In case you missed it (like I almost did), you can now stream the live-action adaptation of the famous manga by Tite Kubo. Yes! Besides the TV series, the live-action adaptation of BLEACH is now on Netflix!
As of 2018, the Bleach manga series has sold over 120 million copies. It's anime series has a total of 366 episodes which was produced by Studio Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe. Bleach also have four feature films by the same director which includes: Bleach: Memories of Nobody(2006), Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion (2007), Bleach: Fade to Black (2008) and Bleach: Hell Verse (2010).
And now they have Bleach (2018) also known as Bleach: The Soul Reaper Agent Arc, a film produced by Warner Bros. under the direction of Shinsuke Sato. The film stars Sota Fukushi as the main protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki and Hana Sugisaki as Rukia Kuchiki. It was released in Japan on July 20, 2018 and had its American premiere on July 28, 2018 at the New York Japan Cuts Festival in New York City. On September 16, the film was released on Netflix.
The question now is how is the live-action adaptation?To be fair, Bleach is the type of anime that's difficult to adapt into live-action. I'm not saying it's impossible, okay. But Bleach features a huge world. There's Karakura Town, the place where our main character lives and that's the human world. Then there's Soul Society where most souls dwell until they are reincarnated. At the center of that place is a city called Seireitei where Shinigami (Soul Reaper) live. There's also Hell where wicked Hollows reside and Hueco Mundo, the space between the human world and Soul Society. This is where most Hollow and Arrancar are situated.
One wrong decision in the storyline can mess everything up. Thank goodness, Kubo decided to be involved ensuring its faithfulness to the manga and anime. I can definitely say that both old and new fans can enjoy it. I really enjoyed seeing everything come to life (sort of)!
The only problem for me is Rukia's role in the movie. I'm a big fan of Kuchiki Rukia, the shinigami that came into contact with Kurosaki Ichigo. Though Ichigo was the center of it all, Rukia is a strong character and plays a vital role. I just wish they gave Rukia a little more focus. I urge you to watch the TV series to get my point. But overall I appreciate what Bleach (2018) offered and hope there would be more in the future. IMDb/7/10
Also, I'm currently re-watching the TV series on Netflix! 🙂
*Not sponsored
