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Sep 04, 2023

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The film launched on the platform back in 2018. Most beloved anime live-action remakes fell short of the legacy of their source material. But after several lackluster adaptations over the years, the

The film launched on the platform back in 2018.

Most beloved anime live-action remakes fell short of the legacy of their source material. But after several lackluster adaptations over the years, the 2018 live-action Bleach movie debuted on Netflix to critical acclaim. Unfortunately, despite its critical success, the live-action adaptation of Tite Kubo's popular anime series is set to leave the streaming platform's extensive library on August 18.

Anime live-action adaptations have proven to be hit or miss for the past few years, and Netflix has had its fair share of anime live-action misses, including the critically panned Cowboy Bebop in 2021 and Death Note in 2017. But although Netflix is not known for having a stellar track record when it comes to anime live-action remakes, the Sota Fukushi-led Bleach arrived to prove that there are good ones too. But now that the action fantasy film is soon to leave the streaming service on August 18, Netflix is losing another gem.

The live-action Bleach follows Ichigo Kurosaki (Fukushi), who becomes a substitute Soul Reaper after Rukia Kuchiki (Hana Sugisaki) suffers a battle injury. Ichigo Kurusaki, a teenager with the otherworldly ability to see ghosts, must fight against evil spirits while assisting in purifying the lost souls so they can find their way to the afterlife. By closely adapting the anime's first arc—with Kubo himself involved in the production—fans lauded the film adaptation for staying faithful to the manga it was based on. The director, moreover, did an impressive job of incorporating the anime's elements, with the lead actor perfectly capturing Ichigo Kurosaki in all of his glory.

Bleach is a franchise with a lot of lore attached to it. Though the live-action Bleach is leaving Netflix soon, fans can still treat themselves to multiple Bleach content on other platforms, including Hulu and Crunchyroll. Also, in other Bleach news, the anime is airing new episodes for the Thousand Years Blood War arc every Saturday.

Netflix will be trying its luck with another live-action this year, with One Piece scheduled to premiere on August 31. It stars Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu Arata as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji. While it's still too early to assume how One Piece will fare once it hits the platform, fans of the anime and manga were naturally skeptical about the remake, considering the overwhelming number of disappointing live-action adaptations over the past decades, though the series does seem to capture a lot of the magic of the original manga.

You can go ahead and watch the Bleach adaptation before Netflix removes it from its catalog on August 18. You can watch the trailer below.