“Bleach” fans came together on Saturday, July 2nd, for the anime’s celebration panel at Anime Expo 2022.

What is “Bleach?”

“Bleach” is a hit anime and manga series by Tite Kubo. It follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a 15-year-old who has can see ghosts. He gains the power of a Soul Reaper after Rukia Kuchiki transfers her abilities to her, and he takes on the duty of helping souls pass on, fighting evil spirits called Hollows, and maintaining the balance between the Soul Society and the Land of the Living.

The anime started in 2004, and though the manga was still ongoing, ended in 2014. Kubo completed the story in 2016; five years later, it was announced that the final arc would finally be getting an animated adaptation with an October 2022 release date.

What happened at the panel?

Ichigo Kurosaki in the Thousand Year Blood War Arc

Called the “BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Panel,” named after the final arc, fans flocked to the Main Events Hall at Anime Expo. The line was quickly capped, much to the dismay of some congoers.

During the panel, there were special messages from Noriaki Sugiyama (voice of Uryu Ishida), Masakazu Morita (voice of Ichigo Kurosaki), and Johnny Yong Bosch (English VA of Ichigo Kurosaki), talking about their time on the series, their excitement to come back, and saying iconic lines.

Michelle Ruff (English VA of Rukia Kuchiki) and Dan Woren (English VA of Byakuya Kuchiki) attended in person. Both spoke highly of “Bleach,” and of their excitement to return. Ruff even did a little dance!

There was also a brief cosplay contest with seven cosplayers. Three winners left with autographs from the Japanese VAs.

One of the best parts of the event was seeing the key visual art of the Gotei 13 and the Sternritters, as well as the release of the new trailer.

There was another video message at the end from a very special guest, Tite Kubo himself. He expressed his gratitude for the fans’ dedication to “Bleach,” and revealed that there would be new anime-only fights, specifically one with the Bambies.

Needless to say, fans are extremely excited about the return of this anime.