In the anime and manga sector, there are the so-called Big 3. This refers to the three most popular works that dominated the Shonen Jump magazine in the mid-2000s. Besides Naruto and One Piece, Bleach often gets left out. MyMMO editor Nikolas Hernes believes this is unfair, as he considers Bleach better than One Piece or Naruto.
One Piece and Naruto are among the major anime that often represent the medium. During their run, they were considered the Big 3 of Shonen Jump, the Japanese magazine where the chapters were published, alongside Bleach.
Unfortunately, Bleach never managed to achieve the same grand status as the other two. While I watched Naruto and One Piece daily on RTL 2 as a child, I only caught up with Bleach years later.
However, contrary to my expectations, I fell in love with it right away. I even bought the art book immediately and engaged more with the work. And to be honest, although I love One Piece and Naruto, Bleach is my big favorite of the three, and there are mainly four reasons for that, both in the anime and the manga.
1. The Drawings and the Art Style
Every manga has its own style. Bleach has made an interesting development in this regard. While the first chapters are not very impressive, Bleach evolved into a manga that radiates one main thing: Coolness.
Tite Kubo, the mangaka of Bleach, has weaknesses, especially regarding backgrounds, but his staging is truly strong. He focuses on the characters, almost all of whom have great, and above all, unique designs that characterize the characters even if they don’t say a word.
He mixes traditional styles with the modern youth clothing of that time. This is especially noticeable on cover pages that show the characters in different situations. The clothing is not only beautiful; it is part of the world-building. The design of characters regularly changes, showcasing character development without needing to be laboriously narrated.
Kubo seems to never forget the focus on the characters. In fights or dramatic situations, it’s always about representing the character’s personality in each panel as well as possible.
Naruto and One Piece also did this well, but in my opinion, only in their beginnings. After the time skips, I always felt like I was seeing the same thing in both series. While Naruto still had really great ideas with the Akatsuki, I completely missed that in One Piece after the time skip.
2. The Bankai
In general fights, I must admit that Naruto is ahead in many of its battles in the anime. In many of its choreographies and ideas, Naruto is by far the best of the three anime. Naruto has legendary battles in the anime that I will never forget.
In Bleach, the main characteristic of the fights is the technique called Bankai. It not only provides a simple power-up but also changes the dynamics of the battles. A Mayuri with his poisonous giant baby fights differently than a Urahara.
This rarely leads to good choreographies, but, as mentioned in point 1, it’s another characterization of the characters and indeed a personification of their values and designs.
However, this often leads to characters suddenly pulling counters out of nowhere. In that case, I can personally ignore it because the Bankai are just damn impressive.
Like a small child, I awaited each battle eagerly for the next Bankai
and the accompanying change in dynamics.
3. The Music
I would say that Bleach has the best soundtrack of the three anime. While One Piece has a few cool pieces, I must admit it tires me to constantly hear the same thing.
Naruto is much more varied, but nothing can compare to Bleach for me. Shiro Sagisu, the composer of Bleach, manages to create a new soundtrack for each arc and for each group that is unique.
For the Arrancar, he used music reminiscent of Spanish styles, and for the Star Knights, he used choirs that characterize the entire organization as a totalitarian regime.
Bleach has countless music pieces that I will never forget and that remind me of the best moments, but also pieces that represent Ichigo’s emotional world without seeming generic. My favorites are mainly:
- Nothing Can Be Explained
- Soundscape to Ardor
- La distancia para un duelo
- Number One
- Stand up be Strong
Shiro Sagisu is also one of the best composers of all time outside of Bleach. He also composed for Neon Genesis Evangelion and for the movie Shin Godzilla.
4. Ichigo as Protagonist
Unlike Naruto or Luffy, Ichigo does not have a grand goal; he does not want to become Hokage or the Pirate King. However, I find that really good. Ichigo’s greatest motivation is his friends and family. While this is a big cliché, let’s be honest, wanting to become Pirate King is also not a very inventive motivation.
Ichigo never wants to become stronger because he inherently wants to, but because he has to. He really just wants peace; he wants to hang out with his friends, and that fits the setting of Bleach. A motivation like in other anime with a fantasy setting would be out of place here.
Throughout the series, you can see that Ichigo becomes more mature and calmer.
A special point for Ichigo, in my opinion, is also his relationship with Rukia. The two are simply best friends, and you can feel that in every moment, but it hasn’t just happened from one moment to the next; it grew in the first arcs. At the same time, he has a different dynamic with each character, making everything feel more organic and less uniform.
I can relate to Ichigo much better than the other protagonists. I can understand his sadness, his frustration, but also his fun moments, and that contributes significantly to what Bleach means to me.
However, Bleach also has aspects that can be criticized. The original series has many fillers, which can be skipped easily. That is also a problem with Naruto.
In its narrative structure, Bleach has a certain uniformity. A new bad guy appears, the group fights with the henchmen, and Ichigo finishes the game. This is also an aspect that can be criticized in One Piece, especially after the time skip.
Another major point is the choreographies in the fights. Instead of elaborate hand-to-hand combat, there are many effects and abilities that are used. In my opinion, One Piece has reached this point as well. Really great fights are found mainly in Naruto.
However, the most important point for Bleach is: It’s exactly my thing. In the end, it’s also again a matter of personal taste, and none of the three series fits me as well as Bleach does.
I love One Piece, and I also love Naruto, but Bleach holds a special place in my heart. I can leaf through the art book for hours, listen to the soundtrack, or watch the openings. Only a few anime can achieve that for me.
But what is your favorite? Can you understand my points? Feel free to let us know in the comments. Before the Big 3
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