Tite Kubo's hit manga Bleach was not only one of shonen's big three at the time, but also a hit anime series that was hugely popular in the 2000s anime scene. A lot of work from Studio Pierrot went into making Bleach's anime until it was ended in 2012, but it's primed for an official return in October 2022. There's a lot to look forward to.
Bleach fans are in for a real treat -- not just with the "Thousand-Year Blood War" arc, but the anime's stellar soundtrack as well. The original series had a shonen OST unlike any other, which fit Bleach's tone and themes in unexpected ways. For music enthusiasts, it's also worth listening to in its own right.
How Bleach's Soundtrack Completes The Anime
Some anime have fairly generic soundtracks that suit their genres, such as romance, sci-fi, comedy and more. By contrast, the biggest names in anime have more unique OSTs that firmly stick in viewers' minds. Bleach's cousin Naruto, for example, blends catchy rock tunes with traditional Japanese music to fit the series' ninja themes, while Bleach itself goes in a different but even more compelling direction, blending exciting hard rock with ethereal choruses, synths and more.
At first, Bleach's abstract and seemingly tuneless songs don't seem catchy at all, but savvy fans can appreciate what the soundtrack is doing. Aside from the thematic "Number One," Bleach's songs aren't easy to hum along to, nor are they suitable for karaoke. Instead, this soundtrack is boldly experimental, sacrificing catchy earworms for atmospheric songs that capture the series' supernatural themes.
Bleach is all about spirits and the afterlife, exploring exotic realms such as the Soul Society and the desert realm of Hueco Mundo, so generic thriller music would never do. Strange, powerful beings such as Espadas, Hollows and Soul Reaper Captains appear with eerie and abstract music in the background, and that's what makes Bleach's OST stand out.
The music is almost like an unreliable narrator, exploring these supernatural adventures through Ichigo's eyes as an ordinary boy turned Soul Reaper. It's a bizarre and otherworldly place, and the eerie, heavenly soundtrack matches that viewpoint. Bleach's soundtrack is fittingly strange music for a strange adventure of spirits and new worlds.
Ichigo is getting used to all this during the "Hueco Mundo" arc when the Arrancars all have a Spanish naming convention, so the soundtrack updates to include catchier songs with distinct Spanish themes. This helps set its story apart from the "Soul Society" arc, even if the two are similar in broad strokes. There's no telling what Bleach's "Thousand-Year Blood War" arc's OST will sound like, but given the militaristic German themes of the Quincy empire, fans may expect military-style marches along with hard rock melodies to echo the first OST.
Where To Listen To Bleach's Soundtrack
Online retailers and streaming platforms such as Crunchyroll and Netflix have the Bleach anime available to watch anytime, but dedicated fans can also seek out the official OST on its own and immerse themselves in an otherworldly sonic landscape -- as can curious non-fans who want to try some new music. Those interested can visit Amazon's online catalog and find audio CDs of Bleach's soundtrack, which is divided into several parts.
The original OST is used for the first three seasons of the anime -- until the end of the "Soul Society" arc -- while the next few soundtracks match later arcs. Fans can also head to SoundCloud to try out the soundtrack which includes music by composer Shiro Sagisu, who also wrote some music for the iconic Neon Genesis Evangelion.
