In the beginning God created the light and the dark, but soon, the powers of light squared off against the powers of dark, and the world was plunged into war. Eventually, seven knights of lights with the power of Shadow rose up and sealed the darkness away. Now, many years later, Nene, the ruler of the Grand Kingdom, is trying to use the power of Shadow to plunge the world into chaos. Looking for other people with the power of Shadow, Nene sends his forces to attack Shu's village; but while defending his village, Shu unleashes the Shadow of Blue Dragon, the most powerful shadow known, and it goes berserk. Can Zola and Jiro, two other Shadow users who oppose Nene, teach Shu how to control Blue Dragon and save the world from chaos?
Naruto Uzumaki is a young ninja who bears a great power hidden inside him, a power that has isolated him from the rest of his village. As such, his only dream is to become the Hokage - the most powerful ninja, and leader of the village; but first he needs to graduate! With his inability to perform even the most basic ninja techniques, it seems that all Naruto has going for him is his determination to succeed no matter what. Teamed up with the genius Sasuke, book-smart Sakura, and their team leader Kakashi, Naruto embarks on his quest to become the Hokage. But with outside forces posing a threat to the entire Hidden Leaf village, Naruto discovers that he must become much stronger if he ever wants to realize his dream and protect the friendships he's forged.
Naruto and Blue Dragon are examples of "I won't lose to you" series. In these, the main character ends up facing an opponent more powerful than themselves. However, through perseverance, team work, quick thinking or whatever, the hero manages to win out in the end. Beyond that, the main characters both basically call upon the powers of spirits within them to help battle the forces of evil. If you enjoyed one of these series, you will probably enjoy the other.
A mysterious monkey-tailed boy named Goku teams up with a teenage computer-wiz girl named Bulma to search for the mystic Dragon Balls. According to legend, whoever collects all 7 Dragon Balls will have any one wish granted. Join Goku in this hilarious anime masterpiece, as he races and battles to save the world from the forces of darkness. Who will find the balls first?
While the plot similarities are only superficial (a young boy going on an adventure to train & hone his fighting skills), Blue Dragon and Dragon Ball just "feel" a lot alike. If you enjoyed watching one of these, I am certain that you'll also enjoy watching the other.
Five years have passed since Goku and his friends defeated Piccolo Jr. and restored peace to the planet. Gohan - Goku's son - and a variety of good, bad, and morally ambiguous characters are back, and perpetually not ready for action! Aliens, androids, and magicians all hatch evil plots to destroy the world and it's up to Goku to save the Earth once more - that is, once he and his comrades train plentifully in preparation. Enemies will become friends and power levels will rise to unimaginable levels, but even with the help of the legendary Dragon Balls and Shen Long will it be enough to save Earth from ultimate destruction?
Having watched the occasional episode of Dragon Ball Z, and having watched several episodes of Blue Dragon, I have noticed several similarities. Not only the animation style, or the power up animation, but the tale of a boy who trains to save the world from the forces of darkness. If you enjoyed one of the series, I am sure you will enjoy the other.
Sonic and the gang are back in a brand new adventure, and this time its not only Dr. Robotnik that they have to worry about. As Sonic teams up with Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Cream, they will need all the help they can get to counter the plans of Robotnik and Sonic's dark counterpart, Shadow The Hedgehog.
A group of people trying to stop their badass enemies from taking over the world. Journing around to find a certain treasure before their enemies get a hold of them. Also helping people along the way.
Ichigo, an ordinary high school student who is tough in a fight has just one unusual trait -- he can see ghosts. One day he is attacked by a hollow, a vengeful spirit, which would have killed him except that he was saved by a girl named Rukia. She is a Shinigami, a guide to the afterlife and slayer of evil spirits. Unfortunately many hollows want to devour his spiritual power and Rukia is hurt fighting to protect him. After giving her powers to Ichigo so he can save himself, she finds she can't take them back. Now Ichigo has to do her job. He is now a student -- and Shinigami!
There are some series of anime which I term "I won't lose to you" series. In these, the protagonist often finds himself pitted against more powerful opponents, but always manages to bounce back from defeat and win in the end. Bleach and Blue Dragon are two examples of this type of anime. Despite sometimes actually being defeated, the characters generally manage to rally, build up their power and try again. If you enjoyed one, you are more than likely to enjoy the other.