The classic shonen "Big Three" can be compared and contrasted in many meaningful ways to see how the 2000s-era shonen titans match up against one another. In that era, their only real competition were each other, so anime fans have fun picking apart every last detail to back up their claims of why their favorite is truly the best.
Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto, Tite Kubo's Bleach, and Eiichiro Oda's One Piece all differ in their worlds and power systems, but they also have plenty of fundamentals that tie them together. One example being how these three series balance humor and action, though they have different techniques. While each of these series excell in one area or another, one title among the "Big Three" truly balances action and humor perfectly.
Naruto Uzumaki Uses Prank Jutsu In Dire Situations
Naruto has always balanced humor with action from start to finish, though the ratio shifted somewhat in the long run. Early on, Naruto focused more on humor, such as Naruto getting a stomachache while posing as Sasuke, or Shikamaru throwing his fight against Temari in the chunin exam. By Naruto Shippuden, the franchise had perfected its formula, balancing humor with hard-hitting action and drama. The franchise grew up alongside its characters, abandoning its childish side in favor of being wiser and more mature, but still having its fun side. Naruto Uzumaki himself embodies this in battle.
Naruto was serious when he destroyed Kakuzu with his new Rasengan, but he was still a prankster at heart whose creative, unpredictable mind made him clever in his unique way. The best example is his trademark "Sexy Jutsu" which, while concerning, is still a classic Naruto maneuver that can take even the most battle-hardened villains by surprise. Naruto also developed a special reverse harem version to surprise Kaguya Otsutsuki, who did not expect a squad of nude bishonen in the middle of a battle for the fate of the world. Naruto scored a free hit with his signature X-rated jutsu, leaving even Sakura amazed. Of course, the fight ended on a serious note, but the callback to the lighthearted early chapters of the series was appreciated.
Ichigo Kurosaki Dryly Criticizes His Opponents In Battle
Overall, Bleach truly shines when it takes itself seriously, since its comic relief falls flat far more often than the other two members of the Big Three. Much of the comedic banter feels like fluff and isn't that funny, but Ichigo's dry, witty remarks in battle suit his tsundere tough-guy personality well. In small doses, Bleach's humor works when it comes from Ichigo, most of all when he makes exasperated reactions to silly things happening around him.
Still, Bleach is best when it's dramatic and brutal, not when it's comedic, so it hardly even needs to strike a balance between humor and action. The best scenes are all action, driving up the exciting tension with fateful duels such as Ichigo vs Captain Byakuya Kuchiki in the Soul Society arc, Ichigo vs Ulquiorra's released form, and Captain Yamamoto vs Yhwach in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.
Monkey D. Luffy Stretches His Way To Victory
One Piece has the most humor of the Big Three, such as exaggerated, Looney Tunes-style reaction shots and deliberately silly or cute character designs like Tony Tony Chopper's chibi reindeer form and Usopp's silly lies. Protagonist Monkey D. Luffy is a lovable ahodere who is amusingly dense and reckless, but when someone threatens his crew, Luffy has no reservations about getting serious. Luffy has demolished many foes with his Gum-Gum Fruit powers, including his later usage of the Gears and now, his mythical new powers as well in recent manga chapters.
However, Luffy's stretchy powers keep him grounded as a goofball hero who is never too serious, and the overall One Piece narrative follows suit. Luffy's rubbery powers are a semi-serious visual gag that make him funny and whimsical in battle, stretching out like Gumby while fighting anything from random thugs to saga-defining foes like Sir Crocodile, Enel the Spypiea kami, and Kaido. This also reminds fans that no matter how far Luffy goes in his quest, he will always be the same rubbery, fruit-eating boy everyone met in the Romance Dawn story arc.
Which of the Big Three Balances Humor & Action The Best?
Each "Big Three" title has its own effective brand of humor, but as a whole, One Piece does the best job blending comedy with action throughout its story. In both Naruto and Bleach, fights are inherently serious and merely have bits of humor slotted in, while One Piece has a more fluid relationship between comedy and action. Each fight has its own ratio of silly and serious, where some fights are inherently silly but might have serious elements woven in while other battles are truly serious affairs, grounded somewhat by Luffy's rubbery powers.
This elegant blend ensures that One Piece never feels like it's sabotaging its serious moments with misplaced humor or vice versa. In fact, Eiichiro Oda knew that ahead of time, and carefully chose rubber powers for Luffy to ensure that there would always be a visually comedic undertone to the story no matter how big it got years down the road. Even now, Mr. Oda's decision is paying off, and the balance is maintained, one rubbery stretch at a time. So, One Piece conclusively balances action and humor the best in ways its two shonen competitors never even thought of.