The original Shonen Big Three titles are Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto, Eiichiro Oda's One Piece, and Tite Kubo's Bleach. These anime titles can be considered Dragon Ball's unofficial heirs. In terms of popularity, sales, and influence, the Big Three dominated the shonen scene of the 2000s and early 2010s. However, many anime enthusiasts view Bleach as the runt of the litter.
Numbers-wise, it's true that Bleach didn't sell as well as Naruto, and certainly not the still-ongoing One Piece. That being said, passionate Bleach fans know that their favorite shonen program excels in ways the others never did. Fans who look past Bleach's iffy reputation will find a lot to love about it.
Updated on November 22nd, 2022 by Ajay Aravind: Bleach formally concluded with the Thousand-Year Blood War in 2016, bringing an end to this much-beloved manga series. Although many fans expected it to receive an anime adaptation, their hope continued to wane with each passing year. TV Tokyo and Tite Kubo finally announced an adaptation in 2020, and Bleach came roaring back to life for the first time in six long years.
15 Bleach's Protagonist Doesn't Grate On Viewers As Much
There is a limit to how much an annoying character can be tolerated by the anime fandom. For some viewers, Naruto and Luffy's blustering ways make them more fun to watch. However, several others disagree and find those characters pretty tiring, and it's easy to see why.
Ichigo Kurosaki may be an occasional jerk, but he's also a cool tsundere who won't impulsively gobble up everyone else's food, scream all his lines, or indulge in toilet humor. Ichigo is more grounded and introverted in comparison, making him a welcome break from all those shonen himbos and loudmouthed characters.
14 Bleach Has A More Unique Soundtrack
Most modern shonen anime series have pretty great music, like Attack on Titan's thrilling score and the hit track "You Say Run" in the My Hero Academia soundtrack. Then there's the Bleach OST, composed by Shiro Sagisu, which really stands out above the rest.
Naruto and One Piece have plenty of cool tunes, but Bleach's OST is more creative, memorable, and thematically appropriate. It features ethereal, experimental synth and matching choruses in sync with the series' supernatural events. Bleach's musical oeuvre is further balanced by the hard rock battle songs and the Spanish-inspired musical numbers in the later story arcs.
13 There Are Few Shonen Villains More Compelling Than Aizen
Even the staunchest of fanboys can't deny that Aizen is one of the best villains in shonen history. Naruto's Itachi is a worthy candidate, at least until the rest of his backstory is revealed. Aizen, on the other hand, is a truly despicable criminal genius who orchestrates almost everything in the entire narrative. That's something none of the other Big Three villains can say.
He is a mastermind by any standard and one that effortlessly outplays his opponents with nothing more than his intellect. Anime villains often succeed only because the good guys fail to realize their schemes, but even the prodigiously intelligent Urahara is unable to counter all of Aizen's moves.
12 Bleach's Combat System Is Highly Intricate & Well-Designed
All the Big Three titles have great combat systems, and they are roughly on par in terms of quality and depth. What sets Bleach apart is that its fighting mechanics incorporate three unique styles. These sub-systems are characteristically distinct but play off each other's strengths and weaknesses.
The first combat technique involves Zanpakuto and the Kido spells used by the Shinigami. The second system is that of the spiritual Quincy tribe, emphasizing Schrifts and archery, along with other related equipment. The third system involves the Espada and Arrancars and their natural Hollow-like abilities.
11 Bleach Has More & Better Representation Than Naruto & One Piece
Representation and inclusion are tricky topics in the world of Japanese anime, and some creators simply do a sloppy job with their series. The Big Three shonen series tried to have good representation, but Tite Kubo's Bleach arguably does it better and more often than its competitors.
Bleach features several Black characters who are a joy to watch in the anime — the hilarious Nimaiya Oetsu, the devastatingly powerful Yoruichi Shihoin, and the villainous Zommari Rureaux being prominent examples. Those characters are tastefully designed and all have major roles to play in the story. That said, female characters in Bleach still don't get the recognition they deserve.
10 Bleach's Core Premise Was Refreshing For Its Time
Everyone loves a good pirate romp around the seven seas, and ninja are always going to be badass. That said, neither Naruto nor One Piece has as good of a hook as Shinigami having to hunt down spirits trying to invade the Human World. It's a remarkably cool premise, one that can lend itself to a plethora of genres, from comedy to horror and everything in between.
Bleach naturally leans toward the action side of things, but it also allows Tite Kubo to create some horrific-looking entities as well as introduce awful characters like Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Very few manga series could have successfully transformed a sadistic scientist into a war hero, but Bleach manages quite well.
9 Bleach Doesn't Have As Many Face Turns
A face turn is a wrestling term for bad guys who are swayed to the good side, sometimes joining them. Naruto does this with nearly every main arc's villain, be it Nagato or Obito. It's a great moment of development in small doses, but Naruto overdoes it. One Piece uses it far more sparingly and to great effect like in the case of Nico Robin.
That said, it's great to have a series that denies this tiresome trope and keeps its villains villainous. Even Bleach antagonists who eventually become sympathetic, like Gin, aren't absolved of their crimes. This hardline stance ensures that death is the ultimate conclusion, which makes every fight as brutal as possible.
8 Bleach's Characters Have Cool Designs & Outfits
Bleach characters' cool alternate outfits are more a fun bonus than a key part of the story, but well-designed elements like this can really push a shonen series to the next level. Further, it shows how much the author loves his own creation. Plenty of manga/anime series have bonus art for their characters, but Bleach's is on another level.
Unlike Naruto and One Piece, the Bleach franchise often depicts its characters in stylish, memorable outfits because Tite Kubo enjoys modern fashion. In the words of the anime community, these characters have some serious "drip," far more than Naruto or Luffy do.
7 Bleach's Worldbuilding Is Easier To Follow
For truly dedicated anime fans, it's worth the effort to keep up with Eiichiro Oda's expansive worldbuilding, but One Piece's 1,000+ episodes make it daunting for new shonen enthusiasts. It also takes some intellectual effort to keep up with Naruto's world, and the major nations are only cosmetically different for the most part.
However, Bleach smartly limits its worldbuilding to three worlds and makes them wildly different from one another. This is a level of impressively efficient worldbuilding that any shonen fan can enjoy. Bleach fans get to explore real-life Japan, a feudal Japanese fantasy land, and a permanently nocturnal desert world populated by bizarre creatures.
6 Bleach's Plot Twists Are Significantly More Unexpected
One Piece can give Bleach a run for its money in terms of plot twists. And yet, none of them feel as shocking as Sosuke Aizen revealing himself to not only be alive but to also be the force of invisible malice in the shadows. He metamorphoses into a dastardly villain by simply sliding off his glasses, much like Clark Kent does to become Superman.
Gin and Tosen's betrayal packs a similarly potent punch, as few viewers expected them to side with Aizen. The Thousand-Year Blood War arc includes numerous plot twists, from Unohana's Kenpachi backstory and Yamamoto's unexpected death to Masaki Kurosaki's Quincy heritage.
5 Bleach Incorporates Several Cool Isekai Elements
A shonen series doesn't actually need an isekai edge to be compelling, but Bleach finds a way to naturally include isekai elements to its story without resorting to filler or going off the narrative track. As such, the show has substantial reasons to send Ichigo and his friends to supernatural realms like Soul Society and Hueco Mundo.
The actual isekai subgenre feels oversaturated by now, but it may feel fresh and exciting all over again in Bleach, which avoids all the worst isekai clichés. Neither Naruto nor One Piece attempts anything like this, although it must be stated that Luffy occasionally visits some truly bizarre islands.
4 Bleach's Fights Rely More On Strategy Than Overpowered Abilities
Both parties in a Bleach battle tend to analyze and deduce each other's abilities while subtly hiding information about their own. While characters do eventually reveal everything about their powers, it doesn't happen instantly. Bleach fights aren't usually about who produces the biggest explosion, but rather who can play mental chess better than their opponents.
Byakuya's battles in particular highlight his intellectual strategies, but he's far from the most scientific-minded character in the narrative. Mayuri, Urahara, and Aizen are all noted for their extraordinary tactics, outwitting enemies before they can even respond.
3 Bleach's Humor Isn't As Crude As It Could Have Been
The shonen Big Three have great humor, but their tawdry and childish jokes can be overused or uncomfortable to hear. For example, it's shocking how often Naruto employs toilet humor in the pre-Shippuden days.
In comparison, Bleach isn't half as crude as it could have been. This series has a better sense of comedic timing, often using Ichigo's and Uryu's outrageous reactions and priceless facial expressions to make viewers laugh. Bleach's humor doesn't always hit, but it's generally better than South Park-wannabe gags and punchlines.
2 Bleach's Manga Has The Best Art
Bleach, One Piece, and Naruto all have great artwork. However, Bleach's manga is arguably the best, as it borrows elements of gritty realism from seinen manga without forgetting its shonen roots. In other words, it feels and looks less cartoony, and that's a real boon for manga connoisseurs.
Bleach employs fantastic visual techniques that have become trademarks of the series. One major example is the spit-second timing between panels, convincing readers that a character or item moved at lightning speed before the characters themselves can react. The relative lack of gray also makes the Bleach manga pop with contrast, and the angles and closeup shots are masterfully done.
1 Bleach Is Undergoing A Second Renaissance Right Now
Bleach finally returned to TV screens after a painfully long hiatus, and the fandom couldn't be more ecstatic. The show has seen a rapid increase in the MyAnimeList rankings, reaching #2 right below the eternally relevant Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
The Thousand-Year Blood War arc contains some of the most exciting animated sequences in modern shonen, although only time will tell how the 52 episodes play out. Bleach may never return to its glorious golden days, but the anime is certainly undergoing a second renaissance at this very moment.