Ichigo VA Masakazu Morita shares his best memory of working on BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War

Key points

• Voice actor Masakazu Morita reflects on collaborating with BLEACH creator Tite Kubo on the Thousand Year Blood War story arc.
• Morita's evolving approach to voicing Ichigo includes using a deeper voice and aiming to better embody the character.
• Valuable fan interactions, including inspiring one fan to become a firefighter, motivate Morita's performance as Ichigo.

The 2024 New York Comic Con took place in October, and one of its most exciting draws was BLEACH: Thousand Year Bloody War panel, in which the voice actors of the characters from Tite Kubo's magnum opus spoke about their experiences working on the series' climactic final arc. The series enjoyed a nice US tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the anime adaptation, and Masakazu Morita, who voices series protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki, spoke with VIZ Media about his perspective and favorite memory to have worked on IL Thousand-year blood war arc, during the LA Fireside Chat event, the veteran seiyu talked about how his voice has grown and changed in the twenty years he's been involved in the production.

Best memory of Morita working on BLEACH: Thousand Year Bloody War is something that is sure to put a smile on the faces of fans, especially those who have experienced feelings of disdain for how BLEACH the anime was originally run. So, what was Ichigo's favorite thing about being back? BLEACH?

Kubo-sensei's involvement

Morita appreciates the guidance of the BLEACH author

Morita's thoughts on his best memory he worked on BLEACH: Thousand Year Bloody War so far the question that pushed me to do this was, “What was your most memorable discovery while dubbing?” BLEACH: Thousand Year Bloody War?” to which he didn't have a straight answer because he couldn't exactly call his favorite thing a “discovery”; however, his favorite thing about being involved in the project is the involvement of series creator Tite Kubo.

According to Morita, Kubo was intimately involved in the production side and was present during the recording sessions of the Part 1 series, which he participated in remotely, while he was physically present in the studio for all the vocal recordings. sessions for Part 2. For Morita, being able to ask Kubo questions directly during these recording sessions was “a great help”.

During the LA Fireside Chat event held at Japan House in Los Angeles earlier this month, Morita answered a question about changing his vocal range and his approach to Ichigo's voice. At first, the voice was created to fit the character, but at the time Morita didn't feel like he was truly embodying the character.

He doesn't feel like his performance is there yet, but he feels closer to the ideal voice for the character and used the iconic “BAN-KAI” line (with the absolutely necessary dramatic pause between syllables that is quintessential Ichigo) to demonstrate how his voice reaches lower registers than before.

“I feel like in each of you there's an Ichigo, there's a Rukia, there's an Uryu somewhere deep in your hearts. So we'll continue to work hard on this season and next, and hopefully BLEACH is something to keep in mind.” your hearts forever.”

– Masakazu Morita, voice actor of BLEACH protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki

Morita's dearest moments

What fans learn from BLEACH

During the aforementioned LA Fireside Chat, Morita had some words to share with fans of the series, recalling various moments spent with fans at Anime Expo 2023 that he greatly loved and appreciated. Fans excitedly told him they were watching BLEACH since they were children and have grown up inspired by the characters in the series, dedicating their lives to protecting, caring for, or being a guiding light for others.

While signing autographs at AX 2023, Morita was approached by a large man and looked up to see the man in tears, because his decision to become a firefighter was inspired by Ichigo's fervent desire to protect those close to him and by his inability to do so. he looks away when he feels someone is in danger. For Morita, in the 20 years he has played Ichigo Kurosaki, there have been no greater moments than these types of interactions with fans of the series, and he is using that positive energy to support his portrayal of the iconic character in the future.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3, currently airing, is available on Hulu and Disney+.