The Big Three — Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach — shaped an entire generation of anime fans, defined shounen for a decade, and became cultural landmarks worldwide. But even giants cast long shadows. Behind their legendary moments lie structural flaws, narrative missteps, and production issues that fans still debate to this day.
Here’s a focused look at the worst aspects of each series — not to diminish their impact, but to understand where these titans stumbled.

Naruto: Where Greatness Trips Over Its Own Feet

1. Endless Fillers

Naruto (and especially Shippuden) suffers from filler arcs so long they became their own seasonal calendar events. Critical momentum gets halted, emotional arcs lose impact, and the pacing turns muddy.

2. Kaguya’s Abrupt, Unprepared Introduction

After years of foreshadowing the conflict with Madara, the sudden appearance of Kaguya felt like swapping the final boss five seconds before the ending. It undercuts the narrative payoff and left many fans feeling blindsided.

3. Abandonment of Major Side Characters’ Stories (e.g., Rock Lee)

Naruto sets up an entire generation of compelling side characters — then forgets half of them. Rock Lee, once framed as a hardworking underdog rivaling Naruto himself, receives no meaningful endgame development.

One Piece: A Masterpiece Chained by Its Own Ambition

1. Horrible Pacing (Especially Post–Timeskip)

Beautiful worldbuilding is constantly dragged down by unbearable pacing. Important fights stretch for episodes, transitions take forever, and key moments lose urgency because everything moves in slow motion.

2. Early Animation Quality Issues

Pre–time skip animation (especially The East Blue Saga) ranges from inconsistent to outright rough animation. While the storytelling is strong, the visuals sometimes struggle to match the narrative’s emotional weight.

3. 1000+ Episodes Can Be Overwhelming

One Piece is a monumental commitment. Its size is both a flex and a barrier — many new viewers don’t want to climb a mountain that’s still growing.

Bleach: The Stylish Giant With Heavy Cracks

1. Massive Filler Arcs at the Worst Possible Time

Bleach is infamous for dropping enormous filler arcs right when the main story starts to get interesting. It kills the build-up tension and frustrates viewers ready for what’s next.

2. Repetitive Plot Loops

A common Bleach criticism: Ichigo loses → trains → gets new form → wins → new enemy → repeat. It creates a predictable rhythm that undermines its other great aspects.

3. A Main Character With Weak Long-Term Motivation

Ichigo’s “I want to protect my friends” is noble, but it rarely evolves. His goals aren’t personal or specific enough to anchor a long-running story with emotional depth.

Final Verdict

Even legends have flaws. Naruto battles inconsistent writing and filler overload. One Piece’s brilliance fights against pacing and sheer size. Bleach dazzles with style but stumbles with structure.
And yet — despite all this — the Big Three shaped modern anime. Their strengths overshadow their weaknesses by a grand margin, yet together they form the imperfect foundation of an era we’ll never see again.

💭 Do you agree with the arguments presented above? If not, why? Let us know though the comments below.

Image credit Toei Animation