The recent Bleach anime reference in Young Thug’s trial has put the fans in a frenzy. The reference caught the internet off guard and has now become a steaming topic for the fans to talk about. The internet never fails to shock its users on a daily basis, but a lawyer mentioning an anime TV series entering the United States’ legal system is certainly something even the most dedicated otakus might not have expected.
Tite Kubo’s renowned anime and manga series shortly became a viral sensation after Angela D’Williams, attorney of one of the defendants, unexpectedly brought it up.
The Atlanta-based rapper, Young Thug, is charged with conspiring to violate the RICO Act. He faces an array of accusations that include violating Georgia’s Controlled Substances Act and carrying a firearm during a felony. Being a high-profile case, the trial was already an attention-grabber. But, the lawyer’s unique reference to Bleach took the internet by storm. She made this reference aiming to illustrate the concept of “filler” and how fillers are redundant.
Defendant lawyer uses Bleach anime’s ‘Bount Arc’ analogy in the Young Thug trial
The attorney, who represents Rodalius Ryan, attempted to draw parallels between Bleach’s narrative structure and the trial proceedings. As such, she highlighted that Bleach, which spans over 16 seasons, features characters like the Bounts. These are spiritual beings who were experimentally created in the Soul Society. These characters take center stage in seasons 4 and 5, but then fade into obscurity later in the story due to their irrelevance. D’Williams suggested that she and her client are analogous to “filler” in the trial, just like the Bounts.
Unsurprisingly, this analogy was a comic relief within and beyond the anime and manga fans, and it sparked varied reactions online. But, mostly, the otakus mentioned how they felt second-hand embarrassment upon the unexpected cameo of the anime series. Some also comically complained about her referencing the Bounts, which is allegedly the “worst arc” in the series, according to the fans. However, some netizens seriously remarked that she could have made her point in a better way, using a better analogy. Mentioning an anime series, according to the critics, would not really help with the case.
However, this unexpected intersection of the U.S. judiciary with the anime-verse historically stirred excitement and commotion alike.
