Some anime series age better than others in subjective and objective ways alike. Some older anime simply look and sound bad because of outdated production values, while others were well-made and were ahead of their time, such as Neon Genesis Evangelion. Then there’s the original Bleach anime, which is a mixed bag in the eyes of modern fans.
Some aspects of the first Bleach anime aged poorly, such as fuzzy, non-HD visuals and some tasteless running jokes, not to mention lengthy filler arcs. Then again, dedicated Bleach fans can still find plenty to love about the original anime, and in some ways, classic Bleach is just as great now as it was in the 2000s because some things never go out of style.
10 Bleach‘s Soundtrack Is Still Incredible
Music in TV shows or movies might age badly if the OST is too reliant on what were then popular trends and fads in music. A soundtrack based entirely on 1980s synth-pop will sound tacky in future decades, for example, but Bleach‘s OST goes far beyond any decade’s musical fads.
The Bleach OST is almost its own genre, expertly blending ethereal choruses, cool electric guitars, eerie synths, and even violins and more. It was a unique and refreshing soundtrack back then, and the same is true now, even if anime like MHA and Attack on Titan have stellar songs of their own, too.
9 Ichigo Kurosaki Is A Tsundere Hero
Many shonen heroes come from the same mold as Son Goku, being loud, friendly, energetic himbo types who just rush off to do whatever they please. In the 2000s, Naruto Uzumaki and Monkey D. Luffy were like Goku, while Bleach‘s Ichigo Kurosaki stood out as a tough-guy tsundere punk, like Yusuke Urameshi.
Ichigo Kurosaki is still a distinct hero both then and now, and now he contrasts with cheerful, wacky protagonists like Yuji Itadori and Izuku Midoriya. When the Bleach TYBW anime resumed, it definitely felt different from the new shonen mega-hits with its tsundere hero.
8 The Bleach Anime Had Intriguing Foreshadowing
Recent revelations in the Bleach: TYBW helped fill in the missing gaps in Ichigo Kurosaki’s backstory, including flashbacks of his father, then Captain Isshin Shiba, meeting a Quincy girl named Masaki Kurosaki. They fought together, and later married and had three children.
Looking back, the original Bleach anime did a fine job of foreshadowing and hinting at the truth of Ichigo’s heritage, which makes it feel more relevant. Sosuke Aizen teased Ichigo about the truth of Masaki, for example, and Hollow Ichigo stated that it was Zangetsu, a preview of the bonafide truth in TYBW.
7 Bleach‘s Visual Design Is Dazzling
From a production standpoint, the Bleach anime doesn’t hold up that well since the animation technique was merely adequate for the time and pales in comparison to modern HD anime like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer. However, Bleach‘s visual design from an artistic standpoint holds up.
Fuzzy non-HD graphics aside, the original Bleach anime has fantastic design, such as how the characters are drawn, their unique taste in clothing, and the colorful world of the Soul Society. Anime like Naruto and One Piece look oddly cartoony by comparison, while Bleach‘s characters look leaner and tougher.
6 Monster Hunter Anime Is Still Popular
In some ways, Bleach is a “monster hunter” anime, with Soul Reapers using specialized swords called zanpakuto to fight Hollows, or evil spirits. Rewatching certain Bleach story arcs will feel like familiar territory to Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen fans.
Evidently, both of those anime took many cues from their Bleach predecessor, and anyone who wants more is sure to enjoy Bleach. The first arc, in particular, is a monster of the week saga where Ichigo and his reverse isekai friend Rukia sweep the streets for Hollows to slay.
5 Bleach Has A Strong Emotional Core
Anime series tend to age well if their storylines and drama are based on timeless, intimate themes such as friendship, love, guilt, and certainly grief. Most of Bleach‘s main characters have emotionally resonant arcs that make perfect sense in any decade.
A major example is the tsundere Rukia Kuchiki, who struggles to earn the recognition of her foster brother Byakuya while also grappling with her guilt over killing Kaien Shiba in years past. Byakuya, meanwhile, finally learned to embrace Rukia as a foster sister and fight not just for the cause, but to protect her.
4 Bleach‘s Best Fights Still Hold Up
Many of Bleach‘s fights are forgettable and can’t possibly compare to the best battles found in My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer. Fortunately, Bleach‘s best and most important fights hold up anyway since there’s more to them than the fight choreography.
Ichigo’s fateful duel with Captain Kuchiki in the Soul Society arc, for example, was a real standout back then and is still exciting to watch here in the early 2020s. Ichigo’s climactic battles against Grimmjow and Ulquiorra are also highlights of the original anime that can compete with anything in TYBW.
3 Bleach Has Many Powerful Female Characters
For the time, Bleach was pretty bold about portraying powerful and prominent female fighters, among heroes and villains alike. The first arc only had Rukia Kuchiki, but in the Soul Society arc, Bleach fans met the assassins Soi Fon and Yoruichi, along with Rangiku Matsumoto, Nemu Kurotsuchi, and more.
Later arcs added Nelliel and Harribel among the Arrancars, plus three female Visoreds. Modern shonen series are a little better about having prominent female characters like Nobara Kugisaki and Power, but even so, the original Bleach anime compares well considering its age.
2 Bleach Had Good Representation
The original Bleach anime was ahead of its time not just with strong female characters, but also characters of color, too. One example is Captain Kaname Tosen of Squad 9, who had a fairly prominent role in the Soul Society arc, along with Yoruichi herself.
Later arcs added a few more characters of color, friend and foe alike, who were never cheap stereotypes, nor were they written out of the show just because. They had a real role to play, and it made Bleach feel wonderfully inclusive both then and now.
1 Ichigo & Rukia Had Excellent Chemistry
The platonic friendship between Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki as fellow tsundere is one of shonen’s very best, easily on par with Gon/Killua, Goku/Krillin, and other iconic shonen friendships. Ichigo and Rukia had incredible chemistry despite being from different worlds, and they really understood one another.
This helped make the Ichigo/Rukia pairing so prominent in the fandom, and many fans were bitterly disappointed when Ichigo/Orihime and Rukia/Renji became canon instead. Still, rewatching the original Bleach anime means savoring a well-written, amusing, and emotionally resonant friendship that stands the test of time.
