Which verse has a better MC?
Got into it a lil with Rayan a week ago, definitely Naruto. He has an end goal, he has struggles all throughout the manga that go beyond "I can't beat this guy, he's too strong!", and he has a better inner demon to face off against. Hollow Ichigo never came off as a serious threat — which we know why later but we still wasted time earlier in the series with him — whereas the Kyuubi almost consumed Naruto thrice. I don't think Ichigo ever goes through anything as detrimental or as character pushing as Jiraiya's death and he doesn't even have any deep friendships. Naruto is a full package. Maybe not an expensive package, but he gives you the bare minimum.
Which verse has better Support/role Characters?
Naruto's Supporting Cast
- Jiraiya
- Kakashi
- Sakura
- Sai
- Yamato
- Shikamaru
- Gaara
- Tsunade
Ichigo's Supporting Cast
- Rukia
- Urahara
- Renji
- Ishida
- Chad
- Isshin (his dad)
- Yoruichi
- Orihime
I'd say it's very close IMO. Sai, Yamato and Sakura really weigh Naruto's side down. But Kakashi, Shikamaru and Jiraiya are absolutely amazing characters. On the other hand, Rukia, Urahara, Yoruichi and to lesser extents Renji or Ishida are all pretty good too. I'd say it goes to Naruto by a very thin margin. Both have a good number of great allies and other characters who share their screen time with.
Didn't include Sasuke because he's the secondary main character, not a supporting character.
Which verse has the best Power structure?
100% Naruto. I'd argue even up until the 630s where Juubito is born, Naruto's power structure is very well down. Not perfect, but it's continually built upon. Between kekkei genkai, sage mode/senjutsu techniques, jinchuuriki powers, and just elemental ninjutsu, the verse constantly expands with each new enemy. Whereas Bleach has a very rigid but flexible method of doing powers, if that makes any sense. It's tied to zanpakuto in 90% of cases and can be incredibly versatile but generally those are the exceptions. You have Grimmjow's and Zaraki's more often than Ichibe's or Shunsui's.
Bleach also doesn't try to explain itself as much. It's far less mechanical, more of "accept what's happening".
Which verse makes more sense?
Excluding Burrito, which is destroying Naruto each chapter, Naruto? Bleach had to expand its origins outside the manga / series' conclusion and is generally more esoteric.
Explained After the Series: The Soul King and the Five Royal Families created a new world, then the Five Royal Families committed the original sin and mutilated the Soul King 'cause they feared him. His body parts split off, some gaining sentience and power, others being reborn in new souls, but his key body was imprisoned in a stone in Reio — a separate realm that's more or less heaven — and he is the lynchpin that holds reality together.
In the series:
That's all we get. Which I wouldn't count against Bleach if it wasn't one of the biggest causes for the final arc to kick off.
Naruto is pretty straight forward, starting with a heavy political emphasis in part 1 and slightly shelving that in Part 2 but still addressing it throughout Akatsuki and the Kage summit. Biggest mystery is Kaguya, who we're given an adequate enough explanation of her in the manga (excluding Burrito).
Which verse treats issues more realistically?
I think Naruto gives more attention and growth to its characters, so my take would be them? Abandonment, ambition, vengeance, the subject of peace itself. It's just easier to wrap your head around then Aizen's big plan being to become God or Yhwach changing his mind every 20 chapters. Ichigo got some good stuff in TYBW with his mother, won't lie. I liked his response to Isshen when he discovered Isshin was a soul reaper too. But, that's not enough.
And Do you think Ichigo would carry Naruto franchise better than Naruto did? Vice versa with Naruto in Bkeach as MC?
Ichigo's an abrassive teen who'll go to extreme lengths to defend a friend, who is honorable enough to let Ulquiorra strike off his limbs for fair play, and makes allies where ever he goes.
Naruto is an obnoxious youth and later teen who makes friends where ever he goes, can help convert others to a new light, struggled plenty in the early series for recognition and struggled with being an outcast. Spent most of the manga trying to salvage his first friendship.
At their core, very similar characters. Naruto gets more development and starts off with more character traits. So if you replaced them, I think it'd be.. Not totally different, but Naruto would perform better.
