Stuart, I think your critisism of Naruto would hold a lot more water if you didn't admit earlier in the thread to have at best minimal knowledge of the story. It's harsh to accuse the characters of never transcending their stereotypical trappings when you are basing your opinion on the first couple of graphic novels. Come back after you've seen the first 20 episodes of the TV series (to the end of Zabuza - Haku arc); I think you'll like it, a lot. (I'd rather graphic novel discussion stays out of this debate, after all, it's a completely different medium of story telling).
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This is exactly what I was trying to avoid with my comments in my past few posts. As long as fans on both sides don't budge on the issue this thread is going to go around and around in circles. Naruto fans will belittle Bleach fans and vice versa, I don't mean to spread any ill will, but the whole debate comes down to one thing and one thing only: some people prefer Bleach some prefer Naruto. We can conjecture as to why until the cows come home but it's not going to solve a thing. And anyway comparing a 130+ episode series multimedia juggernaut to a relatively new series barely out of its forties was hardly fair in the first place. btw I'm trying hard not to sound like a conceited ******** here and I'm giving Naruto fans the benefit of the doubt, I already said I'm willing to give the series another go at somepoint.......so please don't lynch me.
I'm sure Bleach will end up as long as said juggernaut, considering Kubo's current habit of creating numerous plot seedlings and leaving them to grow, creating a whole forest of story trees waiting to be felled later.
As said earlier, I think, at the moment at least, it's hard to compare the two series. When Bleach is as long as Naruto, if it reaches that length, or when the two series end, it will be far easier to compare them in terms of overall structure and plot; for example even the Bleach manga is only at a stage where a pretty intricate plot is being woven, and any sort of climax seems a long way off.
And, of course, with a few knowledgable exceptions, there seems to be a relative derth of people who've seen both series as far as the series extend, or at least on this thread. It's been made clear that a preference is based on opinion; it seems the same reasons cited for preferring one anime are cited for preferring another.
I think in a few years, this will certainly be an extremely interesting topic to return to.
I love both Naruto and Bleach, at the moment they probably rank as my top two series (Fruits Basket proaby l uhed aside because these are current), it really is a difficult choice to pick a favourite because i enjoy watching them both so much. Though if i had to i would pick Bleach, but i can't tell if this is largly swayed by the fact that i watched it first.
Both series are amazing, they both have wonderful characters, a great plot, character design i like, a soundtrack i enjoy, and characters i can fancy :wink: .
But i think they also both have some qualities that are greater than the other. I think in Naruto's case it is the superior characters, i have to say that i love almost everyone of them, each one of them has an endearing quality or something you relate with, even the characters that are supposed to be the bad guy, through stories of their past you find yourself caring for almost as much as the heros. I remember crying my eyes out at the end of the Zabuza arc.
Where as with Bleach, although i do love many of the characters, and probably fancy even more i think there is just something about the storyline and the way it is presented that i prefer over Naruto
No no no no no. Too late my friend. We're going to have to settle this the old fashioned way. The way Naruto and Ichigo would settle it......FISTICUFFS AT DAWN!!! You bring your swords. We'll bring our ninja stars, ramen induced halitosis flame breath and the ability to turn into pieces of wood when seemingly killed and appear somewhere you would never think to look for us. Lol.
I do have to give Bleach something for having far more beautiful female characters than Naruto though .
And it's not a matter of opinion and preference. NARUTO IS BETTER!!!! Simple as. Lol.
Disclaimer: This is wholeheartedly tongue-in-cheek but should anyone want to fight in Street Fighter to decide which show is better I'd be more than happy to
Having now seen the infamous 133rd episode of Naruto I'll admit the action isn't half bad, but I still haven't been swayed to the dark side. If it proves anything it's that the budget for Naruto is a lot bigger than that of Bleach. The fight choreography was up to scratch but at times it lacked impact, I wanted to wince, feel those punches land but they seemed to bounce off of one another and it felt too cartoony in places.
What it lacked in impact however it made up for in scale: that was a imaginatively put together action sequence. I'm willing to admit I may have been wrong and Naruto's not the mess I was expecting. There's something special going on there and I'm intrigued enough to dip back into the series and find out whether or not Naruto can back up all that bark with a little bite.
But.....during a showdown in Bleach when those blows connect you feel every single one, there's grue there's grime....it's the Ong Bak to Naruto's Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Naruto has the style but Bleach, for me, has the grit, I'd rather see swords clash and blood spill. In Bleach you're always aware of each characters mortality, so whilst the fight scenes may not be as flashy,you feel as if there's always something at stake.
Disclaimer: This is wholeheartedly tongue-in-cheek but should anyone want to fight in Street Fighter to decide which show is better I'd be more than happy to
Didn't think anyone had played that which is why I didn't say it! But HELL YEAH!!! Brint it on. Ryu, Ken, Ryo, Geese (I like playing with the ratio unlocked). Or if needs be I'm sure I could use an all SNK team to fight your Capcom team - probably Rugal, Extra Mai, Ryo, Geese . Don't you just love Geese's super? So hard to pull off but soooo satisfying when you do. Sorry we'll continue this in the Gamer's area.
Back on topic. How come Ichigo is so popular if he's supposed to be a delinquent? I don't quite get that. He's actually quite a nice guy. Personally I feel it would have more of an impact if he was a bastard and not a nice guy but he learned to care for others etc etc. Bit sappy I know but it's just because his delinquent nature seemingly falls by the wayside after the show gets going.
In Bleach you're always aware of each characters mortality, so whilst the fight scenes may not be as flashy,you feel as if there's always something at stake.
I think the fight scenes in Bleach are just as flashy as Naruto, but in a different way, it's just different combat. Whilst in Naruto you have all those amazing Jutsus that cause a veriety of interesting effects; in Bleach the attacks may be more simple but they can be just as breathtaking and just flashy to watch.
I guess Ichigo was a bit of a delinquent in that very first scene (i mean he did smash a guys face into the ground), but i think it is very quickly shown that whatever he does has a good motive, he still does get into some fights along the way, but i don't think he has much space to be a delinquent when hes against the clock to save someones life
As well as the episode of Naruto V Sasuke I'd reccomend watching the Rock Lee Vs Kimimaro fight, the one where Rock Lee is drunk so he uses shaolin drunk master type technique, the action in that episode is equally awesome but I cant remember what episode number it is, Im pretty sure its only about 4-5 episodes before 133.
Yeah that is a really good fight, and also the bit with Gaara and Kimimaro.
Though i would say i'm probably the only person to have actually be dissapointed by the Sasuke Naruto fight. I though the episode before that was beautiful, the colours to bright, the visuals so well done, and so i was really excited to see the next episode. But i was then really disapointed to the style competely different, it reminded me of the Digimon movie, dull, and a less accurate character design. But i can argue with the actual choreography of the fight, the moves were great
I guess Ichigo was a bit of a delinquent in that very first scene (i mean he did smash a guys face into the ground), but i think it is very quickly shown that whatever he does has a good motive, he still does get into some fights along the way, but i don't think he has much space to be a delinquent when hes against the clock to save someones life
I think the way Ichigo is regarded is a deliquent stems from his backstory with Chad; he was picked on, and though he doesn't pick fights seems to have learned the hard way to stand up for himself. He also seems fairly quiet, compared to many of his classmates, at least.
Combat in Bleach seems far more based on swordplay than in Naruto (although i'm no expert on Naruto), while Naruto seems to have more focus on special techniques and long ranged attacks (not that Bleach doesn't have it's fair share of these). The styles of the two animes, combat-wise seem pretty different; Bleach puts me more in mind of a samurai anime than Naruto.
I've started watching Naruto from the beginning, partially in an effort to shake off any prejudice I might have. I've only watched up to the ninth episode, which is almost as far as I reached originally. I have to say i'm enjoying the show, it's already on the good side of shounen jump to me, but it hasn't gripped me like Bleach yet. I'm definatly enjoying it, though, and I can forsee myself watching more. Episode 133, which I watched, I really enjoyed, because although the episode was basically a single fight, it was a fight that was orchestrated really well. It did, as an episode, lack plot, and although from the start I wanted Naruto to win, I wouldn't have been upset if he hadn't, but I suppose that comes from watching the hundred and thirty two previous episodes.
I haven't seen the anime version of Naruto so I cannot comment on whether I think it is better than Bleach (which I love) but after reading some of the manga I feel that Naruto (the manga) is better than Bleach (the manga) however that is becasue I can't get into the manga of Bleach as well as I did with the anime. If I was to see the Naruto anime I would probably still like Bleach more, only because I prefer the range of characters.
Following a bout of insomnia I finally had the chance to sit down and watch the first 9 episodes of Naruto last night. The series was strong right out of the gate, the first 5 episodes or so really set the tone and apart from the infrequent comedic misfire and the distractingly eclectic soundtrack, I found it immensely entertaining. The embittered battle scenes and set pieces were every bit as good as I've been led to expect. I was especially impressed with the slew of involving strategic ninja showdowns, which were fast, flashy and downright inventive with a smattering of humour on the side. Kakashi whipping out a Harem novel in the middle of a life or death scrap was an inspired touch.
Despite the strong start I was still left hankering for a more meaty story arc, but for me the appearance of Zabuza is where my enjoyment seriously begun to unravel. The taut zippy action of the first few episodes quickly succumbed to a slovenly pace, that felt flabby and over indulgent. All the hallmarks for a frenetic bout of fisticuffs were there, but for me all the tension was killed by the time the fifth flashback was trotted out.
The actual fight – when it finally shifted into gear was everything I’d hoped, the ninja techniques allow for some pretty neat twists, which whilst impressive, left me rather bemused, they may be fun to watch but they necessitate a whole lotta plot holes and require a leap of believability that undermines all that clever trickery. I understand the ninja arts involve, deceit and deception,
but Naruto, turning into a shuriken!
No matter how hard they tried to explain it away I found it a bit too hard to swallow.
I’ll avoid Bleach comparisons for now, but I have to say part of my love for Bleach stems from the fact that it’s a leaner take on the SJ genre. Duels barely stray beyond the two-episode mark, resulting in some snappy, taut showdowns that kept me absolutely riveted. Whereas during Naruto, at times my mind began to wander and a lot of the time I just wished they’d quit flapping their gums and get on with it.
Still I’m not going to be hasty and hopefully the series will recapture my affections as the arc settles into the second half. I think my enjoyment of the series also hinges on the arrival of Rock Lee, apart from Sasuke and the uber-cool Kakashi I feel alienated by most of the protagonists – especially Naruto, I can totally understand why Sakura despises him . So the sooner he shows up the better, having seen the ‘Between the Rock and a Hard Place’ AMV I’m in no doubt my love for the series will shoot up when he crops (fickle I know, but I adore Bruce Lee).
But is it just I, or does he look more like Sammo Hung with that bowl cut than Bruce Lee?
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And anyway comparing a 130+ episode series multimedia juggernaut to a relatively new series barely out of its forties was hardly fair in the first place. btw I'm trying hard not to sound like a conceited ******** here and I'm giving Naruto fans the benefit of the doubt, I already said I'm willing to give the series another go at somepoint.......so please don't lynch me.