Interview: Brave Souls 10th Anniversary! Masakazu Morita & Fumiko Orikasa Discuss the History Between Ichigo and Rukia

 

KLab Inc., a leader in online mobile games, has announced that its exhilarating 3D action game, Bleach: Brave Souls (hereafter "Brave Souls"), will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary today, July 23, 2025.

 

To commemorate this milestone, we conducted an interview with Masakazu Morita, the voice actor for Ichigo Kurosaki, and Fumiko Orikasa, the voice actress for Rukia Kuchiki. 

We asked them about their impressions of the 10th Anniversary visuals and trailer, their thoughts on playing as the 10th Anniversary characters, and how their impressions of each other have changed over their long working relationship.

 

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In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of KLab's exhilarating 3D action game for smartphones, PC, PlayStation®4, Xbox, and Switch, "Bleach: Brave Souls" (hereafter, "Brave Souls"), we interviewed Masakazu Morita, who voices Ichigo Kurosaki, and Fumiko Orikasa, who voices Rukia Kuchiki. 

We asked them about their thoughts on the game’s 10th Anniversary, the 10th Anniversary character trailer, their thoughts on playing with the 10th Anniversary characters, and about changes in their impressions of each other over the years.

 

■Thoughts on Brave Souls Being Loved Worldwide

—Congratulations on Brave Souls’ 10th anniversary! I believe you've had many opportunities to speak about it, but please tell us again your thoughts on this monumental milestone.

 

Fumiko: It felt incredibly fast, didn't it?

 

Masakazu: Surprisingly, it makes me think “it’s only been 10 years?”. The game was released right after the original anime series ended, and it provided me the opportunity to engage with the BLEACH IP through its regular livestreams and recordings for the game while the anime wasn’t airing.

 

Fumiko: Among the Brave Souls team, there must be someone who absolutely loves Chappy. Chappy often appears in-game, and there are even lines of dialogue about Chappy. It made me feel nostalgic, realizing that the staff who loved the early days of BLEACH were the ones creating the game.

 

– The game has surpassed 100 million downloads. Have you felt the enthusiasm from players?

 

 

Masakazu: We’ve felt quite a lot of enthusiasm from players. What started as a local game is now playable in over 148 countries and regions worldwide, which led to a sudden increase in followers on my social media accounts. 

My number of followers surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when video streaming services also became more widespread. Of course, this was the point when the Thousand-Year Blood War series started, but we also received many comments like, "I learned about BLEACH through Brave Souls and binge-watched the series," or "I watched the original series for the first time".

 

Fumiko: I have noticed that the number of people from other countries who comment during the livestreams has increased. I was able to reaffirm that BLEACH and Brave Souls are loved by people from all over the world.

 

—The COVID-19 pandemic also saw an increase in demand for smartphone games. However, many games also saw their services end. What do you think is the reason Brave Souls has continued for 10 years in such a competitive environment?

 

Masakazu: I think it's extremely difficult for a smartphone game to last 10 years. If you look at those that have survived for a long time, there are only a handful. I'm truly proud that Brave Souls is among them. The reason for its popularity, and how it managed to surpass 100 million downloads, might lie in the nature of the BLEACH series itself. 

As I mentioned earlier, Brave Souls has held many in-game events so far. These were held along with the introduction of characters in original outfits tailored to these events, offering ways for users to enjoy the game in the style they chose. I believe this really resonated with many players.

 

Fumiko: It's also great that the outfits and designs don't stray from the world setting. The team creates them with a strong awareness of what the game is supposed to be about, and I think that message reaches the fans.

 

■Brave Souls and its Exclusive Character Outfits 

 

—Since we're on the topic of outfits and designs, what are your impressions of the 10th Anniversary characters’ illustrations?

 

Masakazu: They are simply beautiful! Ichigo is the sun, and Rukia is the moon, perhaps? I personally never had the image of "sun = Ichigo", so I was a little surprised by the concept this time.

 

Fumiko: Really? I actually do associate him with the sun.

 

Masakazu: Well, his orange hair does give him a sun-like quality, but I somehow associate him more strongly with the night. Maybe it's because his Zanpakuto is "Zangetsu" [which in English can be translated literally to “Moon Cutting”]? 

 

Fumiko: You know the "Yin-Yang Symbol" [a symbol showing that all things in the universe have complementary opposing forces]? I've always had an image of Ichigo as someone who clearly possesses that black dot within the white, like a person embodying that aspect. And I see Rukia as a character who has the white dot element within the black. So, Ichigo and Rukia embody Yin and Yang, and together they complete the "Yin-Yang Symbol”. I felt that sense of balance from these character illustrations.

 

—Please share your impressions of the 10th Anniversary character reveal trailer, as well as your thoughts on the 3D models and Special Move animations of characters that have been added to the game throughout the year.

 

Masakazu: For the 10th Anniversary, I expected a really flashy production, but instead, the trailer conveyed a sense of the calmness of a powerful entity, if you will. There was a grounded, unhurried feel that only a 10th Anniversary could achieve. 

The previous anniversary trailers had an incredible number of cuts, so the fact that they intentionally reduced the number of cuts this time resulted in an exceptionally refined trailer, unlike anything produced before.

 

Fumiko: The music used in previous trailers was often hard rock too. This time, a song specially composed by Cö shu Nie for the 10th Anniversary was used, and it magnificently expresses the world of BLEACH, making me feel its grand scale.

 

Masakazu: The 3D models are also really cool! The 3D effects are very flashy and exhilarating.

 

Fumiko: The Thousand-Year Blood War versions of Mayuri, the zombified Captain Toshiro, and even Rangiku have made an appearance. Characters such as these definitely makes you want to collect them all!

 

 

—Considering Brave Souls often features anniversary characters and characters in original outfits, are there any particular ones that stand out to you as favorites?

 

 

Masakazu: I distinctly remember the Spirit Society version of Ichigo. 

In the anime, he showed various forms, including Hollowfication, but I was surprised that he suddenly grew horns in Brave Souls. I was amazed at how they came up with that design. The Halloween version and Cacao Society version of Ichigo are also memorable, and the 2nd Anniversary long-haired Ichigo brings back fond memories. 

I truly feel attached to all the designs, but I might like the New Year version of Ichigo the most. It's somehow comforting when he looks so "normal" (laughs).

 

 

 

 

Fumiko: For Rukia's characters, I think her Lunar New Year outfit is very cute. I also like her Spirit Society version. Also, since Rukia is a character who looks good in kimonos, her Japanese Parasol version is also a favorite.

 

 

 

Masakazu: The Japanese Parasol versions of characters seem to be popular. It was a hot topic among fans. I also like Shunsui’s Japanese Parasol outfit. And Mayuri's outfits always have a strong impact (laughs), so they stand out to me. As for female characters, I like the swimsuit outfits.

 

Fumiko: Nobody dislikes characters in swimsuits, right? (laughs). Personally, I always look forward to Rangiku's outfits. She's quite the fashionista.

 

Masakazu: There are so many truly great outfits and designs that trying to collect them all would be quite a task (laughs).

 

 

 

 

■With 10 Years of Brave Souls and Over 20 Years of the BLEACH anime... How Have Their Impressions of Each Other Changed?

 

 

—Brave Souls also has a Story Mode where you can follow the BLEACH narrative. Previously, when we asked Masakazu about an arc in BLEACH that he was particularly fond of, he said he really liked BLEACH during its early Karakura Town days.

Brave Souls currently includes a Story Mode that goes up to Part 8 of The Thousand-Year Blood War. Fumiko, could you tell us about a moment in BLEACH that you are particularly fond of?

 

Fumiko: I also like the early stories. There were many battle scenes, but also many relaxed daily life scenes, and even comedic scenes. I think the early period was when I felt that balance of intensity and relaxation the most.

 

Masakazu: Now that we're approaching the finale, there is no time to joke around (laughs).

 

Fumiko: Exactly (laughs). So when I look back now, I'm surprised by how many comedic scenes there were at the beginning!

 

—Brave Souls has changed over the past 10 years. Looking back at your long history working together on the BLEACH anime over the past 20 years, would you say your impressions of each other have changed?

 

Fumiko: My impression of Masakazu might not have changed at all. He's been passionate from the very beginning, and he still maintains that passion even now while recording for the Thousand-Year Blood War anime. 

In the early days, Ichigo and Rukia had a buddy relationship, so we recorded together constantly, and I always felt that passion right next to me. Nowadays, we often work separately, and our voice recording sessions are often on different days, but when we occasionally meet in the studio, it feels reassuring.

 

 

Masakazu: I appreciate you saying that. My image of Fumiko hasn't changed either. Calm and collected. In the beginning, it was largely because Fumiko was next to me that I could fully embody Ichigo freely. In that sense, I feel that my relationship with Fumiko is very similar to Ichigo's and Rukia's.

 

—How have you perceived the changes in Ichigo and Rukia's relationship over time?

 

Masakazu: These days, Ichigo and Rukia often act separately, but I don't think their relationship or their feelings for each other have changed. Even when they're not together, it's like she's always watching over him from behind. Like a guardian spirit of sorts (laughs).

 

Fumiko: Rukia is a Soul Reaper, after all (laughs).

 

Masakazu: I can't quite put it into words, but I think she's always there, sort of "behind him" [gestures behind him].

 

Fumiko: Rukia absolutely cannot keep secrets from Ichigo. If she lies, he'll see right through it. Among all the characters, I think theirs is the closest emotional bond. Renji is there too, of course, but he'd definitely worry, so I think Rukia would actually hide things from him if something came up. And while her brother (Byakuya) sees everything, he watches over her without saying a word. So, when I think about it, Rukia has things she can only say to Ichigo, and he's someone she can rely on. I suppose that's what you call their "buddy dynamic," which has been there since the beginning.

 

—Finally, please send a message to the players currently enjoying Brave Souls and those who would like to start playing.

 

Masakazu: While Brave Souls is a game based on BLEACH, I believe it's this special type of content that kept BLEACH fans engaged from the end of the original anime series until the start of the current Thousand-Year Blood War series. 

I'm truly delighted that Brave Souls has reached its 10th anniversary and surpassed 100 million downloads. I want those who have enjoyed it so far to continue enjoying it, and I'm absolutely confident that new players will also have a great time. I hope everyone enjoys the captivating world of BLEACH through Brave Souls.

 

Fumiko: Since it's the 10th Anniversary, some people might feel that the barrier to starting now is high, but Brave Souls is quite the opposite. If there are new players starting from now, the game and its contents will gently welcome them, inviting players to expand the world together. I'm always excited by how the game develops over time, so I'd be happy if everyone continues to enjoy it.