During New York Comic Con 2024, we spoke with legendary voice actors Masakazu Morita and Noriaki Sugiyama, who voice Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryu Ishida, respectively, in BLEACH. The anime has embarked upon a triumphant return to the screen, with BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, Part 3: The Conflict marking the anime’s third season after nearly 10 years of no new anime episodes.
Since then, the anime has been consistently dominating our weekly polls, was most anticipated of its season, and delighted fans with updated art, the return of favorite characters, and nonstop action characteristic of BLEACH‘s best moments. During New York Comic Con, BLEACH was featured prominently at panels held in partnership with Viz, who did an incredible job giving fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with the voice actors not only at Comic Con but also at events earlier that same week.
We asked the friend / rival / frenemy character duo about their experience recording BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, Part 3: The Conflict, their perspective on the series, and their time in the United States. The conversation was, gratefully, a thorough one.
Portions of this interview have been lightly edited for clarity. This article contains minor spoilers for BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, Part 2.
Q: So my first question, looking back at the announcement of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, what were your reactions to news that the anime would be continued?
Morita-san: So actually, we were told two years before the official public announcement. So we were in a position where we weren’t sure when it was going to be publicly announced. We were just kind of excited to know. And during those two years, I was able to just reflect on everything before the public announcement. And what surprised me the most was just the fan reactions all over the world. I was really surprised and touched that — from of course Japan, yes, but from all over the world, that kind of reaction was just amazing. So when I saw that reaction, I felt more responsible for the title, what we’re going to be putting out for the fans. And I need to do my best for that.
Sugiyama-san: Back when we were all recording the original anime series, we were actually talking about how it would be nice if the entire story had the anime treatment. So when an announcement came out, I was very happy, but we weren’t told the details about the timing and the timeline. So for me, I was just rereading the BLEACH manga. It was a very exciting announcement.
I did the same thing when I first heard.
Sugiyama-san: I’m glad to hear that.
Q: And my second question: how, if at all, has your acting style and the way you portray your character changed when comparing to 10 years ago?
Morita-san: So BLEACH started in 2004. This year is 2024, so it’s been 20 years. Back in 2004, I was 33 years old. I’m about to turn 52 now. So between my 30s and my 50s, my body physically has changed. But I would not use the word aging at all (laughs). I’ve emotionally and physically matured over the years, and I take all the good parts about those years and then add that into my performance. So for example, I can actually produce certain voices that I wasn’t able to when I was younger. I’ve been using that and I’ve been adding that to Ichigo. And my lower register, I’ve been really taking advantage of that lower register and using that a lot. What’s actually really challenging for me is not to forget that Ichigo is 15 years old and to maintain that.
Sugiyama-san: When I first started developing Uryu, his personality, his backstory and how he thinks, I was getting all that from the original manga to create Uryu within myself. To really capture all the nuances and to express his personality and his backstory. And so, you know, time has passed, but in Thousand-Year Blood War, I feel that I still have that memory, almost like a muscle memory of Uryu’s core, what is at his core, his backstory, and how that influenced who he became. So yes, it’s been 20 years, but I feel like when I’m recording, I’m so much more natural because he’s so much more part of me. I understand him a lot more. So there’s that difference between the 20 years that I can be Uryu in a more natural state.
Q: My next question is for Morita-san. During the The Lost Substitute Shinigami arc and during the first cour of Thousand-Year Blood War, Ichigo undergoes a lot of suffering and it forces him to mature as a character. What do you keep in mind when trying to showcase Ichigo’s growth throughout your acting?
Morita-san: When we start with Ichigo, he’s 15 years old and he’s experiencing things that a normal 15 year old would not be experiencing. So I really felt that his growth would be pretty, pretty fast. In The Lost Substitute Shinigami arc, Ichigo has lost his powers, so he’s in a pretty low, low place. And I did find that challenging to find what Ichigo’s low place is and how he expresses it. So I would say that now where Ichigo is within the Thousand-Year Blood War, for me it’s actually even more challenging to perform as him. Because he has his power back and you assume, oh, he’s happy now. But not really. It’s led him to a different path of more challenges. So adding that layer on for Thousand-Year Blood War is a challenge.
And a big theme is with Ichigo’s origin story finally being revealed; he is sad but in a much more deeper way so that there are really no words that can express where he’s emotionally at. And so expressing that through my performance — in Thousand-Year Blood War, I don’t want to just perform in one tone. He’s happy here, he’s sad here. That’s something I’m avoiding. What I am looking for and aiming for is the complexity. Being sad, but with a little happiness at the same time, being sad, but with a little anger. So really, building the complex emotions that are going through him. We have to remember that Ichigo, he’s part human, part Soul Reaper, part Hollow, part Quincy. He has a very complicated identity, especially with all his backstory being revealed. So really delving into that and trying to capture Ichigo as he is now.
Q: And my next question for Sugiyama-san. Uryu hasn’t been in the spotlight for several arcs and now he’s getting extra attention and even new scenes in the anime. How does it feel to be so much in the spotlight and what do you keep in mind when portraying the mysterious sides of Uryu’s character?
Sugiyama-san: First and foremost, I felt that with Uryu being in the spotlight, I actually started wondering: when did Kubo-sensei actually start figuring out Ichigo’s origin story and Uryu’s relationship with his Grandfather? That’s actually what I started thinking about when Uryu had been more in the spotlight like that. My main goal is to really do right by sensei’s vision, [his] original vision. So that’s what I really think about a lot. I make sure that through my performance I’m grasping what kind of story he’s trying to tell.
Q: And my next question for both of you, how is it working with Kubo-sensei? What does his supervision look like for the scenes that are new to the anime?
Morita-san: First and foremost, I’m really grateful that Kubo-sensei is completely involved with the entire process, so he’s actually at work from morning to night every day. I’m really grateful for that. And as you know, there’s original stories that Kubo-sensei has been providing for the anime. So for us, that’s unknown territory. We start when he’s over, we have a lot of questions, but Kubo-sensei is right there for discussion. So we’re really, really grateful that he’s so accessible and just right there to answer any of our questions.
And not only for the cast, but also the crew. If they have any questions, Kubo-sensei is right there. I think we’re all really, really lucky and grateful that Kubo-sensei is so involved. What’s great about the crew is that they’re really in it for the love of it. So they’ll go to Kubo-sensei and say, “Hey, we want to do this,” and they can actually approach him with their idea. In response to the crew saying, we want to do this, he comes out with a piece of paper that’s titled “Important Things,” and then he’ll just write his notes and his suggestions on this piece of paper.
And I’ve actually been able to read this document before; the suggestions he has just could not be thought of by just a normal person, honestly. So through that one piece of paper, I kind of got a little peek into how his mind works, and all I can say is that it’s just a massive world within his brain.
Sugiyama-san: Yeah, first and foremost, as Morita-san mentioned, the new original part of the story that’s in the anime, it’s a slightly different world, it’s a different flow. So not only the cast, but also the director and the crew are really thankful that Kubo-sensei is so accessible. And with the cast, we might have questions that we can ask Kubo-sensei, but also we’ll come up with different approaches, especially with the new story sections in the anime.
And the voice actors will come up with different options to approach the scene, but they’re not sure which one to choose. But the great thing about everyone being involved is just the love that everyone has for BLEACH. And when you love something, you have such a deep, deep understanding. I actually had the opportunity to listen in when Morita-san was asking sensei about this new story. And sensei just says, “Do what you think is right in that moment.” Because there’s this understanding that, of course, Kubo-sensei is the creator, but everyone has such a love and understanding, and there’s such a trust.
So as an example of where Kubo-sensei is involved, he thinks about the folks who haven’t read the manga and were introduced to BLEACH through the anime. And I remember him giving some note that the performance in that moment was one such that the audience kind of ended up being like, “Oh, why did that character react that way?”
With such a long-running show, you have folks who have watched it for the last 20 years, and then you have folks who are just seeing it for the first time, and it was really interesting that Kubo-sensei was very mindful of both of those types of fans and is trying to lead us and direct us in a way that is accessible to both of those groups.
For anyone involved with BLEACH, could be the manga, the anime, but also the stage production, is that we’re all on the same page, and we give that same feel. Kubo-sensei wants to make sure that people have the same feeling […] whether it’s the anime, the manga, or the stage, there’s consistency.
Q: My next question is for both of you. During the Thousand-Year Blood War, we’ve been introduced to a lot of different abilities and powers from Quincy and Soul Reapers alike. Besides your own characters’ abilities, do you have any favorite abilities from Thousand-Year Blood War so far?
Morita-san: Senjumaru. I think [her ability is] really cool, but beautiful at the same time, so that combination, I love it. And you know, with Zero Squad, especially in Japan, all of them are just so unique, but within that, I think Senjumaru is the one that really is a fan favorite. She stands out. With Senjumaru, how she talks is like that of a geisha in Kyoto, that old arts vibe. So when us folks in Japan hear it, we know right away what she’s about, who she is.
Sugiyama-san: Adding to what Morita-san said, Uryu has some showdowns with Senjumaru, and the impression I got from that showdown was that — taking a step back really quick, all characters, they’re very unique, they all have different powers, but what’s really interesting for me was just the presence. The presence of the voice and the power of the voice. So, for example, Senjumaru doesn’t have to be flashy or anything. Just the quality and the feeling of her voice, it just has so much power. How she speaks is almost like being cast with a spell.
Morita-san: I actually mimic Senjumaru. (as Senjumaru) Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji. (laughs)
Sugiyama-san: He’s good.
Q: He’s very good (laughs). For both of you, what’s been your favorite moment so far recording Cour 3?
Morita-san: I would actually have to say, you know, with a cast that’s known each other for such a long time, and BLEACH has always been a fun workplace, and it’s still a workplace now. That’s actually just overall been a really fun feedback with everyone. Usually in Japan, we’ll have 30 to 40 voice actors in one room recording at the same time, but this time we’ve actually broken everyone down into groups. Sado, Orihime, Ganju, and Yoruichi is usually my group. And when we’re not recording, we’re just chatting and chatting. Sometimes, with Thousand-Year Blood War, we’ll have the younger voice actors be part of our group. So, all the young ones, they’ll see us yammering away, doing takes, and the young ones will say, wow, it’s just BLEACH, except in front of our eyes. We just get along so well while we’re working.
Sugiyama-san: As Morita-san had mentioned, it’s really great working with everyone again, and for me especially, because we have a large cast that’s been around for such a long time, we have a really pretty diverse cast. You have your veterans versus the ones who are just starting to come up through the ranks. So, for example, someone who’s my senior, I can ask them — we’ll talk about things like, “Oh, there’s this really yummy croquet shop around the corner.” Or discussing the scene or the moment with a younger voice actor. Or they might ask, “oh, “What do you think I should do here?” I think it’s actually really rare for an anime to have such a wide and diverse range of voice actors in that way. So it’s very stimulating and fun.
Q: Do you both have advanced knowledge of what’s going to happen in Cour 3 or Cour 4, and do you prefer to act with or without that knowledge?
Morita-san: I prefer not knowing what’s going to happen in performing. Of course, the original is finished, so I do know based on the manga what will happen at the end of Thousand-Year Blood War. And as I mentioned before, we’ve been talking about the original story part. Obviously, just because I know what’s happening with the manga doesn’t mean that I know what’s going to happen with the new portions. So we’re in the dark. This is actually really important, that even though I’ve read the manga, there’s still things I don’t know. And that is all hidden within the anime.
So, what I’ve heard, even at production meetings, they’ll talk about what state Ichigo is in and what is he thinking, and whether or not to tell me. They’ll be in the meetings, like, “Should we tell Morita-san or not?” This is kind of just a little funny moment, but in the Irazu Sando part, I kept asking Kubo-sensei, “What kind of space are we in?” But then it turns out that that was actually part of the production meeting, whether or not to explain to me what kind of space I am in. So, at that meeting, Kubo-sensei said, “You know what, Ichigo, it’s his first time there. He doesn’t know what he’s walking into. I don’t think Morita-san should know what he’s walking into either. And Ichigo’s walking into a very challenging situation, so let’s have Morita-san do the same.” It’s a little low-level bullying, but that’s okay (laughs).
Sugiyama-san: Yes, so for me, every actor’s going to be different, so I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer to this, but for me personally, I like to have an overall understanding and then structure out my emotional deviations, where does that happen, especially with my character. So, that’s my approach. You have, obviously, Kubo-sensei and the director involved, and each actor will think of what kind of work needs to be done for the day, and they’ll come with their own options and ideas. And with someone like Uryu Ishida, who’s always calm, cool, collected, smart, what I find sometimes challenging is how he reacts to what’s happening, and the level of that reaction. Just trying to find a balance with Ishida can be a little bit challenging. When it comes to Uryu, when he expresses anger or he’s worried about something there’s a possibility of doing too much. So most of the time I’m looking at suppressing or only showing a glimpse. When I sit down with a script I do plan everything out. So it does help for me to know more.
Q: How has your impression of American fans’ reactions been?
Morita-san: Yes, I was at AX [Anime Expo] last year, so I got to experience the U.S. fans, and their reactions, and they were very boisterous. And I remember pre-COVID, I got the opportunity to come to the U.S., and that memory of the fans has been, I still remember that, it was just tremendous. We’ve basically kind of toured BLEACH in LA, and then now we’re here for the first time in New York, and so far with seeing the New York fans, I think they’re actually having a bigger reaction than LA, and I’m a little bit surprised by that, even thinking back on it. I met fans who said, “I grew up on BLEACH,” and they’re adults now. That really makes me happy, and this week we’ve had an opportunity to meet fans through our autograph signings, and I was actually a little surprised to hear that there are people who just recently started watching. And I also found out that there’s so many people who say, “BLEACH changed my life, it’s always supported me, and it’s been there for me.” And because of those words, I feel that we have to really, really work hard to answer to those fans, and really show up for them, so, you know, just working that much harder.
Sugiyama-san: Actually, this is my first time in the United States. Morita-san has been a regular in the U.S., so I would hear “I went to the U.S., the fans are great.” My level of understanding — because I’ve experienced Japanese fans, so I imagine, okay maybe it’s a little bit more more passion than our Japanese fans which are usually very proper. They’re very on the formal side. And so coming here, the passion and how that passion is expressed has really hit me. And Morita-san had just mentioned that he thinks this year’s crowd is so much more passionate than even pre-COVID days. That’s something that’s really hit me and I’m really thankful.
Morita-san: BLEACH has been going on for 20 years, so it’s definitely a title that is considered a long-running show. But does that mean that BLEACH is unchanging? I don’t think so. Because coming here, the fans’ reactions I’ve noticed change every time. And so for us that means that we should not fear change and we need to continue refining and really answering the fans passion with our work. So outside of Japan, and not only in the U.S., but being able to meet everyone and see everyone’s reactions worldwide has really taught me those things. We need to keep doing our best.
I’d like to thank Masakazu Morita and Noriaki Sugiyama for taking the time to speak to us during this year’s New York Comic Con and for sharing their perspectives and experiences on the series. BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, Part 3: The Conflict is available to stream on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ internationally outside of Asia. The BLEACH manga is available via Viz Media.
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