Summary
- Bleach: Memories of Nobody, the first movie in the series, may be the only canon movie as it introduces a popular character, Senna, who also appears in other Bleach media.
- The final scene of Memories of Nobody suggests that Senna still exists in the Bleach universe, and a filler episode of the anime confirms this with a brief appearance of a girl who resembles Senna.
- There is evidence that the movie is canon to the manga, as a location created for the movie is mentioned in the manga and the manga's author recommends fans to watch the movie for more information.
It can be difficult for fans to determine what's canon and what isn't when it comes to anime movies from a series, and Bleach is no exception. While it's common for popular anime series to get movies, they are rarely canon to the main story. While this allows the movies to tell original stories without the burden of continuity, it can often leave the movies feeling inconsequential. However, one Bleach movie transcended this debate and became canon, all due to an easily missed background shot.
The first Bleach movie, Bleach: Memories of Nobody, is one of the more popular films in the series, telling a fairly small and focused tale centered on one new character in particular, Senna. While Senna isn't really around anymore by the end of the film, she proved surprisingly popular, going on to appear in Bleach games and other media.
Senna proved so popular, in fact, that she may have gotten the entire movie canonized, at least as far as the anime is concerned.
Bleach: Memories of Nobody Might Be Bleach's Only Canon Movie
The final scene of Memories of Nobody has Ichigo catch a ribbon that's floating past in the wind, which reminds him of something, although he can't quite what. Then he sees a girl who looks very similar to Senna run by, smiles, and the film ends. Ichigo's memories may be altered in some way, but it's clear that Senna wasn't totally forgotten. It also establishes that a person who strongly resembles Senna still exists. In a filler episode of the anime, specifically episode 204, Ichigo is sitting at a restaurant with his friends. A shot of Ichigo shows a girl behind him with hair identical to Senna's throughout the film, including the yellow ribbon she initially had. It's only on-screen for a second, but for anyone who's seen the film, there's no doubt: that's Senna.
There's evidence that the film is canon to the manga as well. In chapter 627, Ichigo mentions having ed through an area known as the Kyogoku before. Fans of the movie may better recognize the translated term: The Valley of Screams. The Valley of Screams was created for the movie and was only later mentioned in the manga, and Ichigo has never had anything to do with that place outside the film, so it must be the events of the film that he's referencing. Tite Kubo even left an author's note at the end of the chapter, recommending fans curious about the Kyogoku to check out the first movie. If that's not strong enough evidence of the film's canonicity, then nothing can be.
Though it might be a good thing that many anime spinoff movies are firmly non-canon, that doesn't mean that making a movie canon can't have its own benefits. Arguments over canon can often come down to personal preference, but at least in this case, the truth is pretty clear-cut. Bleach's beloved first movie is indeed canon, and it seems that Senna's lookalike has gone on to lead a thankfully peaceful life.
