Introduction

Welcome, everyone, to a brand new article series here at SunsetNerdVerse — Would You Rather? Now, the Would You Rather concept isn’t new — we know that. But we wanted to put our own spin on it, so here’s how it works. You’ll be presented with two choices, each with its own pro and con, followed by my personal pick. Then we turn it over to all of you — here in the comments or over on social media — to make your own choice and, if you’d like, tell us why. Today’s Would You Rather is shounen related, and here’s the query: Would you rather watch the entirety of One Piece — no skipping filler episodes, including all 15 movies — or watch the entirety of Bleach, including the soon-to-air seasons, entirely in English dub? Let’s break down each choice before I reveal where I land!

One Piece

Pro: A Legend Among Them All

One Piece is easily one of the longest-running shounen series out there — one that even newer anime fans have heard of. Originally airing in 1999, it has since risen to the very top, considered by many to be one of the giants of the shounen world and a member of the Big Three in terms of anime popularity. Watching One Piece, as fans often tell me, is akin to watching a truly legendary story unfold in real time. Luffy’s growth as a character, the meticulous world building, the sprawling cast, and the steadily improving animation are all reasons people insist One Piece is required viewing for anyone with a pulse. As someone who has watched some of One Piece — and I do mean some — and has played the games and dipped into the manga, I get it. One Piece is a genuine journey, and it shows that mangaka Eiichiro Oda crafted a story that will go down in legend — just like a true pirate would.

Con: Do You Have the Time?

Here’s the thing — One Piece has been running for over 26 years, spawning 1,160 episodes across 22 seasons and 15 full-length movies. That is almost unheard of, matched only by Detective Conan (over 1,200 episodes and 25 movies) and Sazae-san, which has aired over 2,800 episodes. If you could invest every spare hour into catching up, you’d be looking at a whopping 470+ hours of content. Those of you with an abundance of free time — I envy you genuinely — could pull this off in a matter of months. For the rest of us, this is easily a year-plus commitment. And remember — no skipping filler. You take on this challenge, you’re watching everything: recaps, filler arcs, all of it.

Bleach (English Dub)

Pro: Short but Fantastic Shounen — Even in English

Bleach, by mangaka Tite Kubo, premiered in anime form in 2004 and has been met with high praise both in Japan and the United States. From its iconic character designs to the instantly loveable MC Ichigo Kurosaki, Bleach took some heat for how its original anime run ended — though the manga stuck the landing — and has since been revived with the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War arc, now heading into its fourth season. Bleach has also long been recognized for having one of the stronger English dub casts in all of shounen anime. English dub is still considered almost taboo by some corners of the anime community — though that stigma has been fading, which is genuinely nice to see. The real question here: could you turn off the native Japanese audio and commit to the English dub for the entire run?

Con: The Filler and Movies Hold Almost No Relevancy

One of my biggest frustrations with Bleach filler — and I know I’m not alone here — is that it carries almost no weight in the broader franchise. From the Bounts to the Blanks, most filler arcs and movies are effectively non-canon, existing in a narrative vacuum. Series like Naruto or even One Piece at least occasionally reference or revisit their filler material — a passing mention here, a small callback there. Bleach filler? Almost never re-examined, quietly forgotten, and ultimately pointless to the main story. It’s a shame, because sitting through it knowing it leads nowhere makes the commitment feel all the heavier.

My Choice: Bleach (English Dub)

Let me be upfront — I like One Piece. Am I a massive fan? No, and the art style is my biggest sticking point. Still, I love certain aspects of it — some of the Devil Fruit powers are fantastic — and the games have been genuinely great. But Bleach in English dub has been my preferred way of experiencing the series since it first aired in the US around 2006, and that hasn’t changed.

Johnny Yong Bosch as Ichigo — also the voice behind Vash the Stampede, among hundreds of other iconic roles — is simply excellent. Stephanie Sheh as Orihime, Michelle Ruff as Rukia — the English cast of Bleach is phenomenal top to bottom. These aren’t newcomers learning on the job. These are veterans of the English dub industry who, even in their earlier years, understood exactly how to inhabit their characters and make them resonate for those of us who appreciate a quality English dub. The Japanese cast is no joke either — hearing Masakazu Morita roar “Bankai” as Ichigo is genuinely spine-tingling. But Johnny Yong Bosch knows how to deliver that same chill when the moment calls for it. That’s the mark of a truly great dub, and Bleach has one.

There you have it, dear readers — the pros and cons laid out, and my personal pick made. Now the choice is yours. Would you rather watch all of One Piece — filler, movies, and all — or watch all of Bleach, filler and movies included, entirely in English dub? You can weigh in one of two ways: drop a comment below with your choice and your reasoning, or let us know over on social media. There’s no right or wrong answer here — though I suspect some of you may feel strongly otherwise — so please keep it respectful. We love you all, and we hope this new series gets enough traction to keep going. Now then — would you rather?