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Warning: Spoilers for Thousand-Year Blood War part 3
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood Warpart 3 is imminent, and there’s one scene that’s sure to be included in this part which I’m dying to see animated. The scene in question has some incredible potential in animated form, and it could become one of the coolest scenes in the entire series if executed well.
Thousand-Year Blood Warhas so far been an excellent adaptation ofBleach’s final arc, bringing the manga to life beautifully while also expanding upon what’s there in the text. We’ve already had some amazing scenes, such asKenpachi using his Shikai for the first time, and finally seeing those scenes animated has been thrilling for myself and other long-time fans ofBleach. Part 3 also has its fair share of highly anticipated scenes, but for me (and I’m sure many others) there’s one in particular that I simply can’t wait to see, and that’s the fight between Captain Shunsui Kyoraku and Lille Barro–in particular, the Captain’s Bankai.
Shunsui’s Bankai Could Be Amazing in Animation
Shunsui using his Bankai has already been teased in the trailer for part 3, so it’s definitely going to be animated in the upcoming episodes. The entire fight between Shunsui and Lille is about 10 chapters long, andShunsui activates his Bankaifor the first time on-screen near the beginning of the fight. Shunsui’s Shikai is already rather complicated, involving the rules of children’s games that an opponent is forced to follow, so it should perhaps come as no surprise that his Bankai is equally complex, although in a very different way.
Shunsui’s Bankai takes the form of a four-act play, in which Shunsui and his opponent are cast as the leads. The play tells the tragic story of two lovers who turn against one another, only for one to be overcome with regret and fall ill, ultimately leading them to hurl themselves into the ocean in a double suicide; if the opponent survives this stage, it moves on to the final act, in which one lover kills the other, manifesting as Shunsui beheading his opponent with his spiritual pressure.
This obviously offers a lot of opportunities for the animation to add flourishes which the manga was unable to do. The animation could show a representation of the play itself being acted out alongside Shunsui and Lille’s actual fight, emphasizing the narrative nature of his Bankai. The Bankai itself is also quite showy, summoning an enormous volume of water to represent the ocean which drains the spiritual pressure of anyone submerged in it, increasing as they struggle to escape to the surface of the water. Seeing how beautifully Senjumaru’s Bankai was done gives me high hopes for Shunsui’s.
The Anime Could Better Explain How Shunsui’s Bankai Works
Shunsui’s Complex Bankai Leaves a Lot of Questions for Fans
Even among other Bankai,Shunsui’s Bankai stands outas being incredibly complex, and its presentation in the manga left some fans confused and others with a great number of questions. What happens if an opponent dies early in the play? If the opponent falls during the double suicide in act 3, would that automatically kill Shunsui as well? Even the first act of the play has a huge area of effect, causing Ichigo and his friends, who are somewhat far away, to feel the despair and gloom which emanates from his Bankai, which seems to be why Shunsui is reluctant to use it.
This is definitely one ability which would benefit from being expanded upon some inThousand-Year Blood War. Shunsui could perhaps explain in more detail precisely how the play works, but also just seeing the play itself acted out alongside the action might shed some light on how it functions. And despite being so powerful, Shunsui’s Bankai isn’t what ultimately defeats Lille, leaving that job to his subordinate Nanao Ise, who uses a Zanpakuto for the first time with the Captain’s guidance.
Thousand-Year Blood Warhas certainly proven that it isn’t afraid to expand on the manga, and most fans expect part 3 will have even more anime-original content than parts 1 and 2 did. While there are other points that would also benefit from expansion, seeing this scene in its full glory is no doubt going to be a highlight of the entire third part, so it stands to reason that it should receive a little more special attention. This fight will definitely benefit from maintaining a slower pacing, allowing the tension of the Bankai to build with each act that passes.
As The Soul Reapers' New Leader, Shunsui Must Look Strong
There are also character reasons why it’s important that this scene be pulled off properly. This is the first opportunity to see what Shunsui can really do since being namedthe new Head Captain following Yamamoto’s death. It’s important that Shunsui’s full power is on display, making it clear why it is that he was chosen to lead the 13 Court Guard Squads in the first place.Shunsui is a man who has made it clear that he doesn’t like taking on responsibilities, yet heavy duties continuously fall on his shoulders. Seeing Shunsui’s power will support the reasoning behind entrusting him with such responsibilities.
After seeing the first two parts, I’m fairly confident that Studio Pierrot will be able to pull this off properly, even if it’s not exactly how I’ve envisioned it in my head all this time. More than almost any other, this Bankai has the potential to be a real spectacle, and ifThousand-Year Blood Warhas delivered on any front, it’s certainly been the spectacular nature of this final arc.
Shunsui’s fight with Lille is likely to be closer to the end of part 3, so we’ll all still have to wait a few more weeks to finally see this epic scene fully animated. So far,Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood Warhas delivered on making the series' final arc as incredible as it deserves to be, and I can only hope the same will be true here.
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War
Cast
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is a sequel series to the popular anime from creator Tite Kubo. This anime follows Ichigo and his friends as they investigate why people are disappearing while trouble arises in the Soul Society. The first season was released in 2022 and has been critically acclaimed since its beginning.
