The comparison between Bleach and Naruto is something that anime fans have been doing since the two series came out. And while these comparisons vary according to the different elements of the narrative, the one that is most prominent is the one between the two protagonists of the series, Kurosaki Ichigo and Naruto Uzumaki.
Both of them are quite different as they have different strengths, abilities, and goals. But the one thing that draws parallels between the two characters is The Chosen One trope that is embedded within the development of both anime protagonists. However, Kubo might have managed to break free from this trope by using the simplest trick in the book.
He embraced The Chosen One trope and took it to a completely different level by making Ichigo a different type of main character. He took him away from all the hard work and efforts that Shonen protagonists do in order to achieve the goal and made it simple by making Ichigo’s powers a part of his development as he moved deeper into the Bleach storyline.
The curse of The Chosen One trope in Naruto and Bleach
Both Naruto and Bleach are a part of The Big Three and they have inspired an entire generation of creators and audience. And while they have gained the fruits of success, they have also suffered from some stereotypical shonen tropes that have led to great criticism from fans and critics. One such trope that has affected the two anime series’ growth is The Chosen One trope.
In Naruto’s case, his burden as the jinchuriki for the nine tails and his responsibilities as the reincarnation of Ashura Otsutsuki, one of the two sons of the Sage of Six Paths, in some ways justified his powers and his ability to win against the strongest of enemies. Plus, him being the son of the Fourth Hokage automatically destined him for greatness.
In the case of Ichigo, his Chosen One trope was a little complex as he was a hybrid of human, Soul Reaper, Quincy, Hollow, and Fullbringer.
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Thus, while he was also destined for success in almost all of his battles, it depended on the storyline and the type of enemies he was facing. It made a lot of difference but still, he could not escape from the trope.
Tite Kubo embraced the Chosen One trope and avoided the curse
The problem with the Chosen One trope in Naruto was that Masashi Kishimoto had no way to escape it as it was directly connected to the central storyline, and the entire narrative was based around it. However, Tite Kubo managed to get past the criticism and allegations by embracing it and making it a part of Ichigo’s character and physical development in Bleach.
Every new power or ability that was presented to him as the chosen one depended on the kind of villain he was facing and drew parallels with them. For example, if he was facing a fullbringer, his powers as a fullbringer were focused on, and the same was the case with other villains as well. This made Ichigo unique and unlike anything the Shonen world had ever seen.
And while there was the element of hard work and training, it was not really significant to his growth against his opponents. Kubo knew that Bleach wouldn’t look good without the Chosen One trope, and thus, he accepted it and made sure that instead of being a drawback, it worked in favor of Ichigo’s development.
Bleach and Naruto are available to watch on Hulu.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
