You know, I was rewatching Bleach this entire time and I have to say I am enjoying it alot more than I remember from last time. Is it because I really didn't appreciate it at the time? Probably. I also notice two things I never noticed before, but I do now and that is Naruto and Bleach follow two very interesting dynamics that I wish to share. Somthing that Bleach shares with Superman for that matter and Naruto shares with Goku or tries to. (No, I am not going into a Superman vs Goku debate again so please don't even try. This is NOT a competition so much as it is a comparison. That's it. If you take it as anything more than that. That's your problem and shame on you.)
First let me explain the two types of heroes I see alot in stories lately:
First type I see that I see and will refer to as The Superman Effect:
What is it?
The Superman effect is what I call a hero type where the hero himself has latent and hidden powers that far surpasses anyone or anything has seen before in the story. They have massive power locked away inside them and usually have trouble accessing them. Their fault is not that they don't have power, but rather have problems accessing that power. This isn't to say that other aren't just as powerful, but rather it is unusual for this what seems to be an "ordinary person" possessing. They are so powerful, in fact, that they may even be altering latent hidden powers of those around them without proper training or acknowledgment. They just have raw unimaginable power that they don't realize and the journey is not about gaining more power, but rather unlocking the near limitless or even infinite potential they have. It is a classic form of "Its the journey, not the destination" type of story. You already know they are going to win and overcome, but how?
Pros: The hero appreciates and understand their role and power they possess. They can be humbled by it, but mostly just understand that with said power comes responsibilty so they never use the power on people who don't deserve it even if they could end them effortlessly.
Cons: At times it does get boring when they can't power struggle and seem rather overpowered, but can be subverted if the point is to focus on more moral struggle than brutal muscle measuring. Can also lead to sometimes the hero preserves too much and won't unleash power against a foe that could potentially cause more lives lost in the long run than in the short. (greater good basically)
This is Ichigo Kurasaki from Bleach. Even from the beginning everyone, including more prominate and skilled soul reapers, is at awe with the amount of power he possesses. "How can he have this much power?" They will exclaim and Ichigo doesn't even know himself. His adventures aren't power through training, but his training is used to refine the already existing power he possesses. The people he faces are not more powerful than him, but rather an obstacle he has to get passed to achieve a goal. He is not trying to over power his opponent, he alreayd can do that, but rather how can he use his power to win against them. So when Ichigo gets a "power-up" it is not him surpassing his limits, but rather already unlocking a power he already posseses. Basically gaining access to said powers.
Saitama from One Punch Man also follows this mostly, but at the same time pokes fun at the next type I am about to give.
The other type is what I dub The Goku Effect.
The Goku Effect is a type of hero who is not like the other type in that it really is the destination and not the journey. This isn't to say that journey isn't important, but rather that the journey is not the main focus. Their main focus is overcoming and achieveing past the limits they have. They never have limitless power, but they do have limitless potential. The whole point is reaching the new destination and the pinnacle point til the next destination is given. IE. keep going until there is nothing left to do. They set up goals for them to reach and try overcoming said goals to obtain challenges because they live off that challenge. To them, it is a hobby. They do not care where the destination gets them so much as they reach it. As soon as they reach said destination, they drop it in favor of going somewhere else that is harder. It seems like they never appreciate the destination they reached because they already achieve it. So one could argue that "success" is a minor celebetory achievement for them. They celebrate the challenge, not the success which is why they always seek out more challenges.
Pros: The hero can show great struggle and overcoming that struggle especially when fighting strong opponents showcasing that no limit can't be overcome. A true tale of test and courage in the face of oblivion. A hero who is willing to fight the fights even if it seems hopeless and at times ge out by the skin of their teeth.
Cons: Too much struggle and you wonder how they keep surviving as well the hero seems more self-centered when they care more about the fight than they do about potential innocence lives being lost. Basically the challenge thrill outweighs the actual moral standing that lives matter. Can be subverted if the hero is aware of his predicament and realizes that his power struggle should not outweigh the true meaning of starting the journey in the first place.
This is what Naruto was....at the start of the series. He was a hero who faced many challanges, proclaims goals, and began to work to achieve said goals. Pretty soon, however, Naruto went from The Goku Effect to The Superman Effect in just one small leap. Basically, Naruto went from a character that could overcome any challenge all the while strugglee with gaining power that most were given at birth to "here is all this power because you are a *insert blood heritage here with reicarnation regaining birthright power.*"
Naruto took the worst of both types and tried to make a series out of it. Everything wrong was smashed into eachother and told "this is how it works." First he did the Goku Effect problems where he cared more about selfish desires than the actual threats and believed that he could overcome just because "he wanted to" and nothing morally correct and then during the war arc went into the Superman Effect where he was given infinite power through "hidden means," but didn't care about the greater good when he felt just one life taken was more important than the risk of every life being taken. This causes an effect where yeah murder is bad, but sometimes is a necessary evil because the villain will just go out and murder more people.
And the worst about all of it is instead of showcasing how such behavior in both can lead to massive destruction and oversight, they instead had everything conveniently fix themselves so there was no risk either way and thus proving the point entirely off and destroying any moral compass the story originally should have had. Anti-climatic solutions for Anti-climatic problems.
Superman subverts his problems and oversight by way that he is aware of what might happen and vows to try and stop it before it even comes to pass. He is aware that he is taking a big risks, but also says that these villains will never succeed as long as he is around. This gives Superman a more leeway to show how facing challenges everyday can help you learn from your mistakes before. You notice the same plan never works twice against Superman and the villains don't even try.
Goku subverts it with both the Dragonballs and the fact that villains are just as eager as him for the fight and the enjoyment of said fight rather simple want and destruction. Also helps when most villains die by the end of the fight. Freeza could destroy everything if he wanted, but he wanted to rule over it more instead and only destroy if necessary to his cause or to instill fear in what he is ruling. Only flex muslces to remind people you have them and get rid of resistence if need me. Remember that Freeza never killed without reason or pleasure. He just coveted it all.
Naruto tried to do both and failed so miserably with all of it....and worse never even let the hero be rewarded for his work. People say that Hinata was his reward, but it was not a reward he wanted or was actively seeking. It was a reward that people THOUGHT he deserved, but not one that was wanted. Superman wants peace and to protect everyone and he does and Goku wants a good fight which he gets. This is why these two are far more dynamically as characters and Naruto just fails on a hero level. kitten goals, pathetic outcomes, and less than satisfying rewards and gains.
What does this mean for Ichigo? Well, despite the rushed job and the fillers, Bleach is still a far more complete story. Ichigo had goals and knew what he wanted to do and he achieved most if not all of those goals.
Ichigo wanted to save Rukia, he got to save Rukia
Ichigo wanted to save Orihime, he got to save Orihime.
Ichigo wanted to feel complete with himself and avenge his mother, you can guess what he got....
There is nothing Ichigo got that he didn't want or didn't need. He didn't settle for a substitution, he got exactly what he wanted and the writer let him have it because he knew that Ichigo's goals was not a question of if, but rather a question of how. How is Ichigo going to achieve what he wants most? "Here, I will show you..." says Kubo.
Meanwhile in Naruto....It doesn't look like he got what he set out to do...."Well he did and you just have to accept that." says Kishimoto....How?...."Because I said so."
That is the difference between a good story....and a bad one...in my honest opinion.
Edited by James S Cassidy, 27 November 2017 - 10:02 PM.
