Crunchyroll recently lost the rights to stream Bleach, and fans shared their dismay while threatening to pirate the series after realizing it was missing from the streaming platform's catalog.
Fans of the series went to Twitter to voice their concerns over Bleach's removal from Crunchyroll's library. @StealthyN7's tweet read, "Crunchyroll has completely deleted Bleach from their site and YouTube channel." They also added four screenshots from the streaming platform's website that prove the series is no longer available. The user also speculated in the replies that Crunchyroll might have lost the rights to stream the series.
Twitter user @KingJackKiller2 also posted their reaction to the removal, sharing their disappointment with fellow fans. The tweet read, "Crunchyroll removed Bleach," with the addition of three crying emojis at the end of their caption. Attached were two photos, one of Nel Tu and another of Toshiro Hitsugaya, and each had tears streaming down their faces, indicating the sorrow @KingJackKiller2 might be feeling from the series' removal. Another fan, Yonkou Productions, shared that Crunchyroll removed the series while they were streaming it, indicating the removal was quick and seamless. The tweet read, "Bruh they nuked Bleach off Crunchyroll while I was watching it..." Followers responded with their farewells to the series, sharing their grief over the anime's removal.
Replies to the dismayed tweets saw disgruntled fans of the series threaten to take to the sea with a screenshot from the popular anime One Piece that reads, "The world has truly entered a great pirate era!" Some fans went so far as to share tips on how their comrades could stream pirated versions of Bleach online, while others requested that their fellow media pirates not share their secrets openly.
Fans Await News of Where Thousand-Year Blood War Will Stream
@StealthyN7 had also brought attention to the anime's sequel series, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War which will air on Oct. 11, 2022. The tweet read, "No confirmation of Thousand-Year Blood War being streamed anywhere in the US yet, so don't spread misinformation. That screenshot going around in Japan streaming, we just have to wait for VIZ to release information."
The fan was drawing attention to a Reddit post that had claimed Disney+ now owns the rights and that they will stream the original series as well as Thousand-Year Blood War. An announcement for the highly anticipated sequel came out on November 2021, followed by the release of visual content during Jump Festa '22 on Dec. 18, 2021. The series will cover the manga's last story arc of the same name.
While Bleach fans wait for an official announcement, many might wonder where they can watch episodes before Thousand-Year Blood War's release. The Roku Channel can provide the first 108 episodes for free, while Funimation has the first 109 episodes available for premium subscribers. Hulu has the full library available with all 366 episodes uploaded, including both subbed and dubbed versions of the series.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War premieres in Japan on Oct. 11, 2022.
Source: Twitter