Anime fans have spent countless hours debating every aspect of their favorite shonen series, from power levels to plot details. However, one of the most common debates centers on why “dragon ball“, and its various spin-offs, are not considered part of“The big three”from the anime. This term, which originated in Western fan circles in the mid-2000s, refers to “One Piece,” “Naruto,” and “Bleach.” Not only were these series extremely popular, but they also had a considerable run, allowing them to frequently appear on the cover of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and dominate conventions, merchandise, and forums.

Despite being one of the most widely used terms to describe anime's most popular and ubiquitous properties, "Dragon Ball" is not among those legendary giants. The reason behind this exclusion is largely due to the publication date. While “The Big Three” had scattered release dates for their manga and anime in Japan and North America, “Dragon Ball” premiered much earlier. The original “Dragon Ball” manga was released in Japan in 1984 and concluded in 1995, years before the other titles appeared.

In North America, “Dragon Ball Z” premiered in 1998, meaning that many anime fans were already familiar with this series before “The Big Three” reached audiences. “One Piece” was released in 2002, “Naruto” in 2003, and “Bleach” in 2007 in the American version of Weekly Shonen Jump, so these series were present in the public consciousness simultaneously, marking a new era for fans of the anime genre.

The term “The Big Three” was created by fans during their heyday and has no official endorsement, meaning it does not necessarily reflect the sales or quality of “One Piece,” “Naruto” and “Bleach.” The term simply represents its perceived popularity within the shonen fandom at a specific point in time. With that in mind, there is no denying that “Dragon Ball” has been a long-running series, part of the shonen genre, and one that remains extremely popular among fans all over the world.

The “Dragon Ball” series is considered to be from an era before the “Big Three”. “Dragon Ball Z” began airing on North American television in 1996, quickly gaining a devoted fan base, but its run of new episodes ended in 2003, before any of the “Big Three” appeared on screen. “One Piece” was the first to be released in North America in 2004, followed by “Naruto” in 2005 and “Bleach” in 2006. By the time these animes began airing in the West, viewers had already seen the entire “Dragon Ball” saga, “Dragon Ball Z,” and the non-canon sequel, “Dragon Ball GT.”

Today, the “Big Three” franchises still exist in some form. “One Piece” is still going strong in both manga and anime, “Naruto” continued with the sequel series “Boruto,” and “Bleach” is adapting the latest part of its story with the “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” series. Meanwhile, “Dragon Ball” has evolved with the manga and anime “Dragon Ball Super,” replacing the now non-canon “Dragon Ball GT.” In the fall of 2024, a new series titled “Dragon Ball Daima” will premiere, one of the most recent projects that creator Akira Toriyama has worked on.

©SHUEISHA