When you hear someone say “The Big 3” in anime you probably think of One Piece, Naruto and Bleach. While there are plenty of great shows, these are the three that if you are an avid anime fan, you have probably heard talks and discussions around the Big 3. While I agree with this pick, I think it doesn’t do justice to the other very popular anime that we’ve had over the years. So to rectify the lack of diverse shows in the conversations of the I’m going to be making my own Big 3 Series lists over the last days of November. Each article will focus on what I think are the big 3 in that category or genre.

For today’s article, I will be focusing on what I think are the Big 3 most popular Shonen anime.

I have to start with the show I think is the most popular currently, which would be One Piece. With over 900 shows and still pushing, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have made an indention in the anime world and don’t seem to stopping anytime soon. Not even gonna front, I am not up to date on the episodes. While this would be discouraging for some, I love the fact that it’s not over yet because I get so attached to the characters I want the story to continue. With One Piece there are so many different arcs that at one point or another focus on each member of the Straw Hat Pirates. I hope as Luffy continues to strive to be the King of all Pirates we get to see more awesome battles and allies. I think it would be cool to even see a couple more additions to the Straw Hats.

The next choice on my Big 3 list would be Naruto. I loved Naruto. I loved seeing him as an ostracized little boy, come into his own by finding acceptance and friends. He has a great sense of pride for the Leaf Village even though so many people didn’t want anything to do with him. While I don’t really like Sasuke at all in the series, I appreciate how his friendship with Naruto helped propel them in getting stronger and eventually saving the village. This show also had an array of secondary characters who had awesome powers to aid in protecting the Leaf Village. Shippuden had it’s awesome fights seeing Team 7 at their peak of strength, but we can’t forget where it all started with Naruto and the Chunin exams. This anime will forever go down in history as one of the favorites among fans everywhere.

Last but not least my third pick rounding out my big 3 is Bleach. My favorite on the list! Not even mentioning the story, Bleach’s music alone is a big enough reason for me, to include it in the Big 3. Not only did the show have awesome openings and endings, the music for battles are legendary, especially during the Espada Arc. While most main characters have some kind of lack they overcome as they get stronger, Ichigo doesn’t have a glaring lack like being without magic, or being ostracized in his town. He is a delinquent, but this doesn’t stop him from making meaningful friendships that he would fight to the death for. I know some people have their opinions about Bleach and honestly I think they are sleeping on a great anime.

Those are my picks for the most popular Big 3! Let me know your thoughts and opinions in the comment section or on this post on Instagram @the_nerdlight! See you tomorrow, peace!