Bleach is one of the greatest anime and manga of all time. Throughout the years the series has accumulated a fan base of millions. One of the reasons Bleach became well-known was the influence of old-era Japanese methodology, unique characters, and usage of swords giving it a new look. But did you know, according to the author of the series Tite Kubo, the rough draft he prepared which was named “Snipe” did not have Ichigo as the lead role and also did not have the usage of swords? Instead, the characters used guns.
Bleach is part of the Big 3 alongside One Piece and Naruto, and these are often referred to as the best Shonen anime ever made. Tite Kubo is the author of the popular series which was first published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump on August 7, 2001.
Before naming the series Bleach Tite Kubo was ready to go ahead with the name Snipe
Bleach might have not been a part of the Big 3 if the author had gone ahead with the old design which had the usage of guns and Ichigo was the not main lead character. Rukia would be the main lead character and would use a scythe instead of a sword.
Before the final details of the story which had Ichigo Kurosaki as the protagonist and involved swords were finalized, Tite Kubo had drawn plans for the usage of guns in the series.
According to CBR, in interviews at Jump Festa 2023, Tite Kubo revealed that Ichigo was created very later on in the series and the first character he made was Kuchiki Rukia.
Rukia dwelled a scythe instead of a katana and the rest of the Gotei 13 members used guns. However, he soon realized that the story would be bland if he went ahead with it. Before naming the series Bleach, he was attracted to the name Snipe but during the final stages went ahead and changed it to Bleach.
The rest of the characters in the series were also supposed to use guns instead of their Zanpakuto and the story might have turned out to be so much different from what we have now.
What made Tite Kubo change his decision?
The real reason why the author changed the whole base of the series was due to his desire to include old Japanese folklore in the series. If the series involved guns the essence of folklore might have been lost.
Towards the end, he decided to keep Rukia as one of the lead characters but drew up new characters and changed the plot entirely which resulted in one of the best anime that was ever made.
Bleach is one of the most successful anime manga of all time and has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Currently Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War is airing and the anime is currently on its second cour.
Episode 9 titled “Marching Out The Zombies” was just released and Cour 2 is nearing its end very soon.
Source: CBR
