Summary
The following contains spoilers for BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 – The Conflict, Episode 1, “A”, available for streaming onHuluandDisney+.
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War returns with Part 3, a section of this final arc that has ramped up the dark atmosphere of the series even more than ever before. The first episode was once again a brilliant start andlike the opening episodes before it, it presented another dazzling piece of animation that stands out even from the incredible visuals this part of the series is now known for.
After a recap of the significant moments from the previous cours,BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3shows off impeccable direction and animation production that are now credited to the Pierrot Films offshoot of the historic animation studio behind the series.
Previously, onBLEACH
The First 10 Minutes Are A Recap of the Final Moments of Last Time
Perhaps the most significant negative to this episode is the fact that a huge chunk of about 10 minutes is material that we’ve already seen (save for the minute and a half reserved for the opening sequence). The decision makes some sense given that this third part of theThousand-Year Blood Wararc kicks off directly from where Part 2 ended, so the recap serves as a springboard that more seamlessly transitions into the new stuff. There’s also the chance to once again seeShutara Senjumaru’s masterpiece of a Bankai, as well as Ichibē Hyōsube’s Shin’uchi, which he used to take away Yhwach’s name in the past and in the current fight, renaming him to “Black Ant” and thus issuing him the strength and abilities of one.
And the world…
in 9 days.
As Yhwach is sent hurtling towards the ground far below the Hooden, his true power kicks in. As per the Kaiser Gesang, the Quincy King’s power will return after 999 years, 9 days after which, he will claim the world.His Schrift, “A” for “The Almighty"is an insanely overpowered ability that grants him not just the power of precognition, but also omniscience and control over the future itself. It is from this Schrift thaa the episode gets its title, “A”. With its activation, Yhwach’s eyes gain a second iris each, the number of which increases as his fight against Ichibē Hyōsube continues, and his five faithful soldiers who fell to Shutara’s Bankai are immediately revived, changing the tide of the battle completely. He instantly reappears on the Hōoden and stabs Hyosube in the stomach as the word assigned to him begins to crumble away. Hyōsube tries to get some licks in with Ichimonji, but none of the attacks connect because of Yhwach’s The Almighty.
Hyōsube activates an incredible technique calledFuten Taisatsuryō(“Slaughterous Mausoleum of Halted Reincarnation”), in which a special ritual enables him to draw power from all the “black” in the world. It is so powerful, it supposedly takes away everything, capable of stripping down flesh and bone, blackening them, and consuming them. It is supposedly so devastating that its target, reduced to absolutely nothing, is not even able to reincarnate as their existence itself is fully annihilated. To power this ability, Hyōsube says he stole darkness from 100 nights in the distant future; however, Yhwach’s eyes had already seen through the technique, which ends when the monk’s body is ripped apart. Visually, Hyōsube’s activation of this technique is another triumph of animation production, with an inky aesthetic that drives home the concept of the Futen Taisatsuryō technique and its association with darkness;Hyōsube’s calligraphy-inspired Zanpakutō; the noir atmosphere that has been teased in the various trailers for Part 3 and even the bleached line colours that complete the scene, this moment is definitely one that is up there in terms of conceptual brilliance.
Uryu vs Shutara Was Another Visual Treat
A Gorgeous Bankai Sets The Stage For A Short But Elegant Fight
Of the five Quincies wrapped up in Shutara’s tapestries, only Uryu is shown engaging in battle with the Thousand Arms, and the way the fight develops is a major clue regarding the nature ofthe Schrift he got from Yhwach. Seeing that Uryu was revived, Shutara simply opted to kill him a second time. Uryu manages to survive being bombarded with attack after attack, and even a bundle of tapestries turned into a swarm of huge Hollows couldn’t stop him. Shutara eventually manages to catch him, using the tapestries to bind him as she pricks the nape of his neck with a needle to deliver what should have been the killing blow.
However, their roles were reversed, and it was Shutara who was tied up by her own threads of fate. Uryu fires a single arrow through her heart, killing her, and the Bankai dissipates as a result. With the Zero Squad annihilated, the Sternritter bow as their king makes their way to the Reiokyu, where the Soul King waits, unguarded. He draws reishi from the Hōoden as he proceeds, each step towards the floating castle made from the ruins of the failure of the Zero Squad.
Yhwach Wins
The King Falls
Yhwach walks up to the torso in the crystal.The Soul King is still; his suspended animation unperturbed by the foreign presence. Immediately, Yhwach uses his sword to stab the Soul King’s chest. His objective has been achieved. The post-credit scene shows Ichigo’s group arriving at the Hooden, where they’re met with the grizzly sight of the Manako Oshō’s severed head. Orihime gets to work, not realizing that he’s actually… fine? Within his mind, Ichigo hears Hyōsube telling him to say his name. When he does, the monk’s mutilated remains come together, and he tells Ichigo of the Zero Squad’s failure. He apologises for asking this of Ichigo, but he requests that Ichigo do whatever it takes to stop Yhwach. The balance of the realms is at stake. Down in the Muken, Captain Commander Shinsui Kyoraku approaches a certain criminal. The way this first episode ofBLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3went wasted minimal movements, and it showed flashes of the dazzling animation production they have in store this season.
