Head Captain Shegekuni Genryusai Yamamoto is not a name anyone speaks lightly, as Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 6 does a great job of proving. Let’s see how this episode went in this review!

Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 6 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 6 (Bleach Sennen Kessen hen Episode 6) and Bleach TYBW Episode 6. Click here to read the review of the previous episode!

– Bleach Sennen Kessen hen Episode 6 Review does not contain spoilers –

Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 6 Review- The Fire

Seeing Shikeguni Genryusai Yamamoto unleash his full powers onto someone was worth the price of admission itself, as that is a prospect the show has been building towards for 300 episodes. Old Man Yama has been known as the most fearsome force in the world, so much so that all of his appearances have come with power nullifiers and caveats so far. However, he could not hold back this time, as inaction would mean the destruction of Soul Society as a whole. Yama was going to bring the fire to Yhwach, and the Soul Society was going to burn.

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And it did burn. Everything burned. It did not have a choice. The intensity of Yamaji’s flame turned every single drop of water inside Soul Society into vapor as we witnessed one of the most powerful forces of nature in the world – fire- being wielded by one of the most powerful and fearsome Soul Reapers in the Bleach universe. This was everything it should have been, as his Bankai had multiple forms, each more devastating than the last. It was truly a spectacle watching Yamaji in his glory, and I’m glad we got to see it at least once.

The battle between Yhwach and Yama was fantastic and showcased the best of Bleach’s new art style. The flames from Yama’s Bankai contrasted extremely well with Yhwach’s blue Quincy powers, and the dark aesthetic fit as the backdrop for both of them. As mentioned, Yama had multiple different powers, and all of them were animated very well, from the CGI skeletons to the earth-shattering tip. This episode was a win from the production side and had a fantastic build-up. Now, let’s see if the plot was worth everything that went well so far.

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Any indications of elation or disappointment from my side would immediately be a spoiler for who won the confrontation in the end, so I will refrain from doing that. I’ll just say that whatever happened made perfect sense with the characters of Yhwach and Yama, which the show had already established, and I loved how confident and brutal Yama always seemed with his attacks. Yhwach came off as extremely conniving, as he has been established as supremely smart as well as a force of nature that had Kenpachi Zaraki by the throat before Yamaji arrived. The conclusion to their battle was fitting.

However, it is really hard to see where the plot goes from here. From an insane amount of things that could happen in this season, we are left with exactly one thing that could carry the plot forward for the show. This makes the plot feel somewhat predictable for the first time since the new series started. Hence, this means one thing. The next episode is extremely crucial for the long-term health of Bleach Thousand Year Blood War. It is certainly going to be an interesting one, but that’s all of them. 

Verdict

Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Episode 6 was everything it needed to be, and it was a great look at the new possibilities with the show’s new art style.