The live-action Bleach movie is coming to Netflix. Bleach tells the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenage high school student who has the ability to see and communicate with spirits. As the story develops, Ichigo begins to discover the extent and source of his powers and, along with his friends, is soon dragged into the afterlife world of Soul Society. In order to save both the world of the living and the world of the dead, Ichigo and his crew must surpass their limits and fight all manner of dastardly monsters and power-hungry villains.

The Bleach anime series and the Tite Kubo manga it was based on both enjoyed significant success, particularly in the West, with the action-orientated story translating well overseas. Bleach has since branched out into a variety of mediums in its native Japan - including a stage musical - and it was no surprise when a live-action movie adaptation was announced. Although many fans are naturally skeptical about such endeavors, the Bleach movie's first trailer generated plenty of excitement due to its authentic visual style and the fact it directly followed the climax of the first anime episode.

After the movie was released in Japan last month, international Bleach fans will now have a chance to see exactly how the adaptation turned out, as Netflix have announced the movie as one of their additions for September (via ComicBook). The title, which will be available from September 14, joins fellow live-action anime attempts Fullmetal Alchemist and Death Note on the streaming service, the latter of which was a Netflix original.


The addition of Bleach may prove to be some consolation to fans after it was previously revealed that the anime series was scheduled for removal from Netflix alongside fellow Shonen franchise, Naruto. However, it's worth noting that the Bleach movie hasn't attracted rave reviews thus far. Although the movie hasn't been as vehemently criticized as the likes of Death Note or Dragonball Evolution, critical reaction has been mixed, with many praising the effort's faithfulness to the source material, while also accusing it of over-simplifying certain elements in order to fit the story into a feature-length format.

Although it may not have set the anime world alight, Bleach will undoubtedly prove a worthwhile stream this September, if only out of morbid curiosity. Unfortunately, it seems as if the movie isn't going to be the truly great anime adaptation that some thought it might be when the first trailer dropped. However, with Hollywood reportedly working on live-action versions of both Akira and Naruto, there's hope yet that the curse will be broken.

Bleach arrives on Netflix on September 14th.