Continuation of interview (1). The third season of the TV anime series "BLEACH: The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc" based on Kubo Tite's popular manga "BLEACH" serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), "BLEACH: The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc - Conflict Story", will begin airing on TV Tokyo and other networks from October 5th. The four-season "Thousand-Year Blood War Arc" is finally entering its second half. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the first TV anime broadcast of "BLEACH". We asked Morita Masakazu, who has played the main character Kurosaki Ichigo for about 20 years, and Sugiyama Noriaki, who has played Ishida Uryu, about the highlights of the third season.
◇Lots of information!
--Since the "Thousand-Year Blood War Arc" is a four-season series, will the third season be the "turn" in the introduction, development, twist, and conclusion?
Morita: There are fierce battles and a lot to see, so it may not be the "turn" in the introduction, development, twist, and conclusion. Speaking from an actor's perspective, it's not the end of Jo, Ha, Kyū, but rather the middle of Ha. It's become even thicker, there are many more things to see, and there's a lot of information. I don't have many scenes though (laughs).
Sugiyama: There will continue to be moments when you wonder why Uryuu looks like that. I'm looking forward to it because I think it will be carefully depicted what Uryuu's intentions were when he went to that side. There are still many important things left to be revealed, so I'm looking forward to that.
Morita: There are many stories other than Ichigo and Uryuu, too.
Sugiyama: A lot of things are happening at the same time, and it's carefully focused on those things.
Morita: When Hyosube appears, there are quite a few hints! One word can be a hint, so I hope you'll watch it carefully.
Sugiyama: Those who have read the original work will know how the story unfolds, but there are also some impressions that are unique to the anime, so it's interesting to pay attention to those.
Morita: Senjumaru's fight was amazing!
Sugiyama: It certainly was amazing. The director said that he combined different CGs to create a sense of discomfort in the space, and it's a wonderful way of expressing things that is unique to this era.
Morita: Uryuu also had some movements that we've never seen before.
Sugiyama: The expression of Reiko's arrows was really beautiful and fantastical.
◇Kubo Tite's kindness
--The third season looks like it's going to be full of highlights.
Sugiyama: The new brand "PIERROT FILMS" has made it even more polished in quality. The first and second seasons were also very beautiful, but the third season has a lot of cuts and is of great quality again. Various characters are explored in depth, so I think you'll be able to get a deeper understanding of the world of the work. I'm also curious about the relationship between Uryu and Ichigo, but I think you'll be able to enjoy the work from a broader perspective than just that.
Morita: It's true that there are a lot of cuts, isn't it? There are episodes with over 500 cuts.
Sugiyama: Every cut is so beautiful.
Morita: The staff are so passionate! Kubo-sensei is on set every time as general supervisor, and he's with us from morning until night. It's amazing! You can really feel Kubo-sensei's consideration, kindness, and respect for the staff and cast on set. That's been conveyed to the staff, and they're all working together in unison, saying, "Let's make something that will impress the teacher!" Some people have been involved with "BLEACH" for a long time, and some are young creators who have been watching "BLEACH" up until now, and they're all working together on the project, and the passion is incredible.
--It seems like it's a very passionate set, including Kubo-sensei, the original author.
Morita: I'm also happy that Kubo-sensei is taking the lead in creating this kind of on-site environment. What is the purpose of going to the site? It may seem obvious, but it's important: to create a better work. We are very happy to be able to do this, and we are working with a lot of pride. Please look forward to it. It's going to get even better!
