Series
Series

What to Expect From Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Arc Episode 29

Bleach’s next episode will be cooking with Aizen’s return and Ukitake finally getting some love.

jushiro bleach
BLEACH © 2001-2016 by Tite Kubo/SHUEISHA Inc.

On October 15, 2024, we received the preview stills for the upcoming Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Arc episode airing this Saturday, October 19, 2024.

However, we also have some crucial things to look forward to with the coming episode.

Previews

Bleach TYBW Episode 29 is titled “The Dark Arm”, which references Mimihagi, the Right Arm of the Soul King sealed in the body of Squad 13 Captain Jushiro Ukitake.

The first four stills show Shunsui Kyoraku entering Muken, which was already shown last episode but this is likely him finally talking to Aien.

The second image is Jushiro Ukitake unleashing a black shadowy figure behind him, which happens to be Mimihagi, which has been stored inside him to keep his sickly body alive for hundreds of years.

The third image has Ichigo covered by Blut Vene, still infected by Yhwach’s Reiatsu.

The fourth image is of Ganju, Yoruichi, Chad, and Orihime looking shocked, likely due to the emergence of Mimihagi to stabilize the Soul King as the Collapse of the Three Worlds has taken place.

There is another set of images that show a radical difference in quality even with the already amazing first two episodes of Cour 3.

 

One still shows a young Jushiro being affected by Mimihagi, maybe losing control over the deity inside his body.

The next two stills are connected to Yhwach but the last one is the image of Aizen standing up, remarking that Kyoraku still has two keys left.

Fans have noticed the Aizen still is drawn in an unusual way.

However, these stills outside the official previews appear to be leaks and we will see how Aizen looks in motion when the episode comes out.

Bleach TYBW Episode 29 Staff List

Script: Masaki Hiramatsu
Storyboard: Jeong Young-hoon
Direction: Jeong Young-hoon
Animation Director: Minami Shiba, Haru Watanabe
Chief Animation Director: Yukio Hasegawa

Jeong Young-hoon is the director of Episodes 8 and 12 of Cour 1 and Episode 22 of Cour 2 but this will be the first time in the TYBW adaptation that he will be storyboarding his episode.

Episode 8 is “The Shooting Star Project (ZERO MIX)”, which covers the introduction of Squad 0 into the story.

Episode 12 is “Everything but the Rain: July Truth”, which covers the second half of the flashback of how Ichigo’s parents met.

Episode 22 is “Marching Out the ZOMBIES”, which covers the fight against Giselle Gewelle’s zombie Shinigami.

Jeong Young-hoon is also notable for being among the few of the TYBW staff who has worked on the original Bleach anime, being there for as early as Episode 125 and 126 (released in 2007) to produce Key Animation.

According to Twitter user @Nayem_saki, this will be the first involvement of Pierrot Film, Studio Pierrot’s new division for anime films, which is evidenced by the high quality of the preview stills.

Events to look forward to

The episode will likely cover the events of the end of Chapters 615 all the way to parts of Chapter 619, considering the inclusion of Yhwach’s speech about “shaping Ichigo’s life” to reecho the effect Aizen had on Ichigo’s life.

Sosuke Aizen’s Return will Break the Internet

aizen tybw bleach

Chapter 617, “Return of the God”, features, the return of Sosuke Aizen, Bleach’s first and most iconic main antagonist.

After the Deicide chapters (Chapters 399-421), Aizen has been fused with the Hogyoku to be immortal.

As long as the heart of a Shinigami continues beating, Reiryoku will always flow in his body and Aizen has been pumping A MASSIVE BOATLOAD of spiritual power that makes it impossible to be near him.

Aizen is already infamous for his massive, near-immeasurable Reiatsu and apparently, a mere 17 months in Muken was enough to make Aizen even stronger than his Hogyoku forms.

Aizen’s return will change the way the Thousand Year Blood War will be fought.

What is funny is that Aizen rejected Yhwach’s proposal for an alliance and yet here Shunsui is offering the same proposal for the same reason: they share the same interests.

Will he be a force to save Soul Society or will he only bring even greater trouble?

The leaks also confirm that there will be a KILLER soundtrack played when Aizen hurts one of the Kido Corp members who attempt to restrain him.

Jushiro Ukitake’s Full Story

Throughout the story, Jushiro Ukitake has only been featured as Shunsui Kyoraku’s soft-spoken partner and Rukia Kuchiki’s kind Captain and although he has barely shown any distinguished feats, many characters remark that Ukitake is equal to his more well-known partner and current Head Captain Kyoraku.

Now, Ukitake will get the full story treatment as we will not only have just one flashback of his childhood but much time dedicated to his early life in Soul Society.

This means we will have yet another short glimpse of a Soul Society from before the current era or from the Turn Back the Pendulum flashback a century ago.

We could see who are the older Shinigami, maybe even some original Gotei 13 members outside Unohana.

The leaks also suggest there will be special focus on Ukitake’s relationship with his siblings and Retsu Unohana, who might be the person who taught Ukitake “Kaido” techniques since last episode, we saw Ukitake healing Kenpachi.

We have seen his Shikai, Sogyo no Kotowari, which had the ability to absorb and throw back any attack almost instantly.

However, considering the events and the sacrifice play at work, Ukitake might never show his Bankai in animated form.

That is until we see the Hell Arc, assuming Tite Kubo does return to make that a full arc.

Speaking of unrevealed Bankai…

Next Week: The Betrayer

Additionally, a reliable leaker has also provided the title for the next episode, “The Betrayer”, the title of Chapter 619.

We also get the poem for the next episode that will also be aired on the preview:

With fingers on the star and a drawn bow,
A single moon remains,
Though I had turned away from it.

The character for this has not been confirmed but based on the statement and the focus for the chapter title, it could be Uryu Ishida.

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War is heating up its already stellar third cour and now we are getting even more greatness with confirmed movie-level visuals and another expanded lore dump.

Source: Twitter

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE ANIME EXPLAINED WHATSAPP GROUP CHAT NOW!