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While it is considered the weakest among the big 3 of Shonen,Bleachis impeccable in many aspects. From its soundtrack to the storyline, Tite Kubo’s magnum opus is excellent. After its 10-year-long hiatus, the series made its comeback through its sequel in 2022. Although it marked the return of several iconic characters, a shocking revelation would blatantly disappoint Kubo.
Derek Stephen Prince, Uryu Ishida’s voice actor, revealed his lack of research in an interview. His reasons behind doing so would completely surprise the mangaka. Moreover, the series’ return in 2022 was a complete game-changer both for the voice actor and his character.
This Bleach actor admitted to his lack of research.
From its power-packed battles to its gore and violence,Bleachis on par with its Big 3 contemporaries. What sets it apart from other Shonen series is its approach to taboo themes. This is especially true with the underlying theme of death. From Ichigo’s insanity to Orihime’s abuse, the series unpacks some of the most disturbing and horrifying moments. And there’s more to it.
Despite the pacing criticism, the series outshines its contemporaries. This is evident in the highlighting of theside charactersin the series. As opposed to other Shonen series, Kubo’s side characters hold depth. This extends to Uryu Ishida’s character throughout the anime. While readers and viewers grasp the complex themes, a major disappointment might faze the mangaka.
In an interview withScreenrant, Derek Stephen Prince made shocking revelations. Prince, who plays Uryu Ishida, revealed not researching the character. In his defense, he quoted:
When we initially were recording 20 years ago, I never had the time nor the inclination to really do any research for him. I basically was just like every other voice actor because, it’s like we’re all doing, a bunch of stuff, so it’s just like you go in and you’re not even sure who you’re recording for that day. It’s “Oh, I’m recording for this one. Okay.” And then you just go in, you do your lines, you leave, then you’re done and then you’re onto the next thing
The voice actor also revealed that he began his research before the series’ sequel in 2022. While the sequel marked a comeback for the series, it highlighted major changes. This included Uryu’s character in the series.
Tite Kubo made a 180 with Uryu Ishida’s character.
Uryu Ishida is an antagonist turneddeuteragonist turned antagonist. Although it sounds complex and confusing, there’s a plausible reason behind it. Uryu is one of Ichigo’s closest friends in the series. He is the first Quincy to be introduced in the anime as an antagonist. In due time, his past is unpacked in the series and his hate for Shinigami is revealed. And there’s more to it.
While the hatred for the Soul Society is understandable, hisdescent into villainywas a bolt from the blue.Tite Kubopulled a complete 180 with his character inBleach:Thousand Year Blood War. This holds especially true with his involvement with Yhwach as a Wandenreich member.
What makes this even more interesting is that Kubo highlighted his duality in the process. This extends to his conflicting loyalties between Soul Society and Sternritters.
Uryu’s descent into villainy was a shocking plot twist. It wasn’t unanticipated nonetheless. considering his painful past. His involvement with Yhwach for his vengeance outlines his fleshed-out character. This also marks Kubo’s brilliance in projecting his ambiguous nature in the series.
BleachandBleach: Thousand Year Blood Waris available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Viz Media.
Himanshi Jeswani
Anime Writer
Articles Published :993
Himanshi Jeswani is an anime writer at Fandomwire, with her work spanning over 900 articles. Her articles cover shojo, shonen, seinen, and all things beyond. Her interests, however, aren’t limited to simply anime. She has a penchant for exploring different genres of manga, be it horror, yanki, music, and food. She brings out her specialization and expertise in the performing arts through her articles. As a writer, she strives to bridge the gap between the viewers and the medium itself. To her, anime is a revolutionary medium that is capable of creating communities and stories after all.
