Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 45 Spent More Than a Year in Production

Director Tomohisa Taguchi said the episode took over a year to produce and used around 23,000 drawings, putting it among the series’ most demanding installments.

3 Nov 2026

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War director Tomohisa Taguchi has revealed that episode 45 spent more than a year in active production. He shared the details after the latest part of the anime concluded, describing it as one of the series’ most demanding episodes.

The episode contains approximately 23,000 drawings for its animation, a total comparable to that of the series’ finale. Taguchi said the installment centers heavily on conversations between characters, prompting the team to focus on conveying subtle changes in their expressions. He thanked Studio KAI and the animation director for their work.

The production also involved complex 3D CGI alongside the large volume of 2D drawings. Episode 45 marks the first appearance of Blood Chain Ichigo and includes visual flourishes created specifically for the moment.

Sources: Eurogamer Portugal.