The great Greek and Roman philosophers loved to debate back then, and the internet junkies love to debate today. It's a human impulse - to debate. Saying "it's a matter of opinion" doesn't help because there always has to be someone who's right and someone who's wrong. People can debate for the silliest things and for years and years, the debate can drag on without having a clear winner. But that's just the way things are. And you can't deny it, debates are really are fun and we all love it.
The start of the new millennium signaled the start of two of the greatest Shounen anime series since Dragon Ball Z - Naruto and Bleach. Both anime series have accumulated millions of fans worldwide and, as expected, to these fans, saying that both anime series are good and both worth watching is just not enough. They have to know which is better.
So,Rreally, Which is Better - Naruto or Bleach?
Naruto and Bleach have similar main characters. They're about adolescent boys who are both special, both somewhat dense but kind-hearted and gutsy, both insanely strong and can go against the strongest enemies, and both have a tendency to trash talk but still be able to give inspiring speeches. But while the main characters are similar, the plots are different. While Naruto is about ninjas, Bleach is more like an anime version of Ghost Busters. Both have their own appeal to fans. And really, it's a matter of opinion whether the fan likes ninjas or anything related to the afterlife better.
Similarities and Differences
The execution of these series' storylines also differs. Naruto spends more time developing its story and its characters than Bleach does. And while the flashbacks in Naruto can get a bit dragging for some people, especially the ones who watch for the fight scenes alone, they do leave us with more three dimensional characters and a more detailed storyline. When things happen, you know why they do because there's a background. The progression of the story is logical. Bleach, on the other hand, is one big mash of plot twists that, though entertaining, really are just good for the shock factor.
Humor-wise, both are great. Both can have you clutching your stomach and rolling on the floor in insane laughter. However, Naruto's humor is somewhat slapstick sometimes as compared to Bleach's more refined and natural humor. But then, you have to consider that the characters in Naruto are mostly kids and are younger than the characters in Bleach (not considering Shippuden).
The fight scenes in Naruto are way more interesting because it dabbles more in strategy rather than just the simple clashing of swords. However, because there's much strategy involved in Naruto's fight scenes, you also get to hear a lot of long and winding explanations in between fights and this is something that the some fans who are in for the action dislike. Bleach's fight scenes are also great and action-packed but are rather repetitive.
One edge that Bleach does have over Naruto is that its characters get a change of wardrobe every now and then. In Naruto, we see the same costume each and every day. It's as if the characters have closets-full of the same clothes.
But overall, I'd say that Naruto wins over Bleach because Naruto is much more emotionally engaging. The Naruto episodes can evoke so much emotion in you that you'll cry with the characters, laugh with them, and even go so much as to really love or really hate some of the characters. Bleach sort of had something similar in the beginning but the storyline started to deteriorate and you start to lose touch with connecting to the characters. With Naruto even with Naruto Shippuden you're still able to 'feel', connect and understand the positions for the characters, and for me, that's what makes a good anime. Not to mention that the storyline just gets better through each episode!
