The world of Japanese anime is getting bigger and better with each passing day. Every now and then a new anime makes its way to our screens joining the massive catalog there is. While anime fans can debate all day long about what the best anime is, there are a few that surely prove to be worthy contenders. One such is Dragon Ball-Z, perhaps one of the most loved anime series. The show paved the way and popularised the genre massively. However, what if we tell you that the show does not fall in Shonen’s big three anime? 

Shonen’s big three anime are One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. The top three on the Shonen Jump cover featured those shows that dominated the genre with extensive length and popularity. While Dragon Ball-Z surely fit the description, it never made its way to Shonen Jump. There are a handful number of reasons why. 

Naruto, Bleach and One Piece were in the public consciousness during a similar period

One reason why Naruto, Bleach and One Piece are on the shonen’s top three could be the release timing of all of them. Naruto Manga premiered worldwide in 1997, One Piece in 1999 while Bleach started in late 2001. Meanwhile, in America, the mangas featured on the shonen jump a while after their official release. One Piece was released in America in 2002, Naruto in 2003, and Bleach in 2007. So all the three anime were around at the same time owing to which their popularity rose. However, the era of Dragon Ball Z was long before the three.

The action manga made its way to the world back in 1984 and finished in 1995 much earlier than others in the genre. Meanwhile, the shone premiered in America in 1998. Back then, none of the other counterparts had been released. Therefore, it is safe to assume, fans felt Dragon Ball-Z’s era was long gone when the Big Three era arrived.

How Dragon Ball-Z missed out on a major trend

Dragon Ball-Z undoubtedly had an incredible run. The show reached television in 1996 in North America. However, its run ended in 2003 years before the Big Three made their way. One Piece released in 2004, Naruto in 2005 and Bleach in 2006. When these three shows made their way, they quickly dominated the space while the era of Dragon Ball-Z had already finished.

Despite the lack of place in the big three, one cannot deny that Dragon Ball-Z surely paved the way for the others in the genre. Furthermore, its impact on the fans is immense, and it is still a hot topic in the anime world even after all these years.

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