BLEACH: The Final Cour 'Kashin-tan' Begins – Comments from Yukino Satsuki, Sota Fukushi, and Rui Kihara

On July 25, 2026, at 11:00 PM (JST), the fourth and final cour of the TV anime series "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War" premiered on TV Tokyo and other channels. Titled "Kashin-tan" (禍進譚, "The Oncoming Catastrophe"), Studio Pierrot Films brings the adaptation of the final story arc of Tite Kubo's manga, which has been airing since 2022, to a close. To coincide with the broadcast of the first episode "GOD OF THUNDER" (Episode 41), the producers released statements from three individuals connected to the franchise in different ways.

Voice actress Yukino Satsuki, who has portrayed Yoruichi Shihoin for over twenty years, admitted beforehand that this character has been the most challenging for her. "Yoruichi is a person of immense breadth, and I never felt fully up to the task. No matter how much I tried to imagine her depth, I couldn't reach it," she explained. Nevertheless, she threw herself into the final season with the resolve: "When I play Yoruichi, no one else can be her—and I can't leave it to anyone else." In Episode 41, Yoruichi is cornered by Askin Nakk Le Vaar; it will be exciting for viewers to see how she overcomes this crisis.

Actor Sota Fukushi, who took on the role of Ichigo Kurosaki in the 2018 live-action film adaptation, had the opportunity to preview the completed episodes. "The visuals, music, and sound—everything was breathtaking," he raved. He was particularly moved by Ichigo's development: "How he pushes forward for his friends despite all odds remains unforgettable to me as his portrayer. It reminded me to want to be like Ichigo myself, and I felt inspired to keep going." Fukushi highlighted Kisuke Urahara's unusual appearance and the joint battle between Ichigo and Orihime as standout moments.

Rui Kihara, who played Ichigo in the stage musical "ROCK MUSICAL BLEACH: Arrancar Arc," was also captivated in advance: "The impact and ominous intensity of the final chapter made me tremble body and soul. Every scene brings together everything BLEACH has built up over the years—Ichigo's drive to protect everyone and the friends who support him." He urged fans to stay excited until the very end.

The cour "Kashin-tan" kicked off with the episode "GOD OF THUNDER," in which Ichigo, along with Uryu Ishida, Orihime, and Chad, heads to Yhwach's throne room, while in the palace courtyard, Yoruichi fights Askin and Urahara rushes to help. Simultaneously, cracks begin to appear in all three worlds—harbingers of destruction. The season's opening theme is "I-BULL" by jo0ji, and the ending theme "Rasen" is by 9Lana; both tracks were personally selected by Tite Kubo.

The series airs weekly on Saturdays at 11:00 PM on TV Tokyo, as well as on BS TV Tokyo, AT-X, and other regional channels. One day after the linear broadcast, it will be released on numerous streaming services such as U-NEXT, Amazon Prime Video, d Anime Store, Disney+, and Netflix. An ad-supported free version will launch on ABEMA, TVer, and Nico Nico at the end of July. To celebrate the finale, ABEMA has also set up a special BLEACH channel.

With over 130 million manga copies sold worldwide and an anime history that began in 2004, the journey of the Shinigami around Ichigo Kurosaki is now coming to an end—in a visually and musically lavish production that set standards in the previous cours.