shot at by the foot soldier Quincies; in the manga it seems to be said because of disbelief due to his contrasting knowledge of the fate of Quincies, meanwhile in the anime it just seems like he’s thick-headed and still isn’t sure if they are or not. Maybe this is just me but that’s how it came across at least to me personally. Also I’m not even gonna mention the page of Yamamoto looking threatening after cutting off Mayuri. I’m really disappointed that it was cut as I felt that his face on that page communicated a lot to the readers about what his state of mind is and even allowed us as an audience to see a side of Yamamoto we didn’t even see during his fight with Aizen.

Great content! Where is the grade of the episode? I really think that agregate to the video

The Dino Crisis-esque OST as it shows the Sternritter was such a cool touch.

The Quilge battle was generally the high point of this episode, especially the Vollständig part, since it went exactly as I imagined it would. The second best moment is when Kira got gimped by Bazz-B, but I do agree that there needed to be more punch in the most literal sense. The sound effect for that Burner Finger wasn't nearly punchy enough, even as it was a shot-for-shot remake of the original panels. In addition, I agree that the slow breakdown of Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto has largely been missed, which is a slight problem.

If I remember correctly the first episode of the Soul Society arc also covered 6 chapters. Also Grand Fisher vs Ichigo, but that was very changed in the anime compared to the manga.

I think the world-collapse subplot might be getting held back in order to elaborate and expand upon it further later on. Likely in the form of a flashback where we will see the vice captain meeting etc.

Another good review. I always thought Yamamoto did hit his cane on the ground, in the panel I read from the shonen jump app it has the words klonk next to the cane. But that seems to only be in the black and white from what I see.

Sasakibe absolutely mentioned Bankai was he was dying on ep01, as the scene changed to Ichigo using his

I feel like it was important to keep our first real Quincy enemy with blue reishi. My memory isn't perfect either, but I feel like the official cover art only had some of the later Quincy with other colors anyway, so it may still happen, even if Quilge didn't. The same may also be true for the blood from Sklaveri. I'm not sure how official the color choices are for the colored version vs the anime. Excellent video! This has been a really helpful series since it's been so long.

i love how for this fight you can hear on the precipice of defeat like if it’s the first episode of bleach :)

35:06 i bet the animators didnt even know that, youve got amazing attention to detail tho xD

I wonder if the manga image of Yama, half in shadow, was meant as a precursor to his upcoming fate? I don't think I realised that at the time and I must have re-read the manga countless times in the dark years without Bleach! I am so excited that Bleach is back, I just wish that we, as a community, didn't spend every live reaction video talking about how affected we are that some scenes are cut from the manga. There are so many beloved stories and childhood nostalgia that we don't get a chance to see modernised and brought back to life, it just feels like there is too much nitpicking and (at it's worst) gatekeeping from manga-fans. Thanks again, Tommo, for these videos. I've really appreciated the videos that brought everything back from old memories and explanation videos.

I personally really liked the Kira scene but I am anime only (but I also watch this channel a lot 🙃) it definitely gave you that feeling like shit they are about to get wrecked. One of my biggest gripe’s with Bleach even though I love it is the lack of stakes when it comes to main and supporting characters being killed off.

The thing I love most is the animation. Its so high quality movie like each episode and I hope they continue this quality for the whole series. Also I dnt see why they need to add scene when I prefer they show me what's on the Manga except when those extras scenes are need for fights that were very short or some we didn't get to see at all.

I think they’re making this part fast paced so they could (hopefully) expound on the shorter battles we saw (like Urahara and Askin).

Great video as always, Tommo. I noticed you skipped on rating the episode this time around. Are you thinking of leaving them for a seperate video in the future maybe?

i definitely found it busy, the pacing was fast and there was so much going on one blink next thing kira is blown apart

My thing, as a manga reader, is that: in the manga, these sections also read as breathless, fast, and intense, but what intensity and fast pacing means in manga is different than in motion in anime. I think a lot of these cuts are made both to manage the episode count--52 episodes means we gotta go pretty quick--and also to preserve the sense of intensity and pacing in the manga. A lot of those smaller scenes would have slowed the pacing way more in anime than they ever did in the manga. I think they're nailing the most important thing, that this should feel sudden, inexplicable, terrifying.

Episodes 4-30 are just going to be insanely dense with amazing fights, i cannot wait

It would be great if episode 4 started off before the attack and gave us Kira's perspective up until his defeat by Bazz B. We could see him at the lieutenants meeting and his eventual arrival at the gate for defence. Then you could even show some interaction and introduction to the 3rd division seated officer's before they die. I just read the chapter with the lieutenants meeting last night and I love how Kira figures out what happened to the missing souls in Rukongai.

I give up, Tommo reviewing another episode and my D+ still does not have it. Im going to be a pirate, i cant wait any longer D:

As they are following the colors from the manga, and in the colored version Getsuga Tensho is yellow as in the new anime, Opie's Vollstandin is light blue, the difference is in his shoes. However, Askin's Vollstandin is some sort of pink/purple, which matches the mobile game version. Gerrard also turns into yellow light in the end, although I'm not sure that was his Vollstandin. Lille also has yellow halo and wings. So maybe it was decided to change the colors only with the elite guard of Yhwach.

I think it would be nice to see the parts cut out of 494 be used as the beginning of the next episode, but, due to the pacing issues we're gonna face in this arc, I know we won't see that. Someday, it would be nice to see everything that's been cut in like a Directors cut of the arc.

As you said, we are moving in the story in a neck breaking speed. At first I thought they did speed up the fight between Ichigo and Quilge a little to much, but I can see why they have cut some scenes here. I really love the extra scenes of Uryu and his father. In the manga Uryu just disappears and then he is with the Wandenreich what is very strange in my opinion. I hope they can do more with Grimmjow. I mean, he is a fan favorite character and he is early in the arc, but Kubo teased him till almost the end of the manga. I hope he can have a proper fight and a little bit more to do in the plot and not just deliver the death blows. The first invasion has begun and I'm really excited for the next episode!

I kinda like 494 being fit into the end of this episode. It helps drive home a little more how dangerous the sterneitter are at just how fast they can do this much damage. I think kubo tries to convey this as well in the manga when they mention that hundreds of casualties have occurred in just a few minutes of action.

As for next week's episode, one thing I'm excited about is As Nodt's voice lol. We got a little snippet from that trailer but I'm hoping the voice actor was able to sound as creepy in conversation as the actual character is.

It is flying. But I still like it. Like you mention they are cutting a lot, but adding stuff as well. Maybe they will put some of that stuff later. Again, like I said before, I love the battles but I also love the parts that are just talking as well. I think hey are going fast now to get people really into it, but I hope they slow down and add more content later. I really did like this episode a lot, even with the stuff they cut. I can't wait for ep 4 and I do think they will slow down at some point.

Maybe I'll be trivial, but I'd love to hear "invasion" with the invasion in the next episode XD Of course I adored the parts involving the boss Qilge, the brand new scenes keep being fresh and necessary, and the pace for me is still good. My only concern is the grief-anger of Yamamoto, not well shown in the anime until now, hope they will fix this from Driscroll and on (they have to do it). For the rest, some chapters in the manga pass quickly, but I want to believe this "rush" is in order to save time for expansions where necessary (likely from the next one as for minor fights in this first invasion, a lot can be added) and not just to speed up for reach chapter 546 in this first core, like the opening spoils (it would be exaggerated, also because we would arrive at 1/3 of the final arc if so). The fourth episode will be decisive. And yes, up to chapter 499 (Qilge still alive and Ichigo imprisoned) or 500 (to end Hueco Mundo part already). PS: I say it again, for me the quincy against Ukitake was Nianzol, which "strangely" also appeared in the promotional poster at the end of the second trailer. Logically was Pepe controlling Jidanbo and others. No idea for Rukia, looks like she was defeated by a woman from last PV, maybe Meninas? Or Liltotto? Hoping to get to see something brand new encounters for other captains or officers as well, even just quickly.

I'm so glad TYBW is finally being released as anime. Nothing better I could ever ask for.

I feel like people are completely forgetting something when it comes to pacing, when reading a manga or the first time a chapter can feel pretty long and feels like it covers a lot but when it gets animated that time feels so short because things happen at a faster pace when the characters are physically speaking fighting etc now. Chapter 494 seemed long because of what it is an invasion it introduces a lot of new characters and starts the beginning of many fights it doesn't take up that much time when animated

The problem with bleach is that bleach is amazing and I think we need to talk about how amazing that is

Tommo Let me point out something that everyone may be missing. Yhwach isn't accaully at soul society but it could be Lloyd the twin sternritter.

Bazz-B had a great introduction the highlight of episode 3 Seeing Ayon destroyed so easily always makes me wonder how strong Quilge is suppose to be like above the average Captain for sure

"they are moving at a break-neck speed"... clever lol

I wonder what letter would Ryuken get if he was a Sternritter.

My prediction is mostly the same except right after akkon talks about the casualties, it'll cut to Yamamoto staring at the battle and telling his 3rd to protect the barracks, then it cuts to the action. I think showing the viewer the start of the devastation first makes for a stronger impact on Yama saying those lines rather than him saying it the moment the light arrives.

My hope with the fast pacing is honestly that they shoot through the 1st Invasion very quickly, and then when it ends, it slows down. A deliberate pacing choice, to really get across how fast the Sternritter just demolish through Soul Society in the first invasion. And then a deliberate slowing down in the aftermath to let the atmosphere settle. It is however more likely that it's just gonna be a fast paced series.

Ooooh, if they are trying to hide Sasikebe's Bankai, then we will probably get the Yama scenes that really showed his hatred. I might be wrong though

I honestly don't know why there was a lack of impact, like the ayon vs quilge fight I liked it but I felt like it wasn't worth much or there were zero stakes which was a bit weird for me same with kira's "death", I can't pinpoint what exactly it is coz I love the animation and especially the music itself. In terms of the overall pacing I prefer this to the arrancar arc which I felt was mostly a drag at times

The poems at the end reference the next episode They’re the closest we get to previews

I love the changes from Manga to Anime. I'm trusting the process coz' why not?

What I’m still hopeful for is that they’re shuffling some of the reveals/info around, like the tearing between worlds, etc. I imagine they wanted to get things going quickly to pull the anime audience in quicker into the chaos of the arc, then start revealing bits progressively through the arc. We’ll jus t have to wait and see if they do this or skip it entirely.

This EP so crazy

The problem as manga readers, we're expecting to feel the same impact we felt when we read the manga... it's not gonna happen. We can continue to compare every single episode to the manga, expecting a 1:1 adaption or we can embrace it and enjoy we finally got Bleach after 10 years.

I really wanted to love this episode but the pacing really did take away a lot of the emotional and shock moments they fell totally flat. I really wish they would have split this up in two episodes.

25:54 i agree with that, this reminded me so much of attack on titan when they first found and read the book, but what uryu was reading must be completely different, so that was kind of a troll move 😂

Shadow of a wing could also be a reference to him having temporarily Hollow powers to regain his Bankai.

On the comment about shock factor with kira id say they did a pretty good job. I've veen watching with a friend who's anime only, and he was super shocked they just took out a lieutenant instantly.

They cut out the Lieutenant’s meeting... But new scenes!

If the anime just stays at this level, it will be in my top 10-15. I like they they are trimming narrative fat.We want new exposition, longer fights, tighter narrative. If we lose a vice captain meeting or 5 to get more info on the Royal Guard, new bankais, history of the Soul King, and the connection between SK and Ywach, then I'm for it.

I like almost everything about the episode but i still think they need more fight animations with choreography.

bro there are sooo many bleach channels that benefit from the anime returning, this has to be like christmas for him xD

Where are you guys watching it in the US? I keep getting an error message on Hulu, anyone else experiencing this? TIA!

i think the reason why they ended the episode with that is for the shocking moment. The episode was really great to me and the ending was amazing. the reaction of anime only to that was really great too. they were shocked an important character is killed off like that gives the hype to what to expect in the battle that the quincies are really a huge huge threat

I think they still could do the Quincy's different colors. I think changing Quilge's reshi to blue makes sense. He's supposed to represent the perfect Quincy and Quincys are associated with white and blue, I wasn't digging the yellow in BBS, and it was too similar to Candice

If things are being cut then kubo must’ve cut them for a reason. Maybe they’re were things he looked back on that he didn’t really enjoy and and wanted to change them since he has all the time to do it now and is not churning out chapter after chapter like before and being on the clock. It has been 10 years, you have all the time you want to do things differently. Honestly I like that love that they changed it to a surprise attack on the soul society instead of announcing it right before the attack. Don’t give your enemies time to think. Just my opinion. We are going to get the captains bankai stolen in the next episode. And I think those fights will be expanded and take up the whole episode.

8:00 You are pointing out one of the main problem in this series. It is a small details but if you are carefully watching every episode since the first one, you can notice a lot of similar case when there is a « missing » scene between two shot (for exemple quilge’s bow already here without any animation) For someone who love anime and cinema, it is very noticable. They are probably doing this because of the schedule, the storyboard are cutting scenes to have less shot to animate. But since everything looks so good, I don’t have other complain with the visual aspect of the series ! Last thing that I didn’t like in this episode is how they handled the tension in the storytelling, since the episode is adapting 6-7 chapters + with removed content from the manga, some scene for me simply doesn’t work (Kira’s « death » without the vice captains meeting) We didn’t see main character like rukia for ages and the first line in the anime is « oh blue reishi pillar » first invasion could be so much more intense ! Same for Quilge’s volstanding, he seems to not be really impressive, probably because we are constantly cutting away from the fight and the tension can’t build up. In an anime we had to see and feel how dangerous he his, this is really important considering he is the first sternritter in the arc (by the way ichigo disappearing from the fight during 10min is a little bit weird, a copy paste from the manga can’t work because temporal perspective is not the same when you are drawing a manga and making an anime. Small detailed, you might say but episode could be nearly perfect imo without these issue. As always thanks for the review Tommo !

I love that its back, with an insane passion but, I am very upset that its only 52 episodes. I am also very very very very worried about how fast its moving. Hopefully they are speeding through the beginning to give us what we really want.

Sasakibe did mention bankai during his final words in the anime.

Finalllyyyyy

I cannot wait to see Bambietta next episode!

So I think this episode was great, beautiful animations, nice building on the arc, but I do want the pacing to start slowing down. I think the impact will hit better going forward to only cover 2 to 3 chapters an episode

where do you watch tybw episodes?

@MrTommo2304 You mentioned at 38:15 that it might have been the shinigami of the 11th division being flung over the gates, but (and correct me if I'm wrong) doesn't the sekiseki barrier around the soul society stop spiritual beings from passing through under or over it?

If they wanted to hide the bankai thing, why did they have the 'why do you still have your bankai' scene?