Disclaimer
This Thread is all about my opinion, that's what it says in the title as well,
if you disagree with me on some points, feel free to explain yourself, i'll be
sure to listen and apologise if you hand me some arguments.
I am well aware that there is no "Greatest manga of all time", but once more,
read the the title, it says In My Opinion.
We all have one.
don't swallow this just cause I say so.
disclaimer
Any of you who has even the slightest interest in manga, will once have stumbled upon one of the BIG 3 :
Naruto, Bleach and One Piece.
I have started reading all of them at a considerately young age,
back when I was 10-11 years old,
depending on the series, and have seen all of them progress.
Many times I have seen people shouting their opinions on who is truly the king
of these 3 GIANTS ( refering to their chapters/popularity, no doubt there are more complex, deeper manga around, but none of them lasted this long.)
So instead, I'm going to actually discuss these manga, all of them i've read somewhat simultaneously, so believe me when I tell you, I like/liked them all,
And I Do Know What I'm Talking About,
I read them, not just blamming them for the 20 chapters I've read so far.
This is my opinion upon reading them all.
Opinion in a big fat Font for those that seem to think I'm claiming this to be the best series.
Here are my arguments on all of these manga, starting with the most world-renowned, and naruto is the most world-renowned, no discussing that.
ps: I've read all of these series at least 3 to 4 times comletely, because I grew older/needed to refresh my memory.
Naruto
First off, the characters.
I really fell in love with the characters when I began reading it,
aside from Sasuke never having a real character, most of the characters were really appealing, funny and had charm.
BUT all of the villains lacked the awesome/scary factor, which a villain truly needs.
Some characters in the early arcs were masterful, such as Zabusa.
The plot is a cacaphony of ideas.
It started phenomenally, with the Zabusa Arc, which was (I'm falling into a repeat) masterfully done.
You had this great respect for ALL of the characters,
hell, you even liked Sasuke somewhat at that time.
But as it grew past the 150-somewhat chapters,
it became a chaos of mindless chapters and ideas.
I really loved naruto, I cannot stress this enough, but it became lame.
Now all of you naruto-fans will probably strangle me, but read on, i'll explain.
It has become a Batman-Joker situation, with Naruto and his gang being the Batman, and Orochimaru, Pain and Sasuke as the Joker.
The entire series they're just chasing after one-another.
Naruto has no set goal, and that's what cripples the entire series,
itcould virtually go on forever, and don't tell me you don't have this feeling when reading the manga.
Basically, at this point, everyone is just reading/watching Naruto just to see what new powers Naruto will gain, hoping you'll see that one kick-ass move you know you're never gonna see.
Just like that time you watched the entire DBGT series to see goku turn SS4.
The plot no longer interests anyone, because whatever great plot Kishimoto had in stock for us, obviously, there's none left.
I loved Naruto, but the series would've been so much better if he had put an end to it a 100 chapters ago.
Bleach
Obviously ment for a tad older public than Naruto,
bleach is a long-lasting manga that survived their 400th chapter,
and is still running at a decent pace.
Sure, the effects of lasting that long are visible, it's no longer that great manga it once was, but it's still really good, and that's a damn nice feat for a 400+ manga.
The characters may be somewhat flat, they don't have that much background, but seriously, you don't care.
He took a concept, which is original in no way, yet he conversed in into a manga and made it work.
seriously, a death god/grim reaper is in no way interesting to me, yet he made it interesting.
Obviously, it could possibly go on forever like Naruto, with no real ending in sight, but everyone who has read the manga gets the feeling that Kubo has somewhat of an idea of when to quit and make a satisfying ending for everyone.
And that's why I wouldn't mind him going on for another 100-150 chapters, because I'm sure he'll be able to turn it into something decent.
The only turn-down, are the constant long-lasting flashbacks, which tend to annoy me, they provide little more depth to the series, and are somewhat useless to me. (Except for the Aizen-parts, those were crucial to the plot, obviously.)
and now, finally, the number one manga to me (emphasis on the "to me", you flamers!)
One Piece
Being the longest running manga of the above, and being the most popular manga (in Japan),One Piece took the world by storm with it's original characters and ideas. (Sure, Luffy resembles Goku, but he's great, ain't he ? cut Oda some slack)
Here are some points that make One Piece the superior series, to me.
-An unique style.
Most People don't want to read One Piece because they "don't like the style the artists has". Simply because it's not how a manga drawing style should be in their opinion. To them I say : Read it!
Once you've passed 40 to 50 chapters, you'll truly grasp the beautiful,skillful and ORIGINAL style he uses. And an original drawing style in a manga, is rarely seen.
-A great plot.
Sure, it's not that complex, everyone can understand it, yet it's suitable for all ages, kids and adults alike will LOVE the series. And that is a truly remarkable thing to be able to do.
-Great Characters.
Sure, they're goofy, but they're hilarious, don't fall out of their role, and actually gain some depth throughout the series, in most manga series, you get a flashback about a character, and that's all the depth they'll ever get.
The villains are awesome, and even those who are meant to be silly, like Buggy the clown, are awe-inspiring and even creepy at times.
Best Villains ever…
-Great Powers.
You aren't expecting any of the characters to gain superpowers, like you expect when watching Bleach an Naruto. Yet Oda suprises hos fans by giving them some extra powers, over a great period of time.
The characters gradually grow stronger and more mature, instead of going Super Saiyan, like in most mangas.
And to Top it off, the feel!
Once Piece has this feel to it, neither Naruto or Bleach have,
I'm actually waiting for another chapter to appear,
but for the other two, I'm simply reading on cause I figure,
I should finish what I've started.
Every Week, I can't wait for Jump to release the new chapter,
and whenever Oda's behind, I think to myself:
well, he's probably tuning the script,
instead of appeasing his chapter-hungry fans.
This is why, One Piece, to me,
is the greatest long-lasting Manga series to date.
Oda really is a master of his craft though, and I think it shows. He continually turns my expectations of the story and characters totally upside down. I think we're all lucky to be experiencing it as it's happening.
♪♫♪♫♪
