There have been growing rumours that Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War may not have a smooth simulcast as with most major anime. This article attempts to work through the noise and provide everything that we know so far, along with some reasonable speculations.
Where Can You Watch Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Internationally?
So far, there has been no confirmation regarding where Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War will be streamed internationally. Many rumours started because Crunchyroll – where many fans expected to see the series – has been unusually quiet. With one month to go, every other big Fall series has been confirmed for Crunchyroll, but nothing has been announced surrounding Bleach yet. What we do know is that Viz Media, co-owned by Bleach manga publisher Shueisha, owns the international streaming rights to the whole Bleach series. As a result, the streaming rights for Thousand Year Blood War, like most other anime series, go to the highest bidder. There is no word so far regarding an English dub for Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, but it’s highly likely it will be available in the same place as the original subbed version. Information regarding English dubs usually arrives around a month after a series begins airing.
Will Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Be on Crunchyroll?
It’s unconfirmed whether Bleach will be on Crunchyroll at this time. However, right now, it feels unlikely that the series will arrive on Crunchyroll. During Crunchyroll Expo, where many other major Fall series airing on Crunchyroll were previewed, there was nothing mentioned about Bleach’s Thousand Year Blood War. If the rumours are proven true and Disney+ streams Thousand Year Blood War, it’s unlikely that the series will arrive on Crunchyroll anytime soon. Again, as of right now, these rumours are unconfirmed.
Will Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Be on Disney Plus?
Based on the number of substantiated rumours online right now, there’s an increased chance that Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War will be airing on Disney+ in some regions. It would be an unusual move for Bleach to arrive on Disney+, but it’s not completely unprecedented. Disney+ started exploring anime purposefully in 2021 and burst onto the stage this year when it acquired the streaming rights to Black Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall and the highly-anticipated Summertime Rendering. Both Black Rock Shooter and Summertime Rendering were simulcast on Disney+ in Japan but were unavailable through any legal channels in many regions outside of Asia. Disney+ is yet to simulcast an anime series. Again, nothing has been confirmed or even mooted by Disney regarding Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War so far. It’s believed that, if the rumours suggesting they have acquired the rights are true, they may be saving the announcement for their D23 Expo from September 9th-11th. When there is any announcement, we will be updating this page.
Will Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Be on Hulu?
If Bleach ends up coming to Disney+, then by extension, there’s a chance the series may be streamed on Hulu. Hulu is majority-owned by Disney and is bundled with Disney+ in the US. Unlike Disney, Hulu does have a track record of simulcasting Japanese anime, albeit predominantly with smaller titles. Bleach fans may hope that, if Disney+ does acquire the right to Bleach, then Thousand Year Blood War may appear on Hulu as part of its service. However, that’s not something we’ve seen previously, so may be wishful thinking. Again, we’re currently left with a lot more questions than answers, which is bad news for fans. With the anime’s premiere less than one month away, here’s hoping that we get a bit of clarity from the rights holders soon, whoever they may be.
