How Kubo Chose the Final Songs
Tite Kubo has been hands-on with the anime's music since day one. In comments published alongside a report on Japanese entertainment site Oricon News, the Bleach creator explained that he listens to every theme song candidate at the demo stage and makes the final selection himself across all four cours of Thousand-Year Blood War.
Kubo said he deliberately seeks out emerging artists so that viewers can "discover new musicians through Thousand-Year Blood War and become fans from there." Four cours in, that philosophy has consistently put newer talent in front of Bleach's global audience rather than relying on established names.
For the opening "I-BULL," Kubo wanted raw impact for the final stretch. After giving jo0ji feedback on early demos, the revised track impressed him, and he noted it grew more intense with each round of feedback. For the ending "Rasen" (Spiral) by 9Lana, the demo stood out from the initial batch. Kubo praised its melody, lyrics, and arrangement, and chose it for the ending slot because the song's intro felt like a natural bridge from each episode's closing moments.
Meet jo0ji and 9Lana
jo0ji is a 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Tottori Prefecture who writes, composes, and arranges all of his own material. He gained wider attention earlier in 2026 with "Yoake no Uta," the ending theme for the Jujutsu Kaisen anime's Culling Game arc. He described the chance to handle Bleach's final opening as surreal, saying he built the song around what courage means to him personally. jo0ji is set for a 10-show national tour titled "Ikari" in November 2026, including six Zepp venues.
9Lana bills herself as a "singing actress" and is known for what her label calls a "chameleon voice," capable of shifting between nine distinct vocal registers. She called the selection dreamlike, adding that she sang with full commitment to honor the growth Ichigo and his allies show throughout the series. Her music has found a growing international audience, particularly in the Americas.
Episode 41: "GOD OF THUNDER"
The Calamity opens with Episode 41, titled "GOD OF THUNDER," airing July 25 at 11:00 p.m. JST on TV Tokyo. The released synopsis picks up with Ichigo and Uryu reuniting and advancing toward Yhwach's throne room. Haschwalth confronts Uryu with the king's power glowing in his eyes, while Yoruichi battles Nakk Le Vaar and Urahara launches a reversal strategy. Disturbances are spreading across all three realms.
The announcement also included a new main visual depicting a battle-worn Ichigo kneeling with Zangetsu embedded in the earth as Yhwach looms overhead.
Looking Ahead
Before the July 25 premiere, fans in Japan have several ways to catch up. A best-episode voting campaign is running through June 28, with results to be announced July 1 and the winning episodes airing on July 4, 11, and 18. Free streaming of episodes 27 through 40 will be available on TVer, ABEMA, Lemino, and other Japanese platforms from July 12 to 25.
Studio Pierrot continues production under chief series director Tomohisa Taguchi, with Shirō Sagisu returning on the score. The Bleach manga by Tite Kubo is published in English by Viz Media, with all 74 volumes available. No word yet on which international streaming platforms will carry The Calamity.