So, let's get started. I love animes. Full Metal Alchemist, One Piece, they're all awesome. However, 3 in particular have struck me as being quite similar in their presentation, and I've decided to do an...ANIME BATTLE TO THE DEATH!!1!ONE! Just kidding; I will, however, compare them in great detail, and our 3 Candidates are: Naruto (The original anime, not Shippuden) Yu Yu Hakusho and Dragonball Z. Everyone clear? OK, then let's begin.
Part 1 - Intros and Openings
For this part, I'll be comparing the English, dubbed, first-season intros. "An opening needs to draw in an audience with an opening that all around fits the show and scenes that make people want to watch it and know what it's about so they dont waste their time watching a show they hated." (My friend Iggs of "Last Insanity" said that) The reason I'm only comparing dubbed openings is because this review is geared towards English-speaking audiences, who are most likely to just go watch the dubs.
Let's start with Naruto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWx5EJWonmc
This intro is so-so. The music kicks ass, and really makes you expect an action-packed show. The video, however, is sub-par, It shows some highlights from the show, including some action scenes, but it doesn't let us know if all these characters are on the same side. It also has no rhyme or reason, flashing scenes so quickly its gone before your brain can process what it just saw. It's basically just a music video of the series using the theme song!
5/10
Moving on to Yu Yu Hakusho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DehmPOkrtRc
In effect, this intro is the exact opposite of the Naruto opening. The scenes show you exactly who's together and the characters, but the music is....eh. If you listen to the lyrics, there's definitely a focus on teamwork, and it basically is saying that they need each other or they're going to get their asses handed to them. The music itself, however, is weak compared to the songs other action-based shows have.
7/10 Finally we come to Dragonball Z
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqEYuzD5RcE
One could say this opening is the same as Naruto's and, in a way, you're right. It's a bunch of scenes from the show with the theme song playing. But look at it again. It shows all the characters in a positive light, displaying how powerful they all are. It doesn't really, unfortunately, show their affiliation, except with some shots that go by so fast you need to watch them multiple times in order to figure out who the hell just flew past the screen! 6/10
Winner: Yu Yu Hakusho
Part 2 - Characters
Characters make the show, there's no way around this. Even if you made a show about kumquats, the kumquats would be the characters! So, let's look at the characters of these shows and see who's the most badass. We'll start with main characters. Naruto Uzumaki - This kid annoys me. His voice is irritating, he looks too immature to star in any show that contains blood and violence, and he wears orange. WHAT THE HELL KIND OF NINJA WEARS AN ORANGE JUMPSUIT?! If you're hiding in a tree wearing orange, trying to sneak up on me, guess what? I CAN SEE YOU! But I digress. You know how in a show or game, the character will start out weak, but in time grow more powerful as the series progresses? Well, Naruto doesn't do that. He starts out weak, and stays a wimp. Sure, he gets more techniques and jutsus, along with his demon forms, but his base state doesn't get any stronger. Instead, he beats most of his opponents through sheer luck. Naruto's character is nothing but an annoying wimp.
3/10
Yusuke Urameshi - This. Character. Kicks. ASS! What's better than a street punk with a serious attitude? A street punk with serious attitude that can shoot spirit energy from his index finger! Yusuke may seem like your stereotypical "I only care about myself" jerk, but he actually has great respect for his peers, and will do anything to protect his friends. There is one flaw, however. While I love it when the hero's taken a merciless beating from the villain, only to get up again and start kicking ass, YUSUKE CAN'T STOP DOING IT! Seriously, in one fight, I counted Yusuke getting up no less than 3 times! It gets to the point where you almost don't feel the suspense of Yusuke getting knocked down, because I know he's just gonna get right back up again. There's being badass, and then there's just overdoing it. 7/10
Son Goku - At a glance, Goku just seems like your traditional fighter. He beats people up, gets stronger, and protects the galaxy from evil. But if you look beyond that, you'll see a character full of compassion and trust. He fights alongside his friends, but also hates putting them in danger. He is also a fair fighter, as he has purposefully given energy to a villain so he can escape being destroyed by an exploding planet, even though said villain was the one who caused it! He also heals a villain his son is about to fight, to ensure that his son's potential is fully tested. He is, however, too trusting at times. Remember that villain I mentioned that Goku healed in order to escape the exploding planet? Yeah, that guy turned right around and trited to kill him! Way to go, greatest warrior in the universe... His appetite is second to none, and could quite literally eat forever, though this is explained as being part of his alien biology.
9/10
Winner: Goku
PART 3 - Supporting Cast
Part 3.1 "The Brooding Emo Rival"
Yeah, every show has one of these. that character that distant, depressing character that has hordes of fangirls who all want to draw some awkward picture of or write a rather disturbing fanfiction about him making out with another male character. Ew. This character type is inescapable, and you will find one in almost any TV show or series you watch, be they good or evil. Ironically, all 3 shown here have been both.
Sasuke Uchiha - I don't have much to say about this guy. He seems to be a skilled fighter, and will do anything to win, even cheating in a test. He doesn't think very highly about Naruto, (a trait I share with him) and thinks he's completely incompetent. Once Naruto starts getting better at fighting, however, Sasuke begins fearing that Naruto will become better than him. All this cuses him to turn evil after being marked with some evil seal or some crap like that, and begin acting like a total DOUCHE, betraying his village and going to join the villain who wants to STEAL HIS BODY. All of this is to get revenge on the person who slaughtered his family (no spoilers). All in all, Sasuke's decent, but pretty bland.
5/10
Hiei - If anyone could prove that short people kick ass, it's Hiei. He starts out as a villain, having stolen an ancient sword that turns anything it slashes into a vicious beast, but gets stopped by Yusuke through some quick thinking. Afterwards, he is recruited by the leader of Spirit World to help Yusuke in a mission, and becomes a steady ally afterwards. He has respect for strong fighters, but pays little attention to ones he deems too weak. He can easily dispatch most foes in a few seconds, and the ones he can't usually only take an episode or 2. If you don't already think this guy's badass, HE SHOOTS FLAMES FROM THE PITS OF HELL OUT OF HIS HAND IN THE FORM OF A GIANT DRAGON!!!
9/10
Vegeta - Another person with "Hiei Syndrome," Vegeta starts out short and mean, and becomes.....average height, and mean. He initially went to Earth to blow it up, along with his partner (NOT LIKE THAT, FANGIRLS!!!) Nappa after their comrade Raditz was killed by Goku and his rival Piccolo. Nappa dies and Vegeta gets his ass kicked, (Goku's power level was over 9000, you see.)and returns to his employer, the evil tyrant Frieza. Long story short, Frieza tries to kill him, and Vegeta begins a new life on Eart. Vegeta is incredibly powerful, and is jealous of Goku every time he achieves a new level of power. He is an honorable fighter, and always tests his strength by taking on more powerful opponents. His pride as the prince of Saiyans is as immense as his power, and it is the force that fuels his determination. This does, however, make him into a sort of Goku wanna-be, always fuming over the power Goku displays and ignoring the fact that Goku saved his ass! He does show a great amount of respect, on the other hand, showing that, while he appears to dislike Goku, he knows that he'll aways have his back.
7/10
Winner: Hiei
Part 3.2 "The Effeminate Ally"
Another common character, this guy isn't exactly GAY, just has long hair and a smooth voice. Did I just contradict myself? Anyway, this guy is the one that most likely has the most fangirls (not counting the MILLIONS the emo guy has, that's like comparing the audience at a rock concert to the attendance of a public paint-drying competition) and they will also have awkward pictures or stories about them. Anime fandom reeks of creepiness.
Neji Hyuga - Ah, Neji. You were slightly respectable. Neji has a bit of a rivalry with his fellow clan member, Hinata. They're both in different classes of their clan, and he HATES HER FOR IT. Neji's a skilled fighter, and can use his byakugan vision to spot weak points and stop his opponent using counter-attacks, making any and all strategies null and void. Pretty awesome. Unfortuneately, Neji shows as much emotion as a cardboard box at times, and can be boring to watch.
6/10
Kurama/Suichi Minamino - Kurama's awesome. His weapon is a rose, he's actually a demon fox in a human body (Sorry Naruto, but Kurama can pull it off.) and he has AWESOME hair. He is anunderstanding person, who always resolves arguements peacefully. He is also extremely caring and noble, doing what's right and what's needed, and was even willing to sacrifice his own life to save his human mother. Kurama is the one character I've found with no visible flaws.
10/10
Future Trunks - Oh boy, I'm gonna get hate mail for this one. But think about it for a sec, ok? He's got the longest hair of any non-transformed male character, and is never shown getting a girlfriend. Coincidence? Probably, but he's the closest character to fit the bill. (If you don't want spoilers, scroll down to the next section) He's the son of Vegeta and Bulma FROM THE FUTURE!!! *Dramatic music, thunderclaps* As such, he has inherited Bulma's analyst attitude and Vegeta's immense power. Coupled with his experiences in the apocalyptic future, these traits make him a very formidable fighter. HE is, however, a really friendly guy, and gives Goku medicine from the future in order to prevent him from dying from a fatal heart virus. (Why this doesn't cause a time paradox and destroy all reality, I'll never understand)
8/10
Winner: Kurama
Part 3.3: Mentors
Our characters didn't learn all they know by themselves, did they? NO! They had a teacher, a role model, someone to teach them their skills and someone to look up to. So, without further ado, let's begin. (I couldn't think of a stylish intro for this, deal with it)
Jiraiya - Man, even in the edited English version, this guy's a perv. Every chance he has to possibly hit on a woman, he does, even abondoning Naruto during his training, especially when the training becomes POTENTIALLY LETHAL! Sure, he teaches the Rasengan (more on that later) and how to summon a....giant toad, and he's an ancient ninja veteran, but he just seems negligent, and i simply cannot respect him.
3/10
Genkai - Genkai is perfect. Just gonna get right out and say it. Her character has no flaws to speak of. She comes off as a demanding old lady who's incredibly strict in her training excercises, but she's actually very understanding, and cares for her pupil, Yusuke. She teaches him that you have to earn things in life, and work hard for them, and good opportunities won't be handed to you on a platter. She seems to orchestrate most of the story involved with her, and is an amazingly badass fighter. Genkai is even able to defeat enemies who utilize high amounts of spirit energy even once she has given hers up to Yusuke. She does this by STEALING IT FROM HER OPPONENT! She has also shown enough fighting prowess to beat a magical clown (I'm not kidding) so hard that his face was an unrecognizable mess! You don't f*** with Genkai.
11/10 (She's THAT awesome)
Master Roshi - What is it with anime and perverts?! No, I'm not talking about furries, yaoi fangirls (I can thank Iggs for giving me a description of what that is that will never leave the "Horribly Disturbing Images" part of my brain) and non-canon romances. I'm talking about perverted characters. Case in point, Master Roshi is our topic. While not as bad as Jiraiya (seeing as how he doesn't abandon his students in the middle of training) he can be kinda creepy at times. This is his only flaw. In the original Dragon Ball series, Roshi was incredibly poweful, and could easily best Goku in a fight. He was also the creator of the series' catchphrase and Goku's signature move; the Kamehameha Wave!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhm4karcAJE&feature=related
7/10
Winner: Genkai
Part 3.4 "Frenemies"
To those who don't know what a "frenemy" is, I'll give you a brief description. A frenemy can be summarized in the term "that jerk that you always hated and never thought you would work with in your entire life, but now you have to, so just deal and get it over with as quickly as possible." Everyone clear on that? Good, let's begin.
Kiba Inuzuka - Ha! Thought I'd put Sasuke again, didn't you?! Nope, there are no repititions on this comparison! Kiba makes a good example becuase the first thing we see him and Naurto do together is trying to kill each other! Then when they're put on a tema, they won't stop bitching about each other! Every decision they make is put down by the other and they don't get anything done until they sort things out. Unfortuneately, this doesn't have any lasting effect on the series in particular, so the rating's pretty low.
5/10
Kazuma Kuwabara - Kuwabara starts out as your basic street punk; he has a gang, he's always ready for a fight and tries to invade other gangs' territory. He starts as an antagonist for Yusuke, and always wants to prove he's better at fighting. Later, however, he becomes insturmental to Yusuke coming back to life. Once Yusuke is back, he and Kuwabara becomes fast friends, and Kuwabara aids him on his first big mission. The relationship is very well-executed and feels realistic, as you see them go from rivals to best buds.
8/10
Piccolo - Ah, Piccolo. You start out as a villain, die, have a son named the same thing (that's who we're focusing on, by the way) become a villain again and kick some serious ass until you're beat. That was all in Dragon Ball. In Z, his first appearance is in the first episode, as the first person Raditz confronts (not counting the farmer with a rifle and half a minute of screen time.) and is no match for him. All he did with his energy attack was, as Raditz put it, "singe some of his leg hair." He makes a temporary alliance with Goku to defeat this new menace. Goku tells Piccolo to shoot Raditz while he holds Raditz down, killing them both, to which Piccolo complies, trying to kill two birds with one Special Beam Cannon. After learning that more Saiyans like Raditz, only more powerful, are coming to Earth, Piccolo "volunteers" to train Gohan after he exhibits enormous power. By "volunteer" I mean that he just takes Gohan and says that he'll give him back in a year. As the series progresses, Piccolo evolves from nemesis to honorable mentor, and is quite possibly the best bad-guy-to-good-guy transition I've ever seen.
9/10
Winner: Piccolo
Part 4 - Villains
Who doesn't love a good villain? Villains can make or break a series. If they're good, people will keep watching so that they can see them die, but if the villains are bad, you'll just want to see the WRITERS' INEVITABLE DEATHS! So, which evil mastermind's the best? Let's look at the first big, badass villains the series shows that actually pose a significant threat and find out.
Orochimaru - I don't know much about this guy, since I missed ONE FREAKIN' EPISODE WHICH APPARENTLY HAD ABOUT TWELVE BILLION IMPORTANT PLOT POINTS IN IT!!! From what I know, he's a ninja who was exiled for practicing forbidden techniques. Okay, I'll give the Naruto show some credit, that's pretty cool. He wants to conquer the entire world with his forbidden jutsus, but after being crippled by the 3rd Hokage (basically a REALLY good ninja) he needs to find a new body, because it turns out arms that don't move aren't very good for ninja hand signs. He recruits Sasuke (look in the "Brooding Emo Rival" section for more info) as he is the most viable candidate. All in all, Orochimaru is, in my opinion, one of the only things Naruto did right.
9/10
Toguro -
(The original paragraph that was here has been kidnapped, gagged, and thrown into a closet by Iggy from “Last Insanity”)
Toguro from Yu Yu Hakusho is probably one of the most easily identifiable characters in the show. Three things really make him memorable, his sunglasses which he always wears, his shoulder monkey of a brother, and, of course, his enormous muscles. He was once a human, but was turned into a powerful B Class demon as his prize for winning the dark tournament. He spends the next fifty year killing demons mercilessly in hopes of a true fight that will force him to use 100% of his power. He found the challenge in Yusuke, Genkai’s student, who ironically was a good ally and friend to Toguro when he was a human. Yusuke does beat him, but not before Toguro deals his share of seemingly irreversible damage. He is without a doubt a great villain. He survives for a season and a half, something villains in Yu Yu Hakusho rarely do. Also, he goes undefeated the entire time (except for when he pretended to lose, but he was paid, so that doesn’t count). Because of his need for a fight, he causes much bloodshed and kills many, getting a twisted, sadistic pleasure from it. He would also do anything to pull out his enemy’s potential, even senselessly murdering someone who wasn’t even involved in the fight. Also, he has the tendency to be a total asshole while he fights. Toguro also has a sophisticated side and treats his victims with the deepest respect. Toguro is a great example of a murderous gentleman. His only flaw however is that no one knows anything about him, even his motives. Normally, when a villain dies, they either tell the hero everything or the hero finds it out after he’s killed said villain. When Toguro dies, you think you have him figured out, but then Koenma goes and completely rapes every idea you thought was right. This leave your original idea probably intact, but hazy of the most part. All in all, Toguro’s a good character, but it would be easier for the people who did not watch the show five complete times (like myself) if they knew about this guy more.
8.6/10
Thank you for your time, and no, Random Man, you aren’t getting your old paragraph back.
She gone yet? Good. Oh, man, she's nuts!
I heard that!
O.......K.........Let's move on.
Frieza - How can you go wrong with an evil space lizard who wants to use ancient artifacts to gain immortality and conquer the universe?! Answer: You can't! Frieza was an AWESOME villain, sadistic, cold and uncaring, shrugging off attacks, both physical and verbal, as if they were nothing. Even when he's about to die, Frieza still fights to win until he gets blown away by Super Saiyan Goku. (SPOILERS HO!!!) He even comes back as a cyborg to kill Goku, but is killed in about 15 seconds by Future Trunks. (Spoilers gone now) Frieza does, however, lose points in terms of looks. His first form looks like a little kid and his second form looks like the bastard son of his first form, a gorrila and a bull (I just KNOW that creepy people on Deviantart are going to draw that. Please notify me when said person is arrested for some form of drug possession or sexual offense on an iguana). His third form's the worst, making me question why the director of Alien hasn't sued the creators of DBZ yet. His final form, however, is simply badass, proving that less can really be much more.
8/10
Winner: *sigh* Orochimaru...
Part 5 - Signature Moves
OK, Iggs has pointed out that this section is, in effect, pointless. But, since these attacks are the ones you'll be seeing the most in whichever series is being discussed, so I'm putting it in anyway because I just want to. Skip it if you wish, these scores will not be counted towards the final tally. This section will be judged in 3 categories - Power, Versatility and Badassery . Power is, of course, how strong the attack is, especially when compared to other attacks in the series. Versatility means the different ways the character is able to use it to manage differing situations, and Badassery means how awesome the attack or character looks or is used.
Rasengan - Naruto's signature move, fangirls LOVE to pretend this thing could destroy ANYTHING, but the biggest thing I've seen it even BREAK is a small water tower! He might destroy a mountain if he gets stronger, seeing as how the water tower thing happened when he was new to the attack. I do have to give Naruto some credit, though; he was creative enough to learn to throw the dang thing to cut down on the energy cost.
Power 5/10
Versatility 7/10
Badassery 3/10
Overall Score 15/30
Spirit Gun - OK, describing the spirit gun to people who know almost nothing about Yu Yu Hakusho... Basically, its a techniqque that fires the energy given off by your soul in a concentrated blast from your index finger powerful enough to punch through a sheet of metal. Over the series, Yusuke gains 3 different "upgrades" to the attack; the Shotgun, which just fires a huge, near unavoidable WALL OF BULLETS at the target, the Spirit Wave, an attack so versatile that if I were discussing IT then there'd be no point in HAVING a versatility category (the score in that area for the Spirit Wave would be OVER 9000!!!) and the Demon Gun, basically a Spirit Gun on Demon Energy steroids. Now, the Spirit Gun is used only by Yusuke, and unlike the Rasengan, its obtained within the first few episodes. He uses it against the first two big villains, Rando and Suzaku, and obtains the ability to fire 4 a day later, when he was earlier limited to just one a day, unless he gets more power from somewhere. While it isn't more powerful then the Gun, the Spirit Wave is more effective and is most useful when channeled throgh a punch or kick. Damn, spirit energy rocks.
Power 7/10
Versatility 6/10
Badassery 8/10
Overall Score 21/30
The Kamehameha Wave - KA...ME...HA...ME...HAAAAA!!! Now that my inner nerd is out, let me tell you, this is one bitch of an energy blast! When we first saw it in Dragonball, it had the power to extinguish an ENORMOUS fire, and that was only Master Roshi, not Goku. Unlike the Rasengan and Spirit Gun, with 2 or 3 different variations, there are about 31 DIFFERENT KAMEHAMEHA ATTACKS! While you would THINK this would increase the versatility score for this attack, but about 90% of them are just bigger blasts! There's the Super Kamehameha, Solar Kamehameha, Feet Kamehameha, Jet Kamehameha, Double Kamehameha (God bless Copy and Paste function) there's too many, and most of them aren't even seperate attacks, they're combinations with other attacks or just mulitple Kamehamehas fired at one point by different characters! However, the Kamehameha does have one thing no other attack can compare with; if used carelessly, it could destroy the planet!
Power 12/10
Versatility 5/10 (all the variations are usually just bigger attacks)
Badassery 10/10
Overall Score 27/10
Winner: Kamehameha Wave
Part 6 - Plot
Let's face it. Even with an awesome villain, kickass character, great supporting cast and incredible attacks, without a story to put them in, they just float around in your head pointlessly until you forget the concepts. Plot is the most important part of a story, and as such, I have saved my plot analysis for the last section. Let's dig right in, so I can finish this and go to bed!
Naruto - Naruto's plot, I have to admit, had a lot of potential. I mean, a secret village with a school for ninjas, with the main protagonist being a kid ninja with a fox demon sealed in his body? That's just awesome! UNLESS they never elaborate on the school itself, the main characters are as annoying as jackhammers who also happen to be console fanboys and the plot doesn't bring up 3 million details in one episode you happened to miss because you weren't home! Because of this, I still barely know who the hell Orochimaru is, I needed Wikipedia for backstory, but used my knowledge of the character from seeing him on the show. Also, as Random DCE on Youtube mentioned, its kind of pointless to make the main character a ninja IN THE FIRST EPISODE!!! A better premise would have been Naruto trying to become a ninja all the while controlling the demon inside of him.
4/10
Yu Yu Hakusho -
Ok, so the plot of Yu Yu Hakusho can be described as- What are you doing back here?! Wait! No no no no no no no! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
<><><><><><>
Hey, it’s Iggs again. Upon my own decision, I believe I am more qualified to review Yu Yu Hakusho. I think anyone who watched it five times to its entirety would be.
Ok, Yu Yu Hakusho takes place in an unnamed town in Japan (seriously, it has no name) in the 90’s. Yusuke, our hero dies within the first three seconds of the show. Botan, The Chief Pilot of the River Styx (or the grim reaper in our modern perception of a messenger of death), tells him that no one expected him to die, because he acted against his personality and got hit by a car saving a young boy. She brings him to Koenma, Prince of the Spirit World, to give him another chance at life, but only after completing an ordeal. Yusuke passes and is offered a second chance, but he has to be a Spirit Detective, one who protects humans from demons or apparitions as they are sometimes called. Yusuke is eventually joined by his rival, Kuwabara, who eventually became his best friend, Kurama, once a spirit fox who was made a legend by being a notorious thief, and the still mostly evil Hiei, a small demon who enjoys killing and bloodshed. Together they kill demons and stop power hungry humans.
The plot is defiantly high on my list, definitely more in depth than most other plots (quite honestly, I find Dragon Ball Z to have a rather thin plot). It is mostly fighting, which is a hard genre to get a good plot about. What makes it so good is that here is no confusion on who’s on which side and their power remains on a level that can actually exist that also make sense with the chemistry of the earth and every other planet (one of the reasons I don’t like DBZ). Also, what I find very important for adding depth to a plot; it is very clear on what they are fighting for, the safety of their friends, family, and everyone else in the world. They don’t treat fights like a game or as a way to get powerful. Their resolve is fueled by their need to protect those whom they care deeply about (note: this does apply to Hiei, he may only seem to want to kill, but he is really protecting his sister, his honor, and the rest of the team who he eventually accepts as his friends, the word used loosely of course… very, very loosely) (note again: I’m not being a bitch to Hiei, he is actually my favorite anime character of all time, I just say it as it is).
So what makes for a good fighting anime can be found in Yu Yu Hakusho, no confusion to whose good and evil, their power makes sense, and their reason to fight. If you’ve seen the anime before and liked it, you got a good head on, if you didn’t like it, I will hunt you down, and if you didn’t watch, you better do so before I hunt you down too, because Yu Yu Hakusho owns.
11.7/10
… Your original narrator might wake up… oh well, where’s the cereal?
Owww! OK, Iggs, I'm getting REALLY tired of that! Anyway, Yu Yu Hakush-wait, what's all this text doing here? Ah, damn it, she hijacked my review! Eh, whatever.
Dragonball Z - There is almost NO plot for this show. It's about a man named Goku who finds out he's an alien. He lives on a planet where there are 7 magical spheres called the Dragonballs, which can grant nearly any wish. Each season introduces a new villain, and the rest is just....hitting. A LOT of hitting. Yeah, the plot's pretty bland, but the character development shown (see Vegeta) makes up for it.
6/10
Well, that's about all you need to know to watch any of these shows, but that's not why we're here. We're here to see who wins. And so, in second place, Dragonball Z. third place belongs to Naruto, and thus the ultimate winner is Yu Yu Hakusho! Thanks for reading this review, and I hope you watch this series; it kicks ASS!
