Masakazu Morita, the Voice of BLEACH's Ichigo, Almost Missed the Audition
A surprising fact for BLEACH fans: Japanese voice actor Masakazu Morita, who brought the series' legendary protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki to life, almost didn't attend the audition. In an exclusive interview with Anime Corner, Morita shared the unfortunate memory: "If I hadn't gone to that audition, I might never have gotten this role."
According to Morita's explanation, he forgot to go to the studio on the audition day and only remembered at the last moment, rushing to make it in time. It's exciting to think that such a small mistake could have changed all of anime history. BLEACH is a massive shonen series created by Tite Kubo, originally airing from 2004 to 2012, and returning in 2022 with the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Ichigo's voice has been one of the most important parts of this journey.
The interview also featured not only Morita but also Johnny Yong Bosch. As the English voice of Ichigo, Bosch played a major role in the character's popularity in the West. The two discussed what the series means to them, their favorite moments, and the emotional weight of the new season. Bosch said, "Playing Ichigo was a dream come true, but I never imagined it would last this long."
This news takes on even more significance especially with the return of BLEACH. Fans of the series waited years to hear Ichigo's voice. This opportunity that Morita almost lost reminds us of how fragile the process is for voice actors. Fortunately, that moment of forgetfulness didn't change the course of history, and we continue to hear Ichigo's "Getsuga Tenshou" cries.
What lies ahead? New episodes of Thousand-Year Blood War continue to air. Both the Japanese and English voice casts are working at full speed. This interview with Morita and Bosch has once again strengthened fans' devotion to the series. Who knows, maybe we'll hear more behind-the-scenes stories in the future.
