The first official trailer for Bleach hit the internet like a shockwave.
Within hours, forums, social media feeds, and discussion groups were in complete uproar. This wasn't just another adaptation- it felt different. Heavier. Sharper. As if the story carried a quiet confidence, daring the audience to keep up.
And at the very end of the trailer, Alex revealed the release date.
Two months later.
The summer break.
The choice was deliberate. Teenagers and young adults- the core audience- would have time, curiosity, and the emotional bandwidth to get hooked. Still, Alex didn't waste the already limited budget on traditional advertising.
He didn't need to.
With a cast like this, every post was marketing.
Emily V:
"Hi everyone! This is Emily. I'll be playing the second female lead in Bleach. Please support us when it airs!"
Mark V:
"No exaggeration- this is the coolest role I've ever played. I won't let you down."
Jasper V:
"A truly era-defining project. Once again, I'm impressed by Alex's vision."
Post after post flooded in, each accompanied by behind-the-scenes photos.
Mark, gripping an oversized blade, radiated raw, rebellious energy.
Samantha, petite yet resolute as Rukia Kuchiki, instantly won hearts.
Jasper stood tall and immaculate, his noble bearing making Byakuya Kuchiki feel less like a character and more like someone born into power.
Curiosity turned into anticipation.
And it didn't stop there.
Alex's calm, scholarly take on Sosuke Aizen.
Jack Creed's overwhelming presence as Yamamoto Genryusai.
Yasmim Banner's effortless charisma as Yoruichi Shihoin.
Each reveal pushed expectations higher.
"I'm already hyped just from the trailer. This looks insane."
"Honestly? Even if they just stood there posing, I'd still watch."
"My only concern is that this is Alex's first time directing and acting at the same time…"
Those doubts were promptly crushed when the action scenes rolled.
Especially the moment Mark roared-
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
The impact was instant.
When summer vacation finally arrived, the same quiet ritual played out in countless homes.
Backpacks tossed aside. Shoes kicked off.
Computers powered on.
Bookmarks opened.
The platform of choice: Qiyi.
The story began deceptively simple.
Ichigo Kurosaki appeared to be nothing more than a troubled university student- hot-headed, rough around the edges, constantly brushing against trouble. But it didn't take long to see through the surface. Beneath it all was a stubborn, uncompromising sense of justice.
Then he met Rukia Kuchiki.
"Y-You… can you see me?" she asked, stunned.
From that moment on, everything changed.
To better fit local standards, Alex made subtle adjustments. Romance had never been Bleach's focus, but to clear regulations, the characters were aged up to university students. The soul of the story, however, remained untouched.
Fate moved forward.
Rukia accidentally transferred her Shinigami powers.
Ichigo accepted the burden of a Substitute Shinigami.
Lost souls were guided onward. Hollows were purged.
And slowly, the world unfolded before the audience.
Humans.
Shinigami.
Quincies.
Hollows.
Even industry professionals couldn't help but comment on the sheer imagination behind it all.
Then came Episode Three.
And the tone shifted.
Byakuya Kuchiki appeared- cold, pristine, overwhelming.
At his side stood Renji Abarai.
The charge was absolute: transferring Shinigami power to a human was a capital crime.
Rukia would be taken back to the Soul Society…
And executed.
Ichigo resisted.
Fought with everything he had.
Through sheer willpower, he defeated Renji.
It didn't matter.
Byakuya passed him like a ghost.
One strike.
Blood exploded into the air.
Ichigo collapsed- lifeless, like a puppet with its strings cut.
"T-That's… that's the level of a captain…" Renji muttered, eyes wide with disbelief.
On the other side of the screen, viewers felt the same chill.
This wasn't just strength.
It was dominance.
The story moved into the Soul Society.
Ichigo refused to accept Rukia's fate.
With Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi's help, he set out on a rescue mission- joined by Orihime and Ishida.
The full scope of the Soul Society was finally revealed.
The Seireitei.
The Thirteen Court Guard Squads.
Tension mounted with every episode.
Everything pointed toward a familiar path- the hero saving the princess.
But Bleach was never that kind of story.
That was when Sosuke Aizen finally appeared.
Calm.
Kind.
Far too intelligent for his own good.
Alex portrayed Aizen with an unsettling serenity- as if the character was always a few steps ahead, watching the world from a higher vantage point.
He noticed something was wrong.
And Gin Ichimaru noticed that he had noticed.
"What a shame…" Gin said, smiling like a fox. "The final alarm should've lasted a little longer. Soon enough, you won't hear it ever again."
The audience's heartbeat quickened.
Even Toshiro Hitsugaya offered a quiet warning:
"Be careful… especially when Captain Aizen is out alone."
Everything pointed toward Gin.
Then came the final scene.
Momo Hinamori's scream tore through the early morning air.
Raw.
Broken.
As the camera slowly shifted, it revealed the unthinkable.
Sosuke Aizen was dead.
His body was pinned to the top of a building, eyes vacant, blood pouring from his chest and staining the walls below a deep crimson.
Silence fell.
Then screams.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
Inside the show.
Outside it.
Thousands of viewers froze in front of their screens.
"WHAT!? Alex's character just died!?"
"This is insane- who does this!?"
"A CAPTAIN DIES LIKE THIS!? THIS EARLY!?"
And when everyone rushed to click the next episode-
Nothing.
Next episode available in two days.
"…Damn it."
That night, countless people couldn't sleep.
And Alex knew exactly what he was doing.