Questions regarding the "Big Three"

To those who don't know what I am referring to as the Big Three in anime/manga, it is Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece, all owned by Shonen Jump. They are probably the most well known names in the industry, and even non-fans know enough about each show. They have also spanned a number of years, lasting hundreds of chapters (Bleach being the youngest, and I believe, the shortest out of the three)

I basically have two questions around the Big Three:

1. Why do you think these three have become so big in the industry. Does it have anything to do with the fact that they are all shonen manga?

2. If you are a fan of any of the three series, which is it and why?

This is not a "which series is better" question, so please don't see this as a reason to attack a series you do not like.

 

1. Just great storylines and action! These three have everything you could want! Take Death Note for example. it's a great story but not much action. i just personally believe these three have a lot of everything you could want.

2. fan of one piece and naruto (got into bleach for a little bit, didnt like it after a while). i like them like said above great story and good action (especially from naruto). i would like to mention though that one piece is WAY funnier. naruto was first on my list before i watched one piece.

 

1) It's gotta be because of the complexity of the story, the great head turning moments, as well as the suspense, action, comedy, and many other things to do with it.

2) I'm a fan of all three. I started reading Naruto and One Piece long before Bleach, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed Bleach as well. After a while I found myself waiting for the new books for these things the most out of any other book.

 

I think the appeal is that with the shows, you can turn it on, and switch off your brain. They don't really require as much thought as other series.

I used to like Bleach, until things got too boring with enough filler episodes to create a new story arc (See: Bounto Arc). I actually hate Naruto and One piece, because the characters annoy me, and it really don't see the appeal, personally. Bleach is a bit more serious, though, so maybe that's why I liked it.

 

Because the shows are pretty amazing.

 

Death Note is amazing because it didn't NEED action to keep it inticing and to keep readers hooked. Action is fun, but mindless. When I read, I like to think about what I'm reading not be mindless about it. I analyze and challenge it and have it challenge me.

 

yeah i know ha but the question was why do i think these 'big three' are so popular. the 'big three' i feel applies to a more general audience than Death Note does. Death note is amazing and definitely doesn't need action. however the 'general audience' doesnt like that there is no action and some dont give it a chance or like it due to this. that's just my opinion. same reason why the best reviewed movies fail at the box office and the 'mindless' action films go on to be box office gold lol but not saying all this to take away from the 'big three'. they are all still great anime in terms of plot too.

 

I actually think Death Note would appeal more to general audiences than anything else, because it's a lot shorter that Bleach, Naruto, or One Piece, the characters are easy to understand, and it's all wrapped up in a relatively short time, unlike either of there "Big Three" which has become a mess of "Oh noes bad guys! I must get stronger! Now I have beaten them, but there's more bad guys, I must get stronger!" and it's just repeated with little variation in the story.

 

I read all three. I started to read Naruto and One Piece as soon as they were released in my country. I didn' t know what to expect at all, it was a completely random choice. I was a student back then and I was looking for a few shonens to get into cause all the ones I was reading before were done (I also picked Shaman King, Hunter X Hunter and later Death Note).

A few years later I "converted" a friend of mine to Naruto, One Piece and Death Note and he "converted" me to Bleach, by that time the huge three had emerged and I knew Bleach was one of them.

In the past few years my interest has waned though, I only read them online once a year. One Piece is the only one that sill feels at least as good as day one to me.

BTW, reading this thread sparked my yearly manga reading, I' ve only catch up to Naruto for now and ... is it just me or was the latest chapter reveal a load of bollocks ? With my distant readings I tend to forget half the plot and characters, but this latest reveal seems to imply a lot of inconsistencies, for instance :

Spoiler

Didn' t Obito "die" before the fourth became Hokage ? Admitting that he didn' t die, wasn' t Obito supposed to be a prepubescent teenager at best at the time an adult Tobi created the Akatsuki ? I couldn' t be arsed to re-read the whole thing just to refresh my memory.

 

Personally, I could care less about the original One Piece and Naruto. Bleach and Naruto Shippuden, are much better for me. Let me see, there are some up above me that say they have to complex a story and to easy a story. i think it's a happy medium. They are popular because of the intricate stories, you actually can believe that these people exist. And I am talking about my two favorites, not the others.

 

I think they became popular because people who don't like anime found it more appealing, if I just drag someone to my house and make him/her watch Lucky Star with me, they would probably get freaked out.(They would get freaked out no matter what I made them watch, but, y'know) What I'm trying to say is, it is an anime, but it appeals to people who may not know what an anime is.

 

1. Great storylines, Bada** characters, and Lots of Action!!!

2. Used to love Naruto and One Piece, but I prefer the seriousness of Bleach. I only read the manga though. I mostly skip the filler arcs.

 

Let me start off in saying that Dragon Ball Z and Yu Yu Hakusho are also very big when it comes to Shonen Jump and how well known they are, so it surprises me that neither of the two were mentioned.

1. The action and storyline evolves over time leaving the viewer wanting more and to see what happens next. The only real people who stick with it however are the ones who were there when it started do to how long the actual anime is.

2. I have read up to 626 in the manga for Naruto which is current date. Out of the 3 I enjoy it the most. I have gotten half way through One Piece's manga. I am enjoying that hilarious ride as well. Bleach... well I am almost done with the 3rd Saga. It is frankly boring me now.

 

1. I don't actually know why they became so popular. My guess would be the action.
2. I used to read Bleach, then got into Naruto and One Piece. After awhile Naruto just started to bore me so I dropped it. Same with Bleach but I kept reading it and am now liking the new Arc and that rekindled my interest. And One Piece I unintentionally dropped it and just haven't got back to it yet.

 

Here's a great video explaining on what the big three are.
Pretty informative if you're interested.

Spoiler

 

One Piece is my favorite anime. When I first started watching it, I was instantly drawn in to the absolute ridiculousness of a guy who could stretch. After a while, (and I'm still not caught up with the anime, but I am in the manga) it became a comfort anime to me. Whenever I was upset over something, I would go and read or watch One Piece and it always made me laugh and feel better.