The final cour of the TV anime BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, subtitled -Kashintan-, aired its 44th episode, “THE PERFECT CRIMSON,” on August 15, 2026, generating a massive wave of reactions online — centered on the Bankai moments of both Zaraki Kenpachi and Hitsugaya Tōshirō.
Episode 44 Highlights
The episode continues the three-way battle of Kenpachi, Hitsugaya, and Kuchiki Byakuya against Gerard Valkyrie. Despite the combined efforts of three captain-class Soul Reapers, Gerard’s “Miracle” ability keeps them at bay.
The emotional peak comes when the long-absent Kusajishi Yachiru appears in Kenpachi’s mind, telling him, “If you use me, you can win.” Guided by her voice, Kenpachi finally unleashes his Bankai — Nozarashi — and cleaves Gerard in two with overwhelming force. Fans flooded social media with reactions like “Kenpachi’s Bankai is finally here!” and “The moment Yachiru’s voice overlaps with Nozarashi — absolute goosebumps.” The direction linking Kenpachi and Yachiru’s bond to the Bankai activation was widely praised as deeply emotional.
Hitsugaya’s Complete Bankai — A Grown-Up Transformation
Hitsugaya also pushes Daiguren Hyōrinmaru to its absolute limit, achieving his Complete Bankai (完全卍解). His body, previously that of a young boy, transforms dramatically into that of a fully grown adult — almost unrecognizable. Fans reacted with tearful excitement: “I finally got to see this form in the anime…”
Kaji Yuki Steps In as the New Voice
Adding to the surprise, the adult Hitsugaya in his Complete Bankai form is voiced not by his longtime voice actress Paku Romi, but by Kaji Yuki. The casting change sent shockwaves through the fandom: “Wait, it’s Kaji-kun!?” and “The baton pass from Paku-san to Kaji-kun is way too star-studded!!” Many also praised how naturally Kaji Yuki’s voice fits the adult Hitsugaya’s presence.
Kaji Yuki’s Full Comment
“I went through multiple audition rounds supervised by Kubo Tite-sensei, and even after all that preparation, I was surprisingly nervous. This is a legendary manga that began serialization when I was still a student — and while I was attending voice-acting school, I watched the anime with my peers and we’d say, ‘Let’s work hard so we can be part of something like this someday.'”
“On top of that, the role I was given is Hitsugaya Tōshirō — played by Paku Romi-san, someone I deeply respect as a performer and who has looked after me personally for years. As the recording date approached, I had stomachaches every single day (laughs).”
“In the audition, I recorded two versions: one with a deeper voice befitting the adult physique of Complete Bankai Hitsugaya, and one that tried to stay as close as possible to Paku-san’s established tone. The team ultimately chose the direction closer to Paku-san’s sound — they didn’t want the image of Hitsugaya to stray too far, and they didn’t want his voice to sit in a similar register to Byakuya, who appears in the same scene.”
“On the day of recording, I was fortunate enough to record alongside Paku-san. When she told me, ‘That’s really good,’ I was genuinely relieved. Kubo-sensei was also in the studio, carefully checking every nuance alongside the director and staff. It was a deeply moving experience to see how much care goes into this production. I’m truly honored and happy to have been part of it.”
Broadcast Information & Next Episode
Episode 45 airs on August 22, 2026. BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War -Kashintan- broadcasts every Saturday at 23:00 on TV Tokyo and affiliated networks, with the cour having launched on July 25, 2026.
Staff
- Original Work & General Supervisor: Kubo Tite (“BLEACH,” Shueisha Jump Comics)
- Chief Director: Taguchi Tomohisa
- Director: Murata Hikaru
- Series Composition: Taguchi Tomohisa, Hiramatsu Masaki
- Character Design: Kudō Masafumi
- Music: Sagisu Shirō
- Animation Studio: PIERROT FILMS
Cast
- Kurosaki Ichigo: Morita Masakazu
- Ishida Uryū: Sugiyama Noriaki
- Inoue Orihime: Matsuoka Yuki
- Sado Yasutora: Yasumoto Hiroki
- Kuchiki Rukia: Orikasa Fumiko
- Abarai Renji: Itō Kentarō
- Urahara Kisuke: Miki Shin’ichirō
- Kyōraku Shunsui: Ōtsuka Akio
- Kuchiki Byakuya: Okiayu Ryūtarō
- Hitsugaya Tōshirō: Paku Romi
- Zaraki Kenpachi: Tachiki Fumihiko
- Aizen Sōsuke: Hayami Shō
- Yhwach: Sugō Takayuki
- Jugram Haschwalth: Umehara Yūichirō
- Askin Nakk Le Vaar: Takeuchi Shunsuke
- Gerard Valkyrie: Koyama Rikiya
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