Battle Of The Big Three

In the time you've spent in the anime community you've probably heard of the "Big Three."

What is the Big Three?

The Big Three was a term used to describe the three most popular running series during their golden age in Jump's mid-2000s period. This includes Naruto, Bleach and One Piece. They are some of the most talked about anime in the anime community.

There have been many debates about which one is the best. Today we'll break down these different anime and you can decide for yourself.

Naruto

The story is about Naruto, a young ninja, chasing the dream of being Hokage, the leader of his village. He's shunned and hated because of something that is out of his control so achieving his dream is easier said than done.

Naruto has a cast of many iconic characters in anime, with many lovable characters. They have interesting ideologies about life and the ninja world. You get to see different ideas clash whether it be through fights or through meaningful conversation. Whoever wins is the one who is right.

Naruto's position is constantly challenged and there are even points where he has no answer to the villain. This is what makes the show interesting. Will he still stay true to his beliefs even when he's backed into a corner or will he fold under the pressure.

Naruto is personally my favorite out of the big three because of the way it handles its themes. Contrary to popular belief the main theme of Naruto isn't 'hard work vs talent.' The real main theme is overcoming hatred. If you look back at all the fights and analyze characters, that is a reoccurring theme that most fans seem to gloss over.

It also has other themes like friendship, hope, forgiveness and revenge. Most of these themes are tackled very well and they're lessons to learn from all of them.

Naruto's power system revolves around chakra. There are different chakra natures earth, water, wind, fire, etc. The premise is pretty basic but entertaining nonetheless. There are a few nuances to add more depth to the system.

The fights are choreographed well for the most part with a few exceptions. In the earlier parts, fights were mainly based on strategy and how you can outwit your opponent. In later Naruto, fights are a bit more ridiculous and it's more power based.

Naruto as a main character matured throughout the story and it's a joy to watch. He always kept his head up even though he was hated by everyone. He's hardheaded but he has a personality that makes people gravitate towards him. Out of all his peers in the show he's probably put in the most work in regards to training and developing.

Overall Naruto is an amazing story. It may have a few plot holes and questionable decisions by the author but it's definitely worth the watch.

One Piece

The story follows Monkey D. Luffy, a young man made of rubber as he sets off to find a mythical treasure called the One Piece. His goal is to find the one piece and become the 'Pirate King.'

The story is set in a world where there's a never-ending conflict between pirates and the 'World Government'

The world is filled with many different races and a variety of unique locations. Worldbuilding is one of One Piece's strongest points. There are so many mysteries and unexplored areas, not to mention the world we already know is huge. The author puts time into making every location interesting and well designed.

One Piece covers several themes like adventure, freedom, ambition and friendship. The story is filled with so many mysteries. This is why the one piece community is so engaged because they have so much room to speculate.

One piece has a huge cast of characters. Unlike Naruto One Piece does put its minor characters to good use and they even reoccur. The main cast is Luffy's crew. They have an amazing dynamic and It's always fun to try and guess who the next member will be.

The power system in one piece revolves around haki and devil fruits. Haki is a mysterious power that allows the user to utilize their own spiritual energy for various purposes. When eaten devil fruits give the consumer a special ability, to this day they are still a mystery.

The fights in one piece are amazing. The different powers allow alot of creativity to be introduced into the fights. They do get a bit predictable at times they are still enjoyable.

Luffy is the definition of a free spirit. He's kind hearted and carefree. He's the type to know the danger in front of him and still charge in any way in order to achieve his dream. Even though he is a bit of a goofball all his crew members love and respect him.

Bleach

High school student Ichigo Kurosaki, who has the ability to see ghosts, gains soul reaper powers from a Shinigami and sets out to save the world from "Hollows". The anime itself starts off fairly slow due to the amount of filler but when it puts its foot on the pedal its pure hype.

The cast is the weakest out of the big three in my opinion. They do have stand out characters from the Gotei 13 and of course Aizen; the others didn't impress me if I'm being honest. Though, some of the characters did go through genuine development.

There are a lot of hidden messages in Bleach. The themes and messages are very abstract and for some points, you'd have to dig a little deeper than surface level. Some of the major themes covered are illusions, living with grief, duty, trust.

The world is expanded when we learn about Soul Society. Then soul society is enlarged even more in the manga.

Bleach's powers system is probably my favorite out of the Big Three. The power system deals with spiritual energy and Zanpakuto. Zanpakuto are weapon spirits that exist in tandem with their master; they are born alongside their Shinigami, and die with them. Spiritual energy

The fights are great. Fans seem to have one criticism, and that is there are too many power ups. They do get annoying but over time you just get used to it. Overall the fights are well animated withstunning visuals.

Unlike Naruto and Luffy, Ichigo is more laidback. He doesn't have a dream like "Being Hokage" or "Becoming the Pirate King," he just wants to protect his friends. He goes through a lot of subtle character development throughout the series. Some of his best moments are when he's alone with his Zanpakuto and inner demon.