Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War spotlighted Studio Pierrot’s finesse and brilliance in every way. After its hiatus, the franchise made a promising comeback which is a great feat for both the author and the studio. While the studio kickstarted on a good note, it is paving its way for a major setback.
A recent incident has raised concerns and issues among fans regarding the ethics and credibility of animation studios. It also involves Pierrot’s promise to live up to certain expectations. Which brings us to the question: Were improvement claims all a sham from Pierrot’s end? Let’s find out.
Bleach animator fired from TYBW project
Bleach is one of the celebrated shonen series from the golden era of JUMP. It holds a special place in both readers’ and viewers’ hearts. As one of the Big 3, it lived up to its glory. This is true for its iconic comeback after a long hiatus of ten years which has further paved the way for its success and breakthrough.
With Thousand-Year Blood War, the tides have turned in Tite Kubo’s favor especially with its top-notch animation, production quality, pacing as well as alluring visuals. It is truly spectacular in every single way and we fans are merely basking in it.
From episode ratings to reviews, the sequel is well-received and appreciated. But beneath the surface of the glitz and glam are issues that are often thrown under the rug. Such is the case with a Pierrot animator who was recently fired by the studio.
Citing creative differences animator Leo Kawamoto posted the update on his X account.
作画監督をやっていても会社の体制や仕事のやり方が合わなければクビにもなります。
多くの人が会社を解雇になったかどうかは私は知りません。また詳しくは後日お話しますので。— Zeroking (@yzvpp) February 21, 2025
This comes as a shocker mainly because of how well the series has been doing. From IMDb ratings and reviews to Rotten Tomatoes score, it has been soaring in popularity. Kawamoto remained discreet regarding the incident however he expressed his wish to work on the Fourth Cour.
It is indeed a disappointing update for most fans anticipating the Fourth Cour. Yet it is interesting how this stands ironical when it comes to Pierrot alleging better workspace and ethical practices. This circles to the burning question of the hour: Is Pierrot’s ethicality a mere facade by the end of the day?
Is Studio Pierrot’s ethicality a facade?
Before working on Thousand-Year Blood War, Pierrot produced a diverse roster of anime which adds to its finesse and versatility. But what it also does is showcase its brilliance as a studio branching out in various genres. This is a hallmark of a top-tier animation studio.
They took it to a different level with Bleach’s sequel with their top-of-the-line animation and superior visuals. So much so that fans have deemed the sequel as one of its greatest works but here’s the thing. There have been creative differences and yet the recent incident is bound to spark criticism.
In some cases, animators are forced to leave the studios due to underpaid projects and overworking. It is a backbreaking task to render high-quality scenes and animation and hence it makes sense for studios to go all out. This would call for unethical practices nonetheless.
With Pierrot, however, it is strange considering creative differences which are quite common in the industry. To fire an employee over discrepancies would only garner traction from fans in a negative sense. This also ties in well with Kawamoto’s past projects that highlight his flair as a seasoned animator.
Before Bleach, he worked on My Hero Academia, Eureka Seven, and Sword Art Online as a key animator. His contributions to Kubo’s series wouldn’t go unnoticed or determine his caliber in any sense however this incident has most fans stirred the pot within the fandom.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The manga is available for reading on Shueisha’s Manga Plus app.
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