Although Bleach's Thousand-Year Blood War is only halfway finished, fans in the United States can now own the first part of the series on Blu-ray. Viz Media announced the release of the limited edition Blu-ray for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - Part 1.
Part 1 encompasses the first 13 episodes, dubbed "The Blood Warfare." Viz Media offers the following full synopsis for the release:
WAS IT ALL JUST A COINCIDENCE, OR WAS IT INEVITABLE? Ichigo Kurosaki gained the powers of a Soul Reaper through a chance encounter. As Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo became caught in the turmoil of the Soul Society, a place where deceased souls gather. But with help from his friends, Ichigo overcame every challenge to become even stronger. When new Soul Reapers and a new enemy appear in his hometown of Karakura, Ichigo jumps back into the battlefield with his Zanpakuto to help those in need. Meanwhile, the Soul Society is observing a sudden surge in the number of Hollows being destroyed in the World of the Living. They also receive separate reports of residents in the Rukon District having gone missing. Finally, the Seireitei, home of the Soul Reapers, come under attack by a group calling themselves the Wandenreich. Led by Yhwach, the father of all Quincies, the Wandenreich declare war against the Soul Reapers with the following message: “Five days from now, the Soul Society will be annihilated by the Wandenreich.”
The history and truth kept hidden by the Soul Reapers for a thousand long years are finally brought to light. All things must come to an end—as Ichigo Kurosaki’s final battle begins!
The Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - Part 1 (Limited Edition) features a 2-disc Blu-ray set with all 13 episodes available in 16x9 HD 1080p with English and Japanese audio (and English subtitles).
Additionally, the release comes with a few special editions, including a 72-page Behind-the-Scenes Booklet, a video segment in Ichigo Explains, Promotional Videos, Clean Opening and Endings, Trailers, and the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War 2023 Anime Expo Panel Featuring Masakazu Morita.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - Part 1 (Limited Edition) is now available for purchase from Amazon, Crunchyroll, Target and Walmart. It's listed for $69.99 by Viz Media, but prices do vary by retailer.
Part 2 (episodes 14-26) of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War wrapped up last September. The Blu-ray is releasing soon in Japan and will include some additional scenes of the Soul Society's fight against the Quincies. There's no work on when Part 2 will arrive in America.
In the meantime, you can watch episodes of the Bleach anime series exclusively on Hulu and Disney+.