Ichigo Scream

Submission 9,750

Part of a series on Bleach. [View Related Entries]

About

The Ichigo Scream is a viral video and sound of Bleach character Ichigo Kurosaki's final, hollow form (Vasto Lorde) screaming while appearing red and glowing. The scream video and sound were used in multiple edits to portray power being unleashed starting in 2020. However, the Ichigo Scream became most notable in memes on TikTok in 2021 within anime circles (also known as AniTikTok circles) where creators used the Dubbed version's scream in ironically cringy sounds. In late 2022 and early 2023, a new Ichigo Scream sound emerged that additionally used Dragon Ball character Vegeta's quote, "No! No more! That's It! I Don't Care!" and the Playboi Carti song "No Sl33p." The sound was used to portray thirst or being horny for people, characters and concepts, similar to the Then Something Just Snapped trend.

Origin

In episode 271 of the manga-based anime series Bleach, the characters Ichigo Kurosaki and Ulquiorra Cifer engage in a final fight.^[1] In the scene, Ichigo enters each stage of his hollow form, finally entering his Vasto Lorde, as in, his final stage. When he does so, he lets out a loud roar which became known in memes as the Ichigo Scream. In its later meme usage, meme creators specifically used the scream from the Dubbed version (YouTube^[2] upload shown below).

Starting in 2020, multiple video creators across video-sharing platforms made Bleach fan edits using the Ichigo Scream. For instance, on July 5th, 2020, YouTuber^[3] anfaid posted an edit that used the scene, gaining roughly 267,500 views and 8,600 likes in two years (shown below).

On August 21st, 2021, TikToker^[4] fwogun posted a video that was a way for them to show off some profile pictures they'd made. They created a sound for the TikTok that used the song "After Dark" by Mr.Kitty and the Ichigo Scream from the Dubbed version. Over the course of a year and a half, the video received roughly 230,400 plays and 17,100 likes (shown below, left). In the AniTikTok community, TikToker fwogun's sound^[5] became infamous, evident in the video's comment section where many expressed sentiments similar to, "bro what is this audio 💀." Soon after, many AniTikTokers ironically used the sound, such as TikToker^[6] akainusdonutshop on September 19th, 2021, who wrote, "wtf is this audio 💀💀💀," and gained roughly 366,200 plays and 28,600 likes in a year and a half (shown below, right).

Spread

Following the virality of the sound^[5] within AniTikTok circles, others began making parody audios going into late 2021. For instance, on October 28th, 2022, TikToker^[7] patzoid1 posted a video that created a new sound with the Ichigo Scream, gaining roughly 299,300 plays and 29,600 likes in a year and a half (shown below, left). On December 13th, 2021, TikToker^[8] kenshin_solos resurfaced the original Ichigo Scream audio created by TikToker^[4] fwogun in a separate video that joked about people becoming Bleach fans, hearing the scream in the context of the show and then being affected by the foreknowledge of the TikTok sound. Over the course of one year, the video received roughly 32,900 plays and 4,500 likes (shown below, right).

2022 Resurgence / Ichigo Scream x Playboi Carti's "No Sl33p"

Starting in December 2022, new Ichigo Scream sounds surfaced in memes on TikTok. Originally, they centered on Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega. For instance, an early December example was uploaded on December 11th, 2022, by TikToker^[9] fw.c4rtier, earning roughly 90,500 plays and 6,000 likes in three weeks (shown below, left). On December 18th, 2022, TikToker^[10] animebiased posted their own Jenna Ortega edit that used the Ichigo Scream and Playboi Carti's "No Sl33p," gaining roughly 321,000 plays and 33,900 likes in 16 days (shown below, right).

Increasingly horny content using Ichigo Scream surfaced in late 2022 and early 2023. The subjects of many Ichigo Scream thirst videos were perceived by many TikTokers as morally questionable. For instance, on December 26th, 2022, TikToker^[11] ainbrahh posted a video showing The Chipettes, gaining roughly 2.8 million plays and 466,300 likes in eight days (shown below, left). Soon after, TikToker^[12] bucketjosh made a video that called out the trend for being "diabolical" and referenced the precursor, 2021 sounds, earning roughly 544,800 plays and 91,400 likes in eight days (shown below, right).