The 'New' Big Three?

Since there weren't any that I could find, I figured that we could discuss about the state of the Big 3 shonen series - One Piece, Bleach and Naruto.

This is not about whether they deserve to be the Big 3 or not, or even which is the best of the three. We're here to talk about which shonen will take the reins as the Big 3, when the others end.

In particular, I think Medaka Box or Fairy Tail are good contenders to fill the void left by the Bleach anime ending.

edited 13th Apr '12 9:12:47 PM by Serocco

It's actually Toriko that's thought to possibly replace Bleach as the Big three of Shonen Jump, at least in japan.

With Naruto looking like it's heading towards its Grand Finale, what do you think will replace it?

edited 13th Apr '12 9:15:26 PM by Serocco

I'm sure Blue Exorcist might, since it is surprisingly popular in japan, apparently.

At least, as far as Shonen Jump goes, anyhow.

edited 13th Apr '12 9:17:33 PM by Demongodofchaos2

Okay, I'll rearrange the topic to make it more specific: which anime will replace Bleach and Naruto in Shonen Jump, based on popularity and marketing success? Blue Exorcist and Toriko seem to be the ones for Japanese readers.

Separate question: which of the ones that you picked as replacements, will get as much success overseas as the current Big Three?

edited 13th Apr '12 9:19:47 PM by Serocco

You seem to be confused. The 'Big Three' was a description of the state of affairs at the time the term was coined. It is not a necessary state of affairs, and indeed hasn't been accurate for some time now

I know it's just a Fan Nickname - I did this just for fun.

As far as Weekly Shonen Jump is concerned, Toriko has already replaced Ichigo as their third pillar. Their every-series covers for new years proved it.

edited 13th Apr '12 9:38:40 PM by burnpsy

Wasn't there a popularity poll earlier for Shonen Jump?

Jump kinda holds weekly ones officially, y'know. .-.

Well, yeah. I meant, in the latest polls, has Toriko been in the top five consistently?

Yes, it has been.

Have any of us seen Toriko, anyway? I look at it as Fist Of The North Star with Dragon Ball and food. Has an old-school art style with an over-the-top premise.

edited 13th Apr '12 10:38:24 PM by Serocco

I've read the first volume or so. It was alright. Definitely held my attention better than the early parts of Bleach I saw.

Also, TBQH, if you want American numbers, I can fetch them. It's Sailor Moon > Naruto > Black Bird this month...

edited 13th Apr '12 10:40:05 PM by burnpsy

I've read a bit of it, and there is a thread of it on here.

Hasn't Bleach been out of the top 3 even before Toriko took third place?

Yeah, ever since the second-to-last arc, but I think it'll pick up some steam with the direction the latest one is taking.

Toriko, meanwhile, is too much of a Widget Series for it to catch overseas, though. Which is why I picture Fairy Tail as the overseas' replacement for Bleach.

I just looked the numbers up. This month says Sailor Moon > Naruto > Black Bird for manga. We never get any indication at all on anime sales except when a company drops something like a rock.

Sailor Moon? Really?

For those saying Blue Exorcist, you have to remember that it's not in Shonen Jump. It's actually in Jump Square, which is released monthly.

I'd say Toriko. Seems popular enough. People (including me) seem to like it.

@Serocco, yes, really. It helps that the Sailor Moon manga is just this last year being rereleased in a much better translation after being out of print for years, so all the folks who entered the fandom because of Sailor Moon can get their hands on it. It's a slightly different intended audience than the Shonen Jump material, but still quite large.

eta: In fact, that ranking is a testament to the strength of the Naruto franchise, which is able to gain a #2 sales position despite *not* having a sudden rush of new stuff, but a steady release of a long-running series. Black Bird's a bit more of a surprise, to be honest.

edited 14th Apr '12 9:28:54 AM by SKJAM

Nobody is mentioning One Piece, I assume that One Piece is not popular anymore

One Piece is so popular by itself it IS the big three.

In all seriousness does the "big three" have to be Shonen Jump exclusive? In that case I'd also say Toriko jusging from another forum I used to go on, and if not, then Blue Exorcist.

That must be a joke. One Piece is only a little over half-way finished, after having lasted 14 years so far, so we're expecting another seven-or-so years, depending on whether or not Oda is serious in that he really wants to wrap up the series.

And One Piece is amazingly popular in Japan and is consistently in the number one slot. That's why no one has mentioned it thus far, where as Bleach and Naruto are wrapping up/diminishing in popularity.

Other than that, I'm not really up to date with any other current manga, but Toriko seems to be doing really well, especially since it's gotten two cross-overs with One Piece thus far, and Oda considers the author of that series to be his rival/equal, so, it probably has a really good chance.

In America, there is hardly a "Big 3" of manga since manga and anime in general have died down significantly in popularity. I'm honestly surprised Naruto has lasted this long, but there's been a pretty clear drop in its popularity compared to its earlier years.