Toonami and Viz Media surprised everyone this Friday when they announced that Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War will be coming to Toonami on Saturday, May 17 at 12:30 AM.
Thousand Year Blood War is a sequel to the anime series Bleach, a staple of Adult Swim Action and Toonami back when it returned in 2012. As the final story arc of the manga, it will span four cours of 13 episodes each. The story begins with a mass disappearance of Hollows and the awakening of an ancient Quincy progenitor who bears a grudge. New enemies bring Ichigo and friends back, with intricate plotlines and character development, as well as a notably darker tone than it’s predecessor, but reportedly plenty of action sequences for Toonami audiences to enjoy
Since being announced in 2022, and streamed on Disney Plus and Hulu, many wondered if Bleach TYBW would come to the block. Friday’s announcement breaths fresh air into the block, which many have expressed concern over the past few months.
Along with Bleach, it was announced that Blue Exorist would continue on Toonami with the Kyoto Saga, the second canonical season of the series. We’ve long speculated on the podcast over whether the return of Blue Exorcist meant the subsequent seasons would make an appearance on the block and are delighted with this news. It covers the Impure King arc of the manga and picks up in the anime shortly after Rin’s secret is exposed. Many Toonami viewers might find the continuity confusing, given the latter half of the anime covers an original story line, but first time viewers of this arc should note that Kyoto Saga ostensibly continues from episode 16/17 of season 1. We are hopeful that this also means that seasons 3-5 will also continue on the block.
Lastly, Toonami announced a marathon of Lazarus on Saturday, May 10 along with a new episode at midnight. Both schedules for May 10 and May 17 are as follows:
Let’s hope this is a sign of more good things for Toonami. Let us know what you think of all the news today by commenting below.
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