Malek Allari | Editor-In-Chief
Anime fans had been debating whether Naruto or Bleach is better than the other. However, after watching both, a solution that will make both sides happy is put into place. Naruto is a story of a young boy who aspires to become the “president” of his village and lead all the ninjas in his village to greater heights and make everyone acknowledge him as a human rather than neglect him and treat him like trash. As for Bleach, it tells the story of a fifteen years old highschooler, Ichigo, who stumbles into a person who called themselves Soul Reaper. The Soul reaper was injured and asked Ichigo to fight the Hollow, a lost soul who committed evil by taking their power. After taking their power, Ichigo fights and kills the Hollow and begins to be called Substitute Soul Reaper.
Both animes are considered from the original Big Three. Anime fans will say the Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece are the Big Three; however, putting Bleach on the list makes it easier in terms of the story plot, character development, and overall Shonen category. Making it easier means that if Bleach is put on the list, the Big Three will be Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach, with Dragon Ball as their founding father. Up until now, anime fans have not seen someone stringer than Goku, or at least that is what they want to believe. That is why Dragon Ball is considered the founding father of the Big Three.
When it comes to terms which is better, Bleach or Naruto, they are tied. Naruto tells the story in an imaginary world, way back in history, with ninjas fighting using shurikens and kunai knives. Some characters in Naruto use swords, but they are fairly numbered. That is why Naruto fights using chakra too, which is the energy found in the body and nature, and uses it to do ninjutsu, which can be used to do visual tricks against the enemy.
As for Bleach, all characters fight using swords and wear kimonos, which implies that they are samurai. However, the setting of the story is in the 1990s, in a town in western Tokyo. Although they fight with swords, their swords are forbidden to be used on humans and can only be used to fight each other Soul Reapers or Hollows. In Bleach, they fight using Soul Energy and Soul Pressure, which comes directly from one’s soul. However, with meditation and good health, the Soul Energy can be recovered. The Soul Pressure can strengthen, no matter how many times they are used or how long.
Both animes have one common enemy or objective, and in both of them, they are groups. In Naruto, it is the Akatsuki, who are outlaw ninjas banded together to destroy the world. In Bleach, it is the Arrancar, a group of highly advanced Hollows, who, with the help of Aizen, a former Soul Reaper, became strong enough to have a human shape and the strength to destroy a city.
Not to add any spoilers, as both animes progresses through their story plot and worlds, the characters are developing at a high rate, except that Naruto’s story ended a long time ago. Bleach continues, and fans are excited for its new arc, Bleach The Thousand-Year Blood War.