A double whammy to close this season out! Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 12 and 13 are the final episodes of this season that aired simultaneously. Let’s see where we leave this off in this review!
Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 12 and 13 Overview
What is there to be said about Bleach that hasn’t been said before? It is one of the most popular anime in the west of Japan of all time and is considered a part of the Big Three, a trio of anime widely recognised as having been a part of popularising the medium of anime. The show is back after a hiatus of nine years, as its first run ended in 2013. The newest season of the show is being developed by Studio Pierrot, the studio behind the original series, as well as other giants such as Naruto and Tokyo Ghoul.
The final arc of Bleach is directed by Tomohisa Taguchi, who has been involved in the productions of Persona 4 The Animation and Twin Star Exorcists, and the series is based on a manga written by Tite Kubo. This episode is also referred to in original Japanese as Bleach Sennen Kessen-hen Episode 12 (Bleach Sennen Kessen hen Episode 12) and Bleach TYBW Episode 12. Don’t forget; there is also Bleach Sennen Kessen-hen Episode 13 (Bleach Sennen Kessen hen Episode 13) and Bleach TYBW Episode 13 to discuss today. Click here to read the review of the previous episode!
– Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 13 Review does not contain spoilers –
Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 12 Review- The Truth
The first thing I’ll say is it is understandable why these two episodes were aired together. Not only did we get the conclusion to Ichigo’s long-discussed ancestry, but also what lies next for the character after learning all that. This was a great point to leave the show on and get ready for the second part, and it was undoubtedly fun to watch. However, it wasn’t without fault, which I’d like to discuss. In this case, it would be better to discuss the episodes separately, so let’s first look into episode twelve.
Read More- My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 13 Review: The Final Performance
This is an outing that would not have survived airing without episode thirteen to back it up. It was a highly consequential watch and one of the only episodes this entire season that didn’t put up more questions while answering them. But, due to its fast-paced and revealing nature, all that it did was tell the story of what happened between Isshin, Masaki, and Ryuken at a breakneck pace with no time left to speculate or ponder about the events. We hopped around from one plot point to the next at a frightening pace, which would not have worked if this was a proper semi-final episode.
Then, Episode 13 came around, tried to turn things around, and managed to do so successfully. It slowed things down and displayed some real consequences of what the previous episode showcased. Some might claim it was too slow for a final episode, but I would disagree with them. We have already had plenty of fantastic battles in this season to make up for what was a profoundly meaningful finale that managed to do so much with the sometimes subtle and other times indulgent storytelling.
Read More- Blue Lock Episode 12 Review: A New Challenge
We went back to the Soul Society to have a look at the captains who lost their Bankai and see how each of them coped with the loss of their most powerful weapon. All kinds of different training methods were seen as the Soul Society geared up for when the Quincies attacked again in what was a great setup for the next part. We also saw some of what makes characters like Sajin and Toshiro tick, and you can believe that these will be the characters that the next battle puts the spotlight on.
However, easily the best part of both episodes was the reforging of Ichigo’s sword at the hands of Oh-Etsu. That was the kind of moment that makes you proud of being a fan of the series and knowing the lore behind all the characters. It was a fantastic reveal for which the manga readers had been waiting a long time, and it was adapted beautifully. That, alongside whatever has been going on with Uryu, was a great way to leave the series off for six months. Truly, the return of Bleach has been positively joyous to watch.
Verdict
Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 12 and 13 were deeply meaningful and revealing watches and a great way to cap off this insane return of Bleach to the medium of anime. And now, the wait begins.