BLEACH was serialized from 2001 to 2016. As it approaches the final episode, things moved at a fast pace, and the end was like a “censored” ending. The way it ended after 15 years of serialization was very different from what many readers had expected, and the public was in an uproar, with some fans breaking down in tears.
Do you know why BLEACH ended in such a way that it was censored? Here, we will introduce whether BLEACH was really censored and the secret thoughts of the original author.
Reasons why BLEACH is said to have been censored
Unless you are the author or a member of the editorial department, there is no way to know if the work was censored or not. Negative information is never released to the outside world, and the original author himself would never reveal that the work was censored because it lost popularity. Therefore, it is important to understand at the outset that it is impossible to know whether or not BLEACH has been terminated due to censorship, except for a very few people. Given these circumstances, why then are we told that it may have been censored? The reason cited by many readers is that the final episode was too unexpected. While the series had been running for 15 years, things progressed quickly at the end, and the world was depicted 10 years later, with a happy ending. Although the story of Juhabach’s intentions was briefly described, we do not know what he wants to do in the end, the secret of the Spirit King, or why Aizome was so ambitious.
Leaving all these aspects behind and leaving the readers behind as well, the last episode showed Kazui, the son of Ichigo and Orihime, Ichika, the daughter of Rukia and Koizumi, and so on.
The final episode ends with a large frame in which Kazui introduces himself to Ichika, saying, “I am a Shinigami, too. The readers, who were left behind in many ways, were left with a series of question marks in their heads and many fans exploded in frustration. Because the ending was so unnatural, voices that “it must have been censored” increased, and it came to be said that it was censored.
Why do people think that BLEACH must have been censored?
Even before the final episode actually came, readers were worried that “BLEACH would be censored and terminated.” and worried. And after the last episode, which seemed to be censored was published, they began to think that it was inevitable that this would happen. The reason why the censoring was suggested among readers from beforehand was that “99 out of 100 soul society arc episodes were the best”. The reason for this is because they answer that “99 out of 100 soul society arc episodes were the best. The soul society arc episodes were published from volumes 9 to 14 of the book (71 to 12 The soul society arc episodes were very important stories that set the direction of the story. As you can see from the number of book volumes and other information, readers have determined that the peak of the story was reached early on.
In this long story, there was a mixture of righteousness and evil among the reapers, and it also contained the difficult psychology of getting things done while both sides had their arguments.
By combining many elements such as battles, psychology, and human bonds, readers became more and more absorbed in the story and it gained many fans.
Readers look back and say that this was the most glorious period of BLEACH, and after that, the series continued to linger and inertia set in.
In the latter half of the series, the content became unclear as to what the author wanted to achieve, and there was a flood of criticism from the middle of the series for the depiction of close-ups of people on a single page, which could only be considered lazy. And it was obvious to everyone that the popularity of the series was declining, and it was thought that the discontinuation of the series was inevitable among readers.
Rumors that the original author wanted BLEACH to be censored
It must be very sad for the original author to be told by readers that it was inevitable that the manga would be censored, but in fact, rumors are spreading that the original author himself wanted the manga to be discontinued.
Weekly Shonen Jump has a larger circulation than other boys’ magazines, and a fiercely competitive society is brewing inside the magazine.
However, if the work becomes popular with readers, the editorial department will continue to put pressure on the original creator to have it serialized for as long as possible.
The details of the internal situation have not been leaked to the outside world, but according to Togashi Sensei, who drew “YuYu Hakusho,” they tried to extend the serialization period as much as possible instead of allowing it to go the way he had envisioned. He said that the pressure made him physically ill, and he was forced to present an offer to end the serialization and finish it. As the original author, the manga he draws is like a treasure, and he wishes to end it in a sparkling state. However, if he is pressured to continue even if it means repeating the same thing over and over again, the storyline will diverge from the one he had in mind, and the treasure will rot. This will result in unhappiness for the readers, the original author, and the work, so the original author will not be motivated.
BLEACH may have been pressured by the editorial department in the same way as other popular works in the past, such as YuYu Hakusho and Dragon Ball. Therefore, it is rumored that the original author of BLEACH also wanted to discontinue the series and is relieved that it has finally been realized.
What are the author’s thoughts behind the cancellation of BLEACH?
The original author of BLEACH, Mr. Kubo Taito, became ill around the 10-year mark of the serialization and was not inspired to draw the manga. Since it was a popular serialized work, he must have felt tremendous pressure from the expectations of those around him. When he was feeling discouraged due to his poor health, a fan letter stimulated his mind. The person who sent the fan letter was suffering from an incurable disease and had very little time left to live, but he looked forward to reading BLEACH.
He wrote that BLEACH was the only thing that kept him alive in spite of the hardships of everyday life, and Kubo-sensei was inspired to draw the manga in the hope that it would make the boy feel better. However, the letter was arranged to be sent after the child with the incurable disease passed away, and by the time Kubo-sensei read it, the child had already passed away. With an actual photo of the letter, Kubo-sensei posted on social networking sites, “I don’t care how trivial the information is, if anyone knows anything, please let me know.
He wished to tell us how much courage letter gave him and how he managed to make it to the final round. Then, he put a certain message in the final episode of the censored edition, saying that he was given courage by the letter.
In the final episode of BLEACH, “courage” is revealed to be the theme of the story, and it is said that this reflects the thoughts of Kubo-sensei, who was given courage by the letter.
Comments