A bittersweet news awaits all "Bleach" fans around the world. This year's 31st issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine revealed that the long-time running Japanese manga series would be winding up soon.

Anime News Network reported that Tite Kubo's long-running "Bleach" manga will come to an end within the next nine weeks. The manga's 74th volume will apparently be the last of the series. The final volume will ship this fall.

"Bleach" follows the adventures of the unruly teenager, Ichigo Kurosaki, who can see ghosts after he acquired the powers of a Soul Reaper. His newly discovered powers apparently compel him to take on the obligations of shielding humans from evil spirits and guiding departed souls to the afterlife. As events unfold, the story begins to dive further into the universe of various ghostly realms of existence.

The sad news comes as no surprise to readers across the world, as "Bleach" apparently entered its final arc in February 2012. The series final arc focuses on Ichigo's ancestry and his connection to The Quincy and how the latter invaded the Soul Society, iDigitalTimes reported.

"Bleach" has been serialized in Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump since August 2001. From that point forward, the series has spawned several media franchise, including an animated television series (2004-2012), four animated feature films, two original video animations, numerous video games and ten rock musicals, as well.

The series is among the best-selling manga in both Japan and the United States. Having sold more than 84 million copies in Japan since its publication, "Bleach" ranked as the sixth best-selling series from Weekly Shonen Jump.

As of press time, there is no specific date for the final chapter of Tite Kubo's "Bleach" manga. Stay tuned for more news and updates.