While there has been lots of talk about the fast pace of TYBW, a Bleach fan on Reddit kick-started a lengthy discussion among fans thanks to a nifty comparison of each major arc’s pace. This was done by comparing the episode count of each arc in the anime to its manga chapter number equivalent.
Bleach: TYBW Pacing Versus Previous Arcs
Thousand-Year Blood War is a big departure from previous anime arcs for many reasons. Aside from covering an action-heavy arc, TYBW is also unique in its seasonal format. Bleach’s previous run was as a weekly anime, meaning new episodes were released every week throughout the year. For comparison, TYBW is divided into four cours or seasons, with breaks in between. Thanks to this and the fact that the Bleach manga has ended, the latest anime doesn’t have to stretch out the runtime as it’s not in danger of reaching its source material. But this resulted in a much faster pace. For reference, here’s a rundown of each major arc’s pace in the anime (via u/-AC2-) without counting the filler episodes:
Substitute Shinigami Arc (70 Chapters/20 Episodes) - 3.5 chapters per episodeSoul Society Arc (112 Chapters/41 Episodes) - 2.7 chapters per episodeArrancar Arc (241 Chapters/116 Episodes) - 2.0 chapters per episodeLost Substitute Shinigami Arc (56 Chapters/23 Episodes) - 2.4 chapters per episodeThousand-Year Blood War Arc (63 Chapters/13 Episodes) - 4.8 chapters per episode
As you can see, aside from the first arc, the other major arcs of Bleach were slow at just over 2 chapters per episode. Meanwhile, TYBW is incredibly fast with an average of 4.8 chapters covered per episode. ALSO READ: Is Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War The Final Arc?
Fans React to TYBW’s Pacing
While some fans think that the pace is too fast, it seems that most fans are fine with the Bleach: TYBW anime’s pacing, especially since the fast pace works well given the arc’s events. Given that the Thousand-Year Blood War arc is packed with lots of action, it’s fitting that the anime adaptation can adapt over 4 chapters in an episode, on average. It also helps that fans have heaped praise on the high-quality fight scenes, many of which are said to be movie-level in terms of quality. Because of this strong start, fans don’t mind having to wait for half a year until the next part of Bleach: TYBW gets released. Discover more anime news and info by following us on Twitter @epicstreamanime. YOU MIGHT LIKE: Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Gets July 2023 Release
