Fans praise 'perfect' ending as anime series Bleach officially ends

It's a finale fans have waited more than a decade to see.

The epic conclusion to Bleach, the popular animated series based on the hit manga, or Japanese comic, has arrived - and early reactions have described it is as a "perfect" ending.

Anticipation for the final episode of the climactic Thousand-Year Blood War storyline was especially high.

The original comic book's "rushed" ending is widely considered disappointing but creator Tite Kubo has overseen some major changes to the new adaptation.

As some mourned the "end of an era", many waited nervouslyto see if he could stick the landing second time around.

BBC Newsbeat's spoke to fans as they said an "emotional" goodbye to Kubo's creation.

Bleach is regarded as one of the "big three" manga in Japan alongside One Piece and Naruto, and animated adaptations of each are credited with helping to fuel the global popularity of anime.

It follows the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager with distinctive orange hair who has the unusual ability to see ghosts.

He navigates school and family life at the same time as defending humanity from evil spirits.

"It is honestly my favourite series of all time, it has got me through a lot across my life," says fan Ruby, 27.

So how did it feel to say goodbye?

"I honestly think I laughed more than I cried in this episode," she says.

"I'm just really happy that Kubo finally got to show us his true vision for the story that he wasn't able to back in the early 2010s."

The 27-year-old started reading Bleach aged nine and became friends with fellow fan Nicholas, 30, through their shared passion.

"I've made so many friends through Bleach, it's been such a wonderful part of my life both in terms of what it teaches me and the kind of people I meet through it," says Ruby.

For Nicholas, watching Bleach as teenager helped him get through school - and he even has a tattoo dedicated to the story.

"It helped me make friends in school, talking to a few people who also knew Bleach and about our favourite characters," he says.

The pair tell Newsbeat they will be "crying together" as they watch the finale later.

"A lot of us are feeling quite emotional about it," says Ruby.

The original Bleach anime ran from 2004 to 2012 across 16 seasons but never caught up to the manga source material - with fans left unsure if it would ever come back.

But the first part of Bleach's animated final chapter eventually premiered 10 years later in 2022.

The arc, Thousand-Year Blood War, has been split into four separate chapters, and the final run began this July.

Bleach's original comic book ending was divisive and broadly unpopular with fans and was said to have been rushed due to creator Kubo experiencing health issues during its production.

One of the reasons they've been so excited to see the new, animated finale is due to the fact Kubo and animation house Pierrot Films have made changes to the original storyline.

And many had hoped the "final battle" would "fix" the unpopular ending from 2016.

Itanna Alakija describes himself as the "biggest Bleach fan there is" and says the revised finale was a "perfect conclusion to the entire arc of Bleach.

The 28-year-old does think some people will be disappointed by the lack of action in the episode, but thinks the anime succeeded in taking the original manga "a step further".

And a tease at the end of the episode has given Alakija hope that there might be more stories to come from the Bleach universe.

Alakija says the series resonated with him because of its depiction of black characters, in contrast with other anime where creators can lean on stereotypes.

"The way that Tite Kubo integrates all these cultures and represents them in a Japanese art form is really interesting and amazing," the 28-year-old says.

Alakija was already a Naruto fan when he discovered Bleach as a teenager.

"I remember stumbling upon Bleach and thought: 'This looks cool'," he says.

And he praises the show for treating black characters as "normal people".

"It's one of the few anime that has represented black characters in a non-stereotypical way."

Bleach is available to stream via Disney+ globally and on Hulu in the US.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.